THe Mirador Papagayo

We stayed here for 7 nights as a family of four with our 9 and 7-year-old children, and overall we were really impressed. We would definitely return.

Our standard family room was much more spacious than expected. It was almost like a self-catering apartment, with a kitchen area, two large sofa beds for the kids in the living area, and two large single beds pushed together in the separate bedroom. Having two bathrooms/showers (a separate shower cubicle plus a shower over the bath) made getting ready much easier for a family. There were also two large TVs, including a huge one in the living room (around 75 inches), with UK channels such as BBC, ITV and Channel 4, which was a nice bonus.

Outside our room we had a balcony at the front and access to a quieter pool. It wasn't the main pool, but it was more than good enough when we wanted somewhere more relaxed.

The hotel is split into two sections, with the main reception, restaurant, entertainment and main pool across the road. At first we weren't sure about this, but it actually worked really well. Everything was only a few minutes' walk away and it was easy to get around the whole resort.

The staff deserve a special mention. Every member of staff we came across was friendly, welcoming and helpful, and the service throughout our stay was excellent.

The animation team were fantastic, especially with children. They were full of energy, made a real effort to interact with the kids and created a fun atmosphere throughout the day. There was always something happening around the main pool, from aqua gym sessions to a brilliant foam party with a giant inflatable slide and even a White Party. There was never a shortage of activities if you wanted to get involved.

The main pool was a good size and we never struggled to find sunbeds during our stay, although I imagine it could be much busier in late July and August.

The location is also great. There are two supermarkets directly opposite the hotel—a local supermarket and another stocking familiar Iceland and Morrisons products. Rubicón Marina is around a 15-minute walk, while Playa Blanca town centre is only around a 10-minute taxi ride, costing about €6.

We stayed on a half-board basis, which we'd recommend. The flexibility to swap dinner for lunch on some days was really useful as it meant we could enjoy restaurants outside the hotel in the evenings. The downside is that the food was quite repetitive and lacked variety. Breakfast was decent but very similar every morning.

The evening entertainment was enjoyable, but the entertainment venue itself felt a little dated. There was always plenty of seating, but the auditorium was quite hot, dark and could really benefit from a refurbishment—or perhaps entertainment being moved outside during the warmer months.

Our biggest criticism was the air conditioning. Although the rooms have AC, it didn't produce much cold air. We found both our room and many areas of the hotel quite warm, and if you're visiting during temperatures above 30°C, it's definitely something to be aware of. Personally, we'd return, but we'd choose a slightly cooler time of year.

If you're planning activities while you're here, we'd highly recommend a couple of excursions. We booked a day trip to Fuerteventura with Fred. Olsen Express, which was a brilliant day out and really easy to organise. We also visited Rancho Texas Lanzarote Park, which was one of the highlights of our holiday. The dolphin, sea lion, parrot and eagle shows were all excellent, there are plenty of places to grab food quickly with shaded seating, and the water park is fantastic for families. It's definitely worth a visit.

Checkout is at 12pm, and if you have a late flight, the hotel offers a late checkout until later in the day for around €44, subject to availability, which is worth considering. We also asked a local taxi driver about airport transfers, and they quoted around €55 to the airport.

Overall, this is a lovely family-friendly hotel with fantastic staff, excellent entertainment, spacious accommodation and a great location. A few improvements to the food variety, entertainment venue and air conditioning would make it even better, but despite those points, we had a great holiday and wouldn't hesitate to stay here again. We'd happily recommend it to other families looking for a relaxing base in Playa Blanca.

Nice hotel. All staff lovely My only complaint is the lunch time food was very disappointing. Not a good choice and in the pool bar in the heat. . All cramped together needs to change this