Travelling - from Cardiff, everything went like clockwork, we walked into Arricife Arrivals to find our luggage coming straight at us as we arrived at the collection belts, straight out into a nice coach, and after about 40 mins we started off for the hotel. The drive was 20 mins and everyone on the coach was for our hotel (40 odd people) so when we arrived at the Hotel we had a good 25 min delay standing in reception queued for our rooms.

The return journey started smoothly but inside the departure lounge they called our gate, and we stood like lemons for 50 mins with no explanation. We were an hour late arriving at Cardiff, and as usual, the baggage handlers there took a good 40 mins to start the belt up in the arrivals hall. One of our two cases came in the first five mins, the second one arrived 20 mins later. Thank you Cardiff Airport!

The important bit - Hotel
Layout - The accomodation & facilities are set out in the shape of a very very large number 8 when viewed from above. i.e. two large quadrangles. There are two equal sized pools, one in each quadrangle, with a connecting path between them. Both pools are overlooked and surrounded by balconied apartments, and each has it's own pool bar. The 'top' pool near reception has a proper kitchen and produces a range of simple fare at lunch times (pizza, burgers, baguettes, etc), which is reasonably priced. The lower pool has a more restricted menu and was located nearer to the sea.

The pool areas are well kept, and modern. The water could be a little cold, take an ice pick along! During our two weeks, the first week we had no problem getting a nice sunbed with a shade, but as we approached our second week it got a bit competitive. Service at both hotel pool bars was typically Spanish, with the top pool being table service (if you stand at the bar they will serve the waiters first anyway!) and depending on who the waiter was, and how many people were using the area at a given time, you could be in for a lengthy wait for that desperately needed coke or beer. It was often quite a long wait for the bill after you'd finished, I think this is deliberate hotel policy to make it appear the bar is busier than it really is.

Drinks prices and measures are, unfortunately, a serious issue here. A beer served in a San Miguel glass (at all times) tastes like yak pee. Everyone agreed, there is NO WAY this is San Miguel, and I noticed that there was no label on the beer pump, it was just shiney chrome and blank. Same goes for the beer in the bar near reception 'the Monkey Bar' where the beer was served in S.M. Glasses but tasted like pee. The price was 2.80 for this. In resort, you could get vastly superior beers nearby for 1.60 and they were the real deal, though some of the nearer bars charged more, knowing what the hotel prices were, no doubt! The shorts were also 'short' and in a narrow, six inch high glass you got about 30mm of spirit poured VERY carefully over two enormous ice cubes, and got charged 3.80 for that, with an extra 1.20 for a mixer (coke, tonic, dry ginger etc) which made a round of one beer and one short with a mixer cost nearly 9 Eu. I tackled the barman about the short measured 'shorts' and he was clearly agitated to be asked. All he would say was it was Hotel policy. On resort, my wife ordered the same drink in a nearby bar, and it nearly knocked her off her feet - the difference in strength was remarkable. I expect value for money within reason, at least, but it has to be said, the Hotel is completely exploiting the 'captive' residents and should be ashamed of itself for being so blatant. A LITRE bottle of Smirnoff can be bought for 9.97 Eur in the nearby Netos Supermarket (if you buy two, the second one is just 6.97) - exit the hotel entrance, walk out to the roadside, turn right and keep going for approx 150 metres, on the same side as the hotel. A litre of Smirnoff 9.97 or a small shot of it at the bars in the hotel 3.80! Do the maths!!

To add insult to injury, the Hotel owner's orange Lambourghini was more often than not parked right out front. (no, I am NOT kidding).

Rooms are large, well lit, spacious with good sized balconies. Well kept, clean bedding every other day, clean towels every day, toileteries etc renewed as required. There is a 15" TV which picks up Sky News but to receive BBC1 & ITV you have to pay 3 Eur a day. Same with the safe located in the wardrobe. If you need it, you have to pay 3 Eur a day. Nice bathroom, water ran cold once in a two week stay, approx 6pm so be sure to bathe / shower early, unless we had a one off glitch. If you like using your balcony as we do, you may be disappointed if you are NOT on the highest level, because the tapered building facace means that if you have anyone above YOU on a higher level, they can see 80% of your balcony area at all times. We were ok, being on the highest floor, but we could see down and across over several balconies both left and right.

Reception is efficient, friendly, very helpful and oddly, everyone seems British so communication is very easy indeed. The Restaurant is nicely laid out with views over the pool area in the periferal area, or, nearer to the food counters it is a simple dining hall. Food was very good with a few main meal choices each night. Watch out for the Sea Bass, it was particularly good. Breakfast's were repetitive, but with a little imagination you could easily vary your choices to make it interesting, and, there was a wide selection even though it was a little repetitious - just be prepared to vary your choices and you'll be fine! The evenings drinks have to be paid for when exiting the restaurant, the gentleman usually on that desk was particularly nice and gets our top employee vote. Nothing pretentious about him, just a cool, friendly and well educated Lanzarotarian.

Entertainment - If you have done a Thomson Gold before you will know the format. Alternate days the Thomson employees 'entertainment team' put on some kind of show at 10pm, alternating days we had a 'bought and paid for act' which, during our stay comprised mostly of Tribute bands. We had an Otis Redding / James Brown (very good) Beatles (top knotch) Elton John (not sure, the volume was so loud it was unenjoyable) and a very good comedian. The other nights were very poor and we have done five of these 'Gold' hotels and have to say the entertainment has been ok at all of them, with Atlantica Bay, Rhodes, being exceptional. There, the Thomson entertainment team seemed to be people from proper stage school, properly trained, good dancers and singers, and we enjoyed every night, be it the team, or alternate nights, the 'act'. At the Coronas Playa, it was a very different story with the team being worked to death by Thomsons, who clearly were not spending enough of our hard earned money on entertaining us.

I feel sorry for the team, because they were a lovely friendly bunch, but they were not supported by a professional enough singer / dancer and were thus punching above their weight.

In conclusion then, nice hotel, good food, good service except all bars, drinks absurdly expensive, poor beach, pools ok but cold, and entertainment needs

Excellent Hotel more laid back than the other Thomson Gold hotels we have stayed in, and a greater mix of ages, I would say the average age would probably work out to be about 45,lots of couples in the early to late twenties

Food was typical hotel food, however, plenty of choice and tasty, although poor in the desserts department.

Staff were excellent but clearly not enough of them quite often you would only have two or three waiters serving a few hundred people and getting a drink could involve quite a long wait.

The same problem was also apparent in the dining room with people being stopped from coming in whilst they cleared tables and we were sat with dirty dishes from every course on the table, but that aside couldn't really fault it and would definitely go back.

HI, just been to this hotel.

Staff were ok but could of been more helpful.

Food was great and so was the entertainment.

Staff excellent!

If you have any requests - email hotel prior to your departure. They are very accommodating!

Room - big but basic.

Don't pay to upgrade room - take a kettle etc!
Food - good - but lack of choice and plain.

Hire a car to see the island and don't use supermarkets in resort - much better and larger ones just outside the resort.

Lots of local birds - very tame - they love digestive biscuits! They will eat out of your hand!

If you are young or very young at heart you will probably find this hotel too quiet! The majority of the guests who stay here are pensioners or coming up to that age. We don't mind this age group, but we did find it very quiet!

As for the hotel entertainment - we didn't go to the evening entertainment but we could here it loud and clear from our room - and that was enough for us!

We only visited this hotel on a late deal for just 2 days (3 nights) in the Middle of February.

Possibly one of the best short breaks we have taken outside the UK.

As others have said before me the hotel was totally spotless both in the rooms (which were massive) and outside also (the Resort was also spotless, it should be said)

We were a bit unsure about the weather as we have had experiences before when visiting spain early in the year, but the suntan after 2 days speaks for itself!

Only ate in the restraunt 1 night as we were on a romantic break and the hotel restraunt, which although very nice, was not particularly condusive to romance. The resort is full of fine Italian (and many, many chinese) restraunts so other eating options were not a problem. Breakfast were also pretty good by the way

Nothing particularly bad to say about the place. All in all a great break at fantastic Hotel.

This is the second Thomson Gold that we have stayed in in the last 6 months and to say that it lives up to it's 4 star is an understatement.

Food.
The food at this hotel is of a very high standard and if any thing is not quite right it is very soon rectified.
Rooms.

The room's are very large and are absolutely spotless.
Staff.

The staff can only be described as not only the most friendly you will find, but also the most highly trained.
Entertainment.

The Thomson team work very hard and can only be described as fantastic only to be complimented by a very professional duo The Score who undoubtedly help the young entertainers with there vast experience.

I can only say we cant wait until January 2008 to return to this hotel.

Hotel very clean. Room was large. Nice sea view overlooking lower pool.

Food really good lots of variety. Entertainment ok we liked the Rock garden across the road. More our kind of music.

Nice walk on the promenade up to the square. Beach was quiet.

This hotel has to be one of the cleanest ones we have stayed in.

The cleaners here don't just push the dust from one part of the hotel to another they do clean it. This place is spotless right down to the pool area.

The food was to a good Gold Hotel standard with a wide choise the only fault I would say was that the hot food at breakfast time was only warm and never hot.

Set on the outskirts of the resort it was a 20 minute walk to main bars, there was a few bars near the hotel some selling beer for 1.50 euros a pint. Nice walk from the back of the hotel along the new prom to the resort with nice sea views.

I must say that the staff were very good our cleaner Loly was very nice and cheerful and in the restaurant Alberto made our stay.

All the staff speak good English I think some of them were English one of the bar staff I am not sure of, he used to call me Messieur not sure if he thought I was French or if he was French.

We go to Gold Hotels because there are no kids not the entertainment, but did watch the show new years eve they got a singer from Ibiza, the best thing they could have done was left him there and got one from one of the many bars in resort. But if you like this sort of entertainment and a lot of people do then it most be ok.

Would we go again? Yes great hotel but with three other islands to go to it may be a few years as it is Tenerife's turn next New Year (2007/8)

Just returned fron Coronas Playa. Excellent rooms, very spacious & spotless. Towels changed every day & bedding every other. We had rooms 607 and 607 which I can recommend, close to reception & dining with a lovely view of the top 'quiet' pool, the lower pool being the place for the games/quizzes

Reception staff very friendly, can't do enough for you and always a smiley face happy to help

Far enough out of the way, so a gentle walk into the centre but good to walk off your evening meal, although bars next door, Dickens and across the road, Rock Garden

Always plenty of food and there wasn't any repetition in the 11 days we were there

Very quiet due to the age of the clientelle and there being no chilren allowed, bliss!

Something going on during the day thanks to LJ and Dave, a credit to Thomson these 2

Would definately recommend to others and hope to return

Travelled with my parents, 60+, and even though my partner and I are in our 30's we had a relaxing time and didn't feel out of place

Had almost a week of lovely weather, into the late 70's which I think is great for Nov/Dec time, couple of cloudy days and rain on the last, we left with the forecast of tropical storms that evening! Oh dear for those arriving on that day! Ps, cardigan/light coat needed at night due to the breeze but not every night thankfully

Top hotel, lovely relaxing holiday *****

Myself and my partner stayed for 2 weeks in November at the Coronas and we had a fantastic time.

All areas of the hotel were spotless due to the hard work of all the staff .Bed linen changed reguarly as were the towels.All staff were excellent providing excellent customer service 24/7.

The food was out of this world no matter what time you walked in that dining room. The only gripe I had about this holiday was the price of drinks especially in the dining room.The bottles of wine were very expensive considering how much they were in the local supermarkets often 4x the price. Spirit measures were also small in the entertainment bars.

We used to enjoy sitting outside Steptoes opposite the hotel which were much bigger measures at a much fairer price !

We had a fantastic relaxing holiday and would definitely return.

We were a couple. I am in my 40,s and my partner is in his 50,s.