Holiday Village Sun Tropical Hotel

I have just returned from a 2 week holiday to the Sun Tropical in Lanzarote, after reading the reviews I was apprehensive however when we arrived I was more than happy.
Our apartment was spacious and very clean. we had a pool just outside our apartment and a children's pool.
The complex was spotless and the reps fantastic they worked very hard always smiled and entertained the children superb, the range of entertainment was great. On a couple of occasions we used the reception and found the staff very helpful. The onsite restaurants were ok but not great however along the marina there were some lovely places to eat.
The large central swimming pool was lovely although very cold initially nice to cool down in (we had 2 very warm weeks with blue skies n no cloud) Children receive a band on arrival which allows them free crisps pop ice creams and lollies which was great and saves a fortune.
All credit to the cleaners they work so hard our room was cleaned almost everyday and clean towels daily.
The kid’s academy was superb with lots of activities going on which gives parents a little break and occupies the children it was run very well.
I would highly recommend the sun tropical to families and would certainly return there for another holiday.

The group of us that visited Sun Tropical consisted of a wide variety there were 6 year olds, 11 year olds, me and my friend both 17 and my parents. I was worried there wouldn't be much to do for us as its more family based but we were always out and about doing something. We made friends with many locals in the pubs and restaurants which made it a whole lot better and there were many young teenagers and couples there too which I didn't expect.
Kids will absolutely love it, there are many pools, I always went in the big pool which many people complained was too cold but it was fine when you got in there and it was never overcrowded. The evening entertainment was good too in the Dome, it kept the kids very entertained and I went in there the first few nights and thoroughly enjoyed it. The barman in there was lovley always dancing around and smiling.
Playa Blanca itself is very small, there is only 1 town in which there are a few shops which I was a bit disappointed in but many fantastic bars and restaurants. I'd recommend the Charmers bar (if you find it) they sell fantastic english food we went there a lot and also a chinese restaurant, next one called the Tapas bar, this was one of the best restaurants I have ever been to, the food was delicious and the staff were extremely good with children (and me haha) and always gave them free gifts each time you visited, we loved it so much we went there 4 times.
Also I would recommend taking the bus trip out to Puerto del Carmen as there are many more shops and a much more livelier nightlife, it takes about 30 mins to get there! All the bad reviews you have read I would put to the back of your mind as this is a great place and I would personally recommend it to any-one, its just a shame I cant go back next year because I would love to!

Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic! Me and my partner booked the Sun Tropical for a 1 week holiday, and we enjoyed it that much that we stayed for an extra 3 nights as we really did not want to come home.
Our apartment (Ground Floor) we were given couldn’t have been better. We were in one of the blocks where you got a lovely pool right on your door step. I phoned the Sun Tropical before our departure and requested this and we were lucky and were given it. This complex is really good for families, there is lots to do for the kids we noticed however it still managed to be really relaxing around all the pool areas and the complex as a whole i.e. Adult friendly too. The service we were given from all the local staff and reps there is very high in standard, they were very helpful.

The rooms were very clean and you had a good choice of English TV channels if you wanted it even ITV and BBC.
In the sister complex next door The Sun Island complex, there is a lovely garden area which has waterfalls, bridges, lovely garden surroundings and a lake with pretty big fish in it. Pay it a visit for a walk one day, its so nice and not many realise it is there!
There is a big Dome with entertainment in every night which was ok, however they do have a guest act in there once each week and that was very good!
The resort Playa Blanca was truly beautiful with lots of very nice restaurants, bars and all low key nightlife and a brand new Marina called the Rubicon, which is more up market. The beaches and the waters are very nice too so if you are a beach person you will love them here.
I could go on forever about this holiday, it really was a good one and I never heard one complaint while we were there. We did go Self Catering as that suited us best in the Sun Tropical and I’m glad we did as there were so many nice restaurants to choose from in Playa Blanca, and even the Italian was nice in the Sun Tropical Complex.
All I can say is I hope you enjoy the holiday as much as we did!

1 reader found this review helpful

This was the worst choice of holiday destinations we have ever chosen! We went with our 2 children aged 13 and 18 and there was nothing for them to do together and even when we asked if they could play pool together, the answer was no.
We stayed in room 608, which flooded the first night from a defrosted fridge, on advising reception, we got told to clean it ourselves with our own towels (first night). The beds were that uncomfortable my wife is now under the doctor for a bad back. We reported this to reps, which also fell on deaf ears (again). The most sleep we had in the whole week was 3 hours (due to serious drinking and passing out).
Money
All the hotel is interested in is extracting as many euros from your pocket as possible, everything had an additional cost, it even cost money to get out of the complex from the back gate (10 euros), otherwise look forward to a 30 minute walk to the sea front and shops/restaurants. 12 euro s for children to climb the pirate’s ships mast once (even not included in all inclusive packages).
TV was 20 euros for the week, which worked for 2 days out of the 7. Trips out of the complex were between 40 and 60 euro s each (family of four = £130.00, with many more hidden costs when there.
First choice reps = as a whole were very unhelpful, and the local staff were very rude! (First choice = last choice).
If you are considering a holiday here our comment is 'don’t do it'. Book somewhere else. We hated every thing about this holiday and will never go back even if some one paid us.

A good straightforward family holiday sums Sun Tropical up nicely. There was plenty of entertainment and all the essentials on site. A mile or so away was the main resort of Playa Blanca, a typical Spanish tourist resort with the usual mix of bars, restaurants, shops and a beach.
I felt the really good points of the Sun Tropical were:
The whole place was squeaky clean, the swimming pools (all five of them) were excellent - pleasant temperature and never too crowded. We had the added luxury of an open-air Jacuzzi right outside our apartment which was wonderful.
The reps were very good, and the kid’s reps were excellent - although even I found Margo Mainframe a bit scary :-). There were various kids club activities throughout the day, my 7 year old daughter enjoyed the sessions she went to, which were properly thought out, well organised, and even vaguely educational. The apartment was perfectly sufficient for our needs, comfortable and well-equipped.
The negatives: Nothing too major, but I was a tad disappointed with the food options. The main buffet restaurant offered decent food at a value-for-money price but had all the charm and atmosphere of a works canteen. Meanwhile the on-site Spanish restaurant had a better ambience but a very limited menu, the Pizzeria was fine in a "Costa-del-Pizza Hut" sort of way, and the Chicken Shack's name says it all. Having tried them all we ended up eating out in Playa Blanca for the rest of the holiday.
There is a courtesy bus to Playa Blanca - perhaps we were unlucky but twice we stood out in the heat waiting in vain for it to turn up. A taxi costs less than 3 Euros and was, we found, the better option. The air-conditioning didn't work properly - apparently the heat wave of the previous week had caused it to malfunction. Some people grumbled about this, but I figured that as I'd chosen to come to a hot country I wasn't going to moan too much about being a bit on the warm side. There wasn't always sufficient sunbeds and quite a few of them were broken.
The only other gripe was that the reps made booking excursions unnecessarily difficult. I asked if I could book a couple of trips straight after the welcome meeting, only to be told to come back that evening. Then, on returning at the allotted time I was told that I could only book one of my chosen trips with that particular rep, and would have to go to the Wavelength room to book the other. Not a big deal, but as I'm a sales person by profession it irritated me - the first rule of sales is that when someone comes to you with wallet in hand and says "Can I have one of those please?" the correct answer is "Yes!" not "Go away".
So in summary, a few minor gripes, but nevertheless a very enjoyable family holiday which we will have fond memories of.

The first thing I wanted to say in this review is how pleased I am that I was wrong. We had gone dreading that this holiday was going to be a disaster, judging on the previews reviews we had read. However, this resort is fantastic if you are looking for a good all rounder that does everything it offers in the brochure very well.
My party consisted of two adults and two children (6 & 4).
I read a lot of reviews before leaving that were very negative, particularly over the food. I even tried to change our board basis from all inclusive to self catering a couple of weeks before we went.
I'm glad that I was unable too as the food was very good. There was plenty of variety and none of my family went hungry. If you are happy to eat in the restaurant you will definitely get your moneys worth if you go all inclusive. If, however, you wish to eat out a lot then go self catering.
One thing of note is that kids get free drinks and ice creams throughout the day irrespective of your board basis. This wasn't made clear in the booking and it may help you make your mind up. Please note though that ice cream means a small tub of ice cream or a lollipop (not a magnum or cornetto or a 99!!).
One final thing I will say about food is be realistic. This is a family / child orientated resort. If you are expecting a-la-carte then you are going to be disappointed. The food offered is good quality buffet style.
As for the resort itself, it is very big and very well maintained. All the communal areas are clean and well maintained. The rooms are basic but fine as a base. There is a small kitchen area. We used our room for sleeping in and that’s it. It was perfectly acceptable for 2 adults and 2 children.
The only complaint about the room was that the air conditioning packed up at the hottest part of the week (42C plus) and made for some very uncomfortable nights. I complained along with others but didn't get a satisfactory response other than the fact that the system wasn't able to cope with the heat.
This was inconvenient but didn't really spoil the holiday. If you are going to Lanzarote then you know it is going to be hot!
It is for this reason that I gave it 8/10 and not 9/10 (nothing is good enough for 10/10!!)
We were a bit worried that going during summer holiday time would mean that the place would be absolutely heaving. How wrong we were. As this place is so big, there is room enough for everyone.
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of youngsters making plenty of noise but we didn't find it to intrusive and there are plenty of quiet corners if you need one. We even enquired at reception and were told that they were at full capacity.
We never had to queue for breakfast, lunch or dinner and only really had to queue in the entertainment dome for a drink. None of the 5 swimming pools ever really got too busy and they too were well maintained and clean.
As for the entertainment, I was very impressed. I was a bit dubious about it being a bit 'butlins in the sun'. However I was pleasantly surprised. The evening entertainers worked extremely hard and put on a very good show.
It was obvious that they too enjoyed doing what they do. I even looked forward to the evening entertainment. It is a good laugh and the kids love it.
Kids are also well sorted during the day. There are morning and afternoon kids clubs which are well structured and obviously well thought out. The kids are not just plonked in front of the telly.
There are also some evening activities if the adults want some time off. Some are free and some you pay for. All in all good value. Our eldest was quite upset that she had too leave, she had enjoyed herself so much. Our kids didn't do any of the major activities such as stagecoach, swim school or soccer school but they also seemed quite good.
I could go on and on about lots of the good things about our Sun Tropical holiday, but to sum up I would say it is a very good family holiday and we would go again at the same time of year.

My two children (4 & 7) and niece (14) and I went in June 07 to Sun Tropical and I was a bit apprehensive after reading bad reports about Sun Tropical before going there, but was they wrong! The place is huge, plenty of space, well maintained and very clean.
Every part of the complex is well looked after and secure. I had no hesitation is feeling comfortable with the children wandering around the pool and complex.
The food centre was adequate for the occasional meal in the evening although for 2 Euros, a taxi ride into town is also a good option.
The one slight downfall was that our reps did not tell us that although we were self catering, all three children were still eligible for wrist bands which allowed them free drinks, ice cream and crisps throughout the day and night.
The first choice reps were the best I’ve come across ever, always smiling, would always say hello and put on a great show every night in the Dome.
I must say that usually the reps drop you off and that’s it but these were on hand 24-7, always helpful and nothing was ever too much for them, despite they seemed to work day and night!
The accommodation was very good, adequate and hotel staff were 100% can’t wait to return next year.
Although some describe this as Butlins in the sun, if you have kids and you want them entertained then this is a great place. Close enough to the town but far away for some peace and quiet (make sure you get the gate pass which saves you a 15 minutes’ walk around the resort), short distance from airport with everything on hand.
My only quibble could be that the sun beds could be increased and definitely the number of umbrellas should be too. Great holiday, ignore the bad reports!

Have just come back from a week’s holiday at sun tropical, Lanzarote. It was brilliant.
Flights were fantastic. As were the transfers to and from hotel. Checking into apartments very quick and helpful staff.
Apartments were nice, very clean, and tidy, we stayed in select room. Maids were there every day except Sunday. They were very friendly too, although couldn't speak much English.
We stayed All Inc; we found the food lovely, a wide variety every meal time. I, hubby, and 2 kids didn't go hungry - more like put on a few pounds... (At breakfast time the toaster takes ages btw)
My eldest daughter, who's 4 went to the kids club every day - sometimes all of the sessions in the day, she loved it. Fantastic kids club and very helpful and friendly staff.
My youngest daughter (11 months) didn't go as too young.
On site supermarket was good, although if you want more British brands go into Netto’s in town. - which by the way is about 15/20min walk - all uphill on the way back I will add, lol. Do get a back gate pass, which is 10 euro deposit, which you get back.

Swimming pools lovely, although main one salty, we went into the little pool by our apartment which was clean and warm, my kids loved that too.
Gave 9/10 because my only gripe is be very careful when getting out of pool and going back to your apartment, as tiles are very very slippery, I fell over and was holding my little’n lucky enough I took all the fall so she was fine, I was bruised and sore. -Would be an idea to have some kind of 'mat' outside apartment so you don't slip.
Also, as we were on the ground floor and have an 11 month old we couldn't really sit out on the terrace as there's no fencing to block you in a bit, so little baby's/toddlers can go out to the pool, which was quite scary, so we had to have the table against the door so she couldn't get out there when we had door open.
All in all though, a fantastic holiday, we loved it. It's great for families and families with young children. Were thinking of booking again for next year - this time for 2 weeks.

Just came back after 1 week at the Sun Tropical. Weather was hot. Having read some of the reports we were a bit concerned before we went but there was no need for us to worry as we had a great time (4 of us).
The apartments were cleaned daily except on Sunday, spacious and everything we needed. We had a Jacuzzi outside our room which our 2 girls (9yrs & 6) enjoyed.
The food in the food centre was ok but ate out most nights in playa Blanca itself. The walk was quite a way but most nights had a taxi back (around 3 Euros).
The free ice-cream and drinks were a bonus. Staff really friendly and helpful, kids club brill. Paid for my daughter to have swim lessons with Vicky and most days she had one to one tuition which was great.
Didn’t want to come home, will definitely go back, and recommend it to others.

Having gone to the Village Viva in Majorca with our 2 children aged 12 and 5 for the past 2 years; we thought we would try the Lanzarote Village.
We booked a good 12 months in advance and previous years reviews had been good.
However, reviews from this year were on the whole poor. This made us a little worried prior to arriving.
We obviously were comparing Sun Tropical to the Viva in Majorca, and there were marked differences. Sun Tropical is a bigger complex, but not as well kept.
I would have to agree with other people’s comments that the Sun Tropical is definitely not 4 star, more like 3 star.
The food quality was a lot better than how people had reviewed it although choice and variety was limited. It was nice to order a beer and actually get it in a pint glass, although it took some figuring out which bars you could get alcohol when all inclusive.
This puzzled me how the same beer in one bar you had to pay for, yet in another it was part of being all inclusive, and this also varied depending on the time of day you went to the bar! Confusing!
Actual apartments were spacious enough, but again not in the same class as those at the Viva.
Could not fault any of the First Choice reps. All willing to help and extremely friendly and approachable. This couldn’t be said for some of the 'local' staff on site, particularly those working in the bars. Some were quite rude and abrupt, and not very 'children friendly'.
The actual resort of Playa Blanca was very nice, a lot nicer than C'an Picafort where the Village Viva is. We purchased a back gate key and then just a 15min walk to the lovely beach. We ate out on a couple of occasions and food very good value.
Our rating of 6 out of 10 probably reflects the fact that we felt the Viva was a lot better.
Saying that, we met other couples who had never been to a Village before and thought the Sun Tropical was fantastic. Overall we had a nice holiday and good weather, but would not go back.