Barcelo Karmina - All-Inclusive

I have done several of these all inclusive resorts in Mexico and this one is different. Not a common American destination, we found that the vast majority of patrons were Mexican with some Canadians, a few Europeans and a couple groups of Americans. This makes for a nice experience with cultural diversity. Don't expect that all of the staff speaks English like they do in the Cancun area. This did not dampen our experience, it just made us use the little Spanish that we know. The grounds are well kept and beautiful. The pools are nice and there are two "adult only" pools which makes it nice when you want to stay away from screaming toddlers (there were a lot). The beach was small but nice. The lagoon had a nice variety of fish, rocks and coral so it's nice to snorkel. Our room was clean, spacious and comfortable. The bathroom was huge. The daily service to the room was pretty good although they forgot some things on a couple of days. The food was somewhat better than at other places I have visited. The local food was awesome. The tour operator, Miguel Silos with Tlaloc Tours, was wonderful. We did 3 excursions and all were great! If you are interested in modern Mexican culture, I highly recommend the Waterfall Tour which takes you to small villages to meet real people before you get to the Waterfall. If you are very lucky, you will get Francisco as your guide for this excursion. The town of Manzanillo is a very busy port. Sort of a negative because you will always see large cargo ships when you look out to sea from the resort. Between the busy port and the powerplant, the air quality is not the best and there seems to be a haze constantly around Manzanillo. Manzanillo Bay and Santiago Bay are both beautiful and I recommend getting out and looking around. We found the locals to be very friendly.

Our family with 3 boys (ages 5, 10, and 12) had a wonderful visit on our first trip to Manzanillo. Meals were all very good all around, though if you are a sushi nut, skip the rolls at the Japanese restaurant as there are better options. The pool and beach are perfect for family fun, and adult relaxation "con bebidas"! The premium level oceanview suite with private pool was perfect for our group and wonderful views of the bay. Excursions are a little lacking as this as not as heavily touristed as other Mexico resorts (an advantage if you want to feel less rushed/crowded in my opinion, i.e. no stupid drunk college spring breakers). Deep sea fishing was more affordable than other resorts, though we only caught black tuna, another family caught 2 nice marlin on their trip. Regarding travel warnings from the U.S. government, I never felt a threat in Manzanillo or on an organized excursion to Cuyutlan. Just like anywhere you would go, don't draw attention to yourself drunk in the middle of the night in the city, and you will likely have no worries. Great trip for a family. I highly recommend it.

1) Beach is a cove, very rocky. 2) Jacuzzi is NOT a Jacuzzi, barely warmer than the cold pool. 3) Buffet is marginal at best. 4) Room had LOTS of traffic at night from employees. 5) No free internet ($12 a day) 6) The front desks answer was always No. No late checkout No change for tips No help at all The only shining parts are: 1) The Japanese Restaurant which was EXCELLENT. 2) The Concierge was very helpful.

While this is beautiful resort and the staff is really nice & helpful, if anyone in your party has trouble climbing stairs or walking steep sections this resort should be avoided. Otherwise this resort is wonderful.