TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This past December our family enjoyed our first all inclusive trip together. We had a wonderful experience with their staff, amazing service at the restaurants and great location for the private beaches and family pools! If you are looking for a great family vacation - we highly recommend this spot !!

Our concierge Franco and the entire staff were at the ready to make our stay perfect from the moment we stepped out of our transportation. Everything was clean and the grounds are pristine! We had a minor issue with the shower not draining very well. We texted Franco about it and by the time we were back in the room after dinner, it was fixed and cleaned with fresh towels at the ready. This is the best all inclusive property we have stayed in. Keep up the good work!

Overall the experience and the resort was wonderful! The food was good but was expecting more from the reviews we read prior to booking. The steakhouse Waves was by far the best. Disappointed with a few of the restaurants based on the quality of the food -ie. chicken that was overcooked and dry at Chinola, beef that was tough and not chewable at Tempest. Dinner buffet at Mercado was just not good at all. Compared to other all inclusive dinner buffets at other resorts, Mercado was probably the worst we've had. Talking to many people, the opinions were very mixed on the restaurants. It seems to be a hit or miss on any particular day (with the exception of Waves). The service and attentiveness of the staff made up for a lot. The biggest disappointment was the swim up room. Our Club room was located where the patio/swim up area saw zero sun all day and the water was so cold that it was not inviting at all. We wish we saved our money on the upgrade, as it turned out to be a waste for us. For those contemplating a swim up, we were in building 3. If we were in building 2, we would have had sun and warmer water. On the Zilara side, you want building 5 if you want sun and warmer water. With the Club Swim up room, you get a butler. We took advantage of this a little bit, but really didn't max out the benefit. We would have been happy just booking a Club room without the swim up and no butler and saving on the cost. The beach was very clean compared to the neighboring resorts and much more expansive than anticipated. It never felt crowded and plenty of space to spread out. One of the best experiences we had was that at this time of year, the resorts never felt crowded and getting a seat by any pool was a breeze at any time of the day. We also never had to wait at any restaurant, although our butler offered to make reservations for us if we wanted (no reservations are needed). We now know some things to make our experience even better if we do return in the future.

The staff at Chinola Restaurant are outstanding. Special thanks to Cecilia, Grey, José, Luis, and Jaime for providing great service to my family. Luis at the Cocoon bar in the Club pool is Fantastic! He made great drinks that everyone, including the kids, loved. We will come back just to see these people again!

This resort was excellent and lived up to the great reviews. Travelled as a family of 5 with a 8 yr old, 6 yr old and 2 yr old. Pros: - Amazing friendly service - Clean and modern facilities - Huge beach with calm waters - Nice pools and waterpark for kids - Food was great, and lots of high end selections - Lots of kids activities with outdoor movies each night - Never felt busy - Ability to use Zilara side (helps to have the grandparents with you) Cons: - Expensive...but you get what you pay for