Reina Isabel Hotel

Brilliant location within Las Palmas - right next to the golden beach and short walking distance from the main shops. If you just want to chill out, the hotel has two areas on the beach and provides sunbeds and umbrellas foc and there are always enough! Same at the very pleasant roof pool - no competition for beds as only a few people are ever up there. Food was good and varied although at dinner, a little bland but I was there with my teenage daughter and there was always something we liked. Not somewhere to go to meet lots of English families as there were only a few English people in the hotel but the staff were all excellent and the receptionists fluent in all the main European languages. The air conditioning and rooms were satisfactory and could do with a major re-investment. If you are going now, be warned that the building on the other side of the road is being refurbished. Builders start at 8am!

Just returned from a week at the Reina Isabel Hotel in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. The hotel is first class with the best breakfasts we've ever had. The staff are very friendly, as are the residents, but bear in mind this is a capital city and not a resort so there were few that spoke any english at all. The place is so big we got lost several times The beach is absolutely wonderful, blue flag with lifeguards, and a lovely long promenade to walk along day & night. Canoeing, surfing and the beach was "hoovered" every night but as they have bins & disposable ashtrys all over the place we never saw one piece of litter in all the time we were there. The hotel has the best terrace on the beach to sit & watch the world go by with a glass or two of wine or try their sangria - simply beautiful. The rooms were cleaned every day with fresh towels & toilettries. There's also a mini fridge to keep your water, wine etc. As we are not exactly beach bums we didn't go onto the sunbeds reserved for our hotel on the beach. We liked the pool area on the roof terrace best. Plenty of bamboo style sunbeds with parasols & never too busy. At night, after dinner, we would walk along the promenade & one of our favourite places was a small local bar down on the right from the lady statue (can't remember the name of the street) They served good measures & were extremely friendly. It had big hams etc on the gantry. I had asked about good restaurants on tripadvisor & received a reply from someone born in Las Palmas with a few good ones that we tried. We got a map at the tourist office on the promenade & they marked out where the restaraunts were for us. La Cuadra ( Mas de Graminde, 32) Good Lebanese restaraunt. Gave it 10/10. The lamb chops & the steaks were superb. As was the wine. The other one across the road that was recommended didn't open til 9 or 9.30 so we didn't get there was El Coto. El Gallo Feliz ( white cockeral signs) & El Cerdo Que Rie ( look for the pig signs) are about 500 yards on the left coming out of the hotel on Paseo de Las Canteras ( the promenade) One we found ourselves was the Glamour Restaraunt about 500 yards to the right as you come out of the hotel. Beautifully cooked steaks & do get the gorgonzola sauce with it. It's to die for. As for snacks, the best cheese & ham toasties (3 euro) & a bottle of Rioja white El Coto ( 12.50 euro) & the best service, was at the Gran Terraza Lolita in Parque Santa Catalina. An outside bar/restaurant in the square. Good food, wine & T.V. screens showing football, if you're interested. Across the road is a shopping mall with bars etc Another restaurant that was recommended was Camilo, a fish restaraunt right at the end of Paseo de Las Canteras, La Puntilla. Turn right as you come out of the hotel & keep on going until you come to the cliffs. We didn't try this as my partner didn't want fish & this is all they serve but I believe it would be very good if you all wanted fish. There are plenty of big shops like El Corte Engles etc in the centre and another shopping centre if you walk to the end of the promenade to the left of the hotel. All in all it was a quiet holiday we were looking for but wouldn't recommend it for anyone looking for anything lively.

First time away for Christmas. Wonderful experience. No Christmas celebrations at all, so we could just treat it like a 'normal' holiday. Breakfast buffet enormous, to suit every taste imaginable. Had wonderful large sea view room with two balconies - no sun until late evening though, but this is because of the way the sun rises and sets over the top of the hotel. Gran Canaria is permanently windy though, so never feels hot. Large old town to explore. Took a trip to the South - horrid, as was Maspalomas. Modern, built up, overcrowded, was happy to get back to Las Palmas. Will go again.

We stayed for 3 nights in January 07. The rooms, with balcony, overlooking Canteras beach are the best. Ask for a room on floor 5 or higher to get best sea views and to overlook the beach which is floodlit at night. Excellent ly placed above the beach and a short walking distance to the El Cortes Ingles dept. stores. Bus ride to main shopping area. Private sunbeds on beach plus rooftop swimming pool with sunbathing area.Well equipped gym on rooftop. Ground floor bar/snacks very comfortable and not expensive. Also, rooftop bar. Breakfast - the best anywhere. Cooked decent back bacon, sausages et al. Every cold item imagineable including smoked salmon, iced cava and vodka!! Hotel used by Saga and maybe Scandinavian equivalent so be prepared to be surrounded by geriatrics. Many of these old folk seem to stay on half board and the food in the ground floor restaurant looked pretty good. We had a one meal in the rooftop restaurant which was recommended in a guide book. Superb views, good food and not particularly expensive. Empty until 10 o'clock when it filled up with locals. We booked through Hotel Pronto in the UK which was nearlty 25% cheaper than booking direct with the hotel.

Visited in June. The Reina Isabel is an excellent hotel with a couple of flaws, but it has the best location in Las Palmas and a beautiful terrace area. Even the so called best 5star hotels just havn't got the same atmosphere and location. Many of the non seaview rooms on the lower floors are quite dull. The higher floors (5th floor and over) are much brighter. All of the standard rooms are of a medium size, but are of a good quality with good aircon. Bathrooms are good. Public rooms are excellent. Half board food is really very good. The restaurant is on the ground floor has lovely sea views by the promenade. The buffet has good quality foods and if you don't pig out and eat carefully, as you would in a normal restaurant, you can have a very good meal.House wine is cheap. Breakfast is comprehesive and good. Fry ups, cereals, good cheeses, smoked salmon and herrings, cav sparkling wine. Some food is cooked fresh at the grill if you prefer. On the top floor there is an immaculate top quality a la carte restaurant with spectacular views. The pool is on the top floor which is a sun trap, and there is a scenic gym near the pool. Bar prices by the pool and by the promenade terrace (which is really lovely) are very reasonable for a good hotel. The hotel has its own beach area with sun loungers and parasols which are all free. The beach merits 5 out of 5. Cleaned every day. The public rooms are excellent.. Las Palmas combines city life with wonderful beach. The hotel wiill grow on you the longer you are there. With its flaws you will still not find anybody who did not enjoy it. Sitting at the lovely terrace watching the sea and the world go by is just great. Remember though that the weather in Las Palmas is a micro-climate and it can be erratic at the best of times. The days are usually a mixture of sun and cloud.

Although this hotel has a local rating of 5 stars, it would not stand up in other places. The 'spa' equipment was oout of date and on occassions during our week's stay the jacuzzu was empty. A good selection of food but due to this, it was not kept hot enough, except from the grill. Could do better!

This hotel was selected on the strength of its high popularity on this site...so expectations were high. GOOD POINTS :- entrance lobby, room, food, position, staff. BAD POINTS:- no evening entertainment whatsoever, no tea and coffee making in room, all spanish or german guests (we didnt speak to an english person for 5 days). Although the premuim for beach facing rooms is high - its probably worth it.

Staff was friendly, but not always helpful (a luggage transport from car to room was not offered, but available on request. When we asked later to call a taxi, we were told where we can find a taxi ourselves the next street - the taxi was called on repeated request). The rooms needs some refurbishment, just a 3 star rating. On the bright side a 5 Star rating: location, views from the rooftop pool and restaurants, fine terrace with view to the beach. Very good breakfast with seafood - difficult to get it in spain. Absolute highlight: The rooftop restaurant, perfect quality! In germany and france the restaurant wold get at least one star in the michelin guide - it was better as some 2* restaurants we know.

I agree the general tenor of reviews. This hotel is not perfect, but my wife and I look forward to returning year after year. It has old-fashioned charm and standards. Rooms are now perhaps a little tired, but the staff, virtually without exception, take pride in their service and are genuinely helpful. I arrived last year with a cut head, having managed to bring a boot-lid down on it in a pitch dark multi-storey. They immediately gave me a plaster and antiseptic lotion. Just typical. Food is well above average, and comprehensive in choice. We regard it as one of the simpler, but great, delights in life, to just relax in the potted-palm lined patio bar early evening, with a beer, and watch the bustling, colourful world go by. Plus, drinks etc. are probably a third cheaper in the north than the south. In fact, a large and small beer are about 3.80 euros in the hotel, whilst I paid 5 euros for the same in a tatty back street bar in Puerto Mogan. We find Las Palmas fascinating,it's so cosmopolitan, but it's not to everyone's taste, and the weather can be a lot cooler than in the south. We normally do a 3 centre holiday, and have always hired a car, but this year tried the Island's bus service, as Las Palmas is not an easy place to drive in.The one from the airport is cheap and frequent, taking about 30 mins. and stops in Santa Catalina Park near the hotel, and we even took the coach down to San Augustin when we moved on. It runs half-hourly, takes 50 minutes and costs about 5 euros. Totally painless, as it has room for cases underneath. If you like the Reina Isabel, you'll also like the Melia Tamarindos at San Augustin.

Both breakfast and diner are buffet style with huge choice and excellent variety and quality. Dinner choice varies each night and acceptable wine for less than 6 euros a bottle. Self service tea and coffee from 06.00 hrs in foyer and tea and coffe making facillities in room. Service excellent but not obtrusive. Rooms spacious with comfortable beds roomsafe and plenty of wardrobe and drawer space but streetside rooms can be a little noisy owing to central location. (Don't know about beachside rooms). Superb views from roof including sun seting over Mount Teide. Seperated from superb 4 km beach with lagoon for safe swimming, only by attractive pedestrianised promenade. All staff friendly and courteous. Nothing too much trouble.