Just returned from 4 nights stay last week. Complaints far too numerous to list here. My wife and I stayed at One & Only Palmilla 2 years ago, and anticipated same type of service from this location. Ocean Club service/accomodations are NOT EVEN CLOSE. This one needs to be dropped from the One & Only chain. We're mid 30s and don't expect to be treated like royalty, but the despicable service around EVERY turn left us just amazed. At this price point, the staff has a lot to learn about simple customer care. In particular the pool and beach staff and the butlers. Without exaggeration, I have had better service at $49/night motels. Our views were shared by other guests we met on the beach. We concur with every negative review of this place, and implore all those who are considering a stay here, to travel to Palmilla or elsewhere instead! Even The Cove at Atlantis beat Ocean Club in every category.

My husband and I just returned from the one and only . We spent our honeymoon there!. I would recommend this place for a honeymoon. The surroundings are beautiful and intimate. The ocean view and beach are breath taking. My favorite spot was the cloisters which was located by the pool. The statues and garden were very lovely. I thought most of the staff especially our butler were very accomodating.
Now here the only problems I had with the place. There is only one shop located on the grounds and it's a boutique with clothes that are outrageously priced. There are hardly any convience items in the shop. Furthermore the mini bar which is filled with snacks, suntan lotion, and a camera for 27 dollars is such a rip off!!! furthermore don't plan to be hungry in the late afternoon because the restaurants shut and prepare for dinner. Dune offers a bar menu but it's quite heavy for a before dinner meal.
However I do recommend the courtyard restaurant, the surroundings are very lovely, service excellent, and food great!!!

so if you decide to go be prepared to pay for a lot of extra things and please don't forget to say please and thank you to who is assisting you. I've noticed so many people failing to do that, just because you may have money doesn't give you the right to disrespect the staff!!!!!!!!!! They are working their butts off to please you. Respect them!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks,
Lauren

Arrived for 2 nights last Monday April 7th and left Wednesday 9th, 2008

I arrived at the One and Only through an enticing entrance driveway edged with lush green foliage on both sides.

I was seated in the lounge/library and offered pink lemonade and/or champagne. Very inviting and comfortable.

The staff was very very courteous. Management ,response and follow-up lacking . The check -in staff was very very professional and pleasant.

I stayed in room 2064 , 2nd level
with a view overlooking the main lawns and ocean. nice.

My problems were:
There were no wash rags in the bath room for 2 days and I got them only after I had to mention the problem to the concierge

The shower floor below t he glass door had mold and mildew . (Questionable hygiene practices.) This was cleaned fater I mentioned it.

The "telescopic" shower arm couldnt stay up so I had to hold it or rest it on the floor while I lathered. This was never corrected even after I told the staff .

I called the front desk for a Butler, they said he was immediatelty on the way, one hour later he showed up and I told him I'd iron my own shirts.

For the rates they charged I'd certainly not have expected that experience, actually Ive never experienced a shower with mold even at lower categaory hotels.

The make shift Courtyard restaurant was pleasant but I spoke with the room quests and they were not amused by the dining noises and you get a feeling of being watched.

The DUNE beach restaurant has a great feeling especially at night and the beach views are beautiful. Breakfast on the open deck was very enjoyable and peaceful. Only problem is the Dune for evening dining is VERY noisy and everyone raises their voices to be heard over the din.


I didnt experience the pool cafe

The bed was very comfortable but the side night tables were chipped , also the chest of drawers in the closet

The grounds were very nicely maintained, and the landscape lighting was not overbearing.

Very disappointing yet the hotel has so much potential. Once again a hotel is only as good as it's staff and management.

The grounds at the Ocean Club are very pretty and well maintained. The beach is lovely too and the first impression you receive is very favourable.

The Beach
The beach and the sea are immaculate, no debris, no stones etc. The sand is really soft and white and the sea is aquamarine, just like the picture. If you were coming here with young children I don't think the sea would be suitable as it is not one into which you can wade, you are out of your depth within a couple of steps. There are gentle waves which are fun as long as you can swim. Talking about kids, if you have them then Atlantis is probably the place for you. It is utterly massive and would keep them amused, but not a place to stay if you don't have kids.

The Service
This is what most people complain about in their reviews. We had previously stayed at the One & Only Residence & Spa in Dubai where the service was utterly impeccable. However, all the staff there is imported, whereas here the staff comprises only of locals. We found almost all of them to be extremely friendly and willing to help. With those that seem slightly surly I don't really think they intend to be, I think it is a cultural "yeah man" thing. Charm works well with these people - much better than ranting. You can make them smile in an instant and then they can't do enough for you. I went to collect tea and coffee from the lobby (which is complimentary until 11am) and there was a man having an absolute fit because his newspaper hadn't been delivered. Some people might be better served by a clinic rather than a hotel.

The Room
We had a luxury beachfront room in the Crescent wing, which looks exactly like the picture on the One & Only website. We are at the end of the cresent so are about 25 metres from the beach and the ocean.
The room is large, clean and pleasant and the beds are very comfortable, no complaints. The bath is really nice and takes two perfectly. The shower is a proper walk in rain shower with a seat. We returned to our room one day to find the bath had been filled with rose petals and candles had been put all around. This was just a nice gesture from the butlers, no charge. We had 2 butlers (in shifts) and they were both delightful. Desiree and Terrance called in once or twice a day (unless the Do Not Disturb notice was up in which case you would not see them). They made reservations at restaurants for us, gave us advice on what to do etc and really couldn't have been more pleasant.

The Gym
We went to the gym every day. It has most of the equipment anyone would need. It isn't the swishest gym you have ever seen, but it does the job. The tennis courts are right next door and were used daily, but always had courts free. There is also a table tennis table in the Kids' Club, which they were happy for us to use. Take care though as there isn't much room behind the table and you would fall off the step behind if you got a bit carried away. A table tennis for adult use would be a nice addition and could easily be fitted next to the pool.

The Weather
The BBC 5 day forecast assured us that we were getting nothing but clouds and thunderstorms. I am pleased to say they were entirely incorrect. We had lovely weather, around 30 degrees, with a lovely breeze every day. The evenings are warm and balmy, no need for a cardigan.

The Food

Perhaps we are spoilt by the many good London restaurants on our doorstep, but this was one area which we felt could be improved upon.

Dune
We had dinner here and were disappointed. I had 2 starters, both of which were served tepid and were not great. My husband had a steak, which he did enjoy, but we didn't opt to eat here again.

The Courtyard Terrace
We ate here on our first night. We arrived at 930pm and the lady who checked us in had to call this restaurant and persuade the chef to cook us something as all the kitchens close at 930pm. The food was good enough, but again we didn't opt to eat here again.

The Pool Terrace Cafe
This is not open for dinner, but we had lunch here everyday, and it was the food we liked best in the hotel. The Grouper and Catch of the Day were good. The service was excellent.

You can also eat on the opposite side to this Terrace on Tuesday evenings only. It is their buffet BBQ, which we also had. My husband loved it because he is a hog and he ate so much that he could barely move afterwards. I suppose you should try it because you get a taste of everything but it was not really great. All the food that was supposed to be hot was tepid, including pasta made for you whilst you waited. On balance I do think it is worth trying.

Seafire Steakhouse at Atlantis
You just get a complimentary shuttle along to Atlantis. The restaurant was massive and very friendly. We also thought it was quite expensive. Steaks varied between 55 and 65 dollars, and then everything else was extra, eg 7.50 for a baked potato. The wine list also had massive mark ups. We were going to order a bottle of Lytton Springs at 165 dollars and then realised that was about double what we would pay for it in a central London restaurant. Nice, but we probably wouldn't go back. We have had better steaks elsewhere.

Fish Fry (not part of the hotel) 5 minute cab ride
This is only open for lunch and was recommended to us by one of the butlers. It is actually a street of local restaurants. We took a cab there. It is a 5 minute walk from Downtown, which is where the shops are (mainly jewellery and gifts - not too exciting). We went to Seafood Haven and had the best meal of our holiday. It was called Grilled Grouper, but this is a misnomer as it is not grilled at all! It is the local dish and the fish is wrapped in tin foil and steamed with onions, tomatoes, peppers and plantains. It was utterly delicious and melted in the mouth. Having said that, the place is pretty dirty, so this may not be the place for you. You overlook a bit of marina, not the yacht type, but the type where they are cutting up the conch and it is all a bit smelly. It is a local experience though and the food was excellent.

The Poop Deck (not part of the hotel) 5 minute cab ride
We had dinner here and were disappointed. Unlike Fish Fry it is not catering for the locals. It is a touristy place, but dirty and at Ocean Club prices. We didn't rate the food. Give it a miss.

Cafe Matisse (not part of the hotel) 5 minute cab ride
This restaurant was really pretty, linen table cloths, clean, nice service (make sure you get an outside table). The food was Italian and we had great hopes for it as the place seemed so nice, but we were disappointed. The steak was chewy and the crab pasta was not nice. The crab and aubergine starters were nice. Perhaps we just chose badly. Give it a try just because it is so pretty.

Overview
If you want utterly impeccable service and a totally immaculate resort go to the O&O in Dubai, although it doesn’t have much of a holiday feel to it and the beach is poor. Having been to both we prefer this one on balance. The beach and sea are lovely, as is the adults' swimming pool. The Dune Bar, which overlooks the beach, is also a really lovely setting for drinks. We were slightly concerned having read all the negative reviews, but we have stayed in many, many 5 star hotels and we felt that this hotel deserved its 5 star rating. We would come back, but there are other places to try first......... we are off to try the O&O at Le Tousserok in Mauritius next.