Barcelo Huatulco: All good!

Returned Tuesday April 25th from a relaxing sun filled week in Huatulco Mexico at the Barcelo Huatulco. Wonderful service, extremely clean resort and very helpful staff in all aspects. Great food at all restaurants though the Mexican restaurant was more authentic Mexican food than we expected, the Spanish and Italian restaurants were very good, both evenings we visited. True the beach is steep and the situation on the bay can result in some surprising wave activity but a great place for relaxing [... read more]. We had an upper level premium room that provided wonderful Ocean views. Again we wish to extend a very sincere thank you to Robyn Murray at Tripcentral for her efforts in making every aspect of our vacation memorable.

Barcelo Huatulco: Very nice resort!!

Enjoyed the week tremendously. Staff, food, services, entertainment, hotel facilities all are top notch. Area needs improvement is check-in. Not enough personnel to handle a large group of guests. Internet access should be available in all buildings not just in the lobby.

Secrets Huatulco: The Next Level

First time ever staying at a Adults only, no wristband, no reservation, unlimited a la carte resort. It was quite something and we were not disappointed. Ditto to all the good previous reviewer comments. Everything was great and the front desk asked what they could do to improve the experience and I was at a loss for words. I couldn't think of anything to improve or at worst complain about. We ate at every restaurant and wandered over the whole resort. For sure December and/or April!

Secrets Huatulco: Great Resort!!

Secrets is a beautiful resort with exceptional staff in all departments. Alma the Concierge went out of Her way to check in with Us daily, Our Housekeeper Carlo was amazing! The food was fantastic and the drinks were perfect! The atmosphere was relaxing and it was nice not to have to make a reservation for the a la carte restaurants which were not limited and there was never any wait, food and service were excellent! The spa was awesome and the view was spectacular. We booked with Martine Ried  [... read more]such a great travel agent, Can't wait to return!

Hotel Castillo Huatulco: Such a great time!!

We stayed at hotel Castillo from April 14th-21st and it was amazing! Upon arrival we felt more than welcome! Staff was great, hotel was very clean, food was delicious! We loved being able to walk the strip and people watch from our balcony. We were also Able to watch the hockey playoffs at a couple bars which was nice. We will 100% be back!!

Barcelo Huatulco: Great resort

We had a great time at this resort. It was great for families with small children. Lots of activities for the kids and a great kids pool. Small resort, so easy to get around. Being runners my husband enjoyed the gym and I ran on the beach. The beach isn't super long but a good challenge to run. The kids loved the waves in the ocean. I would recommend bringing life jackets.

Barcelo Huatulco: Beutiful resort, great food and friendly staff

Was not impressed with the no name brand alcohol and wine. Mixed drinks tasted like non-alcoholic. Wine at the a la cart restaurants was much better, but found the time allocated for eating was too rushed. Food was amazing.

Secrets Huatulco: First Class Resort

We recently stayed at the secrets and loved every aspect of the facility. Food was great! Service was great! The only thing they could use is better maps of the facility. Each night the food was better than the night before.

Secrets Huatulco: Nice Resort but needs more "Secrets" love

First of all let me say that my husband and another couple went for a quick getaway to a hot and sunny climate and this resort fit the bill. We had beautiful weather the entire week between April 2-9. This is our 5th different Secrets and like the others there were some great aspects of this particular resort. But it seems that the Secrets brand offers different amenities at different cities. Will explain. This resort, like all Secrets, was spotless. And in fact, we never saw a piece of g [... read more]arbage anywhere on the resort or in the town. Hualtuco pride themselves on cleanliness and they certainly did not disappoint. Also the most of the staff was very friendly. We did meet a few that didn't seem to be having a good day. Our rooms were spacious, clean and very comfy. We thought the bathroom configuration was less than desirable. Having the sinks in the hallway is very weird. Housekeeping was pretty good, however one day I had to call to have our room made up because it was getting quite late in the afternoon and we didn't want them to forget as the hallway was void of cleaning carts. The food in the ala carte restaurants was very good. I recommend the filet mignon in the Bordeaux and the Tapanyaka show was one of the best we had been to ever....and we have travelled for 30 years. Only other that was better was in Hawaii. The pools were plentiful. We were not sure what people were talking about when they mentioned the towel game. There were still loungers available in the afternoon. We are early risers so of course we had the pick of the litter sort of speak but still lots of chairs and umbrellas well into the morning. So if people expect to get a primo spot after sleeping in until noon, well sorry folks...get your butts out of bed or don't complain. Areas where this resort needs improvement. The buffet was a disappointment.Very small in ratio to the size of the resort. Food selection was limited. Case in point, we were at a smaller Secrets in December (Capri) and they had a huge fruit selection at breakfast. You name the fruit and it was there. This one had pineapple, mango and melon. Some days not even a banana. They had lovely breads but no bread knife to cut it or a napkin to hold them. My husband mentioned this to the chef twice and they said the bread knife had been stolen. What? Only one breadknife at a resort this size? Also one day, the toaster was missing. Again my husband had to ask for toast at which time they put his bread on the grill before they found the toaster. This kind of thing is not acceptable in a place that advertises "luxury". The Barefoot Grill had a much better lunch than the buffet. In terms of the pools, a lot of mold along the edges (were were in all of the pools and the same for all of them). We mentioned it twice to the staff that was cleaning them, but they didn't do anything about trying to scrub the mold off the tiles of the infinity edge. This resort is only 4 years old and if they don't get a hold of this now, they will have a problem. The layout of this resort is strange. We were fortunate to be in building 6 so we had a lovely view of the bay and the pools but it was certainly inconvenient to get anywhere else. Its been mentioned before that only 2 elevators were in operation. The third would have been better for wait times. The restaurants are on the 8th floor (were were on the 3rd). So too many stairs to climb so had to take the elevator. The Sky Bar could be so much better. To the Management, go have a look at the Sky Bar at Secrets Cozumel. Now THAT is a Sky Bar. Bright, comfortable seating, etc. This one has a lot of wasted space. However, it was the only bar that consistently had Crown Royal Rye Whiskey. I can't tell you how many times in the week we were told the bars had to Crown. Well, if you're a rye drinker Canadian Mist is sub standard. I would suggest to the Bar Manager, to get rid of the Canadian Mist entirely and get Canadian Club (CC). At least its drinkable. Now for my biggest pet peeve of the week. Smoking. There are |No Smoking signs posted in the Sky Bar and yet we saw many people lighting up. I would suggest having one side smoking and the other sign smoke-free for those of us who want to breathe. This is the first Secrets we've been to that allowed smoking at the pool. All the others have a designated smoking area. It was apalling and disgusting to see people light up right beside you and even an inconsiderate guest lit up a large cigar right at the pool. In this day and age, when most people are wanting to be healthy I would say this is totally unacceptable and should be monitored. For this reason, my husband and I will not return to this particular Secrets. I am a cancer survivor and can not, nor will not put up with people that will consciencely light up a cigarette or cigar right beside someone else. The hotel needs to designate an area(s) or a particular pool for smokers. We will be back to a Secrets, however, not to this one. There are others with better standards. We will recommend this resort to others if they don't mind the negatives we've mentioned. It is a clean and friendly resort with good ala carte restaurants so that's what you're looking for, you will find it here.

Villablanca Huatulco: Terrific vacation destination!

All our expectations were exceeded! Hotel is simply lovely, authentic feel, small and intimate! Staff is amazing, friendly and attentive! Our every need provided ! Pool area is clean, food is spectacular! Breakfast poolside! Dinner with live music & quiet time 10pm is appreciated for early morning outings! Hotel is centrally located, walk to everything you need. Several beaches within short walking distance! Perfect vacation destination, can hardly wait to return spring 2018!

Secrets Huatulco: Great resort, relaxing vacation

We stayed for a week. The hotel location and setting is fabulous. Very quiet and relaxing. Great service. No identification bracelet, no need to rush for a chair at the pool or beach, and also no beach towels cards. Simple and efficient. Rooms are modern, clean and all have an ocean view (better or worst depending of where you are located within the resort). The only thing they need to fix is the problem with outside groups/corporations renting space in the resort for different events/meeting. [... read more] Reading the past reviews I noticed this is a common trend. A big group from Revlon was there for a couple of days during our stay and on their final night they had a huge celebration that lasted until late. They were loud, obnoxious and disturbed the resort normal night time quietness. We couldn't sleep until past midnight.... I understand is about money, and probably these corporations pay big bucks to be there, but the resort officials need to stay on top of the problem and promptly address any disturbance issues when they arise. Other than this I totally recommend it. Beach is shelly, and waves pretty strong, but it did not stop us from swimming in the ocean every day.

Dreams Huatulco: Fabulous resort

My family of 4 just returned from Dreams resort in Huatulco. Weather was perfect, sunny and 30 everyday. The resort was great, loved the fact of no wristband and no reservations needed at the a la carte restaurants. Food was very good, accommodated gluten free allergy well. The concierge will provide a note to give to restaurant for ease of communication. Restaurants were well maintained and clean. My 14yr old was happy to take his basketball to use on the courts, basketball hoops without nets [... read more] was disappointing for him. It is a minor thing but is something could be easily fixed by the hotel. Exercise room was well equipped and clean. Massage and hydrotherapy at Spa was fabulous. Missing Ping pong paddles and balls during the week were frustrating for my kids - this also seems like an easy and inexpensive fix to have extras on hand. Drink service on beach and around pools made up for the placement of bars at either end of resort. The coffee bar was amazing serving not only coffee but smoothies with lots of yummy desserts. Strong recommendation to take Pesos instead of US dollars. We have traveled to many places and found some of the staff not overly friendly to English speaking guests at this resort. Saw manarays right on beach in front of hotel which was exciting. Highly recommend boat/snorkle tour - saw dolphins, sea turtles and humpback whales which was definitely the highlight of our trip! Also took taxi to Copalita ruins and hired a guide which was an interesting experience. Only a 15 min cab ride from the hotel.

Secrets Huatulco: Amazing Resort!

Everything about this resort was just perfect, and we had a great time. The check-in was fairly quick, and they served us drinks while we waited in line. The food was just delicious in all the restaurants. The restaurants were very comfortable, and had a nice decor. The drinks were excellent - if prefer the top-shelf drinks (Black Label scotch, Grey Goose, Grand Marnier, etc), you have to just ask the bartender. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. A special thanks to the Entertai [... read more]nment staff - Dulce, Franciso, Adal, Vladmir, Neftali and Valentino. They kept us entertained during day with Archery, Water Aerobics, Water Volleyball, Bingo, Catamaran sailing, Dance lessons, etc. The resort also had a disco which was open from 11pm to 1am - not too many people were aware of it. Prior to 11pm, there is entertainment at the Sky Bar. They asked us to go to a "20 minute" presentation. It took about an hour and half, where they are trying to sell you "Time Share", which they say is not. Don't waste your time. Overall, it was a great vacation, We would highly recommend this resort.

Secrets Huatulco: Just Wonderful, You must try Secrets Hualtuco!

I booked last minute through Tripcentral.ca and I was consistently impressed by the overall experience. My wife and I had a really wonderful vacation at Secrets Huatulco. The facilities are extremely clean and well cared for. The food was wonderful and well presented. We really appreciated the fresh juices, the Oaxaca cheeses, guacamole, fresh salsa, and the restaurants were just top notch. It was like going all out to a special place every evening. We really liked the fact that they had a [... read more] dress code and were happy to comply. The staff were all very friendly and went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. Somebody was always nearby to get you a nice drink. The professional attire and behavior of the staff is a reflection of excellent training and management. So many examples of attention to detail, like flower petals arranged on our bed in the evening, restocked beverages in the fridge every day... I could go on and on. The entertainment was great, they really like to include you.. I loved the Mariachi band that came several times, just excellent. We talked with others who had traveled extensively and they all consistently remarked that this was the best resort and community they had been to in Mexico. It was really just one epic day after another for us. 5 Star for sure!

Barcelo Huatulco: Good Resort

We had a nice, clean room with an ocean view. Loved that we could make reservations for all of the restaurants at the same time as check in. The staff were friendly and very helpful. We really enjoyed the adult pool.

Hotel Castillo Huatulco: Mixed Feelings on This One.

There was lots to like here- hotel was clean, staff very friendly, and in a great location for seeing Santa Cruz and Crucecita by foot. For us though, the buffet food was too Mexican- a few more Canadian/American choices would have been nice. Service was good but food and coffee were never hot. Although we were only two people, tables were set for nine or ten- not very romantic. Construction noise was a bit much. Most of the rooms had balconies too small for a chair, and the ones that were l [... read more]arger faced a very heavily trafficked street. Our last night there,the clocks moved forward an hour. There was absolutely no signage (in English) in the lobby to let us know. Time change had happened weeks previously in Canada. If we hadn't met some people while out at a restaurant for dinner- we would likely have missed our airport pick up by that hour. On the plane home, other tourists told us their hotels had put a note under their doors to advise them. Nothing at the Castillo. Again, the staff was charming, beach club was attractive although the beach was unswimmable, so I hesitate to give a bad review but we will not return here.

Barcelo Huatulco: Everything you could ask for

Beautiful small resort has everything you could ask for. Staff really makes a huge effort to please. Nightly entertainment was very good and always different. Make your purchases from the local shops at there is very little at the airport duty free.

Park Royal Beach Huatulco: Lovely Resort

We really enjoyed this resort. It was unique from any resort I have visited and can be a bit deceiving, with regards to the layout, when you first arrive. The rooms are spacious and very clean. Staff is amazing and there is enough food choices for everyone! The upper on level 7 was our favourite.

Villablanca Huatulco: Great resort - Vacation March 2017

The hotel is excellent, great breakfasts, very friendly staff and walking distance to the beach and the town of Crucecita. It was our first time to Huatulco and this hotel had great reviews and all the people we met staying there were very happy with their accommodations.

Dreams Huatulco: Beautiful resort

Arriving at the resort was a little stressful. Sunwing bus driver unloaded our luggage at the Barcelona resort. My finance had to walk back to get our bags. Keep a close eye on your luggage. The registration/check in at the Dreams was more work than it had to be. There is only 3 small desk as the front desk with just 3 clerks. But registration was actually around the corner at a long table with 2 clerks. This location was hidden from plain view so made procedure confusing. Then i had  [... read more]to go back to the "3 desks"/front desk and stand in line to get word that room wasn't ready and was told to come back later for our keys. All this seemed so unprofessional for a resort chain with such high standards. Once we got into our room it was lovely, and clean. We were situated in a wing that had not yet been renovation on the outside. ...cracked stucco. Didn't look of Dreams standards, but the rest was wonderful. Rooms, beach, and restaurants are all very clean, with friendly service. A la cartes were very good. Service, food presentation and food quality was of very high standards. The main buffet, World Cafe, was smaller than I expected and very loud and busy so we had every breakfast amd lunch at the Seaside cafe over looking the ocean. It was less busy and had no line up for the omlette station. Need a really good late night burger? Visit Seaside Cafe before 1030 pm. If it's closed order through room service. Fries are crispy! There isn't enough palapas on the beach so everyone goes down at 630-730 am to put their towels on the loungers. We read that the pool attendant take them off aftr 30 mins but they don't. People still leave towels but don't show up for hours. If you have trouble finding chairs ask an attendant and they are more than happy to pull towels or move chairs for you. All good! The resort is generally very quiet. We didn't see or hear the entertainment team hardly at all. Good and bad. We did like the lobby lounge entertainment every night. We also left the resort to visit the local bar across the street to watch an Oilers game. Overall we loved the location, hotel and beach! And will return. Hopefully the few deficiencies will be rectified.