TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Resort in need of updating and repair! Main lobby blocked after rainstorm due to leaking roof! Clear evidence of rotting wood. That didn’t happen overnight. In addition pool tiles need replacing, patio chairs in rooms had broken caining on backs. Pool service limited due to lack of staff! One couple sent to hospital with food poisoning from Brazilian restaurant! Ruined their entire vacation. Cooks in ala carte restaurants need better training! Weather was great staff were hit and miss at best! Would choose alternate resort if I were to return!

The staff at Luxury Ambar are amazing. We get wonderful service from Marlene and Desiree at the pool. Madeline and Rolando are excellent entertainment staff. And Haram helped us so much throughout our trip.

1 week family holiday, booked through Tui. Summary - a good week, but just a few points that were short of expectations. Check in was fine, but they'd ignored all requests (rooms adjacent, birthday) Rooms are huge, big walk-in shower, decent mini-bar, beds very comfy, but couldn't get the AC to switch off. We were up very early on the first day (5 hour time difference) and went to watch the sunrise. Very surprised to see 80% of sunbeds already reserved on the beach and around the pool. I followed the rules - no reserving.... and regretted it, as we couldn't find any shade when we got to the beach. From the 2nd day onwards we got up early and reserved sunbeds. Most beds stayed empty for most of the day, with only around half being used at any time. Food in general was excellent (one vegetarian in the group) - especially the omelette chefs at breakfast. However, at all meals, they had multiple dishes sharing just a few serving spoons. Annoying for a vegetarian to find the serving spoon for rice, stuck in a meat or fish dish! The a la carte restaurants were variable. MEAT restaurant was the highlight - excellent food and service. Mexican restaurant was very good (way too much food!) but the fish restaurant was poor. Quality of food was lacking, and the service was somewhat grumpy. Top tip - the coffee shop is excellent (and all included) - a range of coffees, cakes, sandwiches. Tipping - take lots of cash, in US Dollars. You can get change for large notes at reception, or small notes from the bar staff. From reading other reviews, we allowed $5 on the bed each day for cleaners, $1-2 for a round of drinks, $1-2 for the golf buggies which you need to get everywhere, $10 for meals. Things that could be better: Better information at check-in (there isn't a map of the hotel, and the App is NOT very clear either) We had to ask where the dining room was. Some drinks seemed watered down (especially the beer) - although was better at the beach bar. Stop people reserving pool/beach chairs! Loud music everywhere (there was always something going on in the pool, so we stayed mostly on the beach) I gather the hotel has just been sold to the Hyatt Group, so things may well change. Overall, a lovely week, nice weather, beautiful beach, comfortable hotel... but just enough niggles that I wouldn't rush back.

We had a fabulous week at the Ambar this April. We were treated so amazingly from the minute we arrived! Horam greeted us upon arrival and went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed! He constantly checked in on us to make sure we were enjoying our stay. They pool staff was out of this world! Desiree, Marlene, Katrina, and Yesina are the hardest working servers and so friendly, respectful, and efficient! Valdimir at the pool went above and beyond to help us find chairs daily and make sure we had umbrellas. Rolando and Madeline from the entertainment staff kept us entertained, constantly involved, and were so fun to talk to. Jovanny from the pool restaurant made sure to make sure my picky appetite was always satisfied. I can't say enough about the amazing service we received from the staff I listed and also so many more! Our room was clean, maid service in building 60 was excellent! Our mini fridge service provider never left us wanting or needing anything! The beach was beautiful and never dealt with any seaweed. This was our 4th stay at the Ambar and did not disappoint us at all! We can't wait to return soon!

We stayed at the Bahia Príncipe Ambar with family (3 rooms for 3 couples) for 7 nights. At first our stay was great (save for our first late lunch at the Food Truck restaurant, at a nearby Bahia, where I got a cold chicken burger — clearly not freshly made), with prompt service, thorough room cleanings, and good food. The first dinner was especially impressive, with a huge serving of seafood. But the cracks started showing quickly. On our first night — already exhausted from travel — the pool-adjacent shows kept us up with loud music until 11:30pm. The food issues followed. The next day, we ordered fish at the grill in the buffet, and it was undercooked. Then during our reservation at the Japanese restaurant (at Aquamarine), the salmon was practically raw inside — we raised it with the manager. One of the chicken pieces at the grill also arrived grey before it even hit the fire — a sign of age rather than a cooking issue, though it cooked through fine (but came out tougher than the other pieces). A quality concern, not a safety one. The service in the following days also went downhill (despite regular tips), with water only being refilled about twice per meal for the remainder of our stay. At the El Olivo restaurant (Aquamarine’s Mediterranean offering), they didn’t ask what we wanted for dessert right away, then took at least 5-10 minutes to come back after clearing our plates — and even then only when a manager pointed the server our way. The A/C also wasn’t working, so even at dinner time it felt like a sauna. Making reservations was its own ordeal. Guest experience initially told us nothing was available, then somehow produced a full slate of reservations. When we showed up to the restaurants, they were mostly empty — so much for nothing being available. The reservations were also strangely split between our rooms, typically 4 for one and 2 for another, despite us being a group of 6. At El Olivo (Aquamarine), they first said there was no table for 6, then produced a round table that seated exactly 6 about five minutes later. Worth noting that the guest experience staff had limited English — enough vocabulary to get by, but meaning didn’t always land consistently, which added some friction to an already frustrating process. Same for room cleanings. While we had good luck, one of our family’s rooms was barely cleaned — sheets weren’t changed, bathroom trash wasn’t emptied — but they made sure to take the tips. Our own cleanings, though thorough, didn’t come at consistent times. The pool closes at 6pm, which seems early ??????? — and the pool towels were visibly worn, holes included. Small thing, but not what you’d expect from a “luxury” property. A few practical tips: ask for everything at the grill well-done, and stick to the omelet and pasta stations if you want something consistent. Overall, it wasn’t terrible — but certainly not the “luxury stay” they advertise. But the cracks started showing quickly. On our first night — already exhausted from travel — the pool-adjacent shows kept us up with loud music until 11:30pm. The food issues followed. The next day, we ordered fish at the grill in the buffet, and it was undercooked. Then during our reservation at the Japanese restaurant (at Aquamarine), the salmon was practically raw inside — we raised it with the manager. One of the chicken pieces at the grill also arrived grey before it even hit the fire — a sign of age rather than a cooking issue, though it cooked through fine (but came out tougher than the other pieces). A quality concern, not a safety one. The service in the following days also went downhill (despite regular tips), with water only being refilled about twice per meal for the remainder of our stay. At the El Olivo restaurant (Aquamarine’s Mediterranean offering), they didn’t ask what we wanted for dessert right away, then took at least 5-10 minutes to come back after clearing our plates — and even then only when a manager pointed the server our way. The A/C also wasn’t working, so even at dinner time it felt like a sauna. Making reservations was its own ordeal. Guest experience initially told us nothing was available, then somehow produced a full slate of reservations. When we showed up to the restaurants, they were mostly empty — so much for nothing being available. The reservations were also strangely split between our rooms, typically 4 for one and 2 for another, despite us being a group of 6. At El Olivo (Aquamarine), they first said there was no table for 6, then produced a round table that seated exactly 6 about five minutes later. Worth noting that the guest experience staff had limited English — enough vocabulary to get by, but meaning didn’t always land consistently, which added some friction to an already frustrating process. Same for room cleanings. While we had good luck, one of our family’s rooms was barely cleaned — sheets weren’t changed, bathroom trash wasn’t emptied — but they made sure to take the tips. Our own cleanings, though thorough, didn’t come at consistent times. The pool closes at 6pm, which seems early ??????? — and the pool towels were visibly worn, holes included. Small thing, but not what you’d expect from a “luxury” property. A few practical tips: ask for everything at the grill well-done, and stick to the omelet and pasta stations if you want something consistent. Overall, it wasn’t terrible — but certainly not the “luxury stay” they advertise.