Arrecife Gran Hotel & Spa

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside Spanish, so you can deal with the practicalities of a diving holiday without resorting to underwater hand signals at reception. The Arrecife Gran Hotel & Spa is a sizeable seafront hotel with 160 rooms, a rooftop restaurant and a proper spa, aimed at travellers who like their evenings comfortable, central and easy to organise.

The building dates from 2004 and was renovated in 2021. That gives the place a more substantial feel than a small guesthouse: there is a 24-hour reception, a lift to the upper floors, air conditioning and plenty of room to retreat when the day has been long. You can swim, book a massage, sit over dinner or simply head upstairs with the curtains drawn. No heroic itinerary is required.

You are in Arrecife, on the seafront and a few steps from the town centre. El Reducto Beach is directly accessible from the hotel, with golden sand, sun loungers and parasols. The beach is therefore part of the daily geography here, not something requiring a taxi and a determined search for parking.

The Tourist Information Office and Playa del Castillo de San Gabriel are nearby, giving you straightforward options for a walk once you have dried off and changed. Lanzarote Airport is around five minutes away by road, which keeps arrival and departure pleasantly short. For a diving break, that matters: less time in transit means more time eating, resting or looking at the sea.

The room choice is mainly about how you want to spend the hours between dives. Avenue Twin rooms keep things simple for two people travelling together, while the Ocean Twin rooms and Ocean Twin Suite are the natural choices when the view matters. For couples, the Infinity Double Suite and Sky Double Suite bring a double bed rather than twin beds; the Essential Twin Suite keeps two separate beds and adds the feel of a suite.

Every room has a private bathroom, television, air conditioning and a minibar. Bathrobes, slippers, toiletries and towels are included in the more fully equipped suite categories, with a safe and telephone there as well. The minibar is useful for keeping water close at hand, while the air conditioning gives you a reliable way to cool down and recover after a hot day outdoors.

The hotel is entirely non-smoking, and Wi-Fi is available throughout. Room service is available when going back downstairs feels like an unnecessary expedition. For couples who want the room to be part of the holiday rather than merely a place to leave a bag, the Ocean and double-suite categories are the ones to look at first.

Breakfast is included and served as a buffet with continental choices. The main breakfast service starts at 7.00, with the buffet running from 7.00 to 10.30 on weekdays and until 11.00 at weekends. That gives you a workable start for a morning away from the hotel, without requiring you to negotiate breakfast at dawn with a torch between your teeth.

Blue 17 Rooftop Bar handles breakfast, lunch and dinner on its terrace, with panoramic views and modern cooking. It is open from 10.00 to 23.00 and uses a smart-casual dress code. Alarz bahía club concentrates on modern Spanish cuisine for lunch and dinner, while the Buffet Restaurant covers breakfast and dinner with international dishes; dinner runs from 19.00 to 22.00 there.

There is one pool bar, La Buena Vida, serving cocktails beside the outdoor pool. A snack bar and café are also available, and bottled water and kettles are provided among the food and drink facilities. The overall setup gives you a choice between a rooftop meal, Spanish cooking or a buffet, rather than forcing every evening into the same dining room.

The outdoor pool is the obvious place to spend a non-diving afternoon, with La Buena Vida close by and pool equipment and towels available. There is also an indoor pool, a spa bath and a sun terrace, so your recovery plan does not depend entirely on the weather behaving itself.

Aquaplus Spa offers massages, facials, a hammam, sauna and jacuzzi, with treatments using Arôms Natur and Thalgo products. Massage and spa appointments can be arranged before arrival. The hotel also has a fully equipped gym and fitness facilities for anyone who prefers to keep moving between dives rather than adopting the traditional horizontal position.

For something less strenuous, you can play billiards, hire a bicycle or go hiking. The beach is directly accessible for a slower walk, a spell under a parasol or a swim. The hotel can also help with excursions, while a concierge and ticket assistance are available when you want to turn a free day into a visit beyond Arrecife.

Check-in runs from 15.00 to midnight, check-out is by 12.00, and reception is open around the clock. Early check-in and late check-out can be arranged for an additional charge, subject to availability. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and parking is available for an additional charge. Car hire, luggage storage, laundry, dry cleaning, ironing and concierge services are also available.

The building has lifts and wheelchair-accessible facilities, making the upper floors easier to reach. A currency exchange service, safe facilities and a business centre are available, along with meeting and conference rooms. The hotel accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club.

Breakfast, pool access, beach access, beach towels, the fitness centre, bicycle storage, internet access, the in-room safe, coffee, bottled water and housekeeping form part of the hotel services attached to the stay. Special gala dinners apply on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. Pets, including assistance animals, are not accepted.