This is actually our first ever review, which probably says a lot in itself. As a family of four from England, with two young children aged 2 and 6, we’ve just completed a 10-night stay here.
Reviews aren’t usually our thing, but when you spend a significant amount of money on a family holiday, you expect it to deliver value for money, and we felt it was important to share our experience.
First of all, the location is fantastic. The surroundings are exceptionally well maintained, and the landscaping throughout the resort is beautiful and clearly well cared for. From the moment you arrive, the grounds create a great first impression and provide a relaxing setting for a family holiday.
Having spent 10 nights here, we feel we’ve had enough time to experience everything the resort has to offer and form a fair opinion of our stay.
The overall atmosphere was disappointing, largely due to the lack of quality entertainment. Quite simply, the entertainment was the poorest my family and I have experienced at an all-inclusive resort. There was very little happening throughout the day, and the evening entertainment was particularly underwhelming, offering little incentive to stay and watch. The sports bar was one of the better facilities on site; however, the air conditioning was set so low that it was often uncomfortably cold. This was not limited to the sports bar and seemed to be a recurring issue throughout the resort's restaurants. Stepping inside from the warm outdoor temperatures was often unpleasant due to how cold the dining areas were kept. Unfortunately, the food experience did not improve matters. We ate at the sports bar on three separate occasions, and each time the food arrived cold. Combined with the other dining issues experienced across the resort, this became a recurring frustration during our stay. Pool 1 offered some of the better daytime entertainment available; however, this was constantly disrupted by noise from nearby construction work. The sound of steel beams and ongoing renovation work to improve the outdoor restaurant areas regularly dominated the atmosphere, making it difficult to relax and enjoy the facilities. In my view, Pool 1 should have been closed while construction was taking place, with the entertainment programme relocated to another area of the resort. If relocation was not possible, then there should at least have been entertainment, music, or activities running throughout the day to help mask the construction noise and create a more enjoyable atmosphere for guests. The kids' club was another missed opportunity. While the facilities appeared adequate, there was very little engagement for our children, aged 2 and 6. After a short period of around 15 minutes, there was little to hold their interest, and they were reluctant to return.
Overall, the lack of meaningful entertainment, the disruption caused by construction work, the excessively cold indoor areas, and the repeated issues with food quality all had a significant negative impact on our holiday experience.
The à la carte restaurants were generally of a good standard, particularly the steakhouse and the Italian restaurant, which offered some of the better meals of our stay. However, the service significantly detracted from the overall dining experience. We received genuinely good service on only one occasion, and that was at the Italian restaurant. Otherwise, service was consistently disappointing across the buffet restaurant at breakfast and lunch, as well as in both the Mexican and steakhouse restaurants. A special mention should go to the staff member operating the pancake station at breakfast, who made my entire family feel uncomfortable on more than one occasion. I also witnessed him interacting poorly with other guests, which was disappointing to see and certainly did not reflect the level of hospitality expected at a resort of this standard. The buffet adjacent to Pool 6 lacked variety, particularly for younger guests. On one occasion, I requested French fries, which arrived rock hard and stone cold. After raising the issue, they were returned within only a few minutes. Unfortunately, they appeared to be drenched in oil, giving the impression that they had simply been put back into the fryer rather than replaced with a fresh batch. This experience left me with little confidence in the food quality and ultimately discouraged me from making further complaints for the remainder of our stay. Similarly, the pool bar menu fell well below what I would expect from a five-star resort. Food was frequently served cold, and the menu itself offered very little variety. Had it not been for the quality of the steakhouse and Italian restaurant, I would consider the food offering among the poorest I have experienced at an all-inclusive resort. What was particularly frustrating was that the ingredients and facilities were clearly there to produce good food. The potential was obvious, but the execution repeatedly fell short. Simple things such as serving burgers that were properly cooked through, pasta that was cooked, or ensuring food arrived at an appropriate temperature seemed surprisingly difficult to achieve on a consistent basis. The taco station at the barbecue area perfectly summed up this issue. It looked excellent, smelled fantastic, and initially gave the impression of being one of the highlights of the food offering. Unfortunately, the execution was extremely poor. The tacos were often drenched in oil and lacked the care and attention needed to produce a quality result. It frequently felt as though the staff operating these stations lacked the necessary training or experience to deliver the standard of food that the ingredients and facilities deserved. Food options for our children, aged 2 and 6, were also quite limited. Although they are usually adventurous eaters and happy to try different cuisines, they repeatedly found themselves eating the same few options throughout the holiday: steak and chips, chicken nuggets and chips, or pasta. For a family-focused resort, the lack of variety was disappointing.
As mentioned throughout this review, the foundations for a great dining experience were there. The restaurants themselves were attractive, many of the ingredients appeared fresh, and some dishes showed genuine promise. However, the execution was simply not there. The combination of poor service, inconsistent food quality, limited variety, and repeated issues with food temperature made dining one of the most frustrating aspects of our stay and fell well below the expectations we had for a resort of this calibre.
Cleanliness throughout the resort was of a five-star standard. The rooms were very clean, well maintained, and serviced daily by housekeeping. Front-of-house service was generally good. The welcome on arrival was efficient and friendly, and the lobby and concierge staff were consistently polite and helpful throughout our visit. The café was also a positive aspect of the resort, serving good-quality coffee and a nice selection of ice cream, which was enjoyed by both adults and children in our family.
Overall, for the cost of this holiday, it simply did not deliver the experience we expected. As a well-travelled family who have stayed at all-inclusive resorts around the world, this unfortunately ranks among the most underwhelming holidays we have experienced. What makes it more disappointing is that the resort has so much potential. The location, grounds and overall settings are excellent, but too many aspects of the guest experience fell short. Throughout our stay, we met several other families, and a common theme emerged in conversations—we all felt similarly disappointed. In fact, one family went out of their way to tell us not to let this experience put us off Mexico, recommending several alternative resorts that they felt offered a far better standard and overall experience. The biggest positive we can take away is that we were on holiday, away from work and away from home, and we made a conscious effort to enjoy our time together as a family regardless of the shortcomings. We made the best of it and created some lovely memories with our children. However, this stay has significantly affected my perception of the Hilton brand. Based on this experience, I would be hesitant to book another Hilton all-inclusive resort in the future.
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