Best Luxury 5-Star Stays in Arrecife
Luxury 5-star stays in Arrecife come in exactly two forms, and they sit at opposite ends of Lanzarote's capital. Arrecife Gran Hotel and Spa is the tallest building on the island, a seafront tower beside El Reducto beach with a spa, an indoor pool and panoramic rooms; Villa VIK is a small adults-only house in the residential streets of Playa del Cable, two hundred metres from the sand. One trades on views and facilities, the other on walls and quiet. On an island governed by Cesar Manrique's low-rise rules, the contrast between them is the whole story.
Arrecife does not behave like a luxury destination, and that is part of the appeal. The capital's day runs on ferries to Gran Canaria, offices along Calle Leon y Castillo and fishing boats in the Charco de San Gines, with the Castillo de San Jose keeping Manrique's contemporary art collection above the harbour. Five-star guests here eat where islanders eat and swim on a public beach. The city has no luxury quarter, only two very good addresses inside an ordinary Canarian town.
Where to stay
Hotels in Arrecife
Which is the more Canarian luxury, the tower or the house? Lanzarote spent decades legislating against height, then made one exception in its capital, and Arrecife Gran Hotel and Spa is it. Guests on the upper floors get views across the reef and the Islote de San Gabriel that exist nowhere else on the island. Villa VIK argues the opposite case at ground level, behind a garden wall. The limitation worth knowing is that the tower charges separately for its spa.
Lanzarote allowed itself one tall building and put it in the capital, which is why the five-star category here starts with a view. Arrecife Gran Hotel and Spa stands next to El Reducto beach as the tallest building on the island, with spacious modern rooms, wooden floors and large windows, and city or beach views from some of them. The spa carries a hot tub, Turkish bath and sauna at a surcharge, alongside an indoor pool, a fitness centre and room service. Lanzarote Airport is less than ten minutes away by car from the front door.
The other five-star address in the island's capital works at the opposite scale, in a quiet residential pocket of Playa del Cable. Villa VIK is adults only, two hundred metres from a three-hundred-metre stretch of fine golden sand with calm water, and its stylish rooms all carry a luxury private bathroom and a balcony or terrace. There is an a la carte restaurant, a bar, a garden and a sun terrace with outdoor furniture, plus parking and an airport shuttle. It reads as a large Canarian house rather than as a hotel, and that is deliberate.
Five-star on Lanzarote is also measured by what it gives access to, and both addresses sit centrally on an island where nothing takes long. Timanfaya National Park, the La Geria wine road with its Malvasia Volcanica vines set in hollows dug into black picon, and the Manrique sites at Tahiche, Guatiza and Haria are each within about forty minutes of Arrecife. The port sends ferries to Gran Canaria, the airport is minutes from both hotels, and the DO Lanzarote whites poured in the city are grown a short drive inland.
A traveler's perspectiveThe choice between the two usually comes down to how guests want their evenings. The tower suits those who want a swim, a sauna and a lit view over the reef from an upper floor; the house suits those who want a garden and a locked gate. Couples and travellers on short island stopovers get the most from both. Anyone expecting a resort with grounds and multiple pools should look towards Costa Teguise.
Luxury 5-StarVilla VIK - Hotel Boutique
An adults-only house behind garden walls near Playa del Cable
Why guests love itVilla Vik Hotel Boutique is an adults-only, five-star hotel, so it is not an option for families with children. For couples and solo travelers it offers a quiet part of Playa del Cable, 200 metres from the beach, with stylish, spacious rooms that each have a luxury bathroom and a balcony or terrace. An a la carte restaurant, a bar, a garden and a sun terrace are on site. Rated 8.8 from 108 reviews, I would book it for peace and privacy.
Luxury 5-StarArrecife Gran Hotel & Spa
Panoramic rooms in the tallest building on Lanzarote
Why guests love itArrecife Gran Hotel & Spa is a five-star hotel beside El Reducto beach and the tallest building on Lanzarote, with family rooms and large windows. The indoor pool and fitness centre suit families on windy or cooler days, and the spa has a hot tub, a Turkish bath and a sauna, charged separately. Room service is available and the airport is close. Rated 8.6 from 829 reviews, I would book it for the beach, the views and the pool.
Local tips
- 1Ask for a high floor at the seafront tower, the rooms with beach views over El Reducto and the reef are the reason to book that address.
- 2Budget for the spa separately at Arrecife Gran Hotel and Spa, the hot tub, Turkish bath and sauna carry a surcharge on top of the room rate.
- 3Choose Villa VIK if you are travelling as a couple without children, it is adults only and the garden and sun terrace stay quiet all day.
- 4Use the ten-minute airport run to your advantage and book a late flight, both five-star addresses sit close to Guacimeta and check-out mornings stay unhurried.
- 5Reserve a table at the Castillo de San Jose restaurant below Manrique's art museum, it looks over the working port and is the best-set dining room in the capital.