Hotel: Very satisfied. Well laid out and easy get around based on the size of the hotel. Great views.
Rooms: Bright and very clean.Would try next time to possibly upgrade room to higher level because of noise from the open air bar,and also for a better view. We were on level 4 with a jacuzzi tub.
Food: Very good including room service. Would be nice like most resorts where the Market Cafe would be open for supper. Sometimes a nice option as you might not what to go to a restaurant every n[... read more]ight. A lot of people we spoke to felt the same way.There were several restaurants to choose from and we never had to wait in line or book reservations. Not a great selection of "premium" liquor at the bars or if available would run out.
Staff: Quite pleasant, extremely helpful and very hardworking.
Beach: Beautiful views.Sand very "coarse" and difficult to walk on or swim. Did not see anyone swimming.From the previous reviews we read, we did expect this. Pools well laid out and no problem getting chairs.
Location: Pleasantly surprised how nice the surrounding area was including the infrastructure.Went to town and enjoyed it very much. Felt safe and not pressured by local vendors.
Weather: Fabulous. Sun every day, not a drop of rain (went thru a lot of "sunscreen")
Sunwing: Angry customers on the last day....The Sunwing representative at the resort was one of those people whom you hardly saw and when you did always seemed to be in a hurry to be someplace else.On the day of departure there were delays because of the "ice storm" in Toronto.We were quite aware of this thru social media and understood the chance of delays.The problem was the Sunwing representative was nowhere to be found and the info in the binder at his desk was not changed until noon (we were to leave the resort at 10:30 am to go to airport).This caused a lot of frustration and angered many people.Someone said a "new" Sunwing rep did appear for a short period of time but was very inexperienced as to what was going on.We finally boarded the aircraft at midnight to head home.The pilot was concerned as to whether we had been waiting in the airport that whole time or if we were at the resort. He was genuinely quite concerned for the passengers.I think most people could have dealt with the delays, but not having a "Sunwing" rep on site made many people very unhappy.Fortunately we were able to stay at the resort all day rather than being stuck at the Airport. We were given vouchers at the Airport for food and a small discount off future travel.The hotel staff were very helpful during this delay and answered many questions because the was no representation from Sunwing.
Most people we spoke with seemed to really like the Hotel. Just a few minor changes or upgrades would put it over the top....
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets Vallarta Bay: Nice resort
The wait staff is tremendous - special shout out to Manuel B, Manuel C and Israel. Their bar/wait service was outstanding. Thanks to Panda for making me feel extra special on my birthday, and thanks to Christian for listening to my concerns. Also a big thank you to Alejandro at the Market Cafe (buffet) - my mornings were always fabulous thanks to him and his colleagues. I would also highly recommend the lovely young woman who provides massage therapy on the beach. I wish I remembered her name - [... read more]she is amazing. The hotel is nice looking. Rooms, pools, bars and restaurants are all lovely to look at. The beach is not swim-able due to the very rocky shore. Overall, my stay was OK although the cleaning service in my room was very minimal even though I left a generous tip every day. I always had to call down for towels when I got back to my room, and when I had room service and left dishes in the room service "box", I discovered a smell after a couple of days and realized the food had not been cleaned out of this "pick-up" box. The counter tops in the room where never cleaned. I have been to other Secrets resorts and will continue to explore them but will not go back to this one.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets Cap Cana: Awesome resort/vacation/staff!
This was one of the best vacation experiences ever- the staff at Secrets Cap Cana truly make you feel like family and that you are at your home away from home. Staff seem truly happy and always warm and friendly. We had a fabulous swim-up room with ocean view preferred club- I don't have enough good words to describe the excellent service we received from our wonderful butler Narciso, always thinking ahead, courteous, professional, and reliable, he made things happen! Excellent service overall f[... read more]rom all staff. Excellent housekeeping and cleanliness. Beautiful beach that was well-maintained. We highly recommend getting preferred club. Lovely coffee and chocolate. Food was overall good with some restaurants being better than others; buffet was good but somewhat limited, could benefit from expanding options. We received exceptional service from Seferino at Rose Water and Maycol at the Preferred Club bar. Thank you for the amazing experience and friendliness and we look forward to seeing you again. Best staff ever, thank you again so much Narciso, Seferino, and Maycol!! Also thank you so much to our wonderful agent at TripCentral Louise Issa for making it happen and the exceptional service!
having travelled a lot and stayed in many hotels and resorts I truly feel that secrets huatulco was great. Spectacular dining, great staff, clean, no line no waiting. This was with out a doubt the best resort experience we have ever had.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Vickey/Ken -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets Huatulco: Super Resort, Awesome Weather, Great Town
Staff are super friendly, always having a smile for you. Restaurant food was good and room service as well. A few days it was too rough to swim but beach is great. We went into the town it was safe! I would recommend this resort to anyone looking for a great vacation!
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Chilly -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets Royal Beach: Good resort
Had some minor issues which were resolved fairly quickly. The staff was amazing! Food was fantastic. We paid for a romantic dinner on the beach which in the brochure and pictures in their elevators shows you have a private cabana. You do not, you are at a small table right on the beach. Other than that, everything was great.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets St James: Wonderful vacation
My husband and I recently spent 9 days at the Secrets St. James in Montego Bay. We had a wonderful vacation. The beach, the pools, the food, the entertainment--day and night--were all great. We especially loved that all the restaurants have outdoor seating and the evening entertainment. The houseband Pace is really terrific.
On the negative side, the check-in was terrible--it took a half-hour plus and there were only 8-10 of us checking in at the same time. We didn't like that the bathroom is[... read more] open to the bedroom; the rooms would be much better if they walled up the bathroom. The other issue was smoking--cigarettes and marijuana--by the pools, on the beach, and at the tables around the outdoor stage. Smoking of anything should be restricted to designated areas away from other people.
Highly recommend this resort, despite the negatives above. The positives far outweigh the negatives, and we will definitely return!
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Cathy -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets St James: Awesome Vacation
The resort was very well maintained and staff were all very friendly and accommodating. There was always someone cleaning or maintaining something on the property. The pool and beach areas were cleaned daily and ready for use each morning.
Of the four available beaches we enjoyed the ones at St. James and the Preferred the most (we upgraded to Preferred upon arrival).
The food at all restaurants was very good and proportions were just right.
The only minor disappointment was the room. The[... read more] furniture was becoming a bit worn (hotel is approximately 8 yrs old) so could use an update but the beds were very comfortable.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets Huatulco: The most beautiful resort we have ever been to
The resort is very picturesque, from the rooms to the views and restaurants everything has been carefully designed to provide the best views possible.
Pools were fabulous the main pool is very large and warm as the temperature was very warm the whole week we were there.
Staff is very friendly and helpful, food and service for drinks by the pool was great.
Rooms beautiful all with great views and kept very clean by a great housekeeping staff.
Only issue was 3 out of 4 of us were struc[... read more]k with the travellers diarrhea bug, spoke to around 15 people all had the same problem, unfortunately we all did not get to enjoy the week as much as we could have as we did not feel well for half of the trip.
The beach is the nicest we have seen in Mexico and the hotel went over and above to deal with the seaweed. Hotel is awesome. Some furniture was dated but clean. Activities staff were always doing something and the wifi schedule and printed schedule allowed you
to plan your days. No reservations at the a la cartes was positive, never a line up.
Food was excellent. Management planned meal time entertainment several times and had a good variety of entertainment for everyone. Just little things[... read more] like Saxaphone player
in the pool in the afternoon and another at breakfast. Bike tours, etc. Awesome week.
Only negative was the fight for pool floaties. For such a small item resort should just buy more.
Beach
Under normal circumstances, the beach would be phenomenal and #1 on my list of “pros†below. While we were there there was a moderately bad seaweed epidemic. The resort did what it could to clean up the build up of seaweed at the shoreline (the first couple days it was men raking and they couldn’t make any progress but then the next several days there was a tractor which managed to clean most of it). There was nothing they could do about the seaweed in the water. Some spots in t[... read more]he ocean were completely brown and unswimmable but the majority had only a small amount of seaweed floating around and we swam several times. The last day (March 30) the wind had died down and it was much better.
Pros
Excellent service overall, most particularly at the restaurants where they were super friendly, polite and attentive. Food service was a little slow one night but otherwise well paced (i.e. about 1.5 hours for a 4 course dinner, the times I mention being slow was when we waited about 30 mins for our first plate of food). We had excellent drink service next to the pool and at the beds behind the beach.
6 a-la-carte restaurants, no reservations required and we never had to wait at all for a table which was FABULOUS (one night we ate at 6:30 and were basically the only ones at the restaurant, we also ate at 7-8pm when they were more full but still no wait)
Food ranged from very good to excellent. We only ate at the buffet for breakfast. Lunch we usually ate at the grill next to the pool which was both excellent and quick but also ate at the seaside grill 2 times. Supper we always ate at the a-la-cartes and while some of the dishes were only okay many of the them were delicious and we would have liked to have had enough time to go back a second time to almost all the restaurants. The desserts were a bit lacking, the only one we loved was the creme brulee at Bordeaux. The Hibachi table at Himitsu (where you sit around the grill and they cook in front of you) was a nice experience but warm in the private room (2 are in private rooms and one is in the central part of the restaurant). This was the only thing which required a reservation.
Very clean resort, most notably the washrooms at the beach, there was always staff there keeping them tidy (in my experience at other resorts, beach washrooms are messy)
Beach beds! There was a large number of beach beds that cost 50$ per day and included concierge service. We did not try those as I thought the price was ridiculous. There was also 5 beach beds directly behind the beach (with a view of the ocean), as well as maybe 10 beds near the pools. We spent most of the week at the beach beds behind the beach.
There was a wide variety of activities, and the staff were not annoying about getting people to participate. The one pool with the swim up bar was always super busy and more the “party pool†atmosphere whereas the other one was much calmer and quieter (even though they are right next to each other).
There are 2 whirlpools and the water is actually quite warm (at other resorts we’ve stayed at the whirlpools are no warmer than the swimming pools)
Cons
suites were a bit smaller than some other junior suites we’ve had at other resorts. We were told we were “upgraded†to a partial ocean view but that was a lie as partial ocean view is actually their lowest room category. Furthermore, since we were in the building farthest from the beach we actually couldn't see the ocean due to all the palm trees.
All the good spots got reserved very early (before 9am) but there are 2 signs next to the pools saying not to reserve spots and that personal articles could be removed if a spot was unoccupied for 30 mins. There was a few very rude people who left their stuff on the beach beds all day long and only showed up at 1pm or even as late as 4pm one day to use the bed. I found this extremely selfish given there are only 5 free beds behind the beach (not counting the ones on the beach that you had to pay) so after the first day we simply started remove peoples’ stuff if we saw that they hadn’t shown up as of late morning.
All beach beds should be free and only require an additional fee for concierge service. There was a dozen beds not being used every day because people didn't want to pay the fee!
There was a small lineup almost every morning at the buffet around 9am, simply because they were not fast enough at cleaning tables and getting people seated. Luckily it was only a 3-5 minute wait (one day 5-10 mins).
Air conditioning in the restaurants was not strong enough, my husband who had to wear long pants (but was in short sleeve shirts) was always too warm. It was more comfortable being outside with the breeze but a few times the patios were full and we had to eat indoors.
Internet in the rooms was poor and would disconnect frequently, but internet access around the pool and on the beach was consistently good.
Overall we loved this resort and would definitely recommend it!
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Liza -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets Vallarta Bay: great resort
Well organized and excellent staff Food was great the restaurants were great and the atmosphere of the hotel was excellent. The pool area very clean and appealing. The room was good and clean with a gorgeous view.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets Royal Beach: Relaxing - Good and Bad
The hotel itself was nice and the rooms were fantastic, large, and clean. The staff was all around very friendly. I went solo as a woman (not single) so was looking for somewhere to feel safe and not bothered and this was a great place for that. Unfortunately, the weather was rainy but that’s out of control of the place. I’d say the biggest downfall was the food was gross. I’m not even a picky eater but it (all of it) was completely disgusting and it was pumped out like a factory. On the [... read more]sunny day I had the beach was fantastic and the pool was fun and the gym is good. Nightlife was half decent and I liked the option to go over to the family hotel beside for more action.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets The Vine Cancun: exceeded expectations
Secrets, The Vine, Cancun lived up to their claim of "unlimited Luxury". This resort and trip was first class all the way. Our hotel transfer from the airport was seamless and did not take long. They were very organized at the airport and we were connected with the transfer company quickly. The drive was direct to our hotel and took only about 20 minutes.
We were greeted as we arrived and taken to check in. We received a glass of champagne on arrival. The check in was handled well with informat[... read more]ion clearly explained. The bell hop took our bags and on the way to the elevator, we met a representative for V.I.P services (beware). The rep tells you he wants to explain the room credit ($200.00 USD) you received for staying there, which he does, but then proceeds to tell you of a further $400.00 USD you can receive and how it can be used. In the cryptic explanation we discovered that to earn this extra credit we had to endure a breakfast meeting with a rep who would explain the "packages" that they offer for long term commitment to their brand. We declined to persistent, but very polite attempts to get us to meet. Anyway, that is a part of their deal so we were persistent in declining as we didn't really have any interest in that, so don't know if its a good deal or not.
We went to our room which was quiet nice in its appointments but was simply a king bed suite. Basic, but quite nice and all we needed. This was the "room of the day, run of the house" deal that saved us over $1000 overall. In speaking with guests who stayed in the preferred levels, they didn't seem to have benefits over and above ours that we felt would have been worth the extra money, although we could have upgraded if we wanted to.
The resort is spotless, the staff are excellent, and we developed fun relationships with bartenders and servers in both restaurants and bar service areas, like the pool area, and various bars and lounges inside the resort
There were may options and different types of food available. The resort is dedicated to make it a resort where you can relax, enjoy fun times, but it is definitely NOT a party resort and if anyone gets a bit loud or boisterous, staff are quick to address it. They also follow some reasonable guidelines where they can restrict a patrons alcohol intake if it seems that they are getting drunk and out of control. We liked this and felt comfortable knowing that staff watched for this.
Security at the resort from what we saw, is second to none. There are staff at the entrance to the front gate, and at the stairway to the beat who take your name and room number, and check it against the master list they are given. It is unlikely that people who don't belong there can get in to the grounds easily.
Security also monitors the halls, making sure doors are not left open. We didn't realize that the door handle required and extra action to ensure it closed, and security came to our door to explain that they had found our door unlocked, which was good, but we hadn't been told about this when the bell hop brought us to the room.
There are plenty of good lounge chairs, and an abundance of pool towels so you don't ever run out.
Great vacation and we loved it.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets Vallarta Bay: Excellent resort
Beautiful rooms overlooking ocean. Very good restaurants and choices.
Ability to open windows and turn off air-conditioning.
Staff wonderful - kind and welcoming.
I have no intention of entering 200 characters!
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
STL83 -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets Aura Cozumel: Loved Secrets Aura Cozumel
We arrived on a late Friday evening as our flight was delayed out of Toronto. Check in was fast friendly and professional. For a little extra we where ocean front preferred members. Their were many activities to chose from and the evening entertainment put on fantastic shows. Housekeeping was prompt and attentive. A variety of different restaurants to chose from. Only one with a dress code. Several pools to chose from.The resort was well laid out and the view breathtaking. My wife loved it just [... read more]as much as I did. We're definitely returning next year.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Nicki -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets Aura Cozumel: Needed more staff and updating.
The hotel was very short on staff you could tell because they seemed to always racing to get the dinning areas cleansed and ready. Room service was exceptionally long wait times, took almost 2 hours to get a salad to the room in preferred suit several times we called.
Had to call everyday 2 times to get the room fridge filled with water. No snacks that are suppose to be refilled each day, had to ask for those to.
The hotel it’s self is in need of updating and repairs. Cracked pool walkout t[... read more]iles, beds were done our was like trying to sleep in a hammock.
The food exceptional each day
No complaints at all there.
The spa was a pristine and very well maintained and staff were
Always very helpful and pleasant. Overall it is not up tor the same par as the other secrets and dreams I have stayed at.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Secrets The Vine Cancun: Very modern resort
Have been various Secrets in Mexico, like the chain but this is my least favourite...Disappointed in the food, drink was not be top shelf, ...........entertainment was very good, and pool area and beach were lovely... Room we were upgraded ,,wonderful just disappointed that they tried to ask us to pay for it,,,when we said no,,,we had the room anyhow.......Not the way to impress, Only recommend those who want a metro holiday not a resort holiday...
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Kirk77 -
Verified Purchaser
Dreams Puerto Morelos Resort and Spa: A Step Up
Everything exceeded expectations, views, facilities, common areas, pools, the room it was all great. Staff are awesome and always helpful and friendly, never had to wait for anything and the food was the best we have had. Everything exceed expectations and can not complain about anything. We went knowing the beach was not great, but they try and that our "ocean view" was decent but not a "true ocean view" because we upgrade to preferred.