La Piramide

Throughout La Piramide, a kitschy Egyptian theme can be spotted. It starts in the lobby, a big room furnished with woven sofas and armchairs under a pointed, triangular skylight, and it continues to the rooms themselves: marigold-colored stacked pyramid structures surrounding the pool. It’s a tiny resort with rooms cheek-and-jowl with each other (balconies and terraces have zero dividers, so there’s no privacy). This means a certain intimacy, but it also means your neighbors can be seen -- and heard. The atmosphere swings between sleepy and boisterous. Midday, the property can be quite quiet, with guests dozing in loungers or leaving on beach excursions. But often there can be kids splashing around, or a lively lobby bar scene with live music. Open in 1992, this family-run property definitely has plenty of personality and local color, but it’s also showing its age with peeling paint, rusted doors, and faded upholstery. Still, renovations are rolling out to make cosmetic improvements, and on our visit the gym was midway through a full facelift.

La Piramide is just a short block to the waterfront, but unfortunately the beach itself is a long 30-minute walk away (though the walk meanders past some pretty shoreline views). But most guests opt to take a bus or taxi, a 10-minute drive way. The area is a touch more isolated compared to other resorts in the area -- it’s not near a major commercial center. But there’s a handful of English and Irish bars in walking distance and a restaurant. 

True to its name, the apartment-style rooms at La Piramide are housed in pyramid-shaped buildings all facing the pool. Those at the top have balconies furnished with plastic tables and chairs, while those on the bottom have terraces with loungers. But these spaces lack any division from neighboring units or the pool, so they don’t offer much privacy. Inside, units vary a bit in decor and some have slightly bigger TVs or microwaves, but on the whole, they’re equipped with the same facilities. Some details can feel a bit garish, such as the neon-green stucco walls or Egyptian figurines, and there's wear on the furnishings. But looks aside, rooms do come equipped with safes, flat-screen TVs, sofa beds, and free basic Wi-Fi (though this is spotty and high-speed Wi-Fi costs an additional fee). Kitchenettes have burners, mini-fridges, toasters, coffeemakers, and a small collection of plates and cookware.Bathrooms are mismatched. Some have blue shower curtains, brown tiles, and neon-green towels. Many units have more modern walk-in showers instead of shower-tub combos, but strangely the bathtub taps have been left in the showers though the tubs have been removed. All have bidets, and a few have basic toiletries, though they’re minimal and include just soap in most and single-use packets of bath gel and shampoo in some. Superior Rooms have hairdryers, but there are plans to put them in all rooms.Housekeeping cleans the rooms every day except Sunday. 

The heart of the resort is its freeform pool, belted with a footbridge and surrounded by loungers. For a smaller resort, the pool is fairly sizable; there’s no kids’ pool per se, but one end of the pool is quite shallow and used by little ones to splash around. The poolside bar here serves drinks and tapas and hosts weekend barbecues and animation. A buffet-style restaurant provides all meals in a basement room. Rates can be for room only, breakfast, half-board, or full-board, but note that there’s no all-inclusive option and food gets mixed reviews. Another spot to drink is the lobby bar. It’s equipped with a pool table, foosball and air hockey tables, and a lending library. A flat-screen TV in the bar area is also frequently tuned to sports. For a small property, it’s surprising that La Piramide offers animation. The bar hosts live music and there’s activities like karaoke to keep guests entertained. On our visit, the resort’s gym was under construction, getting a full facelift and a new set of equipment. This space when reopened will also offer a whirlpool and a sauna, though those facilities will cost an extra fee. A tennis court sits just outside the resort as well, though it's showing significant wear. A small shop on-site sells pool accessories, sunblock, and other necessities, and the back of the shop acts as a small spa, providing massages and body and nail treatments.The lobby has vending machines for snacks, coffee drinks, and cigarettes and a few claw-machines with toys for kids. Families can also borrow cribs. Basic Wi-Fi is available for free, though it can disconnect frequently in rooms. Stronger, high-speed Wi-Fi can be purchased for a fee. Free street parking is available. The front desk can help arrange excursions to Oasis Park, Lanzalote, and the Isla de los Lobos, along with arranging outings for fishing, scuba diving, quad buggy driving, and all manner of sports.