Having read a number of the reviews about this hotel my wife and I were somewhat apprehensive about the 2 weeks we had booked here through Thompson holidays. This wasn't helped by the comment made by the rep as we sped off from the airport, "the next hour will be spent on the most boring road in the world . . . ". Ok, Fuerteventura isn't going to come first in the "prettiest island" competition - scrub, more scrub, goat! scrub, house (?), another goat, more scrub . . - but I'd read about the history of the 'windy island' before I'd left (good idea for those who think its another Majorca!!) and so was aware of the bleakness of the landscape. Let's face facts, you don't go to Fuerteventura for the scenery, you go for the sun; to sit in the sun, to lie in the sun and that's what the holiday's there are focussed on.
So, the resort. The Occidental Grand is a large complex of 3 story blocks with seperate eateries, bars, reception, and entertainment areas. It covers a large site, so there are plenty of walkways to wander along and so many pools that I lost count! We were met by friendly, efficient staff, but did have a wait of around 15minutes to check in. The room was vast, the bed gigantic - rolling over 3 times to get to the wife was quite novel! - and clean & tidy. Constant hot water, daily maid service - all A1. It overlooked the kids playground and just round the corner from the optional nudist area. Now, a complaint at last - the naturist aea was full of Germans, BUT, that was not a problem. The problem was that this area was relatively small and crowded while other parts of the hotel, the 'textile' areas, were almost empty. Facilities included a 'deigner outlet' (bit pricey!), coffee shop, indoor games room and 2 outside bars, one opened during the day for drinks & snacks, the other in the evening.
The beach, accessed via a steep stairway was superb; fine golden sand and clear water and just metres from the hotel - luxury! Stone groins built against the cliffs give areas of privacy for those who wanted to strip off and you could walk for miles in either direction, stopping off at beach bars for a drink or a snack when the mood took you - and it did with us often! One thing, this is a 'clothes optional' beach, so, if the sight of the naked human body troubles you, then this isn't the place for you.
Back to the hotel. We were on an all inclusive deal so the quality and quantity of the food was important as the hotel was a long way from the nearest town. We found that it could not be faulted - lots of everything was available and the quality was top notch. We especially enjoyed the theme nights and the local recipes especially so. Obviously, being an island, fish was plentiful but every palate was catered for.
Similarly the drinks; tea & coffee were always on hand and the alcoholic ones, all locally made, were excellent, the Red wine (er, my favourite!) especially so. A word of caution, all the drinks at the pool bar were 'help yourself' - that included wine, the local beer and the spirits! - and so it could be quite easy to get somewhat merry in a very short time if you weren't careful (hic!).
Lastly the entertainment. We spent most nights either in the main bar or the outside bar. Staff were friendly and again, the drink did flow far too easily. What shows we did see were ok, but by that time of night we were so knackered from swimming, sunning and climbing down to the beach and back again that (in our late 50s!) we retired before midnight and slept lake babes!
Overall this was a highly enjoyable fortnight of pure relaxation and yes, we would go again - in fact we are looking now for next spring.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC