BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Suzanne Petrone from Pittsburgh, PA

"On arriving our room was not ready. Upon getting room it took over an hour to get luggage and get to room. When finally get to room it was very dirty, dead bugs on floor, hair & tooth paste in bathroom sink, bedding such as comforter and sham very dirty. Request new room but was told none available to next day. We vwere promised the room would be completely cleaned while at dinner, it never was. The next morning we were told to see concierge to have keys changed because the people had not checked of room yet. We spend day at pool which is beautiful. We went to new room around 3pm. Still not luggage from old room. My cousin stayed iin room to get a shower, while I went to see about luggage, a family walked in on Her in the shower. They had given two people keys to the same room. The manager did not want to do anything for her embarrasement. We finally got a nice room after being moved three times."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Mercedes from Camby, Indiana

"Since the beginning we were not received welcome. The person in front of the door didnt even introduce who he was, he told us to wait next to the glass door if we would know where was the glass door. The check in the person straight asked us what part of united states do we come from. He gave us only one KEY for the 3 of us and the key look old and dirtyy, mosquitoes everywhere, really bad people where at the hotel, none of the employees looked interested to help us or to make sure everything was ok. Walking to the room a guy was killing the mosquitos walking backwards spray gasoline almost in my face. We asked where our room was located this lady told us you just passed it and kind of laugh about it. When we got to the room the tv didnt work at all. We walk through the hall to ask for help they said to call the number (0) we called and they kind of were bored to hear that the tv wasnt working, after 45 minutes no one came we called back and the lady was kind of rude and said that she didnt know what the guys havent check our tv. A guy came after 2 hours, our tv was working for kind of 1-2 hours max and started to have trouble again, we called and explain that this was the 2nd time that the tv wasnt warking, a guy stated it that there is too many people at the hotel, it took 3 hours for us to call again and speak to a supervisor the manager supposed to called within 2 minutes and he didnt a lady knock in the door and said that we had to transfer to another room if we wanted to watch tv, they transfer to another room after 45 minutes, in the buffet the waitres were rude, no ORGANIZATION, NO CARE, RUDE, UNRESPECTFULL, animals all over the hotel, nasty beachh dark nobody was even swimming, this was a total nightmare horrible service, horrible hotel, just a whole disaster"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Margret Puckett from Mount Horeb, WI

"The resort had everything we needed. It was a great stay and the food was good. The beach was nice and the staff was great. We will definietly go back."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Andrew from Delta, BC

"Large property but small pools, crowded, people reserving chairs with towels at 530 in the morning !! Not as fancy as in the pictures. Smelly diesel tractors for shuttling folks around the property. Staff overall very good. Aside from the great mattresses the rooms are about a 3 star level. The beach was ruined by the hurricane so essentially a pool based resort. Food good but again 3-4 star level at best. In summary if you want a 3-4 star place with nice staff and no beach this is fine but at about 200 dollars a night you will feel underwhelmed and probably will not rush back. Cheers"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Deb from Green Bay, WI

"I have traveled to the Playa del Carmen area the last 12 years. Large hotel but they were able to accomidate the number of people there - never felt crowded. Hotel is worn but the staff keep the area and rooms very clean. Beach is nothing to write home about - one of the worse beach areas I have been at. Ended up spending the week at the pool. I was surprised with the timesharing sales/pressure within the resort. First time I experienced that while at a resort. Resturants were better than expected - only went to the dinner buffet once. Appreciated the fact everyone needed to make reservations the day before - have been at places where you can make up to 3 reservations at a time and everything is filled up. Lots of walking - which was fine .... but just be aware, they have shuttles but never there when you needed one. I would not go back .... only booked there because the price was right. Resort too big and too worn for my taste"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Sondra Evans from Cottonwood Heights, Utah

"The accomodations were excellent but THE FOOD WAS TERRIBLE!!!. Some things were truly inedible. We have been to several All Inclusive resorts and this was by far the worst food of any of them. We were told that it was a 5 minute walk to the pier in Playa del Carmen to go to Cozumel.......try a 30 minute taxi!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler H.Naujack from Barrie, Canada

"Every year we spend the entire month of February in Mexico. The last week of our stay we usually spend in a resort, this time in the B.B.G.E. It was a very pleasant experience: We made a lot of friends with the staff (as by know we can converse with them in Spanish quite well.) Also - with a bit of tipping - they showed their appreciation and usually went beyond our expectation. For us as 'fish lovers' - the food was superb. - They gave us the room we were supposed to get - a stone-throw away from the beach, which was very much to our delight. - The beach itself was a big disappointment (though we had some idea from 'on-line' comments. (But if you walked for 10 min to the left, a river leading to a 'senote' offered wonderful swimming.) - The problem is 'environmental' - plantons & algeas, seagrass etc. by the tons. I would call this 'a result of global warming and destruction of our beaiful oceans...') - For a 'first-time' R.M.vacationer I would not recommend it. - The property is beautifully kept, lots of flowers, trees and animals. BUT PLEASE: In the fall we can imagine there are millions of mosquitos!!! The pools were overloaded and not very clean (which was meaningless to us as we never use them). - Certain things one simply has to put up with, i.e. drunkeness & rowdiness & nightly disturbences, but you have that almost everywhere. - To somebody who enjoys to 'design' his own way of resting and vacationing - we certainly would recommend this place. That's how we honestly feel about this place. Harald Naujack"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Michelle Eggers from Sioux Falls, SD

"The resort was very large and nice. I was very unhappy with the food and no security. I would never refer a friend to this resort or go back there myself. I was actually glad to be out of Mexico."

"It was a nice week, with plenty of sunshine and good food at the main buffet. The Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda resort and spa is a very beautiful and well kept resort with manicured lawns and it was very clean. It was a pleasure to walk the clean grounds and eat the excellent food in the main buffet were we had a huge variety of cooked food from all over the world. The theme restaurants were a big disappointment - no variety and no flavor. Buildings 6, 7, and 8 had excellent bathrooms with double sinks and no bathtub, which is something we really liked. Instead, we had a huge shower stall with glass doors and two shower heads; one was big and round, the other was smaller and hand held. Taking a shower in such a bathroom was comfortable and pleasurable . Buildings 1, 2 and 3 were very close to the beach. They were older buildings with huge bath tubs and hand held shower heads but the tubs were tall and that made it difficult to get in and out of them. Some had paint peeling off of the ceiling. The sea was very calm even when it was quite windy. It was shallow for at least 50 meters inward, so it is ideal for those who don't swim. The only downside is that there were seaweeds but you can avoid them by going to the light green areas of water. The light green/turquoise color of the water indicated that there the currents had cleared the weeds. Personnel were very polite and quite efficient. We had to call them to fix our sliding door, which didn't lock, and they responded right away. Then, one of the locks of our suitcases wouldn't close; it was kind of stuck and couldn't move. We called maintenance again and sure enough they showed up and fixed it for us. Another bonus at the resort is the free bar in each room. The small fridge contained distilled water, bottled beer and cokes, fanta and sprite which were replenished every day. This we haven't seen at any other resort. Actually, it is the first 5 star resort we have been to. All other 4 star resorts charge for that service. So we were given 4 bottles of beer, 3 one-litre bottles of distilled water and 6 cans of coke, fanta and sprite every single day of the week for free. That was awesome! We took only one tour - the Atlantis submarine adventure from Playa del Carmen, which was a lifetime experience. Yes, it is a real submarine, built in Vancouver in 1994, airconditioned, with two tour guides. One of them, the German speaking guide, spoke 5 different languages and did an excellent job in introducing to us the coral reef and all the different marine species. The English speaking tour guide was also very good and gave us interesting info about the fish and the reef, which we learned was the second biggest after the Australian one. This by far has been our most enjoyable tour ever because we went 125 feet deep and saw the sea bed and all the corals, etc. Besides, it is an easy tour and everybody can take it - no risk, no health hazard. Our overall experience at the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda is very positive and we will definitely go back again."

"Went to Blue Bay for 5 days with the girl friend. Long story short, we weren't going to let a resort that was less than expected ruin our good times, and it didn't. But... we were expecting more. The staff could not have been nicer, also couldn't have asked for better weather. The food was pretty good, can't complain there, but the drinks... not good. They say the beer is 'dos xx', as a beer drinker, I know this was NOT dos XX. The liquor also was sub-par. It had this odd taste/smell to it. Again, this didn't stop us from getting good and buzzed. But by day 4 we were sick of drinking that stuff and ended up going to town to buy cans of 'real' beer and a bottle of rum and tequila and ordered virgin drinks and mixed our own 'normal' drinks w/bacardi and jose. We actually crashed the resort down the beach a couple times to enjoy some good beer/tropical drinks. The pool was great. Our room was good except.... it smelled like mold, had some huge cockroaches and one small lizard. The beach was very nice, but the water has all this black sea weed stuff in it that makes the water murky and there is staff working all day to rake it off the beach when it washes up. So overall I feel bad saying that this wasn't all it was cracked up to be because the staff was SO nice and I'd like them to stay busy and make money... we still had a nice time but next time we'll try the resort a few down from blue bay"

"Unfortunately our room was not ready at 3:00 pm the day e arrived.

Hotel is very large and our ocean view room was only a side glimpse from our balcony of the ocean.

The food was a notch above our expectations for this area.

We have made many trips into the area and found that as long as the resort keeps chairs, towels, beach and pool area's hopping (and they did) you can have a good time

The spa was massive and great but you would never know this because they do not instruct very well on how to use these facilities. We discovered the spa basically on our own nd really liked it.

Fire ants and mosquitoes got me on the beach and at dusk but these ants apparently come out only during rainy season.

There were some strange odours around the low areas that were wet but hey we didn't hang around these areas much.

Circle one time share for VIPs was a bit of a hassle but not that bad.

We would go again.

"

"Had a great time. Very clean, large rooms. Shower is huge. The food at all the restaurants was fabulous & so was the buffet. Only one thing I would suggest is more umbrellas for shad at the beach. Would definitely go back again."

"
Last year i went to Jamaica and stayed at Grand Palladium. The staff was much more friendlier over there and it was a wow feeling. We got the wow feeling at some places (especially the staff at the restaurant at beach and also the entertainment crew at the pool)..

The shows were OK. Not the greatest. The show with the International Dance was good. Rest shows boring. Shows make a HUGE difference to the trip.

The pool tables in the sports bar required 4 coins.. Seriously.. On top of that the coin machine was not working for couple of nights and the bar does not have change.. I would rather pay $50 extra while booking for the trip to cover such things than pay $2 every time we have to pay. (Its an ALL INCLUSIVE RESORT)

Restaurants - We had to get couple of bananas for the kids and the restaurant people told us that we cannot carry banana out of the restaurant coz its the policy. (I am sure there is a reason for the policy but kids were hungry and didn't knew what to do).. I request the policy to be reconsidered.

Hence my rating of the trip is just OK.

At the same time i do want to mention that besides above it was a great vacation. The pool entertainers were amazing, the pool itself is beautiful, the hotel and everything else was great. Above all food was superb.

"

"After many trips to Mexico & several different resorts I have to say I would not give this one high marks. The resort was ok, some staff friendly, some not, but we had room problems including no hot water & a broken elevator immediately upon arriving on afternoon of December 20th, 2011. We were clld at midnight to change rooms only to move everything & room still not correct. They wanted to move us again but we were exhausted & sd, No! They were apologetic & informed us to come pickup our spa passes the following day (day 2) for a $200 spa credit for each guest due to the problems. Went to pick them up & were told whoever we spoke to told us wrong or we misunderstood because we would receive only a $200 dllr credit to be divided between the three of us.Tried to redeem them by getting a massage on the beach but informed we couldnt use them on the beach. Food was ok but most resorts have someplace to find burgers, nachos, ice cream all day & early evening. All the restraunts closed for 1 hr between bkfst & lunch, then lunch to dinner. Not good after lying in sun all day & u show up at 4pm & they had just closed to get ready for dinner. The day we left our ride to airport was at 1:10. We askd if we cld come in to grab anything before we left as we hadnt eaten today(burger, etc) & were told No, No one can come in til 1pm, no exceptions. The sand was very beautiful but you could see all the sandbags trying to hold the sand in place and had to climb over bags to get to water & back. Also, the water was by far the worst water Ive ever seen at a resort from Cancun to Tulum. We were 3 girlfiends who went together to relax & lay in sand next to water & not one of us got into water. Spoke to concierge, & front office of our disappointment. We were asked to attend a 90 minute VIP seminar (an attempt to get you to buy into all their resorts). After being held cative for 3 hrs one girlfriend sd IM done & wanna go back to my room. We were also promised (for going to seminar) by VIP group we would get an additiinal $200 credit to be used anywhere on resort; but then werent allowed to use at the spa. So sorry Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda but for the same amount of money I cld have had a shower outside & inside, a 2 person tub, plus a 6 person hot tub on a private patio @ The White Sands Grand Palladium Resort & Spa in the adult only section. Dont believe I would go back."

"WOW, what can I say except HORRIBLE!!!!! The walls and ceilings are falling apart, the place just stinks like mold, and filth. They have roaches and bed bugs. BAD!! The place is HORRIBLE!! I dont know the last time you reviewed this place, but the only nice thing was the entrance and the grounds. Even the pools and the pool towels were horrible. AND they let people smoke anywhere and everywhere. which was horrible. WOW, what a rip off. I would never reccomend this place, and I hope that no one has to endure what we did. Thanks"

"My Trip to Grand Esmeralda became a nightmare as our rooms weren't what we were promised, the activities listed are a joke and aren't all inclusive as you pretty much have to pay for everything. The management has changed in the past year or so as a friend I went with went before and was appalled at what was going on. This is no longer a 4 star resort that they advertise and maybe a 2.5 at best as confirmed with other guests while I was there.

This coupled with the fact that their rooms are some of the dirtiest, un-functioning rooms that I have ever been to in my years of travel, made my trip to Grand Esmeralda a waste of money and time. I would NEVER visit this resort again or recommend this resort to anyone."

"We go to Mexico every year. Always stay at a new place. Never had a bad experience or resort before:

Property is beautful. Food is good. That's the end of the good news.

Day 1: Maintenance staff woke us @ 7:00 a.m.moving furniture in room above us (lasted over an hour). Phone didn't work. Asked for a pillow. Never got it. AC could not be adjusted - up or down (we froze in there.) Hostess took 20 minutes to find our dinner reservation (which was there all along.)

Day 2: No bath mat, not enough towels left by housekeeping.

Day 3: The floor in our room began to buckle - yes the tiles popped up, my husband tripped, could have fallen through the plate glass doors. Went to the lobby. Passed around to 3 people who 'couldn't help us.' Finally asked for manager. I was polite. He was not: He was rude and condescending. He said it would be fixed in 1 - 2 hours. We were there another 3 days. It was NEVER fixed.

New Year's Eve - lines were long to eat.

WOULD NOT GO BACK. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE!"

"We had a wonderful time until the day we departed.Our room was great,the food was fine,service ,for the most part,very good.We had a late flight outso we asked for a late check out.We were offered another room than ours at $10 per hour,which we accepted.When we got there,the exterior door would not lock-was held closed by a stick.The TV didn't work,and the room was full of bugs.I spoke to a clerk at the front desk,and I understood that the room would ne discounted by $50,which seemed OK as we only used the room for about 6 hours as we went to the beach.When we went to check out,we were told that there would be a charge of $50.When I asked to speak to a manager,he was extraordinarily rude,basically called me a liar,and refused to reduce the room rate.It pretty much ruined an otherwise good trip.I don't want to put down the whole resort for 1 isolated experience,but as there are several other resorts in this area,I would not return to this one,or recommend it to others.Too bad-otherwise it was good."

"Unfortunately, I have nothing good to say about this resort. I had reservations at another resort and was not happy with its location so I called Bookit to find another resort. This one was highly recommended by the customer service rep as being one of the top three requested resorts in the area. Foolish of me for not doing more research on the recommendation but I rebooked since I hated my current location.

In hindsight, I would have stayed at the other location. This was not my type of resort. I have never taken a cruise (for a reason) and this felt like a bad cruise on land. The property is huge (and not in a good way), the pools are so crowded and extremely loud, the beach is small and dirty with no menu service and horrible, watered-down drinks. The 'sports club' feels like an extremely large garage - it's not fun and almost feels dirty. The staff is horrible not friendly or personable at all.
The only good thing I have to say about the resort is the food was decent.

Lesson learned, I probably should have been more specific when requesting a new location but I was so disappointed that I moved again. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of money but I could not see myself staying the next seven days at this location. This may be for some but definitely wasn't the experience I was looking for. I'd definitely do my research before selecting this resort.
"

"We spend 6 days at Blue Bay Esmeralda. The resort is very large and has beautiful landscaping. If you can afford oceanview choose the deluxe option because those are the buildings that directly face the beach. We chose economy oceanview, and it was nice but the beach was far away.
I loved the contact with nature. They badgers (tejones) live in the mangroves that surround the property but they are inoffensive, you can feed them :)
The beach is small and full of algae, but you can walk around 10 minutes and find a breathtaking view.
In the morning and if you go to the buffet go to Jeel-ha which is a restaurant by the beach. They cook good food and has more variety. The servers are helpful. Dont forget to tip them at least $1, they get a very low salary around $100 per month and survive with the tips.
During lunch we always went to Jeel-ha as well, you can find traditional food such as tacos and quesadillas, wraps. The natural juices are fantastic.
I dont recommend eating in the main buffet which is in a building by the front desk. The servers are rude and the food is not good.
At night you can make reservations to eat in the different restaurants. We tried the mexican, steak, and the seafood restaurant. The food was ok.
From the lobby to the beach is around 8 minutes so be prepared to walk. Dont bother waiting for the bell boys that drive the bus to the front desk, because they will never pick up your luggage or take very long.
The internet is free in the main lobby and the italian and french restaurant. If you paid extra you may have internet but there is no signal in building 5. I paid for the internet and was never able to sign in, but they refunded my payment.
The rooms are very clean and spacious, the refrigerator is full with drinks and beer.
We stayed for the new year and they had a great dinner and a celebration in the beach.
On the main road from the beach to the lobby, there is a cat that lives in the bushes, blue bay cat, please feed him, he is very malnourished, so please bring him some food.
Oh and before I forget, DO NOT FORGET THE REPELENT. There are many mosquitoes at night. I read the reviews that said the same and ignored them. I came back with 40 mosquito bites :(
I would definitely go back for the same price in high season!
"

"I just had an all around bad experience, too many Mosquitos, poor quality food, the rooms are seriously terrible I requested a jacuzzi suite, no jacuzzi, hardly a suite, I would never ever stay in this 0 star resort"

"Dinner A La Carte was perfect and excellent! Buffet was also very good quality.

Rooms were also nice, but looked like they had kind of been built in a hurry and sloppy (but hey, I do home improvements so I'll notice that stuff).

Went for a walk along the beach and was able to compare to other surrounding resorts - Blue Bay definitely stood out to be a nicer set up. This resort was also nice because of all the set up that went into decorating for Christmas."

"To the most part an enjoyable stay .. Resort was nice and the staff friendly. A rather small resort in size compared to the many others we have stayed in. The staff was extremely helpful thruoughout our 5 day stay. The beach is rather small and if one is looking for a large beach area there are many other properties in the area with better beach access. They had organized a variety of activities all day to keep the guests occupied if one wanted to be more active than just lying by the pool.

Two areas that were lacking ... most any mixed cocktail drink ordered in any of the bar locations had hardly any alcohol in them ... just watered down sweet drinks even after we told the bartender of the issue. Beer and wine were the best choice. The other issue that was concerning was the dinner reservations at the specialty restaurants .. they supposedly take reservations only 1 day in advance and even when trying to make them first thing in the morning for the following day, it was very difficult to get good timings .. only the very early or the very late slots were open most of the time. Yet whenever we went by the restaurant (no matter which time it was) most of them were about 70-80% vacant. After we had a hard time getting the prime dinner spots we walked by the specialty restaurants on many nights to verify this fact after we had seen them nearly empty when we were dining. They probably do this to direct guests towards the buffet choices which is probably less expensive for them to maintain.

Nightly entertainment was very good most nights (especially the Michael Jackson show) and few more shows would have been welcome earlier in the evenings as well for more entertainment activity."

"We rented 2 rooms. Check in took a ridiculous amount of time during which luggage porters moved the bags out of the covered area to the open where they were soaked by gushing rain. Several days no facecloths stocked in one room and the other was given 2 towels daily for 4 ppl and was very poorly cleaned and stocked.Ground floor rooms do not have a private patio. No dividers between rooms at all. Patio door in one room was broken and was very difficult to open and close and wasn't fixed until day of departure. Both rooms had sticks in patio door track as locks didn't work. Resort transportation was almost non-existant. Some staff friendly but most were not. It was clear that tipping was expected. Our adult daughter was reprimanded by a waiter in the sports bar for not tipping when actually we had all been tipping rather generously throughout the entire stay. The food was just ok and you can only book an ala carte meal the day prior and each time we booked one, it took about a half hour for them to find an available table for 6. Rooms were VERY VERY NOISY!!!! Woken constantly by noise from people and service carts in corridor outside room at 1am, 3am, 6am. We would never go back or recommend. It paled in comparison to our previous experience at the Grand Bahia Principe Tulum and we are sorry we didn't go back there but wanted to be closer to Playa Del Carmen on this trip."

"This resort was very nice! Rooms are kept very clean, plenty of places to get food, and the staff is very friendly!"

"2ND Time to go to Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda and it was the best. The only thing you have to watch for are the time share people and you have to be just a little rude to make them go away but they will go away. I cant think of a better resort to go to, this one is 5 star."

"First it should not be rated as 4 star. Very below that. I was given a free upgrade through book it.com and the hotel wouldnt honor that. all inclusive didnt apply here=3 out of 5 resturants you had to pay for. the 4th restaurant you had to pay for the wine and certain items on the menu-over half the menu. Had to walk everywhere- very few golfcarts and they were mostly used for staff to work I will never go back and I dont know if I will use book it.com"

"we had to change rooms the first day we arrive and the third day as well rooms need work but the rest was fine. but no corona or different find of beer only superior
it was our university and the first tree days it was a disaster to give us the right room as we order ocean view."

"Had a great time there, resort was simple décor but clean & well maintained. Staff were excellent, friendly and very hard working. We had to switch rooms because we had room with a cheater door to the next room and the family next to us literally sounded like they were in our room with us, yelling and carrying on till 12am. Then they were up yelling & running back & forth in their room at sun up, who are these people?!?! The new room was much better(no cheater door), the halls in the buildings are a ruff textured concrete that make the housekeeping carts rattle quite loudly as they travel thru the building, easily fixed with soft rubber wheels but I guess they haven't figured that out yet. Our bathroom smelled of mold but none was visible, the power goes out when you remove your room key so the exaust fan turns of, but I think the real problem is the door to the bathroom it closes on it's own trapping moisture never allowing to completely dry after showering. We kept blocking the door open & after a day or 2 the smell was gone. The trolley and big golf carts shuttling people back n' forth from the beach area to the main buildings was excellent, I've been to other big resorts like this that don't have that service after a long day of swimming snorkeling etc. this is nice.
We knew the water infront of the resort was usually cloudy and that a short walk down the beach to Tres Rios was preferred for ocean swimmers, out 9 days only the last 2 days was the water infront of the resort fairly clear. The resort is in a bay and has long pier structures sticking out into the ocean that trap the organic matter from the mangle trees and the 3 rivers that empty into the ocean up the coast. My wife was very disappointed with the water in front of the resort, so we won't be back here for that reason. Tres Rios is a beautiful area by the way spent alot of time there swimming & snorkelling.
The buffet is the best we've sampled in the area so far(Better then Iberostar Quetzel & Lindo , frozen drinks were excellent!"

"Great time! Only a 1 hour and 20 minute direct flight from Fort Lauderdale. Staff was great! Spa was beautiful! All- inclusive is the way to go if you just want to kick back and relax with no worries :)"

"In general a good trip, however I have two major complaints, one of which falls directly on you. About a week or two after booking the trip in late August I received a couple of emails with flight changes. The new flight itinerary wouldn't work because you didn't allow sufficient time at the airport to switch planes. I ignored those emails and finally got a call from you two days before departure trying to get me to confirm them. I told you that I wanted to keep original times and you said that wasn't possible, so I then pointed out that the change in flight times wouldn't work, since you gave me only 35 minutes from arrival from Cancun until departure in Houston, and I had to go through Customs, security again, and travel about a mile to the next gate. You guys need to be better at looking at things!! When I got to hotel I checked with the airline for the original flight I had requested and they said it was available. I then emailed you to say that I still wanted the original flight itinerary for return trip. You sent me a form email back to say that I would be responsible for any changes. Where is your responsibility in this matter? It's pretty poor response in my mind.

The second complaint had to do with misrepresenting that free wifi was available in the rooms, when it was clearly not. It was only free in lobby and bar area and that was about a quarter mile from my room. You need to improve on details and double check what they give you. Randy Renander"

"Very good. The only thing i would wish the resort should do good entrance into the see It was really hard to get into the see because of bottom rocks."

"It would take PAGES to relate this B'Day Trip to Riviera Maya,Mexico. Jet Blue changed res. 3 times thus we left P.R. at 4:25 A.M. We had to stay at the Airport Hotel previous evening !! The De Luxe Ocean View ?? Room was in a dilapidated Bldg. finally we moved to a nicer room at this resort The Time Sharing Recruiters at the Bldg. a concierge, after we INFORMED WE had 3 Mayor suppliers insisted we went. We did and after declining.. this Lady?? and staff TOTALLY ignored us where as a simple common courtesy would suffice.After a Red Eye layover and flight leaving Ft. Lauderdale we arrived in San Juan,P.R. at around midnight. My Wife had received a Very Serious Insect Bite and had an enormous swelling on both ankles. We were provided a Wheelchair since my she could NOT walk of the plane. The chair operator Flatly Refused to wait for our luggage and see Us out of the Terminal. I proceeded to the Jet Blue Office at the Luggage Area who SIMPLY refused The SLIGHTEST and most urgent HELP. She expressed that Jet Blue Contracts this Service and case closed. Luckily there was a GENTLEMAN from the Gov. Airport Authority who helped Us. Today is Nov.30 We arrived on the 25 of Nov. and my Wife is still in the Hospital suffering from the insect bite that was aggravated by undue pressure from walking and waiting standing up victim of the above explained.chaotic experiences."

"Friendly, clean.
Low priced, but the beach is the worst in Riviera Maya.
If the gust uses the beach- not a place to go."

"Everything... Everything was absolutely perfect. The water was not as blue as I thought but was really hot. A really nice resort."

"We had a great trip! The resort was lovely and everyone working there was great! The only things that we would have liked (and this is just nit-picking) would be more than one beer option (no Carona = sad face!) and breakfast options on the room service menu. That was one thing we were looking forward to, but is not offered. The buffets are actually pretty good so that we had to get out of bed to get breakfast was only mildly annoying! For the money that we spent, I feel it was a great deal!"

"This resort was okay , staff they were wonderfull ,meals were good in the main lobby and by the pool ,could work on the ones that you have to book expect the Mexican one it was very good. We changed rooms and we were in building 5 and it really needs some work done on it . Would we go back maybe would ask for rooms in the 1st or 2nd.

They also need a place were you could go and lesson to music and dance ."

"loved it, great experience, very grateful to the people"

"The resort was beautiful. Plenty of choices to dine and drink. However, the resort was under staffed. My room did not get cleaned for two days and the pick-up service from bldg to bldg was very slow."

"After booking this trip I started reading more and more of previous reviews and was hesitant and wondered if I had made a mistake. Also, Tropical Storm Rina was to hit the day before we arrived. Once we arrived we were totally amazed! The staff was super friendly! We were greeted at the front steps with a wonderful fruity drink and escorted to the check in area. We were also greeted by some 'associates' before we made it to the check in area and were asked to come back to speak with someone and that they had a nice 'treat' for us.....we didn't go....and I don't think we missed out on anything! Some of the reviews we read about indicated that you have to walk 15-20 minutes to get to anywhere.....not true! We stayed in building 5000 and were 2 minutes from the pool/beach area and maybe 8 minutes from the sports bar and eating areas. The walk was actually beautiful and nice as we ate plenty while there. The food was delicious and always plenty. Do make reservations for the restaurants at least 1 day in advance if you would like to eat there as they book up fast! Everything on the buffet was delicious and we enjoyed eating there because we didn't have an appointed time we had to be there. The spa was very relaxing. The pool was nice. The beach was ok. I have been to better before, but it was very clean. It got to about waist deep before you hit rocks unfortunately. We did walk along the beach 10 minutes both ways and the beach at Blue Bay was by far the BEST! The drinks were all very good and they had top shelf alcohol as well as their 'stock'. The bartender @ the sports bar was probably our favorite, however, all the bartenders were very kind and very quick and knowledgeable. The room was very nice. Only problem we had was no hot water on the first and second days we were there. The staff fixed it within 15 minutes of us notifying them of the problem however. Patios were adequate.....just don't close the door completely behind you or you will be locked out! lol....learned that the hard way:) Overall the resort was 5 stars in our books and we would definately visit there again!"

"All in all I'd say this was a very nice hotel. The only major complaint I had was that you had to make reservations for the fine dining 24 hours in advanced so when we got to the resort there wasn't any reservations for that day. We had to eat at the buffet that night and it really was sub par. Other than that great pool, great bars and a great place to stay."

"It was a very good vacation altogether. Hurricane Rina came on our last night, but we were still entertained by the staff and crew with security on stand by. We lost power that night so it was a bit hot in the room we were at. The operator guy we spoke to said there's no A/C in the building we were at, but turns out our kids' room had A/C so they slept well. Food was fanstastic."

"The hotel is clean, and the staff is friendly and efficient. The food is good, and the serving staff is friendly. There are three specialty restaurants which needed reservations; we experienced the seafood restaurant which was very good. The tropical storm, Rina, went through the resort, but the staff was extra efficient in taking care of the guests getting food to the rooms when it was not possible to venture out. The sales staff for time share was pushy, and the extra services such as massages are pricey. However, we would get back there if there are reasonable sale packages."

"We arrived at the Blue Bay Resort on Oct. 20/11 for an 8 night stay. We were greeted by such wonderful people at the resort. The rooms were very well kept by all the staff. While we were there we were faced with something that we Canadians have never had to endure and that was the onset of a category 3 Hurricane. By the time it did get to us it was JUST a very bad TROPICAL STORM. I will say that they were very well prepared and had us very well prepared for the pnenomenom. They made all of us feel very much ease with what we were facing.
There is a couple of things that I have to say in contrast to the excellent service and care that we received and they are these: (1) We found that the buffets very rarely had much variance from beginning to end. I would of thought that there would be differences in the food on a daily basis. (2) When purchasing anything at the resort with American money, they only offer to give you the change in PESOS, We didn't understand why they wouldn't allow you to have your change in US dollars. Our feelings are that should you pay with American money you should be able to have your change in American money and not have to get money back that you can't use in the country from which you came."

"The overall experience was great. A very beautiful place. Great pool area, great food, beach where chairs are is good. Our only problem was hot water in our room. First night we had none, the rest of the nights it was warm, never hot. There were double sinks in the bath and one had standing water in it for the last two days we were there. The maid was there every day and apparently never had it fixed. We told the staff about the hot water issue several times and never got hot water.

These are small issues. We had a wonderful time and would do it again. It's just part of the adventure."

"We were a little usure of what to expect, however we were very surprised and pleased when we arrived. We upgraded to the Emerald ocean view package and we had a great room in building four Uxmal.. We were on the third floor and our room looked right out onto the main pool. Our room was cleaned every day and with our package not only did we get our minibar refilled every day, but each night we were brought a bottle of champage or wine as well as either a meat and cheese platter or candies. We had a fresh fruit basket that was restocked, as well as 8 larger bottles of alcohol - Rums, tequila, whiskey, etc.. when we drank some of this they replaced the bottles so we always had more alcohol than we could drink.
The grounds were amazing, and yes there is a smell a from the mangroves, but it seemed only to be present early in the morning and not overpowering like some people have complained about. We went with our two kids, and by no means are we prudes, but were a little surpassed by some of the women who decided to sunbathe topless where ever they felt like it regardless of small children being around. All in all though the resort was amazing. Bring insect repellent if you tend to be one of those who mosiquites tove. I didn't get bit, however my daughter did get bit a few times, but only when she forgot to put some repellent on. The swing bar is amazing and by the end of the first day the bartender knew what my husband wanted to drink with out even asking. One of the waitresses from the swing bar was awesome and always walking around and and refilling drinks. One of the employess at the buffet for breakfast and lunch by the main pool was hysterical and a good server. We would definitely go back."

"The resort staff were great- everyone from grounds keepers to management were very friendly and helpful, The food in the restaurants was excellent as far as quality and variety - if a person couldn't find something they like then they're not looking.

Service throughout the complex was great - when you asked, someone listened and took care of the request. 4.9 overall.



Some initial booking snags (not resort related) were finally worked out. The airline, Spirit, was the least enjoyable part of the trip. Find another way to get there."

"Great time, very nice place and food was awesome. Very friedly staff!!!"

"For the most part, the trip was great. The food and staff were excellent. The pools were nice but the beach was not. The water is shallow and usually dirty. We stayed in one of the swim up suites that were very nice but not much privacy during the day. The maid and others would just walk in and there is not a do not disturb sign for the door. I would recommend this resort for the price but I think I will try some resorts with better beaches next time. One last thing. Ice cream was not allowed until noon but you can have any mixed drinks 24/7"

"We had a really good time. Plenty of stuff to do and only left the Resort once to go snorkeling and to the Spinnaker."

"My girlfriend and I planned this trip only because of the deal Bookit had going on. We could not find flights to anywhere in Mexico for under 600 bucks. Our all inclusive package included flight, room, alcohol, food, and a shuttle that took us to and from the airport. All that for right around 650/person (50 bucks more than just a flight!)

Now that you know what we we paid for and how we planned it, I would totally visit Blue Bay again! The pool by the beach was great. The beach itself worked for us, though the mangroves do produce about 5-10ft. of gross stuff to walk through before you get to the crystal clear water. The room was very nice and clean. It seemed to have been updated fairly recently. The restaurants were good, but they have a weird policy where you have to make a reservation 24 hours in advance. After making these reservations we notice that not even half of the restaurants were full when we were seated. This was irritating b/c some nights the only reservations they had available were at 9:30 and the staff was cleaning up before we were even finished. The buffet was nothing special, but it was convenient. Be sure to bring pants the for the restaurants b/c shorts are not allowed!

The 'entertainment' at night in the sports bar was 'entertaining' but only b/c they were so bad. The dancing was great, but the singing/acting was humorous to us b/c it was so bad.

They only have 1 kind of beer you can order, and the frozen drinks are so-so. We started ordering ours with Name brand alcohol and telling them how much to put in it (if you don't they were kind of weak). We had a great time and would definitely go back! Very relaxing!"

"Overall the resort was good. Just a few to many mosquitoes and the water was muddy. As for the resort and staff, excellent. Bring lots of sunscreen. "

"We had a good time at this resort for our honeymoon. Relaxing, lots of food & drinks. Food was decent, rooms were ok except for mosquitoes. One major complaint...I requested Honeymoon package (chocolate & strawberries, champagne) 3 times and was told each time it would happen. Never happened..."

"It was the greatest vacation that my husband and I had. The rooms, the food, (all inclusive) the activities, the shows and the price were excellent. We want to go back. The staff was very freindly, too. Cancun is a paradise, we never would forget this vacations, it was just perfect. The best of all we didn't spend a fortune. Thank you, Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda."

"Everything was perfect. 6 days was not enough to do all the resort had to offer, let alone participate in all the tours that we wanted to. All I can say is watch for the time-share pushers. They are all over - even at the resort and they are very pushy."

"I've been to many nice resorts for vacation, and BB Esmeralda was among the best. Plenty of activities, good food, all you can drink and a goreous ocean. I will be going again soon."

"The hotel was ok except the room keys would not work, I think we had to get them fixed at least twice a day and there was no swim up bar in any of the pools. The beach looks nothing like the photos, it was dirty and rocky, we spent most of out time in the pool. I would not go back to this hotel"

"Enjoyed this resort very much. The food was great (at the ala carte restaurants). The buffet was good, mostly for breakfast and lunch. We had no problems booking a reservation for dinner so I would highly recommend doing so. We booked the reservations every morning around 9:30 am before heading to breakfast.

Highly recommend the spa!!! As a bday gift from my friend, we spent an afternoon at the spa, we both got a marine scrub - beneficial on a beach trip with lots of sun. It was a fabulous experience, we had so much fun!!!

This resort is huge so bring comfortable shoes. We walked around most of the time; good since we ate so much! We tried to get into the ocean but the water was rough. One downside, we got bit a lot by mosquitoes - despite using bug spray every day! "

"Did not get the upgrade as advertised on BookIt. Grounds not always kept clean of rubbish. Money and jewellery missing from my handbag. Transport to and from our room was very scarce, they seem to miss out our building regularly and use the buggy's for staff use only."

"All excellent, friendly staff a spectacular setting and very good food, the beach is not very attractive but I understand that in the future can be improved."

"My trip was memorable. I've stayed at other similar hotels in the area and by far this hotel has the highest quality standards for the price paid. The food has an excellent quality and taste, very friendly staff and well maintained iinstallations. On the downside the beach has seaweed although the staff cleans it daily, and there were many mosquitoes in the building I stayed at. I really enjoyed the fact the hotel is eco-friendly and some of the mexican folklore night shows. I'd definitely come back and recommend this hotel."

"I just want to say that it has been one of the best vacations I've had. And I am a seasoned traveler. The landscaping is perfect, rooms are clean, food is good and the staff members are fantastic
I am going back as soon as I can have ti e off from work..... Also my family loved it. Good place if you travel with children or senior citizens"

"Great place to stay, food is excellent, the staff is friendly and helpful, i would go there again next year for sure. We had a hard time deciding ware to stay, we are glad we stayed here, if you are unsure, take my word for it, take Blue Bay.



Regards.



Miguel."

"Beautiful resort. Staff very friendly and very helpful. Rooms and all areas very clean and tidy. Entertainment we found a little weak in the evening, but plenty of activities around the pool everyday. Nice BBQ during the day at the pool too. All restaurant food was fantastic, but you have too reserve for the restaurants early in the day to get a decent time reservation. They also do take up a good two hours of your time. The bad side of this resort is that the sun chairs are very very uncomfortable, probably need new ones with more support, and the sea is quite disgusting. We were told it is run off from the Mangroves/swamps, which also where a little smelly at times. So if you really like the beach and swimming in the ocean this is not the place for you. We also found a Walmart in Playa del Carmen that we booked all of our trips through at half the price and both trips we took where fantastic. I would not return to this hotel mainly as I never go anywhere twice, but I would return to the area and stay south of playa del carmen where the sea is blue."

"Had a real great time at Blue Bay, the staff was very friendly, the games were fun and entertaining around the resort. Met some wonderful people also, 60 % of the resort was Canadian during my stay which was fun. The cleanliness was good,food was excellent. Beach was good but water was more dirty than average but what can you expect beside the ocean ? and wave crashing in ? I grew up along the ocean so that was nothing new to me.



The only annoying problem I can think off is the magnetic card to open your room, I had to go to the office 3 times magnetize it and I got mad at my 3 rd time, they gave me a brand new card which took care of this and never had any other problem during my stay.



I almost went there again this year but decided to go somewhere else at the last minute, I would return anytime. Was there in 2010. during the end of February which was nice at an average temperature 75 to 80 degree.



Del Carmen which is close by was also fun as we went there on the weekend for shopping and entertainment, Xplor,Xcaret were not far neither and we took the cab to go there which was fairly priced."

"Our trip to Blue Bay was amazing, anyone thinking about booking this as their destination should do it. The grounds are beautiful, the beach is clean and peaceful and the staff is very friendly and helpful. The only note I would make is the ocean water isn't clear, so don't think you will be able to snorkle but there is a fresh water lagoon just a 5-10 min walk to your left down the beach that is crystal clear with fish and plant life to see. The rooms are very nice, we got upgraded to a king and the shower was the nicest shower I have ever been in, vacation or at home. Also wait to book any excursions and do it at the hotel, they have a whole area with the different companies to do so that are very knowledgeable about the area and the details about the trips. Book this resort!"

"It's been a few years since we visited, but still have fond memories. The staff was helpful and friendly. We didn't even leave the resort property for the entire week. Had a great time."

"The resort is absolutely amazing! Its very nice, clean, the staff is very friendly and helpful with whatever you need. The food and the pools were also great! It was my first time there but I would love to come back again I would definitely recommend this resort, it is beautiful and definitely worth the trip! "

"Best family vacation ever. The resort and restaurants are lovely. The staff very nice, working very hard every day to make your vacation great. Entertainment at the pool every day and every day different. Very clean resort. We looking forward to come back there again. Would totally recommend this place.... "

"This resport is fantastic. The employees work very hard to please you. The food was excellent and bountiful. Alcohol was free flowing and of many varieties. The only think that I was a little disappointed in was the quality of the shows and the fact that during most nights there was no music to dance to and there are no dance clubs in the resort. This was disappointing to many young people that I talked to. Nothing to do in the evenings!"

"We had such a wonderful time with my husband together in blue bay. It is great hotel with delicious food. Everything is so so perfect. Advise everybody visit to this resort!!!!!!!!! Will back again and again!"

"This resort was picked for us by my travel agent and We loved it. Stayed for 5 nights and ate at a different restaurant every night! Food was good and they always kept the drinks coming. Pool area was great and the staff always has activities going on to join in on. Water aerobics, dance lessons, vollyball tournaments, pottery classes. Entertainment at night was great. The staff is very talented and put on shows as well as outside shows come to perform there. There was a disco on the beach one night and a flea market that was there a couple mornings where we bought some great locally made items. We would revisit blue bay again. No need to leave this resort. The only down side was that the time we went there was lots of seaweed on the beach but the staff does clean it up."

"This was our second trip to the Cancun area and our first stay at Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda. We took our four kids ranging in age from 12 to 26. The staff was exceptional throughout the resort. The entertainment staff at the pool were great and made every day at the pool a blast whether you were participating in the activities or just watching. The pool was awesome. The food was above average at the buffet and at the ala cart restaurants. The ocean at Blue Bay beach unfortunately is NOT blue. The water was pretty muddy, so if that is one of the main things you are looking for this is not the place. The evening entertainment was not that impressive in comparison to our previous trip to NOW Jade in Porta Morales. Overall it was a fantastic place to vacation and we would recommend Blue Bay. "

"My husband, son and I just returned from an amazing week at BBGE! We loved every minute of our stay! The resort was beautiful, food was delicious, and the staff was truly amazing! We would like to single out Omar and Luis in the main buffet and Cintia, a concierge. Bravo! And thanks for a wonderful week! "

"Visited first week of April 2011, weather was Great! Pools fantastic. Food was delicious and the drinks were endless. Really can`t complain. However, if you are a `beach` person, this isn't the resort for you as the ocean was not the crystal clear water you would expect. If you can overlook that, this place is it. Great value and great vacation. Also, please bring $1 for tipping, you can not get change for any larger bills and the employees really work hard to make your vacation great!"

"Three years ago we went to this resort. It was our first time going to Mexico and we chose this resort and did not regret it. Staff are friendly and resort was beautiful and very clean. "

"Immaculately clean. Staff were amazing ,so hard working, aiming to serve and please and always friendly. Beach was fantastic. Drinks and food top notch. I have and will recommend to others and return myself! I have had the all inclusive resort experience many times and I have to say this one was 5 star all the way!! SO PLEASED with my vacation here!!"

"My husband and I wanted to get out of the cold in Pennsylvania, so after spending a lot of time researching different resorts, we finally selected Blue Bay Grand Esmerelda. We had such a great time! Everyone at the resort was friendly and helpful, the food was amazing, with great selection, the room was nice, and the pool was spectacular! We loved relaxing by the pool, enjoying drinks, and getting tan. We would definitely recommend this resort to someone looking for a relaxing, enjoyable vacation. "

"Had a wonderful time. Food was excellent the rooms were nice. I wish they had our mini bar stocked we were thristy and did not get anything to the room til the next day after many calls. I recommend getting chairs at the pool near the bar. Pool service is pretty much non existent. Beach is terrible but I did not care I am more of a pool person anyway. Also, plan on walking a lot the shuttles do not come around very often. Walking was nice though it's a beautiful resort with many animals and birds to see along the way."

"We absolutely loved our stay at Blue Bay Grand Esmerelda in Playa Del Carmen, MX. We were catered to and everything was perfect, including the weather. Everybody was friendly and nice. "

"We just came home from an excellent experience at the Blue Bay.There is a lot of good things we can say about this resort.Staff on all levels were very helpful and friendly,always available to you,entertainment staff were very talented and hard working(that goes for all staff).Buffets and A la Carte's were excellent,rooms were nice and cleaned very well every day.Easy to get around with the shuttles coming around often.Only a 10 min. ride from down town Playa Del Carmen for day trips.It was an excellent experience that I would recommend to anyone."

"Just returned from a week at Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda with friends. Had a fabulous week! Lots of good comments from all of us. First of all we were not happy with our original rooms that we were given as we paid for Ocean Front and were given rooms with a view of the neighboring resort. We were on the top floor which was okay except the roof is 'thatched' so it was very shaded. We kindly told them we were not satisfied and they were VERY accomodating. We were moved the next morning to two Ocean/Pool view rooms on the second floor... lots of morning sunshine coming into our rooms!



The staff was incredibly friendly, helpful and FUN! Food & drinks were outstanding! We ate at all the restaurants except French & Oriental only because we were off the resort two of the nights. The Steak, Seafood, Mexican & Italian restaurants were wonderful. Breakfast in the buffet areas were also outstanding!



This is a large resort, so it requires quite a bit of walking which was fine with our group. They also offered extended 'golf carts' to take people from one place to another if needed. But the exercise did a person some good especially with all the eating you do!



Over-all we were extremely satisfied and would recommend to anyone. We would stay again, but like to try different places for variety. Will definately go back to the Riviera Maya area without a

doubt! Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen & Isla Mujeres were wonderful also!"

"This was the best holiday we have been on, and we have returned another two times. The resort and restaurants are lovely. The staff can`t help you enough."

"It was AWESOME!!!! We had a blast. Would totally recommend this place.. "

"This was our first trip to Cancun, Mexico, and It won't be our last. Overall our experience was good. The food at one of the restaurants 'Don Isi' was excellent and the other restaurants were also good. I love all inclusive! The resort was very well kept and the only negative was the natural mangrove in the middle of the resort which invited mosquitoes. Nature happens. The staff relies heavily on tips, yet were all very cordial even though we missed opportunities to tip when we later realized we should have. Tours are easily arranged to many local points of interest. (side note-We were stopped in the airport on arrival and offered a great deal on excursions. In the end a $400.00 excursion will cost $400.00. I'm embarrassed to tell you how I know that. The same holds true there as here, if it sounds to good to be true, it is.)"

"Great staff, great food. Spent 7 nights in early Dec 2010. Not one complaint! "

"My Wife and I LOVED this location for our Honeymoon!!!! The service was great, employees were very friendly and the entertainment was unbelievable. Absolutely beautiful!!!!!"

"We stayed there two years ago and had a great time. We plan to visit again in April 2011 and we can't wait. We will have friends and family with us this time, and can't wait to show off the resort. I'm a Chef of 20 years and the food is GREAT!!!! I love the dress code for certain dining. Trust this review. I'm going Blue Bay all the time. This will be our 6TH visit."

"We decided to go to Mexico for our honeymoon. After about 3 weeks of research we decided on going to the Bluebay. We went there because of the customer reviews. It is exactly as described, no more, no less. We had an amazing time. The pool/beach was beautiful and we ate whenever we wanted. The food was good, but if you want great food, make your reservations everyday for one of the a la cart restaurants. Our room was great, the staff was amazing and they all speak English very well. The only complaint we would have which isn't really a complaint, but they don't have straws. It sounds weird, but when you are trying to drink a frozen margarita it would have come in handy. But it was beautiful and we would go back again. "

"First time here and I love it I read some of the review and I was not so shure but I took my chances and I love it. I got back less than a week ago and I'm elready making plans to go back. The staff is excellent I give then a 10. "

"I have been to some of the higher end resorts on the Mayan and would say this resort is comparable and half the price. Great place with great staff! I went with my 20 year old daughter and had a great time. The staff spoke very good English and helped us understand their language more by speaking both. Lots to do. Pool staff were great at their job. The food was good for buffet and a variety of it. The restaurants had exceptional staff to wait on you. The weather was so good, though it called for storms every day, never saw a drop of rain or a cloud. The walking is something that you can do or wait for a shuttle. The resort is not that big but spread out so you don`t hear the parting from your room. We would definitely go back! Planning a trip with friends and family for next year."