All the glowing comments about the staff and facilities that you read, and less complimentary remarks about the beach are true. The grounds are impeccable kept, rooms comfortable and clean, the staff, entertainment crew of Sergio and Isabella will make every day, rain or shine, relaxing and enjoyable. Possibly the best part is all the great guests you are sure to meet. As for calling themselves a 5 Star resort, that’s a stretch for a Caribbean Resort without a useable beach.

Here is the “beware”. I would grade the staff a 5 and their business practices a zero. I am a bit surprised that their billing practice has not come under scrutiny sooner, except for the $100 bottles of $9.00 wine.

Here how it works. Your bill is $3,800 US which HB converts to pesos using an inflated exchange rate. Your bill becomes 41,800 pesos. (11 X 3,800)

When the charge clears the US bank, they use the correct exchange rate (10.25 pesos) and pays Hidden Beach $4,078 (41,800 /10.25) or $278 more than your bill.. Should be easy to straighten out ??. Call Hidden Beach hear a convoluted fable about Mexican banks requiring transactions in pesos and possibly a problem with the US bank. They ask for a e-mail and promise a answer, but caution it may take awhile. (I figured it out in 10 minutes, international exchange rates are readily available on the net) and I am still waiting.

Travelers checks are no answer either. Here they use an the exchange rate of 10 pesos to the USD. Your bill is calculated 41,800 pesos divided by 10. (Great math). I spoke to several people who notice the disparity in bills and credit charges and for some reason let it slide.

What you can do.
Check your credit card bill online or by phone as soon as you can. If the charges are more than you were quoted, authorize payment of the correct amount. At the same time, notify your Travel Agent to help resolve the difference. Any other suggestions are welcomed

In May we journeyed to Hidden Beach and enjoyed every minute of our visit even if it was our seventh time visiting paradise.
When we arrived at Cancun International, the folks from Entertainment Plus were waiting for us. Our driver was very courteous and provided a delightful drive to Hidden Beach.
Once we got to the resort, it really felt like we had come home. The staff is outstanding, working long hours each day, as it has been since we first visited in 2004. Nothing makes you feel as good as a warm greeting and a smile. This gets your tropical vacation off to a good start. You can tell that the staff of Hidden Beach is working tirelessly on behalf of the guests. From morning until late evening, they are there to assist with every need of the guest. The resort gets better as time goes on.
Esparanza continues to be a sparkling light in every respect. Anaceto, we found out, is one of the original employees of the resort and continues to maintain the high standard of excellence. Our swim up suite was wonderful especially looking forward to the towel art done by the staff after the suite was cleaned.
Of great surprise and pleasure was the new large palapa which replaced the disco and is 100% positive in every respect. Where in the world could you enjoy a great meal, be serenaded by great musicians playing popular Mexican music, have a drink at the full bar, take a dip in the new Jacuzzi and then relax to enjoy the evening entertainment reclined on large couches without leaving the premises? This new addition to Hidden Beach answers that question.
The new clothing regulations next door at El Dorado are not in the best interest of Hidden Beach. One goes to Mexican Riviera – to Hidden Beach -- to relax and enjoy….not to bring long pants, covered shoes and polo shirts for evening meals. This policy needs to be reconsidered since many of the Hidden Beach guests we talked to about this new policy were not aware of it and therefore decided against eating at one of the restaurants.
One special thing you will encounter is are wonderful guests and new friends you get to know and in many cases, keep in contact once you leave Hidden Beach. As an example, during our last visit, several of us became good friends. We four couples enjoyed each other’s company and are planning a fall get-a-way. Don’t be surprised if you enjoy hearing from your Hidden Beach friends, year after year.
You can bet we will be back….hopefully in May, 2009.

Wife and I just returned home from Hidden Beach....and what a wonderful experience. We were there for 10 days, and met the some really great people. The service was outstanding, the food fabulous, the staff very attentive, the room (swim-up room) neat, clean, and comfortable. We were never approached in any inappropriate way by other vistiors. the grounds are clean, the pool clean and the swim-up bar fully stocked with great liquors, and great bartenders. We will for sure be back!

Just returned from two weeks at Hidden Beach resort. We had a fabulous time. The new open air palapa for shows and dancing was a huge plus. The crowd was mostly Americans and a few couples from England and Holland and Mexico. We had a swim up suite and that was a big plus. We loved the easy access to the room and not having to climb to the second floor on each trip. The food was excellent for breakfast and supper. Lunch is more of a back yard cook-out and a few menu items if preferred. This was our second trip and it was a big treat meeting all our favorite staff again. They become like members of your family by the time you leave. They are exceptional people and they really add to the experience. We ate at three of the Seaside Suite restaurants where long pants and closed toe shoes are now required for the men. All three restaurants were excellent. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the meals and the service. Back at HBR, the resort was celebrating its 5 year anniversary with a beautiful meals on white tables and chairs in the new palapa and the food cooked buffet style out on the beach with dancing before and after the meal. This was an every-Monday party for the month of May. The guest are very friendly. They appear to be professionals from all walks of life. There is no inappropriate behavior. Everyone is just there to relax and enjoy the sun and to unwind. I cannot think of a better place to do all of those things. The weather in May was great - 14 days of back-to-back sunshine. Not a single drop of rain.