Jennifer T.
Yelp
As an all-inclusive guest here for 5 days, I can definitively say that this place is the worst!! I really didn't expect much coming in considering the low ratings on Yelp, but I also didn't expect it to be THIS bad...
Upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised by the ambiance/decor of the lobby. The huge white columns, koi fish ponds, and unique plant life made it look like a tropical palace! I was quickly disenchanted, however, after waiting 40+ minutes for check-in. There weren't even that many people in front of us (only 2-3 parties), so I'm not sure why the process was so long?!
Additionally, we were told that our room wasn't ready yet (it was already 4 PM...what's up with that?!), so we went straight to eat at the pool bar and I got my first taste of their mediocre service and even more mediocre food. It took around 15 min to flag down a waiter for our table, who hastily took our orders and never bothered to check up on us during the meal. Defs skip out on the raw fish ceviche options they have here the fish is so slimy/mushy/gross :( Most of the entrees leave much to be desired...
My overall thoughts on this place:
SERVICE - I've encountered many of the servers and workers throughout the resort, and while some of them are very friendly and courteous, others have been egregiously rude and unhelpful... the ladder of which have really ruined my experience and impression of this place.
FOOD - The quality of food was absolutely unacceptable for the $1000+ per person price tag of this resort. The breakfast buffet was worse than my college dining halls (trust me, that's pretty bad), with nearly rotten fruit, soggy bacon, dry pancakes, and disappointment served at every counter. I did appreciate the omelette station though -- that's basically all I've been eating.
The Japanese and Italian restaurant options are pretty limited because they have a $20 surcharge for many of the nicer menu items. Also, you're only allowed to order one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert. What's the point of paying for all-inclusive if you can't eat all your heart desires?!?
This was especially annoying to me at the Japanese restaurant because the portions were so small and the entree options were super boring. I ended up ordering the Mongolian BBQ ribs which came with a rack of 3 ribs. Yes, that's right...just 3, and the flavor was pretty meh. My sister ordered a sweet & sour chicken which tasted like soggy Panda Express. My mom's spider roll was probably the best option of the bunch, but came with a measly 5 pieces.
The Italian restaurant has much better portion sizes and food quality. Honestly, this restaurant is the only decent thing in the Gran Melia. I didn't get to try any of the steak that other people in my party ordered but it looked very sizable and quality! Would defs recommend the Pappardelle Mare e Monti if you're a fan of red sauce.
DRINKS - Alll fruit drinks are made from concentrate (not fresh), and they don't make very good mixed drinks here either...if you don't want to be disappointed, just stick with beer or wine. Drinks are only included with your dinner, otherwise you have to pay extra (so stingy lol)
ATMOSPHERE - There are WAYY too many people living at the resort, and they don't really have the proper facilities to host this many people. Breakfast buffet lines can get crazy long...be sure to come early or expect to wait outside in the sweltering heat. The main pool was also very crowded every day during our stay here, and didn't seem to be very clean.
Also, the amount of hotel rooms are huge -- so huge that they offer golf cart rides to get from your room to the lobby, but it often takes ~10 min to wait for a golf cart to become available to you. Walking back and fourth between the pool area, dining area, and hotel room quickly became a huge headache
I came here with my mom and her co-workers so, unfortunately, I didn't have much of a say as to which resort to stay at. If you do find yourself at this sad excuse for an all-inclusive resort, here are some tips I've picked up over the past several days:
- Make reservations for dinner days in advance if possible -- they book up fast
- The Italian restaurant is by far the best option and the servers here are actually very attentive...the Japanese one is barely passable
- Go to the breakfast buffet around 8-9 AM for no wait and the freshest food options (I've noticed the food they bring out deteriorates in quality the later you go)
While the rooms/facilities of this resort are decent, the service and food are by far the worst I've ever experienced. You're better off spending your money elsewhere.