Port Royal Ocean Resort

For $750 a night, this place is nowhere near worth it. The entrance is a mess, with construction around a run-down building and portable toilets out front. What passes for a lobby is a tent, and that’s also where dinner is served. The whole property feels like it might have been nice 30 years ago, but now it’s depressing. There’s no hotel music, so a guest’s loud music ended up blasting across the place instead. By the pool, trash cans were overturned, chairs were stacked aside, and umbrellas were piled right next to guests. Towels were tucked away in a strange little building with a small window and no sign. Maybe this is worth $100 a night, and that’s generous. Hotels in Tijuana Mexico are better. The area should be embarrassed to promote this as its vacation jewel. Skip it if you’re looking for something better than a Tijuana México experience. Actually, Tijuana is better.

Everyone we dealt with, from the front desk to the pool staff, was impeccable. It was an excellent stay and I’d recommend it. One bathtub drained slowly. Also, after the holiday weekend, checkout was still 11a, but they had scheduled the unit’s water to be shut off at 10 AM for repairs. Shutting it off at 11 AM would have made much more sense.

The weather wasn’t the resort’s fault, and I wouldn’t blame a property for rain. What let us down was how they responded when we asked for small accommodations during a disappointing, weather-affected stay. The front desk said occupancy was low and the resort looked far from full, but they immediately refused a late checkout. We also asked to keep using the pool and beach after the 11 checkout, until around 3-4, and got a flat no without any attempt to help. The dismissive, unfriendly attitude was the worst part, especially at more than $600 per night. People have asked me if it’s worth the price. Given the lack of hospitality and refusal to offer even minor flexibility, I’d say no. Luxury pricing should mean better customer service, and that wasn’t our experience.

The pools were the bright spot: there’s a swim-up bar, a slide, and a separate pool for younger kids. I also like that the resort is farther from Port A businesses. But I expected more from the Port Royal rebuild. Our two-bedroom condo hadn’t been redone, and its furniture looked old, with an 80's style. Some of the patio furniture didn’t seem safe to sit on. One bed, set on rails with wheels, broke, and the shower door wouldn’t open, making it hard to get out. It’ll be a while before I return. I’ll keep an eye on the progress and hope it becomes a "go to" resort.