Best Kid-Friendly Hotels in Gran Canaria

A fun lazy river, two kiddy pools (one with slides), lots of kid-friendly amenities and activities, a daily entertainment program, and nightly shows ensure there is always plenty to do at this sprawling luxury property. Family Pool units offer direct access through the terrace to one of the hotel’s seven pools, and there are multiple dining options, including a buffet with a kids’ section.

From the big colorful entrance with its bold marine-themed mosaics and sculptures to the airy lobby atrium with its sweeping arches, the Gloria Palace Amadores Thalasso & Hotel is truly one-of-a-kind. Sitting atop a terraced cliff and offering sweeping views, the 392-room complex offers two large outdoor infinity pools overlooking the sea and easy access to beaches and Puerto Rico town center, plus a playground and kids' club, game rooms, and multi-sport court. Rooms are clean and spacious with bright decor and modern furnishings, and all but a few have views of the sea.

Like many hotels in the region, the Hotel Dunas Suites and Villas Resort is more about providing plenty of facilities than top-notch style, and that keeps plenty of visitors returning year after year. A six-minute drive from Maspalomas Beach, the upper-middle-range chain hotel has 302 suites and villas; some have private terraces with garden views. The hotel's five pools include three children’s pools, and there are family-friendly features like a game room with arcade machines and an entertainment program with daytime sports activities and nightly shows. The buffet restaurant serves free breakfast and offers theme nights.

The Gloria Palace Royal Hotel & Spa is a sprawling resort built into the cliffs overlooking Amadores beach on Gran Canaria, the largest of the Canary Islands. The hotel's spacious guest rooms have contemporary furnishings and ocean-facing balconies. Some of the rooms are far from the main building, however, while those that are more centrally located can have issues with street noise. The two outdoor pools are definite highlights, as they are large and overlook the beach. The hotel is kid-friendly, with an outdoor children's area, kiddy pool, and playroom equipped with a jungle gym and a ball pit.

The 195-room Dorado Beach Aparthotel is an upper-middle-range, all-inclusive chain hotel with direct access to a small tidal beach, which is very safe and great for kids (and there is excellent snorkeling right down the beach from the hotel). Apartment-style rooms have kitchenettes, flat-screen TVs, and pretty balconies with (in most cases) exceptional sea views. However, room decor is bland and isn't in line with the rest of the hotel, which feels modern and fresh. The buffet restaurant serves excellent food and a wide variety of international dishes, with the menu changing nightly. An indoor/outdoor kids' club offers crafts, games, and kiddie exercise equipment, and the game room has pool and ping-pong tables, air hockey, and video games. Nightly entertainment includes karaoke, British music acts, acrobats, and more.

The 189-room Radisson Blu Resort Gran Canaria is a family-friendly property with a small but sandy beach. Large, contemporary rooms have marble floors, spacious bathrooms, and ocean views from furnished balconies; some units have full kitchens with dishwashers. There are three pools -- including a heated one for kids -- plus two restaurants with indoor and outdoor seating, a kids’ club, tennis courts, and outdoor playground.

The upscale H10 Playa Meloneras Palace is located on the southern tip of Gran Canaria Island, near solid family-friendly options like the Aqualand water park and Palmitos Park, home to dolphin shows and butterfly houses. The hotel's multiple-level main pool area is quite spectacular, with a waterfall, lazy river, infinity pool, kids' pool, and shaded play area. H10 Playa Meloneras Palace also offers a children's entertainment program, and can arrange babysitting.

Well-heeled families should be comfortable at Lopesan Villa Del Conde Resort And Thalasso, easily the most luxurious hotel in Meloneras. The 561-room resort's layout copies that of a traditional Canarian village, complete with streets, several buildings, squares, fountains, and even a church. Five pools, including an infinity-edge one with ocean views, three restaurants, five bars, a full entertainment program, daily activities for kids, and a playground means that there is no shortage of things to do, but the resort is also walking distance to restaurants, shops, and the beach.