Guest reviews Hotel The Volcan Lanzarote

by MrandMrsPoynton Stockport, United Kingdom

Not 5 stars!!!

This was our second time at this hotel staying in a sea view room. We only booked this time as the price was lower. We paid far too much last time we stayed. The price was lower as the travel corridor from England had just opened. We therefore found the hotel to be value for money with breakfast. All guests had access to the club area as the large pool was not open. No adult only areas. The jacuzzi was fab overlooking the sea. We would have returned later on in our holiday after sailing for a few days. However the price had increased. They were not bothered about trying to offer us anything if we returned. Simply directed us to the internet. They didn’t seem that bothered either when one of there workers let himself in to our room at 10pm at night and continued to enter the room until I screamed as he did not understand English. Everyone has different perceptions of what 5 star is... If you have experienced a 5 star hotel were you are made to feel special and staff are at the top of there game this place is a long way off that.

by joewR4499IK

Very pleasant stay, with thanks to all the wonderful staff

My girlfriend and I, both 31, had booked Hotel Volcan for a week in mid-November. With the announcement on an immanent lockdown in the UK we quickly moved the booking forward by one week by cancelling our existing booking. We'd booked through Expedia and recieved a full refund within 24hrs, no questions asked, so were able to rebook our new dates. The hotel is a large resort that caters for most needs. It was clearly well under capacity with the current situation so we're only able to comment on how it operates in these different times rather than in full flow. We booked the cheapest room (garden view) and half board. The room was lovely, large king-size bed, and plenty of space. The outlook was really nice to the point where we thought we may have been upgraded without word. Beyond the 10m of attractive landscaped garden was the marina, sea and view over the town and to Mount Roja beyond. The room was thoroughly cleaned every day and the hotel was very clean all over. The hotel is on the doorstep of the marina which has plenty of nice places for food and drink, there was also a really nice walk to the north along the coast hopping from beach to beach for a couple of km. Unfortunately some of the facilties in the hotel were closed so no Spa, bike hire or various bars and pools along with some confusion over whether we were allowed on the squash court or not. This was a case of see as we go as the information on arrival was sparse and the app we were told to download was pretty useless. The buffet breakfast on the whole was very good with a selection of pastries, breads, cold meats and cheeses, cereal, porridge, cooked breakfast including omelette station, waffles, crepes and churros. I can't think of much more one would want to be on offer. The dinners (included in half board booking) were buffet for the first week switching over to a la carte on our last few days as numbers of guests dwindled. On the whole they were good if not spectacular with a fresh meat and fish option each day that's cooked to order. Again a very good selection on offer. Marks lost over the inedible pasta options, we couldn't eat the cannelloni we tried one night and saw a couple on the table next to us take one bite out the lasagna and leave it the following day. If they'd not put these options out there would still have been plenty of choice so no need to worry. 7 euros for a litre of fresh water felt like a rip off though and they should review this pricing. The hotel was peaceful and staff excellent. We were able to go up to the rooftop hot tubs  with a couple of our own beers for sunset every evening. Even in the day it was a quiet as one would like (unless you prefer a hotel with club music pumping out over the pool...) and the large sun lougers comfy for taking a book with the sound of the sea in the background. It was sad to see such a large hotel so empty and I would happily come back to see it in full flow. We did also enjoy the serenity of it all though. We can't give full marks due to the lack of options to get a beer or snack in the hotel during the day, poor wifi in our room, lack of information / not being forewarned about the reduced facilties which we should really have been warned about by email when we booked, inedible pasta option and the 7 euro water. However it did provide us with a relaxing break with good clean facilities in a great location for the 8 days we were there and I would recommend it to my friends and family if they were heading to the Canaries. We wish all the staff the best and please do go and enjoy if you're looking for a break in Lanzarote.

by Hibbie02 Billericay, United Kingdom

A Lovely Hotel restricted by COVID 19

We arrived around 9:45 pm on Saturday October 24th and the hotel was deserted. We checked in and were shown to our very nice Junior Suite. We dropped off our bags and went back to reception to ask where the bar was as we fancied a nightcap. No Bar or Restaurants were open at that time. In fact there would only be one (Buffet) restaurant open for our 2 week stay and the only bar would be the pool bar open from 1:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon. In the morning I looked out of our bedroom window to see a roof and a chimney 3 feet away. Our view of the marina from our enclosed balcony was lovely, if a bit restricted. We went to the Restaurant for Breakfast next morning and were asked our room number and when we said 570, we were immediately asked if we liked it. We said we were disappointed and he asked if it was the view. When we said yes, he did not seem surprised. He did however give us the card of the Asst Manager and said I should speak to him at Reception. We called into Reception after Breakfast and spoke to the Asst Manager, who also did not seem surprised at our request, when we told him the room number. We explained we expected a sun terrace with loungers, umbrella, tables and chairs, as per the photos on the site and instead had a small enclosed balcony. He immediately offered another room but not until the following day. We were happy with that as we had 2 weeks. We moved the next day and were very happy with the accommodation and facilities in the new Junior Suite. All things considered, this is a lovely hotel struggling with a lack of guests due to the COVID pandemic. We booked B&B for 2 weeks at around £200 per night, expecting a 5 star hotel with multiple restaurants and bars, spa and 4 pools. As it was, we had a buffet breakfast in one restaurant which also opened in the evening for another buffet. One tiny pool was open on the first week and it was full of kids. A second pool opened for the second week, which helped as the hotel was visibly busier by then. I am not unhappy with the hotel, staff or accommodation, as I understand how hard it must be. What I am unhappy about is paying this amount of money for very, very basic facilities. We were not told of the restricted facilities in advance of arriving and that is my main complaint. However in saying all that it was terrible to see the impact of the Virus everywhere in Lanzarote and to see businesses suffering. I would definitely return to the Volcan again in normal circumstances and I believe it would be worth every penny.

by suitcasegirl_london London, United Kingdom

Peaceful hotel -for adults mainly. Pleasant but few amenities open - contact the hotel - be aware.

Oh El Volcan. Where do we start? Lovely, if dated decor in rooms. Few facilities open, appalling communication and yet we chose to extend our stay. Here is why. The short version. COME here for peace, classy residents, respectful guests and charming sunsets on the balcony. Most balconies are west facing to the marina and the sea with amazing sunsets. There is also an adults only section called "The Club" with a fantastic heated pool (I'll come to that later), plenty of double beds with canopies, an abundance of comfortable loungers, two jacuzzis and a snack bar which is open from 1pm to 3.30pm. I think you may have to pay extra to access these services. Plenty of room for social distancing and the hotel generally maintained areas covid safe. Free non alcoholic drinks between 4 - 7pm. Plenty of parking outside. Being undisturbed by guests or staff. You're ok with having nothing much other than your room and a pool. Wonderful walkway along the cliffs - right towards the marina and Playa Dorada, onto Playa Blanca. Left to villas, super market. DO NOT COME here if you have children and you want kids to be entertained, or if you like a bit of an atmosphere by the pool or want background music playing etc. I would suggest the Iberostar near the port for that. It is 5 star but a bit more action and had all facilities open - entertainment, kids club, bar open all day. Right next to beach. The german receptionist is efficient and the client services were great. Modern rooms and modern hotel. Saying that, there were a few families when we were there and the fact there were no facilities open meant the kids played together quite nicely. Did feel like a smaller, boutique hotel. Us: We came here to the Volcan for 5 days initially, on a B and B basis. We are a mid 40s couple. 2 kids 4 and 6 and grandma. We booked very last minute as soon as Boris said the Canaries were off the quarantine list. We have never been to the Canaries. So we literally looked at the hottest island weather wise, the quietest part of it and chose a 5 star hotel with kids club and spa with nice pools. We wanted to avoid noise or anywhere where it was a boozing culture of "Brits abroad" So to be fair - I would say this hotel did gave us much seclusion and a feeling of being away from it all. The good: Spotlessly clean bedrooms and hotel. Hard working and jovial cleaning staff. Thanks to Janetha, Janasec, Consuelo and Luz Edith. The pool boy was up there when it was dark with his head torch on cleaning every morning. Breakfast service was excellent. Clean, properly laid out tables, waitress service was great. Patricia, Ileana and Miriel were lovely. And the egg chef Orlando (who looks like the Spanish version of GBB Paul Hollywood) was always accommodating to our kids. Food wasn't variety extensive but enough. The snack bar and restaurant waitress Nina was always cheery and hard working and the lifeguard Martha was so pleasant with our little boy. Cony was the lady who greeted us upon arrival and was warm, welcoming and considered with her approach to us. A credit to the hotel. Juan, the night receptionist also had a good demeanour with clients and exceptional English. Natalia the Manager was approachable and there at breakfast at the restaurant and again at dinner time most nights and showed a level of commitment of being seen and available for guests. My husband did struggle with her approach a little as it was less formal than her deputy and perhaps a bit too informal in her approach of dealing with things. Juan, the deputy manager oozes charisma and customer service and was a welcome antidote to some bad service we initially received from a younger, female and inexperienced front of house worker. The Bad: COMMUNICATION and UNWILLINGNESS TO OPEN FACILITIES Imagine, you've booked a last minute break. The hotel facilities look wonderful. You arrive at the hotel - upon arrival - the receptionist tells you nothing is open. Surely this is false advertising? How can you allow people to arrive from abroad and not be crystal clear about what facilities you are closing down? We asked why they did not communicate this information to us when we booked the hotel? They have our email address. No answer could be given. We were told however we were free to leave. So our family turned up to find nothing open for the kids, kids club closed, spa closed, bike facilities closed, no big pools open (ridiculous in these days of social distancing) - pretty much everything closed except the small pool (10 metre by 4 metre perhaps) in the adults only section and that was all they were willing to let us use. This was called the Club. After a day's travelling - we decided to give it a shot. This club section is lovely and we did have a great couple of days there. Heated pool fab for kids. But the pool is so small - my elderly mother with a poor immune system wouldn't go it in for fear of lack of social distancing. It made no sense why they would pile all of us into a small pool. We accepted their decision as they insisted is was due to Covid reasons - but having subsequently visited a couple of other hotels - Iberostar, H10 Rubicon Palace - they had all their facilities open. Iberostar was only at 40% capacity too. When the hotel became a bit busier, 40% one day and then 32% the next, the manager still didn't open up the hotel and its facilities. With no notice - no sign by reception nor conversation from staff, she banned us from using the warm (albeit small) Club pool and its lovely facilities and insisted children now had to use the kid's pool and shaded larger pool next to it. So first they insisted we use the Club section and we couldn't use the large pools. Then 3 days later, they insist we can't use the Club Pool and insist we use the large pools. The communication of going about this was atrocious ( a piece of paper thrust under the door one afternoon saying we were banned) - however we were fine with the change until we felt the kids' pool water. Freezing doesn't even do it justice. It was unusable by anyone. If they had intended to send us back to the main pool - why not have some forethought and heat it up in advance while they forced us to use the small Club pool? The main pool sat empty for 5 days with other guests complaining too saying it was too cold to use. It only warmed up by day 6 of having access to it. We did ask the manager to heat the small pool by the gym which is perfect for kids and would heat up quicker as it was smaller - but she flatly refused and said she would not do that as she didn't have a lifeguard for it and preferred to use her lifeguard at the newly pools near the restaurant. There was a definite sense of penny pinching on staff and resources. As a guest, you have booked a hotel for the facilities it offers. Were we as 32 to 40% capacity guests not worth opening the hotel for? Why should we be denied those services. We have paid for our rooms like all other guests. There was no Covid reason to keep those facilities closed. Be very careful around the main pool area near the kids pool. Floor is uneven in many parts, pool water gathers and is extremely slippery. The kids pool (which is only about 45cm deep) doesn't allow sun loungers on one side of it as they say it is near people's hotel rooms and the restaurant and on the other side, there are huge volcanic decorative rocks. You have to pull the loungers from a circular courtyard area next to the pool and bring it to the side of the pool - but then to enter to the pool, walk to the other end and enter via some steps only. Could be an issue if you need to quickly get to your kids. Poor communication: No maps of hotel anywhere, no menus or prices for things sings anywhere (but bizarrely signs up for times of dining). The lack of consistency was inexplicable to us. This meant we kept having to ask which means getting close to people - which should not be encouraged in this time of Covid. Also - the constant conversational communication meant things were mistold, mis-relayed and took up a lot of our time during our break leading to some terrible customer service by a younger female front of desk staff who was, for want of a better word - was incompetent at best and actually belligerent in truth. She really gave us a negative experience of the hotel - salvaged only by the professionalism of Juan, the deputy manager. There were signs everywhere telling you to download the Volcan App which apparently told you everything you need to know. Both my husband and I did that. It isn't very useful. eg. Look at the restaurant section of the app - it doesn't tell you menu options, buffet options nor prices. Furthermore, what if the elderly residents aren't that tech -savvy - is a sign outside the restaurant really that much trouble? Summary: We came here for 5 days and extended by 5 days because of the peaceful surroundings and calm in the evening. We had a hire car and could get out and about to explore the island so we could just about manage the lack of facilities. What I would say to future travellers to this hotel is really do your homework with the hotel. Email them, get confirmation of what is open, what are they going to change - they may try to fob you off with the whole Corona means we have to be fluid and thus things are changeable. However as mentioned above, other hotels had the same capacity and covid safe restrictions - but all facilities open. So why did the Volcan not follow suit? And why not warn guests before they arrive? Finally, I'm not sure they want families at this hotel, despite them offering a kids' club under normal circumstances as the hotel does not seem to be geared up that way. (See above about the kids' pool). Having said that, all the staff were lovely to our children. To the hotel I would say: If you don't want guests to have a bad impression of your hotel - improve your communication. Put up signs for facilities open, prices, menus. Give your customers notice in writing and with some time to prepare for facilities being denied to them. And please be mindful if you do not open your facilities and what impression that gives to a guest when other hotels are offering all their facilities. Your hotel is charming, sweet, like a small greek fishing village. It is calm and respectful. It has a lot to offer guests. It is why we decided to extend our stay. However, to appear to not open facilities due to costs on staff rather than Covid safety issues would be a sad reflection on your hotel.

by 587julyb

Fantastic stay!

Thank you So much to everyone at the Volcan in Lanzarote, the trip with my partner was absolutely magical even During covid times, as we celebrated an important day. Highly recommend to everyone to stay here Thank you again for making our stay So special and preparing us the lovely surprise, it made our time that much more memorable!