Let me start by saying I really had a hard time rating this resort. I have stayed at 5 star resorts and I have stayed at motel 6’s and this is somewhere in between.
Room:
We stayed in the center tower above the buffet restaurant. I think that this is the old part of the hotel. You could tell that when it was first built it was very nice, but at this point our room looked a little worn out. There were broken tiles, small cracks in the plaster, and a air conditioner that rattled pretty loud, although it did work very well. And yes as the other reviews state the pillow top is under the mattress. Once you put it on top of the bed it is a lot better, without it the bed feels like you are sleeping on just the box spring. Once you put the mattress pad on top it feels more like a motel 6 kind of bed, but after a long day it doesn’t really matter. As for the shower it does go from hot to cold constantly. By day 3 you are so used to doing the hokey pokey (left arm, in left arm out, scream a little and turn around, and all together that’s what it’s all about) in the shower you won’t even notice
it.
Hotel/Pool:
We did not have any problems with the front desk people. And the rest of the staff were very friendly. The pools were all cleaned daily and the grounds outside were perfect. We mostly stayed at the infinity pool because it was laid back and it had the best view overlooking the Caribbean. The fun pool seemed to loud and we came on vacation to get away from loud. The pool with the swim up bar was nice but kind of shaded and you couldn’t get a good view of the water.
Beach:
There was a little drop off from the beach to the ocean, but there were ramps cut in so it wasn’t a big deal. The water was a little rough, but once you got past the breaker it was nice and calm. The water is so warm and blue unlike most of the waters in the US. The flags were red the whole time we where there, but the water seemed fine. There was a life guard, but I don’t think he was really paying any attention to the swimmers.
Weather:
We went the last week in September and the weather was great. We were very nervous because a tropical storm was heading right for Cancun, but it seemed to turn a little and all we got were some clouds. And actually you kind of look forward to a cloud or two because it is so hot. I think next Cancun trip we might get the trip insurance just for a little peace of mind. September was really nice because there weren’t a lot of people there so we never had to deal with waiting at the bar or not having a lounge chair. I think the next time we go to Cancun we will also go in Sept. or Oct. again to avoid the crowds. Also going in fall meant that there weren’t any kids.
Food:
The best thing about the food was that it looked great, taste is a different story. If you have eaten at a Denny’s restaurant the food here is identical. It is mostly all edible, some things are really good and some things are terrible. Breakfast, just like Denny’s, is great. I would definitly check if all the restaurants will be open before booking with this resort, because only one at a time was open while we were there. I don’t understand how they could let someone book their resort and not tell them that half of their food options were closed. And one more note before moving on, why would the buffet serve Chinese food? If I wanted to eat Chinese food don’t you think I would go to China? One nice thing about going to another country is to try different food…from that country.
Drinks:
Much like the food the drinks all looked good, and for the most part they all tasted good. But I think they forgot the alcohol. Now I know it is all-inclusive so they might cut corners on drinks, but I swear there was not a drop of alcohol in those drinks. They did spray something out of a gun that tasted like alcohol but after several drinks my wife and I did not feel a thing, and usually after a drink or two my wife is on the floor. I know that they had real booze because I could see the bartenders passing shots back and forth to the kitchen. Another funny thing is that they don’t put a lime in your Corona, you have to ask for it. I just thought that was a given.
Conclusion:
All in all we had a good time, I don’t know how you couldn’t with sun, pool, beach, and no kids. If I were to get a good deal at this resort I would go there again. But next time I will be prepared for the non-alcohol drinks and get a bottle at the mall to make everything more enjoyable. So again not real sure where to rate this resort. It has all you can eat ok food and all you can drink semi alcoholic drinks and it has several pools and is beach front. I guess for a 3 star resort I would give it a 3.5, and with better food/drink a 5. Heck even with just better drinks I would give it a 5, because everything is better with a good margarita in your hand!
Email me with any questions.