- Fuerteventura Holidays
- Costa Calma
- H10 Playa Esmeralda

Situated directly on the beautiful sandy beach of Costa Calma on the island of Fuerteventura, this attractive hotel enjoys marvellous views over the Atlantic Ocean. It features 2 swimming pools, several bars and a restaurant. Various sports facilities and a beauty centre make it a perfect place to relax. The international airport of Fuerteventura is about 65 km away.
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
very nice place and people. specially Wajdi, Nane and Jorge from the privilege service.
We stayed at H10 Playa Esmeralda in Costa Calma, Fuerteventura, from 8th to 19th September 2026. There were several things we really enjoyed about the hotel, but unfortunately there were also quite a few areas that we felt could be improved.
The location and views are probably the hotel’s biggest strengths. The views across the coastline are stunning, and the hotel itself has decent, well-maintained grounds. Everywhere was also very clean, including the communal areas.
The pool area is excellent, and we enjoyed spending time there during our stay. There was also some decent entertainment in both the lobby bar and the pool bar, which helped make the evenings enjoyable.
We particularly liked having lunch at the pool bar. The lunch menu was good and the Tosta was easily my favourite dish of the holiday.
Unfortunately, there were several negatives.
One of the biggest problems was the air conditioning, particularly in the dining room, which we found uncomfortable. The restaurant also appeared to be understaffed. On one evening, the four of us waited around 15 minutes for a table to be cleared so that we could sit together and have our evening meal.
The same staffing problem affected the bars, particularly the lobby bar. In the evenings there was a QR-code ordering system, which in our experience simply didn't work properly. With too few staff serving, getting drinks could become frustrating.
The food at breakfast and the evening meal was average at best. Considering the overall standard and positioning of the hotel, we expected better quality and more consistency.
Check-in was also an arduous process and wasn't the relaxing start to the holiday we had hoped for.
Our room had a bath rather than a proper walk-in shower, which we would have preferred. Room servicing could also be very late, sometimes not being made up until the late afternoon, which wasn't particularly convenient.
Another thing worth knowing before booking is the hotel's location in relation to Costa Calma town. Although the coastal setting is beautiful, there isn't a straightforward coastal path into town. Reaching it involves negotiating rocky ground and steep hills, so anyone with mobility problems should be aware of this.
We were also disappointed with Costa Calma itself. We didn't find the choice of bars and restaurants particularly good, and many of the shops seemed to be fairly typical tourist souvenir shops. If you enjoy leaving your hotel in the evening and having plenty of bars, restaurants and shops within easy walking distance, this may not be the best area for you.
Finally, the sunbed situation needs addressing. There didn't seem to be enough sunbeds for the number of guests. The hotel supposedly operates a no-reservation policy, but from what we saw this was regularly ignored. What made it more frustrating was the inconsistent enforcement. On one occasion our towels were removed, and we found the attitude of the pool attendant dismissive when we tried to explain the situation. A policy like this needs to be applied consistently and fairly to everyone.
Overall, H10 Playa Esmeralda has a lot going for it, particularly the beautiful views, cleanliness, attractive grounds, pool area, entertainment and pool-bar lunches. However, the understaffing, bar service, restaurant experience, average buffet food, air conditioning and inconsistent enforcement of the sunbed policy took the shine off our stay.
With better staffing and attention to these issues, it could be a much better experience.
Lovely hotel. Playa Esmerelda is lovely if you’re looking for a relaxing break. The Privilege room and pool area were both excellent. We also enjoyed that we could have dinner in one of the 2 waiter service restaurants as much as we wanted although it does have to be booked. The Jandia buffet restaurant and snack bar were fine for lunch options as well with all the usual Canarian offerings. There wasn’t much going on outwith the hotel but that suited us. Others may find it a bit quiet. There were daily activities and entertainment but as that’s something we’re not into we can’t comment on it. The beach was gorgeous. It is used by naturists as well as clothed bathers if that bothers you but it was all very relaxed. As with other hotels in the Canaries there are lots of in house cats, all cared for by a welfare officer. The room was comfortable with everything we needed. Very clean. All staff were friendly and helpful from the gardeners and cleaners right up to management. We were happy with the Privilege package and felt it was value for money. We will definitely go back again in the future.
This my 3rd stay. I like the location to the fantastic beaches, the local beach bar and the fact that it is on the edge of the town. The room was comfortable and plenty big enough for one person. Minor issue with the water flow in the shower. Very good choice of food in the restaurant. Pool area is very good. Reception staff were always very helpful. Other staff always said hello.
We stayed at H10 Playa Esmeralda for our honeymoon and there were genuinely many things we really enjoyed. The food was great, the bar staff were excellent, and the service we received everywhere else around the hotel was very good.
Unfortunately, our experience with reception and the way our room concerns were handled significantly affected how we felt for the remainder of our honeymoon.
Before travelling, through Jet2 we had specifically selected a bath as one of our room requests and also stated that we were celebrating our honeymoon. When we arrived, however, our room only had a walk-in shower.
We arrived very late, at around 1am (due to flight delays). Rather than going back down to reception in the middle of the night, we decided to get some sleep and speak to them the following morning when more staff would be available. When we did, we were told that we should have raised the issue when we arrived because they may have been able to do something at that point. At the same time, we were told that they were now almost fully booked and there was no alternative room in our category available.
This was frustrating, but our main complaint isn't simply that we didn't get a bath. We understand that special requests are subject to availability and that the hotel cannot provide a room that isn't available. What really disappointed us was the way the situation was handled afterwards.
There seemed to be very little sympathy or attempt to find a solution. Nobody offered to check whether a suitable room might become available later in our stay, keep our request open, or contact us if availability changed. Instead, the situation felt completely closed off, there wasn't another room available at that moment, so that was effectively the end of the matter.
After indicating through the hotel's mid-stay survey that we were very unhappy, we received a response from Guest Relations explaining why our assigned room was correct and why they couldn't move us. Again, however, there was no suggestion that they would monitor availability or see whether anything could be done during the remainder of our stay.
We weren't expecting an upgrade or demanding that the hotel somehow produce a room that wasn't available. Something as simple as, “We're really sorry, particularly as this is your honeymoon. We don't have a suitable room available at the moment, but we'll keep an eye on availability and contact you if one becomes available,” would have made an enormous difference.
Unfortunately, although there were many things we genuinely enjoyed about the hotel, the way this situation was handled affected how we felt for the remainder of our honeymoon. It wasn't simply about not having a bath, it was the feeling that once we raised our disappointment, there was very little sympathy or willingness to try to find a solution.
It's a real shame because the food, bars and service we received elsewhere were excellent. We don't want this review to take anything away from the staff in those areas, who were great throughout our stay.
Had reception simply acknowledged how disappointing the situation was, kept our request open and offered to contact us if another suitable room became available, our overall impression of the hotel could have been completely different. Instead, what should have been a relatively small issue became something that unfortunately put a dampener on what was a very special holiday for us.
