We set our expectations high for this place considering all the reviews/ratings on Trip Advisor,…read moreGoogle, Facebook, and Yelp. Adults only, couples only, all-inclusive resort - that's a big yes! We hadn't been to a resort in a long time and were very stoked for our visit in August 2025.
As is the standard for the Excellence brand of resorts - the staff greeted us warmly and professionally. Instantly, our needs were taken care of - the room wasn't ready, but we were provided with an opportunity to change and immediately take advantage of our stay.
The size of the resort initially threw us off - it is much smaller than your typical resort, but it also caters to a smaller crowd for (their words) "a boutique experience." It seemed dead until we got close to the beach area and the swim-up bar. This is where the people hang out.
Dinner at El Mar our first night was amazing - excellent seafood (check out the pics) and service. We ate twice each at Lupita Steakhouse and La Isla. Unfortunately, the hotel kept changing the schedule of which restaurant would be open what night. This threw off our dinner plans more than once, and we spent more time at La Isla (with the least exciting menu) getting eaten by mosquitoes than we cared for.
During our stay, the beach snacks menu also changed. It went from a delicious two-page menu to a sad one-pager; gross nachos and hot dogs, anyone? Online, people went on full-on rants about this.
It turns out the menus across all the Excellence resorts are being stream-lined to the new executive chef's "vision." Some people, from what I read online, are now considering cancelling their reservations, not wanting to fly all the way here for waffles and burgers.
On top of the rebranding, the hotel is also undergoing renovations to bring it up to modern times. We thought our room was beautiful, but it was a tad outdated.
For customer service, though - the Excellence brand will not settle for less than, well, excellence. All of our interactions with staff at all levels was top-notch. Because of the vibe here - we didn't talk to anyone but hotel staff for four whole days.
Staff shout-outs: Denise, Luis, Fernando and Fabiola at the beach; Octavio and Bernice at the spa; Andrea, Aina, and Alexander at guest services; Pasquale, Alex, and Elvis at pool side; Cirilo and Vanya at El Mar, Brenda at La Isla, and Alberto and Barbra at Lupita. Fantastic job, everyone!
Vibe: 5/5. Food: 3/5. Room: 4/5. Customer service: 10/10!!!!!