Riu Papayas

Have just returned from a seven night holiday at the Riu Papayas. There were eight of us ranging from age 72yrs to 9 months,we stayed in three rooms and had requested high floor rooms close together and were given just that,we faced the Hotel Waikiki and their pool which was very nice,the rooms were exceptionally clean and were kept that way by the excellent staff,they were also extremely quiet both by day and night.Beds were very comfortable and we were all more than satisfied. We found the food very good both in quality and variety although you might find it a little repetitive if staying for more than a week.however this is compensated by the option of going to the two themed restaurants.we all went to the Spanish restaurant and agreed that it was nice to be served by the very attentive and friendly staff. The food was very good too, Having a 5 year old and 9 month baby we used the kiddies pool and never had any problem finding 7 beds together in fact there were always spare beds available at any time of the day.This area has palm trees and is slightly cooler than the main pool which was a bonus as it was very hot .The children’s club was also in this area and our five year old thoroughly enjoyed it. The all inclusive option is first class and you will never have to wait long to be served and many drinks were branded.The entertainment team were also excellent and very hard working in fact of the shows we saw we thought that they were better than the professional acts The hotel is approximately 15/20minutes from the beach although you can use the free hotel courtesy bus.I am afraid that I agree with some other reviews that the area around the hotel is a little tired and rundown showing signs of wear and not the Playa del Ingles I remember from years ago. In summary this is a first class hotel in pristine condition and serviced by excellent friendly staff. I would also like to add that we had a fright with our little granddaughter and would sincerely like to thank all the hotel staff who rushed to our assistance, we are happy to say that she is fine. Many thanks Riu Papayas.

So I don't want to sound too negative as this hotel is lovely but it just wasn't for us so here goes. We booked a hotel in April 2018 but received an email december 2018 to say it was closing for a full refurbishment April to October 2019 and we was due to stay in August 2019 so off I went to TUI to sort it out. 2 and a half hours later and they moved us to this hotel RIU Papayas. I was very nervous as I like to find my own hotel and do my research first before booking, plus I always book a hotel with slides big enough for my children (aged 8 and 12) which our original hotel had, this hotel only has a small splash pool for smaller children. I read some fantastic reviews on here and they where all true to word. Upon arrival we was very surprised at how nice the hotel was, it was very clean and well presented. Check in took around 15 mins as there was a queue but this can be expected when half the people got off the coach. We checked in then went off to our room which was 1st floor pool view/garden view and was lovely and spacious. We had a 1 bedroom family room with 2 single beds in the front room and balcony and a double bed in the bedroom with balcony, a separate walk in shower and sink and separate toilet. The toilets flush very loud which shocked us at first it was like being back in the aeroplane 🤣. It was late when we arrived so the main restaurant was shut but they had a snack ready for us which consisted of some crusty rolls with ham and cheese. We got up in the morning and off we went for breakfast, there was a lot to eat and choose from, I have 2 fussy eaters that managed to find something every day. We got 4 sunbeds around the pool and off the kids went to explore. For the first day or so they had fun in the splash pool but after that the novelty wore off and it became a little boring for them. So they went in the big pool....this is where the fun stops, your not allowed any inflatables, you can't jump in, dive in or have much fun at all. My son who is 12 likes to do all of the above which he did but was told off a few times by the life guard. Luckily my 8 year old daughter likes to swim to the bottom and find things so she was happy with the sinking water sticks that went out and bought her. The big pool is actually quite small and can get quite crowded hence the reason I think they don't allow floaties or jumping/diving in. They have water aerobics on twice a day which a lot join in with. They have volley ball, archery, bowling and darts games during the day too and similar for the kids plus a kids club which my daughter went into a few times towards the end of our 1st week into the 2nd week. You can't fault the food it is always hot/warm, plenty to choose from and freshly cooked. The entertainment team are fabulous they work tirelessly and they do some really good shows which we aren't used to as most hotels we've been in the entertainment was terrible. The hotel is kept well presented and very clean and is cleaned all day every day. Your rooms are cleaned evedyday. The staff are very helpful and friendly and are always on the ball. There is a small park which my children would go to after they had finished their dinner/tea whilst waiting for us to finish ours. I got up every day at 7.30am to go get sunbeds, we like to be on the ones at the front facing the pool so we can keep an eye on our kids and I managed do get 4 every day at the front, not always in the same place but still at the front. The shutters go over 2 rows of sunbeds so if someone behind you wants it shut they can shut it, this didnt bother us too much but for some people it probably would. If you want ones with umbrellas then I'd say you need to be up for 7am maybe a little earlier. Overall the hotel is lovely but unfortunately it just wasn't for us. Now for the negatives... There are no designated smoking areas so people can smoke where ever they like which we don't agree with. You could be sat on your sunbed relaxing and someone would be smoking at the side of you. You could be watching the entertainment and someone would be smoking at the side of you. They had non smoking tables at the back but this to me isn't fair as that means you have to sit furthest away from the entertainment if you don't smoke. They should be making designated areas around the hotel and keeping the sunbeds and entertainment area free of smoking. Woman where sunbathing and in the pool topless. Now I know we are in the 20th century but if this is a family aimed hotel that had lots of children around I don't think bathing topless should be allowed. I didn't like my children seeing this, to ms it's not appropriate and their should be polices in place. I mean if you can't dive in a pool then surely you shouldn't be allowed to swim in one topless with children around you! For me this needs addressing. Thirdly there was no onsite shop and they didnt sell any crisp or peanuts behind the bar. In most hotels I've been in they do this. So if the kids wanted a snack on crisp we had to go to the shop. I think they should at least sell tubs of pringles. Summary...I would say this hotel is perfect for couples and I would recommend it to any couples looking to stay in a nice relaxing hotel.

We have been coming to Gran Canary for the past 10 years and I can honestly say that this has to be the best hotel we’ve stayed in. The rooms are reasonable but extremely comfortable, then again you’re only there to sleep. Food is lovely and plentiful, fresh salads and tasty seafood. The highlight is the brilliant entertainment shows each night. The whole team really do put on a show, the highlight so far must be the ‘Rock Station’. What a show! There’s plenty of activities to do each day too. Would definitely return to this hotel and recommend it to anyone looking for a brilliant, well located hotel. My only criticism is sun loungers a) the amount of people who reserve sun loungers and disappear all day and b) about 90% of the sun loungers are covered by gazebos with a retractable sun screen. If one person wants the screen pulled closed then they get their way regardless of the wishes of other people sunbathing. You’re then having to try and find spare/unreserved sun loungers. That said it is a very minor point, albeit extremely annoying. I would recommend this hotel, the whole staff are so friendly and welcoming, and I hope you enjoy your stay.