We stayed here for 1wk.satisfied and relaxing with the big Big garden our 18 months old son enjoyed it so much to walked around the green Big Garden .
Friendly and Kind in general.:
Food was reli Good had lots of choices.!very clean and wifi at the Lobby Great :)
From the Garden u can go direct to the Sea..

Pleasant enough but at £140 a night for a double room, I thought rather steep.
We had views of the sea which was lovely and the room was clean but one third of it was wasted with a one-step mezzanine with two old-fashioned chairs and a coffee table. Quite bizarre.
The hotel was very popular with older couples, I saw only a handful of families and the place oozed oppulence, especially the upstairs bar areas.
Lovely big pool at the back with a tiny, roofed gym. There's another pool at the front which looked alright, with little bridges and fountains.
Well located for the beach and Maspolomas.
Usual January sales buffet breakfast... although with champagne instead of pineapple juice.
Staff were generally attentive and everything appeared well ordered.
All in all, I can't really fault it but I thought it was expensive for what it was.

My wife and I have just got back from a "half board" week at this hotel booked with Thomson. Whilst the weather was typical of a British Summer , the hotel , food and staff shone instead of the sun .

Both Thomson flights were early and not full so there was plenty of space and a good level of service although , peculiarly , no tea was available on the return flight .

The holiday included taxi transfers which were smooth & efficient for us although another couple were taken to the wrong Riu hotel by their taxi on arrival .

The hotel rooms are quite spacious , generally comfortable but the beds are a little firm , however , like the rest of the hotel , very very clean . In fact , as a seasoned traveller , I have never experienced such high standards of care & cleaning with every nook and cranny of the hotel getting more than its fair share of attention .

The food is plentiful and of good quality with a wide variety of choice and , as vegetarians , we had no problems .

Breakfast is served in a large room and/or poolside terrace on the ground floor on a "sit anywhere basis" . Dinner is served , in 2 sittings ( 18.30 or 20.30 ) at your appointed table , on the first floor . The dining staff ensure all is OK but just ask if you need some guidance .

The location is fine as on the beach and near to promenade/shops . The large tidy gardens are excellent with plenty of loungers , with mattresses , with shade provided by some 2000 palm trees . There is entertainment provided most evenings .

If you like bird watching the nearby fresh water lake has herons , egrets , ducks , and even a crane or stork ( not sure which) .

There are rumours that the hotel is going to be rebuilt or refurbished in the near future but bookings are being taken for 2013 .

The holiday/hotel is not cheap but you do get high standards throughout .

Just back from a week, and note there is much accurate detail in other reviews, and my own opinion reflects them, but the main thing is to work out what you want from the hotel. I found it had drawbacks, my wife loved it and wants to go back. It is in short a bit like Jekyll and Hyde, it can be wonderful, or very disappointing, depending on what you want.
It is tired, and could do with refurbishment, having been Riu for 14 years, but built originally over 40 years ago. It has very good room "fittings", thick towels, a robe, regularly replaced shower gels etc, and they are a higher quality than some of the Riu Palaces. It is an oasis of quiet, with beautiful grounds, and a very laid back atmosphere, but the furniture in Reception is not too comfy, and the bar area outside the dining room lacks atmosphere.
The dining room is upstairs, breakfast is served downstairs, confusing but effective. Buffet might not suit people- but that is all there is in many hotels- and the quality of food is first class. The only hotel I have had scallops, beef cooked perfectly and carved for you, good choice (though limited for Vegetarians) And the Krystal restaurant is excellent(and free) for a couple of nights.It is usually the British who moan about buffets, and want what few hotels offer ("proper" bacon and sausage, "real" corn flakes), but it is an international hotel.
There is little to do in the hotel, and it can be difficult to get out of, but if you want peace and quiet, relaxation and service, you get it- bed turn down every night, only Riu in Europe to do this, I believe. The comments about the bars are accurate, better to sit out in warm sunshine, rather than cloud/wind as we had disappointing weather. Also nowhere really to sit inside if weather really bad, bars inside do not open till 6.
Exit to the beach through the garden, turn right and alongside most of the grounds is an "arcade" of eateries where you are accosted every 5 metres by waiters. turn left, follow the walkway to a couple of quieter restaurants, watching the birds on the Charco (some rarities) After the "arcade the walkway continues, but the grounds that side of the hotel are behind the rooms, so passers by can look at you sunbathing on the ground floor. And that area can get a bit noisy at times.
Exit via main road- quicker by far to walk to shops and bars along Meloneras front (Boundary between Maspalomas and Meloneras on road outside hotel) and take a narrow, windy and potentially dangerous pavement- NOT for those with mobility problems. Meloneras upmarket where everyone wants to strut in their designer clothes, and posture crowding all the bars and reataurants- fine if you like that sort of thing.
So, bits of excellence, bits of disappointment, depends on your age, social outlook and purse. Better than many newer, flashier hotels, not as good as other 4star ones.