4 stars at most
Feb 8, 2026 VinceN117 Toronto, Canada
Overall, we had a good family vacation at Dreams Flora, but it falls short of a true 5-star experience.
First impressions & service
Check-in was excellent. We arrived right at 3:00 pm and our room was ready. Staff were very friendly throughout the resort and, surprisingly, not pushy at all about timeshare presentations — a big plus compared to…
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Overall, we had a good family vacation at Dreams Flora, but it falls short of a true 5-star experience.
First impressions & service
Check-in was excellent. We arrived right at 3:00 pm and our room was ready. Staff were very friendly throughout the resort and, surprisingly, not pushy at all about timeshare presentations — a big plus compared to many other all-inclusive resorts. They also weren’t constantly fishing for tips and were genuinely appreciative when you did give one.
Bottled water was never an issue. The mini-bar was always stocked, and bottled water was readily available at bars and restaurants. Housekeeping was excellent and very consistent. No towel cards were required, which made pool and beach time much easier.
Resort & grounds (including amenities)
The grounds are beautiful and very well maintained, with ponds, greenery, and nice walkways. One thing we really appreciated is that the resort doesn’t feel like endless concrete like many other all-inclusives — there’s lots of landscaping and green space, which gives it a more relaxed resort feel. The resort is a good size and easy to navigate without feeling overwhelming.
Pools were a good size, and poolside service was fairly good. Drink quality was very consistent across all bars. The gym was excellent — clean, not busy, and well equipped with plenty of machines and free weights. One drawback was Wi-Fi coverage, which was limited in some areas and made communicating with friends at the resort difficult.
Nighttime entertainment was a highlight. Between the main theatre shows and live entertainment at the Rendezvous bar, there was always something going on in the evenings.
Rooms
Our room (RM 1213) was clean and well serviced, but not family-friendly. The open-concept bathroom design doesn’t work well when sharing a room with kids, as privacy is very limited. We also noticed some water damage to the flooring, with floorboards starting to curl. It didn’t affect our stay, but it did take away from the overall room quality.
We didn’t have much of a view as our room faced the jungle, but it was very peaceful. It was actually nice to sit on the balcony and read. The location was convenient and close to the main building, which we appreciated.
One issue was the room door, which didn’t latch properly. The door jamb appeared broken and poorly repaired, which was disappointing from a safety and maintenance perspective. Using keycards instead of wristbands also felt a bit outdated for an all-inclusive resort.
For comparison, our friends stayed in RM 1304, which was noticeably larger and better laid out. Their bathroom was much more private, with a proper door for the entire washroom rather than just the toilet. Their room backed onto the waterpark, which was nice, but the downside was significant noise from the nearby theatre at night.
Food & dining
Food was one of the weaker areas overall.
World Café (buffet): Food was just “ok” and very repetitive — nearly the same options every day, especially at breakfast. Many dishes were poorly labeled or not labeled at all. Weekend breakfast rushes had long lines.
Portofino (Italian): Underwhelming and one of the weaker specialty restaurants.
El Patio (Mexican): Acceptable but nothing special.
Bordeaux (French): We didn't get to try it since it was for adults only.
Himitsu (Teppanyaki): One of the better meals. Even with reservations, we waited about 30 minutes to be seated, but the experience was worth it.
Seaside Grill (Steakhouse): One of the better dining options at the resort.
Barefoot Grill: Convenient for quick food, but found burgers were consistently undercooked and buns were stale.
Coco Café: Nice concept but very small, with line-ups forming quickly in a tight space.
Beach & waterpark
Beach conditions varied — some days were great, while others had noticeable seaweed and odor issues. Maintenance did their best to keep the beach clean. The waterpark area lacked amenities: no towel hut, no bar, and no poolside service, which was disappointing for families spending time there.
Kids & daytime activities
The kids club (Explorer’s Club) didn’t appeal to our 7 and 9-year-olds. They attended once for a few hours and didn’t want to return. It felt too passive — mostly crafts and video games — and lacked any kind of play structure to keep kids active. Something like a small climbing structure or ball pit would have made a big difference.
Daytime poolside entertainment was minimal — usually just a short game every few hours. Music around the pools was a mixed selection, which was nice, but poorly managed — songs were often cut off mid-track. A proper DJ would have improved the atmosphere.
Rainy days were poorly handled. There was no daytime entertainment, despite the resort having an open theatre with a screen — playing kids’ movies would have been an easy win. There’s also no family-accessible games room; only the teen club exists, and it’s off-limits to younger kids and adults.
Pros
• Fast, smooth check-in
• Friendly, non-pushy staff
• Bottled water always available
• Well-stocked mini-bar
• Excellent housekeeping
• No towel cards
• Beautiful, green, well-kept grounds
• Easy-to-navigate resort
• Great gym (clean, quiet, well equipped)
• Consistent drinks
• Good nighttime entertainment
Cons
• Not family-friendly room design
• Visible room wear and maintenance issues
• Repetitive, average buffet food
• Long buffet and restaurant lines on weekends
• Limited kids activities and daytime entertainment
• Poor rainy-day planning
• Waterpark lacks service and amenities
• Limited Wi-Fi coverage in some areas
Final verdict:
A solid resort with great staff, beautiful grounds, and enjoyable evening entertainment — but average food, room design and maintenance issues, limited daytime/kids activities, and spotty Wi-Fi keep this at 4 stars at most.
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