Occidental Jandia Mar

Just returned after a lovely week at the Occidental with my wife, my Sister and her husband. The staff were excellent and very friendly and helpful, the room was clean spacious and kept that way by the maids. I have noticed people complaining about the food but I have to say the food was excellent, piping hot and more than enough to satisfy every taste. The resort itself doesn’t have much to offer other than a beach but we were all inclusive so didn’t really mind this and yes there are lots of nudists on the beach but it made us laugh. Great holiday and we will definitely be back but this time with my children and grandchildren and I will also upgrade. Thank you

Just got back from 6 nights at the Occidental Jandia Mar on a Mum and daughter break in the sun. Bars and restaurants Other reviews complain of poor quality food but we both really disagree with this. The quality of meat is the best we have ever come across at any all inclusive hotel. There was varied styles of cuisines across our trip and meat felt as if was from your local butchers. Freshly cooked whole chickens, huge sirloin steaks, grilled chicken breasts and pork chops. The desserts were also definitely worth the calories. I loved the ice cream cabinet where you could have selection of ice creams in waffle cones. Shame this wasn’t available in the snack bar as this is open later in the day. I do think the hotel could improve by providing better serving utensils or maybe laying the food out in a better way. There was multiply times when there wasn’t enough serving utensils and people were cross using them with meat and veg which isn’t great for people with specific dietary requirements. They were also poor at food rotation and often just poured fresh food on top of food already out. Most of the drinks were self service which we actually really liked. It was very convenient to just get what you wanted when you pleased with no waiting about. This included soft drinks, wine, sangria, beer and coffee. Spirits and cava you had to ask for but that’s fair enough I guess. I also think the hotel could improve by having reusable plastic cups at the snack bar and pool bar. Currently they use paper cups which creates lots unnecessary waste. We want to mention Alfredo in the snack bar as he was a real credit to the hotel and deserves recognition for his continuous hard work keeping spotless continuously day in day out. He was also super friendly with everyone. Rooms Our room was very spacious. We were located in the main building in room 516 It had everything you could need - comfy beds, big rainwater shower, sea view balcony and a fridge. Rooms were slightly dated but very functional and more than comfortable for our stay. Entertainment Mixed feelings about the entertainment. There was a shown on every night some better than others. We really enjoyed Motown and ABBA. When the entertainment was outside you couldn’t really get away from it as it was right at the centre of the hotel and very loud. If you wanted a relaxing drink it wasn’t really possible. During the 2nd half of our holiday the entertainment was brought inside and this seemed to improve things. The lobby bar had musician/singer each night which we went to for pre dinner drinks which was nice. Day entertainment was your standard all inclusive timetable. Location Yes the hotel is on a big hill! We nicknamed it cardiac hill as it was so steep. We were also amused at the defibrillator at the top just in case. It is a bit out on the edge of town but has a promenade walkway path at the bottom of the hill up to and beyond the beach. There is also a gate at the bottom corner of the hotel so cuts of some of the hill. We like a walk on holiday so this suited us. I was also crazy enough to get up and run down it one morning. There is beach right at the end of the road but the main beach is further down on the other side of the lighthouse. It was beautiful so would definitely recommend going. There is a bus a few times a day to take you to the beach and bring you back if you don’t fancy the walk/hill. It is about 2.5km from the hotel. There are a few shops and restaurants etc to have a small mooch but nothing major. If you fancy a bit of nightlife this is probably not the place for you. We didn’t upgrade to the occidental plus. You get access to dine at the restaurant which I always thought looked a bit quiet with no one in it. I wouldn’t bother paying to use it as it was €20 per person which seems excessive but we didn’t use it so maybe I can’t properly comment. You can also get upgraded drinks. If you are happy to drink the local drinks then there is no need to upgrade at all. The wine is very drinkable and you can get all local versions of all the main standard spirits. If you are very particular about what you like to drink then there is much more choice if you upgrade but personally don’t think it’s needed. We aren’t massive drinkers anyway and were just on a good value trip away. Used the gym. This was small but had all the standard things you would expect. Spa didn’t look much so wouldn’t bother paying the €10 to use. This is included if you upgrade. Pool area has choice of 2 pools which was nice to shake things up. The top one had more going on than the lower one. The bottom pool was defiantly refreshening’. We had no problem at all finding sun beds at any time of the day. Very clean throughout and all staff we interacted with were very pleasant. It was windy while we were there and we were caught out by this a bit. Take a few extra layers and long pants for night as it does get chilly. Booked a day out to Oasis Wildlife Park which we would definitely recommend. There is a free bus which picks you up at the sister hotel. Overall we would recommend this hotel if you want a good value easy going week in the sun.