A group of 10 of us just returned from Dreams. We were there from 17 to 31 January 2012. We had a great time.

Background
Most of our group were around 50 years old. All couples are frequent travelers with lots of experiences at all inclusive resorts around the Caribbean and Mexico. This was our second stay at this resort as we previously stayed there when it was the Gala Resort. We all opted for the Preferred club and had ocean view rooms on the 4th or 6th floor with great views of the bay. Most of the guests when we were there were from Canada.

Preferred Club
This option provided a number of nice extras including exclusive concierge service, upgraded mini bar, (3x50 ml mini bottles of scotch, vodka and rum each day), along with spicy peanuts, M&Ms and Pringle chips. We had upgraded bath amenities, free internet access (costs $60 per week) in our room and the business centre, discount coupons for spa and wine, a pillow menu, access to exclusive beach area, daily access to the hydrotherapy circuit at the spa (normally $89 a treatment) and finally access to the Preferred Club Lounge on the sixth floor. Nice lounge with continental breakfast, afternoon and nightly hot and cold snacks and name brand drinks. This was a nice place to meet at the end of the day before supper and have a couple of drinks.

Rooms
The rooms were very nice and spacious. They had been remodeled when Dreams took over the resort. Bed was the most comfortable I have had in all my winter holidays. Bathroom had double sinks and a large shower with a rain shower and a strong wand. Great for getting the soap off (not to mention sand in those hard to reach places - lol). Mini bar was restocked daily with bottled water, beer (Corona) and soft drinks. Air conditioning worked great.

Food
Food was very good at all 5 of the a la cart restaurants (Italian, Asian, Mexican, Seafood or Steak) and I love not having to make a reservation. As we were there for 2 weeks, we went to all of the a la carts several times. Breakfast was usually in the World Cafe and was typical North American breakfast with lots of choices. The Asian was my favorite with deep fried bananas and spring rolls but I enjoyed them all. I gained 8 lbs in the two weeks.

Grounds
The grounds were spotless and beautifully manicured. Pools were crystal clear and a very refreshing escape from the heat. The coldest day we had was 92 with very few clouds. Ocean was very warm. A great place if you like the heat and sun. Tanners delight. Staff were constantly at work on the grounds. One other great thing was that there was no wrist bands or towel cards. The towels were in large round bins around the pools and you simply helped yourself. Used towels went into empty bins. Great system.

Pools and Beach
Beach was nice and about a mile long if you like to go for walks. Lots of lounge chairs and Palapas but you had to get them before 8 or they were all taken. Sand got very hot as the day went on. Endless supply of lounge chairs and they were very comfortable and easy to adjust. Towels were thick and soft.
Water was warm and snorkeling was good near the rocks to the left of the Dreams Resort. Seen various fish, eels, and eagle rays on several occasions. Lots of folks feed the fish in knee deep water by the rocks. Found a few nice shells as well.
The pools also had lots of chairs and umbrellas or shaded areas but you had to reserve a shaded spot by 7:30 or you would be out of luck. Waiters came around both areas to get drink orders on a very frequent basis (every 10 minutes). The pools also had shallow areas with movable loungers so you could really soak up the sun.

Bars
Bartenders were great and the drinks were outstanding. Service was fast. Those pina coladas and mango daiquaris were very good. Loved the tom collins as well. I think this is where I picked up the 8 lbs. Named brands were available if you asked.

Service
Service at the bars, restaurants and housekeeping was great. Our room was done about 10:30 every morning and was spotless. We tipped the housekeeper daily as well as the bar tenders and the waiters a the restaurants. The bell hops out front were quick to order cabs (all had set prices depending on where you were going) and offer suggestions and advice.

Shopping
Vendors on the beach brought a variety of items daily but they were not aggressive and the barter system was alive and well. I could not believe how they hauled all of their various wares in the heat so I often gave them a bottle of water, soft drink or beer from my mini bar even though I was not usually buying from them. Probably not supposed to do that but they really appreciated it.
A quick cab ride into town (38 pesos to Las Crucitias or Santa Cruz) for 4 persons on great roads in order to shop. Some shops bartered while others had set prices. Got 12.45 pesos to the American dollar at the Scotia Bank on the main road in Santa Cruz. Need your passport and there was a whole lot of stamping papers. Took about 5 minutes. Better to shop in pesos. Some shops right across from the resort but we did not do any shopping there.

Gym and Spa
Many in our group used the gym and the equipment was in good shape. We all used the Spa hydrotherapy circuit and some got various treatments and massages. All enjoyed very much but a little pricey. We used the discount coupons they provided to the preferred club members.

Excursions
Went on the ATVs (2 persons on one ATV for $75. Nice ride through the bus and a cooling swim in the Copalita River. Also did the Paradise Bay snorkeling tour for $50. Nice boat ride and snorkeling was ok. They served a box lunch on the way back. We also took a cab to another beach ourselves where the snorkeling was very good. Went to the ruins at Capolita about 5 miles from the resort and hired a guide. Leave yourself 2 - 3 hours for this as there is a lot of walking but you end up with beautiful views from the cliffs. Lots of excavation work being done but with a nice museum as well. Entrance fee was $100 pesos per person. Cab ride was $80 pesos each way (split between 4 persons).

All and all a great holiday was had by all and I expect we will return as this is definitely one of our favorite locations and resort.

Recently traveled to Dreams Huatulco Feb. 4-11-2012.....we traveled as a group of 27, mostly from mid-state Illinois. The facility itself was excellent, very clean, gorgeous views, and very accomodating. Food was good, but not great....much like other resorts we have visited in Mexico. Service was generally good, but could be spotty depending on shift changes and time of day. Pool areas were great and very scenic. One plus was the availability of "top shelf" alcohol (for those who desired it), this is not the case with other resorts, generally speaking. Room were fairly spacious and the decor was nice, not over done. Never had any of the "bites" that I read in other reviews....not once, and I don't know of any of our group that did, and many walked the beach routinely and at different times of day. Took one excursion on a yacht that viewed seven different bays....snorkled, played in the ocean, the water was pristine and as clear as a swimming pool. One drawback....at the airport in Huatulco...the delays were horrendous while checking in...two hours to get our group through. All in all a very nice vacation and one I would reccomend highly. A great vacation!

Overall like the facility but warn everyone that the premium package we purchased had little value. The Internet does not work consistently same liquor package for all guests all appear to have access to same event/rooms so we don't believe we got our monies worth.

Wanted to give you my thoughts while they are still somewhat fresh. The resort is FABULOUS!! This a great property. Easy check in and out. Very clean. ALL staff is friendly and helpful. Food is good...not great...but never had a bad meal. Service is spotty. Like most places, we had some great wait & bar staff, and others that were not very efficient. Overall - VERY GOOD service. Beach is not very good, but we knew that going in. POSITIVE NOTE - Not a problem ordering top shelf alcohol - Capt. Morgan, Absolut, Grey Goose, Baileys. It didn't matter. For our group, this is a BIG plus. Apple rep was very good other than when we got ready to leave. He should have informed people (not our group, we know better) that regardless of which bus you got on, it didn't matter... you still have to get your luggage at the airport. The only real negative part of the entire trip was check in at Hualtulco Airport. What a kluster----!! We waited in line for two hours just to get checked in. Not an exaggeration. This was for a total of about 90 people that it took them that long to get checked in. Plus they told us our flight was delayed for an hour, so I told Elegant Limo....well luckily Kevin from Elegant was tracking the flight, so he was there on time. Our entire group enjoyed this place and said they would go back. The new people (Thomas's & Kepner's) had a blast! Kepner's have been to Ixtapa several times and I think they liked this better. On a scale of 1-10, I would give this place a 9.5. We talked to several people that have going to this resort for up to 15 years (several name changes). We talked to people that this was their first time and EVERYONE said they would go back. I am sure you will be hearing from others. Thanks for all your help in making our trip GREAT!!

Art & Judy