The Iberostar Selection Lanzarote is a 5 star all inclusive hotel which is well worth a visit. Although it isn’t adults only you are able to cocoon yourself away in the Star Prestige section. The hotel is situated right in the middle of Playa Blanca, on the sea front, making it an ideal location from which to go and explore what Playa Blanca has to offer.
Introduction To Iberostar Lanzarote Park
Christmas in Lanzarote, what was not to like about that as a concept? Well it was almost a first ever for us, the last time we were away at Christmas was 30 years ago. That was pre-kids and we spent an amazing time in Kenya on safari. It was amazing BUT it didn’t feel like Christmas! Fast forward a few years and the kids arrived and all of a sudden going away didn’t seem like the right thing to do anymore and they wanted to stay at home!
So what happened to change our minds? Firstly the kids are now grown up and we were expecting them not to be at home for Christmas. The eldest had just started a new job which involved shift work and we thought she would be working. The youngest is part way through her post University travelling around South East Asia, so she definitely wouldn’t be back. And that is how we found ourselves in Lanzarote at Christmas with the same people we went to Kenya with all those years ago! (my sister and her husband)
This isn’t our first visit to Playa Blanca or the Iberostar Lanzarote Park, it was our third visit to Playa Blanca and our second stay at the Iberostar. We had stayed for 3 days to pamper ourselves after a villa holiday (with the kids!), so we knew what to expect and it didn’t disappoint and we wouldn’t hesitate to visit again.
Just to warn you that these reviews are related to adults only holidays and for those over 50’s, so we won’t be reviewing any of the family and kids options, but we can say that the Iberostar appears to cater very well for them.
About Iberostar Lanzarote Park
The Iberostar Lanzarote Park when you walk past it appears to be a massive complex and comprises of 3 horseshoe shaped buildings with pools and sun beds in the centre of each complex. But when you are in the hotel complex it doesn’t seem that massive at all, its a reverse Tardis!
The main reason for this is we stayed in the Star Prestige section which is adults only. When you are looking at the hotel from the prom the Star Prestige section is the horseshoe on the left, which is the one nearest Flamingo Beach. It is also the section that is furthest away from the family section which is at the other side of the hotel. So we were self contained in our section and only occasionally used the middle section to use the bar and also the entrance to the main buffet area and as far as possible away from all the kids!
The location of the hotel is a massive plus point as it is bang in the middle of Playa Blanca and is ideal for anyone that likes to get out and about to walk off those All Inclusive calories. Turn right along the prom and you will end up at the light house whereas if you turn left out to the hotel you will have a similar distance walk (about 2k) to the marina. We have previously stayed at the H10 Rubicon Palace and although there are elements of the hotel that are amazing (a la carte restaurant) its location towards the light house is too far away from the action.
Check In At Iberostar Lanzarote Park
No one likes to be hanging around in the hotel reception after an early start and a 4.5 hr flight, especially when the bar is calling! In this respect the Iberostar scores top marks. Staying Star Prestige means you have a separate dedicated check in area away from the hustle and bustle of the main reception.
There is also a Star Prestige Lounge containing cakes and refreshments right next to the Star Prestige check in desk. The process was super smooth and fast and we were soon on our way to our rooms and then on to the bar!
Rooms At Iberostar Lanzarote Park
As mentioned this is our second time at the hotel and also in Star Prestige so we now know there is a wide variation in the size of the rooms. When we stayed in 2021 the rooms we stayed in were massive, whereas this time they were much smaller. Don’t get me wrong there was nothing specifically wrong with them its just we expected them to be a little larger. But for what we needed they did the job adequately.
They have all the usual features you would expect of a 5 star hotel including flat screen TV (with English Channels), safe (read the instructions carefully and the reset button takes some finding!), coffee machine, USB charging points, hairdryer (not very powerful according to Mrs K!), air con and some pretty amazing black out curtains. I must admit I am slightly at a loss to understand how they expect fashionistas like ourselves to manage with so few hangers. Ten more were requested and promptly delivered. Another observation due to the smallish size of the room is that there is nowhere to store your cases other than in the entrance hall.
Whereas the room was on the small size the same could not be said for the bathroom and specifically the shower, which was the biggest one I had ever seen! It had two separate shower heads and could have quite easily fitted 5 people in!
We stayed in room 3304 which was on the 3rd floor on right hand side as you looked at it from the front. It was side sea view and we were happy with the view but due to its position it didn’t get any sun on the balcony. If you love sun on your balcony in the morning it might be better to see if there is availability on the other side (looking towards the marina with the sun on them in the image above)
Iberostar Lanzarote Park Features
The hotel has got everything you would want from a holiday destination and has a few things that make it stand out. The pool bar in the Star Prestige section is located right on the front of the hotel and gives amazing views of the sunset. It gets busy as sunset approaches so be sure to snag a good table and a gin and tonic to enjoy it in all its majesty. Also a special shout out for the bar staff at this pool bar, they were absolutely amazing.
There is also a sizeable and heated jacuzzi that proved popular especially if you had been in the pool beforehand. The pool is a great size if you like to get your lengths in whilst on holiday but for the first couple of days of our stay it was baltic. Then on Christmas Day all our wishes came true and from there on in it was heated and whilst not as toasty as the jacuzzi it was a vast improvement!
The hotel also needs to be complemented on its programme to reduce waste and specifically single use plastics and glass. Instead of stocking rooms with bottles of water there are water dispensers located around the hotel which dispense ice cold water. Their drive for sustainability is featured around the hotel and is to be applauded as the impact that a large hotel group can have on the environment and especially vulnerable coastal areas by making positive changes are really worthwhile.
Food and Drink At Iberostar Lanzarote Park
The hotel has two main buffet areas. A large one catering for the majority of the hotel and the other specifically for Star Prestige guests is separated by a sliding door at the side of the main buffet and a different entrance at the far side of the buffet are. The exception to this is at lunch where the main hotel buffet is the only one that is open.
As both are buffets they have the standard issues that buffets that most hotels have, generally that not all the food options are going to be hot and secondly you don’t always end up eating together as different queue times affect when you are all seated.
A positive for the Lanzarote Park is that there are plenty of fresh cook stations that at breakfast provide the usual variety of egg options and at lunch and evening meal are providing cooked to order meat and fish dishes. The main buffet area which is accessible to Star Prestige guests has much more food options due to its larger size and in the evening they have a roast special as well as fresh pasta stations so variety is not an issue in any way at all.
It also does bring home how noisy the main buffet area is due to its much larger size and the number of children is attendance. When you return to the relative calm of the Star Prestige buffet it makes the extra charge appear like money very well spent!
It is probably one of the better buffet options that we have been to and due to the great value of the hotel it means it doesn’t appear too extravagant to also eat out, which we did on 3 nights to provide a bit of variety and to see more of what Playa Blanca has to offer.
The drink options were also of a high quality with plenty of premium drinks available. One of the only criticisms of the drinks is that they do tend to go a little crazy with the generous portions of spirits, which is not the worst thing in the world in fairness!
Price and Value
So the total price for 2 people was £3450 which considering that was over Christmas in a high quality all inclusive resort that made it really good value. When you consider the costs associated with being at home over Christmas and all the bedlam in the shops it is certainly worth considering going away.
Any Misgivings?
An improvement would be to introduce an a la carte restaurant option to give something other than just buffet food all the time. At the same time at this price point it does give you the opportunity to go out into Playa Blanca and try some of the amazing and great value restaurants there are, especially as most of them are within walking distance due to the hotels amazingly central location.
The entertainment was pretty run of the mill in the Star Prestige section but again if you want something a little more exciting the bright lights of Playa Blanca await.
Should You Go?
A resounding yes! Its great value and that was at Christmas it is probably even better value at the times of the year. The Star Prestige section is well worth the extra supplement to provide an oasis from those little ones and with its own section and restaurant it has the feel of an adults only resort but with the added benefit of a large resort, if you want to take advantage of the other facilities. Coupled with a great location this is probably going to be our go to Playa Blanca hang out going forward. We’ll see you there!