Hotel Grand Teguise Playa

Steve Mowat

We have just returned from a 11 night stay at this hotel, our second visit having stayed in 2017. The very good points: The view and location. You can't beat it. Stayed in many hotels in CT and quite frankly, this one has the best. The place is spotlessly clean, the staff are very friendly and efficient from reception, bars and restaurants as well as Roland and Bel in the animation team who go above and beyond everyday. Those guys need medals! Rooms are very comfy, probably some are getting tired in places but overall it's exactly what you expect. Pool area is kept immaculate, never a lack of sunbeds and all the facilities surrounding the hotel are in good order. The not so good points: I can see why some don't like the food there are some good things and some simply awful things. If I was to describe it, I'd say it was locked in the late 1980-1995 and needs a massive update on meals, cooking and technique. Good points about the food: you won't starve, the breakfast is well varied and plentiful, as is the salad bars, fresh charcuterie and most of the hot plate meats and fish are cooked well. Even for the most anglicised palate, you'll be ok. Where it falls over is the quality of the ingredients. You can tell it's the cheap of the cheap, the themed nights often aren't that great (with the exception of the food from the orients, the sushi is excellent), but the Italian, Mexican and French themed nights weren't good at all. Cheaply made cannelloni, macaroni, BBQ mash (yuk) and other dishes just didn't appeal. Any form of veg is usually swimming in oil, cooked to a pulp or clearly just tinned stuff reheated. One thing that bemused me that was excellent that they didn't celebrate it enough was their pizzas! A fresh stone baked pizza every lunch and dinner was tucked in the corner that you could miss it every mealtime. If I was this hotel, I'd increase the toppings on offer and open this up more. They truly were delicious. And then there is the à la carte. The food there is largely what you'll get in the main restaurant, just in a more relaxed atmosphere. The menu was from 1985, it was cooked in a style from 1985 and served and tasted the same. I thought it was going to much different but I was disappointed. My advice would be up the quality, focus on the strengths (the paellas are amazing especially the squid ink) do more local cuisines and use what's fresh. For example, calamari is a bag of frozen breadcrumb stuff, when an island nation is teeming with fresh squid, make your own! We had a great time and would return here, but maybe on a B&B or HB basis. If they sorted and improved the food it would hit a 5* review every time.

Chris Storey

Been at the hotel all inclusive for 10 days, here’s my honest opinion. This is the one reason we will never come back to this hotel. SMOKING. Whilst it’s not permitted to smoke on the balconies of the rooms, people do. Around the pool there’s a nice decked area with chairs and tables, and near the outdoor bar a covered area with lots of table and chairs, these seem to be the areas preferred by the smokers, and there’s a lot of them. I sat this morning with no one around me, then the smokers arrived and having asthma I had to move. I questioned with the hotel reception why all the nice outdoors areas at the hotel allow smoking and there’s literally no where that’s out of bounds for smoking across the whole pool area, except a small area next to the door to the hotel which is covered and gets no sun, to be told it’s within the law. Seems the hotel are on the side of the smokers, I’m guessing if they banned smoking they’d lose most of their customer base, who are all of a certain age. If the hotel could see sense and make just one of the seated pool areas no smoking surely that would be a fairer way to do things for all the guests at the hotel. This afternoon I sat at the only area outside the hotel that is a designated non smoking area, just next to the doors, rubbish chairs , no sun, signs everywhere but still people smoking. Wear nice sandals for dinner they send you back to your room to change, choose to subject people with asthma to your smoke in a designated non smoking area nothings done (see photo) Hotel is dated and needs some tlc especially the outdoor pool area which is old, tiles missing from the pool, uncomfortable sun loungers. One of the pools is heated which is nice at a constant 29c. The rooms are nice, bright, comfortable, nice view of the sea from the balcony. Glasses and cups are not changed, leaving you with yesterday’s tea residue to clean yourself. The water bottle is also not replenished and is too big to fit under the bathroom taps or the water station taps inside the hotel. You have to go to the outside water station to fill them, and given you can’t take glass poolside where the outdoor stations are, this doesn’t work either so we’ve never had our water bottle filled up since day 1. Staff - the cleaning ladies are really pleasant and have a tough job. The bar lady outdoors is a bit abrupt especially if you go for a drink with 3 minutes until closing, as she tends to close the bar early and then question your ability to read a sign (closed) The entertainment team are really energetic and do a great job. There’s always lots of activities to do. Food- The food isn’t bad, lots of choice, tasty. We had frozen sweetcorn in a salad, but other than that no complaints with the food. 5 mornings we had to wait as there were no bowls, and when they came they were straight out of the dishwasher, red hot, not good for your morning cereals. No gluten free bread option. Drinks choice - The only beer you can have is Amstel, and you only ever get a small glass, which leads to long queues because people take no time at all to drink their small beer and then head back to the bar for a refill. Lots of spirits, wine and sangria to choose from. Location - Great location, right opposite the beach, easy walk to bars and restaurants. We won’t ever be coming back until they balance out the rights of non smokers with the rights of smokers. We’re not in the 1970’s anymore, thought the hotel, the clients and the staff make you feel like you are.

edd chan

Never judge a hotel by it's looks.🤔😏 We seen this hotel four years ago, we agreed we would come back and stay here, looked inside and out all very plush 🤔. Upon arrival we got off to a good start male at reception was very happy and very informative. Room lovely comfortable clean and lovely view (219). All is good 😊 We headed straight to the pool as we had friends here too. Dinner time, mmmmmm, the food was rather bland tbh. Bolognese every night with penne, spaghetti and shells. Shepherds pies was not that, I don't know what it was. Chips were nice though and bread rolls. Back to the room, our first night woke with a sound of can only be described as some plungering a drain somewhere four to five times 🤯, then found tiny little ants climbing the door frame, then next morning all over the sink and then over the cabinet over the fridge, once we wiped then they were gone but every day we found them😞. The house keeping lady was fantastic she cleaned every day and full of smiles and apologies for her lack of English, we said never apologise for not being able to speak English in Ur own country. Breakfast was the usual but lack of staff cleaning tables during all meal times ment we cleared our tables a few times during the holiday to eat, along with refreshing the water at the table. Poll area clean tidy and adequate life guard looked like he was sleeping. Pool bar food was decent (chips) nice 👍 The a la carte restaurant has a supplement of 20e euros pp, I was not too bothered about that but the food was lovely and staff nice. Checking out would have been perfect but when I went back to ask for a pair of scissors to cut my wrist band I was asked if I had checked out and asked for my room number again, not just once but twice, honestly you think we were trying to do a runner OMG no trust. If you are going here stay away from room 219 also make sure you try the a la carte restaurant even thought u have to pay extra. Not sure if we would return maybe just for breakfast. Suck a let down tbh

Anushka

Amazing Stay at Hotel Grand Teguise! The location is fantastic – ideal for families, solo travelers, girls’ trips, or lads’ holidays. Everything is within walking distance: shops, restaurants, bars, a playground, beaches, and even a pharmacist. The beaches are quiet, clean, and stone-free, with toilets nearby. The hotel is very clean, and the staff are incredible. Teresa and the reception team are welcoming and friendly, and housekeeping is excellent, keeping rooms spotless and providing fresh towels and a complimentary bottle of water. The rooms are comfortable, with balconies offering stunning ocean views and sun loungers. The pool area is great, with plenty of seating and self-service soft drinks, tea, and alcoholic drinks available. Breakfast has a huge variety, and restaurant service is excellent. Lunch and dinner could have more variety, but overall the food was good. Evening entertainment was enjoyable. I highly recommend the camel and volcanic excursion – an unforgettable experience! As a female solo traveler, I felt completely safe walking around. Overall, I had a fantastic stay and highly recommend Hotel Grand Teguise. I can’t wait to return!

Chris Pow

This hotel was okay, although if you had been before( as many seem too) or spoke Spanish, you were treated better. All drinks in the evening had to be asked for, as it's wasn't on tap or on the tables, and you had to ask a waiter, who where already busy, clearing tables and relaying them!! No open toe sandals for the men in the evening, you where turned away expected to change, the foot police there every night checking! Notices out saying that no towels put on sunbeds before 9am or they would be removed. This never happened, towels out at 7am, and left all day! This stopped anyone else the chance to use them. No one had returned at 6pm!! It was really only a 3*** not a 4*** needs a lot of work, and was looking tired in places. We upgraded and had exactly the same room, as people who didn't, apart from being on a higher floor. Beach was nothing like the picture, it was a man-made long strip that over the years most of the sand was gone, just lots of rocks left. Shame, as sea was lovely and clear, full of lots of different fish, great for snorkeling! Our first trip to Lanzarote, would return to the island, but not stay here again.