My Boyfriend and I stayed 2 weeks and we just got back.
To be honest you get what you paid for. It is a 3 star holiday and this is what you are going to get, nothing more, nothing less.
On arrival you are given your green wristband. This sets the limits to things you can do and cannot do. However fair enough that's what you pay for.
During our 2 week stay we managed to skip the trip to the VIP world. Basically The garden club is part of a much luxurious complex which is called VIP world. There only people with timeshares have access to it and they have golden wristbands. There are several people around the resort trying to get you to visit the VIP world and trying to sell you a timeshare for a membership fee of USD 6,000 and monthly payments of USD 60. On the first day when they tried to drag us we said that we had just arrived and the following day we said we had already been. These people hang around the restaurants and on the beach.
The room was simple and basic but clean. They fumigate the rooms every 2 weeks so bugs were not an issue. Althought we went there prepared after reading the reviews but we brought back all the repellent we took with us! No need for it!
Lack of hot water might be a problem, specially if you have a shower between 6.00 pm and 7.30pm. However you are in a hot and sunny country so a cold shower is not that bad!
The food at the rainforest restaurant is good for the first couple of days. However after a while it can start getting to you. However they do offer you some options, The a la carte restaurants. They have a total of4 restaurants and they are the following:
Bellini - Nice breakfast and lunch snacks. Dinner needs to be pre booked one day in advance. However we managed to get a table a few nights without booking. Just showing up on the night and ask if they have any available tables. Here the green bands have full access. No restrictions!
El Zorro - Mexican - They only serve dinner and for green bands need to be booked in advance. Opposite to Bellini they do not allow you in there without a reservation. Nice food and if you are not a fan of spicy food they have non spicy options available.
Indochina - Chinese/ Oriental - Those with green bands need to pay USD 15 per person. However it is not worth the money. Poor service, cold food. Stay well away!
Blue Lagoon - Sea Food - Another one that will charge USD 15 per person for those with green bands. However it is worth it! Wonderful food and huge portions! They also serve lunch and late night snacks and drinks! Lovely view! Worth a try!
The staff in general was very friendly (with of course the exceptions). The guy that carries the sunbeds on the beach works really hard! The barmen Sylvio at the pool and Pedro by the beach are top notch!
TIP: make sure you wake ip early and 'book' your sunbed by the beach or swimming pool. You grab a towel and throw on the top of the bed so you can make sure you have a sunbed for the day.
Forget about the waterspots centre. They only have snorkels and flippers. We tried to get the double kayak and it was always broken and the windsurfing is only available for experienced windsurfers. We ended up using the resort next door for windsurf lessons! Carlos is a very nice chap!
In general was a very pleasant experience. My boyfriend and I had a wonderful time and it was worth every penny. As I said... you pay more you get more... but we got exactly what we paid for... and I was not expecting any more.





Value
Rooms
Cleanliness







