TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We just got back after spending 7 days at The Fives Oceanfront myself, my husband and our three kids ages 10 and a 6 year old. The thing that really makes this hotel so special are the staff, George, Claudia, Erik, Elmir, Moises, Baldo, Maday, Ana, Luisa, Yael, and Hiberto all made our stay wonderful. Bring pesos for tipping, even if you do all inclusive. Just like visiting any other country that is the currency they use in Mexico. It costs a lot for the workers to have to exchange US dollars to pesos and the rate is terrible right now. We always tip the standard 20% just like in the US. We leave $5 a day for the cleaning crew because every day it’s someone different. The staff works very hard and greatly appreciates tips in cash. We had a two bedroom with an ocean view and the rooms are beautiful, modern, and clean. The kitchen is not very usable, there are no utensils but there is a fridge that is perfect if you go to the grocery store for waters and drinks. The beds are on the firmer side and never got cold enough. We realized three days into the trip one of the sliding doors onto the balcony was stuck open and letting all the hot air in. They came and immediately fixed the issue. The location is amazing. A short 14 minute walk into town. We felt very safe and walked in for dinner and walked back at night. We did the included breakfast but nothing else because we wanted to explore the local restaurants. Taninos had one of the best meals we have ever had, the roof top at Sirena was fun, Mi Puebla Hokum had incredible tacos and you feel like you are in a tree house, Unico Beach Club has wonderful ceviche you eat right on the beach, and La Choza del Puerto had excellent burritos, tacos and local Mexican dishes. The kids loved going for ice cream to Pana y cioccolato every night. We went to Ados the first night but it’s double the price and we liked Pana better. We had breakfast at Ro Marley and the roof top also offers breakfast. The roof top is where the adults only pool is, we found for the kids Ro Marley was better so we ate there everyday. The food is excellent but the menu is very limited and they never change it up. Cocktails are also really good. Some days we also did lunch and again very good but the same thing every day. We never went to Al Mare because we went out every night for dinner but everyone said it was very good. On Friday night they had a Mayan show and fire dancers on the roof top, don’t miss catching that show. On the weekend there is also a catch of the day lunch, it looked and smelled incredible, but you are looking at $200+ for a grilled lobster, we passed on it this time but everyone said it was very delicious. We loved the pool and the beach and the kids went back and forth. The biggest downside to this hotel is they allow outsiders to purchase day passes. They don’t have enough chairs on the beach or pool. You have to be down there by 7am to put a towel down to get a seat. The staff always helped us find seating though but it was annoying to have to get down there early to do that. Luckily it was only busy on the weekend by Monday and for the rest of the week we had no issues. We did a snorkeling trip through the hotel. It was great because the boat comes for you right at the hotel beach. It’s the second largest reef in the world and worth seeing. The day we went out was cloudy but we did get to see some beautiful marine life. They also had a wedding and closed part of the beach early one day which made for even less available seating. The wedding also was extremely loud and guests who stayed in the room above us made noise till 4:30am. The rooms are not well sound proofed, you can hear every time someone moves a stool or chair. While we loved the hotel we got roped into doing one of their presentations that was absolutely awful. It was supposed to be one hour in exchange for a free lunch. We were interested because we are looking to get rid of a timeshare we currently have and they said they could get us out of it and had partnerships with the Hilton and many other resorts. It ended up being 3 hours and was a lot like buying a car and dealing with the worst sales people we have ever encountered. They sell it as a membership but it’s a timeshare just like all the others. $29,000 down for a 25 year commitment and perks and discounts at other properties, when we said no thanks they moved it down to 10 years for $17,000, then try it for a year. They started to even draft up a contract and we told them there was no way we would ever make a decision like this on the spot and after wasting three hours we got up and left. They use the same portal we use with the timeshare we currently have that we want to get rid of. We spoke to a few people who had done the “membership” and everyone told us it’s not worth it, they lie to you, and is exactly like all the other terrible time shares. Do not waste your time a free lunch for three hours of wasted time is not worth it. I am amazed that this is still a practice and any hotel allows this. Overall we loved our stay - the presentation was really the only negative.

We liked - *Quiet location on the beach, but only 20 minutes walk to the town centre. *Good sized room with plenty of storage & large balcony with good views. *Comfy large bed & pillows. *Good en-suite, nice shower. *Air-conditioning. *Bottled drinking water & coffee pods topped up daily. *Roof top for adults only. *Live reggae band added to the Caribbean beach vibe. *Decent coffee in the Romarley restaurant. We didn’t like - *House keeping was erratic. Rarely topped up toiletries. *Despite having a kitchen no utensils or crockery were provided, so was unusable. *The fridge & surround was disgusting and stunk. *Cheap plastic toilet seats which didn’t stay up! *Breakfast was erratic, with limited options, and after a few days became incredibly ‘samey’ and boring. A buffet breakfast would have been preferred. We are dairy intolerant and had to purchase our own items including margarine. *Sun beds were free to guests, however most were “reserved” and could only be used with a generous tip.

PROS: We love so much about this resort, but the staff are the reason we have been to this resort 3 times in the past year. Special shout-outs to some of our favorites!! And many others we didn't mention. Moises George Silverio Miguel Emir Pacquito Thank you for making us feel so welcomed and taken care of! You are truly the best!! CONS: The only thing that didn't work for our family was the pull out bed. Impossible to sleep on as the springs were poking through. We used the daybeds from the patio to sleep on.

It’s our last day here and although I want to get home to see everyone, it’s been a great vacation. First…the staff . Absolutely wonderful. Always friendly, helpful and eager to please. Thank you to all of you and a special shout out to Fernando ( love those rooftop lunches !) Moises at breakfast ?? and to an up and coming trainee/soon to be waitress superstar, Diana. The food was delicious with much thought put into presentation. Excellent. Great cocktails and drinkable wine from Chile. The room was lovely and people at reception welcomed us upon arrival with a cocktail of our choice and escorted us to our room to show us how the thermostat worked etc. We were always able to get a towel, beach chair and umbrella. The waiters on the beach work very hard, make sure you tip the well. It’s wise, to go with the All Inclusive pkg especially if you’re Canadian. CS

this is the best bar resorts i’ve ever been to. the bartenders are the sweetest people i have ever met. especially Eduardo and Antonio gustavo hilda jemima rocio in mikes coffee henry alejandro in villa marina they are so cool i love them they make me yummy drinks!