TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Francisco ?? very good services, awesome poeple at the pool and inside every bars, no issues with the rooms, bring your sun screen and aloes??. Price is not crazy and you don’t have to pay for anything. Sn...orkeling days in the ocean perfect week with family and friends

We just returned from BlueBay on Wednesday and here is my honest review. Check-In: I expected when arriving around noon that our room would not be ready on arrival. To our surprise, it was ready and we we...re checked in very quickly. We were brought to our room by a kind bell-boy who gave us a quick tour of the resort on the way to our building which was a nice touch. Rooms: If you're looking for a high end, luxury room, this isn't the resort for you. If you're looking for a place to lay your head after a long day in the sun, it's perfect. We were in building 8 on the 3rd floor. Despite the elevator on our side of the building being out of service, one of the sinks in the bathroom leaking all over the floor (it's a double sink so we didn't mind), the room was overall very good. The bed was comfy, A/C worked great, shower was huge, water pressure was good and there was always hot water. The walls are quite thin, especially when there are loud guests running around at all hours of the night but that's not on the hotel to control how loud their guests are being. We had our room cleaned every other day and it was always done well. Towels were replenished, mini bar refilled, no issues. Beach: Yes, there is seaweed. No, it's not the hotels fault. You can actually see the clumps of seaweed in the ocean as you're still on the plane. They are cleaning seaweed all day to ensure guests have a positive experience. If seaweed isn't your thing, do some research and go to this hotel when it's not sargassum season. We found the perfect spot on the beach underneath the pergola next to the swing bar. It was perfect for bar, beach and pool access. I was usually up between 615-645am to reserve the loungers. Both beach and pool had plenty of available loungers at this time so I would say as long as you're down there by 7-730am, you'll get one. Beach are more readily available than pool. One issue with the beach, they only have 1 server who typically tends to the pool guests only so expect to get up and queue for drinks. On the weekends, it is very busy with local guests so expect to wait in a longer than usual line, specifically on Saturdays. Pool: We spent our first day at the "quiet" pool up by buildings 6,7,8. The rest of the time, we made the daily walk down to the bigger party pool. There are so many ledges to lay and tan on, concrete loungers in the pool that are usually available if you didn't get up to get a lounger (they are high enough to put your towel on without getting it wet). Just be careful, they are concrete so they will scratch your skin and pill your bathing suits. There is no swim up bar but we didn't mind. Food: We found the breakfast selection at Jaal-Ha (beach buffet) better than the Festival selection. As we spent all of our time at the beach, I don't have a comment on the Festival lunch selections. The service at Jaal-Ha was amazing. Candi and Ruperta are the most lovely humans and made our breakfasts and lunch extra special every day. The food was always good. During our stay, we went to the Mexican, Seafood, Steakhouse and French restaurants. All of them were great but the French was by far the favourite. You can only book 4 a la cartes during your week stay so be mindful of that, we were not aware until we went to book the French again and couldn't. The app is very helpful in booking, I would recommend downloading it. Grounds: The resort is absolutely STUNNING. So much nature and wildlife. We saw coatis, agouti, parrots, all kinds of birds, iguanas, lizards, frogs, snakes, cats and a dog. The cats are outside the a la carte restaurants and the dog lives behind building 6. We fed the cats daily and refilled their water however the staff does take care of them and they are friendly. They truly were a highlight of our trip. Be mindful of the coatis', if you have food, they will try to take it from you. They are also in garbage cans a lot of the time so if you happen to be next to one and it starts moving, that's why! The grounds are also massive, we loved walking around but occasionally took a golf cart if they were available. We went to the lagoon on our second day and it was lovely and peaceful. We were later told it's alligator mating season so proceed with caution. The amount of plant species growing wild is unbelievable. We were never bored looking around this resort. Staff: The staff is unbelievable. Always willing to help with a smile. From the bell boys, golf cart drivers, security, first aid staff, concierge, baristas, entertainment team and servers. Everyone was lovely and made our experience so memorable. The only real issue we had is that the House of Coffee doesn't open until 10am so you're very limited to coffee selection, just the automated machine in the black & white. But once opened, we always enjoyed an iced caramel macchiato. My only recommendation would be to change the hours of this spot. Overall, we really enjoyed this resort and I wouldn't concern yourself with the bad reviews. We look forward to returning to BlueBay Grand Esmeralda in the future.

I’ve stayed at Hotel Bluebay Grand Esmeralda twice, most recently in February 2025. Overall, we enjoyed our time there, but there are definitely some pros and cons to be aware of before booking. The resor...t grounds are spacious with a beautiful natural setting, but some areas—especially certain buildings—are starting to show their age and could use some maintenance. Despite upgrading our room (which came at an extra cost), we occasionally had no hot water, which was disappointing for a resort of this level. Since I was there in 2024, they have added a new coffee and espresso bar which was a great addition. The food was decent overall. The beachside buffet had the best selection and quality in our opinion, and the à la carte restaurants were a nice change from the main buffet, which could get repetitive. Service varied depending on where you were, but most staff were friendly and helpful. One noticeable downside is the lack of beach chairs. If you're hoping to lounge by the ocean, be prepared for limited seating. That said, we brought our own beach towels and were happy to relax right on the sand, which was still enjoyable. The pool areas are lively, and there are plenty of activities if you’re looking to stay busy. However, if you're after a quiet, luxury-style experience, this might not fully meet those expectations. Still, for the price point, it offers decent value, especially if you're going with a group or just want a warm-weather getaway without too many frills.

Bluebay Grand Esmeralda hotel it’s an excellent option to celebrate any special moment. In our case, we came to celebrate our wedding and was fabulous. The people is very friendly, the food is so delicious... and the place is nice. You need to stay at least 3 nights

On our first morning here, we met Silver, our instructor for yoga. He was such a delight! As an instructor he is incredible. He is not only very talented, but encouraging as well. He pushes us to do o...ur best, but also reminds us not to hurt ourselves. He is understanding of everyone’s different strengths and weaknesses, and adjusts each exercise accordingly. His service as an entertainer is 5 stars. He’s great at public speaking and engaging everyone. He deserves a 100% raise in my opinion ????? His excellence is not limited to his instruction though - he is also a wonderful person, and has been our favourite friend that we’ve made. We love running into him. Silver is very respectful and has treated us so nicely. It was so easy to become good friends with him. Silver also shows so much interest in expanding his english (which is already so good), and helps me with my spanish! We are so happy that staff is allowed to eat lunch with us - we NEED a daily meal spent with Silver. Silver has become a great friend and we have loved getting to know him. He is funny, kind, down-to-earth and an exceptional person in every way.