Vera Playa Club Hotel is Spain’s only inclusive, clothing-optional property.
And yes, we've been there.
Resort Overview
Vera Playa Club Hotel, opened in 1989 with 281 rooms, is Spain’s only inclusive, clothing-optional property. Nudity is expected outside, at the beach, around the pool and lounges. Clothing is required in the evenings, in the lobby and public areas.
A full board (meals) plan is offered as an option, a good bargain coupled with inexpensive rooms. Bar drinks, beer and wine are extra. Markets are right outside the hotel and you can bring in your own supplies, food and drink.
Located on the Med in southern Spain in the Costa Almeria region, Vera Playa offers a variety of accommodations from standard rooms to suites and even a Presidential suite with a private pool, living room and patio…a perfect place for a party.
The resort welcomes everyone from singles, couples, and a limited number of families but the resort restricts the child count to a small minority. The hotel is predominantly adults only with children more prevalent in July and August. During our visit, we saw only two kids who were surprisingly well-behaved.
Guests are international with the majority hailing from Europe, the UK, North America and elsewhere. Most hotel personnel are multi-lingual and English is widely spoken by the service staff at the hotel as well as in tourism centers, shopping malls, bars, bistros, and restaurants nearby.
Although it’s not the same quality level, other than Hidden Beach Resort, this is the cleanest hotel we’ve seen in years… spotless throughout. Vera Playa is one of the biggest “bangs for the bucks” we’ve seen anywhere for an inclusive property providing better value in our opinion compared to all-inclusive resorts in Mexico or the Caribbean.
NOTE: Do not expect fine cuisine. This is a beach hotel with simple offerings and most food service is via buffet, so don't show up expecting the Ritz. For the price charged, you won't go hungry and you can go back for more.
The hotel operates from late April to mid-October annually. While it’s not a five-star property, Vera Playa’s operating formula has been successful since 1989.
Bottom line: For a change of pace, consider a visit to Spain and Vera Playa coupled with an add-on 3 or 4-night visit to Barcelona or Madrid, both about an hour’s flight time to Vera via the nice Almeria airport.
Getting There
Located in Vera on the southern coast of Spain in the Costa del Sol region, the hotel is less than an hour east of Almeria, the closest and most convenient airport with frequent air connections to/from Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Palma Mallorca.
As a reference, Gibraltar is about 4 hours drive due west of Almeria. We used an airport transfer service to reach the hotel although a rental car is an obvious option if you enjoy driving. The highways are well marked and in excellent condition.
Since the region is dominated by tourism and agriculture, there are no large cities to get lost in….It’s easy to get around.
The easiest transit by air is simply to fly to Madrid and change planes for Almeria. The flights are typically within the same terminal in the Madrid airport so transit is typically fast and hassle-free. Trains also serve the area but require a longer journey.
From Almeria, you can rent a car, hire a taxi or arrange for a pre-reserved transfer by private car.
Services
With 281 rooms, Vera Playa offers standard rooms, conventional suites, suites with a family layout, suites with plunge pools and even a Presidential suite with private pool, living room and patio. Other than Hidden Beach Resort, this is the cleanest hotel we’ve seen in years….spotless throughout.
Spain’s hotel classification system rates the property as four-star due to its full-service offerings including numerous room choices for any budget, dining options, bar service, bars, pool (outside and enclosed) & nude beach, night club, lounge, and guest services. In our opinion, the property is more accurately rated as a 3 star, not luxurious but functional in all areas so it's not the Ritz.
Service personnel is multi-lingual and you will see a client mix of Europeans, Brits, and folks from North and South America plus worldwide locations.
A nice touch: In the lobby area, WiFi is available. Internet and PC computers are adjacent to the lobby for a fee. A small clothing shop in the lobby and a large shopping center is nearby.
Electricity is 220 so bring an adapter/converter with you.
Adult daytime activities include Table tennis, fitness classes, boules, darts, archery, volleyball, water polo. In addition, other activities include miniature golf, shuffleboard and chess. Tennis and cycling are also available free of charge.
Nudity is permitted from 8 AM to 8 PM daily throughout the grounds, rooms, swimming pool, beach, hot tub, and reception area. Clothing is required from 8 PM onward plus the dining room requires clothes for all meals.
And, long pants for gents are required for the evening meal. Otherwise, typical beachwear and cover-ups are required for all meals inside including breakfast and lunch. Outside and around the pool patio, nudity is fine.
The huge freshwater pool, palm tree terrace with sundeck and umbrella are the focus during the day, enhanced by a private sun deck and nude beach.
The nude beach is composed of light gray sand and small, smooth pebbles but mostly sand. An enclosed heated pool is on-site as well as an a la carte restaurant for high season use facing the beach. The beach is designated for nude use for approximately one mile. Beach sun lounges are available for a fee.
The hotel also includes a beauty salon with limited services, a souvenir shop, launderette with ironing equipment.
Weekly the hotel nearby, the Zimball Playa holds a naturist spa session available to guests from Vera Playa. (subject to change)
Outside the hotel near the parking lot, pubs (above), markets and even adult clubs are nearby (below).
Ambiance
Clothing is required from 8 PM onward plus the dining room requires clothes. Long pants for gents are required for the evening meal. Otherwise, typical beach wear and cover ups are required for all meals inside including breakfast and lunch. Outside and around the pool patio, nudity is fine.
The resort is pretty mild although, during high season, diversions are offered on-site by a small entertainment staff and in the evenings around 9-9:30 PM, a floor show, music or skits are performed on stage outside on the veranda and patio area.
The patio is also used for flamenco performances, open-air disco, games, and cabaret. Contests and guest games are popular during high season. During high season, the resort opens its night club/disco for both registered guests as well as outside visitors.
For that reason, clothing is required in the common areas, reception, bars, and club.
For diversions off-site, guests can walk to local clubs, pubs, bistros and two "adults only" clubs are immediately outside the entrance to the hotel about 100 meters away.
About 10-11 PM each evening, you will see many guests dressed up strolling off-site to sample the "local color" offered by the local establishments nearby. There seems to be a club or pub nearby for each country: English, German, French, etc.
Bottom Line:
Although Vera Playa, is nude during the day, the hotel bar and its night club are open to the public after 8 PM and require clothing basically dusk to dawn. Light entertainment is provided by a small but active staff that keeps the crowd involved….they’re not pushy but fun.
Outside the hotel, grounds are numerous bars, bistros, shops and two "adults only" clubs nearby. A large shopping center nearby offers all the conveniences of home.
Tips:
1) Exchange your currency for Euros before you arrive. Most all the Vera tourism areas, bars, restaurants, and shops accept only Euros. Charge cards are readily accepted in most places.
Make sure you contact your charge card company before you depart your home country to alert them you will be traveling internationally and may have charges appear from Spain and elsewhere. Both Visa and Master Card are the most popular in Europe.
2) If you plan to rent a car, consider getting an International Driver's Permit in your home country before you arrive in Spain and strongly consider insurance....you're in a foreign country and their laws reign supreme, regardless of your nationality.
3) If you fly, the closest airport is in Almeria but Alicante is also available, about 2 hours away. Almeria airport is about an hour from Vera Playa.
4) If you have time, consider adding on a 3-night visit to Barcelona or Madrid. Castaways' parent company, American Express Fox Travel, can help you arrange your add on visits, excursions, car rental, airfare, transfers, and tours.
Group Trips
We do not have listed group trips to Vera Play, but that doesn't mean it's not a great place for two, three or even dozens of couples to get together for a group trip. If you have other couples that might want to join you, please contact us and see what kind of group trip deals we might be able to package especially for you.
Sightseeing
The regional area around Vera is a vacation mecca with numerous condominiums located along the coast, two of them adjacent to Vera Playa for nudists: Vera Natura and Natura Sun.
Sightseeing and diversions off-site include golf, tennis, shopping, bar hopping and dining, water parks, ATV and horse riding and more.
Near the resort in Vera town, visit the open-air market weekly on Saturdays. Nearby Garrucha, the little fishing village offers sights with street and fish markets. Mojacar first settled some 5,000 years ago, is a picturesque town, complete with pretty white houses with beautiful flowers overlooking the Mediterranean nearby.
Grenada is perhaps the closest large city within driving distance of Vera featuring the Alhambara Palace, the cathedral and former residence of emirs who ruled Spain 600 years ago.
Dining
Meals in the air-conditioned main restaurant are buffet style but the entrees of your choice are available at the grill and include fish, meats, chicken, pork and other specialties of the day. This is a nice touch that provides you with some options besides the traditional buffet line. Included are hot and cold dishes, local specialties, salads, veggies as well as meats and kababs, chops and steaks.
Mornings, omelets and crepes can be ordered and evenings, you can ask the chef to prepare your entre cooked to order for fish, meats, chicken or pork in most popular dining styles. You may choose to dine indoors or outside on the patio. Smoking inside is not permitted. Long pants for gents are required for the evening meal
During high season, a separate dining concession serves as the Beach Club outside with a more expanded ala carte menu for Mediterranean cuisine including fish and paella. A nice touch, Spanish-style: Tapas of the day are served 11 AM-2 PM.
The Caribe Bar offers drinks at its poolside patio terrace and the Al Andalus pub is also on site. Bar drinks, beer, and wine are extra charges.
Although the buffet cuisine is not spectacular, you won’t go hungry. Local pubs, bistros, clubs, and restaurants are nearby if you want to get off the property to experience some variety.
Rates
Inclusive rates range from about Euros 80 to Euros 150/night depending upon your selection of accommodations. This is only an average and room rates will vary seasonally and are also affected by the exchange rate.
Room rates are the best value we've seen in an inclusive property compared to other comparables in the Caribbean or Mexico. Bar drinks are extra.
Room rates are lowest in the shoulder seasons of April to May 30 and then September to closing in mid-October. Rates are highest during the summer months including July and August when most of Europe seems to be on holiday.
Room inventory includes 161 hotel rooms, 3 Playa suites, and the Presidential Suite. The 84 studios and 32 apartments are available. All have either a patio or terrace (ground floor) with pool view or ocean view. Each room is equipped with air conditioning, ceiling fan, minibar(fee), chest and dresser, direct dial telephone, safe (fee), and Satellite TV.
Laundry service is available for a fee. Bathrooms contain a circular tub, shower, hairdryer, sink, and toilette. Beach towels are included. An optional tea/coffee maker can be added for a fee. Bedding is either two single beds or a single double bed. Bring your own coffee just to be safe.
The 3 Playa Suites each share a private plunge pool with a large double bed with the bath overlooking the swimming pool or ocean.
The suites also have a desk, tea/coffee maker, mini-bar (fee) plus coffee table with chairs plus bathrobes, hairdryer and ironing board are included.
The Presidential Suite has a private plunge pool and terrace with table chairs and chaise lounges.
A king-size bed is in the master bedroom with a mirrored ceiling and a double sink in the bath with round bathtub/shower. The suite includes a FAX, Desk, tea/coffee maker, coffee table & chairs, satellite TV & video recorder, a central living room, dining room, fridge with soft drinks and beer plus a walk-in closet.
Studios can sleep 2 to 3 people and one-bedroom apartments can sleep 2 to 4 people.
Impressions
Uppers-Downers
▲ The resort is the best value we've seen for an inclusive property which includes an optional full board (all meals) plan although bar drinks are extra.
▼ A few kids may be present during months when they're out of school, usually July and August.
▼ Certain snacks at the bar inside are not included in the inclusive package which can be slightly confusing until you figure out the system.
▲ For any of the inclusive items such as meals, present your room key card to your waiter or bartender who enters your card to authorize service. You don't have to wear a wrist or ankle bracelet.
▼ Although the beach can be used nude, you won't see many partaking of the Mediterranean because the water can be cold compared to the Caribbean and Mexico. The large pool outside and heated pool inside provide the best alternative to beaching it. If you use the beach, enjoy the sun on one of the chaise lounges with umbrella or shade available for a fee.
Age Ranges
You will see ages here from kids to seniors. Most are between the 30s-60s during high season. To avoid kids altogether, consider visiting May or early June or late August, September to the first of October. But the kid ratio is kept low by design. Guests hail from all over Europe, the U.K., and North America.
Best Time To Go
The hotel is open only certain months of the year for the season stretching from mid-April to mid-October.
Wish List
● Wish the resort were adults only all the time and the room included bar drinks like it was previously.
Photo Album
The photos were either shot by us, our clients or provided by the resort. If you have recently visited Vera Playa we invite you to send in your photos for us to display. To contribute you own photos (or trip reports), go to our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page.
Trip Reports
If you have recently visited Vera Playa, we would appreciate you contributing a trip report. You can contribute to this section buy using our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page. Here is one we have from a recent visitor
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July 2013 - jerolim
Very large nudist resort with a huge beach and very large pool. this hotel is large and we would go back. the good: pool, beach, price, location, people, weather, clubs out front, restaurants out front the bad: the kids, the front desk service, the food was fair at best. we had a great time.
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