TUI BLUE Oceana Suites - Adults Only

“A brilliant relaxing holiday and lovely hotel”

Having read some of the reviews, particularly those about the food, I was a little worried that I'd potentially booked the wrong hotel. Have to say this wasn't the case. Check in was quick and we were given a helpful A4 sheet to give us all the basic info. We were also served a delicious cold lemon… more

Having read some of the reviews, particularly those about the food, I was a little worried that I'd potentially booked the wrong hotel. Have to say this wasn't the case. Check in was quick and we were given a helpful A4 sheet to give us all the basic info. We were also served a delicious cold lemon drink while we filled in the registration documents and our passports were checked. We changed our pounds to dinars at the hotel desk at the same time and were given our room key. Our cases were quickly taken from us and carried by one of the staff although we could have easily managed them ourselves, but this tends to happen in all the hotels we've stayed at so we just tipped him at our room - 5dinars is an acceptable tip by the way. So far so good, all the staff we met along the way were lovely. The room was very spacious. We had a junior suite with a sea view and the view was lovely. Our balcony was very spacious and we had a table and 2 chairs. I was a little disappointed that we didn't have a daybed on the balcony as was shown in the TUI images, but it wasn't a big deal. Bed was comfortable and the pillows were also very good. One very soft and squishy and the other just a little firmer. There was a separate area for clothes and the fridge/kettle/safe were all in this area. The fridge came with bottles of water, coke, beer, a lemonade drink similar to Sprite and Orange Fanta. These were replenished each day and, as we didn't drink the full sugar coke (I'm diabetic), they were more than happy to switch these for something sugar free. The bathroom was very clean. There were double sinks, a separate shower as well as a bath (with shower head attached to taps) and the toilet was tucked away in a separate nook. We always had plentiful hot water no matter what time of day. The free toiletries were very nice and were topped up every day. As we arrived after lunch we spent the rest of our day unpacking and then went down to dinner. We were AI, but be aware that you need to sign for drinks regardless although no monies will be charged. Our waiter was great, once he knew what we wanted to drink he had this set up for us every evening. You usually sit at the same table every evening but can move around for breakfast/lunch. Despite me being quite a fussy eater as I'm diabetic but also pescatarian, I found more than enough to eat for every meal and was delighted to see they had very specific vegan dishes too. Lots of fresh fruit available as well as very delicious looking desserts - my husband sampled these and liked them. For breakfast they had pancakes, huge doughnut type things that the chef makes fresh for you - my husband loved them - waffles, eggs, sausages (no pork obviously), lots of pastries (the bread is to die for), traditional continental breakfast cheeses etc and various other things hot and cold. More than enough to suit anyone. They also had freshly squeezed juices (Orange, Lemon - delicious, and strawberry) every morning and a wide range of hot drinks for a machine. They also had different jam (I can recommend the quince jam) and yoghurt etc. I was more than happy. We booked this hotel because it was sold to us a an adult only hotel, this phrase then changed (after booking) to adults focused, I believe it's now going to be available to families too. This didn't bother me at all as we were off season, not in school holidays and there weren't any children at the hotel. Just be aware if you book for the summer that there very well might be kids there. The main pool was huge and there were never more than about 10 people (usually less) sat around it. Reception gives you two blue cards which you show to the pool guy who will then bring you comfortable cushions for the loungers and a huge towel each - he will swap these every day for you. Don't lose the cards as you need to hand these back when you check out. The waiter will also come from the main bar to take drinks orders and bring everything for you. You can walk straight out onto the beach from the pool and although the sea was just a little too chilly for swimming, a paddle was lovely and we did this a couple of times while looking for shells. The staff are out tending the gardens and taking rubbish off the beach every morning so it's quite safe to walk without shoes on the sand - though avoid the seaweed left by the waves as some of that can be a bit sharp. The hotel does have an indoor pool as part of the spa, this is heated but is simple a pool, not water jets etc - there are changing rooms and toilets adjacent to it and, as you're provided bathrobes in your room, you can just wear these and go directly back out to the pool if you want. I used the spa for a scalp/face massage - this also includes the neck and shoulders. It was 25 minutes extremely well spent. I've had neck problems for a few months and after the massage I am pain free and can now sleep comfortably - wish I'd gone for a massage much sooner. There is a souvenir shop alongside an shop selling things you might have forgotten to bring (toothbrushes etc) and some sweets/crisps and then a jewellery shop. There's not a lot of choice but you can always head out into town if you want anything else. The hotel is very secure and I felt very safe there, even strolling along the beach, no one bothered us. Again, this could be due to it being low season, but we liked the peace and quiet. The hotel also has a lovely bar area - straight in front of you as you walk into reception. Very comfortable chairs, games/books available for you to borrow if you want to and waiter service for drinks. We sat down here most evenings and there was lovely ambient music most of the time. We had some entertainment on a few evenings which usually started around 9pm - saxophonist, singer etc. As we're not too bothered about hotel entertainment, this was fine and we enjoyed them. None were loud enough that you couldn't sit and have a conversation while they were performing. Have to say we were very impressed by the cocktails/drinks on offer for the AI menu - lots of choice and we sampled a few. The maid was lovely, came every day and would do whatever part of the rooms you wanted, we had her change the bed every couple of days and do the bathroom daily, but otherwise, the room didn't get messy enough to require vacuuming every day. We handed her a good tip at the end of our stay. It was my birthday while I was there and I was presented with a very delicious chocolate cake. The maid also left me a lovely heart made of flowers and leaves on the bed which was lovely of her. If you want a week (or more) of tranquility then this is a perfect hotel. We've come home feeling relaxed and refreshed. The weather was sunny and warm every day and even warm enough to sit on the balcony on an evening. Listening to the waves as the sun sets was heaven. Excellent service, excellent food and excellent staff overall - would definitely stay here again but would come off-peak as I would think it would be quite busy in the Summer.

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