Olympus World

Every Saturday morning we have a great time at our Welcome Meeting, although it’s more of a party than a meeting! Free Bucks Fizz flows freely and it gives you a chance to meet all our key team members such as Resort Manager Alan Gibbons shown below.

Important information is passed on to you at the meeting as well as lots of advice on where to visit, places of interest, particularly good restaurants and security issues. In-House Team manager Suzanne White can be seen here below dispensing  words of wisdom to our owners and guests.

Suzanne briefly covers a number of topics including how to deal with street touts. Over the years, the number of timeshare street touts has dwindled but there are still an active number. In the main they no longer represent an individual resort. They tend to be part of “Discount Holiday Pack” companies. Trading standards officials have given many warnings about these companies and advise people to steer clear of them.

The OTE (Organisation for Timeshare in Europe) recently said “In the UK the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) estimates that 400,000 Britons lose £1.2 billion annually to bogus Discount Travel Membership Clubs or (DTMCs).

Tenerife has its fair share of these companies. They have very convincing sales people and very credible looking offices, however many people have spent fortunes with these companies and have little or nothing to show for it at the end. Suzanne and the In-House team will assist with any questions you might have about these “Discount Holiday Club” operations. It’s worth being at the Welcome Meeting to get that advice.

However, in amongst the serious stuff we do have a great deal of fun. Dave O’Neill, our resident compere, has a prize quiz, novelty bingo and in fact any excuse to give away Club Olympus T-shirts and the odd bottle of novelty whiskey!

When you are staying at the resort, please make the worthwhile effort to attend our welcome meeting. You will enjoy it and you will find it informative!

For any further information, call the resort directly on 0034 922 795606 and speak to Sue or Cassie.

It suddenly dawned on us yesterday evening (24th April) in the Poolside Bar that we had four generations all sat together, which doesn’t happen too often. Here below are the four generations.

On the left we have Denise Atkin, who runs the Poolside Bar with husband Marco, next we have Denise’s mum Shirley, then Denise’s daughter Danielle along with her son Dylan = 4 generations.

Young Dylan has had to have extensive surgery over the last year or two to rectify a congenital lung problem but he is a little fighter and it’s great to see him full of beans, making progress and enjoying life with his family.

Also in the Poolside Bar yesterday evening was Suzanne our In-house team Manager who happened to have on a different dress than the one she normally appears in on the blog. So we grabbed a shot of Suzanne and Hedley (the Resort Developer).

Please note the glorious weather at about 6pm yesterday evening. It has been a fabulous winter and spring down in Tenerife this year. If you are ready for some sunshine then get to Club Olympus in Garden City!

Call Sue or Cassie in our Reservations office on 0034 922 795606.

One of the most well-known team members at Club Olympus is Juan Cabrera. Who is Juan Cabrera? I hear you ask, well you probably do know him if you are an owner at Club Olympus or have visited us before because it is Juan who normally takes your suitcases up to the apartment.

Juan (full title: Juan Jesus Morales Cabrera) has been Chief Porter with Club Olympus for more than 13 years! The post was previously held by Juan’s brother Javier (pictured below) who is now part of our maintenance team.

Cool dude Javi Cabrera in the Poolside Bar!

45 year old Juan and brother Javi are very well liked members of the Olympus team and have been with us for a long time. The Cabrera family are originally from El Tanque in the north of Tenerife. Juan currently lives in the beautiful village of Buena Vista near Garachico in the north of the Island. On our changeover days he drives for over an hour to be at his post in the Club Olympus reception.

When Juan is not working he thoroughly enjoys DIY and home improvements but his real passion, as it is for many Canarians, is game shooting. In the Canary Islands hunting is hugely popular but very strictly controlled and there are specific seasons for each type of game. For Juan, the sport is all about being out in the fresh air, exercising the dogs and the camaraderies involved, oh and the odd rabbit for Sunday lunch!

Next time Head Porter Juan is taking your cases up to your apartment, at least you know a little more about him.

Many thanks to Juan from all at Club Olympus!

It’s not often that we mention Puerto De La Cruz, which is in the North of the Island. However, it is a beautiful place to visit when you are staying at Club Olympus in the South. We visited Puerto De La Cruz a few days ago and saw that the famous Lido (open air swimming pools) was now re-opened. The Lido had been closed for almost a year for a major re-furbishment and repair programme.

The Lido area is superb with various enormous salt and freshwater swimming pools. There are childrens pool areas, changing rooms, showers, bars, restaurants, snack kiosks, newspaper stalls and shops all within the Lido complex. It’s a very relaxing way to spend a day.

The whole seafront and promenade in Puerto De La Cruz has undergone a major facelift and is a very pleasurable place to visit.

This is the seafront in Puerto (above). If you are wondering what the people on the left of the picture are looking at, see the photo below!

These are South American Pan-Pipe players who can be seen almost everyday on the Puerto seafront.

While the weather in the north is much more unpredictable than in the south and they do have much more rainfall up there, it is still well worth a visit. The weather however makes the north of the island much greener and more humid. You really could be on a different island when you travel to Puerto because the contrast is so marked.

The drive up takes about an hour or so. There are frequent buses to the north that leave from just outside Club Olympus in Garden City. For any more information, have a chat with your In-House Rep or enquire in our reception.

Recently Club Olympus were invited to Leeds United for a sponsors day. This involves spending a morning at the Leeds United Academy and training centre at Thorp Arch, Wetherby. A beautiful buffet lunch is provided as well as light refreshments. The sponsors watch the first team train and take a tour of the Academy and facilities. After lunch everyone is invited to meet the players, management and coaching staff.

As usual, everyone finds it highly amusing to find the biggest person around and make me stand next to them and be photographed!

Here I am with Lubo Michalik, Leeds 6′4″ Slovakian defender!

In the next photograph the first team are training under the watchful eyes of Manager Gary McAllister and assistant Steve Staunton.

Below is shot of Tony in the Academy Gym with newly signed hitman Dougie Freedman.

Here is me (below) with ‘The Boss’, Gary McAllister.

Gary McAllister MBE began his football life with Motherwell before signing for English side Leicester. In 1990 Gary joined the Leeds United Midfield and had a very succesful 6 years at the club including a League Championship and a Charity Shield. He left Leeds for Coventry in ‘96 and finished his playing career at Liverpool. Gary made 57 appearances for Scotland between 1990 and 1998. He managed Coventry briefly and returned to Leeds United as Manager in January of this year. And he is also a very nice guy!

Here below is Tony with Leeds top striker Jermaine Beckford. When being questioned by a reporter about speculation that he was moving to another Club, Jermaine famously replied “What shirt am I wearin’ Bruv, are you bein’ serious!”

We had a great day at the Academy and the hospitality was terrific.

Club Olympus currently sponsor Leeds player Tresor Kandol. Tresor was away on International duty when we visited.

For those of you who have an interest in football, we hope you enjoyed our brief glimpse at Leeds Academy.

As mentioned in a recent post, the fabulous Siam Park is due to open its first phase shortly. Press reports indicate that this could happen in May of this year. Siam Park is virtually next door to Club Olympus in Garden City and will be a brilliant attraction for all our guests and all visitors to Tenerife.

This photo shows progress up until this weekend. As you can see, the Park is really taking shape.

Here you can see the top of the “Tower of Power”, a 90 foot slide that ends in a tunnel through the crocodile lake shown below!

The Lagoon and beach area is also nearing completion. It will feature the largest man-made surfable waves in the world and glorious white sand as you can get an idea below.

Siam Park is already listed in the top five European Theme Parks by The Times Newspaper. By its completion it will be a world class attraction. It is already set to break a number of world-records for various features. Siam Park already has its own Wikipedia entry (Here) which is worth a look at.

As you can imagine, we are all very excited about Siam Park here in Tenerife, especially at Club Olympus because of its proximity to our resort.

Here we can see the edge of Siam Park, the red building to the right is Exit 29 Palace (the famous show venue), going towards the sea is our next door neighbour the San Eugenio Clinic and then Garden City on the extreme right.

Weather this weekend on the resort can be appreciated from this shot below! (We always like to chuck that one in when the UK weather is abysmal!)

Happy Holidays - Club Olympus

Well they are telling us that Siam Park will be open on May the first of this year! We have seen construction come on at a rapid pace and it really looks impressive. Follow this Siam Park link to see a list of the attractions at one of the worlds biggest Water Theme Parks.

Club Olympus in Garden City is right next door to this outstanding attraction! We will keep you informed of all developments.

Welcome to our UK office at Leeming Wells which is near Oxenhope in West Yorkshire. When you call our UK numbers, this is where your call is answered!

Your calls will be answered by Andrea (below)

or Louise (below)

Andrea and Louise handle customer services, sales follow-up, the Olympus Travel Club, flights, insurance, car hire and general liason between the UK and the resort in Tenerife.

Tony Rhodes (below) heads up the UK side of the Olympus Group operations.

The main contact number for the UK is 01535 640050. (The Tenerife contact number is 00 34 922 795606)

After acquiring the Leeming Wells Hotel some years ago we converted one floor into office space and the rest continues as a delightful boutique hotel. The hotel facilities include a heated indoor pool, sauna and exercise area, bar and conference area. Directly next door is the famous Dog and Gun Pub and Restaurant.

Mick and Kath Roper are the landlords of the Dog and Gun and also manage the Hotel side of Leeming Wells for us. This relationship dovetails nicely as guests at the hotel generally use the dining facilities of the Dog and Gun and Mick and Kath are permanently on site.

Pictured above is the main bar area of the Dog and Gun.

The area is called Leeming Wells because the whole area is full of water wells, we even have one in our car park. When having lunch or dinner at the Dog and Gun you can literally sit over a well!

Leeming Wells is situated in beautiful countryside but the Cities of Leeds and Bradford are within easy striking distance as are the towns of Bingley and Keighley. This makes it an ideal base for our business but is also brilliant for guests at the hotel.

Oxenhope is the next door village to Haworth, the home of the Bronte sisters who were responsible for such literary greats as Wuthering Heights (Emily), Jane Eyre (Charlotte) and Agnes Gray (Anne). Haworth is a fabulous place to explore and is rich in history. Also nearby is the Worth Valley Steam Railway with a station in Oxenhope.

The surrounding wild countryside and moorland is heaven for walkers and for those who really appreciate wildlife.

Leeming Wells is a wonderful base for our UK operations and as the link between our owners and guests who come out to Tenerife.

Many Club Olympus owners come and stay at our very pleasant little hotel for a holiday or short break.

The current rates are £70 for a double room per night, including breakfast or £50 for a single room per night, including breakfast.

If you would like more details or would like to visit us at Leeming Wells, then please contact Andrea or Louise on 01535 640050 or Mick and Kath Roper on 01535 643159.

Rainbow over Bronte country, on the road to Leeming Wells.