Big really can be beautiful
Hundreds of rooms and endless pools, bars and restaurants – John Nichol tries a huge Lanzarote hotel to find out if...
CAN big also be beautiful? I’ll answer that one later, but first a few handy holiday facts. The five-star Princes aYaiza in Lanzarote is certainly big–it has 350 rooms, six pools, eight restaurants, an excellent spa, a hair salon, a gym, countless bars, a theatre and even a shopping mall.
It commands a stunning location in Playa Blanca on the southern tip of Lanzarote, and is just a few steps from the sands of Dorada Beach and the cooling waters of the Atlantic. In many ways, it is a green oasis amid the island’s black, volcanic landscape.
We soon settled into a family routine at the hotel: my wife Suzie would head to the gym or one of the many exercise classes, our daughter Sophie, 12, would go to one of the pools to meet up with other youngsters she had quickly befriended, while I would enjoy the delights of the excellent buffet breakfast, then take to a sunlounger with a decent book for the rest of the day.
Food is always an important part of a Nichol holiday and we spread our net far and wide. The hotel’s Japanese restaurant, Kampai, provided both excellent food and stunning theatre, as the chefs juggled with razor-sharp knives, catapulted prawns directly into your mouth, and created volcanic explosions with the delicious ingredients.
Restaurants along the Playa Blanca promenade were a bit more hit and miss, with many catering to those who prefer typical English fare rather than authentic Spanish cuisine. After kissing a few frogs, we found two princes where we became regulars. The Dorada Night beach bar was right outside the hotel and offered simple but truly fabulous food at extremely competitive prices.
After dinner and a few chilled beers, it was not unknown to step from our table on to the beach and enjoy a refreshing dip in the ocean.
We also frequented Ninen, an Italian restaurant with just six tables – the home-made pasta was wonderful and the sauces and fillings were top-notch.
After our sumptuous dinners and glass of wine or three, I would usually find a comfortable chair to relax in at the hotel’s packed theatre, where the dedicated entertainment staff would put on some extremely good shows.
As on old rocker, I particularly enjoyed Queen’s We Will Rock You, but Suzie and Sophie voted Mamma Mia! their favourite. My dad-dancing in the aisles with all and sundry to Dancing Queen was a source of untold embarrassment for Sophie.
We also burned off some calories by exploring t he Timanfaya National Park, with its Montanas del Fuego ( Mountains of Fire) created in about 1730 when more than 100 volcanoes erupted, devastating the southern part of the island. Luckily, the last eruptions were nearly 200 years ago. The temperature just a few inches below the surface is 100C, and by the time you get down t o about 40ft i t has reached 600C. It’s more than hot enough to cause minieruptions if a jug of water is thrown in, or to cook food – both of which the local guides were eager to demonstrate. S u z i e a n d S o p h i e were more than impressed by the hotel spa facilities, where they enjoyed massages, facials and other somewhat mysterious treatments t he l a di e s in my life seem to gravitate towards. And they were both truly delighted by the hair- care treatments, geared towards helping sun- damaged hair, on offer at the salon, which they voted excellent value for money. So back to the question I posed earlier: can big also be beautiful? Most certainly yes. When we stayed at Princesa Yaiza, it was at near capacity, with about 1,200 guests, but the hotel is so vast that there was never any sense of crowding or having to wait at a restaurant or bar. And with its prime location and excellent facilities, coupled with Lanzarote’s excellent year-round climate, it really is a brilliant place for a family holiday.