Our stay at Seaside Los Jameos was a press stay, however we were not required to write about the hotel. Our guide to the best family-friendly hotel on Lanzarote, therefore, is based on our honest experience.
Introducing the best family-friendly hotel on Lanzarote
We recently returned from a week-long holiday with our three-year olds to the fantastic Seaside Los Jameos in Lanzarote. Although we’d definitely been looking forward to this holiday, our stay far surpassed our expectations.
Our time at Los Jameos was, truly, excellent.
Prior to having children, we’d traditionally steered clear of all-inclusive holidays and instead opted for self-catering villas or an Airbnb. However, and since the arrival of our kids, our thoughts on what makes for a great holiday have drastically changed.
Not only does an all-inclusive package remove that heavy parental load, hotels such as Seaside Los Jameos also make entertaining your children a breeze – with plenty of fun activities on hand.
The result? The chance to actually relax and enjoy a holiday.
Far from returning from Lanzarote completely exhausted, we arrived back from Seaside Los Jameos rested, well-fed and, most importantly, still talking to one another.
As our stay at Seaside Los Jameos was so positive, I thought I’d put together a blog post on why I think this hotel makes the best family-friendly hotel on Lanzarote. Below is exactly why you should be adding this hotel to your bucket list.
11 Reasons Why Seaside Los Jameos is the Best Family-Friendly Hotel on Lanzarote
1. Their Family Rooms
One of the most important aspects of any family holiday are the sleeping arrangements.
Until now, we’ve actually avoided sharing a room with our 3-year olds (in fear of being kicked repeatedly all night long). We were therefore a bit apprehensive about what this would be like, ahead of arriving at Seaside Los Jameos.
The new family rooms at Seaside Los Jameos, however, were the ideal set-up and offered plenty of space for both adults and (very excited) children. We both stayed in a family room, with two adults and one child in each, and we both had plenty of room.
This included one large king sized bed and a full sized child’s bed (rather than the uncomfortable sofa beds that are so often included in family rooms).
The new family rooms at Seaside Los Jameos also come with a balcony, which makes for the ideal escape once the kids are asleep. Our balcony offered lovely sea views, and we used this space a lot – enjoying cocktails and plenty of rounds of cards.
Other features of the new family rooms include:
- 33m squared rooms: this means plenty of space, even with lots of suitcases and toys
- Flat screen TV: the most important thing to note is that – and sit down for this parents – these TVs come with CBEEBIES and other BBC channels
- Mini fridge, tea and coffee: fresh water bottles are also restocked daily
- Plenty of wardrobe and cabinet space
- Large bathroom with vanity units: again this meant plenty of space for all of the endless toiletries that comes with family travel.
I was also pleasantly surprised at just how quiet the hotel room was, even at a family resort. The rooms were nicely spaced out and the only cries or screams we heard came from our own children.
As a result, we all slept brilliantly.
If you’re looking for (even) more space, Seaside Los Jameos also offers suites, junior suites and two master suites – with two separate bedrooms.
2. Kids’ Club and Activities
No family-friendly hotel would be complete without some form of kids’ club and activities, and Seaside Los Jameos excels on both fronts.
First up, the Seaside Los Jameos offers a ‘Mini Club‘, which is open six days a week and is available for children 4-12 years old. Unfortunately, Olive and Henry were too young for the club, but as it’s located by the kids’ pool, we saw plenty of happy children (and adults) coming and going.
There’s a timetable outside the Mini Club that lists all of the activities happening throughout the day and is jam-packed. We saw some very fun activities, including make your own t-shirt, Disney face painting, flower crown craft and mini bingo.
As well as the Mini Club, there was also a huge range of activities for kids to enjoy, without having to leave the parameters of the hotel. Within Seaside Los Jameos you’ll find a mini golf course, football pitch, tennis courts, a brilliant playground and the evening mini disco, which I’ll touch on more below. There are also lots of family activities that run throughout the day, including boules tournaments.
These funs schedules are just another reason why Seaside Los Jameos is the best family hotel on Lanzarote.
3. Beautiful Kids’ Pools
The kids’ pools at Seaside Los Jameos were perfect for our three-year olds (one of whom is now not far off being able to swim thanks to our week-long holiday).
At the hotel you’ll find a small splash pool for babies, a much larger shallow kids’ pool and then a larger pool that seemed to be used by adults and children (alongside an additional adults-only pool). We ended up spending most of our time in the mixed pool, where we could sunbathe in the shallow end with our cocktails, while Olive and Henry splashed around next to us.
There are hundreds of sun loungers dotted around the pools, as well as in quieter corners of the resort, which I really liked.
It was easy to set up camp as a family round the pools but on some afternoons, while Olive snoozed on a sun lounger with my husband, I did creep away to a quieter part of the resort to read my book.
The resort has a refreshing approach to sun loungers, banning people from ‘reserving’ them in advance or throughout the day. This meant that although you could leave your stuff while you swam, there were no sun lounger wars at 6.30am.
4. A Brilliant Mini Disco
Without a doubt, Olive’s favourite part of Seaside Los Jameos (and the reason she would vote it the best family hotel on Lanzarote) was the mini disco that’s held 6 nights a week, 8.30-9pm.
On our first evening, Olive was a little overwhelmed by the noise and stuck by our side for most of the 30-minutes; suspiciously watching the other children.
By the last night, however, she was dancing alone with the other children, trying her very best to execute the dance moves. Her dancing with such confidence is one of my favourite memories of our holiday and we’ve had to carry on the nightly discos at home.
5. All-inclusive for All the Family
As our first all-inclusive experience as a family, I can confidently say it would now be hard to go back to self-catering. The food at Seaside Los Jameos went above and beyond what we expected, and catered for little (fussy) tastebuds, as well as those looking for more of an authentic culinary experience.
Download the all-inclusive experience guide at Seaside Los James.
The dinner menu at the main restaurant changes nightly (based on different cuisines from around the world), so you won’t find yourself eating the same food for 7 nights in a row. In fact, we were dazzled – and often entirely overwhelmed -by the food on offer.
On our birthday evening, we were even greeted to a table decorated with fresh flowers, a bottle of sparkling wine and a birthday cake for dessert (complete with a happy chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ from staff).
Olive and Henry dined like kings and queens throughout the week and the fact we didn’t have to plan or prepare a single meal while we were away was a complete revelation.
I’d also add that Henry is a particularly picky eater, yet we were still able to find him plenty of foods that he would try, which was such a relief.
As well as the main restaurant, you can pick up snacks and drinks at the Pool Bar throughout the day. For those enjoying half-board, you can also enjoy lunch between 1-3pm at the snack bar, which offers an a-la-carte menu.
If you’re travelling with a larger family group or friends, there’s also the opportunity to slip away for some adult only time at the Piano Bar or Belingo Bar for after dinner drinks.
During our birthday evening, we took the opportunity to head upstairs to the Piano Bar to enjoy some cocktails together, while enjoying some live music.
6. Beachside Location
Another reason why I think Seaside Los Jameos is the best family-friendly hotel on Lanzarote, is its proximity to the beach. The Mecca for all children, no holiday is complete without hours dedicated to building sandcastles and getting covered in sand.
Los Jameos makes it incredibly easy to do just this.
You can access the beach of Puerto del Carmen by simply walking through the back gates of the hotel. Forget having to drive in a hot car, or drag bags for miles, Seaside Los Jameos’ prime location means you can be frolicking in the waves in less than five minutes.
The long stretch of sandy beach in Puerto del Carmen, where Seaside Los Jameos is based, eventually leads to the main town. Alternatively, you can hire sun loungers (not affiliated with the hotel) just outside the hotel’s gates. As we were so close to the hotel, we didn’t use the sun loungers, but instead opted for some beach time in the early morning, before it got too hot.
As well as the beach front behind the hotel, you’ll also find a whole host of bars and shops. There is also a fantastic cycling and walking path, that takes you all the way to the airport (more on that below), for any avid aeroplane fans.
We actually ran this track one morning, completing a lovely 5km along the beach front.
This beachfront location is yet another reason why Los Jameos is the best family hotel in Lanzarote.
7. The Friendliest Staff
Without a doubt, one of the main reasons we would rate Seaside Los Jameos as the best family-friendly hotel on Lanzarote is thanks to its incredibly friendly staff.
Living in the UK, we are, unfortunately, more than used to feeling uncomfortable when travelling with our children. Often on edge that Olive and Henry might be a little loud or messy, travelling with kids has definitely opened our eyes to the UK’s general unwelcoming attitude towards little ones.
Things couldn’t be more different at Seaside Los Jameos, however.
From the reception team, to the restaurant staff and lovely cleaners, we were made to feel so welcome, with many staff knowing Olive and Henry’s names by the end of our stay.
The friendly staff meant we instantly felt more relaxed and never felt on edge that we were disturbing other guests if Olive and Henry got a little too over-excited. If anything, the staff celebrated their excitement – handing them little gifts or sneaky biscuits, whenever they saw them.
This is a huge reason why this special hotel is one of the best family-friendly hotels on Lanzarote.
8. A Brilliant Games Room
When we discovered the games room at Seaside Los Jameos, I don’t know who was more excited – the adults or kids.
A room that soon became a daily feature of our days, this space is every kid’s dream. Filled with different games – from toy slot machines to air hockey and pool tables – Olive and Henry loved their nightly visits.
(Just be warned, the machines do require money, so come prepared with some euros).
With the upcoming refurbishments to Seaside Los Jameos (read on to learn more), the games room is due to be further improved. I can only imagine what the new and improved version might be like, and I wish all parents the best of luck in keeping their children out of there.
9. Just Minutes from the Airport
When I found out that we would be staying less than 10-minutes from Lanzarote’s main airport, I was a bit concerned. Worried our vistas would be more runway than sea views, I wasn’t sure what to expect as we arrived at the hotel – approximately 8 minutes after we left the arrivals hall.
However, and much to my relief, the hotel felt a world away from the noise of the airport. Although from the beach you can see the planes coming into land (not taking off), it’s surprisingly quiet.
Being so close to the airport also meant there was no long car journey, on top of a long plane ride, with a 3-year old. In fact, on the morning we left for home, we felt incredibly relaxed as we enjoyed our final breakfast, knowing we were only a short taxi ride from the airport.
Taxis can be booked from the reception, with all of our taxis arriving within minutes of being ordered.
10. Close to Other Family-Friendly Destinations on Lanzarote
Although it would have been incredibly easy (and enjoyable) to spend all of our time at Seaside Los Jameos, we were keen to explore a little more of Lanzarote.
We had decided not to hire a car, given that we were unlikely to use it that often, and I’m so pleased we decided against it.
It was incredibly easy to visit some family-friendly destinations around Lanzarote by taxi, and the cost of these still turned out to be cheaper than hiring a car.
During our stay, we took the following mini trips.
1. Teguise Handycraft Market (every Sunday)
One of the main attractions on the island, which is also promoted by the hotel, is a weekly visit to the Sunday markets located in Teguise. For those who don’t wish to get a taxi, the hotel does provide a bus that leaves at 9.30am from reception.
We highly recommend that you take this day trip if you can. The markets are bursting with independent sellers, as well as boutique stores to explore, lots of food and traditional Spanish dancers performing in the main square.
2. Visit the Island’s Famous Cactus Gardens
Just a 25 minute taxi journey from the hotel is the famous Cactus Gardens of Lanzarote. Located in an old quarry, the Cactus Gardens were designed by renowned architect Cesar Manrique, and are home to over 450 dazzling species of cacti.
This is a really fun place to bring your children for a few hours, and there’s also a lovely café to sit and have a drink, or bite to eat.
3. Wine Tasting at Bodegas Rubicon
We spent a few hours at the oldest winery on Lanzarote to celebrate our birthday – and it turned out to be just as fun for kids. As we sipped delicious, crisp white wine, Olive and Henry explored the volcanic stones and enjoyed snacks under a large willow tree in the winery’s pretty courtyard.
4. Cesar Manrique Foundation
The Cesar Manrique Foundation is just a 20 minute drive from the hotel and is a great place to explore with children. As mentioned above, Cesar Manrique is a world-famous architect who designed many buildings found across the island.
The Foundation is located within a home that he designed, with the rooms snuggled amongst volcanic bubbles and its corridors created by lava flow from a volcanic eruption in 1730.
Olive and Henry loved exploring the corridors and quirky rooms, as well a running across the bridge that takes visitors over the home’s incredibly appealing turquoise pool.
5. Jameos del Agua
Located in the north of the island, a 30 minute taxi journey from Seaside Los Jameos, is the mesmerising Jameos del Agua. Another triumph of Cesar Manrique, this attraction was once a 6km long volcanic lava tube, created more than 4,000 years ago.
Today it is home to beautiful gardens, a swimming pool, restaurant, auditorium and a museum – oh, and a salt lake filled with blind white crabs.
Olive and Henry loved exploring the caves, spotting the crabs and really enjoyed the interactive museum, where they could pretend to be inside the middle of a volcano. This is a little further afield from the hotel, but well worth the day trip.
There are also plenty of other child-friendly destinations close to the hotel including Rancho Texas (located almost next door), Lanzarote Aquarium and a number of waterparks, with AquaPark Costa Teguise being closest to the hotel.
11. Refurbishment of Seaside Los Jameos, Lanzarote
Seaside Los Jameos is about to undergo some exciting refurbishments, which will only improve its status as the best family-friendly hotel on Lanzarote. As well as updating the rooms (look out for the new Deluxe Rooms), there will also be a brand new a-la-carte Paella and Tapas restaurant, a new snack bar, gym, expanded games room, alongside an update to the Mini Club and a new family area.
We think these will be brilliant additions to the hotel and we plan on returning next year to sample them ourselves. The new family area will also make it easier for those visiting without children to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet.
Final Thoughts: Why Seaside Los Jameos is the Best Family-Friendly Hotel on Lanzarote
It’s not very often that you return from a family holiday with little children feeling relaxed and rested – but that’s exactly what Seaside Los Jameos provided.
Experts in providing a holiday for all the family, Los Jameos gifted us the rare opportunity to relax, while also delivering a holiday full of activity, laughter and fun for our three-year olds. From the excellent food offerings, family bedrooms, friendly staff and entertainment, Seaside Los Jameos did all the hard work for us – allowing us to truly enjoy time together.
We truly cannot fault Seaside Los Jameos and we came away from our week-long stay recommending it to anyone and everyone.
It truly is one of the best family-friendly hotels on Lanzarote.
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