Santa Catalina, a Royal Hideaway Hotel

Las Palmas had cloudy, windy and cool weather throughout our stay, which made it harder to enjoy the hotel’s already restricted amenities. The south or west of Gran Canaria seems a better bet if dependable sunshine and beach weather are what you’re after. The clientele also skews noticeably older. Santa Catalina Hotel is an impressive historic building, but the hotel experience fell well short of what we expected. Service on arrival felt cold and a bit pretentious. We chose it partly because of the advertised rooftop pool and views, only to find after check-in that the pool is for suite guests only. Spa access is also limited unless you pay €15 per person for 90 minutes, which felt too short to relax. These limits weren’t clearly explained when booking, and left us feeling misled. Some lounge and shared spaces were often booked for corporate events and seminars. It made the hotel feel as though guests came second to business groups, even when walking through pool access corridors in a robe. In the room, the TV was dated and not smart, with only basic local and satellite channels. Room service adds a €5 delivery fee, and the on-site dining is mostly high-end fine dining, with little casual choice.

The hotel moved us when we pointed out that our first room didn’t look like the one online, which was kind of them. Breakfast had a fantastic range of quality food, and we enjoyed the outdoor pool, where service was very good and there were plenty of seats and cabanas. The rooftop area wasn’t much use to us, since the cabana roofs have slots and offer little shade from the hot sun. There also weren’t many places nearby for Western food.

The staff were friendly and very helpful, and the hotel feels romantic and stylishly arranged. Our room was modern, very clean and had beds that were exceptionally comfortable. We especially liked the spacious bathroom and shower with its different settings. The breakfast buffet was outstanding too, very fresh, high quality and with a huge range of dishes. We’d happily return anytime.

We’ve stayed at this grand historic hotel twice. The rooms are nice, and a balcony room gives you exclusive access to the rooftop bar and pool until 5pm. Breakfast was excellent, the lobby bar was great when it wasn’t overwhelmed, and the rooftop bar was lovely, though it doesn’t serve food in the evening. The location isn’t very walkable for other things you might want to do, but taxis are easy to find and inexpensive. The smaller details could use attention. Reception gets as busy and chaotic as an airline terminal. One room had a coffee maker, but the second room in the same category didn’t. There was no room service menu in the room, or obvious place to get an early coffee. The first time, I left a note asking for more coffee and got only decaf pods. In the second room, the shower soap had run out. I’d stay again, but hope they focus on those details that help make a five-star experience.