Sandos Papagayo Hotel

Lorraine Crawford

This was our first visit to Sandos Papagayo...family members have stayed many times. We upgraded to royal elite as it was a pre christmas and anniversary break. We were put on an 11th floor room which was fine, no problem at all with the room, but the corridors very tired and in need of some refurbishment. The sunbeds for royal elite are the same as everywhere else, and not comfortable..... there is also a shortage of space and beds in the royal elite areas....and one area being closed off. The food was fine, but no apparent difference in what the ones who hadn't paid for Royal elite got. The lounge area was lovely, and the help yourself to drinks and snacks was good. However to be asked to leave at 11.30pm was disappointing. The lounge next door was open for another half hour. So each night we went there, then asked to leave, after half an hour.We then went to the chairs in foyer to talk to friends, and each night the lights were put out on us ! We were all just chatting quietly, and I thought it very rude....to be as good as told to go to bed....I'm 65 years old, and I found this very unreasonable. And unnecessary! After all, we were on holiday... I would have considered returning to the hotel next Christmas but I think this has probably put me off.

Paul Morris

We stayed here over Christmas 2025. From my own personal expectations it didn’t deliver. The room was adequate and clean. We were in Block H which is situated poolside. The music if you can call it that, was played til 23:00 most nights. I think it’s called ‘modern music’. The check in lady and overall service was poor; service with no smile. The location is good for the local beach but bad for the local town of Playa Blanca, although there is a free shuttle bus. Please be aware if you have mobility issues the area is quite hilly. Some of the fellow guests were a bit loud and it felt a bit like a British council estate! Sorry but I wouldn’t stay here again.

Donald “Sam” Fraser

We recently stayed here for a pre-christmas break in the sun. The weather turned out not so sunny but it was still warm +20 and one of the pools was heated. The entertainment team kept us going through the inclement weather doing a fabulous job keeping our kids away from their phones! The food was much better than we expected, although the meal times could do with being 30mins earlier as they only start at 13:00 and 19:00 for lunch and dinner respectively. We were allowed to book the Asian and Mexican restaurant once each during our stay, the food there was authentic. Location. The hotel is about 25mins walk from the Marina which we did once when we ate out. There are quite a selection restaurants there and the walk along the shore path and back enjoyable. You could get a taxi for a few Euro. The hotel does put on a free daily bus to the Playa Blanca town centre and will also collect you for return at specific times, don't be late, it does not wait! There is a beach at the foot of the hotel which has some sand but mostly rocks. There is also a sandy beach "papagayo" a 10-15min walk east from the hotel, beautiful beach but recommend you stay at the hotel end or you may encounter nudists! In all despite the good weather and thanks to the entertainment team we had a happy time.

Milo Palet

Choosing the right holiday resort can shape the entire experience, and Sandos Papagayo in Lanzarote is no exception. Many people visit it for its views and facilities, but the resort has its own strengths and weaknesses that become clear once you stay there. In this review, I discuss three key aspects that stood out during my visit. The resort’s remote location makes getting around the island inconvenient. Sandos Papagayo is located at the very bottom of Lanzarote, far from most central areas. The airport in Arrecife lies in the middle of the island, which already makes the transfer to the resort time-consuming. For guests who do not have a driver’s licence to rent a car, the only option is a taxi ride of about forty minutes. Because the resort is situated so far south, it becomes difficult to take part in activities around the island. Most attractions require a bus or taxi ride of nearly an hour, which makes exploring the island tiring at times. Nevertheless, the hotel does provide a bus service directly to the nearest public beach and town, which helps reduce the distance somewhat. The Asian and Mexican themed dinners at the Oriental-Fusion restaurant are delicious. These themed evenings must be reserved at the beginning of the week, but securing a spot is worth the effort. Guests are welcomed warmly at the entrance, often with a complimentary shot if they prefer, before being guided to their table with excellent service. The food is freshly prepared and beautifully presented, offering many options to experience authentic Mexican and Asian dishes. It is a refreshing change from the main buffet. The fresh meat and burritos from the Mexican cuisine, as well as the sweet flavours of sushi and the curry with rice and chicken from the Asian cuisine, were particularly delicious. The reception team is very kind and helpful, even though they mainly speak Spanish. Whenever a guest had a question or needed assistance, the staff responded politely and made a clear effort to help. If something was wrong with the stay, they tried their best to resolve the issue quickly. They also provided useful help with arranging taxis or buses to different locations. Although their English was limited, they genuinely tried to communicate and ensure guests had a pleasant experience. At the beginning of the stay, they explained everything available at the resort and handed out a brochure with information about the hotel facilities, dining schedules, and pool hours, which was extremely helpful. Overall, Sandos Papagayo offers several strong qualities, especially in terms of its themed dining experiences and the kindness of the reception staff. The delicious Asian and Mexican dinners add variety and quality to the stay, while the helpful service at the reception ensures that guests feel supported throughout their stay. However, the resort’s remote location makes travelling around the island inconvenient. But overall, the resort is still a comfortable and enjoyable place to stay, and its strengths outweigh the issues with its location.

Steve Armatage

In July 2024 my wife and I stayed at Sandos Papagayo on the Royal Elite basis, and had a front sea view room in block C. We were very happy with the room facilities and position, and the overall service, food and drinks at the hotel and gave a 5 star rating. We returned to the hotel in October 2025, with our daughter and son in law, to have a relaxing holiday before their baby is born at the beginning of 2026, and again booked the Royal Elite service. We were however disappointed to find one of the rooms was on floor 11 of G block, a side facing view of the sea, overlooking the noisy pools and not as advertised in the hotels own information "guaranteeing" a front sea view room. We raised this with reception, who stated that G block was part of the Royal Elite service, but after rejecting this, we were told that we could change rooms the following day to B block, a front facing room in a quieter part of the hotel. We had to live out of our suitcase on the first night and moved the following day. We also raised this with our Jet 2 rep, who spoke to management and she was told that floor 11 of G block was being used for Royal Elite, as that level had clear views of the sea, even though it was side facing, not front facing, as advertised in the hotels information sheet and as shown on the Sandos web page. I feel that the hotel and management have added part of G block to increase the Royal Elite capacity and extra income it brings, even though it does not have a guaranteed front facing view, and they are being disingenuous to their customers and letting themselves down as a 4 star hotel. The service in my opinion is poor and we shall not stay at this or any other Sandos resort in the future, as their guaranteed service is not met, it is misleading and disingenuous. We are totally disappointed, comparing the service we received on this visit, to that we received last year. The guaranteed service advertised is not met and this in my opinion should be reviewed or advertised honestly. Beware if you are paying extra for a Royal Elite room, as you may not get a front facing sea view as "guaranteed" We also experienced a leak from the air conditioning system and a maintenance engineer came very quickly to sort it, however we had the same issue a few days later, at 1.15am and when we called reception, they said they would send a security guard with a towel to catch the leaking water ! No one attended the following morning to fix the leak, so we again reported it to reception on check out. The hotel has great restaurants and bars, but is let down by management decisions and poor maintenance, with patio and wardrobe doors that stick and loose shower fittings etc.