Jose Iturriaga
Unfortunately, our stay at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda was extremely disappointing. Despite having the potential to be a great resort, the lack of maintenance, poor service, and serious hygiene issues made our experience frustrating and uncomfortable.
1. People smoke everywhere, even in family areas and around children, despite numerous “No Smoking” signs. Staff do nothing to enforce this.
2. The water pressure in the shower was almost nonexistent during our entire stay.
3. The internal transportation is disorganized, slow, and not considerate of families with kids or guests with special needs.
4. The hairdryer never worked, despite daily reports for seven days.
5. The bathroom mirror was damaged and never fixed.
6. Some restaurants have no air conditioning, which makes dining unpleasant due to the extreme heat.
7. The terrace furniture was broken; the small table was unusable.
8. The room’s air conditioning never worked properly, even though it was reported daily.
9. The pool surface is rough and scraped our children’s feet several times.
10. No early breakfast is offered for guests leaving for morning tours — not even a basic snack or takeaway.
11. Worst of all, stray cats and raccoons enter the restaurants and jump onto tables looking for food. It felt completely unsanitary and unacceptable.
12. Finally, unlike other resorts in the area, this hotel does absolutely nothing to manage the sargassum on the beach. They let it pile up, making it impossible to enjoy even a small section of the shoreline.
The hotel is in urgent need of operational, maintenance, and hygiene improvements. I do not recommend it, especially for families.
Bahar Jahan
This resort is not family-friendly and was a major disappointment for us. We traveled with our 5-year-old and were given a room with just one bed. When we requested a more suitable room, we were told no—with zero effort to help or accommodate. The staff were mostly rude and dismissive. One even told us, “Here’s my name if you want to complain,” which left us speechless.
The entire resort feels old and poorly maintained. If you're looking for a relaxing stay where the staff are helpful and willing to work with you, this is not the place. Also, be aware that room service charges 120 pesos every time you order, which is not made clear upfront.
That said, there were a couple of highlights. Eli from the kids’ club and Kaci from the entertainment team were amazing—super friendly, great with kids, and made a real effort to keep the whole family entertained. They were the only bright spot in an otherwise frustrating stay.
Bottom line: If you’re traveling with children or expect good service and flexibility, I’d recommend looking elsewhere
Châu Nguyễn
We had a pleasant 7-day all inclusive stay at Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda. Staff were helpful, well-trained and respectful. Room was cleaned daily unless you said otherwise . There are a lot of wild animals around so make sure to close your sliding window. Interior is out-dated but functional, it shouldn't be a big problem if you are not too fussy.
Pools are nice and clean. It's great for sunbathing with open bar nearby.
Danny C
Disappointing Experience - Do Not Recommend
⭐️ 1 Star
I had high hopes for this resort, but unfortunately, it fell short on many fronts.
Service:
The staff's service was nothing short of terrible. It felt as though they were indifferent to guests' needs. The shuttle drivers, in particular, blatantly ignored customers/guests when trying to ask for help. It was frustrating to see such a lack of effort in providing even basic service, making us feel unwelcome and unappreciated. Kindness can go a long way.
Additionally, while the beach being far from the rooms is understandable for resorts that prioritize pool areas and venues, the lack of efficient transportation was disappointing. The shuttles were infrequent, and the drivers seemed uninterested in helping guests get to their destinations.
Food:
The food options were limited and could only be rated a 4/10. Compared to other resorts, the variety was lacking, making meal times less enjoyable but this is where the resort earned some points. It wasn’t the worse…
Pool Area:
The pool experience was also underwhelming, earning a 3/10. There was no swim-up bar, and the bars serving drinks were too distant from the pool area and had long lines. Unlike other resorts where staff actively take orders from guests lounging by the pool, here it was nonexistent, which detracted from the overall relaxation experience.
Beach Conditions:
We arrived after a rainy week, which meant the beach wasn't safe for swimming. While we were prepared for this, it was still disappointing. We at least hoped for better service from staff to help us navigate these challenges.
Overall Impression:
We left feeling that our stay was not worth the money, largely due to the lack of attention and care from the staff. I cannot recommend this resort based on my experience and will absolutely not be going back.
Tina Lynn
We stayed at this resort 2 weeks ago, first time. Myself, husband and 2 girls (14 and 15). I gave 4 stars for our room only because the sink drain had a strange smell. But the water pressure and temp in showers were always perfect. We stayed at building 6. Housekeeping had our rooms super fresh, the rooms were very clean (despite being dated, they keep their property very clean). Fridge was always stocked. The service from every single staff member there was phenomenal. Staff was so kind, attentive, helpful and made us laugh, feel so welcomed and really connected with us. We requested our room be decorated a certain way for our daughters 13th birthday, and it was beautiful! She felt so special.
At the steak night restaurant a server made Minnie mouse ears out of their cloth napkins and put them on our girls heads, it was so memorable for us. They laughed so much. I really appreciate the kind gestures they have made to make our stay very enjoyable. The food was fantastic and so many options - even for picky eaters (hot dogs, burgers, fries, salads, fruits, the list goes on). They had many shows, which we all absolutely loved. We were however a little disappointed in the lack of loungers throughout the day by the pools. I would see alot of people leave towels on loungers for 3 to 4 hours (while being absent from the pool area), which could have been left open for others to enjoy. But this issue didn't put a damper on our great stay. Our stay was fantastic nonetheless. We will definitely be back. Thank you all at blue bay grand Esmeralda. We appreciate everything you did to make our stay incredible 😊
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