"We booked this adults only apartment for a last minute stay. When we initially tried to book via the website it didn't work, so I messaged on WhatsApp, no one replied and I then rung the apartments direct, we requested a late check out and clearly advised the receptionist we were more than happy to pay for a 4th night if need be to keep the apartment on when booking.
Our initial apartment (1) was very clean and spacious. The bed was very comfortable and the bathroom was modern and clean, although the shower cubicle area was extremely slippery, especially once you used soap! The highlight of this apartment was the massive balcony with amazing views, though it was very gritty when we arrived and didn't get brushed at all during our stay, and even though we told them they didn't have to clean our apartment on arrival, it was actually cleaned the following day and the balcony was not touched. Also for a self catering apartment, the kitchen facilities were slightly lacking. There was no oven, grill or washing machine. The TV was very small, and the outside furniture didn't feel luxurious, the sunbeds were a bit rusty and the table was discoloured. The tiles outside were also very hot to walk on.
Hotel Note: The hotel later responded that we had requested no cleaning service during our stay, which is why the terrace wasn't swept. However, it was already gritty upon arrival and the cleaners did actually come in on our 2nd day and clean the apartment, supplied fresh towels and made up bed etc.
This was actually a two-bedroom apartment, but because there were only two of us, the staff locked the door to the lower second bedroom. We felt this was incredibly unnecessary. As adults, they could have simply asked us not to use it rather than locking us out of a section of the apartment.
Hotel Note: Management clarified that we booked a one bedroom apartment, and we were upgraded to a larger one as a courtesy with the second bedroom closed off, which they state is standard practice. This is untrue, as when I rung to book, I initially asked for a one bedroom hot tub apartment which they did have available at the time of us booking, but we were given this one on arrival, as the receptionist told me this apartment was ready and if we wanted another apartment we would have to wait on it being cleaned.
It was also not nearly as peaceful as we expected. Our first room was right next to a walkway and a staff storage room. Cleaning staff were constantly walking past with trolleys, and there was non stop loud chattering right outside, which was very disruptive. This was the same at pool area, they were walking past all the time. We also heard the hot tubs regularly, as guests are allowed to use them until midnight.
The layout of the complex is quite strange; some bedroom windows look directly onto other apartments' sunbeds and terraces. Furthermore, there were only seven sunbeds for a total of 20 apartments, so most guests just took a quick dip and went straight back to their own terraces.
The main issue we experienced was arranging a late check out. We asked on booking and on arrival and were told to check back the day before leaving. However early the next morning, my husband went to say again, that we would pay for the extra night, and he was told our apartment was already booked, she said we could however stay on until 2:00 PM. When he went to confirm this later, she said we had to leave by 12 noon, as the other guests were arriving at 12 noon!
After much back and forth, they offered Apartment 2 for the afternoon and charged us €90 to stay from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM (essentially the price of a full night). We agreed because we didn't want to hang around for 5 hours. Apartment 2 was a major downgrade with a tiny, non-private balcony, so glad it was only 5 hours!
Hotel Note: Management countered this, stating they explained from the very first phone call that late checkouts were subject to availability and can only be guaranteed by booking an extra night. They noted that charging €90 for Apartment 2 was a discounted gesture to accommodate us since our original room was fully booked. I dispute this, as we were absolutely willing to pay for the extra night to keep our apartment on, my argument is, why put us in an apartment that was never going to allow us to book an extra night in the first place, especially as it was not the only apartment available at the time of us booking. We made it very clear from the offset that we would pay to keep our apartment on but it was clearly never going to happen, as this apartment had another booking.
There was also a €10 refundable deposit per beach towel, which weren't great quality. While we received an arrival gift of water, wine, and chocolates in Apartment 1, there was no water in Apartment 2. When my husband asked for a bottle, the receptionist refused, saying, "You don't get water just for moving apartments." Denying a simple bottle of water after we just handed over €90 felt incredibly petty and unwelcoming.
While the property is clean, the rigid policies, noisy staff walkway, terrible sunbed to apartment ratio, and the attitude of the reception staff left a very sour taste in our mouths. We spoke to other guests who mentioned the late check out issue had also dampened the end of their holiday.
Hotel Note: Management stated that they work hard to provide great hospitality, citing their high number of repeat guests and overall positive reviews as a reflection of their dedication. I am not disputing this but we unfortunately had an issue and it was handled very poorly by the hotel reception staff. One receptionist, blaming the other for the misunderstanding and issues we had faced and none of them allowed to make any decisions. Had this been handled professionally, I would not be writing this review.
The views are amazing, but we felt Nazaret Beach Adults Only Apartments (only 2 minutes away) are far superior, cleaner, and a lot quieter!
Playa Honda is a lovely local residential area. The promenade is amazing, you can walk for miles, though there aren't many restaurants (enough for a week, but lacking atmosphere). Deiland Shopping Centre is a 5 minute walk away with a large supermarket. Only one restaurant served breakfast, and it was a 30-minute walk. You can take a taxi or bus to Puerto del Carmen or Costa Teguise for about €20 each way.
We would absolutely go back to Playa Honda for a chilled week in the Lanzarote sunshine, but unfortunately, we would not go back to these apartments due to the issues we had and lack of accountability from the complex management."
