The large Seaside Palm Beach, set in extensive, well-cared-for grounds, was the first Design Hotel property on the Canary Islands. Nowadays it attracts mostly couples and families on all-inclusive vacations. The longstanding hotel’s curved, eight-story ‘70s-style building was refurbished in 2002, and inside it sports bright, retro-inspired decor. The upscale living-room-like lobby has colorful striped sofas, floor-to-ceiling windows, and marble floors. Outdoors, there are plenty of sunbeds and alfresco restaurant seating set beneath towering palm trees. The attractive main pool has a central palm tree island. 

The hotel is set in a fairly quiet residential area of Gran Canaria, just 790 feet (240 meters) from Maspalomas Beach. Farther along the beach promenade, numerous cafes, restaurants, and shops are within easy reach.

• Three-minute walk to Maspalomas Beach
• Seven-minute walk to Moonlight Cinema and Lopesan Meloneras golf course
• Nine-minute walk to Gran Casino Costa Meloneras
• 11-minute walk to CC Varadero shopping center
• 19-minute walk to Meloneras Beach
• Six minutes to Campo de Golf de Maspalomas by car
• Nine minutes to Maspalomas town center by car (15 minutes by public transportation)
• 12 minutes to Playa del Ingles Beach by car (20 minutes by public transportation)
• 15 minutes to Salobre Golf and Resort by car
• 27 minutes to Gran Canaria Airport by car
• 47 minutes to Las Palmas de Gran Caria by car or public transportation

The 328 rooms at the Seaside Palm Beach come in a range of bright color schemes (beige-brown, yellow-turquoise, violet-green, and coral-blue), designed to reflect the coastal setting. The simple decor is ‘70s-inspired retro-style, a nod to the hotel’s roots. There are fabric headboards, zig-zag-patterned carpets, and marble-topped wooden bedside tables with elegant lamps. Walls sport slightly generic canvases, and there are gorgeous vintage-style wooden desks and cabinets, retro armchairs, and neutral curtains at floor-to-ceiling windows. Generously sized balconies have minimalist, cream-upholstered daybeds and armchairs, plus good views from most rooms. Some rooms have additional, smaller front-facing balconies overlooking the parking lot. Junior Suites feature connected lounge seating, while Suites and Master Suites have separate living rooms.

Amenities include air-conditioning (and heaters in winter), white flat-screen cable TVs, phones, free Wi-FI, and minibars, but no safes. Luxury Rooms add DVD players, while top-end rooms feature cordless phones and Illy coffeemakers. Connecting and accessible rooms are available. Note coffee- and tea-making facilities are only available on request in cheaper rooms, and there are no ironing facilities. Smoking is not permitted on balconies (a plus for some). Evening turndown service is an added bonus. 

Some bathrooms are on the small side. There’s patterned cream tiling on the walls and vanities, diagonal-checkered floor tiling, and walk-in power showers (some rooms have tubs instead of showers; Master Suites have both). Pricier rooms also have double sinks, and separate toilets and bidets. There are miniature toiletries, including L’Occitane and Bvlgari products in higher room categories, plus hairdryers and slippers.

The Seaside Palm Beach’s extensive facilities include a large, attractive main pool, two adult-only heated saltwater pools, and separate kids’ and baby pools. There’s an excellent free buffet breakfast, while three restaurants serve delicious local and international a la carte and set menu meals (plus regular barbecue and buffet evenings). Just note a dress code applies at the restaurants, which don’t all open daily. The all-day African Bar also offers tapas lunch dishes, plus poolside drinks and snacks until mid- to late-evening depending on the season. The Bar Salon serves drinks until the wee hours, with live music most nights. Room service is available, and many guests stay on an all-inclusive basis.

The partly open-air gym is extensively equipped with cardio and weightlifting machines and free weights. Yoga, tai chi, and water aerobics classes are available. There’s an outdoor tennis court, a kids’ club and playground, and family-friendly games equipment like a giant chessboard. Hotel guests also get reduced green fees at nearby golf courses. Other facilities include two saunas, a serene spa with a wide range of treatments, and a hair salon.

There are clothing and jewelry shops within the hotel grounds. A TV lounge has computers for guests to use, babysitting can be arranged, and three conference rooms accommodate up to 120 people. Wi-Fi is free throughout, there’s free private parking, and car and bicycle rental are available. Small dogs are allowed by prior arrangement.