Labranda Corralejo Village

Sun bed wars at its best!!!!!!! Never have I stayed somewhere, where I’ve had to set my alarm at 5:30am to reserve a bed! Management don’t care - I’ve tried to speak to them on multiple occasions- we’ve been here 10 days so far out of 14! Ppl are reserving their beds the afternoon/evening before.

We have just retuned home from a truly wonderful week at BLUESEA Corralejo Village.

I was a returning guest from over 25 years ago, where a lot has changed, but is also still the same (weirdly) ... I cannot thank Esterban enough for securing me the room I requested that I stayed in every time I visited as a child. The memories I've been able to share and relive with my now family will be forever etched in our hearts.

The hotel has had a massive face lift, gone is the yellow and green. Everywhere you look is white and clean. We even noticed a maintenance man painting chipped and dirty areas of the out buildings of rooms. The rooms were very clean. We worked out that they were cleaned every other day, so we jumped on to requesting our room not to be cleaned the day after it was cleaned, which you could swap for 2 off the menu cocktails or a bottle of brut.

The landscaping is truly beautiful, it is very picturesque & well maintained.

Before arriving I remember reading a review in regards to not seeing the pool being cleaned. I can vouch that the pool and surrounding areas were throughly cleaned and washed down everyday that we were there, before 7-9am. The pool itself could do with a little TLC there is a big chip/hole in the pool and chippings come off here and there (which when we could feel on feet & we would pick out of the pool) The pool would become a little murky, which I put down to sun cream as that is all you could smell when you were in the pool.

On arrival I asked the dreaded question about sun beds and towels. I was informed that 15 new sunbeds and 5 booklets were being added in the morning to see if it would help in regards to the sun bed rush. We had a prime view to the sun bed saga and we spent the first and many other mornings watching it play out. You can not claim a bed until 9, each rope is opened at the same time, on the first few mornings visitors would slowly walk towards there desired bed, but towards the end of our stay people were running which encourages others to do the same. This was the same for waiting for the gates to open. Day 1 the earliest person was 8.40, Day 2 8.30, Day 3 8.20, Day 4 8.10!!! And Day 5 8a.m!!!! All it took was for that one person to start queuing early and it put the fright in others and they would join (yes I had to join in on our 3 pool days) Not all beds were gone by 9.30ish, but by 10am you would be lucky to find a bed. Just to note sun bed towels are free from reception, but if require new towels they will be €1 each.

This was our first AI, what a great option having 3 meals catered for everyday and poolside snack as needed....! We found it hard to make it to all the meals allocated to us (we just can't eat that much) The buffet had good options, there was something for everyone, but it could get repetitive (pizza, pasta & Paella was always a safe go to for us) My husband especially loved the bbq! & I believe there was 2 themed nights (Mexican & Spanish) while we were there. AI is a super option but we didn't let it stop us going out and eating down the town when and as we wanted. I would also note that you could always get a table, it never felt busy & food was always replenished - which I never actually saw it run out.

The staff were incredible in every sector of the hotel! All very friendly, approachable and helpful as they could be! They all worked super hard and for what seemed very long days! - always with a smile on their face!

A little tip - buy your own plastic glass for pool side, the cups are on the smaller side , especially if drinking beer. We didn't have an issue using the cups provided, but maybe useful for big beer drinkers. Cups are €1 deposit that can be returned when cup is returned.

The hotel does offer 'entertainment' but I wouldn't wait in to be blown away, we spent most evening walking down to the town, music square of just exploring the surroundings. The same goes for day time entertainment. I'm so lucky my daughter made a friend poolside to keep her company and in the pool all day. We witnessed water volley ball every day 3.30-4-40 which was the main day time entertainment. They do offer darts, volley ball, shuffle board but there not very eager to have you play. - which we were happy enough with as we much preferred just to be by ourselves relaxing. It's definitely a more of a 'it is what you make it' resort.

We also noted that on Sunday they allowed a large group of day pass into the pool area 10.30-6.30, which caused a few issues poolside. I'm not sure if this is a regular occurrence or a one off.

I have so much more I could say, but go and experience it for yourself. I 100% recommend this hotel any cons you read here are definitely out weighed by all the pros!

I can't wait to return!

We have just returned from a family trip of four adults in two rooms. We really enjoyed our holiday and the hotel has lots of pros and a few cons.

Things we enjoyed:

The hotel has fabulous staff. They work so hard and always with a smile. The restaurant is run very efficiently. Even though it is quite small, it never feels busy, no queues and tables are tidied away very quickly. The general feel of the hotel is very friendly, relaxed and happy. The rooms were very clean, modern and spacious and the maids cleaned everyday. The location of the hotel is brilliant and definitely a plus point for staying here. We enjoyed days walking to the shops and beach (5 mins) and in the evenings we liked strolling along the boardwalk into town and around the bars in Music Square and the old town. The food in the restaurant was good. It does get a bit repetitive after a while, but that is all inclusive for you. Always a paella, pizza, pasta, salad and different options daily. We particularly enjoyed the BBQ evening. Miguel was very friendly running the day activities. It is not a hotel that has a lot going on and that suited us.

Things that could be improved:

Compared to other hotels we have stayed in, the cocktail menu was poor. Only 2 choices per day and they were very sickly sweet. The other drinks options however, were very good. The pool is a nice size and the whole surrounding area is immaculate. However the water was murky and the sides of the pool were slimy and in need to a good clean and refurb. Cockroaches were very visible in the evening on the paths and in the bar. Thankfully they were not in the rooms. The sunbed situation was hilarious to watch! Rope-drop is at 9am which at least is a reasonable time. However as the week went on people were queuing earlier and earlier and some were even running to get beds!! I think this was due to the lack of parasols around the pool and shaded/ cooler areas. We hired a cabana one day (€10) to avoid the rush. Well worth doing, but they get booked up quickly.

Overall we had a great holiday and loved Corralejo. With a few tweaks, the hotel would be worth returning to.