"We have just returned from our second stay at Mirador by Dunas Maspalomas, and unfortunately this visit was nowhere near as good as our previous one.
The biggest positive of the hotel is the animation team. They were absolutely fantastic, worked incredibly hard, and did their best to keep both children and adults entertained throughout the day. However, it was disappointing to regularly see managers complaining to them about making too much noise because of local residents. In my opinion, they were simply doing their jobs and creating a fun holiday atmosphere. It's frustrating that complaints from nearby residents seem to take priority over guests enjoying the entertainment that they're paying for.
Unfortunately, the management team remains the hotel's biggest weakness. The same manager was there during our previous stay and nothing seems to have changed. She always appeared miserable, rarely smiled at guests, and seemed far more interested in looking for problems than solving them. Whenever guests raised concerns, they were often dismissed rather than properly addressed. The attitude towards customers felt cold and unwelcoming throughout our stay.
There were also inconsistencies between guests. We were charged €35 for air conditioning, while other guests told us theirs was already included in their room at no extra cost. We were also refused a late checkout, only to watch another family successfully receive one shortly afterwards. It felt very much like rules were applied differently depending on who was asking.
The cleanliness standards in the restaurant have noticeably declined since our last visit. On several occasions there was food residue inside supposedly clean glasses, and a large number of glasses and pieces of cutlery were still dirty. This was disappointing and something that should never happen in a hotel restaurant.
The food itself was average. Most days it was repetitive with limited choice, although there were one or two evenings where the selection was much better and most guests seemed happy. Speaking to several other families staying at the same time, many shared the same opinion about the food becoming repetitive.
The room cleaning staff deserve special praise. Our room was cleaned perfectly every day and the maids worked incredibly hard. They were one of the highlights of the hotel.
The pool area also had issues. The pool was not cleaned as regularly as expected and often contained debris. It was closed for an entire day after an incident, but guests were never given any explanation about why it had been shut. Communication from staff was poor. The lifeguards also spent most of their time on their phones rather than actively watching the pool.
Families with children of different ages may find the layout difficult, as the children's pool is separated from the main pool area. A single parent with multiple children would likely struggle to supervise and entertain everyone at once.
The snack bar was acceptable but basic and repetitive, much like the main restaurant. The milk machines regularly dispensed curdled milk, and the ice cream machine often only had one flavour working despite advertising multiple options. The arcade room was unbearably hot and the pool tables are old and in need of replacement.
Another frustration was that the all-inclusive drinks machines stop operating at 11pm. Guests are then expected to buy drinks overnight, which feels contrary to the idea of an all-inclusive holiday.
The entertainment schedule was also poorly organised. There appear to be two separate animation teams rotating throughout the week. Just as we got to know one team, they left and were replaced. The new team then had Tuesday off, leaving no daytime animation around the pool or activities for children. For the price guests pay, this simply isn't good enough and isn't something we've experienced at other hotels.
Reception staff were also unhelpful during the night. Any issue raised after hours was met with "wait until the morning," which isn't particularly useful when you need assistance immediately.
Overall, Mirador by Dunas Maspalomas still has some excellent staff, particularly the animation team and housekeeping staff, who work extremely hard and deserve recognition. However, declining cleanliness standards, inconsistent policies, poor management, repetitive food, communication issues and a lack of customer focus mean that this hotel is no longer as good as it was during our previous visit. Sadly, unless significant improvements are made, we would not return for a third stay."
