If a five-star property exuding tranquil elegance is your dream of a holiday hideaway, then first impressions of the Hesperia will be hugely encouraging. It's just a short drive from the airport in Lanzarote and is close to the island's shopping and nightlife, yet positioned in a quiet location with all the requisite amenities to chill out in some style.
Sipping a complimentary welcoming drink, I wandered from the lobby to the pool side area, where guests were languidly making the most of the late afternoon sun - many enjoying their beverage of choice from the pool bar. The hotel is popular with Britons and Germans, who true to reputation, nab the prime sun lounger spots. But there also seem to be a goodly number of Spaniards, which is a positive sign.
There are 335 decently-sized rooms, including some 40 suites, offering most of the creature comforts one would expect from a top end establishment. A sign on the minbar suggested that its contents would make me irresistibly thirsty. Maybe. But an in-room tea/coffee-making facility would not have gone amiss. And getting the gripes out of the way, one might have expected the provision of more than one tiny bar of soap, which was not automatically replaced when finished. On the credit side, a personal terrace area afforded the tempting option of private sun worshipping.
The buffet breakfast would set you up for the day, and quite conceivably evening, as it features a gargantuan selection of juices, fried food, bread and rolls, cheeses, fruits, and all manner of sweet things. Although an Italian restaurant in a Spanish hotel seemed something of a contradiction, El Risco proved my favourite (and reasonably priced) dining nightspot, with some nice interpretations of traditional favourites. The main courses are a la carte, with starters and desserts from a buffet.
And for those with kids, there are family rooms, children's entertainment and a babysitting service, not forgetting a volcanic sand beach in front of the hotel.
