Cala Blanca by Diamond Resorts

Just back from a week at Cala Blanca with my daughter and had a very relaxing break. I had gone with some reservations about certain negative comments in other reviews, however our experience was extremely positive. The hotel is clean, comfortable and well run and maintained by friendly, hardworking staff. We had a lovely apartment on the 2nd level at the end closest to the sea so we were able to enjoy lovely views of the bay and the glorious sunets at night from our spacious balcony. Yes there are stairs but this didn't bother us and by the end of the week both lifts seemed to be working. The "steep" road up to the hotel was not too bad either....in fact I would simply describe it as a gradual incline. I appreciate that this (as well as the stairs) could be a problem for people with mobility problems...but they are clearly mentioned in any information about the hotel so you know what to expect. The shuttle bus to neighbouring resorts was very useful .We also went on a tour of the island's spectacular mountain scenery. I would agree that a car is needed if you want to explore fully but on this occasion we were happy to just relax and enjoy the warm, sunny weather. Taurito is a little resort and slightly isolated . That said, having seen some of the bigger, brasher neighbours, I'm glad we chose it! We could see beautiful Puerto del Mogan from our balcony but the road closure made it a little awkward to get to. A wee boardwalk attached around the headland would make it walkable distance :-)

Lovely relaxing holiday in the sun. The weather is fantastic. Love the heated swimming pool. Very helpful staff. Apartment a good size with a big veranda. Sunbeds easy all day. We are in a canyon which is interesting.

My 5th Time here The last time was 2 years ago am there have been some changes However, as always the staff were fantastic - friendly, attentive, informative and customer service as good as ever! I was slightly worried about the road closure whilst it was a bit of a pain not being able to get to mogan in the evening without a steep taxi fare, the day courtesy bus was great ( last return journey from mogan was 5.45) If you are looking for somewhere that you can just chill out, with a lovely pool then his is the place to be! It may be a little secluded but , as two friends travelling together, we didn’t feel cut off The SPAR supermarket in Mogan will deliver your shopping back to the hotel if you spend a minimum of 30 euros! Great service!

This could have been so much better .First off the apartment was just what we wanted clean fully equipped and facing the setting sub. But even as a fit man the fact that the lift did not work and hadn't for three weeks apparently but having to park our car over half a mile away every night and walk up a mountain side unlit was way too much .When we booked in they said we could have played to park closer but they had none left. When we booked this trip parking was never mentioned or offered. As well as this they had a very annoying habit of ringing every day on one of two apartment phones to see if we were enjoying our stay.I am on holiday away from a phone ...I unplugged the phones daily to stop this only to find the maid plugging them back in .All in all a disappointing stay .

The restaurant is not owned by the hotel. Bar restaurant charged me 11+ Euro for what was to be chicken breast in breadcrumbs and it was processed chicken slices in breadcrumbs.. when I complained and asked for my money back (11 euros) she got aggressive towards me and in my face shouting at me and barred me from restaurant - Really? Like I would eat her food again. Thankfully cala blanca reception staff got my money refunded after much argument. Lovely hotel/apartments and staff... BUT enter the franchise restaurant at your own risk!

Good welcome at reception we were early but still able to use facilities in resort. It’s a small resort on side of mountain. Good pool heated, no rush for sun beds if it is its a relaxing holiday you want ideal. Porter helped with bags as one of the lifts not working. They have a small shop we used another one across the road you would need to go to either nearby towns for more than the bare basic stuff. They provide local bus service into the nearby town gives you a few hours before coming back. They have a restaurant on site from 6.30 best to book especially on Saturdays and themed nights. Would recommend the canerian evening was a set price and good value for the food we had. Food available all day was of good quality and we had either lunch or evening each day. We were in 210 which had been re decorated WiFi was mixed rooms cleaned 2 times in our week stay. Towels available at the pool, small charge if you changed them, rooms have safe and you need card to get in and out felt very safe. There are activities available lovely lady comes around for kids and adults and have lifeguard at pool. Things to watch for, if lift not working several flights of stairs if on 1st or 2nd floor. The road to Morgan had a land slide and is closed people do still walk or cycle but if you get caught potentially 350 Euro fine. We never used a car but if had gone with children or young adults probably would get car. Would recommend resort and would go back just hope weather slightly better than what we had.

A tale of 2 resorts. Where to begin? We stayed here in February with our 3 children. I posted a review of the hotel as soon as we arrived as we were less than impressed. However I have removed it as after the first night the management changed our room. We knew about the hit and miss nature of the rooms, and had been in constant contact with Miguel Dominguez (manager) after booking, he assured us he would try and do his best to ensure we had a refurbished 2 bedroom apartment. However on arrival we were informed this was not possible as they were fully booked, this clearly was not the case as the resort was very quiet. When asked if we could view our room Ignacion Rodriguez who checked us in told us ‘the room is being cleaned, you are a doctor would you let people see you when you are operating?’. He was clearly not a happy man, when I asked to speak to the manager Miguel he informed me Miguel had resigned 3 hours prior to us arriving and currently there was no manager on duty. The first room we had was clean but clearly run down. The bathrooms were awful (see pictures). Needless to say we were furious, my wife spent most of the night in tears. The following morning I sent an email to Miguel and also Mike Flaskey’s office (CEO of Diamond Resorts). We spoke to another person at the resort called Francisco who informed us for a 30 euro surcharge we could have a refurbished apartment, we agreed and were told the room would be ready in the afternoon. That same day I received an email from Diamond Resorts office confirming they have authorised the apartment change and also waived the 30 euro surcharge. We were then assisted with our luggage and food and moved into our new apartment. The refurbished apartments are actually very nice, on a par with 4 star apartments, they have everything you can wish for if you are self catering. They are clean and reasonably spacious. The kitchen has a kettle, coffee machine, dishwasher, stove, toaster, kitchen utensils, sink, hob, oven and a microwave. The apartment has 2 floors with the main bedroom on the upper floor. There are 2 balconies with amazing views. All the rooms have a large flat screen TV with some English speaking channels. There is a blue ray player and an alarm clock. Cupboards are spacious and the walk in shower is very nice. Most of the apartments have fantastic sea views and there are large windows. The complex itself is on a hill and parking can be limited so be prepared for a long walk, also there are lots of steps within the complex, the elevator was continuously breaking down so if you have mobility issues you will struggle. The pool is very nice, but a bit deep for children. The gym is small but functional with a Sauna (worked most days) and spa tub. We did not eat at the restaurant (but the prices seemed reasonable) or sample the evening entertainment. There is a small supermarket opposite but we did not use this. There is a small kids play area and Henrietta is fantastic with children. Following our room change we were met by the new manager Daniel Rodriguez, who apologised and also made sure everything went smoothly for the rest of the stay, we thought this was really nice as he had only just taken up the job and it appeared he had his hands full already. Mateusz (hopefully I have spelt it right), the porter is an absolute legend, very friendly and helpful, and the kids loved him. The resort is a 10 minute walk to the beach where there are some restaurants and bars as well as a small supermarket, however do not forget the 10 minute walk back up the hill, however the views are stunning and if you like walking or running you will enjoy this. So how many stars should we give Cala Blanca, it’s difficult to say, after our first night giving it one star would be too generous especially as the check in process was very unfriendly and also the room we had was awful. However the rest of the stay was fine and the apartment had everything we needed making it an excellent base to explore. So I think 3 stars would do it justice, the resort is not for everyone (e.g. mobility issues) but the newly refurbished rooms are very nice with fantastic views and they everything you could possibly want. Also as we are in love with Gran Canaria I think anything less than 3 stars would be harsh.

We spend one week and this resort suited our needs perfect. Nice staf and good restaurant, made our vacation a nice memory. An extra plus for the small kitchen witch was fully equipted. To bad the road to Purto de Mogán had collapsed and was closed.

The apartment was excellent with a beatiful view and own terrace. It was clean and I have high standard for clean :). It was perfect. The staff is friendly. The hotel itself is really really nice. However, we recommend you take a rental car, because there is not much to do in Taurito beach in the evenings or during the days other than beach activities. If you don't want to cook in the apartment, there are not many restaurants to choose from. If you want to relax in the sun and not do much the place is perfect. Also we recommend you do not include breakfast in the package unless you want to have your breakfast later in the morning (9 am - noon) and like only a very small breakfast. We regretted including the breakfast. It is valued for 4 euros, so it is no wonder it is not a lot. :). We loved being there (with rental car), but we never visit the same place anyway.