It was our first trip to Cabo and it won't be our last! This resort was beyond our expectations due to the service and value of our stay. We reserved Grayline for our transportation to and from the airport and were pleased with their services...BUT take note NOT to accept to visit with anyone until you walk outside the airport and see the BRIGHT GREEN shirts of Grayline as instructed. Otherwise your time will be taken for timeshare discussions. Once we were at Hacienda Encantada, our inclusive vacation was greatly enjoyed. PROS: Great and personal waitstaff, quiet and relaxing, exceptional views, beautiful rooms and comfortable beds, free shuttle to the Cabo marina when all inclusive. CONS: No beach swimming and nothing open after 10:00 on location but there is 24 hr room service. It would have been nice to have a piano bar or some type of bar with entertainment until midnight.

We just left HE, and it was mostly great. It is a beautiful property. The rooms are very nice and clean. The view is breathtaking. The service was impeccable. We enjoyed our trip very much, other than one huge issue. We paid for the optional "all-inclusive" while we were there, and it was kind of a joke. Tipping is expected. You get an allotment of 4 bottled waters per day in your room (not unlimited like every other hotel in Mexico) and if you are not on the all-inclusive you pay for every bottled water. We signed a bill every time and if you did not sign it they kinda chase you down. Also they advertise 3 restaurants for dinner- but kids are not allowed at 1 of them which basically gave us one nice dinner option each night if we didn't want to eat by the pool. Also getting towels with a pool card was annoying. We have traveled to Mexico no less than 10 times and have never experienced these issues with an AI. If I were to go back I would not do the all inclusive. And I would go back, with a lot of lessons learned. The service, cleanliness, and beauty of the hotel was a major plus, and HE could be great without the confusion of the AI. It seems like they have a bit of an identity crisis- they either need to be an all-inclusive and honor that, or not.

You're in Mexico, DO NOT stop as you're attempting to make your way outside of the terminal. There are several gentlemen dressed in khaki pants who will direct you to speak with them (or their associates), do not stop - push on until you step outside. The gentlemen you just passed by were 'time-share' sharks and have nothing to do with the airport, nor your hotel. Once outside the terminal expect to pay $15 (per person) to get to the hotel from the airport; about a 30 minute ride. The hotel is not in town, but we knew this before arriving. That said, the location offers PHENOMENAL views; especially sunsets! Each day would paint gorgeous landscapes; pictures simply do not do justice. The views along with the well-kept grounds are impressive. The Grounds staff takes pride to ensure the hotel is clean. You'll catch staff raking lines in the sand to keep up the appearance of the facility.
Check-in only took a few minutes (per couple) and then we were moved along to the "Welcome Desk", aka - Time Share person. The sales person was polite and offers a few free packages [spa, booze cruise, etc.] to attend a 90 minute seminar. The pitch wasn't high pressure, but you need to be able to say no and ensure they understand you're not budging.
Next we needed to wait for our rooms to be prepared (we had arrived early) so we shot down to the Phase I pool area, closest to the ocean. We had purchased the all-inclusive package and decided to enjoy drinks and chips/salsa. Spent a few hours down by the pool and slowly made our way to our rooms. Upon leaving we were all asked to sign bills, which had made us a bit nervous as we assumed it was "all-inclusive". Everything was fine, there was no additional charge, the hotel simply needs to track food/drinks to it's guests.
The rooms were GREAT. Unfortunately our room had two Queen sized beds, so we used one bed as a storage area and slept in the other bed. Everything in the room worked as it should and were quite clean. The balcony offered great views. On the last day, outside out balcony we spotted whales - pretty cool.
As for food, I would say the hotel could use some improvement. Not a large selection [on the menu] and not many restaurants to choose from. Basically, we ate at the same place daily. Compared to other resorts, I think HE could improve their selection and choice they offer its guests.
In regards to activities, LACKING is putting it lightly. There was nothing going on during our entire stay. With the AI package the shuttle to/from town [to the sister hotel] was free from 1000am-1030pm. We used the shuttle to hop in/out of town throughout the stay.
The staff was hit and miss. Our pool side waitress refused to smile and often we had to track her down to get a drink/food order in. She wasn't rude, however she wasn't inviting either. On the other hand, I can't say enough positive things about Paul. Paul made sure to remember everyone's name and make sure you had a smile on your face. Paul's interaction with our group was excellent and made our stay more enjoyable.
Only onsite fee we had not accounted for was the optional tip package, which is $7.00 a day per room. Very reasonable and fair.
Overall I would say the HE is a great facility and is value for sure.

Do not buy membership here. We brought a membership at HE last year, and we were trying to book our first stay at Encantada. I have 3 problems that the customer support did not help at all. (1) we requested our unused 2012 week to be rolled over for $25 as suggested by the representative last month, in Dec. Somehow, this did not get processed. Now it's January. the customer support says the rollover deadline has expired that we need to pay $125. the customer service says there is nothing they can do, cannot even go back to the recording of the call us requesting the rollover. (2) we have been told over 3 phone calls that we're on the 1st on the waiting list for our trip booking. Today, we were told that we're on the 2nd priority, even though the customer support claimed that the priority does not change. I don't know how the system works, but they couldn't explain how we were moved down on the waiting list. (3) I see there are many rooms available on Expedia and other sites, why members get put on the long waiting list? We paid a lot of money to buy the membership and its privileges, the resort is only interested in making more money rather than servicing the members who had already paid a fortune.