Occidental Jandía Playa

I’m just coming to the end of my stay here, it should have been two weeks but due to the French Air Traffic Control strike, it became an 11 day stay. I came on holiday to rest rather than to party so you may want to bear that in mind while reading this review. The hotel is laid out in terraces that give amazing, uninterrupted views. The gardens are well maintained and the whole complex is very clean and tidy, rooms are cleaned daily with fresh towels and linen as required. I really appreciate the environmental considerations too. The bed was really comfy and the pillows were real ones, not overinflated, rigid foam things but real snugglers! Sometimes, All Inclusive food can be repetitive and uninspiring but the range and quality here are absolutely fantastic. For breakfast there is/are fresh fruit, juices, pastries, breads, bacon, sausages, eggs, tea, coffee and lots more. Lunches and evening meals include fresh fruit, soup, pizzas, pasta, meat, chicken, pork, fish, cheeses, breads, potatoes, vegetables, salads, pate, paella’s and lots more. One thing that I really liked was that some meats and fish were cooked fresh on a griddle. Ditto the pizzas. I thoroughly enjoyed every meal, tried some new things and some old favourites. I don’t normally eat breakfast but somehow it turned into a three course affair! Also, the Chef does a Guacomole dip that is like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. I could have eaten that with crisps or crackers for my whole stay. Drinks were very good on the AI. I have a limited requirement but there was red, white and pink wines, fizzy wine, lots of spirits, beer, soft drinks, cocktails, tea and coffee available at all times and you got two bottles of water in your fridge on arrival. I’ve never been one for on site entertainment, preferring to read and listen to my own music or podcasts but most mornings there was Yoga or Pilates to start the day. I have to say, this was one of the unexpected highlights of my holiday. Taking an hour to stretch and gently exercise whilst looking at the sea or sky was just amazing. There were other classes, water volleyball, Aquarobics, etc that were professionally organised and well attended too. The pools were pristine clean (one heated) and well maintained. The sunbeds were set out with spares in the background. There were a couple of floor tiles that were cracked on the pool terrace but they weren’t unsafe or dangerous. There were one or two scuffs to the paintwork as well. Neither of these detracted from my enjoyment in any way, if anything they made the hotel more homely and welcoming. I don’t like everything to be pristine, sterile and perfect, I prefer lived in and loved. At the beginning of my stay the music round the pool was too loud for my taste but it moderated to an acceptable level after a few days. I do like peace and quiet when I’m resting. It is a busy hotel with a lot of guests but it has never felt impersonal, crowded or rushed. It feels welcoming, spacious and relaxing. I would highly recommend it. The staff work hard and are pleasant and accommodating. Given my experience on arrival and a couple of other travellers that I met along the way, I would encourage the hotel to either escort guests to their room (or within the area) on arrival or give more precise directions. Arriving after a long day is hard, when you are not orientated, have no idea where you are going and it is dark, finding your accommodation can be hard. This is not welcoming and can be easily addressed. The rest of the stay was faultless but first impressions are important. That aside, this is one of the nicest, best kept, well maintained, cleanest and most welcoming hotels that I have ever stayed at. The food is awesome and the views are amazing. I am going home re charged and rested. Thank you. X

Nice location if you stay past block 2 it's a struggle to get up the steep steep hill to the facilities other then thus it is a nice hotel rooms need a little updating good well stocked bars food avrige.

I stayed here in April for 10 days dont bother booking the express transfer as you won't get it transfer was around 1h 35 to the hotel .We were taken by golf buggy to our room and settled in .had a sea view which was perfect. found the food great and alcohol was too . Half way through our week my wife was using the bathroom when the window dropped down on her face which gave her a lump and headache for a few days . We spoke to reception about it at the time they arrived with some Ice for her head . My wife complained and asked about a doctor we were told £500 euros to see one . On another occasion we came back to our room to find it full of ants . Swimming pool could be kept cleaner noticed the day before scum around the side if the pool. We paid €20 for a cake and asked for a table for a birthday which was forgotten about which was disappointing (we did get the cake in the end .) Transfer home was 2h 15 we stopped at every hotel on the way home which ment as soon as getting into airport we had to board to go home . We did enjoy some aspects of this holiday but we agreed we won't be going back again .

I read loads of mixed reviews on trip advisor before we travelled and I rarely take the time to provide one myself but think it was important to make the effort this time. I’ve tried to be completely honest with this review so it can be useful to others (hopefully). We stayed between the 12th and 19th May in a superior room on an all inclusive basis. Like every other holiday I contacted the hotel in advance requesting a room that was in the main building and close to the lifts, because my wife has severe mobility issues and cannot do stairs or steep slopes. Yes the hotel is built on a hill with the various buildings heading away from the main building downhill towards the beach, but this didn’t bother us because all we wanted to do was relax in the sun and the pool would’ve been enough. Check in was quick and easy, although we arrived 2 hours early and had to wait for the room so were given our wristbands and allowed to use the facilities on offer. The hotel. In general was immaculate throughout and kept very clean and smelt nice too ( the little air fresheners spread throughout helped. It is a little way out of town but a taxi is only 3 euros and if your like us and hire a car there are plenty of places to park. The room is 15 years old, so a little dated, but it was large, very clean and had great views of the sea. TV had several English channels which is nice. Mini bar stocked. New bottle of water everyday. Rainfall shower was a nice touch, as was bath robes, slippers and pool towels in room (so no need to tick off another chore). Pools were all very clean and we avoided the heated one as that’s where most went and we wanted something quieter and we prefer to cool off when we get in and the heated pool was a little too much like a warm bath for us. Spa was nice although I think it would be more beneficial on a day when the weather wasn’t so nice but it was 26 degrees plus all week so we didn’t stay for long. The Restaurant. The food was very nice and yes if you’re the sort of person who throws everything onto one plate then by the end of the week it’s repetitive, but if you opt for a more sensible approach and have say paella with a side salad instead of paella, pork chop, chicken, chips and pizza then the next day you could have chicken… the next beef stew and rice… I’m sure you get the gist but I found this worked for me and had plenty of things to choose from for each day and never ate the same thing twice. AND HERE IS THE IMPORTANT BIT My wife spotted a fly in our coffee jug ( which could happen anywhere ) and we reported it to our waitress who then got the manager. He was so nice an very apologetic but we didn’t want to make a fuss and just left our breakfast ( lost appetite) and left the restaurant. I’ve always judged businesses by the way they deal with adversity or issues because their service or product is, let’s face it, what’s expected. When we returned to our room there was a note asking us to go to reception where we were told we’d been upgraded to AI+ which gave us access to a separate area in the restaurant which had a pod coffee machine, a private terrace with day beds etc and any brand of drink we liked (although standard AI includes some good brands such as Gordon’s and Smirnoff anyway). We did not expect this upgrade nor were we angling for it but felt that the hotel had really taken the minor issue seriously and acted without haste to remedy it, for which we were very grateful. The Snack bar Very clean and good selection of food and drinks on offer. You can eat inside or outside, which is nice. The bars Yes sometimes you queue but not for long. The drinks were served professionally and with a smile (and small talk) at all times. The staff I can’t think of anyone in the hotel who didn’t have a polite cheery demeanour and this definitely helps make you enjoy your stay. Would we come again? Probably at some time in the future, but we try and stay at different places when we holiday so it may be a while. Would we recommend this hotel? Without question it’s a yes from us. Summary It’s a large hotel complex, built in 2004, that does show signs of its age in the rooms, but the public areas not so much. The staff are great. It’s in a good location with great views of the sea. Food and beverages are to a good standard. Shops and restaurants adjacent to the hotel will be enough for most to not need to venture further afield should they need to escape the hotel. Thank you to everyone at the hotel for making this an enjoyable stay for us.

Solo holiday for 11 nights May 2011 - i always find booking in advance and availing of the senior citizen (over 55's) discount along wirh the 10% off loyalty discount great value - especially when not in high season