Overall, I had high expectations for this trip besides the food, but it was an absolutely amazing trip and resort. For the price we paid, I was not disappointed in the slightest. It was not perfect, but I would do this trip 100% again. We had no issues with the staff and none of them were ever rude. Yes, we did wear masks in certain indoor areas but that is probably one of the silliest things people are upset about in recent reviews. We did order a specific pillow from the tablet, and never received it, so like I said, not perfect. The prices in the gift store for everything were marked up which was expected. The food and drinks were so far above my expectations and did not experience anything negative regarding that. The surfboard you can rent from them was in really bad shape and could barely keep its nose above the water. The elevators and navigation of the resort are honestly the worst part of our trip, but eventually you figure out how to get everywhere quickly. The gym was clean and had more equipment than I expected. I suggest if you visit, to ask a lot of questions when you get there (navigating the resort mainly) and USE the in-room tablet daily. This will save a lot wasted time. Also, read these reviews and get a good grasp of what to expect. The resort is amazing, and I hope we get to go back some time.
some additional review material:
Our room was fantastic. It was clean outside of the algae in the plunge pool (which we had the front desk bring the maintenance guy in to clean that). Everything seemed clean and not worn. The bed was comfortable, the view was really great in our opinion (you overlooked the pool and one of the sun decks), and it had a stocked mini fridge (as well as Pringles and peanut M&Ms). The shower could use some more power and the way it drains is not great as water escapes under the door into the sink area (we used a towel to stop this). The room had a tablet that you will want to use instantly, as this provides every detail of the resort (restaurants, hours, dress code, daily resort schedule, room service ordering, and more). There is even a space in the closet that you can put dirty dishes so housekeepers can take it without entering your room. Overall, room would be 9/10.
Every night they have some type of nightly entertainment, which range from dancing, shows, different performances, and most of them are accompanied by a buffet. We went to their "cirque du solei" show the first night and it was very impressive (buffet was great as well)! They have a calendar of daily events, the usual resort activities. We did pool volleyball, pool Texas Hold'Em, pool side dance lessons, and watched other numerous daily events. There were other activities, such as stand-up paddleboard tours, and beach volleyball we didn't get a chance to do.
The views from our room, the balcony, and the resort pools, really made it seem like you were in a tropical paradise. A jungle surrounds the Secrets side of the resort, and you can see some neighboring resorts (much smaller), so it gives it that remote feeling in a way.
The food (one of my favorite things about this resort) was phenomenal. I have seen many reviews and posts that the food is either bland, or has a funky taste, and the six of us that went together, have nothing but wonderful things to say about the food. We went to every Secrets restaurant, and the Dreams buffet. The pastries are unbelievably fresh and flaky; the meat is cooked and seasoned well; fruit is very fresh; the made to order stations at the buffets were always spot on (crepes, eggs, etc.); and nothing was not average or above. The Hibachi does need reservations and you have to get them day of starting at 11am. The Hibachi, French restaurant, and the taco place are the three absolute must-go places. Just thinking about them now makes my mouth water. Also, 24-hour free room service was a first for me and we took advantage of it by ordering two pizzas and dessert at 1230am one of our nights.
Preferred club had some fun perks including the small lounge by the buffet, the roof top pool, and top shelf liquor at two of the bars. We checked out the lounge a few different days and times. There almost no other guests in the lounge when we went but they always had some type of food (cold/hot, snacks, desserts) when we went. The roof top pool is an absolute blast. The servers up there do try to up-sell the cabanas but do not force it on you. They provided great service. There were two bars up top, two coolers packed with iced coffee, sparkling water, and beer. This was probably our favorite pool area of the resort. read more