Secrets Huatulco: Unspoiled Beauty! Pictures can't give true beauty of the colors and shapes

Our trip to this colorful place (in many ways) took place November 22 - 29. From beginning to end, this was a most satisfying and impressive vacation. Secrets Huatulco has the recipe right on this one. Leaving Toronto on Sunwing was no hassle, left the airport early and arrived in Huatulco half an hour early. Bus ride to the Customs, baggage claim and related were quick we had a nice bus ride to our hotel in 30 minutes, the guide on the bus told us a lot of about the area and nature, the view [... read more]s were great along the way! Hotel check in was quick and orderly, we were greeted by a nice hostess, drink and a face cloth. In our room, #4122, in less then half an hour, luggage delivered by the bell boy. As the various pictures show, and please note, pictures do not do the whole experience justice, the view alone from the room looking out was a cascade of colors. The room itself was well done, clean, airy, decently air conditioned and equipped as many others have mentioned in reviews earlier. Beds are comfortable and the pillows fat and fluffy, you can request other types of pillows if you wish bay calling downstairs or speaking to your room cleaner. everybody jumped to help in this place. Yes as some have mentioned, there is a touch of wear starting to show in the hotel, our room no exception with a bit of peeling paint on the walk in rain shower ceiling, a loose knob in a panel, and the first morning we were there the safe gave up the ghost, a call brought the technician within a half hour, he ended up replacing the whole thing. Service with a smile. Which brings us to our room cleaner, Alberto, he bent over backwards to make our stay beautiful. The room was made up perfectly everyday, and we would always come back to our room and see it after it was done, nice surprises such as rose petals, roses, and other flowers and colors and decorations placed there. Always a smile on Alberto's face. Indeed the people of this hotel are the root of what really makes it all work, they have genuine energy and color to them, and do treat you like family. The grounds are kept spotless clean, and for the most part, so are the public areas of the hotel, but where the effort could be picked up a bit was in the attention to little details. Dirty windows, lots of fingerprints on elevator stainless steel doors and other fixtures as well as loose screws and edge protectors on walls having pieces fall out of them and laying on the floor are things that add up to the impression, as are soiled looking cushions on the sofas and chairs in the lobby and Sky Bar area. yes, there are many guests around but things like this need to be addressed in this level and cost to stay at hotel to keep ship shape! Getting to know the buildings and grounds and where things were was very easy. No real mazes in the place. To note there are a lot of stairs and sloping pathways amongst the property due to the property being built on the side of a cliff literally. People all managed, hotel people were always around to help too, just felt this should be noteworthy. Personally we loved the grounds, flora of all sorts of colors and shapes were in abundance, and you could see iguanas as well here and there. One gets the feel of unspoiled nature in the place, with one note: Falconers are at hotel almost every day with Harris's Hawks to keep the smaller birds from being an annoyance and possible health concerns away from the outside eating facilities. They do an amazing job, but fear not bird watchers, one can see many birds, other hawks, small vultures soaring in the air from sunrise to sunset over the grounds, and when the 'hired hawks' are not around, the small birds will give a cacophony of colors and sounds! On the subject of flying creatures we noted a surprising absence of flies and other pests around the outside eating facilities, but there are sand fleas down by the beach and there are mosquitos in shady windless spots and of course in the dusk and dawn and night. Bring insect repellent! The beach is a thing of beauty, there is not a huge abundance of palapa shades down there (look to the right when you go down the beach on the right, they are a hidden shade gem the few extras there!) so get down there early if you want shade in that area because the towel game is in full effect, folks come down super early before sunrise to claim spots. Beach drink service was a nice thing to have and this was the case. The ocean can have some pretty strong wave days due to the fact it is the Pacific, and the beach has a very steep drop-off perhaps six or seven feet out. pay attention to the warning flags, they were yellow or red for our whole stay there. The beach itself above the water has a pretty step slope itself and the sand is very coarse. Tender feet may need water shoes. Spotless and maintained is the word for the beaches. To the left of the beach is a more gentle area to swim, and a path, there by a lone and kind of weather beat palm tree, marks the path to an unspoiled and undeveloped beach area where we got some spectacular pictures. The only thing that spoiled the beach experience a bit was some vendors who tried to offer us illicit substances or some dubious destinations in town. A firm NO told them to hit the trail. A few other guests when we mentioned this to said they had this too happen to them. Pretty bold and kind of disgusting. Not the hotel's fault for the beach is federal Mexican property. Just be aware of your surroundings all the time. After all the walking and beach time, one can build up an appetite pretty quickly and Secrets Huatulco will have something for everybody to satisfy the most fussy appetite. The variety of restaurants has been well discussed in this forum, we loved them all. Dress codes are in effect and this was nice to have in the evening, it was nice to dress up to go out to eat. We were just about at the start of high season, so most, but not all places were open to eat on each day, but read on! Breakfast in the Market Cafe was always decent, service and smiles in abundance as well as a huge variety of foods! Smoked salmon, you name it, it was there. Even lactose free milk for your cereal. Omelettes were fantastic. We always went early to avoid crowds for our three daily meals to note. For lunch our favorie was up the hill to the right at Castaways. The views are superb, the food was very good as well. The fish is delectable! Market Cafe is also nice for lunch, again a wide variety of foods. But the views there can't touch those you get at Castaways. We also did lunch at the Barefoot Grill between the two big pools. On one day you can get charcoal cooked fish and meats, on other days you can get a limited in comparison to the other places menu, but still a good one. Pizza of all sorts - seafood, veggie, meat - are cooked in the stone oven at Barefoot Grill in the evenings. Dress code at lunch is more relaxed, obviously as the name suggests, at the Barefoot Grill during lunch for poolside fans who wish not to go and dress up for lunch. Onto supper! We enjoyed the Cin-Cin (Italian) one. The menu there was well thought of, nice salad bar, and the food was Italian enough. The desserts were a real treat! The manager is very nice, he will talk to you, and values input. We did the Bordeaux, which is the French, also very good, but the onion soup was a bit of a letdown. It tasted more like beef broth. Dessert was great! Oceana, also up the hill, beside Castaways, was also dined at, the seafood is very nice there. We also ate at some outdoor grills set up on a couple of nights, and they were also quite good, fish, meat and chicken, and the multitude of sides which included, veggies, breads, and cold meats with the temporary outdoor buffet. candles, soft lights gave a very peaceful aura and energy. Kudos to the many people we saw setting up these things starting in the mid-afternoon! There is one more place to note, it is the Coco Cafe. My partner said the best ever cappuccinos ever tasted were to be had there. This place had nice snacks and had the air of a Starbucks more or less. Matilde was responsible for running this place and what a job she did,. You can get really nice smoothies there, matilde would make me ones with watermelon, lime and chia seeds. To note if you are a vegetarian, there is plenty that will keep you happy in the way of food at Secrets as well. Again, nobody will go hungry! The pool area! A very interesting area, especially the one on the left as you walk from the hotel in the direction of the beach. You have the Marlin/Barracuda bar there, it has a swim-up section included, and can get very noisy in the immediate area as the booze hounds howl louder as the day progresses. It is all in good fun, the suggestion is to stay at the pool on the right if quiet is your thing. The left pool also has at the far left end the activity section. Chess, ping-pong, aerobics, archery and other interesting activities to meet all needs are on that side. Vladimir comes to mind as a most colorful soul of the entertainment crew. Genuinely outgoing, but really all were nice. Guadaloupe was a most sweet soul too, she always made sure we had water or whatever drink we wanted while laying around the pool. Pool service was great overall. Many excursions are available from the hotel. Our Sunwing reps, Muricio and Cathy were there to help us and all any questions we had of facilities and, yes, the excursions. We went on the Emerald Waterfalls tour. That will be in another review, we will call that quite an adventure with our knowledgeable guide ( and great driver) Saul. The door is wide open for what you choose to do outside the hotel, look at the Things To Do While In Huatulco section of TA, and ask your rep while at then hotel. They are all part of the Nexus Tour Group. Weather was hot and some days humid but the sky stayed dry, we had a few clouds one day, but nary a drop of rain, be careful, it is easy to dehydrate after a long flight, so be sure to watch the sun, and drink lots of liquids as needed. 31-36 C was the norm in the day, and 22 C or so at night. Even with all written here I am sure stuff was missed, I know some pictures in my mind of facts was lost as I have been composing here but I will say to answer the big question, would we return to Secrets Huatulco? A resounding YES is the answer, we are sure we will come back next year, it all seemed to balance out here, though the beach was a bit rough but the other things we found here far outweigh that. It is a balance of makes one feel alright in the melding of the senses they feel in a place, and for us. it all came together. better then in other places. The Blau hotel in Varadero, Cuba used to be a benchmark of balance and energy for us, but we feel this place, Secrets in Huatulco, Mexico is a notch above in many aspects except beach comfort. Beauty of the beach is better at Secrets and more wild and natural by far too. Just about counting down for our next discoveries at Secrets in Huatulco. Thank you all for your service and genuine smiles! . A shout out to the folks at Trip Central .Ca who helped us with many questions and concerns. We thank you too so dearly.

Secrets Huatulco: Return visit better than the first

Second time to this resort. Room service was great, restaurants pretty good. Not 5 star, but very enjoyable. The resort is gorgeous. Room are very comfortable and kept spotless. There would be more shade at the beach, hotel was at 80% occupancy when we were there and shade was an issue- and NEEDED in the Huatulco sun. A few errors(we renewed vows. Certificate was lost, and then the replacement was lost as well. Didn't get our romantic turn down service) but the stay was so enjoyable we could ove [... read more]rlook it. Spa is expensive but worth at least one visit.

Las Brisas Huatulco: Had a Great Time

First time on the pacific side of Mexico. Loved the area. It was very convenient flying from Toronto into Huatulco. We spent 10 days at the Las Brisas. Our stay went well. We were in a basic room which was fine for us. We spent very little time in the room. We spent most of the time at the beach. I am a beach person who loves to snorkel. The resort was perfect for that. I had the chance to snorkel everyday in the warm sea. We relied on the the trams to get us to and from our room as our ro [... read more]om was in the stars... We never had a problem getting a tram. We went to town a lot using the cheap taxi system. We went on a boat ride through Captain George at the beach. He did a good job. There was only three couples on the boat. A lot of the excursions offered in the area are all day and many people participating which did not appeal to me. The majority of the hotel guests were people from Mexico. We found ourselves gravitating to the very few other Canadian guests so we would have someone to talk to. At one point there were only 12 Canadian guests and all the rest were from Mexico. Needless to say the hotel catered to the majority. Two areas I think it in need of improvement are the entertainment and quality of food. The entertainment was the exact same every night. The same songs the same dances etc... They need more variety for sure. The food was not up to Mexican resort standards. I would suggest someone from the hotel go over to the mayan side for ideas on how to improve the food. I always found something to eat it was just the same thing every day. For example of the food quality... They call hot dogs sausages. They are plentiful. I do not go on vacation to eat hot dogs. There was never a boneless skinless chicken breast available. Which to me is a staple. They did not have a grilling section on the dinner buffet only lunch. I am not a seafood eater so this limits my selection. The best meal of the day was the lunch buffet. At least the food was better than in Cuba. I would go back to the Las Brisas if I got a good deal. The beach made up for everything for me. We tipped very generously and it was appreciated. Thanks to Julian and Roberto for taking good care of us. You both work so hard.

Secrets Huatulco: Very nice resort

Very clean,spacious resort in a beautiful area. We were happy with this place with the exception of getting some food poisoning at lunch on two occasions. Dinners at a l carte were great as was the staff at the resort. Pools were good but were quite a walk and elevator ride from our room on the top floor so we stayed there all day. Beach is a little rough for walking but ocean is great for snorkelling. We would return to this resort or the Dreams Resort down the road nearer to town. But we wou [... read more]ld never eat another lunch prepared outside by the pool.

Dreams Huatulco: Beautiful place, excellent hotel

Just came from Dreams Huatulco 2 days ago and already want to go back. The service was amazing, rooms very clean (maid service twice a day) and comfortable, the staff and local people are very friendly and welcoming. All in all, it was a problem-free vacation from start to finish. We had a very relaxing trip.

Secrets Huatulco: Beautiful resort!

Our experience from start to finish was amazing. We have never stayed in such a highly rated resort before and were very impressed! Starting with our pick up at airport and arrival at the resort we were made to feel welcome and appreciated. The rooms were wonderful. The staff throughout the resort were helpful and accommodating! We wanted for nothing really. We are not ocean swimming people so the fact that the beach may not have been as inviting as soon resorts didn't bother us. Th [... read more]e view was spectacular. We spent a lot of time at the pool partaking of the water, sunshine and drinks. The service was great and we were kept refilled by our favorite bartender Isaul. He's a treasure for that resort. Keep him at all cost! He remembered people from years before which makes us want to come back. We found the food in the restaurants really tasty and we loved the food we had. I would recommend anyone to stay at Secrets resort in Huatulco. We raved about it to each other every day And we will very definitely get back there! I can't say anything negative about experience. We had booked a tour guide ourselves before arriving so were able to take a couple of excursions. I would highly recommend Enrique's Huatulco tours. He was amazing!

Secrets Huatulco: Great stay

We were three couples travelling together and all were very impressed by our rooms, all of which had a great ocean view. We all had rooms higher up in the hotel and very much preferred our views to those down at the poolside near the swim up bar. Facilities were very clean and staff excellent and cheerful. There is some minor evidence of wear and tear but overall good. Food was generally very good but not quite as high end as we have had with other 5* resorts, i.e. never once saw scallops or lob [... read more]ster on the menu in any of the restaurants. For a resort with such great views, it was almost disappointing that the only restaurant with good ocean views was Castaways which has an amazing panorama. We actually tried room service; something we have never previously done, in order to have breakfast while looking over the beautiful view. Service was much faster than the declared time and food varied from excellent to mediocre as one day they seemed to have difficulties. Entertainment was lacking and with one or two exceptions not very good, but, then again, we were there for the ocean and sun. The beach is not a great swimming area with very coarse sand and a steep run down to the water. We were warned that there were strong rip currents on the west central side of the beach. We also heard there was good snorkelling over on the far east side. Unlike a prior review we had read, we were warned by resort staff to beware of the beach to be found to the east, following the trail through the wooded area, in that it was wave swept with dangerous currents. We had also read on a forum that you could walk along that beach once on it, as far as the ruins by Copalita but that information is incorrect. The beach gives out a short distance further on at a rocky point. For the price we paid, it was a good vacation.

Secrets Huatulco: Beautiful resort in a beautiful setting!

Secrets Huatulco is located on a beautiful bay on the Pacific coast in Mexico. Rooms are beautiful, excellent service and food was very good. Weather was Hot! Delicious guacamole and salsa! Loved Castaways for lunch! I would return.

Las Brisas Huatulco: we hit the jackpot with this resort

what a beautiful resort. The grounds are kept very clean and the landscaping was amazing. All houses are on a hill, lost of stairs to climb. If you are not able to do this they will shuttle you from and to your room. Beaches are very clean and they have pallapas or sun umbrellas .If you enjoy snorkeling, there is a small coral reef right in the bay. Public bathrooms are very clean. We had a beautiful room with a view of the bay and pacific ocean. Big walk in shower and his & hers sink. The room  [... read more]was very nicely furnished and we had plenty of drawers for our cloth. Room service very good. Fridge filled every day with soft drinks, beer , water and snack. Coffee maker and coffee provided every day. We also saw some amazing birds (chacalaca) Oriole and Turkey Vultures. The resort has 5 Restaurants and we were allowed to eat in all of them. Very good food and excellent service. No shortage of drinks anywhere. Buffets morning , lunch and dinner also very good. Weather was great. We will go back there for sure.

Las Brisas Huatulco: The best resort in Huatulco!

This is an amazing place to go! The pace has like 5 private and amazing beaches, the food is great, the view from the room is awesome, and in general the people is so friendly, they really made my holidays an incredible experience!

Secrets Huatulco: Nice resort

Hotel is fine,food okay,breakfast the best of all meals Oceana the best place for service,layout of hotel not the greatest,not too much thought put into building it..preferred not as nice or upscale as Secrets Puerto Vallarta..never any help in there when you needed it....one of the pools was nice and quiet.. Never any problem getting a place to sit...met lots of nice people from Ontario,Alberta,and BC...

Park Royal Beach Huatulco: Wonderful view

Great view wonderful staff , large room building 10 has highest and best view of the bay out of all the resorts in the area. Resort built into a hill side . Amenities and food very much a 3 star. However staff are over the top accommodating and friendly . Although the rooms are on the hillside there is a pool and dining room on the beach front with regular shuttles. Hutalutco is a very beautiful place be sure to check out la cruceicita especially at night. Taxi is 43 peso from resort to town squ [... read more]are (plus tip) The best way to contact the people at the resort seems to be their Facebook page 'park royal huatulco'

Secrets Huatulco: Spectacular on all fronts

From the moment we checked in I knew this vacation was to be a special one. The staff were amazingly friendly and assisted us with any concerns. Property is beautiful and amazingly clean. This resort is not for the party crowd but absolutely perfect getaway with that special person in your life. This is the pacific coast so for the novice travelers the ocean was a beautiful temperature but can have significant undertows. It does provide a calm protected area at one end for swimming and snorkelin [... read more]g. I would return on the next flight if I could

Secrets Huatulco: Stunning Resort

Amazing views, restaurants, service and amenities. You can't go wrong. Huge pool and no shortage of loungers! Rooms are well appointed with wonderful A/C. Grounds are well kept. Entertainment staff are highly entertaining making this an excellent choice of resort.

Las Brisas Huatulco: Super vacation!

We enjoyed our stay very much. The staff are very friendly and work hard at their jobs. We found the food good at all of the al a carte restaurants, and the buffet was good as well. We received the best service from Juan on the beach every day! He was very quick to bring us our bar refreshments. Eric was our Westjet rep and he was very helpful throughout our stay. If I had one thing that wasn't up to snuff, it was that the girls in the gift shop could not communicate with us very well. They did  [... read more]not speak English which made it difficult at times. We experienced a couple of earthquakes while at the Las Brisas. We found out while there that tremors happen about 300 times per year. We sure would have liked to know that ahead of time! They aren't necessarily bad tremors, but feel visitors should be aware, as it is very common. Overall, our trip was excellent, and plan to go back in the future!

Villablanca Huatulco: Perfect hotel and area.

We had a fabulous week at Villablanca Huatulco. The hotel is clean, well laid out, staff are friendly and very welcoming and provide top notch service. the restaurant at the hotel had some of the best meals we had all week and the value all around is excellent. We fell in love with everything about it. It is centrally located to the beaches and is a less than $3.00 cab ride to the town centre. We will return I'm sure

Barcelo Huatulco: Relaxation Achieved

The hotel was very nice, close to local shops and modern coffee shop (Ice Caps!) ALL staff were friendly and nice, saying hola to you and meaning it. 4 a la carte restaurants plus a buffet with a different themed night of dining were great and offered numerous options from the feint of heart to the adventurous.

Secrets Huatulco: Wonderful Resort in Huatalco

Secrets was a perfect resort for a relaxing getaway. Quiet, luxurious, beautiful. Impeccable service, great food. Would recommend for adults wanting a relaxing getaway. Beach was course sand, but pools were perfect.

Secrets Huatulco: Absolutely Amazing

Everything from start to finish was amazing. Huatulco Mexico Is a hidden gem! From the mountains to the ocean it is absolutely gorgeous. The weather was perfect never rained and has sun all day not cloud in sight. The secrets hotel was the cherry on top of the trip. It was our first time to this resort and it left us speechless. The staff is super friendly and always looking to make your stay more incredible then it already is. The resort is super clean and the pools and beaches are constantly b [... read more]eing cleaned. The food was also unreal everything from the restaurants to the room service was unreal!! No complaints about this resort and destination ...This was an amazing trip and I can't wait to go back!!

Secrets Huatulco: Wonderful vacation!

Beautiful location and friendly, helpful staff. I would recommend the resort to friends and hope to return some day! The restaurant choices were great, plenty of options to choose from. The hotel was very clean as well.