When we pay nearly $200/night at a Marriott Hotel in a foreign country, we expect a certain level of service and quality. The Marriott Ixtapan was simply our worst Marriott experience in dozens of overseas Marriott stays. Yes, the pools are great and it's probably the nicest place to stay in Ixtapan, but don't arrive thinking you'll be staying at a "Marriott."

1. Service: Maid service was pretty abysmal. Floors weren't cleaned, TP wasn't renewed, given one tiny bottle of shampoo, one bar of soap, two towels and no conditioner for a family of four. When we called to get a little bottle of conditioner it took several minutes for them to figure out what we were talking about. After 15 minutes of waiting for it to show up, walked to the front desk where they said they didn't have conditioner. Finally, one of the bell hops walked by and offered to run and get some for us from the maid service room. All told, 45 minutes to get one bottle of conditioner.

2. Food: Food was Marriott prices, but the quality wasn't anywhere near it. Ordered pizza on our last night and got a pre-cooked cold crust with some semi-melted cheese and cold toppings. Steak the night before was like a piece of rubber. Local mexican fare on the menu was decent, but got better local food at the water park. I expect more from a Marriott.

3. Facilities (other than the pools which were great!): The entire hotel has tiled floors which lends itself to a very noisy hotel. Ceiling must be paper thin because you hear every step from the room above. General condition of the hotel is marginal to poor.

Marriott needs to look at quality control. A place like this hurts their brand.

If you're going to Ixtapan de la Sal, I guess this is the place to go, but do NOT expect Marriott quality.