Marleen’s visit to the OCÉANO Hotel Health Spa

OCÉANO Hotel Health Spa

The resort I’ll be guest at for the next few days lies on the island’s north side, far removed from the touristy south. After driving for an hour through the mountains, I arrive at OCÉANO Hotel Health Spa. At first sight, the resort doesn’t look much to write home about – a white building block. But the pool is smart and there’s a great view of the ocean and plenty of palm trees. So far, so good. I start to feel welcome when the lady at the reception greets me by name. Nothing beats a personal approach to make a guest feel at home.

This hotel sits tucked away in the idyllic fishing village of Punta del Hidalgo: The chosen destination of spa-goers rather than party animals or all inclusive holiday makers. Visitors to the village come here for some peace and quiet. A large proportion of the coastline here is too wild for bathing. Instead, there are sea swimming pools created to allow for lovely dips in the water. The OCEANO has its own, too.

Hotel Océano is run by owners Magda and Mathias – members of the family that has owned the hotel for a decade now. Mathias is a doctor and runs the hotel’s Mayr clinic, staffed by the best in the field. More on that later. Magda takes charge of the rest, including managing the friendly waiting-on staff, receptionists and spa therapists. The hotel is considered ‘small’, with just 88 rooms in total. If that seems larger than small, consider that the average tourist hotel on the south island counts no less than 500 rooms.

There are two restaurants: one especially for ‘Mayr guests’, and another for regular meals. The latter serves from the new Thalasso Vitality Cuisine menu, which is what I sample. The choice is from fish, seafood, seaweed and vegetables. Ideal for losing a kilo or two. The menu also gets adapted every so often.

The wellness team and the Mayr Detox centre

The hotel spa offers a number of therapies and treatments. Ayurveda and Thalasso therapies are the specialities. The sauna complex was renovated in 2012 with a Finish sauna, Bio-sauna, Turkish steam room and infrared sauna. There’s also a gym, of course. Plus a shiny new (2012) Thalasso centre with a wonderful Thalasso therapy pool.

Despite these, Mayr medicine remains the lifeblood of the hotel. Its Mayr Detox centre offers guests the possibility of an authentic Mayr treatment programme. As well as co-own the hotel, Mathias himself is the lead doctor at the Mayr centre and is the one who carries out each guest’s intake consultation. Which is only reassuring. You certainly feel in safe hands with Mathias.

What is Mayr?

Austrian doctor and researcher, Dr Franz Xaver Mayr (1875-1965), was the first to recognise the relationship between illness and intestinal functioning. Mayr understood that the intestines were key to health and vitality. With a surface area of around 400m2, the intestines are the body’s largest organ, responsible for removing toxins and waste from the body. A true pioneer, Dr Mary put holistic preventative medicine on the map and introduced the concepts of dietetics and fasting, conceiving of a medical concept for long-term health care in the Dr FX Mayr method of therapy and diagnosis. According to this method, regular fasting periods or intensive cleansing of the body are key to retaining health. Mayr went on to develop an extensive treatment programme aimed at both preventing illness and eliminating gastro-intestinal complaints. The Mayr diet addresses fat, protein and carbohydrate deposits. Colonic hydrotherapy is also used to help eliminate toxins. Mayr therapy is built on three key principles, the three Ss: Safety, Sanitation and Schooling (in how to incorporate healthful practices into our daily lives). Dr Mayr’s theories have been scientifically proven and live on in the international association of Mayr practitioners. Over 1,000 doctors apply the Mayr method throughout hospitals, private practices and wellness destinations over Europe.

Other useful info

The hotel caters fully to the needs of guest who are following a treatment programme, with dedicated restaurants to meet the requirements of a particular diet. There are also yoga classes and a weekly activity programme.

Local points of interest

Stargazing from Pico del Teide – the island’s largest volcano – was amazing. At 2,000m high, there’s no better place to view the heavens and learn some things about the cosmos. Our guide, Jose Antonio, had a telescope with him and won us over with his infectious enthusiasm for the planets and the stars.

Dolphin and whale spotting

In south Tenerife, you can take a catamaran on a dolphin and whale spotting expedition. Maybe a little touristy, but what an experience to have 11 dolphins going crazy, swimming around our boat. We also saw four short-finned whales.

The best bits!

The sea pool! Each day I took a dip in the sea, in what’s essentially a sea swimming pool…right in front of the hotel. Fabulous!
The Vitality Thalasso Cuisine. Earlier this year the hotel introduced a light, easy-to-digest menu – perfect if you’re looking to loose some weight. The chef prepares a starter, main and dessert of excellent quality, based on vegetables, fish, seaweed (actually very tasty!) and fruit. It blew me away.

On the flip side

On arriving at the hotel, I was greeted in German. (But we’re in Spain?!) Afterwards, the friendly manager explains how this is almost force of habit due to the hotel traditionally being popular with German visitors. These days, clientele come from a variety of countries, primarily the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and parts of Scandinavia.

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