Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Middle of the road resort.

Top notch were the employees, especially the lady that looked after our room. The grounds were in great shape and the bread was great at the buffet. The food otherwise was very average except for the A La Carte Asian which was very nice. There was something else wrong with the food as one person thought they had food poisoning in our group (there were 12 of us) and the rest claimed to have gastrointestinal problems except for myself. I am sure these people were correct in their problems as one i [... read more]s a nurse and 2 are doctors. Other downfalls at the resort were the safes for the rooms (most rooms did not have a working safe and were never repaired during our stay) and no deadbolt for your room door and in the case of my son's room, the handle came off inside his room. We paid for the Superior room and were surprised there was no chair in the room and 2 beds pushed together to make one. At the beach....very small and a continuous influx of people selling their trinkets or services. The resort also has too few chairs at the beach. I was witness to two women having a tug of war with a beach chair to try and determine ownership. The good part of this is the people that work at the beach will take away the blue towels from a chair if they are left unattended for too long. If you choose to argue then security is called in. Do I recommend this hotel as the next question asks....maybe. I will say no for now and you can be the judge.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Relaxing holiday

We had a wonderful time! No problem getting a shaded spot at the beach or by the pool. The grill at the buffet served good food, but the prepared dishes were on the cool side. The staff was very dedicated to please their clients. Only had problems with the room keys, we had to go to the lobby many times to have them redone. They demagnetize very easily.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Clean and well cared for resort

This is a resort with a good mix of quiet areas with more active options. The beaches were cleaned every morning and there was an abundance of chairs available at the pools and at the beach. The rooms were clean and comfortable. There was a great variety of food at the buffet and the staff were attentive. I appreciated the different themes of the evening buffet.The excursions were well organized with knowlegable and friendly guides.There small details that did not affect the overall trip but [... read more] could be addressed. The room key kept needing to be reprogrammed. The fridge nor the safe worked in the room. Not all the restaurants were available the week we were there. I would book another vacation at this resort.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Needs a little TLC but had a great time!

Our family of four (7yo and 9yo) went for a week with another family (11yo). We have travelled extensively and been in the area multiple times. Here’s our here. Pros: Friendly staff that worked whether you tipped or not (but they definitely appreciated tips) Shuttle was frequent Food was tasty, fresh, and a great selection Drinks were ample and a variety and the swing bar by the beach was my kids fav to have their virgin pina coladas. Lots of pools to enjoy and a quiet pool tu [... read more]cked in the back for those wanting to avoid the loud music Elevators was nice especially for luggage or after a long day at the beach The ac worked great, showers were warm enough, the fridge was always stocked. Decent entertainment. The kids loved it and that’s all that mattered. Cons: It’s a big resort. I don’t recommend if you have mobility issues as you will still need to walk a bit with or without shuttle The beds are older and “bouncy” and a double. They would benefit from platform bases versus screws on legs and some variety in room set ups to be more family friendly. The leg kepts falling off and they never came to fix after multiple calls. We ended up sharing a bed each with one kid as pretty small for two grown adults They are skimpy on towels and lacking spoons. They made up for it with plastic spoons but it’s weird to get a plastic spoon for a soup in a restaurant when you have regular cutlery for everything else No towel animals. This may seem silly but it’s something kids look forward to. Limited change. We brought money to tip but could never get it broken down. This made it a challenge to tip as often as we liked as some days they had no change! App wouldn’t let us make group reservations for dinner so had to go every morning to make reservation for the following night. Need more spaces for groups to hang out and play cards without loud music. This was something people kept looking for and we enjoyed but it was hot and sticky behind the black and white bar Intermittent wifi. I didn’t mind disconnecting but I know it was frustrating to send a quick message and it not send when you needed it. Chairs at the pools or beach were limited during peak season. Once people left jan 7 we could find seats much easier

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Disappointed

I stayed at this resort twice about 10 yrs ago and booked it thinking it was the same quality. Was very disappointed we had 11 of us and was looking for a wonderful family vacation. Start out bus picked us up almost 1 1/2 hours late with a bunch of different excuses. The rooms had some mold and we never got any refills of water or pop only the first day we checked in. Towels they sometimes did not provide any some days only one for the two of us. Called down to the desk everyday but nobody  [... read more]showed up with towels after they said they would bring them unless my daughter in law called who spoke Spanish Showers had litterly no hot water ours sometimes did not even have any water would stop in the middle of your shower. The pool and ocean had very little seating available most loungers were broken they seem to take them all away at night and than very little available the next day. Food was good not great but didn't have any issues other than they did not want to accommodate our large group. Public washrooms other than the lobby and spa were not clean toilets broken and overflowing and not cleaned properly. Was told my manager at front desk that it has been bought out and no upgrades were being done till new owner takes over. This resort should not be a 4 or 5 star.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!!!

We planned a family vacation over the Christmas break to celebrate the New Year. 11 of us went to this resort which is rated as a 4 star resort. It is NOT a 4 star rating maybe 2-3 star rating. Bus to pick us up at airport was 2 hours late. We were told there was an accident then told bus a mechanical trouble. Driver showed up wearing an under shirt and had to clean out bus before we could board. We were not the only people waiting few other families were also waiting. One family got a taxi and  [... read more]left. Resort was run down traps on roofs, no water at times from taps, no hot water at anytime. Wanted to charge us for everything possible a new wrist band for my under aged daughter who was served alcohol all the time! Elevator did not work at all, was left to find pour hotel block in the dark, shuttles to drive guest around resort may pick you up if they feel like it. No chairs at either pool or beach have to get up before sun comes up to secure chairs. lounge chairs are broken, one restaurant didn't even open for the day no notice that is was closed. Beds are has hard a rocks, no towels or very little one person in your room. Lifeguard takes belongings off your chairs if you leave to go for lunch and gives them so someone else. Was told this resort has been sold and you can tell. Tripcentral should be reimbursing clients for false advertising. Wll Not book again with tripcentral and will not go back to this place again. Westjet was the carrier and they gave us a swoop airplane to fly from Toronto to Mexico and back thats like sitting on milk cartes for 4.5 hours. No notice that the plane was not a true Westjet plane. Was told our dutyfree was part of our carry ons in mexcio we were scrambling to get all our belongings on the plane and not hold up other passengers.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Wonderful resort

The grounds were impeccable especially for such a huge resort! There is a lot of walking as it is 444 acres. Sand fleas were a problem for me but other than that, the beach area was massive and a great walk. There were 8 complexes, two huge buffets and 5 restaurants so there was always somewhere to grab food and a drink. The best takeaway from that resort was the staff. They were helpful, friendly, always smiling and worked very hard to keep us "tourists" happy.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Rundown Nightmare

This hotel was way overpriced. It was poorly maintained, no hot water in rooms, rooms were not properly cleaned etc. Front desk tries to charge for EVERYTHING. The rooms were not sound proof. You could hear everyone around you, including the cleaning staff rolling their cart up the hallway. Food was okay. Not the best. Beach was terrible. So much seaweed and again not maintained well.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Stellar Staff but the resort stinks, literally.

To begin our holiday, Air Canada informed us at 11:57 pm on Dec 18 that our flight on Dec 19 at 3:30 pm was delayed four hours. This meant we arrived at the resort at 3:00 am on Dec 20 th - not off to a great start! There were two staff to greet us in the darkened lobby and we were given our room keys and discovered our teenagers would be five rooms away from us despite the travel agents request for adjoining rooms. We were told to show up in the morning to see if we could switch. We were given [... read more] and a map with the promise of a golf cart pick up to bring us to our rooms. After a long wait, we decided to find the rooms ourselves. We located the building and found our rooms. When we opened the doors, the putrid stench of sewer gases overwhelmed us. Opening the balcony doors, turning on the ceiling fan and covering bathroom drains, spraying deodorant and cologne did not remove the stench. It was overpowering despite being on the seventh floor. At 8:00 am, I went to the front desk to request a change and was told to return at 3:00 pm as there would be people checking out. At 3:00 pm, I returned and the front desk person offered me two rooms in building 6 but one room was on the first floor and the other was on the fourth floor- no adjoining rooms were available. I explained we were travelling as a family with minors, bus she would not budge and said we could keep our current rooms. I asked to see the supervisor and was told it was not possible. Finally, she flipped the paper over and offered a suite in the 4 the building but we’d have to use the sofa bed as there was only a King bed. They would provide another bed for us. We accepted and retrieved our luggage from the smelly rooms. By 8:00 pm, after several calls to the front desk, we got sheets and a blanket for the sofa bed but no additional bed was available. The sofa bed had seen better days about 10 years ago and the flat piece of foam did not provide any comfort from the bars and wires. After an uncomfortable night, we put the mattress on the floor the next day as there was still no extra bed available again. The suite’s saving grace was a swim up pool and two bathrooms with no sewer gas smell. On our fourth night, I flagged down a staff person in the hallway and explained our situation about the bed and later a twin bed was delivered. There are things people should know before booking: The smell: The stagnant sewage water and smell does appear unexpectedly throughout the resort. Guests in blocks 6 & 7 complained of the smell. Walking: The resort has many pathways to walk and tons of greenery making it very beautiful. The walk can be long depending on where your room is located. There are three golf carts that randomly stop to shuttle people to and from the beach. The VIP cart drives fast and can run you down if you aren’t on the lookout, and often drives empty despite people requesting rides. Poolside Chairs: There are limited chairs and waking up early at 6:00 am to save chairs is necessary. We witnessed people bringing snack bar chairs, and several arguments over chairs that were saved, then taken. This is unpleasant and unnecessary. The management could provide more chairs. The beach: Not. There are breakwater walls and 3 piers, 2 without access, and brown water over a rocky bottom. It just looks neglected. To swim, walk down either direction to the next resort’s beach. Entertainment: The evening entertainment venue is small and very hot. We tried to attend each night and left early very disappointed by the quality. The Staff (other than management): The bar, poolside server staff, poolside entertainment and buffet staff are exceptional people who make up for management’s shortcomings. Overall, there are simply too many negatives at Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Waste of money

I had several problems with the resort but I’ll stick to the two main ones. It’s stunk in lots of areas and a lot of the time we were moved three times to try to get a room that didn’t stink and lots of times had sewer smell even around the food. The second biggest issue I had was the food, I basically survived on some fries I watched them do things like pics something out of my egg something as simple as potatoes were either cold or not even cooked. I found all of the food to be bad.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda was ok

We went the week before Christmas and the resort wasn`t what we were fully expecting. I`ll start with the good. It was only 40 min from the airport so the bus ride was pretty good. Check in was fast and the people at the front desk were very friendly and efficient. We were in building 5 which we thought was a great location, close to the pool and beach and quiet. The rooms were big and comfortable. Ac worked great, big balcony and lots of drawer and closet space. The pools were nice and th [... read more]e water was a good temperature to cool off. The food at the main buffet and beach buffet were ok but the same type of food everyday, which is to be expected. The grounds are lush with lots of trees and grass, and wildlife. Ok now for the not so great: The rooms although big and fairly nice they had a few things that needed repairing. Not a big enough nuisance though to complain about. The beach was horrible since the hurricane last year and there is so much seaweed. Any wind and the water is a gross brown. If you walk down the beach 10 minutes its better. The pool finish on the bottom is very rough, which I get makes sure you don`t slip but it ripped up my bathing suit and my kids knuckles. The bathrooms by the pool were horrible in that at there was never toilet paper and always i unusable toilet. it was the same in the mens all week. If you wanted a chair by the pool or beach you had to be up before 7am to get one and if you leave it unattended for literally 20 min(we went for a beach walk) people move your stuff and take them. The resort was not full and there was space for more chairs they just didn`t have any to put out. The a la carte restaurants were ok but not amazing like the Barcelo ones we have been to. We had an okay time but would not return to this resort again. I personally wouldn`t go back to that area again just because of the beaches and ocean water.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Resort Grounds nice, rest of it very questionable.

Lobby didn’t invite us for 4 or 5 star resort as advertise. Initial service was chaotic, took them around 45 minute or more to get us a room. We did get to our room quite late in the evening, didn’t check anything until morning. Room was specious, but that’s all the positive I can say about it. It was smelly, bedding old , bathroom with greyish towels, not enough toiletries, we have to ask for it every time. Balcony doors are barely able to open. Wanted to forget all these negatives ( res [... read more]ort ground were beautiful , another positive ) and we were going to spend 14 days all inclusive , but unfortunately day 4 after a nice dinner in Italian restaurant ( I believe Romeo was our waiter and he was great ) walking around main pool I tripped and fell into poorly lit shaver pit, broke my wrist and end up in the local private hospital. Emergency physician recommended surgery in their hospital, but our insurance decline that due to very high cost and send us home to Canada for surgery. Hotel / Resort ( concierge ) promised us that they will reimburse all the cost told us just ask and keep all the receipts. They paid once for the taxi. The next day after meeting I guess with finance person in the resort she gave us email address to their insurance company to send our expenses. Nothing about reimbursement from them. Resort treated us very poorly, didn’t ask how we are or if we need anything until we filed report with WestJet, then they asked, but that’s all. And very low point was that resort ask us to pay for medical emergency, even if that happened on their property, with poor or no lights there. It is a big shame.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Not the greatest

We were there for 10 nights. The first night we got there no rep present or let us know about orientation. The food was always cold and not 24 hour snack only 24 drinks unless you pay $8 usd for food. Rooms needed fixing some had major water damage. Washrooms always smelt like sewage issue. This wasn't the resort I enjoyed and never go again.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Good value

This was our 3rd time going to this area of mexico. We were overall happy with our trip. To start off, its not too far from the airport so we were not all day getting there. Check in was fast and easy. The room was big, clean with a nice bathroom and fridge was well stocked with water, beer and pop. The pools were nice, however our biggest complaint was that there were not enough loungers by the pools or beach. Many of them were in bad shap and they could have used double the amout. You had to  [... read more]get up early and clain them if you wanted something to lay on and we even witnessed a few altercations over people stealing other peoples chairs. The beach was the nicest of the 3 resorts we have been to, but that is not saying much as the first 2 were really not very good. The one nice thing here was the Cenote that was a 15 minute walk from the resort. Its a must to check out. As for the food, the buffets were clwan but the food was average at best. Very repetitive for all 3 meals and usually not overly warm. The a la cart restaurants were very goof, the Steakhouse was our favorite. This resort was overall decent enough for what we paid. We are not very fussy people and we go on vacation to get away from work, life and the cold, so as long as the sun is shinning we can overlook minor things.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Not an ideal resort

The rooms in this hotel are not the first freshness. The floor, look and design are outdated. The ceiling in every room is leaking (my friends also talked about such a problem). Room cleaning is good. The staff is friendly and always fulfilled our requests. But the most spoiling of our vacation was Saturday, when a lot of local residents came to the resort. The staff immediately became very unfriendly. There was a long queue at the restaurant, we had to return after an hour and a half, when the  [... read more]locals had left. After, the locals showed themselves. They had fun too openly, and in the morning they left behind a mountain of garbage. We are not impressed with this resort. For this time we endured, but I will not come back here again. They are not worth 4 stars.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Verg Good resort

Amazing resort. The entertainment was amazing. The food was delicious. The beach was nice ans the weather was perfect. The hotel staff were very nice and helpful. Good value for money. Needs some renovation though.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Great resort, had a blast

This hotel is very good, food was excellent at the buffet and snack bar. I didn't try the a la carte restaurants. The staff care about their jobs and making guests happy. The resort and my room were very clean. One negative was there was not enough chairs at the smaller pool. The ones that were there were always reserved since very early in the morning with towels and hardly anyone ever using them. The concrete loungers in the pool were usually mostly taken but I could always find one when I wan [... read more]ted one. I wish the staff monitored the smaller pool and reserving chairs was not allowed. You should also be aware that this is a REALLY big resort. There are 8 buildings of rooms spread between the ocean and into the property. I was in building 7 and it took about 25 minutes to walk from my room to the beach and main pool. There are golf carts that regularly drive around to help people get around but sometimes they are full and infrequent. Overall I am very very happy with my stay and with the resort in general, I just know I prefer smaller resorts now because I'm not a big walker.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: 3 star at best!

Grounds: beautiful and well kept. Buildings are run down and in need of work. Rooms: run down, sliding door didn’t work, lots of rust, had to change rooms twice. After two family members got sick, we requested to pay for a second room to have more separation. The front desk staff was quite rude and would not help with this. They suggested we pay $270 usd per night or try to find a promo code online. I don’t feel like this is a reasonable suggestion … you work there, you find the best price and [... read more] we will pay it. To ask a guest to go prove out rooms online and they will match it is unacceptable. That’s your job not mine. The unaccomadating attitude of their staff cost them the rental of another room, there was lots of availability, and we had to then spend Half the day organizing two cots and moving beds ourselves. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Average Resort

Overall I believe this to be an average resort. I'll simple list the pros and cons my son and I compiled with our stay. Pros: Garden Room, nice room, housekeepers very timely and friendly, Good size shower, double sink vanity. Small bar fridge in room always stocked with beer, water and pop daily. Food was good, restaurants I'd say a bit above avg, all had salad bars with them. Buffet was good for selection. Staff friendly Cons: Desperately need more dec [... read more]k chairs, lots of room for more but always a shortage. Probably nothing new, but people not being considerate regarding removing towel when leaving for long period of time. Need a change machine to allow for making smaller bills for tips for staff, we were constantly asking waiters and bartenders for change, as the front desk rarely had any money. Wifi was non existent in most of the hotel room or balcony(small pockets), a WiFi booster at each building would be a cheap but effective way of improving it! Booked an excursion for the day. BE AWARE THIS HOTEL DOES NOT ALLOW COMPETITORS TO ENTER THEIR PREMISES TO PICK YOU UP! IT WAS A 1.5KM HIKE TO AND FROM THE HIGHWAY TO GET PICKED UP FOR OUR DAY EXCURSION. PICKED UP OTHER PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY AT THEIR HOTEL LOBBY, ONLY THIS HOTEL PREVENTS IT. THANKS FOR THE BILSTERS ON MY FEET!! Other notes: Check-in was long, warning they grab your bags when you check in and leave them at the front, no high security so i wouldn't trust them to watch them closely. You need your passports to check in as well, so bring them with you if you do decide to leave your bags at the front. A suggestion for this hotel and others is to have a 5min video on loop in different languages on the resort, ie where everything is located, shuttle services, pickup points and timing etc. Our shower had a leak at the top of the shower which was not spotted until after our first shower which sprayed our entire bathroom, no lie! Plus there were no towels in our hotel on our arrival, so my son ran back to the lobby to get some, 10 min walk.

Blue Bay Villas Doradas: Fantastic Resort

The people make this resort! Truly, some of the friendliest, wonderful people I've ever met! Shout out to Andy who went over and above! He is an incredible asset for Blue Bay! The beach was lovely, clean and warm ocean water. They have a smaller, quiet pool for people just wanting to relax and maybe read. The other 2 bigger pools are where the action is. It's a great option to have, depending on your mood. It's not a party resort and probably more than half the customers were over 50. The resor [... read more]t definitely has alot of fun dances and activities; it has a good balance of both. Perfect place for a week of relaxation! My one and ONLY complaint is the food was not good. Saying this, I can be a bit of a picky eater. I certainly ate but I found most food had way too much garlic. The rooms are large, clean and comfortable. Beds and pillows were great. Yes, maybe a bit dated but who cares? You're not in the room much! I would absolutely go back to this wonderful resort! Everything but the food was exceptional. We had an amazing time and look forward to seeing all our friends at Blue Bay again!