Gloria Palace Amadores Thalasso & Hotel

Gloria Palace Amadores Thalasso & Hotel is a large resort built for days with several possible endings: a swim, a treatment, a proper meal, or simply a balcony facing the Atlantic. Its cliff-top position gives the place a broad outlook rather than a tucked-away village feel, with the sea doing much of the visual work.

The appeal is particularly clear if your travelling companion wants a full hotel day while you are thinking about the next dive. There are pools, a substantial thalassotherapy centre, restaurants, bars and evening entertainment, so you do not need to organise every hour outside the property. It is a practical base with plenty happening around it, rather than a small hideaway where the lights go out after dinner.

You are in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria, Spain, on the south coast of Gran Canaria. The hotel sits on the cliff between Playa de Puerto Rico and Amadores Beach, with both beaches within walking distance: roughly 0.6 miles to Playa de Puerto Rico and 0.7 miles to Amadores Beach on foot. Playa de Tauro is about 1.1 miles away by road.

That location gives you two different beach options without moving base. Bars and restaurants are also within reach, including Barbacoa Cocktail Bar, Xtreeemz and Chester Beach Club, while La Taberna, Super Grill and Pizzicato provide alternatives when you fancy eating away from the hotel. Maspalomas Lighthouse and El Parque Botánico de Maspalomas are both about 11 miles away by road.

The rooms are built around the view: every listed category has a private balcony looking out to sea. That gives you somewhere to sit with a drink, check the weather and decide whether tomorrow deserves an early start or a more civilised breakfast. Air conditioning matters here too, particularly when the Atlantic has not done much to cool the day.

For couples, the double room is the straightforward choice, while the twin rooms offer a more flexible arrangement if separate beds suit you better. Family versions add sofa-bed or additional-bed layouts, making the room options more useful for mixed-age groups than a standard double. The rooms include a private bathroom with shower, a wardrobe, desk and sofa, along with a kettle, television, free Wi-Fi and a minibar that can be hired. A safe is also available to hire.

Daily housekeeping keeps the practical side moving, and the balcony has outdoor furniture rather than being merely a decorative rail above the sea. Family rooms are available, children of any age are welcome, and a cot can be requested for very young children. Children over 12 are treated as adults for the booking arrangements, so check the occupancy carefully before choosing a room.

You have three hotel restaurants to work with, all covering breakfast, lunch and dinner. Restaurante Gorbea brings Basque and international cooking to the choice, Restaurante Kaia keeps things international, and Restaurante Principal handles the main restaurant service. Breakfast is offered as continental, full English or Irish, and buffet options. After a morning in the water, that is the kind of range that prevents the daily argument about whether coffee counts as a meal.

The hotel also has two named bars: La Solera Chill Out and Bar. The wider hotel offer includes a piano bar and a pool bar, giving you a choice between sitting down properly and remaining close to the water. A snack bar is available for the occasions when a full meal is ambitious but hunger is not.

Special-diet menus can be requested, and the buffet includes child-friendly choices and children’s meals. Room service is available as well, which is useful when the only plan after a long day is a shower, food and not speaking to anyone for a little while.

The thalassotherapy side is the main reason to choose this hotel over a simpler beach base. Thalasso Gloria – Amadores includes a seawater pool, hydrotherapy, sauna, Turkish bath and a physiotherapy pool, with treatments ranging from massages and oriental therapies to mud therapy, algae treatments, aromatherapy, body treatments and aesthetic care. Access to the spa is for guests aged 15 and over. Couples’ massages are available when the day calls for recovery rather than another excursion.

For a less restorative afternoon, there are two outdoor pools, a children’s pool and a water slide, along with a sun terrace. The hotel also offers a fitness centre, yoga classes, a floodlit tennis court, table tennis, darts, archery, bowling and billiards. Some of these activities carry an extra charge. Evening shows and live performances give the resort a definite after-dark programme, while the children’s playground, games room and mini-club keep younger guests occupied.

Golf is available within 3 miles, and the hotel can arrange access to a car-hire service if you want to explore further. You can also stay put without feeling marooned: the pools, wellness facilities and entertainment are all on site.

Gran Canaria Airport is about 27 miles away by road. An airport shuttle is available, and car hire can be arranged through the hotel. Private parking is available on site, with a parking garage, although spaces cannot be reserved. A 24-hour reception, luggage storage, an on-site cash machine and currency exchange keep the arrival and departure mechanics fairly simple.

Check-in starts from 16:00 and check-out runs from 07:00 to 11:00. You need photo identification and a payment card at check-in, and the hotel needs your expected arrival time in advance. Cash is not accepted. Free Wi-Fi covers the rooms and the rest of the hotel.

Dogs under 5 kg can stay on request, with restrictions on access to the hotel’s common areas. Guests under 18 can check in only with a parent or official guardian. The upper floors are accessible by lift, and accessible facilities include a wheelchair-accessible layout, a lowered bathroom sink, raised toilet and grab rails.