Let me start by saying that this is a very nice property. I expect that the price will jump after all of the construction is completed and some of the rough spots are ironed out. For reference, we have also stayed at the Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar and the Grand Palladium.

Transfers: We booked through Apple Vacations and upgraded to non-stop transfers. This worked really well going. It only took up about 70min to get to the resort. Coming back all of us in the van were baffled as to why we had to leave the resort at 5:25am when our flight was not until 10:40am. All of us were on the 10:40am flight. We arrived at the airport 4hrs early??? It took all of 15min to register for our flight AND get through security. Why have non-stop transfers but leave at the same time as people making 5-6 pickups along the way to the airport? Oh well.

Service: All of the staff persons were encountered were very pleasant. Occupancy is down right now in the entire region, so I think there is more staff than guests at the moment. People are eager to please and very nice. I know the resort is all-inclusive, but bring some singles to tip with. On the beach, the waitresses would generally ask to replenish drinks before my glass was even empty.

Rooms: Very, very nice. Spacious, clean and pleasant. For us the open bathroom was no big deal. The air conditioner works very, very well. We had to turn it off at times because we were cold.

General comments on the property: The property is very nice. There is still a lot of construction at the front, but it was unnoticeable to us when we were at the pools or the beach. BEWARE – many of the surfaces are very slick. The concrete-looking surface around the main pool does not look slippery, but when your feet are wet, it is! Also, wherever you see marble, expect it to be slippery when wet.

Bars: Overall the drinks were very good with lots of options. Consistency can be an issue among different bartenders, but that’s the case anywhere. The lobby bar has the highest quality liquor. If you want a good dessert-like drink, try to Coco-Loco. Yummy! The Lemonada Electrico is good too. It tastes like a lime popsicle (made with vodka). The beer on tap is Corona.

Pools: We didn’t use the activity pool at all. It’s really big though. It wraps around in a huge horseshoe shape. Generally we are beach people, but we did come to the swim-up bar in the main pool several afternoons. The GIANT cold water Jacuzzi is also a nice place to have a beverage.

Beach: The beach is nice. Tons of palapas, and waitresses serving drinks. As others have said the pieces of shell can be rather large. Rough on tender feet. I’m generally not a water shoe person, but on this beach I think most people would use them getting in and out. It’s quite rocky everywhere along the shore. I wore my snorkel fins getting in and out. BTW…the snorkeling is awesome. You have to go out past the swim ropes for better viewing. I would not rate it as great snorkeling for beginners. When we were there the current was strong at times so you really needed to be aware of your surroundings so that you didn’t wind up in a bad spot against the rocks or corral.

Food: The ale carte restaurants were better than those at any other AI that I’ve been to. Hands down. We ate at: Mexican (twice), Japanese, Italian, and Brazilian. Also the desserts and baked goods at this resort were leaps and bounds better than those from other AI’s I’ve been to. The buffets were the worst of any AI I've been to. The biggest problem is luke-warm to cold food. Correcting this will greatly improve the quality. When occupancy is low, the resort would be better off doing more cook-to-order food so that it doesn't sit in a warmer for 3hrs. Buffets work much better when the food turns over quickly.

Final comments:
• Mosquitoes. There are definitely around. Bring some bug spray. The resort sprays for mosquitoes (sometimes at very odd times, like when people are in the pool bar – um, mosquito fog smells nasty), but it’s the jungle
• For those wondering, I don’t think you will ever need big thermal mugs at this resort. Even when occupancy increases, waitresses will bring drinks to people at the beach or pool.
• I can’t offer much for those with children. There were a few kids there, but not many at all.
• Would I go back? I would. The property is very nice and should only get better over time. This property is best for people looking to relax. It will never be a big party resort.