Spending two days with my BFF watching be-speedoed male models in a swish resort in Gran Canaria is my idea of work. Earlier this month, Monsieur Robot and I flew to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to attend Moda Calida, a three days swimwear extravaganza showcasing the new trends in well… swimsuits. More on this later. Today, I mainly wanted to introduce you to the resort we stayed at: the Lopesan Baobab, also known to our group as the hotel with many pools.
It was strange to stay in a place like this for work as we were essentially surrounded by families on their annual holiday, splashing in the pool(s) during the day and watching their kids dance their tiny butts off at the toddler disco in the evening. That is of course after a pantagruelic meal from the buffet at one of the resort’s many restaurants. Are you starting to get the picture? I had the impression it was some sort of independent Club Med type place. Luxurious, definitely so, but perhaps not the luxury I normally encounter. This is a more “wholesome” luxury to enjoy with the family. The Lopesan Baobab is a big machine, so don’t expect personalised service and all the things you would normally expect from a 5 star luxury resort. Of course, there is a but….
The real luxury at the Lopesan Baobab is the space, the opulence of food, the choice of activities on offer and of course the absolutely phenomenal weather that goes with it! My room was perhaps as big, if not bigger than my London apartment. It had two terraces, one off the bedroom with a little table and two armchairs and one off the living room with sun loungers, parasols and another table. I must say being alone in there was a waste of space. I don’t think I sat on the sofa even once, preferring to shut myself in the spacious bedroom to feel like I owned the space a little more. It would have been a perfect room to bring my hairier half and Mini, that’s for sure.
While the place feels pretty paradisiac, there is a downside which is the clientele. Unsurprisingly, it attracts a rather large crowd of not so chic tourists from Northern Europe (we all look for sunnier shores…) and so your poolside escapades might be tainted by a few lobster coloured, booze infused families ready to pounce on the innocent soul who dared to touch the sun lounger they reserved at 6:30am by placing a towel on it – I told you it wasn’t a chic crowd.
Nevermind these people though, there is plenty of space in the rooms, so you can enjoy your own very sophisticated company in the privacy of your own terrace and order all the room service ice cream and lemonade you can handle. Overall, this is definitely a place I would consider visiting again with my family for a relaxing holiday.
Best for: family holiday, relaxation, pool time, kids.
Not for: romantic getaway, exploration, quiet.
Traduction – L’hôtel Lopesan Baobab à Gran Canaria est l’endroit parfait pour des vacances en famille… Si vous parvenez à ignorer sa clientèle pas très chic.
It’s all in the details. As you may have guessed, the hotel is African themed, so all the textures in the room hail from there. Here you can see the snakeskin headboard, which is definitely not something I would have at home, but works quite well in the room.
Breakfast on the terrace, also known for the Continental Breakfast with 75 donuts, which made me text Warren saying “If you want to come to my room, I have 75 donuts”
One of the outdoors bars
I must admit the terrapins made me forget about the annoying tourists for a while. ‘Sup Leonardo?
Good times poolside (if you can find a sun lounger)
Mademoiselle Robot and Monsieur Robot were guests of the Lopesan Baobab during Moda Calida