We thoroughly enjoyed the food tour and the g...
Spain | Oct 4 - Oct 11, 2022

J
James B.
Oviedo, FL | Reviewed on Oct 12, 2022

We thoroughly enjoyed the food tour and the guide was great. Same goes for the trip to Toledo and also the hike to Roque Nublo with Paco. He went above and beyond with being flexible and really doing a great tour of practically the whole perimeter of the island! The boat excursion was a little disappointing as I think we expected more from the description and although labeled as a catamaran tour with a bbq lunch, it was more a powerboat with no bbq but more a Spanish omelette/macaroni salad/boiled potato lunch. The captain was also confused initially about us not having tickets for the excursion so we almost didn’t get to do the trip but I showed the itinerary with the information Karenina sent and it seemed fine. The e-bike tour was great and the guide was also very nice. We didn’t get to complete the planned route as it became too challenging but it was still wonderful. We were not expecting to peddle so much! The e-bike name made us think it would be more an electric scooter type tour so I think that could be explained better in the future in case there are those who don’t ride bikes very well.

Hotel Reviews
Dear Hotel Madrid
Madrid

We were very impressed with the hotel and staff overall. Great location, lovely room, great amenities and very helpful with any questions we needed answered. The only reason this is not a 5-star review is due to the lack of flexibility when it came to scheduling breakfast which was included and which we had paid for. Due to the schedule of the breakfast and needing to reserve a breakfast time prior we were unable to utilize this benefit. We were able to make arrangements with the front staff to have breakfast packed and sent to our room for one of the days due to our excursion being early, but they would not do this for us for both days which doesn’t make sense.

Authenticity & Character
Decor was nice, room was bright.
Location
Central location and easy to get to landmarks.
Staff
Very helpful and accommodating overall
Cleanliness & Comfort
Love how green it is with the room key being needed to turn on the lights!
AC Hotel Gran Canaria by Marriott
Gran Canaria

The staff was great and very helpful with assisting us with any questions we had. We were able to navigate public transport and get to our excursions without taxis thanks to their assistance and that saved us a lot. The room was very nice and comfortable. Minor issues were not having the water bottles replaced daily as stated, trash not emptied every day, not being able to move the tv screen as it faced the window and the glare was terrible to watch it if the curtains were open, and that the shower design was not optimal as it allowed for water to leak out onto the floor. The food was amazing and we utilized the lounge for both breakfast and dinner. Amazing views of the island from the lounge area. Would still recommend utilizing this hotel in the future.

Authenticity & Character
Nice decor!
Location
Close to the beach and shopping district
Staff
Very polite and accommodating
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Tapas Culinary Experience
Tapas Culinary Experience
Madrid

Absolutely. Phenomenal. The guide made this trip as he is a local and he knew all the good spots! The best food we ate on our whole trip hands down from start to finish. Not a complaint at all and highly recommend for all travelers.

Quality of Experience
Everything
Food
All of it!!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
All locations in walking distance
Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid
Train Madrid to Toledo, Guided Visit of Toledo, Train Toledo to Madrid
Madrid

Great trip from start to finish and Daniel was wonderful. Very knowledgeable and very proud of his connection to the city! He did an amazing job with the tour and giving us plenty of background about the city and buildings. The train ride was great and easy to navigate.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Catamaran boat trip in Gran Canaria
Catamaran boat trip in Gran Canaria
Spain

Seeing dolphins up close was very fun and a great experience. The boat was definitely not a catamaran as advertised and the lunch provided also not a bbq as advertised. Due to the smaller nature of the boat, it was too crowded for all passengers to be on the deck and in clear viewing area of the dolphins when they appeared.

Quality of Experience
Making sure the trip description is accurate to what is provided.
Food
Disappointing lunch of some fruit, boiled potatoes, cheese slices and a so-so Spanish omelette.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Boat captain was confused about our needing tickets and there was a language barrier. Luckily remedied by the boat stew who did speak English.
Transport
If all buses could have maps on board to indicate the stops, that would be very helpful as we ended up getting off the transport too early a couple of times.
Full-Day Trip to the Peaks of Gran Canaria
Full-Day Trip to the Peaks of Gran Canaria
Spain

Paco was phenomenal and absolutely wonderful to spend the day with. He is extremely knowledgeable and clearly loves his job. It was great to have the personalized touch and hearing about his history too with where he lived and grew up on the island. The hike to Roque Nublo was wonderful and the timing weather wise was great. We enjoyed visiting the farmers market, cave museum, Tejeda and also the northwest coastal region too. The drive around was gorgeous and scenery so beautiful.

Quality of Experience
Everything!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Expert driver! Plethora of knowledge.
Transport
E-Bike Mountain Tour with Tapas Tasting in Maspalomas
E-Bike Mountain Tour with Tapas Tasting in Maspalomas
Spain

I’m glad it was not a group tour otherwise it would’ve been awkward since we could not finish it as planned! The guide, Anthony, was great and very accommodating. He allowed us to borrow a backpack after ours broke and helped us make sure we were as safe as possible. The scenery was beautiful and landscape was worth the trip.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Knowing the location of excursion relative to hotel would’ve been nice. Very expensive taxi ride to location but we were able to navigate the bus back.
Local specialist: Karenina Steinbach
Karenina
Karenina Steinbach
Local specialist in Madrid, Spain | Replied on Oct 13, 2022

Thank you very much, James, for taking the time to write this review! I appreciate all your comments, all your feedback will help us improve. I am pleased to hear you enjoyed your trip to Spain. I will pass your kind words on to all the people you mentioned! I hope to be able to help you plan another trip in the future.
Warmest regards, Karenina