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Scottish Sun

Stunning Seaside Miami-style Canaries beach hotel offers sun, sand and 70s chic

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE literal translation of the name Maspalomas is 'Many Pigeons'. But there's no truth to the rumour this Gran Canarian tourist resort is twinned with Glasgow's St Enoch Square on a Saturday night or Pittodrie after an Aberdeen game. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 14 Maspalomas and its famous lighthouse Credit: Getty 14 Carnivals are frequent in Masplaomas Credit: Alamy 14 Marching band at the Maspalomas carnival on Gran Canaria Credit: Alamy This much-visited tourist getaway just off the coast of Africa means many different things to many different people. That thought crystallised as I watched thousands of native Canarians and tourists cavorting past on Grand Parade day of the Maspalomas International Carnival. Held in March each year, more than 100 brightly-decorated floats are packed full of revellers for the occasion. At some points the crowd of onlookers was five deep as a hallucinogenic cavalcade of Greek Gods, drag artists, and the odd bad taste Diego Maradona or Michael Jackson passed by. There was more lycra on show than the Tour de France — including a family of four who have bravely dressed from head to toe as The Incredibles. To be fair the whole thing is pretty incredible: an anything-goes affair which the whole community seems to enter into, like a cross between a Highland games and Eurovision. But if it's a quieter, slower, pace of holiday you're after then Maspalomas is just the place for you too. The Canary Islands are famed for their offer of sun all year round and Gran Canaria does what it says on the tin. My wife Mairi-Anne and I flew from Glasgow with Jet2 for a five-day break at the end of March. Cue five days of unbroken sunshine, with temperatures in the mid to high 20s and just the right amount of cooling breeze off the ocean. In other words, pretty much perfect. The UK's best beach bar – with DJ sets, sunset views and signature cocktails Our base for the duration was the stylish Seaside Palm Beach Hotel. Our base for the duration was the stylish Seaside Palm Beach Hotel. Nestling within a nature reserve and adjacent to the edge of Maspalomas' famous sprawling sand dunes, this 5* hotel dates back to the 1970s but is classic not dated. Designed by renowned Parisian architect Alberto Pinto, it's modelled on a classic Florida beach hotel and shaped in a striking elongated 'C' shape. There's 328 colour-coded, stylish rooms here, with balconies overlooking either the pools or the nature reserve. Talking of which, there's not one but three crystal clear pools, including a heated adult-only one near to the beautifully maintained — and thankfully shaded — outdoor gym and spa facilities. 14 The Seaside Palm Beach hotel is, as the name suggest, right on the beach Credit: Seaside Collection Hotel 14 Welcoming rooms are bright and spacious Credit: Seaside Collection Hotel 14 The gorgeous pools are surrounded by comfortable loungers and parasols There's also outdoor tennis, petanque, shuffleboard, even a dartboard. And it's all a safe distance from the kids pool which is discreetly located at the other side of the resort. But enough of all this exercise stuff. If all you desire is a sunbed to soak up some rays, simply give the pool boy a ring and he'll meticulously fold and arrange two towels on your bed. Then he'll hand you a third and maybe a fourth to make sure you can dry yourself. It's meticulous stuff but it doesn't feel obtrusive, and the personal touches are brilliant. Given the efficiency of the entire operation, it isn't a surprise to learn the owner is German, Theo Gerlach. 14 The hotel is next to the Natural Reserve of Maspalomas Dunes Credit: Getty - Contributor This is one of three hotels on the island owned by his Seaside Hotels group and he still spends much of the year here, often in its boutique sister hotel, the nearby Residencia. But you can forget the old mañana mentality, things run like clockwork here. Don't even think, for instance, about wearing short trousers to dinner. It's strictly verboten and you'll just be told to go back to your room and find something more appropriate to put on. We were half board, with the option to have lunch rather than dinner on days we fancy venturing out for the evening instead. Our visit coincided with my birthday and before I'd reached the splendid breakfast buffet that day I was given some impromptu birthday wishes, while a slice of sachertorte and a bottle of Cava winged its way to my room for when I got back. Now that's a touch of class! 14 Seaside Palm Beach Hotel, Maspalomas, Gran Canaria Credit: Supplied 14 Seaside Palm Beach Hotel, Maspalomas, Gran Canaria Credit: Seaside Collection Hotel 14 Stewart loved the food at the Seaside Palm Beach Credit: Supplied 14 La Bodega restaurant 14 Fabulous food is on offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel While we're on the subject of food, meals tend to be served outdoors on the terrace — simply because that's what the guests want. But all the cakes, desserts and bakery products are kept indoors, away from any feather-friends. The main restaurant alternates between barbecue buffet and a la carte table service menu during the week. The biggest problem is that it's so good guests often decide it simply cannot be bettered by the two speciality restaurants on site, one tapas and one Italian. Three meals from the regular three-course menu which stick in my mind are the king prawn starter with grilled endives and potato and truffle foam, the beef consomme with truffle dumplings and the magret of duck with mashed chestnut, cabbage and mango. There are combinations you don't see every day and the volume of plates coming out the kitchen doesn't mean any compromise on quality. Put simply, it's a fabulous hotel and that's why so many of their guests are repeat customers. GO: GRAN CANARIA GO: SEASIDE PALM BEACH HOTEL GETTING/STAYING THERE: A week's bed and breakfast at the 5* Seaside Palm Beach is from £1,270pp leaving Glasgow on June 2. See or While we were among the younger guests — a novelty these days —- there's a regular schedule of evening entertainment in the retro-style lounge bar, with ABBA and Boney M tribute acts belting out numbers during our time there. But maybe you're after something a bit more rough and ready from your Canaries adventure so I'll give you an insight into the sights and sounds outside the hotel. Exit stage left, walk beyond the 'El Charco' natural lagoon and you'll hit the whopping 12km of sand dunes which is the Maspalomas Natural Dune Reserve. This is proper white sand, not the black volcanic stuff in Tenerife and it's populated with little beach bars. The whole area is so vast that specialist areas exist where nudists like to let it all hang out - while surfers ride the waves on the bend which joins Maspalomas with Playa del Ingles. 14 The area is dominated by massive sand dunes Credit: Alamy 14 Beautiful beach near Maspalomas dunes and Meloneras district. Credit: Getty Exit stage right and you'll hit the famous Maspalomas lighthouse and an area called Meloneras which used to be a quaint little market town but now has a fancy boulevard with beach clubs, designer shops and tapas bars. There's a bit of everything here, with special marks for a little Irish bar looking at the ocean called Paddy's Beach Bar. With a fully-seated capacity which must be all of 12, the star of the show was exiled Irishman Brian who played exceptional lead guitar licks and belted out the likes of Status Quo and Dire Straits while fending off some Norwegians who were dancing so enthusiastically they invaded his personal space. And just like pigeons, we're already 'homing in' on a return visit to the Seaside Palm Beach.