Hotel Princess Taurito - All Inclusive

The splash park and kids’ area were lovely, especially when the weather was bad, and breakfast was really good. The standard all-inclusive drinks covered everything we wanted. It’s a relaxed hotel: there’s some evening entertainment, but most people hang out in the quiet bar. It was clean, the atmosphere was restful, most staff were friendly, and the other guests were mostly nice, with no sunbed hoggers. Still, a few things fell short of what I’d expect from a 4 star hotel. We arrived in the evening with a baby and nobody helped with our bag or explained that the wristband, not the key card they gave us, was the key. We also didn’t know you had to select your floor before using the lift, so we went up and down and couldn’t get into our room. A quick explanation would’ve helped. The food got repetitive, so we paid €33 each for the premium restaurant, which felt more like paying to avoid the buffet than for premium food. Wine cost extra, and the room had a bright canteen feel. We had really poor weather, but there didn’t seem to be backup activities for an all-inclusive, so people just sat around drinking and looking miserable. Beach beds cost extra, and the beach club is more like a canteen. The room fridge was empty. Travelling with a baby, we’d chosen an all-inclusive with a balcony and expected a few beers or something in the fridge. There was no milk for tea, and cleaners left random drink sachets instead of replacing the ones we’d used. It wouldn’t take much effort to see what guests had drunk and top that up.

Parking costs a lot, or you can walk about 12 minutes to find free parking. Kids are welcome, but there weren’t many around. If you don’t want any, you need to stay at the sister hotel at the other end of the beach. I’d definitely return to this hotel if I go back to Gran Canaria. I liked its location, away from crowded spots but only minutes by car from beautiful Amadores beach and busier places like Mogán or Puerto Rico. Apparently, the south-west is also the sunniest part of the island. The views were great, and my room was modern and clean. Staff were friendly everywhere, especially receptionist Iliara (hope I got that right), who was lovely and really helpful during my short stay at the end of January. The food was good and varied, and I could always find something I liked. Loved the potato wedges and Pizza slices. Staff seemed busy, and a few times I couldn’t find a clean, set table even though plenty were available after people had left. The regular restaurant is below the pool, so there’s no “view” from it. You have to pay extra for the upper restaurant next to the pool.

It was our first all-inclusive hotel resort holiday, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. There was something for everyone in the spacious, well laid-out hotel. Everywhere was kept beautifully clean, our room was well appointed, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was absolutely superb. We struggled to find anything to fault.

We had a lovely evening meal at The One restaurant, and it was a little quieter there. Breakfast there was quiet too. We also enjoyed the main restaurant and snack bar. We treated ourselves to an Esencia room upgrade and felt it was well worth it, though that’s just our view. After several years away, we came back to see how things were since it became Best Family Hotel, which had seemed to slip a bit. While staying at The Valle last Sept (that we will not discuss), local people told us about the major refurbishment. We went to investigate, OMW, what a transformation! We went home and booked two weeks.