Dreams Huatulco Resort & Spa

We spent a week at Dreams Huatulco in early February 2019. We had a great stay and would not hesitate to return. We've been to several all-inclusives in Mexico, and this is one of the best we've experienced. I'll touch briefly on the food and a few other things. But first, I want to say a special thank you Melissa, Nadia, and Nayrubi at the kids club for all the time they spent with our two toddlers. We initially planned to drop the kids off for a couple hours per day, but then (a) the kids kept asking to go back, and (b) my wife and I really enjoyed a bit of a break to read and sip by the pool (and to have quiet a la carte dinners some nights - the gals actually took the kids out to dinner at the buffets!). This kids club is exceptional. So suffice it to say it was more than 2 hours per day. The only surprise/drawback was that there weren't that many other kids. About half the time we dropped them there, they were the only ones. But they didn't seem to mind. They always seemed to leave smiling, and to want to go back. Our kids are aged 2.5 and 4. Even though the kids club is supposed to be for kids aged 3-12 only, they agreed to take our 2.5 year old for a small charge (it was about 8 bucks per hour Canadian). This kids club will feature prominently in our (likely) decision to go back. This was our first time to Huatulco and we loved it. The weather was a predictable plus 31 and calm every single day, and it was a very bearable heat. I had read that other travelers had experienced issues earlier in the year with mosquitos that were bad (and impervious to bug spray), but we didn't see any. I suppose the weather conditions changed. The resort was a little smaller, less grandiose, and more intimate than, say, the Riu Palace at PV. And we liked that. It was easier to get around (no long walks) and it was quieter. Nightly shows were finished by around 10 or 1030 each night, so good if you're trying to keep kids asleep. The ocean swimming was great, the water a bit more clear and calm that other parts of Mexico we've been to. There was one spot down by the rocks (to the left as you approach the beach from the resort) where you can wade into the water and feed fish bread. That was a huge highlight for our 4yo. Service was exceptional, all around. Mix of people seemed to be largely Canadian/Mexican. Saw very few Americans. Finally, a couple comments about the food. The buffets were solid but not outstanding. But the a la cartes were outstanding; well some of them. I'll explain. The Italian restaurant is a far step ahead of the other a la cartes. Not only that, but it is a far step ahead of any other a la carte we've been to at any other Mexican resort. From there, there is a step down to the others. I had read a lot of negative commentary on here about the Mexican restaurant. And for that reason, we avoided it. We went there on our last night only because we missed the first intake at the Italian one. Maybe it was partly because our expectations were low, but we loved the Mexican restaurant. The menu was a bit hard to make sense of (even the English one) but we just asked our server what the best dishes were and did that. We had pork tacos and an outstanding shrimp appetizer, and then a main course which was a traditional refried-beans based Mexican pizza (which we added fresh salsa to). It was all really good. The ambiance and service at the Mexican restaurant was probably the best in the whole resort. The food and wine wasn't quite what it was at the Italian spot (which, again, was extraordinary) but it was great. And then the other two were Oceana and Seaside. We didn't go to Oceana; it was closed a few nights, but we did go to Seaside one night, which I assume is a similar experience to Oceana as they are adjoined and seem to use the same kitchen. Our experience at Seaside was not up to the same standards as the Italian and Mexican, but it could have just been the night. Our server seemed new and everything seemed to be a bit disorganized. We waited quite a while for everything, and we never did get our dessert (we just left when it became clear it wasn't coming). But the view was great; right out on the water. Can't win em' all. Still on food, my one specific complaint about the food was that, oddly, there was a dearth of guacamole and salsa at the buffets and snack bars. About half the times we went, we couldn't find any fresh salsa to go with chips (and never once saw guacamole on offer). So my one modest suggestion would be making that change. Chips and salsa (and to a slightly lesser extent - guac) have been front and centre at every other buffet and snack bar I've ever been to at resorts in Mexico, and it's one of the things I look forward to. So that was a touch disappointing. But, you know, that's obviously a very first-world problem, and it's not like it made it less of a trip for me. One other thing I noticed was that there are several areas where there are unsafe spots surrounding stair cases and heights generally. I know that building safety standards are different in Mexico and that it's not uncommon to see such things, but I just seemed to notice it more here at Dreams. There were many spots were it would seem quite conceivable that somebody could go over and get hurt badly. I'm surprised that doesn't happen more often. So that was a touch unsettling for somebody there with kids. But again, I doubt it was dissimilar to other Mexican resorts; I just seemed to notice it more here. Just need to be mindful and cautious. All in all, we loved the resort and we plan to go back.

I brought a group of our friends here, and I have to say we were all somewhat disappointed. We all booked the Preferred Club Oceanfront Rooms at a premium price. Aside from the great view from our rooms, and the access to top shelf liquor - the additional price was not worth it. For me the promise of WI-FI access in the room was very disappointing, thankfully I did not really have to work while I was there. We all found the wi-fi was spotty no matter where you were. What made our trip special was the destination of Huatulco itself and the company of great friends. The resort is in a lovely location, very nice long beach, and great for body surfing. Lots of water sports available. The preferred club does have an area on the beach, with it's own bar, but it was usually full with those early morning chair savers. The pools are lovely, and there seems to be ample palapas for shade. We had fabulous weather at 31 degrees all week. The food definitely fell short on our expectations - I believe pretty much everyone in our group had stomach issues at one point, and for some of us we were still off days after coming home. Our best meal in my opinion was off resort at a great little pizza spot in town called La Crema. Even breakfast I found lacking which is almost never a problem - a little tip - if you go to the smoothie bar at the buffet, collect your own ingredients ie. yoghurt, honey, seeds, fruit and have them make a smoothie with that. I had asked for a strawberry smoothie early in the week, and it was made with strawberry bar syrup, ice and milk. Overall the staff were great. Our flights were delayed in both directions, but that's Sunwings fault, not the hotels. The Mexican restaurant was horrible and the service was not good - a lot of confusion with our orders. The seafood restaurant was the best - even though I don't eat shellfish, I was able to get a great turf without the surf. The grill for lunch was pretty good as well. It's hard to say where we all had our stomache issues from. But there were definitely issues with the food, and for us we chose this resort with much higher food expectations. Definitely a let down, considering the price we paid. However, the destination of Huatulco is really a gem, it is so clean, and well kept. From the cute little airport, to the charming town of La Crucecita. The men had a great day deep sea fishing, and we had a wonderful driver who took us into town for shopping and sightseeing. The people of Huatulco are very welcoming and we would return, just not to Dreams.

We have been vacationing at Dreams for 10 years. The staff has made us feel like family. The weather in February is perfect. We want to thank Diego Mercadillo, Primi, Ana, Mario, Rogelio, Ana & Mario for their special attention.

Resort is definitely showing age and in need of maintenance. Rooms O.K. but furniture beat up … linens (towels) with stringy frayed edges … this is not what you would expect. Rooms are definitely not sound proof … had neighbours with a young child that cried for 12 straight nights that seemed to be right in our room!!. Sea Side Grille and Oceana closed for 4 days for maintenance as were the Oceana Bar and Rendezvous Bar thus creating inconvenience and availability pressure on the other venues …. hello … is this not HIGH season!! Could have been planned at a time when the resort was not to capacity. Quality of food very disappointing especially when part of our reason for choosing this resort was on its food recommendation. Only one kind of cheese and one kind of cold cut served daily (for 14 days) in the breakfast and lunch buffet. Ala carte dining only mediocre. We realize that not all 'Dreams' come true, but with its price point, we won't be revisiting this one!

We recently just returned from a week at dreams ! It was a great place the food was good always found something everyone liked. The rooms we clean and the beds really comfortable. The staff were all great but a special mention of Angle from the rendezvous bar! He was great we would just have to sit and down and he would have our drinks in front of us with out even having to order them ! Such a friendly guy! All the bar staff were very kind I would defiantly come back to this hotel again