The Beachfront by The Fives Hotels

What a great find can not fault it staff & service is excellent, location great, facilities perfect, rooms clean and comfy. And the main reason we selected the hotel was the a la carte and cocktails and they did not disappoint the food (especially the lunches) were superb as you’ll see from most of my photos. I even had time to relax and do a little sketch of the pool. It’s a little hotel which we wanted as not a big hotel person but if you want the sister hotel is a 5 minute walk along the beach or a shuttle service can be used. We went over to the sister hotel but it’s just the same old large hotel with usual foods on offer that don’t come close to the food at the beachfront. All the staff were fantastic but a special mention to Yvonne who kept us hydrated on the beach with water in the mornings and the mezcalitas in the afternoon. All the staff were great and I know I’ll miss some names but also thanks to Alex, Kevin, Gustavo, Saul, Eduardo, Omar, Jorge and many more…. Will defo recommend and we hope to be back next time we are in Mexico Read less

Let me begin this review with giving you some background on me and my hubby. We are All Inclusive Resort people with more than 25 resorts under our belt. From Cancun, Mexico to Jamaica, Dominican Republic so we have a wide variety for comparison but we only book Adults only resorts.. The Beachfront was a suggestion from a friend for a "relaxing vacation" so I thought let's give a try. I worried about it being too laid back but knew it was connected to a larger resort that was just a golf cart ride away so we decided to give it a try. Here is my breakdown on our trip. Check In: We arrived at the hotel on a Saturday evening and the staff wasted no time checking us in. We were introduced to our Elite Ambassadors Miriam and Melky. The third person was on vacation. Miriam wasted no time showing us the ropes of using the What's App for all correspondence with them. This would prove very useful over the next 6 days. We would receive daily notice of restaurants open at the sister resort for lunch and dinner as well as the daily activities and the night time entertainment. We often asked Miriam/Melky to make us dinner reservations and they were always willing to accommodate. Room: We booked a Garden View as we often do since we spend so little time in the room. We prefer to spend the additional money on things like massages for me and golf for my husband. We started to our room which was on the 3rd floor. Ordinarily stairs are no problem for us, however I fell down some stairs a week earlier and was not aware there wouldn't be an elevator. This surprised me a bit given the average median age of the guest was between 45 and 70. I asked about moving to a room on a lower floor and was told nothing was available. We made do as I hadn't requested it when booking. I should note here that there are stairs for everything as nothing is on the main check in level. Our room was small but fine with an air conditioner that worked like a dream. The counter space was small as was the closet space, but I just didn't unpack and my husband used the closet area. Walk in shower with a rain shower fixture. Fun but not great for washing hair. The shower was large but there was no sitting bench and the tile in the shower was quite slick. I slipped several times and then decided to ask if they had a both mat. They told me they would check and if they didn't have one they would go to Walmart to purchase one. Later that evening I received a message that they had found one and installed it in our room. I later learned from other guest that their shower came standard with them, but ours didn't. I know if was an oversight, but it was fixed. The room came with beer, soda and few snacks. There was a also a coffee service with we didn't use as we don't do coffee. I left housekeeping a tip daily and only made 2 request (In Spanish). 1 was 4 washclothes and the other was a couple of bags of chips. Chips were left, the washclothes were not. Some days we didn't get all of the towels but it wasn't enough to stop us from enjoying the vacation. I had read about "turn down service" and chocolates truffles left bedside. We never received those services or truffles despite tipping. Again not a hill to die on. We were in Room # 39. Forgot to mention that this resorts uses the bracelets that double as the room key. We love this as you never have to worry you that you don't have the key. One last note, under no circumstances use the faucet water to brush your teeth. We use the bottle water left in the room but our friends did not. I put a washcloth in the sink one morning and turned on the water only to come back and find a brown spot on the cloth ( see photo). Didn't make me feel great about the water quality for food prep etc. Pool: This was where this resort exceeds most over the big guys. First and foremost the pool was cool and refreshing not like most hotels where they feel like bathwater. With the hotel only having only 41 rooms the chairs are plentiful. I loved not having to play the early morning chair game. Although some were taken early chairs were available up until around 9:00 a.m. We usually dropped our stuff and went to breakfast. Lucas was our daily attendant pool side and was always right on time. We tipped him but again I didn't see a different level of service for those that didn't. I did feel like he appreciated the money and he was most attentive and very hard working. He deserves special recognition. Our last day he wasn't on duty and it showed as the service failed miserably in comparison. Forgot to mention take your Yeti's and straws. They are happy to fill them. Ocean/Beach: If you are a beach person you won't be happy here. The beach is very rocky and hard to traverse even with water shoes on. The flag was at Red all week so I didn't venture in. Almost no one when into the ocean here. Seawood was out of control, no matter how hard they tried daily to clean it up. If you going for beach this isn't it. Restaurant: There is only 1 restaurant on the grounds. It's called the Santa Sirena. We ate breakfast here daily and found the menu selections to have something for everyone. I'm an eggs benedict girl so I ordered it multiple times. The fresh fruit plate daily was amazing. They had juices, coffee, mimosas, bloody mary's you name it it was available. They had smoothies and specialty drinks as well (no alcohol). I became particularly fond of the Eye Opener with Ginger, Lemon and Honey and it became my go to in the morning. I felt like it gave me a boost of energy. Our usual wait staff was Jennifer who was sweet and always anxious to please. We tip as we are Americans and it's common, however I saw that many guests left nothing. A large majority of the guests were from Canada, UK, Ireland, etc and it made for very interesting conversation. We loved it! Lunch here was also tasty and I became a huge fan of the Tuna Tostada (photo). It was delicious and the servings were very generous. Ww found this throughout this resort wide. While there this restaurant had 3 nights of Prix Fixe menus Mexican, Italian and Oriental. We tried the Italian which was good, but not noteworthy. I had read to forgot the Mexican as well so we only did the one. One thing to point out is this restaurant is open air, however it never feels hot as the breeze off the ocean keeps it lovely and there are several wall unit A/C units installed as well. Pool Side Grill: Everyday there was a poolside grill choice for lunch. These ranged from chicken and shrimp to fresh Grouper and Snapper along with Langastino. We enjoyed this daily routine and opted for poolside grill rather than the restaurant. You will see the photo of the "Catch of the Day" being brought around the pool where you could order your lunch freshly prepared. It was yummy and a very nice touch. Bar: This resort only has 1 bar and it closes at 11:00 sharp. The bar is one of their major areas for improvement. You could order a specialty drink all day and they would be wonderful, but the moment the evening staff took over the quality faded. It's clear they have no formal training as no 2 drinks are made the same. Unlike most higher end resorts there was also no craft cocktail menu. This was disappointing but not a deal breaker. They have top shelf liquor so that's not a problem they just lack the skills to make a really good cocktail. Sister Resort Restaurants: We tried several, but found the Thai, Italian, French and Sushi to be the standouts. Sushi was shockingly good and again very large portions (photos). We ate at Arrezzo our last night and it was phenomenal. Our waiter was Mercado and he went above and beyond for us. He was a total professional waiter and it showed. It was my hubby's birthday and when he found out the service level went to 12! (photos/videos attached). The food was exceptional and I wish we had gone sooner as we would have surely gone twice. Sister Entertainment: Usual fair but entertaining. Lots of children on the other side so it's geared towards them as well. Gold Cart Rides: We would take the cart over to the sister resort nightly and always had a drive by the name of Franklin. When I tell you Franklin's spirit was infectious I mean it. He has us laughing nightly. He was sweet and informative although his English was a tiny bit week we all laughed through it, his English and my Spanish. He is a gift to this resort and deserves recognition. Wildlife: We saw a few Cawatee (sp?), monkeys, big lizards etc but not as plentiful as some other resorts which was fine with us. Service: I will end this review with what I believe makes them stand out most. The staff was incredibly hard working and willing to please. They all knew out names within a few days and I appreciated the effort. They are the reason I would go back. We just got back on May 11th so I'm writing this while it's all fresh in mind. I'm available to answer questions too. Read less

I’ve stayed at several all-inclusives before, but this one was truly next level. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel like VIPs—warm welcome drinks, quick check-in, and genuine smiles all around. The food? Absolutely incredible. Every restaurant offered something unique, from gourmet dinners to beachside tacos that hit the spot every time. And the cocktails were top-shelf—no watered-down drinks here! The room was pristine with breathtaking views, super comfy beds, and a stocked mini bar that was refreshed daily. Housekeeping was discreet and consistent. I’ve stayed at several all-inclusives before, but this one was truly next level. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel like VIPs—warm welcome drinks, quick check-in, and genuine smiles. A special thank you to Enrique and all of his staff members for making us all feel like we were at home. They all went the extra mile even when they didn’t have too 😊🙏🏻 Read less