PRESS TRIP – JUNE 2008
The view that Gran Canaria is just about sun and sangria was certainly dispelled with our press trip to the island. We were bombarded with experiences of fine and rustic dining, spectacular mountain scenery and cultural hideaways in the old town in Las Palmas all of which really hit home that this Canary island has a lot to offer for today’s demanding traveller, whether they have come away to relax with the family, incentivise teams or to impress clients.
Along with four uninitiated journalists from the Telegraph, ABTA Magazine, TTG and Travel Weekly, Julie Graves and I began our recce at the Maspalomas Congress Centre, which will have a grand re-opening to coincide with the Travel Convention, after a techy refurbishment to bring it bang up-to-date with 21st century delegate requirements.
With much of the centre filled with natural light from the floor to ceiling glass walls at the front of the building, the Palacio de Congresos de Maspalomas will feel very different from the lava inspired Magma centre in Tenerife. But its main halls are just as flexible and can be adapted to look and feel anyway we want it to. The whole of the centre is wi-fi, they’ve fitted out a vast kitchen for all catering needs and some of the front glass panels open up big enough to allow cars in – no doubt the Avis competition car will look pretty swanky in there.
It also has some great smaller offices, also benefiting from natural light. Believe me, this filled me with joy - being holed up in a hermatically sealed press office bunker for four days can feel a bit claustrophobic, to say the least. And it had a pretty swish designer VIP room, where nervous speakers can at least pretend to relax before their big moment on stage.
It was really good to see some of the hotels where everyone will stay – here are some of my own opinions on what we saw:
Obviously I can say most about the place we stayed:
Lopesan Villa Del Conde – huge resort style hotel with numerous choices of pools.
Our rooms were big. Two sinks, bath, separate shower and separate toilet… murals on the wall, balcony for if you’ve ever got time for a sneaky beer, and the piece de la resistance - a walk in wardrobe. After all - no-one packs light for the convention, do they? Fantastic solution for the exploding suitcase.
Lopesan Meloneras. Impressive fountain out front. Great bourganvillia in the gardens and breakfast areas. Cool infinity pool and interior courtyards that would be great for out-of-hours conspiratorial meetings. Rooms also big with separate bath and shower.
Riu Grand Palace Maspalomas Oasis. One of the oldest hotels in Maspalomas – at nearly 40 years old. Fantastic views out to the sand dunes and the 1,000 year old palm grove. Clearly tree huggers who built this place. An inconvenient palm tree was in the way of the builders, so they just built around it.
H10 Meloneras Palace. This reception is crazy. And I’m ashamed to say that it took me a while to get that it was designed in the shape of a palm tree. Pretty cool though – a great place to for drinks and meeting people. I also think it would be pretty good for a private event.
The Two Seaside Hotels are very different in look and feel. The Palm Beach is strictly designed for 70s nostalgics. It’s the first design hotel in Gran Canaria. French architect and designer Alberto Pinto refurbished the hotel that took it back to its 70s roots while mixing it with modern clean lines and simplicity. Dig that purple and orange bar (someone get me a campari and orange) and the light blue sun loungers are to die for.
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The other Seaside Hotel – Grand Hotel Residencia - is a Leading Small Hotel of the World and despite being designed by the same architect - Alberto Pinto as the Palm Beach – it looks completely different. This one harks back to Spanish colonial times. It has the best reputation on the island for excellent, service with a relaxed atmosphere and a family feel. There are only 94 rooms – so it exudes exclusivity. It has an amazing dining terrace with terrific views of the mountains, and depending where you are in the hotel, you can also sock an eyeful of the dunes too.
The Sheraton Salobre Golf Resort & Spa. Wow. This hotel is for those who want to stay away from the hubbub of the Convention. Up in the hills 15 minutes away from the convention centre, it is also a must for a private venue. The industry leaders lunch will be held in a glass cube here overlooking the mountains and golf courses. The attention to detail here is second to none. At times, I found this place at times challenging – it’s been designed to blend with the mountain environment, which is volcanic and is at times brutal – the dark grey stone in the corridors I felt, were intimidating, but maybe it’s the technophobe in me. As a business and conference venue, it is fully equipped with wi-fi, plasma monitors, smartboards and electronic flip charts and audio-visual technicians - phew!
But on the less scary side, the feel of the white Sahara stone underfoot by the pools is gorgeously soft and the roof/hilltop sunset terrace is spectacular. During our visit the terrace was being set up for ‘Back to Black’catwalk and party, which was being thrown by lifestyle brand Kipling.
We were also very privileged to try out some of the fantastic excursions open to delegates for free on the two days either end of the convention.
As none of us on the trip had been to the island before our eyes were well and truly opened to the ‘real’ Gran Canaria.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital was founded in 1478. Las Palmas is the co-capital of the Canary Islands as well as the largest city of the islands. Las Palmas has been deemed to have the best climate in the world and was the destination of the first British tourist to the island over a century ago. The Vegueta is the old quarter, with some lovely old colonial buildings, and a number of lively restaurants and bars that will definitely appeal to those wanting to eat and drink in areas with personality.
We saw a number of venues that would be perfect for private events (Las Palmas is 40 minutes away from Maspalomas). If you wish for further details and images about this venues please, do get in touch.
Casa de Colón (Christopher Columbus' House), is a museum and ancient library. Visitors can look at exhibitions on the legacy that Christopher Columbus left behind. It can also be used for a private event.
A Boat Trip around the South West Coast of Gran Canaria. Setting off from the picturesque and lively Port of Mogan towards the West of the Island, this trip sails alongside the imposing black cliffs for which this part of the island is well known. We were lucky, we got to hop off onto a small dinghy and motored into one of the small caves. It is sometimes possible to catch a glimpse of dolphins. A truly relaxing way of spending a few hours.
The islanders are always very keen to tell you that Gran Canaria is a continent in an Island. That’s because in just 15 minutes drive, the sky can change from brilliant blue to cloudy, and this is because of the high mountains. Just under half of the island (47%) of Gran Canaria is under protection and cannot be built on. UNESCO has also declared a large part of the west of the island a Biosphere Reserve. The roads across the mountains are not for the faint hearted, as hairpin bends scar the landscape like Zorro marks. These dramatic and mountainous landscapes sometimes take you above the clouds and are well off the beaten track. Smell the clean fresh air of the pine forests and find out about how a modern caveman lives!
All in all a great trip and I would highly recommend for you to try and free up some time at the Convention to take part in one or two of the excursions so you can also experience something of this spectacular island.
Frances Tuke, PR Manager, ABTA
ftuke@abta.co.uk
020 7307 1903
