Occidental Jandia Playa

If you are heading out to The Occidental Playa and having some concerns with regards to covid, then be assured that the hotel and staff are conducting their business in a very safe and professional manner. I initially headed out for seven nights, but it was so relaxed I swapped my flight and stayed for an extra four nights. The hotel is doing a fine job running as best as it can with low occupancy, obviously the upside to this as a guest is you never have to queue for anything, can easily get a sunbed and a very socially distanced table to eat at. The real strength of any business is the staff, and this is where the hotel is doing very well and in a very difficult time. Starting with reception, whilst waiting a couple of minutes to book a taxi and hearing the staff speak at least five different languages fluently, amazing. The restaurant staff making sure we all wear a mask properly and hand sanitize regularly, the catering staff working so hard to provide regional dishes and make sure the foods are regularly replenished. The bar staff are doing a fine job, the lady who often works the pool bar and the three guys who do the evening bar , such a friendly bunch, the lifeguard making sure everyone is safe, the pool guys making sure everything is clean, the cleaning staff doing the room very well each day and leaving plenty of water, and finally the entertainment staff , all four that I saw were excellent, and Rachel & Isabel what great energy. When things get back to normal, hotels with great staff will bounce back far faster and I'm looking forward to going back next year.

My husband and I are currently staying at Occidental Jandía Playa.... First impression: We arrived end of Sept. in the late afternoon- hotel really empty (they said only operating at about 30%), reception and bigger areas were clean with plenty of “safety” measures put in place all around hotel due to the current situation. We were also able to check right in without a problem and reception was helpful with questions. Regarding parking- we were able to park along the street right outside the hotel (and have everyday) without any problem finding a space, and it is free parking on the street. Room: We were put into block 1 on the upper floor. Our view was a mix of the pool/pool bar and we could see the ocean as well. Sunrise is also beautiful. To be honest, it would have been nice staying in one of the blocks closer to the beach, but it was also quite nice that we did not have to hike our big suitcases up/down/around the hotel. The room was close to the main building and easy to reach the dining area, pool and reception. The room itself was average- not the best nor the worse. Beds comfortable. Room could use an update, but it was nicely tidied everyday. Depending on your neighbors...not very sound proof though as you can hear them moving things around or closing doors. The balcony doors, however, are very sound proof and once you close them you can’t hear anything from outside. The thing with block 1 is that since it’s close to the main building, and if you have the doors open, you will most likely be able to hear the live evening entertainment. We enjoyed it with the doors open, but once we closed them we could no longer hear music and such. Room/Hotel amenities: Hairdryer in rooms (needs updated, low power and they look very old/used); no tea kettle in our room, but we requested one from reception and were brought one right away; mini fridge; can request extra towels or get new ones each day; for beach towels there is a 10€ deposit you pay at reception then you pick up the towels from the pool bar (with this deposit you also get an extra card (per towel) where you are able to exchange the towels one time) and when you return the towels at the end then you get your 10€ back; you have to pay to use the safety deposit box in the room......never heard of this before, but no other option so we paid that fee......; to use the gym, you have to request a time slot from their app or at reception and then go pick up the key from reception before your scheduled time- never a problem booking a time. Overall, gym was small but had weights and some cardio machines, etc.; the beach- was beautiful, but the walk there was not...really, from the hotel in general it was a 10 minute walk. From our block, about 20 since you have to walk all the way down the hotel to the exit and then down the side of the hotel then thru an underpass or cross the street...then ~200m to the left is an entrance. They do have chair/umbrella rentals on the beach for some €€ per day; the pool is nice- there are 3 for guests to use. Of course though, the problem lies with people reserving chairs....although there are signs saying this is not allowed, the staff does not enforce this at all. We came down to the pool one afternoon and many of the chairs were taken by towels/bags/shoes but no people. These “chair reservers” showed up some hour(s) later to reclaim such chair; bottled water- still trying to figure this one out. Upon our arrival we had two large water bottles waiting free of charge, but it seems that maybe they only give you new bottles once per week if at all. They have only been replenished once during our 1.5 week stay so far. I’m not sure if you can request them or if the room staff should replace them everyday. Dining: It’s a buffet. We only chose Halbpension as we knew we would be eating out often and not spending so much time at the hotel to need our drinks included. Overall, the food is ok- again not the greatest and not the worst. There is always some (little) variation each evening. The only thing is that some of the food is not warm. It’s already a bit cool and then when you eat it, it’s cold. My biggest complaint is seating. Each pension has their own area- plus people, all inclusive, and half pension. When it comes to breakfast, half pension and all inclusive people can sit wherever they like, however not in the plus section. At dinner, you must sit in your own section. Sometimes it makes you feel a bit segregated from everyone else. Although we haven’t had this problem, the half pension outside section has just a few tables compared to the the other outside sections, which are huge. The other evening it was so busy in half pension that people who wanted to sit outside were not able. A pity especially regarding how many tables are actually empty in the plus and all inclusive sections. Side note: The reasoning for these sections is to adequately service the guests- in other words make sure that the half pensioners pay for their drinks and do not sit where they shouldn’t, and then recieve no further service. On a positive note, there are some great waiters and waitresses who are very, very friendly and kind. Location: The location is good in comparison to Morro Jable and Sotavento/Costa Calma. There is a shopping center down the street and also a small one directly in front of the hotel (a lot of the shops are closed). There is also a grocery store in front of the hotel should you need any snacks. It took us about 45 minutes from the airport to hotel. Overall: The hotel does its job and offers some nice things. Lots of measures in place because of corona. Unfortunately, it’s not a place I would rate as a 4 star. I also would not stay again nor recommend it to a family member or friend. There are plenty of wonderful hotels on the island that offer more and better options for similar price points.