Santa Catalina, a Royal Hideaway Hotel

Salisa Hartney

My mum and I stayed at the Royal Hideaway Santa Catalina to celebrate her 50th birthday, and it was truly an unforgettable city break. From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by the hotel’s stunning architecture and timeless elegance. The hotel is absolutely beautiful, with luxurious facilities, gorgeous pools, a fantastic spa - we had one very relaxing massage. The gardens and grounds are simply breathtaking—so beautifully maintained that wandering around them became an activity in itself. Every corner felt peaceful and picturesque, making it a joy to explore and soak up the atmosphere. The location was perfect too—close enough to explore everything Las Palmas has to offer, including Las Canteras Beach, the charming streets of Vegueta Old Town, and so many wonderful restaurants, while still feeling like a peaceful oasis to return to. One of the highlights of our trip was dining at the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant. It was an incredible culinary experience from start to finish and made the celebration even more memorable. What really made our stay exceptional, however, was the outstanding service. Every member of staff was warm, welcoming, and professional, but we would especially like to say a huge thank you to Julia - (and a lovely lady I think called Sonia.) Julia went above and beyond to ensure our stay was perfect and helped me organise multiple surprises for my mum’s 50th birthday, making the occasion even more special than I could have imagined. Her kindness, attention to detail, and genuine care made such a difference, and she is a real credit to the hotel. Thank you, Julia, for creating memories that we will remember for a long time! We couldn’t have chosen a better place to celebrate such a special milestone. Royal Hideaway Santa Catalina exceeded all of our expectations, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a luxurious, memorable stay in Las Palmas. We can’t wait to return.

Nadav Sheffy

A very service oriented luxury hotel with old world grandeur, great breakfast, very impressive dedicated service but with some issues. This is definitely a hotel oozing with style and grandeur reminiscent of old world luxury, both the common areas as well as the rooms. It's not for everyone but that's a matter of taste. The location is somewhere between the cathedral and old town and the playa the las Canteras, a bit of a hike from both of them so not ideal. My first room was a junior suite which was indeed very large, quite fancy and with a balcony overlooking the main entrance, while the balcony was a nice touch, sound proofing was a major problem and the room was simply too noisy for me during the entire evening and night from the bar downstairs and from the coming and going in the entrance area. I mentioned that the following day in a "how is your stay" automatic email which I got from them and usually ignore, and a few hours later they called me and suggested to switch my room to another one even though the hotel was quite full. They moved me to a slightly smaller room with no balcony but facing the gardens at the back of the hotel and that was blissfully silent during the night - so impressive service from the side of the guest experience team but also choose your room wisely if you are sensitive to noise. They have a large wellness area which I did not go to but the gym next to it is almost a professional level gym so a pleasure, the pool is not large and probably can get very busy but the weather was gray and unhappy during my stay so I had it to myself to swim in . there is a municipal semi-olympic swimming pool right next to the hotel (5 minutes walk) and you can get an hourly swimming pass between 0800-1600 (I think only on week days but not sure) for less than 10 euros if swimming is important. Breakfast was really very good and abundant. there are a few very fancy restaurants in the hotel, I ate dinner in the least fancy one (1890 La bodegita) and it was very good. As July is not the high season in Las Palmas prices were reasonable for the level of service and quality of accommodation. All in all, this is a place worthy of its name. there were some issues but they handled them very efficiently and with real willingness to solve them and that is always important.

Biljana Lojanica

Santa Catalina Hotel is undeniably a historic architectural landmark, but as a hotel experience it fell well below expectations. On arrival, the service felt cold and somewhat pretentious rather than welcoming. A key reason for choosing the hotel was the prominently advertised rooftop pool and views, only to discover after check-in that access is restricted to suite guests. The spa is similarly limited unless you pay €15 per person for 90 minutes, which felt too rushed to unwind and relax. These restrictions are not clearly communicated at booking and leave a sense of being misled. Several of the lounge and communal areas were also frequently reserved for corporate events and seminars, which further diminished the sense of a relaxed hotel environment. As a guest, it often felt as though you were secondary to business groups and functions moving through the space, even in more personal hotel moments such as walking through pool access corridors in a robe. In-room entertainment is very dated, with a non–smart TV offering only basic local and satellite channels. Room service carries a €5 delivery surcharge, while on-site dining is largely limited to high-end fine dining with little casual alternative. It is also worth noting that Las Palmas sits under a noticeably less favourable microclimate than the south and west of Gran Canaria. During our stay, conditions were consistently cloudy, windy, and cool, which further limited the enjoyment of the hotel’s already restricted amenities. For those seeking reliable sun and beach weather, the southern or western parts of the island are a better choice. The atmosphere and clientele also skew noticeably toward an older demographic.

Sebastian St

We felt very comfortable in the hotel. The rooms were very clean, styles and modern. The beds were extremely good to sleep in. We especially liked the spacious bathroom and the great shower with different options. The service and staff was extremely helpful and friendly. The venue is very romantic and stylefully arranged. The breakfast buffet was extraordinary, very fresh and very good quality with a huge choice of different dishes. We are very happy to come back at any time.

Cameron Clark

Absolutely flawless 5* experience. This hotel is stunning. A masterpiece in colonial architecture and decor. It somehow has such a peaceful and tranquil feeling despite being in the middle of the city. You relax at the pool whilst parrots fly above your head. The gardens, spa, pool and rooms were immaculately maintained. The spa was easy to book and very reasonably priced. All facilities in the spa worked perfectly. The sauna was nice Breakfast was one of the best 5* breakfasts I have had. The cocktails at the bar were too notch. The service was also fantastic, especially Sara on the reception who went above and beyond to ensure we had a great stay. Hopefully we will be back!