Bluebay Grand Esmeralda - All Inclusive

“Honest review from an independent travel agent.”

Very unsure of why this hotel gets bad reviews as I could genuinely not fault it! Throughout our stay we had no issues with staff being rude, it was quite the opposite! They couldn’t do enough to help us out. We even requested for someone to spray our room as one day there was a lot of mosqui... more

Very unsure of why this hotel gets bad reviews as I could genuinely not fault it! Throughout our stay we had no issues with staff being rude, it was quite the opposite! They couldn’t do enough to help us out. We even requested for someone to spray our room as one day there was a lot of mosquitos that had got in and they happily came and did that for us. A few to mention- Carlos & Edwin from the beach bar in the evenings. Francesco in the buffet near the beach was always very friendly and our go to waiter. The best animation team, Gustavo, sexy willy, Aturo, dani, Monse, Marle & all of the others were exceptional ! Every single day they would show up and bring the positive energy, dancing and good vibes, giving everyone the option to be involved & if you’re shy like I was in the first week… don’t be! Join in, have fun & make some memories because you’ll have the best time! The only thing I regret is not joining in sooner with the many activities they have on such as yoga, aqua gym, beach volleyball ball, water volleyball, darts, rifle shooting, bingo and many other games throughout the day. The hard work and efforts to get everyone involved and enjoying themselves definitely deserves recognition. For me this team made my holiday the best one to remember and I’m grateful to have had the pleasure of meeting all of them. The shows were all incredible, followed by the parties too where everyone can let their hair down and just live in the moment. The beach does have a few stones so probably not the most ideal for swimming in but there is a lovely lagoon area a short walk to the left down the beach. If you want to experience more of the city vibe then take a taxi into Playa del Carmen, fifth avenue where you’ll find loads of shops, bars and entertainment, also a lovely beach for swimming. Definitely advise giving it a try. Axel who hosted the coco bongos stall in our resort was also very friendly and spoke to us each day he was in. He was never pushy to get us to go but that was appreciated! Same goes for the water activities such as scuba diving and jet skis. The food has a wide variety, with different themes nights or even the restaurants which you can book although they do fill up quite fast so I’d recommend booking them in early. Plenty of wildlife to be seen too, just ensure your kids don’t try to pet the coatis as they’re wild after all! The grounds are very picturesque and also a lovely walk if you feel the need to stretch your legs. I feel most of the time you get what you make of it, be polite and join in and you’ll have a wonderful experience. Overall my experience at blue bay Grand Esmerelda was incredible and I can genuinely say I was sad to be leaving. But now I have another hotel to recommend to my clients and definitely a hotel which I will revisit in the future! Thank you to everyone mentioned for making my stay memorable!

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“Nice vacation ! thank you reservation team”

I would like to thank you the hospitality Department Fabian Zermeno I be alive that the GM was involved too He took care of my request before arriving to the hotel ! Room was great , clean , excellent location Thank you to Food and Beverage department did a great job I have a good time ! The ... more

I would like to thank you the hospitality Department Fabian Zermeno I be alive that the GM was involved too He took care of my request before arriving to the hotel ! Room was great , clean , excellent location Thank you to Food and Beverage department did a great job I have a good time ! The front beach was bad but you walk. 200 m to your left or taught and you will find a nice place to swim Chairs. You should go to Canadian tire and buy a portable chair lol I have fun Many thanks

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“This resort is ok.”

This resort is ok. We travelled as a couple for a last minute getaway for 1 week. We were in building 6, near the smaller pool, pretty far from the beach/main pool. Our room was ok - the shower knob came off in our hands but the shower worked. The patio doors locked, the air conditioning was ... more

This resort is ok. We travelled as a couple for a last minute getaway for 1 week. We were in building 6, near the smaller pool, pretty far from the beach/main pool. Our room was ok - the shower knob came off in our hands but the shower worked. The patio doors locked, the air conditioning was sufficient thanks to the ceiling fan. But our room was cleaned and we received fresh towels and a re-stocked fridge every day. The grounds of the resort are nicely kept - it's a bit of a weird layout in that you can't see much off the path you are taking to get where you're going, but the landscaping is nice and well kept. The food was ok - some weird things like no toast at breakfast but we always found something. The a la cartes were decent - we enjoyed the meals we had. The shortage of pool chairs is legit - people do go down to save chairs at 5:30 am and it's squatters rights for sure! And most of them are broken so be careful. The small pool where we were was cleaned daily and for the most part, even if you didn't get a chair, there was lots of room to lay your towel down so not a big deal. The beach is pretty bad - I didn't see anyone swimming in the water in front of the hotel, but there is a beautiful lagoon just a short walk down the beach to the left, and the beach at the next resort over was also quite nice, so we swam there :) We never waited too long for a drink and the drinks were strong and cold but we don't really go for blender drinks anyway. We paid for a late checkout and were happy to have the extra time to enjoy our last day. The weather was fantastic, we met some great people, and overall I think you get what you pay for (and this was by far the cheapest all inclusive to the area that I saw). If you are looking for problems, you'll probably find them, but you'll ruin your vacation so better to focus on the positive.

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