Corralejo, Apartments Oasis Village

I went here for a week just Myself and my boyfriend for a break. We got excellent value for money. The apartments are very spacious and clean. Before we got there we read reviews re: air con so that worried us a little but we never once had a problem we just left the balcony doors open throughout the night. The entertainment wasnt really for us as we are 27 it was more family orientated but we heard about a bar called Flicks which we recommend you go if you want a good night out, cocktails & dancing! The food wasnt for everybodys taste but we never found it a issue. The staff and reps here were very friendly and helpful. The pools are also very clean we found the smaller pool more quiet as the larger pool is more popular for families. There is a lovely beach but it is quite a walk so a taxi or bus may be a better option for some. We went on the fred olsen trip to Lanzarote, It was a lovely day out althogh we didnt take a towel and had to buy one there as all there really is to do is shop/restaraunts or the beach. The waterpark is about a five minute walk from the hotel although we never went it looks good! Overall We had a fantastic holiday, No complains at all and We would go back.

Before booking this holiday, I spent hours pouring over all the recent reviews of this hotel in order to get an overall picture of the place and not just rely on one disgruntled persons view. (I know, I should get out more). I had to do this, as the reviews are so variable with their comments and perceptions. So reading between the lines, we decided to bite the bullet and go for it, as the price for all inclusive here seemed too good to be true.We are a normal regular couple with no children on a double income and when we go on holiday we like a good quality hotel. We have been coming to Corralejo for five years in the Winter and normally stay at the Blue Bay Palace, which is a gorgeous hotel (just read the reviews!). However, because of the credit crunch etc. we required more for our money this year and went for the Oasis Village. I will be extremely honest in my review as I think this is best for you, the reader! Its no good having a grumble about one thing and letting it mar your view of the rest of the hotel, as I think maybe the negative comments that some people are giving are due to maybe one or two things not being quite right then letting that bring your opinion of everything else crashing down. Therefore this will be completely HONEST in every respect.First Impressions: The hotel has a very nice frontage with a pleasant and airy reception area. At check in, there were a number of couples and families in front of us, but that is to be expected as a couple of flights had just landed. When we got to the front desk it took literally seconds to check us in. The staff are polite and efficient, they provided us with a map and verbal directions to the room. Please take careful note of what the receptionist tells you about how to find your room.Rooms: Even listening to her and following the map, at first it is a little confusing for the tired traveller and we went in circles trying to find the front door! Your door is french window sliding style (which I initially thought was the back door, hence the circling!). You have three spacious rooms, living room, bedroom and bathroom. The living room and bathrooms are a double frontage affair, with french windows for the bedroom too. On the plus side, this double frontage means you get a very large terrace and can throw these doors open during the day. On the minus side, however, you are afforded no privacy in the bedroom with the curtains open! Therefore, you find yourself leaving the bedroom curtains shut most of the day with the light on which seems a shame. (this is because If you are like us, you are constantly running about in a state of semi undress to the bedroom from the bathroom having showered, changed clothes etc and you need your privacy!). Also, if the room is hot (luckily this time of year it wasnt too humid at night) there is'nt a window to open or air conditioning, I assume this would be a problem in the Summer. A bit of a faux pas in the design really.Anyway, the rooms are HUGE! so big in fact you dont know what to do with it. There is a sofa bed, armchair, coffee table, large sideboard with a kettle and two cups and saucers to make your hot drinks if you want. There is a working fridge to hold cold drinks and milk, which is a nice touch. The bedroom was also roomy, with twin beds and a triple wardrobe with drawers. We found there was more than enough room for all our stuff. The furniture is in good order, but looking a little tired due to being knocked into, but not too bad really. The bathroom is massive but in need of updating, we felt. The tile grouting looked grubby in places, the bath looked too old and just generally the bathroom needs sprucing up. The towels provided were old and to be frank, I would have thrown them out. Some had old stubborn stains and needed replacing but they were clean. The shower worked very well and there was always hot water, however long I took in there! We also had a problem with the odd ant making an appearance which was a nuisance. On our arrival, the bulb had blown in one of the living room lights, we left a note about it and it was changed that afternoon.So, apart from the above.... what is our overall impression? The place was extremely spacious, clean and airy, and quite homely. If, like us, you prefer to ENJOY your precious time away and don ' t want to spend it fuming and stomping about, griping about the little issues above, then you will be very happy with the accommodation. If however, you let these things get under your skin, then you might want to look elsewhere, where the towels are changed daily and the rooms are perfect. Its your call.The towels and sheets were changed twice while we were here (One week). I would have prefered more frequent towel changing, but its no biggie.Surrounds: Outside your terrace (with nice patio furniture) is a beautiful garden area, set with palm trees etc. This is like a little courtyard as the rooms are in an oval shape around the gardens. There are very pretty hibiscus hedges around your terrace which are beautiful to look at as you sip your sangria in the evening! We were unfortunate in being in a position, however, where our terrace hardly got any sun all day, but I daresay some of the rooms must do at some point of the day. (They are set out in four 'blocks' A-D) The two pools and the surrounds are kept spotless and are very attractive, with many mature palm trees that are lovely to look at and also provide some shelter from the sun. Every single sunbed I looked at was clean, spotless and not broken (Unlike some hotels). They really are kept in tip top condition. And there are so many, there was never a fight for a sunbed here. A real plus for someone who hates the usual scrummage to beat everyone else to the best spots around the pool!Food: This accommodation is three star, so we werent expecting five star food. And it isnt. It is varied and plentiful and if you make sure you look at all the different dishes before you get your plate you generally will find something. To be honest, the food served is similar to what you produce when you think ' lets make something quick out of the freezer ' . Lots of chips, sausages, mash etc.. like home comfort food. Some days it was very tasty, basic, but quite delicious. Other days I didn ' t find anything in the main area that took my fancy, so I had a baked potato and a salad selection which is always fresh and plentiful.The buffet is not set out very well, I could never find the butter to go with the bread which for some bizarre reason is in the far corner of the dining room.Breakfast selection is vast, the hot selection was always hot, which I found surprisingly refreshing as I normally find hot breakfasts far from hot once served up. There is even a microwave to heat things up, but I never saw anyone feel the need to use it.Worst thing was trying to find a clean table sometimes. The poor staff are extremely hardworking but cannot keep up with the pace. We often had to clear other peoples mess away before we could eat.General: We dont normally go all inclusive. It reminds me of the sitcom, Benidorm. I hope I dont sound snobby, but there were people here that reminded us of the characters on that show, complete with Union Jack shorts and Football shirts which seems to be the uniform for some people abroad! If you can laugh at this sort of thing, mingle, or be happy keeping yourself to yourself like us, then all the better. Seriously though, If large crowds of families on a cheap break making a bit of noise around the pool leaves you cold, then you might want to look elsewhere.Staff were always efficient and very hardworking and we hardly had to queue up at all for drinks, but this might be due to it being a quiet time of year.Location: The hotel is located next door to Baku Park. This waterpark is closed at this time of year, but I think some parts of it remain open (such as the swimming-with-the-sharks experience) As we don't have children it doesnt bother us that the park is shut, but make note of this if you have kids and plan to come during the Winter months. Im not sure when it reopens for the summer.It is a pleasant stroll into town from the Oasis Village, but if you are not a good walker you might find it quite a trot, however, there are plenty of inexpensive taxis around the town and the hotel will call you one if you dont fancy the walk. We go at a very leisurely pace and it takes about 15 minutes to get to the bars and restaurants. If you turn right out of the hotel, rather than left towards the main road, there is a lovely little complex, very new, which has a wonderful place for kids, it is full of bouncy castles of all shapes and sizes, loud music and the kids seemed to love it! Within this complex are good quality shops and cafes, and there is a bell tower you can climb for no cost and the view is lovely. (These bells are the chimes you can hear at the hotel). Also if you go this way out of the hotel, it is a short cut to the Corralejo beaches and the harbour area, (pick up a map from the reception and you will find your way, its easy)Resort: We have now been here five times and have seen this place grow and expand. However, it still maintains a lot of charm, especially in the old town area but like a lot of up and coming resorts there are pluses and minuses. Personally speaking, we are NOT fans of the British style pubs that spring up abroad. I find them embarrassing. There is a strip that looks like Blackpool to your right as you walk into town, down a side street, however it is easily bypassed if you just carry on! There are quite a few places that do live bands but our favorite is the Imagine Bar. Here, you will find a musician playing his guitar most nights alongside many other instruments. He is brilliant! Write a request on a piece of paper, pop it on the wheel, he spins it and will play whichever one is at the top! It has a very laid back atmosphere so if you want a rest from all the hubub come here! If you are a musician you can jam with him up on stage. We never tire of his antics and bad jokes!Make sure you take a stroll around the harbour and beaches during the day as it is lovely and the views across to the Isle of Lobos are fantastic.The weather this year was disappointing, we normally have sun all week but four of our seven days away were cloudy and a bit chilly. But by the time we left it was scorching sunshine. Make sure you take clothes that take account of the evenings that can be chilly. Remember: this island is renowned for its wind! That ' s why the hotels are built surrounding the pool area, to provide wind break. If you have time, please make sure you visit the Dunes!! Absolutely breathtaking beaches, but windy, remember. Well worth a few visits during your stay! The hotel provides a courtesy bus but taxis are cheap anyway.Would we go back to this hotel? If the price is right, yes we would. BUT DON ' T expect five star standards at a three star hotel.Would we return to this resort? YES, again and again, we have fallen in love with the place.I hope you have found this helpful, if you did, please vote yes.