Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ...
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it.
In August 2007, we booked a package holiday through Thompson online for an all inclusive 3*/4 in Tenerife, staying at the Mar Ola 1. We have never been to the Canary Islands before and wasn't quite sure what to expect. Of course the website over exaggerates the pictures and they never tell you the full story, so I hope my warts and all review will help in your decision for next years holiday.
These twin hotel/apartments are very popular with British holidaymakers. A suitable choice with families, couples or groups throughout the year, this place never shuts as we were told by a member of staff called Mac. The complex is separated into two buildings which are adjacent to each other and guests are encouraged to use both hotel facilities. Our rep from Thompson neglected to tell us this however until the last day of our holiday. Guests may be allocated a room in either building where the standards of facilities are almost identical.
ARRIVAL:
The flight from Southampton was 4 hours and 30 minutes. Getting through passport control was quick and there were no problems with our cases. The coach took around 30 minutes to get us from the exit of the airport to the hotel reception. We were the first to disembark. The coach dropped us off in the middle of the busy high street and at first all I could see was what looked like masses of flats and bars. It was a nightmare trying to cross the road with cases and three young children, even on a Zebra crossing the cars just ignored us.
Fortunately the rep took his life in his hands and just waded in the road halting the cars from going further and allowing us to cross. From the front the Mar Ola is not impressive, there is no sweeping driveway with palm trees lining the pathway, just a plastic canopy flapping under the warm breeze.
Checking in was easy, we were given our room keys upon receipt of passports. It is a regulation of the hotel to get copies of all the guests' passports for security, you can have them back after 3 or 4 days. I must admit I was apprehensive about handing something over like a passport to a complete stranger, especially in this day and age where identity theft is rife. Unfortunately you have no choice though if you want your room key.
If you are all inclusive you are all given the customary coloured bracelet before you go upstairs.
OUR ROOMS:
We were given two rooms next to each other on the second floor. A well maintained lift takes you and your luggage
upstairs safely and securely.
The key to the rooms were box standard mortice keys and were a pain to use. There was a knack to opening the doors and eventually I got the hang of it after standing outside my door for ages juggling with the handle and lock.
Inside we noticed that even though we had booked the all inclusive hotel package, we were actually given an apartment complete with kitchen, large balcony and a TV. With three children, it was a welcome sight to have all this extra space.
The room was clean and tidy with just the necessary basics. There was no trouser press, hair dryer or air conditioning unit. Thompson had also said there was air-conditioning but when I questioned the rep, she said there was, but just not in the bedrooms. There is a safety deposit box but that is payable to reception for the combination number.
The beds had a sheet and cotton cover over the top but unfortunately we all had only one very flat and hard pillow each. I was grateful I had taken my squashy pillow in the case. No spare pillows were in the room and no extra covers either.
The bathroom could have done with a severe make over, though clean, it still put me off as the décor was so dated and in need of repair. The floor tiles had dirt down the cracks and once wet, they were a safety hazard. No soap is provided so bring some from home but you are given two glass cups for your toothbrush and not much else.
One thing I noticed that after a bath and the water was running slowly down the plug hole, a horrid stench of ammonia would waft its way through the whole of the bathroom. It was putrid and we soon learnt to have a quick escape route of there. Towels are provided and are changed on alternate days, however these are not permitted on the poolside so please remember to pack your own.
The TV was a small 14" with a rather large black box attached to the side. The box was where you inserted your euros' if you wanted to watch just one 2 channels in English. It reminded me of the old electric meters in the 1970's where you placed you 50 pence coins in before the lights went out. I had some change and decided to see what was on for my children whilst I unpacked. My money was devoured at a rate of knots and the timer ran faster than a cabbie's meter. I guess I wouldn't be using this too much then. If the money ran out the screen would go to grey fuzz and there were no free channels to watch at all. Rather mean of the hotel I thought and very misleading of Thompson who described the rooms with having satellite TV but with no mention of a pay per view box next to it.
My balcony was huge, stretching the whole length of the room with two large French doors to exit out from. There was a clothes mule in the corner, a mop, bucket and a table with two chairs. The view was of the high street and Mount Teide, the volcano of which I have pictures. Like the bathroom tiles, when wet, these tiles are also very dangerous when the water was dripping from the washing, it made the surface feel like an ice rink.ENTERTAINMENT: According to the brochure, an in-house entertainments team arrange a selection of activities throughout the day and evenings. Well yes there was some entertainment, but blink and you'll miss it. Entertainment is none existent but Neil and Baz did their best.
The "entertainment " consisted of during our stay there: 1. A pool table in the outside bar which some of the children used as a climbing frame. Once during the day one of the staff would wander round shouting " Killer Pool" for kids and the under 18's could battle it out for the title of winner for that day. No prize given.
2. A dart board in the corner of the outside bar for adults only and for " Killer Darts" in the afternoon. Just the one match, blink and you'll miss it.
3. Volleyball net brought out in the pool by late afternoon for a non supervised game.
4. A parrot show in the main bar on a Monday night which as long as don't get caught by the keeper and photographer is quite an enjoyable hour's entertainment. If you want to hold one of the birds from Lora Parque it will cost you the price of a photo which was £10 payable immediately and in cash. The photo will get delivered in just a plain manila envelope to your hotel the next day or so, no fancy commemorative frame attached. If you try to take your own picture of the birds with the family, a member of Lora Parque will block your lens in order to stop you.
5. A casino night on Thursdays. This consisted of mobile roulette tables and poker tables being placed in the inside bar and the prizes were bottles of wine, tickets to an attraction on the island etc. The first few chips were free, after that you paid. Kids were allowed to gamble too but I refused to let my children join in and instead we went to bed for yet another early night.
6. Karaoke - enough said!
7. Movie night , a DVD playing on the large flat screen TV also in the main bar.
8. Internet access in the reception. A monitor, keyboard and a pay per surf box . It was on dial up speed, very slow except for the meter that chewed your money.
Both hotel blocks have a large free-form swimming pool with a separated children's section. Not sure if this pool is heated in winter but during the summer it was painfully cold. Unfortunately we were not blessed with the weather during our stay, it remained grey and overcast for the majority of the time so this did not heat the pool at all.
However the pool was great fun with my kids and the holiday is what you make it, not the hotel or its staff. I enjoyed splashing about with them whilst the music played from the bars speakers in the corner. The children's pool was pretty bad though in that it was not as clean as the main one and it was situated right at the far end of the complex, away from the main pool and the parents. Neither pool is supervised and has no attendants. The shallow end starts at 4 ft.
Sun beds are plentiful and free of charge. There was never any mad rush to get to the pool early as beds were always available. Once again, the floor was very slippery when wet. The pool was cleaned at 9pm each day and no one is permitted to swim after that time. Toys such as blow up balls and
Pictures of Mar Ola Apartments, Tenerife
inside our room
air beds were allowed in the pool and some of the previous residents had left their inflatables for future guests, just as we did when we left.
One nasty thing you must be prepared for are the Cockroaches, they are rife on the island and not just the hotel. You will see more than one in the evening and they will crawl over you if you are not aware. Do not squash them with anything as this releases the eggs, you have to inform a member of staff who will remove them safely. They are quite large and dark reddish brown, a bit like an over grown beetle.
The hotel reception will loan you (heh it's free at last) a can of repellent for your room and you have to spray it before you leave for the evening. To keep them out of your room you have to close the doors, which in the humid heat of the hotel walls is unbearable.
If you see one in your room either call reception or have a can of hair lacquer ready, then spray the cockroach as this kills them instantly without releasing eggs. Then just pick it up in the sieve which should be in the apartment and flush it down the loo. Do not step on them, apart from making a hideous crunch underfoot, you might end up with more than you bargained for. They also crawl into drinks at night, so keep yours in full view, not on the floor.
Toilets are flushable like home in the complex and loo roll can go down there too. Water is not drinkable at all costs, not even for teeth rinsing. The bar will give you as much bottled water as you need.
LOCATION: Even though you are in Playa de Las Americas, the road on which the Mar Ola is set is not such a great location, with nothing but a multitude of noisy bars and restaurants to walk to in the evening. Sleep is impossible in the evenings as you cannot shut the patio doors due to the humidity. There are no fans in the room to cool you down.
If you like a hotel that's reasonably quiet during the day with not much entertainment, then this will be ideal. The beach is just a bus ride away and the bonus is that the stop is almost outside the reception area. The airport is close by, just 20 minutes by car or taxi. Shops are and the markets are also about 20 minutes away. There are a handful of small expensive gift shops and the only thing I purchased was a newspaper each morning. The newspapers incidentally are delivered on the same day of publishing, unlike other Med resorts and cost around £1.50 sterling. English magazines were ridiculously expensive so avoid them until you get home.
FOOD AND DRINK FOR ALL INCLUSIVES: Even if you are paying half board or B and B rates, the times for the bar and restaurant still apply. The bar was quite expensive with prices ranging from £2 sterling for a soft drink. The only difference with not being all inclusive is you have to pay for food and drink.
With all inclusive you just help yourself to everything except the spirits behind the bar. The staff will always serve you. Wine, beer, cola, lemonade and Fanta are self serve by the pump. Plastic glasses are at the side and you simply pour them yourself. The wine is foul however, more like vinegar and the beer not much better. I was hoping for a Stella but it tasted more like one of the supermarket value brands, cheap and nasty.Breakfast served from 8 -10am, Continental breakfast is served (with coffee tea and juice between 10-11.30, lunch from 13.00 - 15.00 and dinner from 18.30-21.00.
Tea & Biscuits are served in the restaurant everyday between 17.00 - 18.00.
Wine, beer and soft drinks, coffee and tea are available all day and with lunch and evening meal. All locally produced alcoholic drinks are served which include Bacardi, whiskey, gin, vodka and cocktails. Branded label drinks are available at a cost.
Burgers, chips, hot dogs etc are served between 10.30 - 22.00 in the outside bar. In the 'Mexican Corner', alternative themed snacks are also served between 16.00 - 18.00 daily.
The bar staff were excellent, a big thanks to Jason, James, Kitch, lovely Janet, gorgeous and totally edible Tommy, (how I wanted to bring him home with me), Neil and Big Baz.
Mac started off friendly enough, he is the one that always hovers in the restaurant. Though he clears the tables and helps the newbie's settle in, I had the distinct impression he was watching those that didn't have a bracelet on incase they were helping themselves to wine, beer and cola. In the end I decided to stay clear of Mac, nothing more than a proper job worth at the end of the day .
Anyway buffet food in the restaurant was mostly edible. Plates were stacked at the side and you could have unlimited amounts . Each night there was a different dish with both a vegetarian option and one for meat lovers. Examples included chicken curry, rice, roast pork, paella, prawn curry, lasagne, salad, meat balls, etc. The deserts were nothing special so I opted for either double vodka as a pudding or a kid's ice cream. Food could be eaten on the veranda outside or inside, but not at the pool unless it came from the bar.
During the day the pool side bar kept us going with tuna or cheese toasties, huge burgers, hotdogs and chips and ice creams. After 11pm the bar was no longer free and only remained open for a further hour.
HOLIDAY PRICE:
To be honest I don't think we had a cheap deal after comparing prices with other customers. We paid in total for one week £3,700 all inclusive for 3 children and two adults. We flew from Ringwood airport as it was nearer and less stressful than Heathrow or Gatwick. Parking the car there for a week was a bargain at £30 and well worth every penny. This I did online too.
I booked the holiday online and paid £250 deposit and the remainder to be paid 12 weeks (not 8 like some companies) before departure. The tickets arrived normal post a week before the holiday. In hindsight I have come to realise that Thompson are not reasonable and appeared to distort descriptions of accommodation. This price did include the flight but it was with " Shambolic" airways and not even an in-flight meal unless you paid for it.
CONCLUSION:
Would I return? To the island yes but not to the hotel, unless I was bringing Tommy home! From his smouldering dark looks , wicked personality and deep Irish accent, I wanted him as my au pair. Tommy however told me after many years of living and working in Tenerife, learning to speak Spanish, he was not about to return to overcrowded England.
I am pleased only had a week at the Mar Ola, two would have been dragging the time away. Thankfully I packed lots of books and the kids had their PSP's, otherwise I would have been bored in the evening. It wasn't as if you could watch TV in your room either.
What made the holiday were the English staff, they were brilliant and a good laugh albeit one of the members. The Spanish owned complex only offered the real basics and even simple things like playing on the pool table was pay per play. From the parrot show to the pool table, the Mar Ola milks the parents for every penny and this was an all inclusive deal!
Also the grey and overcast weather let us down and the location was at the back of beyond. The sun really shone when we went on the Free bird Experience, which I recently reviewed on here but other than that, it was just like England.
There is a vast array of hotels on this island and I should have researched more other than just booking the first one I saw.
Hotel - Quinto Centenario, 7, Playa de Las Américas, Adeje, 38660 Tenerife, Avenida V Centenario 7, 38660 Playa de las Americas, Spain - 2 Stars - 165, 147, 115 Rooms
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Dec 6th, 2007
exceptional by (41%):
very helpful by (59%):
