We just returned on 3/18/07 from a one week stay at Dreams. My boyfriend and I stay at about two all-inclusives per year (Dominican Republic/Playa del Carmen) and this was our first time in Cabo. We have always heard good things about the Dreams/Secrets resorts, so perhaps we had too high of expectations going in, based on what we paid for the resort.

Upon arrival - which was around 8:30pm - we checked in with no problem but were left to find our room on our own with no offer to help with our luggage. This was a bit surprising, but not a huge deal. The room was nice, clean and had a wonderful view of the ocean - so no complaints there.

Food/Drinks - Compared to other all-inclusives we found the drinks to be better than most places, but the food just did not compare. The breakfast buffet was average at best. It just didn't offer the huge assortment of homemade breads, jams, yogurts, and other choices that we've enjoyed at other resorts. The store-bought bagels/
breads/yogurts just didn't compare to what we've had before. The lunch choices were also very average. The buffet options were very limited, as were the menu choices. The pizza/burgers were not good - they tased like they were frozen and heated up on the grill. The mexican options were a bit better - but for example the chicken quesedillas were barely grilled or warm, and had maybe 3 strips of chicken. Dinners were better - the menu choices at all the restaurants offered a nice variety in some very romantic settings.

We liked the no reservation policy for dinners, but what we couldn't understand was why they closed one restaurant per night when the hotel was at full capacity!? One evening in the middle of the week we had to wait over an hour for a table and were eating dinner at close to 10:00 at night! There were so many people just waiting around for a table or somewhere to eat that night, that it just didn't make sense to us to close restaurants and make people wait that long for dinner. The dinner buffet was available, but it was very limited and just did not look appealing. Again, not what I'd expect for the money we paid.

The one thing we found most disappointing was the large amount of children at this resort. It seems like Dreams advertises themselves as a romantic, honeymoon spot for couples, but at the same time they market themselves to families w/children. I would NEVER recommend this resort to someone looking for a romantic honeymoon spot! It just seemed odd to be having a romantic dinner at their beautiful seaside restaurant, and look over and have a table full of crying, tired children who've been kept up too late! Or another evening we were enjoying their romantic Italian restaurant and were right next to a kiddie table of about 9 children. Again - not what we expected.
The pool was also very croweded with lots of kids running and splashing around - lots of family groups who'd brought 2-3 kids each made for some large, noisy settings at times. While they do have the Kids Club - it doesn't seem like a lot of parents use this option.

Overall, the resort is truly beautiful, but we've had better food and more relaxing vacations at resorts that were less expensive than Dreams. I would not go back, nor would I recommend it to couples looking for a quiet, romantic get-away.

We have just returned from a week in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and we stayed at the Dreams resort which was amazing!!!! When we arrived they greeted us by saying "welcome home" and we laughed but little did we know that by the end of the trip it really felt like home and Better!!! The staff was amazing, especially the activity directors!!! Can't wait to return to Cabo, I would definitly stay at the Dreams resort again.

We just returned from a long weekend at Dreams and there were pluses and minuses. This was our first trip to Mexico and our first all-inclusive so we were satisfied but not overly impressed based on what I've heard from other all-inclusive junkies.

Arrival at Cabo: Upon arrival at the airport we were bombarded by time-share salesmen and found it really hard to know who to trust. We found our shuttle driver (pre-purchased via Orbitz) and learned we were signed up for the wrong hotel zone and had to pay an additional $16 USD ($4 per person). We figured we were getting scammed, but we paid up and went on our way. The trip was about 25 minutes and included two stops at other resorts. We were jammed in like sardines in a van with only two seat belts. I'd sign up for private travel next time to speed things up a bit.

Arrival at Dreams: Upon arrival we were impressed by the open air lobby that looked over the pool and ocean. It was a delight for someone escaping 25 degree weather and snow! There was a smell of incense and a soft melody playing in the background (played almost constantly). We were greeted by a myriad of helpful employees that offered a fresh cold towel and took our bags. Upon arrival at the front desk we were given a glass of champagne and offered a cookie, which was dry. We were offered an opportunity to upgrade to a honeymoon suite for $70 / night, but the person at the front desk didn't do much to try to explain what amenities were offerred that were better than our assigned room. We decided to pass since we'd be outside most of the time. While our room was being prepared, we were assigned to Ricardo, the concierge. Ricardo took us to a table in the lobby (which was breathtaking) and reviewed the hotel layout, restaurants, and services offered for an extra charge (spa, private tennis lessons, etc.). He also launched into several other packages we could purchase such as trips to town, ATV rides, snorkeling, etc. At the end of a six hour flight all we wanted to do was get to our room and into our beach clothes. It was a bit much for the first thirty minutes and turned us off a bit but we were as patient as possible. The two properties on each side of the resort are open and aren't taken care of so it was a bit odd to be in such a well-maintained area with debris on each side of the resort wall but within the walls it was nice.

The Room (Jr. Oceanview Suite): Once the room was ready we went up a dark elevator and down an outdoor hallway. Our room was on the fourth floor and overlooked the main pool area. The room was large, but the bed and couch were not welcoming. We asked for a king size bed and got it, but the other couple we were with had to badger the front desk for hours to get a different room that had a king. We read in our welcome package that the rooms are being upgraded with new beds, bedding, furniture, etc. so if you can ask for a new room - go for it. We tried, but were told they were all sold out. The bathroom was a little small and we learned that the plumbing was a bit fussy - it ended up being that way throoughout the resort. The shower was nice and was supplied with larger-than-average shower gel, shampoo, lotion and sunscreen. There was a small hotel hair dryer, shaving mirror and oddly enough, a scale as well. The mini kitchen was just fine for making coffee or opening a beer, but nothing more. The minibar was stocked with four beers, soda, juice and water and when requested we were able to get Pacifico instead of Corona, which was nice. The maid service was fine - they came later in the afternoon and then returned between 8 and 10 p.m. for turndown service, which included an activity list for the next day, weather forecast, mints on the pillow and burning incense in the bathroom. We didn't experience any bugs like other travelers have commented. It was difficult to keep the patio door open at night due to the location of the room and I expect most other rooms had the same issue as most overlook the same direction. The issue was that an outdoor restaurant and firepit/bar were directly below and if it wasn't other guests having a wild time it was the staff cleaning and preparing for breakfast at 4 am. Overall the room was fine, but not something I'd feel comfortable spending lots of time in. Luckily, we were there for the outdoors.

The Food/Drinks: I'm an extremely picky eater and was worried that I'd not find anything to eat, but was happy with my food experience at Dreams. I've read what other travelers have written about the food and think it might be hit or miss. A big group probably doesn't get the same quality as a private group just like you'd expect in any restaurant and the buffets aren't a slam dunk. We only dined on a buffet (El Patio) in the morning and found it to be great. There was a wide variety of hot entrees (eggs/bacon/sausage/hot cakes/French toast/and Mexican fare), cold cereal, oatmeal, toast/bagels/pastries, fruit, yogurt, granola, mimosas and made-to-order omelets and smoothies. For lunch we tried the Seaside Grill (which offered made-to-order entries and a buffet) and found it to be average. The quesadillas were good, but the burger and veggie sandwich were average. We also tried the Oceana Restaurant for lunch and enjoyed it more than the Seaside Grill. The menu was the same, it had a more relaxing atmosphere. The chips/salsa/guac were our favorite! For dinner we tried the Seaside Grill, Portifino and Oceana. Each offered menus with a variety of options and we found the food to be really good. There weren't many Mexican options, which was a bit surprising. We were disappointed by the bar service as the drinks were watered down and they only offered Pacifco and Corona and three wines (house, red, white - all of which were el cheapo). It was also less-than-impressive to be served a glass of wine in a big plastic cup. The first glass was in a small wine glass, the second in a big plastic wine cup and the third in a paper coffee cup.

Service: Overall the service was great. Everyone was friendly, but there were some obvious language barriers. If you asked for mushrooms on your tenderloin, they probably wouldn't give you mushrooms. Whether it was lost at the time of ordering or not understood by the chef, who knows. We also had a challenge with the shuttle service to town ($6USD/person one way). After asking for a receipt several times, we were given an old receipt that said two people had paid when we paid for four. We tried to explain, but he insisted it was okay. When the return shuttle arrived they challenged us and said we only paid for two people. They didn't make us repay for the other two people, but it was frustrating. Just be careful and learn some Spanish before you go!

Activities: We only participated in the beach stretching because we were recruited for it. The instructor went around the entire pool to get people to attend. As reluctant as we were, it was enjoyable so I'm glad we did it. The other activities weren't up our alley. They had a mime show, some Mexican dancers and the typical cocktail lesson. There were also movies played near the beach each night, but they were mostly kids movies. The fun excursions such as snorkeling, scuba diving, etc. were all fee-based.

Beach/Pool: The beach does not allow for swimming due to the strong undercurrents and there isn't a swimming beach within walking distance, but we didn't mind. The beach was very large and was great for an early morning walk. There were people selling goods on the beach, but they stayed right in front of the resort in a rope-divided area, so they were easy to avoid. There were two main pools which were fine. We were there when it wasn't very crowded, so we never had to reserve a pool side chair or hammock. Plan ahead with towels - a $150USD charge is put on your credit card if you forget to return your towels at the end of the day.

So overall, the visit was nice. We had a great time and didn't want to leave.

Our family of three had a wonderful week long stay at the Dreams resort. We were greeted warmly by the staff with sparkling wine and chocolate chip cookies, and shown to our room which was poolside with an ocean view as all rooms are. Our's was on the ground level and had a lovely patio with two lounge chairs.

The room itself was nothing special; two double beds, a pull out couch, desk, armoire w/TV, and a decent size bath. The resort is in the midst of renovating all the rooms with new soft goods, which will be nice.

The only complaint we had with our room, would be with housekeeping.
Each day the maid came a bit later in the day, as did turndown service, which got to be inconveinent, as we would run out of clean towels to shower with, or we would be in bed and the maid would come with towels and chocolates at 11:30pm.

Our 8yo daughter fell in love with the Explorer's Club. The women in charge of the Club do an excellent job entertaining the kids all day long, and there are quality things to keep them happy and busy. When our daughter wasn't in the Explorer's Club there was plenty of fun for her to have as well: ping pong, putting green, horse shoes, bocce ball, just to name a few. My husband took full advantage of the tennis pro and the clinics he lead each morning, and my daughter enjoyed the children's clinics as well. I look my fun at the excellent spa!

The meals were good, especially breakfast, and there was rarely a wait for a table, no matter the time you were dining. If you did have to wait for a dinner table, you could always grab a drink while you waited, and there was plenty of entertainment to enjoy while you waited.

The entertainment was fun, but be warned if you are with children, that the Latin Night is risque. All other nights are pretty much geared toward families, but there can be some rousing drinking games included.

As for drinking...some folks like to take full advantage of the "all inclusive" nature of the resort. We were around several groups of
"adults" who were very unruly around the pool after drinking excessively. The language can get rather foul. Unfortunately, there isn't much the hotel staff can do about this behavior. Our family is already looking into booking another stay at Dreams!