We (myself, wife, son and son's friend (both aged 16 years)) stayed at the Riosol Club from 3rd to 10th July. We didn't get off to the best start as our flight from Norwich was delayed by more than four hours resulting in us arriving just before 11 p.m. The first impressions were fairly promising as the Manager (Pedro Max) had thoughtfully arranged for some food to be provided (albeit several slices of spam-like meat, large numbers of tomatoes and some cheese).
We were then given directions to our adjoining bungalows (numbers 107 and 108) which have a superb view of the sea and Fuerteventura. The bungalows have sufficient space but are extremely poorly maintained. The doors and windows do not fit (the worst example was a door which had an inch gap at both the top and bottom), paint was peeling away and the beds are of a poor standard. In addition, we noticed that the bedroom of 107 was infested with ants. We were given a spray which produced a short-term fix but the following day the ants were back in even greater numbers. Needless to say, they managed to find their way on to the pillows. We were promised a visit by a member of staff but suspect they merely sprayed as we had done as the numbers increased again.
We demanded to be moved and were allocated bungalows 205 and 206. These were of a similar quality but again a problem with ants occurred - this time in the boys' wardrobe which resulted in them having to keep all their clothes in the general living area for the rest of the week. We were aware that a number of other guests had been having problems with ants and had also been moved. We moved ourselves (a distance of about 80 yards) with no help from the staff.
The food was generally edible although, with a little imagination and effort, could have been so much better. This was vividly displayed on our final two days when the owners turned up and, perhaps naturally, standards were lifted a few notches. Breakfast consisted of a choice of cereals, various hot foods (bacon, scrambled eggs, beans and mushrooms(one day)). It proved very difficult to keep this food hot and it was often luke-warm when eaten. The toaster was malfunctioning and we were told that someone was coming to fix it. This never happened and the fact that an apparently well-established, long wooden implement had been provided to poke the bread through the toaster gave a clue to the length of time that this problem had existed. Croissants were popular - so popular, in fact, that if you didn't turn up for breakfast in the first hour, they were all gone. When we asked for some, we were told that the day's allocation had been eaten and that there were no more.
Lunch and dinner menus were generally basic but again it proved impossible to keep the food hot although it was regularly topped-up. Chips were provided at every meal (except one). The sweets were very basic with a poor choice, consisting mainly of a runny blancmange and water melon. There were four choices of ice-cream but these quickly became watery in their containers and, when a container was empty, it was not replaced. Again, a recommendation to arrive early for meals.
The snack bar was in a good area but provided very little in the way of food - merely chips and a choice of sandwiches (cheese, ham or salad). We believe it was the intention to toast these sandwiches but the machine had broken down and, despite promises, it had still not been repaired when we left. Also, all drinks in this area were served by staff which often meant having to wait for someone to appear. Surely much better and more convenient to have self-service on the drinks (soft drinks and beer). This bar closed at 6 p.m. which seemed to be a massive waste as potentially this was the best area of the whole complex.
The pools were generally well maintained but rather cold. The sports co-ordinators/entertainers (Sergio and Linda) worked hard and were always cheerful and enthusiastic.
In the evenings, entertainment and drinks were in the downstairs bar which was like a cellar and rather claustrophobic. My strongly-held opinion is that the U.K.'s Government main achievement (by some considerable distance) is the banning of smoking in public places. It came as a rather unpleasant shock to find that cigarettes are still widely tolerated in other countries and the atmosphere in this room reminded us of how things used to be at home. The entertainment was mainly of a low standard but, on our last night, there was a Bee Gees Tribute Band who, I have to say, were excellent.
At dinner on our final night, a brightly coloured pest contol vehicle pulled up and parked right outside the window of the restaurant. It
was reassuring to see some action at last but we felt it was probably not the ultimate in tact to park where it did.
To summarise, this complex was advertised as 3-star but it clearly is not. With some bog-standard maintenance and some paint, it could look and be a lot better. Also, if everyday items go wrong (e.g. toasters) get them fixed. The food is not wonderful but we did not go hungry. Having said that, I do not think we would have coped with it for a second week.






Value
Rooms
Location (e.g., convenience, views)
Check-in / front desk
Check-in / front desk


