I just got back from my stay at Dreams, where I spent 7 days with my 5 year old son. I've traveled a lot around the world and have stayed at many different types of hotels, but this was my first all inclusive. The property, room, and location are wonderful. We stayed in an ocean view junior suite, which was large, well decorated, and clean.
When I first arrived and went to check in, I was greeted by a sourpuss face man at the front desk. Not one smile or any other type of inviting, friendly, gesture. After I saw our room and the view of the beach, I forgot about the rude greeting.
Our first night, we dined at their Italian, Portofino restaurant, which was absolutely awful! I'd get much better Italian food at a local NY pizzeria. The fried calamari was a joke, consisting of 4 calamari rings with seasoned breading, and overcooked to a rubbery texture. The pasta overcooked, and everything else just as bad. I was extremely disappointed and feared I was going to get stuck eating terrible food for a week. I was 90% right. Their "asian" restaurant was so bad, that we left the awful tasting sushi on our table, got up, and left. Long story short, we tried all of their 5 restaurants and were disappointed with each one. The filet mignon and ribeye steaks, which were supposedly grilled, were gray in color. It seemed as if the meat was microwaved either prior or after touching some sort of grill for a few minutes. The only seafood you will find in abundance is your average, small sized shrimp, tiny scallops, more rubbery calamari (squid), and lots of white fish they use to make their ceviche....oh and let's not forget the funky tasting array of salmon dishes. Breakfast was the only decent meal. And the only decent place to eat out of all 5 was the Seaside restaurant. It was edible, but still not of the greatest quality, but at least it was a different buffet every day, so we went hoping for the best each time and looked forward to a yummy meal, but wound up with an "it was ok".
Some of the staff were very nice and friendly, and some were unpleasant and didn't seem like they liked their jobs. Felipe, the waiter at Seaside was awesome. He went out of his way to have specially prepared desserts for me and my son, which didn't even exist on the menu. He tended to us like we were celebrities. Of course there were those waiters who were the exact opposite, too.
I also spent about $800 at their spa, which was also hit or miss. I tried their various different massage and body treatments, and the only thing I can say is, Julio, the male masseuse was AMAZING! I literally was massaged from head to toe without one word ever exchanged. He found all of my knots and massaged them out with precise pressure.
My son had a better time than I did. He spent a few hours a day at the kids Explorers Club, and loved the water slide by the pool. But there too, out of 3 of the women who tended to the kids, Gina was very rude. She loved my son the first day, and then stopped greeting him or smiling at him every day after that. Carla and Gloria were both nice, and even if the kids were driving them crazy, they kept their cool.
Overall, this place isn't bad for the average tourist, and I'm certain most people would be blown away, but for those who travel to Europe, know fine dining, and quality service, then you will be greatly disappointed. Again, it's all about where you've been and what you've seen. If you haven't seen much, then this place will be heaven for you.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
no way!
I recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Families with young children, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with teenagers
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Great food / Wine, Spa, Other