Hotel Riu Gran Canaria
By Daniel Hart
Europe & Mediterranean Writer · June 2026 · How we review
Hotel Riu Gran Canaria is one of the most reliable family all-inclusive choices on Gran Canaria's south coast. The 2023 refurbishment refreshed a property that already nailed the fundamentals: a true 24-hour all-inclusive, a beachfront position on the Meloneras promenade, and six pools that genuinely span the gap between toddlers on slides and adults wanting a quiet infinity edge with a swim-up bar. It will not wow food obsessives or couples chasing seclusion, but for a family that wants everything paid for and everything in one walkable complex, it is hard to beat at this price.
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Hotel Riu Gran Canaria Review: A Family All-Inclusive That Gets the Basics Right
If you are searching for a family all-inclusive on Gran Canaria, Hotel Riu Gran Canaria is almost certainly on your shortlist — and for good reason. It sits directly on the beachfront at Las Meloneras, on the sunny southern tip of the island, and runs RIU’s signature 24-hour all-inclusive program, which means food and drinks are genuinely available around the clock rather than within the narrow lunch-to-dinner windows that catch out so many “all-inclusive” guests in the Canary Islands.
This is a big, energetic, mass-market resort, and that is the honest frame for everything below. It is not a hushed boutique hideaway and it does not pretend to be. What it is, after a full top-to-bottom refurbishment completed in 2023, is a polished, modern, six-pool family machine where a couple, a multi-generation group, and a family with two kids under ten can all book the same property and each leave happy. That is harder to pull off than it sounds, and Riu Gran Canaria does it well.
For American and British travelers weighing up Europe’s all-inclusive scene, Gran Canaria offers something the Caribbean cannot: near year-round sunshine on the same latitude as the Sahara, a four-hour-ish flight from the UK, and prices that undercut the Greek and mainland-Spain luxury players. Riu Gran Canaria is one of the strongest mid-range family picks in that picture.
Quick Verdict
Who it is for: Families who want a genuine 24-hour all-inclusive where the kids’ pool, the slides, and the kids’ club are all on-site; couples who want a lively beachfront resort with an adults-only infinity pool to retreat to; and groups who want everyone under one roof without renting a villa.
Worth it? Yes, if you go in knowing it is a large, busy resort. The 24-hour inclusion, the beachfront location, and the post-2023 freshness deliver clear value at this price point. If you want intimacy, fine dining, or total quiet, look elsewhere — including RIU’s own adults-only Palace properties next door.
Score: 8.2 / 10
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Genuine 24-hour all-inclusive — food and drink around the clock | Large, busy mass-market resort — not intimate |
| Beachfront on Las Meloneras with seafront infinity pool | Drinks can be diluted or oversweet at peak times |
| Six pools spanning kids’ slides to adults-only infinity | Meloneras beach is volcanic sand and promenade, not soft golden bay |
| Fully refurbished in 2023 — genuinely current | À la carte restaurants book up fast |
| RiuLand kids’ club plus RiuArt studio | No standout fine dining |
| Families, couples and groups all fit one complex | Adults wanting calm should consider adults-only siblings |
The Resort at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Location | Las Meloneras, Maspalomas, south Gran Canaria, Spain |
| Rooms | ~639 rooms (large multi-wing complex) |
| Restaurants | Main buffet plus themed à la carte (Italian, Asian, gourmet) |
| Bars | Multiple — pool bar, lounge bar, sports bar, café, swim-up bar |
| Pools | 6 (incl. adults-only infinity with swim-up bar, kids’ pool with slides, baby pool) |
| Beach | Las Meloneras, beachfront on the promenade |
| Airport | ~35-40 min from Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) |
| Season | Year-round (all pools heated in winter) |
| Chain | RIU Hotels & Resorts |
| Refurbished | 2023 (second major renovation) |
Rooms and Suites
Standard Rooms
The bulk of Riu Gran Canaria’s roughly 639 rooms are bright, contemporary doubles refreshed in the 2023 renovation. Expect the dependable RIU template: clean lines, a balcony or terrace, air conditioning, a liquor dispenser in many room categories (a RIU signature), satellite TV, and a safe. Sea-view and pool-view categories carry a premium over interior and side views, and on a beachfront resort like this the upgrade to a proper sea view is worth budgeting for — you are paying for the Atlantic, so look at it.
The rooms are functional rather than fashionable. You are not booking Riu Gran Canaria for the suite; you are booking it for everything outside the room. That said, the post-refurbishment finishes feel current, and family-friendly configurations with extra beds or connecting options are available — confirm the exact bedding when you book, as RIU’s room descriptions can be vague about whether a “double” sleeps a third or fourth guest comfortably.
Upgraded and Swim-Up Rooms
The 2023 refresh added higher room categories, and RIU markets swim-up and pool-access rooms at the property, including adults-oriented categories tied to the infinity pool area. These give you a terrace that steps straight into a shared pool channel — a genuinely nice perk for couples and a category that books out early in summer. Because RIU’s room naming shifts between booking platforms and the inclusions vary by category, confirm directly with the resort or your booking site that the specific room you are reserving has the swim-up access advertised. Do not assume it from the photos alone.
Our Pick
For a family, a sea-view standard room in a wing near the kids’ pool is the sweet-spot booking — you get the view and the location without paying for a category you will barely use given how much time you will spend at the pools and beach. For a couple, the adults-oriented swim-up or pool-access room is the upgrade that actually changes your day, putting you steps from the quieter infinity pool and swim-up bar. Verify the category’s access before paying the premium.
Food and Dining
The Buffet
The main buffet is the engine room of Riu Gran Canaria’s dining, and it does most of the work across breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is a large, well-stocked international spread with live cooking stations — the RIU standard, refreshed in the 2023 renovation. Variety is strong, there is plenty for fussy kids, and themed nights add some interest across a week-long stay. It is good resort buffet food: reliable and abundant rather than memorable. Go early or late to dodge the peak-hour crush, which is real in school holidays.
Specialty Restaurants
Beyond the buffet, Riu Gran Canaria offers themed à la carte dining included in the all-inclusive rate. The Italian restaurant Amore Mio is consistently named across RIU’s own materials and is the most reliable à la carte booking — proper sit-down pizza and pasta in a calmer setting than the buffet. RIU’s post-refurbishment lineup has also featured an Asian concept (Kaori), a gourmet restaurant (Kulinarium), and the Atlántico poolside restaurant, while booking-platform listings sometimes reference a Las Dunas main restaurant and Pepe’s Food outlet. The exact à la carte roster shifts season to season, so check the current restaurants on arrival and book the themed venues on day one — they release limited covers per night and fill fast in summer. None of these will redefine your idea of dinner, but they are a welcome change of pace from the buffet and a reason to dress up a little.
Bars and Drinks
This is where the 24-hour all-inclusive earns its keep. Drinks are available around the clock, spanning a pool bar, a garden lounge bar, a sports bar, a café, a terrace cocktail bar, and the swim-up bar at the adults-only infinity pool. The spirits are house and national brands rather than top-shelf imports — standard for a mid-range Canary Islands all-inclusive — and they pour generously. The honest caveat, echoed in 2025 guest reviews, is that cocktails at the busiest pool-bar moments can come out diluted or oversweet. Order spirits with a mixer you can control, or time your cocktails for quieter windows, and you will drink well.
Food Quality Verdict
The food at Riu Gran Canaria is good mid-range all-inclusive fare — abundant, varied, and competently executed, lifted by the 2023 refresh and the genuinely useful 24-hour availability. It is not a culinary destination, and food obsessives will find it merely solid. But for a family that wants kids fed at any hour and adults who want a real à la carte night out without a supplement charge, it more than delivers. Set expectations at “reliably good,” not “wow,” and you will be happy.
Beach and Pools
The Beach
Riu Gran Canaria’s headline asset is its position: directly on the beachfront at Las Meloneras, on the seafront promenade in the south of the island. This is volcanic-origin Canary Islands coastline — darker, firmer sand and a lively boardwalk rather than a soft, golden tropical bay. Manage that expectation and the location is excellent: you step out of the resort onto the promenade, with the famous Maspalomas dunes and their long golden beach a stroll or short hop away to the west, and the Meloneras restaurants, shops and lighthouse along the boardwalk to the east.
The Atlantic here is cooler and can be breezier than Mediterranean Spain, but the south of Gran Canaria is the island’s sunniest, most sheltered corner — which is precisely why it is wall-to-wall resorts. For most guests the pools will be the main event, with the beach and promenade as the scenic backdrop and the evening stroll.
Pools
Six pools is the number that makes this resort work for mixed groups. There is a children’s pool with slides that will keep younger kids occupied for hours, a baby pool for the littlest guests, two heated outdoor pools for general swimming, and — the grown-up highlight — an adults-only infinity pool on the seafront promenade with a swim-up bar. All pools are heated in winter, which genuinely matters on the Atlantic in the cooler months and is a real point of difference from resorts that leave their pools cold off-season.
The infinity pool overlooking the ocean is the photogenic centerpiece and the spot couples will gravitate to; the slides-and-splash zone is where families will camp out. Having both, clearly separated, is the whole point of Riu Gran Canaria — nobody has to compromise.
Activities and Entertainment
Daytime
RIU runs a full daytime entertainment and animation program, and Riu Gran Canaria is no exception. Expect poolside activities, the RIU Fit gym and fitness sessions, sports and games organized by the animation team, and the broad menu of “something always happening” that defines the RIU formula. The promenade location also makes self-directed days easy: walk to the Maspalomas dunes, browse the Meloneras shopping boulevard, or wander to the lighthouse. The resort is a comfortable 35-40 minutes from Gran Canaria Airport (LPA), making it an easy transfer at either end of the trip.
Evening
Evenings revolve around RIU’s signature programming — live shows, music, and the RIU Party and RIU Get Together Party events that the chain stages across its resorts. It is family-friendly, energetic entertainment rather than sophisticated cabaret: think themed nights, live bands, and a buzzy bar scene that runs late thanks to the 24-hour service. If you want a quiet, intimate evening, this is not that resort — but if you want atmosphere and the kids entertained until bedtime, it delivers consistently.
Kids’ Club
The RiuLand kids’ club is the centerpiece of the family offer, with a supervised program of activities run by the entertainment team, plus the RiuArt creative studio for workshops. Combined with the children’s pool and slides, this gives parents genuine daytime breathing room — drop the kids into RiuLand’s program and claim a lounger at the adults-only infinity pool with a clear conscience. The RiuLand area was part of the property’s refresh, and it is a core reason Riu Gran Canaria ranks so well for families specifically.
Spa and Wellness
The resort includes a spa offering body and facial treatments, alongside the RIU Fit gym for guests who want to keep a routine going on holiday. The spa is a pleasant add-on rather than a destination wellness facility — treatments are paid extras on top of the all-inclusive rate, and the menu covers the expected massages and facials rather than an elaborate thermal-circuit experience. Book ahead if you want a treatment in a specific window during a busy week, but do not choose this resort for the spa; choose it for the pools, the beach, and the family setup, and treat the spa as a nice bonus.
What Is Included vs. Extra
| Included | Costs Extra |
|---|---|
| 24-hour all-inclusive: buffet and à la carte meals | Spa treatments (massages, facials) |
| Snacks and drinks around the clock | Premium/imported top-shelf spirits |
| House and national-brand alcoholic drinks | Excursions and day trips |
| Soft drinks, hot drinks, water | Motorized water sports off-site |
| All six pools (heated in winter) | Some à la carte premium experiences (confirm locally) |
| RiuLand kids’ club and RiuArt studio | Airport transfers (unless in package) |
| Daytime activities, RIU Fit gym | Babysitting (if offered) |
| Evening shows, RIU Party entertainment | |
| WiFi |
Pricing and How to Book
Price Ranges by Season
| Season | Per person / night (AI) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Low (May, Jun, Sep, early Oct) | ~$100-140 | Best value, still reliable sun in the south |
| Shoulder (Mar-Apr, late Oct) | ~$120-170 | Pleasant weather, moderate crowds |
| Peak (Christmas, New Year, Feb half-term, Jul-Aug) | ~$160-200+ | Winter-sun and school-holiday premiums |
All figures are approximate, per person per night on an all-inclusive basis at double occupancy, and converted to USD for guidance. Prices change constantly with season, demand, and exchange rates — always confirm the live rate at the time of booking. Note that Gran Canaria’s high season is inverted versus the Caribbean: the December-to-February winter-sun window commands top prices because northern Europeans flock here to escape the cold, while late spring and early autumn often offer the best value with near-identical weather.
Best Time to Book
Book three to five months ahead for Christmas, New Year, and February half-term, which sell out earliest and price highest. For the best value-to-weather ratio, target May, June, or September — the south coast stays sunny and the school-holiday premiums disappear. Swim-up and adults-oriented pool-access rooms book out first in every season, so reserve early if that category matters to you.
Where to Book
Direct (riu.com): Best for the full room-category list and current à la carte restaurant lineup; RIU’s loyalty program can add perks. Booking.com: Competitive rates with flexible cancellation — useful for comparing room categories side by side. TUI / Jet2 Holidays / easyJet Holidays: UK package deals with flights included are frequently the best total value to Gran Canaria. Expedia / Hotels.com: Worth a price check, especially when bundling flights.
Whatever the channel, verify two things before paying: that the rate is the genuine 24-hour all-inclusive (not room-only or half-board), and that any swim-up or pool-access room category includes the access shown in the photos.
Compared to Nearby Resorts
Paradisus Gran Canaria is the more upscale, design-forward option on the same coast, with a stronger food-and-drinks program and a more polished, contemporary feel under the Meliá umbrella. If your budget stretches and you want a notch more sophistication — better dining, a more stylish setting — Paradisus is the upgrade. Riu Gran Canaria counters with a more straightforward, slide-equipped family setup and, often, a friendlier price.
Iberostar Anthelia (Tenerife) is the cross-island comparison for travelers still choosing between Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Anthelia is a polished five-star family resort in Costa Adeje with a stronger overall finish and a more manicured tropical-garden feel, but it sits at a higher price point and on a different island. If you are island-agnostic and want a step up in class, Anthelia is worth the look; if you want south Gran Canaria specifically with a true 24-hour all-inclusive at mid-range money, Riu Gran Canaria holds its ground.
RIU’s own adults-only Palace properties in Maspalomas and Meloneras are the in-house alternative for couples who find Riu Gran Canaria too family-busy. Same chain, same 24-hour all-inclusive DNA, but adults-only calm and a more refined atmosphere — the obvious move if children at the pool are a dealbreaker.
Insider Tips
- Book the themed à la carte restaurants on day one. They release limited covers per night and fill fast in summer — Amore Mio especially.
- Pay up for a genuine sea view. On a beachfront resort, an interior or side view is a wasted opportunity; the Atlantic is the whole point.
- Use the adults-only infinity pool as your reset button. Drop the kids at RiuLand and claim a lounger by the swim-up bar.
- Time your cocktails for off-peak. Drinks can come diluted at the busiest pool-bar moments — quieter windows pour better.
- Walk to the Maspalomas dunes. The famous golden-sand dunes and their long beach are a stroll west along the promenade — do not spend the whole week on the volcanic Meloneras sand.
- Confirm your room category’s access before paying the upgrade. RIU’s swim-up and pool-access naming varies by platform; verify directly.
FAQ
Is Hotel Riu Gran Canaria genuinely all-inclusive?
Yes. Riu Gran Canaria runs RIU’s standard 24-hour all-inclusive program, which includes buffet and à la carte meals, plus snacks and drinks available around the clock. Alcoholic drinks are house and national brands rather than top-shelf imports, but they are unlimited and genuinely available all day and night — not restricted to narrow dining windows. This is one of the property’s biggest selling points on an island where some “all-inclusive” packages are far more limited.
Is Hotel Riu Gran Canaria good for families?
Very. It is built for families: a children’s pool with slides, a baby pool, the RiuLand kids’ club, the RiuArt creative studio, and a beachfront location all sit in one complex, with the 24-hour all-inclusive meaning kids can be fed at any hour. The trade-off is that it is large and busy — great for energetic family holidays, less so if you want quiet.
When was Hotel Riu Gran Canaria renovated?
The hotel completed a full refurbishment in 2023 — its second major renovation, following an earlier one in 2013. The 2023 work updated the communal areas, restaurants, and entertainment spaces, and expanded the pool and facilities offering, so the property feels genuinely current rather than dated.
Does it have an adults-only pool?
Yes. Among its six pools is an adults-only infinity pool on the seafront promenade with a swim-up bar — a quieter retreat for couples and adults, clearly separated from the family pools and slides. The resort itself is not adults-only, but this pool gives grown-ups their own space.
Is the beach sandy?
Las Meloneras is volcanic-origin Canary Islands coastline, so the sand is darker and firmer than a soft, golden tropical bay, and the setting is as much promenade as beach. The famous golden-sand Maspalomas dunes and their long beach are a short walk or hop west along the boardwalk if you want the classic soft-sand experience.
How far is the resort from the airport?
Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) is roughly 35-40 minutes by car or transfer from Las Meloneras in the south of the island — a short, easy hop at either end of your stay.
Final Verdict
Score: 8.2 / 10
Hotel Riu Gran Canaria is one of the most dependable family all-inclusive resorts on Gran Canaria’s south coast, and the 2023 refurbishment took an already-solid property and made it genuinely current. The fundamentals are exactly what a family wants: a true 24-hour all-inclusive so nobody is ever caught between meal windows, a beachfront position on the Meloneras promenade with the Maspalomas dunes a stroll away, six pools that span toddlers-on-slides to adults-only infinity, and the RiuLand kids’ club to give parents real time off. For a family, a group, or a couple who want a lively beachfront base in one walkable complex, it is excellent value at mid-range money.
Be clear-eyed about what it is not. This is a large, busy, mass-market resort, not an intimate retreat. The food is reliably good rather than memorable, the cocktails can wobble at peak times, and the Meloneras beach is volcanic sand and boardwalk rather than a soft golden bay. Couples chasing total calm should look at RIU’s adults-only Palace siblings or at the more upscale Paradisus Gran Canaria, and island-agnostic travelers wanting a step up in polish should price-check Iberostar Anthelia on Tenerife.
But for the specific job most people are hiring it for — a sunny, well-run, everything-included family holiday in the south of Spain’s Canary Islands — Riu Gran Canaria does that job about as reliably as any resort on the island. Book early for a sea view and a swim-up room, get your à la carte reservations in on day one, and confirm the live all-inclusive rate at booking, because prices on this coast move with the seasons.