Gran Castillo Tagoro Family & Fun Playa Blanca

We recently stayed at the Gran Castillo in Lanzarote for the second time. While it’s advertised as a 5-star resort, it feels more like a 3-star by Irish standards. It's definitely a hotel for families with young children. I wouldn't recommend it for couples or families with older/teenage children. Positives: • Our kids (aged 7 and 5) had a fantastic time, which made the trip enjoyable overall. • The variety of food was impressive, with something to suit everyone each day. • The Italian restaurant on-site was excellent and a real highlight of our stay. • All restaurant staff were outstanding—hardworking, attentive, and friendly. They really deserve recognition. • The animation team was energetic and brilliant with the children. • Poolside entertainment and games were great fun and well-organised. • The acrobatics show was absolutely brilliant and a standout evening event. • The location is ideal, with a scenic walk along the coast leading to the Marina. • Staff across the resort were warm and helpful. • Restaurant staff were great and arranged coeliac food for my wife each night. All foods were clearly labelled with allergens Negatives: • The rooms are basic and don’t meet the expectations of a 5-star hotel. Limited space due to sofa bed being used for 2 children. • The balcony in room 3259 has a dangerously low wall—not safe, especially with young children. (Not that I'd ever let a child be alone on a balcony) • The balcony only had two chairs and a small table—not suitable for a family of four. • The kids’ dragon pool is tired and in need of refurbishment. One of the slides wasn’t operational due to a lack of water flowing down it. Kids still enjoyed it, though. • Water dispensers around the resort were out of order for a couple of days, which wasn’t ideal in the heat. (Water bottles were available at the bars but were not chilled) • The gym wasn't great. with limited equipment. Some of the cable machines were broken. • Uneven paving throughout the resort created numerous trip hazards. Adults only area in need of some care, too. Broken boards causing trip hazards. • Construction noise near the adults-only pool disrupted the otherwise relaxing area. • The photography team was persistently approaching guests to take pictures. This became annoying after a while, especially considering the high prices for purchasing the photos. • The pillows in the beds are dreadful. It's way too high and hard. • Soap and shower gels not topped up regularly enough. Tips 1. Avoid room 3259 purely because of the balcony 2. Book your final day courtesy room with reception well in advance of your last day. 3. Have dinner in the overflow sort of area in the buffet. It's quieter and less hectic. Overall, we had an enjoyable stay and appreciated many aspects—particularly how well the kids were entertained and the efforts of the staff. However, we feel our children have now outgrown what the resort offers, and due to the standard of accommodation and a few ongoing

This was our second stay, and we booked a 2-bedroom hotel room for ourselves and our two young children (aged 4 and 1). The main reason we chose to return was the baby club, so we were disappointed to find out on arrival that it was closed—especially since we hadn’t been informed beforehand. We had also requested the same room as last year, but were assigned a different one. We were told a manager would come to speak with us, but that never happened. That said, we really can’t fault the rest of the experience. The kids absolutely adore it here, and we had a fantastic time as a family. The food was great (we chose the all-inclusive option), and the kids’ disco each evening was a highlight. We’d love to come back again, but the prices have increased significantly each year—it’s nearly double the cost for next year, which makes it a difficult decision.

The hotel was lovely clean and very comfortable with amazing sea views. We stayed in a deluxe room which was very spacious. The food was good and very fresh and the stars friendly and helpful especially the bar man at the adult zone 😁 the only thing missing in my view would be an adult only dinning area and bar in the evening. Even through I love seeing little ones having a great time - a peaceful meal and drink would have been great 😊 if you have a young family this is the place for you - the children had a ball!