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I don’t always review resorts, but this one certainly deserves a lot of praise. I travel both for work and for leisure, and it’s often hard to tell what to make of numerical reviews which just say “5 star, loved it” or “1 star, it rained the whole time” and get a sense of what it’s like to stay at a place. Is this reviewed on their first vacation, and therefore charmed by everything? Are they impossibly snobbish and therefore displeased with everything? Is their idea of “gourmet” a poolside hot dog? So I’ll endeavor to provide the answers I would hope to find in a review.||About Us: For a start, we live in New York City, which means we get exposed to a lot of food and cocktail culture, from the needlessly showy to the barebones-but-amazing street food. We’ve also stayed at a number of resorts around the Caribbean, including branding under Zilara, Secrets, Sandals, Unico, and others. I think this makes for a pretty well-calibrated reviewer, but you be the judge.||||I split my time between Hyatt properties (currently Globalist) and Marriott properties (currently Platinum)||My wife also has Celiac disease. I can’t tell you how challenging it can be to find data from travelers who share this affliction. It’s not a gluten-free preference, and it doesn’t allow for an occasional “cheat” item - it’s a serious condition where even cross-contamination can result in multi-day symptoms. It makes travelling hard for us, so I’ll cut right to the chase and say that this place treated us wonderfully, both in kindness and in safety. More on this in the dining section below, but we can wholeheartedly endorse the allergy handling here. Surprise highlights included GF buns/bread generally available, GF pizza options, and even GF beer!||About this trip: We booked an 8-night trip to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We had great experiences at the zilara cancun, and the Secrets cap cana nearby, and were eager to try this property. We booked a basic room, however I inquired about paid upgrades in advance of our arrival, and was offered an oceanview master suite at a very reasonable price. The room comes with a lovely soaking tub in the bathroom, and a jetted tub on the balcony, in addition to a separate dining area - I was sold. ||I’ll also note that while I was delighted by this trip, and it was overall very smooth and I would happily return, it was not flawless. I think you can often tell more about the quality of a place when there are mishaps based on how those issues are handled, than when nothing goes wrong. When small issues arose, the staff was extremely responsive and eager to make things right. Lesser resorts might try and dismiss, minimize, or suppress guest complaints. Here, the staff really took ownership of things, and responded kindly and even generously, because making things right genuinely mattered to them - that’s a very high caliber of service, and speaks to good hiring, good training, and good morale.||Arrival: We were greeted immediately as we pulled up, and our bags handled as we were ushered over to the club lounge for check-in. On the walk over, we were approached by someone offering us a discount on activities, or The Blind Butcher. Seasoned travelers will likely know this involves sitting through a “vacation club” or similar seminar, and we’re absolutely not interested. I do wish the property would ensure these folks don’t use misleading messaging, like “we’re running a promotion this week only” to try and entice people - it’s just dishonest.||In the club lounge we met our terrific butler Adrian, who called himself “The Alfred to your Batman” when we asked what services he could provide for us. Having stayed in a number of resorts, many with butler service, I need to heap praise on Adrian for being responsive when we needed him, and really graceful in his attentiveness otherwise, never pushy or intrusive. If you’ve ever had a butler ping you 3x/day just to check in, or ask you at 8am where you’d like to have dinner, especially when you’re just trying to be on a schedule-free vacation from your busy career, you can appreciate how artful truly great resort butler service ought to be, and Adrian absolutely rocked it.||Also while at the club lounge, we met Sebastian who runs the food and beverage program. As a routine matter, I will often email hotels in advance and ask about their preparedness for celiac, particularly given the sensitivity to cross-contamination. Sebastian had responded with a lot of comforting detail to my email, and came to meet us at check-in. He reiterated from his email that allergy handling was taken seriously, and that we would be asked at every seating if there were food sensitivities, and that if so the manager would look in on the guest and their order. We received this treatment at each and every sit-down meal. Sebastian also advised us on navigating things like the buffet, which don’t have the same labeling as restaurant menus. Thank you Sebastian!||Our room was in excellent condition, over in Building 5. From the balcony, looking left we had an ocean view past some dense trees and landscaping. Looking straight ahead, we saw the swim up suites on the ground level, or the rooftop of the Waves restaurant. I suppose we could have gone for ocean FRONT rather than ocean VIEW to have a full, all-encompassing beach outside our window, but we were very happy with it. The website photos do the room justice - a well-angled TV in the sleeping area, separate living/dining area, a well-furnished balcony, plus an extra half bathroom right near the entrance. Two ceiling fans (one in the bedroom, one in the living area) plus dividing doors made it very easy to keep the temperature in the sub-arctic range where we often like it.||Pools: We spent most of our time in the club pool. Occupancy was very low when we arrived (though a large corporate group, or possibly several? arrived toward the tail end of our trip). Mere moments after stepping into the pool area, the attendant Wilin came to greet us, checked our room number, and swiftly set up a couple of chairs and a table with towels, and pillows. He even set up the adjacent wet chairs (the ones which are slightly submerged) for us as well! He took great care of us every single day in a spot we liked - it’s a great vibe to feel like you have an effortless “regular” spot when on vacation.||Water temp was pretty warm during our stay (sept), but if ever we felt like a contrast, a large jacuzzi sub sits adjacent for a little change of pace.|Running the swim-up bar was Roberto, who both makes a great cocktail, and has been known to sing a little bit when the mood strikes him.||We didn’t spend much time by the main pool, but it has similar bar facilities, and seemed to be a little more animated with louder music, more activities, and a generally more upbeat party vibe - something for everyone.||Food and Drink:||While we didn’t eat absolutely everywhere, we did make the rounds over our long stay. Our favorites at a few locations:||Lobby Coffee Bar - a morning almond frap became a regular thing for us. This can be a crowded spot during peak rushes, but the staff works diligently to get orders out quickly||Lobby Bar - Lots of seating, though I took most of my drinks here to go. The old fashioneds were quite to my liking (not too sweet).||Waves - We probably ate here more than any other. For lunch we were all about the shrimp cocktail and the al pastor tacos. For dinner we loved the skirt steak, tenderloin, and even enjoyed an indulgent tomahawk one night.||Special mention here for Patricio, the restaurant manager. He kindly looked after us regarding allergies (gluten), and made us feel very much at home.||Shutters Beachside - Only came here for lunch, but it’s a great spot to get your fill of fresh fish in a ceviche or tiradito (sashimi/crudo-like) format.||Journeys Indian - We weren’t sure what to make of the train car aesthetic before arriving, but in person we found it really quite charming! This is such a nice change of pace from the typical cuisine options at resorts. We enjoyed the curry chicken, butter chicken, masala, and lamb rogan josh. I also enjoyed the naan (definitely not GF, however), and we both enjoyed kheer as a dessert option.||Brandos - The decor is charmingly quirky, however the food and service truly seems a cut above. There are subtle differences in serving and glassware which add a premium feel, and that’s matched by a quality and precision in the food. Both soups were delicious, as was the salmon, mahi mahi, and pork belly. It's really hard to go wrong here.||Special thanks to Demetrio, who took lovely care of us on both nights where we had dinner here.||Noodle & Thread - Often when we travel, it’s the Italian restaurants that end up being the most challenging when it comes to navigating celiac/gluten issues, however this was a remarkable exception! Gluten-free bread was available for us from the start, the carpaccio was delightful, as was the risotto, and GF pasta was available as well. The sleeper hit was the tomato soup!||Special thanks to Andredis who helped take care of us here!||Buffet: Always nice to have such a variety of options at mealtime, however the standout for us was definitely the arepas at lunchtime, which seemed to be available as an occasional hot food station (We saw this twice during our stay).||Prestos:Who doesn’t love poolside lunch/snacks? That Gluten Free pizza was available was a really wonderful surprise for us. Protip if ordering the GF pizza - the crust can be on the thicker side, so consider asking for a really well-loaded set of cheese and toppings to help keep the ratios right.||Club Bar: This is where we first learned GF beers were available, after spotting them in the refrigerator case. The Estrella is a gluten-removed beer, however it proved safe for us, despite typically being extremely sensitive to even trace gluten. Here you’ll also find a slightly elevated selection of liquor, so drop by for a nice sipping rum, or a whiskey.||Special thanks to Antonia who kept us well-served and smiling at the bar, as well as Ignacio who brings an unmistakable enthusiasm for cocktails with him.||The one-eyed cat - a fun decor with tasty cocktails, and entertaining presentations (smoke, bubbles, and more). The acoustics can get pretty loud in here though, so if you’re expecting a muted cocktail lounge vibe, your results may vary depending on the time of evening, or the night’s crowd.||Room Service: Another shocking success. I’m usually pessimistic about room service, and I’ve grown accustomed to maddeningly slow service, forgotten items, or missed instructions. Even at other quality resorts where the dining program runs very smoothly, this is often where things fall down. So when I say that in-room dining was swift, accurate, and tasty, you can believe that left a great impression. We ate breakfast in our room most days, allowing us to have a lazy AM start, and make the most of our upgraded room. Allergy handling for room service was also flawless.||The Blind Butcher:||This is a wild departure from the other restaurants on the property. Hidden behind the fun “butcher counter” entryway is a speakeasy-style restaurant, with lots of big, comfy booth seating. While the darkly lit appearance might lead you to expect a dining atmosphere of hushed intimacy, there’s quite a lot of boisterous entertainment. What seemed like every 10 minutes or so, a group of spirited performers would emerge into the restaurant’s few open spaces and put on lively dance and musical performances, showcasing an array of styles. They knew how to navigate the tight spaces well, and were enthusiastic at every turn. Keep in mind, this lively environment means conversations will be interrupted regularly, so set expectations accordingly - the show is not optional, but it is well-integrated into the dining experience.||The food here, I have to say, was excellent. We were a little wary based on trouble reviews from many months prior, but it appears whatever issues prompted those low ratings have been thoroughly resolved. The portions? MASSIVE - bring a hearty appetite! In contrast to Brandos where we found the high level of precision in the kitchen to be paired with moderate portions designed to let you order and enjoy several items, the blind butcher is decidedly a feast from start to finish. ||Gluten/Celiac care was again, flawless. We were told the seating included 4 appetizers for the two of us (the earth and air sections, plus some specials). Appetizers which serve 2, such as the raw bar, would of course count for two. Then of course an entree each. Be mindful of the portions though - we enjoyed our appetizers so much that we were far fuller than we’d meant to be when our mains came out. All in all this was a fantastic experience, but it’s going to be very subjective for guests whether the pricetag is worth the event, particularly when you’ve got so many great options included, and even other less-expensive buy-up options, such as the tomahawk for two at Waves||Spa:||We went several times over the course of our trip, however once we met Ynes and discovered how talented she is, she became a highlight for us. Besides the treatment, the spa itself has a lovely cave aesthetic, and the pre-treatment offerings include a salt room, sauna, steam room, hot and cold plunges, and hydromassage.||Conclusion:||All in all, we had a brilliant trip here, and we’re already planning a return. Thank you again to all the staff mentioned here, and happy vacationing to all readers!
