Axel Beach Maspalomas review: A gay paradise to cure the January blues
Booking with the world’s most famous gay hotel brand has its benefits
Have the winter blues got you down or does summer just seem too far away? Luckily, Gran Canaria is one of the most affordable winter sun destinations and easy to get to.
Located off the North-west coast of Africa, this Spanish island benefits from a microclimate that provides warm weather year-round. It also is something of a gay mecca, especially the town of Maspalomas in the south.
My partner and I are after a little gay getaway, so we book the Axel Beach Maspalomas, the world’s most famous gay hotel chain. Arriving at the entrance there is a big banner covered in images of men clad only in swimwear and various Pride flags. While Axel markets themselves as “hetero-friendly” there is no hiding who the target demographic is.
After a quick check-in, we step into the grounds, which is empty as we’ve arrived after the sun has gone down, and walk to the main building, home to 92 apartments spread across four floors. Our delightful north-facing apartment has a balcony overlooking the pool, gardens, and the Maspalomas skyline of white buildings and palm trees.
There is a comfy sitting area and a kitchenette equipped with a microwave, toaster, small fridge, kettle, and coffee maker for those looking to enjoy some home comforts. The air conditioning ensures we have some welcome respite from the daytime heat.
In the morning, we head to the poolside where there is a room with a small buffet of breakfast goodies including yogurts, cakes, fruit, fried sausages, and eggs. We enjoy our first meal of the day sat at a table on the pool deck with the sun beaming down on us.
Soon the deck chairs and cabanas start to fill up with men in revealing swimwear. When we take ourselves to the pool mid-morning, it’s already busy. There was a great atmosphere around the pool and there’s also a jacuzzi bubbling away and a small sauna where you can introduce yourself to your fellow guests. For those wanting to get their pump on while on holiday, the gym is also on the ground floor. The poolside Sky Bar serves drinks and has an extensive food offering available from eight in the morning to nine at night.
Of course, location is everything, and being located in the Playa del Ingles means we are only a five-minute walk from the massive open-air Yumbo Shopping Centre, which has lots of restaurants and plenty of gay-owned clothing shops to visit. In the evening, the Yumbo has everything a gay boy could desire from several cabaret bars, pubs dedicated to the hirsute male, two dance clubs, and some saucier venues too.
The hotel is also only a 30-minute walk from the infamous Maspalomas Dunes. The hotel staff direct us to Kiosk No 7 as a means of getting to the gay beach within the 1,000 acres of dunes. It is a bit of a trek across the sand, but when we hear Lady Gaga blasting from the speakers of the beach bar, we know we’re in the right place. There are rows upon rows of sun loungers filled with men tanning themselves under the baking sun in and out of swimwear.
The dunes are also a popular cuising ground and it’s almost a struggle not to spot action going on here and there. Later, we head back to the cool comfort of our air-conditioned room before another night out drinking in the – bizarre as it sounds – shopping centre.
After three nights of sun and fun, we pack up our suitcases and see from our balcony that they are setting up the poolside DJ booth for the regular Saturday Pool Party that we were unaware of when we booked. I suppose we now have a reason to come back.
For more information or to book a stay visit axelhotels.com