Santa Catalina, A Royal Hideaway Hotel

"Nice hotel, impressive and staff very friendly and helpful in general. Rooms nice and comfortable, although did get hot on a night despite the AC being on. Rooftop bar is incredibly disappointing. Incredibly quiet, very quiet music in the background which is barely audible. Piano bar is nice during the day / early evening but dead at night, again with no music. Pool was disappointing. The pool / towel attendant was great but the staff at the pool bar were hardly there and we had to wait ages to order a drink / food. A bell or a buzzer would have been good to get their attention. I just ended up shouting them. Again, no music or atmosphere whatsoever at the pool bar or around the pool. Didn’t feel much like a holiday. Breakfast was nice. Champagne was available. Wellness / Spa - had to book, so we did. Got there and were charged €15 each! This wasn’t advertised so felt ripped off. Spoke to other guests who said they just walked straight in and didn’t pay anything. We were not made aware of any of the services on offer (massage etc), so assumed there weren’t any. Turns out they were but they just didn’t tell us about them. Went to the 1890 Restaurant. Was very nice but once again we ate in silence as there was no music playing in the background. The takeaway here is don’t expect any form of entertainment, the hotel is very quiet and very boring (despite being beautiful). Probably suitable for a weekend away but any longer and it starts to grate. Wouldn’t recommend. No character, no soul. Just go stay in a Hilton if that’s what you’re after - it’s cheaper."

"We recently spent five nights at the Santa Catalina Hotel, staying in a Deluxe room on a half board basis. Although we enjoyed several aspects of our stay, the overall experience did not quite meet our expectations. The hotel is a beautiful historic building with considerable character and elegance, and the excellent main swimming pool was one of the highlights of our visit. However, our Deluxe room felt somewhat underwhelming and did not provide all the comfort and luxury we had anticipated. We were also disappointed to find that the rooftop pool was reserved exclusively for suite guests, with no option to pay for occasional access. The setting is attractive, although much of the surrounding greenery forms part of Parque Doramas, a public park rather than private hotel grounds. The location also felt surprisingly isolated, with relatively few restaurants, cafés or evening options nearby. The main area for shops and restaurants is approximately a 30–45 minute walk away, which may be worth considering when booking. Santa Catalina is an impressive hotel with charm, history and several notable strengths. However, it did not quite deliver the warmth, consistency and personal service we associate with a five star hotel."

"A wonderful stay at the Hotel Santa Catalina in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. From the first moment, we want to highlight the professionalism, kindness, and attention of all the staff, always willing to help and to make the stay as pleasant as possible. The hotel has beautiful facilities, a magnificent pool, rooftop, and SPA, taken care of in detail and with a special charm that combines elegance, history, and comfort. All of this creates a cozy and distinguished atmosphere that makes the experience truly special. Without a doubt, a place worth returning to. Many thanks to the entire team for the excellent service and for making our stay such a pleasant experience. Highly recommended!"