Barcelo Lanzarote Active

Review of Barcelo active from a family of 3 with a toddler:

Pros:

• 15 min transfer from the airport & easy short bus ride to town & nice beach.
• Very good size room (junior suite in block 8)
• Decent swimming pools (although the baby pool needs a few tiles replacing)
• Nice drinks for all inclusive
• Barcy club is great for smaller kids, the team there are brilliant.

Cons:

• Too many steps, they need more lifts & ramps. We had to walk a long way round to avoid going up & down steps with our buggy.
• We went in late September when they were on their winter schedule so evening entertainment was in the lobby area which was very hot with no air con & not enough seats.
• Only 1 bar open at a time & only a few drink stations. If you want a drink other than water before 10.30am you have to walk to the buffet. After 6.30pm only the lobby bar is open.
• Need more umbrellas around the pool, we struggled to find some after the 9am rush.
• Only 1 buffet in either hotel are included in the all inclusive, you have to pay for the restaurants.
• Little things like a waiter walking round the breakfast buffet pouring coffee, less queues for drinks, someone to go round and clean around the pool areas of cups/ fag butts would make a difference.

Overall it just wasn’t for us, we’ve been to better resorts at similar prices.

Disappointing experience – service and cleanliness really let it down

I booked the Barceló Active Resort as a nice getaway with my boyfriend to celebrate his 30th birthday, so unfortunately it was really disappointing that our experience fell so far short of what we had hoped for.

At first glance, the Barceló Active Resort looks amazing. The resort itself has a lot of potential, and the facilities and rooms initially gave us a really good impression. Unfortunately, the service, food and cleanliness really let the experience down for us.

On arrival, there seemed to be very little urgency from the staff to actually greet or assist guests. We were dropped off at the Royal side of the resort and went to reception to check in, but there was no real sense that anyone was particularly keen to see to us. There are also arrival drinks available, with drinks dispensers in the reception area, but nobody offered us anything when we arrived.

Unfortunately, the member of staff who eventually dealt with us didn’t seem particularly pleased to see us. She was quite blunt, shunned us away and simply said, “Your room is over there.” She did give us a map and point a few things out, but as a first impression, I would have expected the staff to be much warmer and more welcoming. After travelling and arriving at a holiday resort, you want to feel welcomed from the moment you walk through the door, and unfortunately we didn’t get that feeling.

We were then sent off in the dark to find our room on the Active side. The walkways were very dark and dimly lit, and we had absolutely no idea where we were going. Eventually we found the room and were pleasantly surprised. The room itself was a really good size, had good amenities and the bed was extremely comfortable. Unfortunately, there were quite a few areas around the corners of the room that clearly hadn’t been dusted for some time, but this was something we could overlook.

The food, however, was a major disappointment. We didn’t expect Michelin-star food from an all-inclusive resort, and we’re generally quite used to this type of buffet food, but some of what we were served was genuinely inedible. Even my partner, who is absolutely not fussy with food, couldn’t eat some of the meat. The snack bar wasn’t much better either, and during our stay the chip machine stopped working, meaning chips weren’t available. It’s a shame because food and snacks are a big part of what you’re paying for when booking an all-inclusive.

The queues for drinks in the evening at the AI bar were also ridiculous. We often found ourselves waiting a long time just to get a drink, which really takes away from the experience when you’re staying at an all-inclusive resort. There definitely seemed to be a need for better organisation and/or more staff during the busier evening periods.

We also visited Champs, where unfortunately we had another very poor experience. There was one particular member of staff who was extremely rude towards English guests. We witnessed her shouting at guests who had mistakenly taken some sweets which were apparently intended for cocktails. The sweets were on display and there was nothing obvious to suggest they weren’t available to guests, so it was an understandable mistake. The guests were extremely apologetic, yet the situation was made into a huge scene. We were genuinely shocked by the way they were spoken to.

Interestingly, the same incident was subsequently reported in the resort’s Facebook group, and a number of guests immediately knew exactly which member of staff was being referred to and mentioned that complaints had already been made. So clearly, this wasn’t an isolated impression.

We didn’t have much further interaction with staff after this as we chose to eat out at local restaurants every evening instead, which was actually a much more pleasant experience. Even when we asked reception for help arranging taxis, the staff again came across as quite blunt and uninterested.

To be fair, this certainly doesn’t apply to every member of staff. We did come across some lovely, friendly and smiley employees. But overall, the level of customer service was nowhere near what we would expect from a resort of this size and standard. Some serious lessons in hospitality and customer service would make a huge difference.

The cleanliness of the public toilets was another major issue. The toilets around the reception areas were honestly disgusting. I had to report them during our stay. There were toilets with smeared faeces on the seats, clogged toilets, toilet rolls unravelled across the floor, dirty mirrors and walls with holes in them. They looked like they needed both a serious deep clean and, in some areas, a complete renovation.

There was also a very strange and unpleasant drain/sewage-type smell throughout the pool areas, particularly around the Royal side. It was noticeable on multiple occasions and really took away from what should have been a relaxing pool environment.

This wasn’t limited to one toilet either. The Active side wasn’t quite as bad, but the Royal reception toilets were particularly unpleasant. The pool toilets with the adjoining showers were also extremely dirty. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable showering in them — you’d probably come out dirtier than when you went in!

One positive thing I would say is that the area at the front of the Active side, by Champs, is a lovely sitting area with so much potential. I think adding an AI bar there would make a huge difference. It would create another place for guests to sit, relax and have a drink, and would also help take some of the pressure off the main AI bar in the evenings. It feels like a missed opportunity at the moment because it’s such a nice space that could be utilised much better.

Overall, it’s a real shame because the resort looks fantastic on first arrival and the rooms themselves have a lot going for them. Unfortunately, the poor food, lack of cleanliness, unpleasant smells, long drink queues and inconsistent customer service completely overshadowed the positives for us. We had booked this trip specifically as a special birthday getaway, and sadly we left feeling very disappointed.

We wouldn’t return and, based on our experience, we wouldn’t recommend the resort. There is definitely potential here, but the hotel needs to seriously improve its standards of service, food quality and cleanliness.

We have stayed here previously and have to say that we love it. The hotel is so large that you never feel overcrowded at all. We stayed in a junior suite which was complete spotless and well serviced by the maids. All staff were lovely and polite and made you feel at home . As per usual the Pool/sunbed situation is a trial with some English people not aware that a garden doesn’t double as a path way just to get a sunbed a completely unneeded attitude but that sort of ignorance will never change. The public areas were spotless and the drinks were great as well . The hotel room areas are nice and quiet overnight as well . The only slight criticism is with the hot food , breakfast was good although it seemed a bit strange having sprouts and other boiled veg at breakfast having but there seemed to be a bit of food recycling going on between dinner and lunch the next day which given fod costs in understandable , Burgers , hotdogs and pizza and pasta were there lunch time staples ( pasta at every meal). Overall we would go back