I honestly don’t understand what all the fuss is about with this resort. Our stay was far more hectic and crowded than relaxing, and for a family traveling with a young child, I would not recommend it.
First, everything is a queue. The resort is enormous, and it felt extremely crowded everywhere we went — check-in, check-out, elevators, pools, buffet, and other common areas. Instead of feeling like a relaxing resort vacation, it often felt like we were standing in line or navigating crowds.
The parking situation was especially frustrating. The resort already charges a resort fee, and on top of that, parking is around $75 per night, which I find extremely expensive. We chose to park at a nearby lot for around $20–$25 per night instead. However, because we were traveling with our 3½-year-old son and I was pregnant, this became a major inconvenience. If we forgot something in the car, we had to walk back about 15 minutes each way. With a young child and pregnancy, that was not practical and made the stay much more stressful.
The buffet experience was also frustrating. There was a line just to get into the buffet, and then when we were given the bill, the waiter specifically pointed out the total and the tip amount. I found that unnecessary and uncomfortable. I think most people who dine at restaurants understand where the tip section is on a bill — we don’t need it pointed out to us as if we’ve never seen a restaurant receipt before.
The cleanliness was also disappointing. We found a cockroach in our room. In addition, the hallways and common areas did not appear to be maintained to the standard I would expect from a resort at this price point. There was visible dirt and sand throughout the corridors, and they often looked like they hadn’t been properly vacuumed.
The resort also charges a significant amount for beach amenities. Even as a hotel guest, you have to pay around $100 for one day for an umbrella and two beach chairs. Considering the room rates, resort fee, and other charges, I found the additional cost very hard to justify.
I can see that some people may enjoy a huge resort with lots of restaurants, pools, and activities, but that wasn’t what we were looking for. For us, especially traveling with a toddler while pregnant, the experience was more hectic than relaxing. The combination of crowds, queues, expensive parking, additional beach charges, and cleanliness issues made the stay quite disappointing.
For a family with young children, I would personally look for a smaller, more manageable property where getting around doesn’t feel like such an ordeal.
