Dreams Lanzarote Playa Dorada Resort & Spa

Yesterday I took part in the cocktail demonstration with Laszlo and Aljssa who both made it fun and enjoyable experience.

We just returned from a week at this hotel. We paid for a Sea View 'Preferred' room which gave access to the Infinity pool. I felt the room was pretty small, compared with other hotels we've stayed at, and the beds were really hard and uncomfortable. We liked the Infinity pool, as it was warmer and we could watch our 8yo daughter swim more easily. But people would leave towels or belongings on their sunbeds so there weren't many options for spots. Knowing this, a few days into our stay, we went down to the pool early, sat there for an hour then left some things on the sunbeds to go and get some breakfast. When we got back, our things were gone and there were other people sat on our sunbeds. We were told by other guests that hotel staff had come down to the pool and removed people's towels and things and taken them away. There was no warning or information about where our things had gone. We had to go up to Reception and wait for half an hour to talk to someone, who retrieved our things and spoke sternly about how we shouldn't reserve sunbeds. But literally EVERYONE does it there. In the few days we'd been at the hotel, it was clear that that was how things worked. People reserved spots and if we wanted to supervise our daughter swimming, we needed to do the same. There were no signs about this around the pool either. But it was really unacceptable to have our things moved without leaving any word about where they were being taken. And by the time we'd finished talking to reception staff, an hour of our morning had been wasted and we had nowhere to sit close to a pool. That took the shine off the stay because we were too anxious to leave our things anywhere, despite EVERYONE else doing that. (The people who took our seats continued to grab that spot and routinely kept SIX beds for TWO people and occasional family members). One day I blew up a small inflatable ball to play with in the pool with my daughter. The guard quickly shut that down - no balls in any pool aside from the waterslide one. No signs about that anywhere, of course. We found the service lacking across the stay, waiting for 5 minutes alone at the Infinity bar without being acknowledged was common, very slow service at the Bluewater Grill. Luckily there are loads of great restaurants within 5 mins walk - the hotel's location was really the saviour of our stay. On poor-weather days we hired a car and did the tourist sites - which worked out much less expensive. The Timanfaya tour is not for anyone with travel sickness. They put you on a coach and wind up and down on tiny roads next to steep drops. The coach-driver was amazing but I was glad to get off. The best things to visit were the Cactus garden and the Cave pool. The latter was absolutely stunning and you could eat there too. It's sad that we had an average stay but it just shows how hotels enforcing blanket rules only occasionally can ruin people's experience. We were made an example of, which was embarrassing and unnecessary. To cap the trip off, the airport is absolutely awful leaving. We flew with Easyjet and the queue was HUGE to check in. It took us 90 mins to get to the front. Then the process getting onto the plane was really slow. Our flight was eventually cancelled because of a faulty plane and the next day we had to do it all again - 90 min wait, people boarding in dribs and drabs because everyone had to pass through security again at the gate. It's safe to say we won't be coming back to Lanzarote.

After visiting this hotel 3 times previously, I have to give some feedback on our experience of staying at Dreams Playa Dorada in February 2026. Firstly, I must commend all the hardworking staff there, particularly the animation team Saray, Niels and also Alyssa who did the glass jewellery session. In the restaurants, Barbara was also very friendly, professional and helpful. Now onto other points; Although, like on previous occasions, we had paid for the All Inclusive Preferred Club, we felt that the hotel was downgrading the benefits this used to provide, at an increased price, which on reflection, we felt did not provide value for money. We felt that the rooms weren’t as well serviced as before, particularly in terms of the plunger-operated toiletries, which were describe as being luxury. In the Preferred Club lounge, there used to be beers or cava at certain times, but this is no longer the case. At lunchtimes, the lounge was so full it was impossible to get a seat, although this was possibly made worse by the bad weather and that the Preferred Club tariff now also allows people to have breakfast only, or half-board, which allows the lounge to be used for free sandwiches and snacks for lunch. The bars used to also offer crisps and olives, but now the only snack are a hard nut selection. The bar also used to provide fino sherry, but this is no longer available. Despite the sports bar being listed as a venue, it never had anyone serving there. The entertainment now takes place at the bottom of the main stairs into the lounge bar area, which means you have no option but to put up with it when the weather prevents you from being outside. If you retreat to the sanctuary of the sports bar, then as mentioned, there’s no-one there apart from children playing on the air hockey table, which pings at decibel levels enough to make your ears ring. The main bar is generally closed until 5pm, but when the weather was cold and windy outside, we had to go to the pool bar for a drink. Although the hotel states it has numerous (6?) different restaurants, these are not open all the time, as they alternate in the same areas e.g. Italian and Himitsu Asian, and the Sabor restaurant is replaced by another themed restaurant, so in fact on any one night there are only 3 different choices available including the World Cafe. Unfortunately, one of our main disappointments was the food served in the restaurants, which is inconsistent. In the World Cafe we had to send back undercooked chicken from the plancha. In the Savor and Bluewater we had excellent veal on one occasion, which inspired us to have it another time, when we had to send it back because it was grossly over cooked. We also had the entrecôte steak one night which was superb and on another night one of ours was practically blue, and the other was 50% fat. We felt that the standard of maintenance had declined. There was a cracked glass panel in one of the lifts. Another lift clunked and shuddered to the extent that that we were concerned about its safety. The main door from the lounge to the exterior was broken and would not shut, so the lounge area was cold and draughty. Overall, we left feeling disappointed with our holiday, which based on our previous visits did not meet our expectations and was over priced. On balance, we felt the holiday rated as 3 star only and we sadly will not return.

We went as a family of two grandparents three parents and two children 6 and 9. We had an amazing time staff all lovely and helpful animation team are Lovely and the kids club staff kind and fun for the children. Our rooms were great and we had three triple rooms with great showers. Rooms cleaned well daily. Food was excellent in both Alma Carte restaurants And buffet bar staff make Great cocktails inside. outside by pool bar has pre-made cocktails. we all had a great time we went all Inclusive and it really is with the exception of high premium spirits. Lots of activities to do if you want and no pressure if not. The ones we did we really had fun rifle Shooting archery cocktail making some yoga and Pilates we some Highlights for us. Highly recommend

Stay Dates: 20th March – 27th March Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ As frequent visitors to Lanzarote (8+ times a year), we have stayed in over 16 hotels multiple times all being 4/5-star hotels on the island. While we usually prefer small boutique hotels, Dreams Lanzarote Playa Dorada has firmly made it into our top 5. Room & Amenities: The room was very nice and well-appointed. A major bonus was the massive 70-inch smart TV. We also greatly appreciated the evening turndown service and the fact that the fridge was replenished daily. While the room itself was spacious, be aware that the shower room / wash room is on the smaller side. The Preferred Club Experience: Staying in the Preferred Club was a brilliant decision. The exclusive lounge was a great bonus for grabbing tea, coffee, soft drinks, and sandwiches throughout the day. The swim-up bar here is exceptional, reminiscent of the luxury resorts in Mexico—the best pool and bar setup we’ve seen in Lanzarote. Dining: We stayed Half Board which is a 1st as my wife got a good deal , and the food was amazing. While the Preferred Club breakfast was excellent, we found there was usually a queue to get in. We tried the main buffet breakfast on 5 occasions and, in my opinion, it was just as good. For us, it wasn't worth the wait for the private area when the main offering was so high-quality. Service & Comparison: We have stayed next door at the Barceló Playa Blanca (Royal Level) 11 times. While the Barceló is more modern aesthetically, Dreams wins on service and food. The staff are excellent; they are efficient, professional, and clearly well-trained. The staff all have a job to do and do it very well Final Verdict: We would definitely return, but specifically outside of school holidays. It is a busy family resort, and while the atmosphere is great, it would make a perfect adults-only retreat during quieter months.

Thank you very much to the hotel for the lovely birthday gesture, it made the day even more special. We would especially like to thank Kelly, who at the restaurant surprised us with a dessert and sang “Happy Birthday” with my family. It was a truly beautiful and unforgettable moment. Thank you for making it so special!