Category: 5 stars (Luxury).
Location: Beachfront, in the tourist area of Costa Teguise.
Rooms: Double, junior suites, master suites and villas.
Price Range: Varies according to season and category, between € 125 and € 250 per night, breakfast included.
Website: gran-melia-salinas.com.
Layout and Amenities:
A benchmark for the Lanzarote hotel sector, the Gran Meliá Salinas opened its doors over 30 years ago and still maintains its distinctive feel. The unique style of Lanzarote artist César Manrique is evident in every corner of the building. Greeting the guest is a lavish botanical garden, complemented by the soft hypnotic hum of natural stone waterfalls. Over the years a multitude of plants have been introduced into the hotel resort, lining all four stories of the complex, instilling a pleasant freshness to the setting.
Cesar Manrique’s artistic style is best observed in the very spacious swimming pool-lake area. The exquisite balance between light and shadow, the playful shapes of the palm trees, the use of natural stone for the floors, and the clever incorporation of traditional Canary Island architectural elements all nourish the singular aesthetic of this stunning space. This rustic beauty, particularly in the stone floors, for example, may seem somewhat at odds with the resulting comfort of the area.
Another element to highlight, and one of the keynotes of Manrique’s public art, is the way that this architect has capitalized on the strategic location of the Gran Meliá Salinas, directly on the beach, to spread out the spaces for relaxation and quiet contemplation around the swimming pool. The calm atmosphere is a solid feature of this luxurious resort, infused with the sounds of the waves lapping the shores of Los Charcos beach and the enveloping rhythm of the water as it falls on the natural stone of the waterfalls.
Accomodations
The 272 rooms of the Gran Meliá Salinas are divided into 214 doubles, 18 junior suites, 28 master suites, 9 garden villas, and 1 presidential garden villa. In most cases, the double rooms are beginning to show their age. They are a bit too simple and not well enough equipped to be worthy of a five star rating. In fact, the management is currently working on a project to renovate these rooms. Nevertheless, the minimalist style of the decoration, as well as the pleasant ocean-view balcony make these rooms well worth the price. The resort’s reputation continues to improve, thanks to renovations which have converted adjoining double rooms into 28 master suites. The junior suites stand out for the double balconies with comfortable furniture and the addition of a mini-bar and small living room. The master suites are a testament to modernity, comfort, and luxury; modern for the appointment of technological equipment, including two plasma screen televisions and a sound-system; comfortable for offering guests a pleasant and relaxing living area that includes a dressing room, a general living room, and a kitchen; and luxurious for parquet flooring, a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom and a hot tub with hydro-massage jets on one of the two balconies. There is nothing more exquisite than relaxing in the hot tub under the warmth of the sun. The minimalist touch in the décor is evident in all corners of these breath-taking rooms. The management’s efforts to update the original 70’s infrastructure has put the Gran Meliá Salinas back among the best of Lanzarote accommodations.
A Step Above
The jump in quality from the suites to the private villas is tremendous. If the master suite takes your breath away, then the villas could cure a serious bout of hiccups. Designed by architect Álvaro Sans, these chalets, apart from being majestically constructed with enviable furnishings, also offer 24-hour personalized service. The villas occupy an area of 2,500 square feet [750 meters] and are surrounded by a private garden. Each villa has a private 91-square feet [28 meters] swimming pool, Balinese beds, and elegant hammocks for sunbathing and relaxation. The dining rooms are strategically placed to offer a view that really communicates the magic of the surrounding gardens. The rooms are decorated with a sophisticated range of browns, marble-white bed sheets, and other dark mahogany accessories, which all together represent a meaningful display of Balinese elegance.
The area in which the villas are found is totally independent from the rest of the hotel, and looks quite like a botanical garden. There is a peaceful common area with an ample rectangular pool perfect for swimming. Those guests staying in master or junior suites also have access to this area. The management does not allow access to those under 16, which makes the swimming pool-lake area even more tranquil. As part of the luxurious service, visitors may enjoy the food on offer at the snack bar (drinks, champagne, pastries, etc.) The right choice between 1 and 2 p.m. lies amongst the selection of assorted fruits and cheeses that can bring you back from the reverie of your relaxation.
Veteran Chefs
The age and experience of the Gran Meliá Salinas represent some of this hotel’s principal assets. Culinary services are among the best on offer in any hotel on the island. The traditional Canary Island aesthetics and the sub-tropical influence on display in the main hall add to the presentation of fresh foods, most notably of international and Mediterranean cuisine. Surrounded by an original mural designed by Manrique, the interior is spacious and removed enough thanks to a careful special distribution. Nevertheless, we prefer to taste the culinary delights available on the outside terrace, in order to enjoy the panoramic view of Manrique’s swimming pool-lake. The kitchen works with great agility in their ‘show cooking’, producing a great variety of products of remarkable quality.
As a culinary compliment, with the waves of Las Cucharas beach washing over your feet, you’ll find Casa Canaria. It is a gorgeous building with large pleasant areas that replicate the most outstanding elements of the traditional architecture. In the restaurant there are three different types of cuisine: La Tarantella, specializing in Italian delicacies, La Bodeguita, with a traditional Spanish menu that contains top-quality wines and sophisticated tapas; and Especias, dedicated to those that have a taste for a variety of rice-based dishes. However, paradoxically, given this is a five-star luxury hotel, whether the Casa Canaria opens or not depends on how busy the hotel is at a given time.
The leisure facilities of the Gran Meliá Salinas are in harmony with the tranquil atmosphere of the resort in general. There are three tennis courts just off of Las Cucharas beach, two of which feature functional and fine-looking turf courts, and the other paved in cement, in an inexplicably poor condition. There is also: mini-golf, a multi-use, open-air field and a good sized children’s playing area with the usual activities available. One program that really stands out among the list of activities, in which the guests can learn, for example, is how to make the traditional Canary Island sauce, mojo canario. There are daily live musical shows and entertainment. The resort is equipped with WiFi in the common areas. Only a brief walk away in the cool night air of Costa Teguise, you can find a multitude of options for restaurants and night-life.
Click on the link to the hotel’s website for more information or to make a reservation.