Jessica Houghton
Paradisus Gran Canaria is an excellent choice for solo travellers, especially if you enjoy wellness, creativity, and having activities to structure your day.
The activities are a real highlight and, apart from stargazing, you don’t need to book anything in advance – you can simply turn up, which makes everything feel very relaxed.
During my stay I did:
- Bubble workshop (making a bookmark by blowing bubbles and adding paint/ink - though this was a bit underwhelming as we weren’t allowed to blow our own bubbles)
- Watercolour painting workshop
- Ragdoll workshop where we made a jellyfish using rags and some simple sewing
- Yoga, mindfulness, and meditation sessions with Isabel (@baransu_studio) who was absolutely amazing and genuinely one of the best instructors I’ve experienced
All activities are beginner-friendly and ideal if you’re travelling alone and want something to do without it feeling awkward.
The staff were consistently warm and attentive. Antonio was lovely, and the younger man at The Shack (I think his name may have been Hamza?) was great, even bringing my favourite drink without me even ordering! There is table service at Ginger and The Shack (though not poolside).
The food was very good overall. I agree with other reviews that sometimes the food at the Gastro Hall can be a little cold, but the variety was excellent and the restaurants were efficient with good menu options available.
I didn't book The Reserve area but I spoke to several guests who felt it wasn’t worth the extra cost, which was reassuring. I had a premium double room which was stunning and lots of lovely extra touches. The guest experience team left me some chocolates, cava and a handwritten card in my room on birthday which was lovely.
A few small improvements/comments:
- More variety and rotation in activities, particularly more craft workshops and to keep things interesting for returning guests
- An easier way to contact reception (e.g. WhatsApp or in-app messaging), although the app works well for requesting extra towels, minibar refills, viewing activity timetables or making restaurant reservations etc.
- Slight disappointment that there is really only one main pool (others are the kids’ pool, paid Reserve pool or the spa, which costs €15 for 90 minutes)
- More accessible pricing or solo-traveller-friendly rates. I would happily return for solo retreats, if the prices weren't so steep!
Overall, a lovely, well-run hotel that really shines for solo travellers looking to relax, reset, and enjoy gentle daily activities.
Omar Choudhury
We stayed five nights. The hotel is immaculate on condition and very well looked after. The highlight for me were the a la carte restaurants especially the Peruvian/Japanese and Canarian restaurants which were excellent in terms of food and service. The nightlife was mediocre at best, but this was not an issue as the hotel is very well placed close to Maspoplams for night time entertainment. The pool is very pleasant and close to the beach and there is food day time entertainment.The only fly in the ointment were the hard sales tactics used on guests by Melia sales people. There is a possee of salespeople with clip boards hanging around outside the main restaurant targeting guests to enrol on their circle programme. Whilst I have no problem learning about the the programme, we were lured to a sales presentation with the promose of a gift. This lasted over an hour. The sales tactics used were mildly aggressive and reminiscent of 1980s time share salesmen. We were put under time pressure of 24 hours to sign up to a commitment of circa £4k per annum to benefit from 20% discounts and were stalked. This frankly for me has tarnished the Melia brand (I have never experienced this from any other hotel operator, not least in a five star hotel) and is likely to make me think again about staying in a Melia hotel again. This is no reflection on the staff in this hotel who were attentive and friendly.
Nichola McDonald
Visted for new year with my partner, 4yr old and 4month old.
Breakfast is a free for all. Had to walk around looking for a free and clean table. Why is no one welcoming guests and taking them to a table? You have to get your own hot drinks from the coffee machines, which aren't very nice. We went across to the bar to get a better breakfast. Buffet foods not always hot.
No table service around the pool. We did the Bali beds most days, which was a nice choice however is an extra cost.
My son was Ill one day. Hadn't eaten anything all day. Only thing he asked for was a pizza. We thought as they have an Italian resturant it wouldn't be a problem. Well it was! My partner had to go up the road to get one. Was told a manager would get back to us about it but they never did.
The hotel was very very clean and is nicely decorated. 99% of the staff were kind and welcoming. 1 member of staff in the Italian resturant was very abrupt interestingly she was the one that said no to my son having a pizza.
New year show was great , was lovely seeing all the staff celebrating.
Special mention to Robert who was great with sorting the Bali beds and our new years table. He was great!!!
Balint
The problem is not the hotel - it’s the business model.
Dining and service are chronically understaffed by design, clearly optimized for margins rather than guest experience. Same goes for quality of food and ingredients.
80% of staff tries really hard and are kind, but its impossible to perform well in this setup.
This is an “all inclusive factory premium tier” advertised falsely as luxury.
Practical tips:
• Dinner: expect poor variety, mediocre quality (if lucky) and horrible wait time for service. Peseta is a marketing gimmick. Tried everything and didnt have one decent dinner experience. 9 restaurants for dinner as advertised is actually buffet+3, of which one is closed on random weekdays for dinner.
• Lunch: actually decent - Kanna (Mediterranean) and the Shack snack bar offer the best value and nice during day vibes
• Breakfast: good vibes and OK quality, especially if you’re a Reserve guest (separate area and table service)
• Beach: genuinely nice, Reserve area
makes a big difference. Oh and do get the bigger rooms! I rated the room high as we had a top floor suite with beautiful views.
Enjoyable resort - if you know the advertising trick going in, you’ll likely have a good time. If you expect real luxury / European level 5* All Inclusive, you will be disappointed. Important to note this is not a one off “bad week” - its a genious biz strategy!
For my personal taste, I am done with Melia as a brand for life. ;)
Lucio Longoni
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An exceptional 2nd stay at Paradisus Gran Canaria
We stayed for 7 nights this time in a Reserve Club sea-view solarium room, and it was a great experience from start to finish. The hotel itself is very nice – clean, well designed, modern, and immaculately kept. Our room was spacious, with a large terrace and lovely ocean views — although I wouldn’t bother paying extra for the solarium terrace as an extra. The sea view rooms on higher floors have a nicer blue sky views and feel more private.
Having Reserve Club access makes the real difference: the dedicated lounge, pool area, and restaurant service all felt calm and personal, and one lady in particular at the pool area was exceptional (I can’t remember her name) but went out of their way to make everything effortless. All meals we had in Kanna, Pesata, Ginger lounge was excellent — great variety and high quality. The main buffet restaurant whilst it has lots of choice was often a little cold which let it down slightly. Breakfasts, in particular, were a joy at the reserve area.
The overall atmosphere felt peaceful and sophisticated without being pretentious. We always found sunbeds, enjoyed great cocktails, and appreciated all the small details — from the snacks on the bar to the turn-down service at night.
If you’re looking for a five-star resort that combines design, comfort, and genuinely warm service, Paradisus Gran Canaria is a fantastic choice.
My Booking
