We stayed at the Paraiso in october and can really see things from both sides.As we went out of season we where not really bothered by the queues that most mention,the weather was superb,the food and drink more than adequate.We stayed all inclusive and what needs to be pointed out is that this is in no way comparable to a carribbean all inclusive holiday,the management at these european resorts have completley failed to grasp the theory adding extra little charges to things they can get away with 5 euros for a compulsory swim cap 100 euros deposit on 4 putters and a 20 euro charge etc,the rooms are superb,but the place is already showing signs of vandalism particularly in the games room which started closing at 6 oclock halfway through the holiday due to rowdy behaviour,the nightclub was also closed till further notice with no explanation given.

To sum up.we had a great holiday with very few of the mentioned problems,however we can imagine that in the summer months this place would be a nightmare.

We are a family of 4, 2 adults & 2 teenagers (14 & 17), we stayed at Paraiso for 2 weeks in August and were self-catering.

We were dubious about visiting after reading previous comments on this site, but we all had a great time and found the hotel was really good. The apartment was clean & spacious, & had great facilities although the sofa bed was uncomfortable.

The swimming pool was big and the surrounding area was big and great for sunbathing. There weren't as many daytime activities as we'd expected, but we still joined in. We cannot comment on the evening entertainment as we didn't spend our evenings in the hotel.

The location is good, in between the Old and New town, both a 15 min walk away. We preferred the new town with 'The Strip' to eat in, and would recommend Annabels Bar, located slightly off 'The Strip' as it served excellent English food at reasonable prices and the beer was

First impressions often mean a lot. The hotel is quite attractive with a large fountain immediate to the entrance doors that leads into a spacious reception area flanked by a few small shops. Off this an equally spacious bar/entertainments lounge. The pool area and gardens are also impressive. The main pool is large and shaped rather like a figure 8 with a bridge crossing the waist. One end is almost 3 metres deep and has a series of low concrete diving platforms. Curiously, a nearby sign states that diving is not allowed but this was completely ignored! Beyond the immediate area of the pool are wide expanses of grass so finding space to yourself either to sunbathe or to play ball games is not a problem. The usual problem of guests reserving sunbeds was rife however. Some guests were up at the crack of dawn putting their towels in place never to appear again until the afternoon. Signs were displayed stating that this practice was prohibited but these were totally ignored and the hotel management did nothing whatsoever to enforce the rule. In fact it seemed that wherever there was a written rule about anything, e.g. 'no children to use lifts unaccompanied', it was blatently ignored. It is insufficient to simply make a rule, they need to be properly policed if they are to be effective.

We stayed in a studio appartment on an 'all inclusive' package. Consequently we were all provided with wristbands on arrival in order to identify us as 'all inclusive' guests when obtaining food/drinks/ice cream etc.

Our appartment was well furnished and had satelite T.V. The comfort of the pull out sofa bed left a lot to be desired. For anyone who was self-catering,the kitchen facilities were very good although we had no reason to make much use of them. On arrival, I spent half an hour trying to figure out how the air conditioner worked. Having tried every switch I could find, I eventually contacted reception who told me that I needed a remote control (25 Euros refundable deposit). Pity they didn't tell me that on check in.

I thought the standard of food throughout our stay was very good and the house red wine is O.K. too. The half a stone in weight I put on during the 2 week holiday is testimony to that.

Many guests had not booked an 'all inclusive' package and the 2 tier mix of guests invited abuse of the system. On several occasions I witnessed 'all inclusive' guests obtaining food and drinks in order to supply other guests who had not booked on that basis. The controls were so lax that it was very easy to do this.

Speed and efficiency at all points of service was poor whether at the main bar in the evening, the pool bar during the day, the restaurants or the snack bar.Queueing became par for the course. We waited 45 mins on one occasion just for a couple of burgers and chips at the pool snack bar. Low staffing levels may have contributed to the problem but from what I could see, the main factors were poor systems of work within the service areas concerned. A time and motions study was definately required. Few of the staff seemed happy with their lot and I detected that morale was a bit on the low side.

The stage area, lighting and sound system within the bar/entertainments lounge was capable of supporting a good standard of cabaret. Unfortunately, the actual standard of entertainment provided was second rate. On one occasion, a female vocalist who had been performing to backing tracks finished her first spot and left her mini-disc player to replay 'We're So Young Now' by the Corrs 12 consecutive times before she eventually returned to put the audience out of its misery!

The activities/sports program during the day around the pool area was infrequent and lacked variety. This was a pity since the space and facilites were not a limiting factor. The childrens clubs on the other hand were well organised. My 8 year old thought they were great.

Access to the nearest beach was a 20 minute hike or you could use a free bus from the hotel but this only ran a few times each day. We counted 74 steps down to (and back up from)the beach from the roadway where the bus drops you off. The bright lights of 'The Strip'with its miriad of shops, bars and restaurants or a visit to the old town were also about the same distance away.

Despite all these observations, we actually had an enjoyable holiday. Despite the deficiencies described the hotel itself is very good and with a bit of extra effort on part of the management it has the potential to be superb.

We were unlucky with our maid as she was not keen on dusting and was also attemting to go the whole two weeks without changing the towels. After complaining we had clean ones after nine days. The sofa bed set new standards for noise and being uncomfortable. It was designed to keep the occupants awake all night.

The location of the hotel was equi-distant from everywhere so we had plenty of exercise during the two weeks. Speaking of exercise the facilities in the basement are brillient. The gym was excellent equipment and the sauna and steam room were first rate. These are highly recommended.

The staff were a miserable crowd. We had a competion for the worst one. The winner was one of the staff in the wooden hut where you booked up tennis etc and hired your matresses. This short haired guy was continually looking for a fight with any available guest or loudly arguing with a collegue. I witnessed the ultimate situation when a young lad brought back only three tennis balls instead of four. It was frightening.

I am convinced that the design of the food counters was deliberate. Someone loves to see people queue. The problems of a single row is obvious to all. It ensures that the queues are long and sometimes enormous.

This is the first time I have experienced a mixture of all inclusive and self catering in the same hotel and it is a format to be avoided. It does not feel comfortable. This was not a cheap holiday and greater things were expected.

The hotel is very impressive, with good sized rooms, nice bars, and a wonderful pool area. We had a ground floor room, which opened on to the grass behind the pool area, which was wonderful to laze about on!

The kids club was good, with plenty of things for them to do. Didn't really see much entertainment in the evening - but my one memory is an awful 'pub singer' murdering Enrique's 'Hero'!

We went Self Catering, but it would have been worth paying AI price just to eat during the day, as it was very expensive; we ended up popping out next door to the self service place to bring back lunch.

The location of the hotel is great - just far enough out of the Strip to be peaceful, but not too far to walk in to it.

Will definately go back to this hotel.