Hacienda Buenaventura Hotel & Mexican Charm

We spent seven days here on an all-inclusive stay and had a good experience. It’s an older hotel with a Mexican feel, geared toward families, and it welcomes plenty of local guests as well as foreigners. The staff were friendly and hardworking, though their English wasn’t very strong. Our first room had a strong smell, so we asked to move to one on the second floor. The rooms are spacious and clean, but dated, and the shower tiles in the bathroom badly need updating. The air conditioning worked well throughout our stay. The food was okay, though nothing special. If you’re after a high-end experience, this probably isn’t the hotel for you.

The staff were easily the best part of our stay. They were courteous, friendly, and excellent. The food choices, on the other hand, were very limited and poor in quality, and the property didn’t seem well maintained. We also had much higher expectations for the place. Music played loudly every day until late, and we could hear it clearly in our room, which was uncomfortable. Most of it was in Spanish. At a tourist destination, I’d have appreciated more English music. Facilities were limited to a pool and a small children’s play area with a few board games. Getting to the beach meant taking a shuttle to a public beach, where the hotel had only a small designated area.

The dining room chairs are worn out, and the food is barely adequate. The desserts are low quality, too. My wife and I both had severe diarrhea for over eight days, even though we didn’t eat anything outside the hotel. This resort needs a major upgrade, and we won’t be coming back.

The buffet was decent, and the restaurant food was great. The hotel is small, quiet, and nice, with very kind and helpful employees. Our room was okay, though the slider had no handle and the shower drain was broken. The beach is a short ride away by trolley.