Reviews of Gran Canaria Princess Hotel, Playa Del Ingles, Gran Canaria

This hotel has a fantastic pool,...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss Amy Duncan

Comments:

This hotel has a fantastic pool, fabulous service and gorgeous food! there were only a few things that I could complain about but none of these things spoilt, wrecked or ruined my holiday.



I found the rooms and parts of the hotel quite dated and in need of a little bit of TLC i.e. wires coming out of the phone, ugly lamps in the shape of horses heads, scary pink flowery curtains and a heart shaped cushion on the bed! But the room was very clean and comfortable.



Because we were on the first floor on the side where the entertainment stage was, it got quite noisy at night time.

But nothing that double glazing wouldn’t fix.



Some of the hotel facilities needed a bit of TLC as well (I cannot play pool if there is no tip on the que!).



Huge rush to get your towel on a sunbed with a parasol near it!

(me and my boyfriend watched this in fits of laughter from approx 7.00 in the morning!)

But there was never a shortage of sunbeds!!



I know a lot of people were complaining about the queues for the restaurant but we never queued for more than 3 minutes!

But just think how long do you have to wait in England on a Friday night , even when you have reserved a table? ... lets get some perspective people!!!



I would personally rate this hotel as a 3 star but maybe I got spoiled when I went to the Barcelona Princess earlier this year?... either way I had a fantastic holiday and would definitely visit this hotel again!!!!

Very good hotel, food wonderful...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr A Blogg

Comments:

Very good hotel, food wonderful only problem you had to wait to be seated and taken at evening dinner. No milk jugs for tea or coffee to take to tables or rubbish bins on tables to throw rubbish away so had to put on plate sat breakfast times.



Also no plates to put toast on by toaster they are on another table so you had to search for them . 5-10 mins walk to nearest shops and restaurants. Entertainment ok not brilliant. Overall good hotel would maybe come back again.

This is a very good overall...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr C Hancock

Comments:

This is a very good overall hotel. Which has only 1 major problem. It is made for the Germans not the English.



The hotel is really clean the pool is big and you can have a really good swim in it. Except in the day when the water polo activity is on.



Which is another thing. The activities are German based - volleyball and ping pong which aren’t played in England. The scores and results are said in German first then the other languages first but whilst I was there a group of 10 English came to join in and the Germans were outnumbered which forced the entertainer (who was reading out the score) to say it in English.

After reading some very negative...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss L Snowball

Comments:

After reading some very negative reviews of this hotel before travelling this year we felt quite nervous about going on holiday. We were delighted however to find that alot of what people criticised the hotel about was complete rubbish. So our advice to anyone who has booked a trip here is to relax and get ready for a fantastic time.



We honestly do not know what some people expect from a hotel!!! We loved it here and if the hotel was in a different resort we would go back in a heartbeat. It was clean, spacious and air conditioned which, in our opinion is all you need in a hotel. We didn’t find a lack of electrical sockets to be a problem, just unplug the TV or the lamp.



Although the lifts can get busy at peak times, such as breakfast time and dinner time the rest of the time there was no problem. But we don’t see why people just couldn’t take the stairs during these times. We were on the 7th floor and did.



There was some renovation going on at the hotel during our stay but we never experienced any noise or disturbance due to this. We would imagine if anyone was to have a complaint the reception staff would sort it out as they, along with the rest of the staff were very helpful and friendly.



The food was a very high quality with alot of variety and there was alot of it. There was only one night that we were a little disappointed but even then there was something we would eat. However the prices of the drinks were extortionate in the restaurant and the bars.



As for queuing, we ate every evening between 7:30 and 8pm and never once had to queue, and it seemed that the hotel was at full capacity. If you do fancy a change though, the 'Las Pyramids' restaurant down the road is very nice and very reasonably priced.



The pool area was lovely and we never had a problem getting a sunbed with an umbrella, but we got up early every morning so maybe that’s why. Apparently one of the pools is climatised but we couldn’t tell the difference, they were both cold!!! Most area’s of the pool got the sun all day which was a great bonus.



Didn’t stay in the hotel for the evening entertainment but from the announcements made around the pool there was something different every night.



The hotel is in an excellent location to sample the local nightlife as it is very close to the Irish centre, the Kasbah, the yumbo centre and the English centre. We tended to go to the Irish centre as it was lively with a good atmosphere. The Kasbah was also good but the drinks were quite pricey.



Only went to the English centre for one drink, it was full of typical British men getting drunk and listening to sex noises apposed to music. We decided not to head to the yumbo on a night as it mainly specialises in gay bars and men only pubs -no good for us! We did go during the day though and the shopping was very good!



All in all an excellent holiday and the hotel was just the icing on the cake. But remember a holiday is what you make it! A trip here is well worth while, and if you have already booked don’t worry about negative reviews you will love it here!!

My partner and I have just...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss S Cole

Comments:

My partner and I have just returned from our holiday at the Gran Canaria Princess and had an excellent time.



We were initially concerned when after arriving at 5 o/c in the morning we were woken by the sound of workmen in the room below ours at about 8.30 am, and on closer inspection realised that a number of rooms along our side of the hotel were being renovated. We mentioned this to the staff on reception and were pleasantly surprised by how helpful they were, moving us to another room within the hour. There were signs around the hotel of other repairs/works taking place but it really didn’t effect our enjoyment at all.



Once we were moved we were really pleased with our room, which was cleaned thoroughly every day, our only minor criticism being that there were no plug sockets except for the shaver point in the bathroom, which is what we had to use to charge our mobiles!



The food at this hotel was good with plenty of choice, I noticed there had been some criticism of the queuing system, we found that we were never queuing for too long and it was a system that works well, the restaurant staff were friendly and very efficient.



The evening entertainment was a bit cheesy as all hotel entertainment tends to be - some of it was quite good though, the acrobatics were good and on one particular evening The Drifters were on which impressed our parents back home!!



The pool area was lovely, while we never had any problem getting a sun lounger most of the loungers with sun brolleys got reserved quite early each morning. The hotel location is excellent, with the beach about ten minutes walk away and plenty of shops and bars nearby.



If like us you are travelling with Thomson I must recommend the Island tour excursion, it’s a great day!



Overall we were thoroughly impressed with the service throughout our stay, and would definitely recommend this hotel.

We returned yesterday from a...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr M Knowles

Comments:

We returned yesterday from a fantastic holiday at the Gran Canaria princess.

The room was excellent, being on the end meant we had a double balcony. It was cleaned thoroughly every day. Use of the room safe and fridge was very cheap as was the cost of phone calls from our room.


The staff were all polite and helpful and spoke very good English. We queued only once for our meals and that was for less than 3 minutes. The food was second to none. A wide variety was available to cater for most peoples needs and waiter service was prompt and faultless.


The hotel grounds were kept immaculate. The pool was large and very attractive. However, you had to get up for about 8 to put your towels down (a breach of hotel rules) and beat the Germans. Entertainment was fabulous. Drinks were quite cheap.


The resort was awesome and covered all our needs from, shopping and restraunts, to sightseeing and sunbathing.


Thompson reps were very helpful and fun. From the moment you land to when you leave they are there to answer any questions.



However, there were some negatives, but only minor.

The Brits cannot have the option of "all inclusive" as can Germans, Spanish, Dutch and Italians. Thomson excursion packages are massively overpriced. For example, the local market trip costs 6 euros on a bus for two. Thomson charge 38 euros. Sioux City was again massively overpriced and highly over rated, 40+ coaches of Brits eating under cooked BBQ and queuing a hour for the free drink, We left after 20 minutes as did two other families. I would however, highly recommend the VIP tour of the island for breath taking views and fantastic day. As is Aqualand and Palmintoes Park.


All in all this was a fabulous hotel with four stars and should soon become a five star. Try it you’ll see.

If you have not stayed at 4 star...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

May 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr D Sharp

Comments:

If you have not stayed at 4 star hotels before like us then this hotel is excellent, we did meet a couple of people that have stayed at other hotels in the Princess hotel group and they said his hotel is no where near as good.



From my point of view we had an excellent holiday, the rooms were large and very clean. The food was very good and yes we did have to queue a little for max of 10 minutes. The hotel staff were excellent and nothing was too much trouble. The entertainment was average but you are staying close the commercial centres so you have choices. The swimming pool was excellent and there are plenty of sun loungers. Beer was 3 euros a pint in the hotel and around 2 euros outside.


All in all an excellent holiday and would recommended it to people who have not stayed in similar hotels before.

In the brochure it said they...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr P Shah

Comments:

In the brochure it said they catered for children, children’s activities.


We found nothing until the evening when some German entertainers were entertaining the German kids with German nursery rhymes



Also the pool was very dangerous with a sharp dip, where kids are playing with no warning or anything


My daughter slipped and fell in and had to be rescued

I don’t know what you are all...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Full Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs HJ Neill

Comments:

I don’t know what you are all moaning about, this is an absolute fantastic holiday, something for all ages the hotel has so much to offer that you need not leave.



Plus the surrounding hotels offer good entertainment. The food was great felt like a true princess as the standard of the accommodation was so high, the pool is inviting.



Would definitely return.

It is true that you have to...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr P Shah

Comments:

It is true that you have to queue when you go down to breakfast/dinner for the staff top show you to your table. If you are in at the opening time, you can just walk in. Reason for queuing is that you cannot just walk in and sit where ever you want, you are guided to your table by the staff.



The staff were very friendly apart from one who was very grumpy. We ordered orange juice once and it was so tangy that it could have been from a bad orange. We asked to exchange the drink for a coke but she either did not understand or just said juice is OK.



I found the service to be excellent especially if you can imagine that the restaurant has to cater for over a thousand guests in 3 hours. The way they clean up and reset the table is incredible.



As we were vegetarians with two kids, the food did get a bit tedious. The chips were very dry. Any special vegetarian dishes we had to advise the maitre in the morning for availability in that evening



The lifts were another eye sore with only 3 lifts to cater for 7 floors. The lifts were too small to take the family luggage.



Also no 24 hour room service and lack of sockets. As we had a child of 15 months who required milk at middle of night, 24 hour service would have been useful. The bar staff work their guts out from morning to evening and provide excellent service. Again would be nice if they could deliver your drinks/snacky foods to your room. Lack of porters to help you with your luggage.



For a 4 star it does lack certain facilities which would be helpful to its guests.

I don’t think this rates as a...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr J Brandes

Comments:

I don’t think this rates as a 4 star hotel. I have read the other comments about the dining room queues, and they can be a pain if you are not content to queue like a true Brit, or are due to catch a coach for an organised tour. We had to wait for twenty minutes on gala nights. The queue filled the lobby like a post office snake.



My main quibbles are with the rooms. We paid extra for a high room and were given a room with wonderful views on the top (seventh) floor. Unfortunately it was difficult to have a shower before dinner because the water pressure dropped to nothing with everyone else trying to do the same thing at the same time on the lower floors.



There are no brewing facilities in the rooms. There are no spare electrical sockets in the room to charge phones, use irons, etc. The lifts are tiny and more queuing is necessary to use them. We spent a lot of time riding up and down to random floors as people pressed the call buttons.



Do not take the mini bar option as it proves very expensive with full bar prices. In the three days before we had ours discontinued we received two half empty spirit bottles (for which we had to pay), from the elusive 'top up man' who called each day when we were not in the room.



It is much cheaper to buy soft drinks and spirits at one of the many local supermarkets.



The adjacent apartment block creates a massive shadow over half of the pool area, and early towel-spreaders are warned to check this out before leaving their (free) beach towel. The pools are 'free-form' which means they are suitable for paddling, but it is difficult to have a decent swim.



We really enjoyed the Playa del Ingles atmosphere. The nightlife is very good. Especially the Yumbo centre. The sights there have to be witnessed to be believed, and it was our favourite nighttime destination, being only a ten minute walk from the hotel.

What a fantastic island! hotel!...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr M Foster

Comments:

What a fantastic island! hotel! weather! and locals!



This was my first holiday since I have left school (not so long ago) and what a great choice of place to relax and get some much needed "ME" time!



The Hotel was fantastic, as all the previous reviews as said, all I can really add to them is. If you do go with Thomson platinum, please please please go on the island tour if it is offered, it was the highlight of the holiday.



The tour guide was very good and knew lots of information about the island and I learnt and saw so much of the island that most holidaymakers would never see without this tour. once more it’s even videotaped by a cameraman and is available to buy as a souvenir, pay then and the Video or DVD is left in the hotel reception for you by the end of the next day!



Everything just seemed to just fall into place on this holiday and I would recommend this holiday to anyone!



oh, BTW the waiter with a chip on his shoulder mention in an earlier review, my girlfriend and me named him Speccy!

Visited the Gran Canaria...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss J Riley

Comments:

Visited the Gran Canaria Princess this summer for 2 weeks and really enjoyed my time there.



The rooms were lovely although quite basic considering this was a 4 star hotel. The corridors and landings were quite dark with little lighting and dark mahogany wood. However the air conditioning was very reliable and could be left on all day not like some hotels which only switch it on an hour a day! The rooms were very clean and the maid service very good and friendly.




The main downfall being the restaurant. Each night there was a 15 to 20 minute wait in a queue to be seated and the menu was not very varied. The service in the restaurant was very slow as it seemed to be under staffed. One night we finished our meal before we got the drinks we had ordered!!




The pool area was my favourite part with lovely gardens and plenty of sun beds. This was a good holiday as the hotel was in a great location for all the main pubs, clubs and restaurants.




I have been to better 4 star hotels though and would probably only give this one a 3 star.

We had read reviews before we...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

May 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss D Poole

Comments:

We had read reviews before we went.



Re: queuing for dinner at the hotel. This was not a problem at all. We were always seated within minutes. (Busy times are between 8-8.30pm). Excellent waiter service in bar, very friendly but still professional.



The piano bar has a lovely relaxing atmosphere and because the hotel is in a great location it is 5 min walk away to the Kasbar centre if you want a more lively night. Food is excellent.



Rooms clean and air-conditioned. Bus and taxi service available straight outside hotel. Only thing we were disappointed in was that people were allowed to reserve sun beds around the pool. The heated pool is great. Staff very helpful. An excellent hotel in an excellent resort will definitely go again.



Would definitely recommend Thomson platinum (especially hotel check in service). Maspolomas is worth a visit in the day, near the lighthouse (Faro). Bars/rests nice - one with singer/saxophone player, which creates a great atmosphere. Didn’t want to leave.

Hotel excellent. Rooms were...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

May 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss C Morris

Comments:

Hotel excellent. Rooms were fantastic size with air conditioning, nicely decorated and very clean. Staff friendly in hotel but waiter behind pool bar had a chip on his shoulder. Food ok, I have had better but no major complaints. Pools fab, they have one heated pool but the other is freezing (I chose the heated one!!!!) both are large and clean. Shame about the weather as it was very cloudy.



Entertainment at night largely catered for the older guests so we had to find alternatives. There are lots of shopping centres around the hotel, with a choice of bars. A 15 min walk to the beach, which was really nice with lots of water sports. I would recommend going on the camels it was a good laugh and a good day out.