We stayed at Haven at the end of March into April of 2026. We booked Haven based almost solely on the room - The Serenity Ocean Front Swim Up. A true ocean front room at a reasonable price can be hard to come by, but our agent, Ruth DeMuth with TripGuy Travel, was able to get rates below what was quoted online and while we have been to a lot of AI resorts, mainly Excellence Collection and Secrets, Haven hadn't been on our radar. It always feels a little “risky” branching out. Well! I am so glad we did!
Here are a few (ok, several) highlights/recommendations/thoughts in no particular order!
We were in 4005 and the sunrise views (all of the views!) and location were both absolutely perfect and exactly what we'd hoped for. Laying in bed and watching the sunrise- does it get any better? The room had some wear and tear - Some water damage on the bottom of the interior doors and baseboards, a (bleach?) stain on the floor, but it was CLEAN. I can deal with aging, but cleanliness is very important. There wasn’t a musty smell, the bed was SO incredibly comfortable, the AC worked great, and our housekeeping team, Brian and Luis, did a great job each day. Turn-Down and housekeeping were both consistent.
Building 4 is perfect if you like to be in the middle of the resort. We loved being so close to the coffee shop in the morning and close to the main and round pools as well- easy to go use our own restroom when hanging at those pools! I would likely request building 4 on a follow up trip.
Tahani for breakfast was so good we went three out of five mornings! The avocado toast was fabulous and the service from every server we encountered was attentive. AND - They have these flat croissants dipped in chocolate and my life is forever changed. You can get smaller versions at the coffee shop too on some days! I will seriously dream about them forever! Room service breakfast was also very good and arrived in the timeframe quoted. Get the Suizas!
Shrimp Tacos and the Shrimp Tostada at Vistas, along with the beef tacos and the Catch of the Day from the Serenity pool side menu were our lunch highlights. The made to order tacos at the buffet were also delicious.
One of the mixologists, Jorge, made us our favorite drinks of the trip- it was an Atelier moment, (Atelier is known for their mixology program) which we certainly weren’t expecting to have. We told him flavors we liked and he delivered 2 unique and delicious cocktails!
If you drink Aperol Spritz, you must ask for Aperol specifically, or you’ll get an aperitivo liqueur that is absolutely terrible. Shout out to the bartender at Docks who made my first one of the trip - when I was mentioned that it didn't seem right, he said let me get you Aperol. He made a call and I had a new drink quickly, but- I learned at all bars and pools, I had to ask for Aperol or I'd get the less desirable option.
The liquor options, even in Serenity, were slightly lower than we are used to at other resorts we've visited, but for the price point, they were quite fair and we certainly did not go thirsty!
Dinner Faves:
Aqua Bandito - Barbacoa Steak Tacos
Vora Mar - Four Cheese Pizza
Olios - Cream of Artichoke Soup
Satsu - Fried Rice
Tahini - We absolutely loved the show! We didn't know what to expect, but it's a must do!!! The Beef Ribs were incredible!
Our meals were all solid overall and dinner service was always fantastic.
Staff who went above and beyond for us:
Moises - Pool Server - he is the kindest person - what a gem!
Juan Carlos (I think! He went by his last name which started with a "P" but told us his first name - Pool Server - he was so much fun!!!
Elmer - Bartender at Docks
Axcel - Bartender in Serenity Lounge & Havens Bar
Jimmy - Server at Satsu
Paty - Serenity Lounge & Havens Bar - she is everywhere and always working so hard!
Jorge - Mixologist
Santiago - Server at Vistas - he made our last meal on property so special!
Truly, everyone was friendly and helpful. The raves about service are warranted!
We had a 1:30 pick-up, and our butler, Carlos, suggested a late check out with the lower capacity and they were able to accommodate. I hadn’t planned to ask, so we really appreciated that he initiated what was a welcome convenience.
Carlos checked on us daily and was super friendly. I also had some inquiries on behalf of a friend looking to visit who has some very specific dietary needs and he was extremely helpful in getting information for me from management. (They are able to accommodate for anyone else out there reading this with unique or specific needs!)
If I had any slight disappointment, it was that we were there to celebrate my milestone birthday, but there was no recognition from Carlos, and I was sure to mention it to him - and it was also in our reservation notes. I would say that just isn't in the pricepoint of the resort, or if they weren't only at 55% capacity during our stay, I'd pass it off as him being too busy - but I've seen several things on social media celebrating birthdays or anniversaries - a dessert left in the room, a bottle of house sparkling wine set up - I wouldn't have expected much, just the simple recognition of my 50th would have meant a lot to me. He did leave a rose in the room on our last day while we were at lunch, which was lovely, but because we were leaving, I couldn't enjoy it throughout our stay and of course, could not take it with us. I don't want this to come off as a complaint, but more so as room for growth to pay attention to what guests might be celebrating, and to make a small gesture to give that milestone attention.
The duos who played both Tuesday and Wednesday at the Main Pool were super good, however, Thursdays entertainment was not good. The Lobby Bar is a great place for evening entertainment. Red Shoes Band on Sunday was so much fun and the Rock Band on Tuesday was really outstanding! Do not miss either of these shows and make your dinner reservations accordingly! We popped into the acrobatic show for a bit one night, but none of the other theater entertainment called us. All of that said - the entertainment was overall very good and better than expected!
Be careful on the pickleball court - the surface is a little slick, we didn’t play as hard as we may have if it wasn't, but it’s still very playable, just be aware. We had a blast and the views are awesome! Just grab paddles and balls from the front desk!
The Pools were all very clean and well maintained. The loungers are getting a bit aged/stained/torn, but once the towels are on, you can't tell, and they were very comfortable. We hung out at all the pools and enjoyed them all. Volleyball was well attended each day at the main pool, so my husband was a happy guy! There was also water aerobics and water yoga with paddleboards daily, as well as various pool games through the afternoon.
This was somewhat of a stream of consciousness, but I hope it gives an overview of our fantastic trip and offers some insight and helpful tips for those of you lucky enough to have a trip on the books! We would certainly return without hesitation.
