We have just returned from a fantastic week in Gran Canaria, staying at the Maspalomas Lago.
I will break down the review in sections as below.

Reception Staff:
They are not rude (as many keep saying) and they are not miserable, they do all they can to help and assist you. They may speak loud and look upset but this is due to them needing to understand clearly what you are saying, keep on with your question and they help. In one case the reception man phoned the number on the leaflet I was enquiring about.

Bar Area:

This is the best place to eat you can get a good enough simple hamburger meal for 5 Euros. The most expensive dish was a steak dish at around 14. There is an excellent chicken dish with freshly roasted chicken for just 5 euro. Happy hour is between 16:00 and 17:00. Water, as the tap water in the canaries as a whole is not recommended to drink you can buy 5 litres from the bar for just 1.50 which will last you at least 5 days. Yes in the local shops you can get the same water for 0.99 but what is the point in lugging it back.

The Bungalow:

Similar to various other bungalows I have stayed in across the canaries, this was clean and tidy. Yes the doors, light fittings, could do with some TLC if not replacement but hey. The bathroom was excellent shower worked well plenty of power and very clean. The whole apartment for the avoidance of doubt was clean and what you expect of a 2* accommodation in a Spanish country.

We did have these guests as they are called (cockroaches) we had one in the morning on the floor, and occasionally they would be seen dead on the grounds outside etc. I don’t like cockroaches but there is not a huge issue with them. They are there and you will see them but not in their millions the times are remote and if you do wake up and one is on the floor spray it or simply sweep it out. As I say the times they appear is rare and we had the from door and rear door open all day (when we were in basically) to let the air blow through, so on that note the fact we only saw 3 proves there is no real issue. I will stay there again.

The Pool:

There are 3 of them and one is very big. Can’t say much more than this it was a good sized clean pool, sun beds are plentiful around.

Nightlife:

There is no entertainment at night which is a shame – there is some excellent places nearby though to spend you evenings. To the left of the complex is Holiday World, clearly is suffering from recession as not many people seem to go there it is small arcade and fun ride place really good for kids and for adults to an extent. There is a pub there which is main adult attraction.

To the left a good 15 min walk or 3 euro taxi ride away you have the amazing “Yambo Centre” – Which is where the nightlife really is at. Shopping is also best done here as it is close to the residential parts it is cheaper than most local shops close to the apartments. It is worth a walk there from lago also as it is a beautiful walk.

Summary

If you are looking for reasonably priced accommodation (just somewhere to sleep at night and have a central base) then this is excellent. If you are looking for peace and quiet then this is the place for you, if you are looking for a bussing singing and dancing complex then this is not for you.

If you are expecting to dine in 5* surroundings then this is not for you, if you wish to eat to simple food on site occasionally then this ideal for you. Remember, there is a multitude of restaurants nearby from a 5 min walk to 15 min walk away.
I look forward to staying again soon.

i have just returned from an fantastic week in gran canaria, before i went i read what people had been saying about the lago. some true, some i think people just being snobs. (you get what you pay for).
yes the the place could do with a little bit of TLC, but don,t we all. the rooms are basic and have what you need, with the exception of a toaster and kettle. thats only a little thing in my eyes. the beds were comfy, tho the plastic mattress cover was a little loud. the bathroom was spacetious with the shower having plenty of hot water and power, very nice after a hot day.
we did have a couple of guests ( cockcrouches) but thats also to be expected.
the rooms in general were kept clean and tidy by the made and the bed linen and towels were changed through the week.
the pool area was very nice and there was no problem with getting a sunbed, the pool bar was ok, and the food was simple. we did make full use of the happy hour. 4 - 5pm.
the reception staff may act grumpy, but i think that has a lot to do with the fact they don,t speak great english, ( tip: write it down they understand a bit better).
last, but not least the area we were in. quiet, the bus stop is just up the road on either side depending on where you want to go, taxi,s pass frequently and will stop if you put your arm up. most places of interest are about 3 - 5 euro,s away.

would i go again? im all booked for next year, 2 weeks this time.

Booked this for a quiet 10 day break. Yes, the location is remotish, but the idea was a break away from it all. Well designed layout around the pools, accommodation basic but clean although becoming a little "sad". Almost an air of diy about it: light fittings askew, kitchen unit door hinges needed adjustment but I had a Swiss Army penknife so no problem. Pools very clean, staff friendly and accommodating.
Snacks from snack bar very good value for money but dinner in the restaurant unimaginative and not very warm.
Commercial Centre Faro 2 is only A 5 minute walk away and the choice of restaurants is good and the supermarket well stocked.
We were there during the first eruption of the Icelandic volcano and the treatment from Thomas Cook was pretty amazing. Will definitely come back here and would definitely book through Thos Cook.

I went with my sister and parents for a little getaway before my sisters wedding. We booked a self catering package through Thomas Cook.

The Bungalows:
The bungalows themselves are decent for 2* accommodation. The décor is outdated, but the rooms and living space are large in size. We were able to get bungalows adjacent to each other that backed onto the pool, which was useful to be able to pop back and forth to the bungalow. Surprisingly, going in April, the weather was 25-30 degrees with some rainy weather and the reason I mention this is because there is no air conditioning in the bungalow, therefore I really would not recommend this accommodation in the summer.

The kitchen is not supplied with a kettle or toaster, however when I was about to leave, I stored my luggage in a room off the reception which has a small mass of toasters and kettles (probably left from previous holidaymakers), therefore I would save on carrying these items in your luggage and enquire at reception if you could perhaps borrow.

One night we had problem with noise because the patio of the bungalows behind us backed onto our bedrooms. When it got to 1am we complained to reception who did manage to have a word with them. Unfortunately we seemed to be there during a Spanish holiday, and the Spanish were being particularly loud.

We did see cockroaches a few times in the bungalows, but this was to be expected as we were on the ground floor, I would just recommend that you shake towels and clothes before you use them.

The cleaners generally were good and left us washing up liquid and fly spray. They also did our washing up, which was a nice surprise!

Reception:
The reception staff were not very friendly on the whole, they didn't seem too pleased when I complained about noise and never were in a rush to help out. However they weren't rude and did their jobs.

Food:
We chose to have breakfast and lunch here a couple of times and generally the food was good. A nice selection at breakfast for 5 Euro and sandwiches and snacks from the bar throughout the day for decent prices. They only seem to have one person working there at a time, so the service can be quite slow.

Location:
Maspolomas Lago is located within a ten minute walk of a big shopping centre with restaurants. There is also a curious funfair type place nearby which is probably quite fun for children. The Ferris wheel within it is a great way to locate your way back to the area if you have ventured out more further a field. Besides that, you really need a car/taxis/public transport to get about. There are no bars or clubs nearby if you are looking for that kind of holiday.

Activities:
I would recommend going to the 'AquaPark' for the day, this was great fun. We hired a car and the signposting there is awful, took ages to find it, but shouldn't be too bad if you use a taxi. However, on top of the already substantial price it costs to get in, they expect you to pay 3,50 Euro to use a sun bed, which we found very cheeky.

Overall:
I really enjoyed staying here and would again at this same time of year. It was fairly priced, relaxing and the pool was clean and big in size. I would definitely not go here during a summer month, as the lack of air con would be quite unbearable. I would try, if you can to get a bungalow that backs onto the pool, just made life a little easier. I saw couples, young families, groups of friends, older families (like us) going, so anything goes. However, if you are looking for a holiday with more night-life, you will need to pay for the taxi's to achieve it. It is just perfect for a good relax. :)