Sheraton Salobre Golf Resort & Spa - Maspalomas, Spain 

Arriving at the hotel in the dark after a scary taxi ride from the airport the glass of cava offered on check in was much welcomed. When we got to our room - a little grumpy to be fair after a delayed flight and transfer - we stepped out onto the balcony to be met with the whirring noise of what we assumed were the airconditioning units from a lower building. We decided since it was late we would leave it until the next day to ask about an alternative. The reception staff were helpful though they said we would have to wait another day to move - strange in a hotel with hundreds of rooms and it certainly didn't appear to be full at any time during our stay. The hotel on the whole was nice but there were a few issues that could have made the stay better. Firstly although the temp was warm outside (mid - high 20's) there was no air conditioning in the rooms. When we spoke to reception we were advised they were still on winter settings and only provided heating at this time. Understandable if you live in this climate but not so when visiting from some where like Scotland - though should have got the hint from staff at the poolside bar wearing their fleeces while the rest of us were bikini clad by the pool!!! The so-called shuttle bus ran once per hour and was queued out mostly so occasionally you couldn't get on and had to queue -a concept some fellow guests seemed to be unfamiliar with -about 15 mins prior to the bus leaving if you wanted to ensure you travelled. As stated before it stopped during siesta and last run was about 7pm. A taxi ride down into Maspalomas was about 25 euro each way a bit rich for the 13 kilometers or so into the town!! The standard of the food in the hotel wasn't really consistent .The breakfast was buffet style and offered a good selection there was also plenty of indoor and outdoor seating to suit all. The hotel "fine dining" and tapas bar we felt were really poor and were just trying too hard to be something they couldn't live up to. There are only about 6 choices on the never changing tapas menu... lamb with banana anyone??? After a failed attempt in eating in the resturant we did have dinner there on Valentines night which was okay... although if you have to eat in the hotel then I'd try the buffet - not really our thing but the only reasonable option available. The poolside bar also offered casual dining but again this closed at around 5pm... Agree with all the other reviewers about micro climate etc in the hills and pool house down in Maspalomas being a bit of a disappointment if you don't get one of the 1/2 dozen sun beds on offer. Overall we found a lot of the staff really nice and in such a big place you can't really expect the service of a boutique hotel. The plus sides of the holiday were being really lucky with the weather, the lovely pool areas and spa. The sunset pool area in particular was lovely - esecially for early evening cocktails.

This was a beautifully designed hotel which really complements its surrounding environment. Service was good and very friendly. We received a lovely welcome at reception with a glass of champagne. Food very good overall, particularly at breakfast, in the open-air restaurant on 4th floor and at the reservation-only restaurant (sorry can't remember names). Food/drink is a little on the expensive side but it is hotel prices obviously - we just filled up on the lovely breakfast and that lasted us for good few hours. There were nice touches at the poolside bars with some free cocktails brought round. The pool areas are all gorgeous with fantastic views from the top pool. You get your own towels and everything is cleaned/picked up on a regular basis. The rooms are lovely and really well-designed for the size with attractive and comfortable private balconies. The bathroom was great with two sinks and a decent-sized wet room and bath - all very contemporary but not off-puttingly so. There is a regular mini bus to the beach/town. The beach club is fine although not on the beach which is only a short walk away anyway. Only slight grumbles were a few mix-ups at Reception down to restaurant reservation requests which were lost in translation! If you are vegetarian and you want to eat out of the hotel, beware! Also maid service was a little lackadaisical - the room was always clean and tidy but sometimes bins weren't emptied and toiletries not replaced. I didn't really mind this too much but some people might. We would definitely visit again. It was exactly what we wanted after a very stressful month at work in London!! There weren't too many people there, although it was November so don't know what it would be like in summer. The way it is designed means that you can find private spots though. It's a stylish location at a reasonable price - quite some distance from your average fly and flop holiday!