Hotel Riu Palace Meloneras

I stayed at the RIU Hotel Palace Meloneras in Gran Canaria for one week in October with my daughter. The hotel was generally clean, some of the staff were friendly and helpful, and the entertainment was decent. The food was acceptable, although not outstanding. Unfortunately, there were several issues that significantly affected our stay and made it fall well below what we would expect from a 5-star hotel. The biggest problem was the sunbed situation. Guests were reserving sunbeds very early in the morning by leaving towels on them, making it extremely difficult to find anywhere to sit by the pool. We also witnessed aggressive behaviour between guests over sunbeds and even saw guests apparently bribing members of staff to secure sunbeds and preferential treatment. The hotel did not seem to manage this situation effectively. Another disappointment was the lack of complimentary drinking water. Having to pay for water throughout the stay felt unreasonable for a hotel of this standard, particularly as there were no water fountains or refill stations available. The most upsetting issue was that a pair of my earrings had disappeared from our room. After getting ready for dinner, my daughter changed her earrings to a pair we purchased earlier on in the day from a nearby shop and left her expensive ones wrapped up in the paper bag, which came with the cheap ones, on her bed next to some clothes. These earrings were over 100 years old with significant sentimental value. When we returned after dinner the bag was gone and nowhere to be found. When I reported this, I found the response from staff unhelpful and dismissive. Since returning home, I have also come across reviews from other guests reporting missing items from their rooms, which is very concerning. The room itself was not up to the standard expected of a luxury hotel. The mattress was badly worn and sagged noticeably in the middle, making it uncomfortable to sleep on. The headboard was scratched and had an unpleasant smell, giving the room a tired and neglected feel. The food was another let down. While there was plenty available, the choice was not particularly varied and the quality was inconsistent. The meat in particular was often poor quality and certainly not what I would expect from a 5-star resort. Overall, while the hotel has some positives, including cleanliness, decent entertainment and some friendly staff, the issues with security, sunbed management, room quality and food standards mean it did not deliver the 5-star experience we were expecting. Sadly, we would not return and would struggle to recommend it to others. Rating: 3/5

Top hotel, fantastic food and service. No children, peaceful. Some well-aged clientele, but totally fine. Theme nights at the buffet every day.