What a fantastic hotel this is, probably the best we’ve experienced.
My wife and I stayed here for a week in late March/early April. We booked direct with Meliá which we found to be quite a bit cheaper than with the main tour operators. The booking also offered free cancellation and pay on arrival.
We rented a car at the airport and took an easy 20 minute drive to the hotel which has ample parking. The hotel has a great location on the seafront in Costa Teguise right next to the promenade and beach. It’s just a short mostly flat walk to the resort centre with many local shops, bars and restaurants. We took several walks in and around the resort during our week here.
First impressions count and upon arrival we were immediately welcomed by the friendly doorman who carried our bags from the car into the lobby without any prompting. What a great start!
We were checked in by Carlos, a delightful gentleman who explained everything to us. We were offered an upgrade to The Reserve and given the chance to view the room and facilities before deciding. I’m glad we took this up as we had a beautiful suite on the 2nd floor with pool and sea views, hot tub on the balcony and even a walk-in wardrobe. The room was spotlessly clean, very well furnished and the huge bed was so comfortable. Housekeeping was very efficient including daily deliveries of fresh pool towels and bottled water.
This is a quiet adults only hotel with a relaxed vibe centred on the amazing open roofed atrium adorned with lush plants located just past the lobby. The whole place exudes an unstuffy luxurious ambience.
What makes this hotel stand out above all else are the staff. Without exception in all areas, they strive to deliver the best possible guest experience and nothing is ever too much trouble. This reflects very well on the management who seem to have created a positive culture where staff members are valued and genuinely want to look after guests rather than just going through the motions.
The Reserve concierge staff are great, offering information about the hotel and the island as well as arranging restaurant reservations, trips and checking you are having a good stay via WhatsApp. Special compliments to Paula for looking after us so well.
Food was of a high standard in all settings. We varied meals between the main buffet, three speciality restaurants and the Reserve pool bar. Our favourite has to be the tapas bar La Graciosa offering a delightful range of delicious dishes including meats, fish and seafood. We especially enjoyed the prawns, seafood soup with rice (can’t remember the exact dish name) and pork belly. We loved it so much we ate lunch there four times (no booking required) as well as one evening, most times on the outside terrace overlooking the seafront. Samira (Middle Eastern food) and Capella (Italian) were also very good.
We had breakfast each morning in the Reserve restaurant (this became Samira restaurant in the evening) which was table service offering a good choice of a la carte dishes such as eggs benedict, various bacon and eggs options, porridge and pancakes plus a buffet of cold meats, cheeses, cereals, yogurts and pastries. If The ladies who worked here (sorry can’t remember names) were all delightful.
In our view, the main buffet (Malva) was probably the best all-inclusive buffet in our experience offering a wide variety of meats, fish, seafood along with various potatoes, rice, pasta, vegetables and salads. Desserts were good too although lack of ice cream was a slight disappointment. The food always seemed fresh and of a high quality compared to other hotels. Meats were grilled fresh by the chefs in front of you. Best of all were the seafood nights (twice a week) with amazing langoustine, lobster tails, whole crab and jumbo tiger prawns. What a selection! We had to queue one night for a few minutes at peak time but otherwise were seated immediately. At lunchtime you could sit outside which was nice.
Various options for drinks are available. At meal times this was always table service. Ginger (the main bar next to Malva) had a wide variety of wine, spirits, cocktails and Cruzcampo lager. You can order drinks at the bar or your table (inside or out). The Reserve pool bar is especially good for freshly made cocktails and has two draught lagers on tap. Also in the Reserve is a private lounge with comfy seating and help yourself drinks (wine, bottled beer, spirits) plus snacks.
The Reserve pool area is very luxurious with high quality cushioned sun beds and good shading if you want it. We particularly enjoyed the huge Balinese beds which we were able to find without problem after breakfast late morning. The bar there serves all the drinks you could want as well as light lunches. The large saltwater pool was, let’s say, bracing at this time of year but nevertheless enjoyable once you were in and you usually had it to yourself.
With the Reserve we received free entry vouchers to two attractions, Mirador del Rio and Jameos del Agua, both designed by local architect Cesar Manrique. We visited these on the same day in our rental car as they are both quite near each other in the north of the island. The Mirador offers spectacular views of La Graciosa island and the Jameos is a very well designed attraction created out of natural caves. Both well worth a visit. Also included was a pleasant morning guided excursion by bus to El Grifo bodega including wine tasting. Meliá describe this service as Destination Inclusive and this is certainly something we’ve not seen in other hotels before.
To sum up, we had a wonderful time here and would highly recommend it. We loved Paradisus Salinas so much that my wife has already told me that we are coming here again for her 60th in four years time!
Tony C2025-04-20
