# oceana vs fairmont



## kaykher (Apr 9, 2012)

hi everyone!

i had a few questions on living at fairmont/oceana.

is the beach open
is the beach,pools and gym free for residents
is there spa facilities like hydro pool and jacuzzis and are these free
has the hotel opened
which blocks have best views of sea and marina
are the units built well/any construction probs
has the sewage smells gone
has all construction finished
are apartments sound proofed
any probs with people renting holiday homes and making noise
are the pool areas quiet or overcrowded
any problems with water or plumbing
are there creche facilities
is there yoga on the beach or anythn going on during day for women that dont work
in oceana do any two beds face marina
in oceana nd fairmont do the one beds have maids room
is oceana still experiencing probs with alarms going off

sorry there are lot of questions. thanks for taking the time to read and reply.

k


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## Bigjimbo (Oct 28, 2010)

kaykher said:


> hi everyone!
> 
> i had a few questions on living at fairmont/oceana.
> 
> ...


Pleasure.....


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## kaykher (Apr 9, 2012)

thank you so much.your patience and kidness are much appreciated and the info is v helpful.

i had read on another forum that fairmont had a bad smell around it and oceana had probs with water being turned off for 48 hrs. also oceana had probs with noise as penthouses r only being finished as bought.

k


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

I live in Fairmont so will answer your queries as best I can (didn't read Jimbo's reply).


is the beach open - Not yet
is the beach,pools and gym free for residents - Yes, as of 1st January.
is there spa facilities like hydro pool and jacuzzis and are these free - Not at Fairmont Residence, probably in the hotel but not free.
has the hotel opened - Fairmont Hotel should open in Q3, exterior is finished, landscaping/gardens/pool is 90% complete, they're just doing interior fit-out now.
which blocks have best views of sea and marina - depends on the apartment, you'll want an inward-facing apartment on the north side of each building.
are the units built well/any construction probs - extremely well, no cut corners as far as I can tell.
has the sewage smells gone - only smell sewage in the bathroom occasionally, but it doesn't last long.
has all construction finished - in the immediate vicinity, yes for now, but there are empty plots on either side so who knows. I was never disturbed by the hotel construction and my apartment is quite close to it so I wouldn't worry.
are apartments sound proofed - not sure, I have had a ******** neighbour make a complaint about me, but that was because I had to leave a window open because I was waiting for AC to be connected and he refused to close his window and turn on his AC. And he's a ********.
any probs with people renting holiday homes and making noise - not that I've noticed. Lots of Russians though.
are the pool areas quiet or overcrowded - Sometimes a struggle to get a sunbed round the main pool on a weekend afternoon, but there's another pool downstairs which is always quiet, kids are banned from it too.
any problems with water or plumbing - Nope.
are there creche facilities - don't think so, don't have kids so never bothered to check.
is there yoga on the beach or anythn going on during day for women that dont work - Nope.
in oceana nd fairmont do the one beds have maids room - I doubt it.


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## kaykher (Apr 9, 2012)

if we chose fairmont we could get a bigger apartm opuent for our budget than if we went for oceana.however would weconstantly be disturbed by contruction noise if they are still working on the beach and hotel at fairmont?do u know when the beach at fairmont be open? in your opinion which is the better apartments? 

thanks

k


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

I haven't been disturbed by any noise from the hotel construction, and they're finished building the actual structure now, it's just the inside they need to finish so no noise to worry about.

Not sure when the beach will be open, they're still using it for construction vehicle access, but you can still go down and go for a swim right now if you really wanted. Another couple of months and it should be open 'inshallah'.

I have never set foot in Oceana but I don't have any complaints about the Fairmont and have not regretted moving here one bit (although I am annoyed I can't have a BBQ on my balcony and I have to drive the long way round the Shoreline side to get access because they haven't bothered to line up the U-turn and slip road on the correct side - minor quibbles though and the latter is also the case for Oceana).


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## kaykher (Apr 9, 2012)

thanx gavtec!v helpful info!!u r v kind!i have interpreted that the pool and gym are currently free of cost for redidence?

is it possible to use oceanas beach/pool area if u live at fairmont?


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

Yes, as of 1st January, both pools and the gym are free of cost for Fairmont Residence (before it cost 2400 Dhs per year per person). I don't think this will extend to hotel facilities once that opens though as technically, the Residences are no longer Fairmont branded but everyone still calls them that anyway.

Oceana and Fairmont are completely different devlopments so you can't use their facilities.


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## kaykher (Apr 9, 2012)

no bbq on balcony is a bit disappointing.where do u bbq?


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

I don't, I bought a Weber BBQ, used once, almost started WW3 and has been sat on my balcony gathering dust ever since. I guess you'd need to go somewhere like Jumeirah Beach Park or something.


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## Concepi (Sep 27, 2011)

Just moving out of the fairmont and into oceana soon.

While fairmont generally is really a great building (especially the pool area) there are a few drawbacks that made me move:
-Some 9th floor apartments have water leakeage issues and noise issues from the penthouse pool above
-the beach access situation is not yet clear, while the fairmont hotel has promised full beach access during the oening ceremony including guest passes (the amount of passes depends on amount of bedrooms) while we have yet to receive same. Landlord refers back to hotel and some owners claim that beach access is not a must in their purchase agreements. I can see the next big dispute upcoming with some tenants being refused beach access same as what happened in the shoreline.
-24/7 surveillance by guards tracking each and every move and who harshly shy away visitors claiming not to have any more visitor parking left at anytime..
-construction on the new mall will begin soon as announced recently in the gulf news (i guess not an issue if you face the pool area/beach)
-generator noise if you face the empty moevenpick
-last but not least, majority of the tenants seem to be neither native English speakers, nor western-europeans nor from the subcontinent nor locals/arabs and that reflects in the 'elevator unfriendliness' but i guess that is a general demographic situation on the palm..

A few pluses though:
Great Concierge service including a hotel style maid service
The pool, the pool and the pool - and of course the current beach access

Looking forward to the Oceana.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

So you don't like the Russians? 

To be honest, the only trouble I've had with anyone in the Fairmont has been English people, the sort who have upgraded from Marbella.


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