BlueBay Grand Esmeralda - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

19076 reviews

• 

  Do not waste your money

  Do not pay to stay at this hotel. I have never written a bad review before and have been going to Mexico for 20 years and stayed and many different resorts. When we were checking in someone in line waiting for assistance was talking about how bad resort was unfortunately they were right. This resort is run down which is too bad because beautiful spot. They do not have enough staff in all areas. I did not see one security guard. The lack of security meant if ran into any issues with drunk guests at the bar you are on your own. My friend went to front desk for assistance and did not get any help the first time she asks. If you have open bars you need staff/security to step in and de-escalate situations. There was always a line up outside the buffet with a 15 minute wait to be seated! Once in the buffet very disappointed with lack of food options and just not enough food period. Breakfast had 3 fruit plates for all the guest?! Bottom line is not worth the money. It was obvious they were cutting corners probably due to a lack of money. I hope this resort changes hands in the future and gets more staff in all areas especially security. Also not have a swim up bar means harder to meet other guests during the day. The racoons were everywhere. This place was a miss.

  Feb 02, 2026
• 

  2nd time around & still loved it!

  Will be back again. Friendly staff and perfect amount of entertainment! Next time will bring the kids. The lagoon is also nice and only a 7 mins beach walk!

  Feb 01, 2026
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  Still trying to get the musty smell out of my clothes

  Font desk at check-out didn't bother to ask if we enjoyed our stay, but let me be clear: we did not. Came with a friend, looking forward to celebrating a milestone birthday at this 5-star resort. We do our best to be well-mannered and courteous guests, and we always tip to show our appreciation for the service, but we were extremely disappointed by our subpar experience. Pros: - nice beach and pool - dinner food was good (ate at festival buffet, French + seafood restaurants) - if you're lucky, a deer spotting Cons: - guests hog lounge chairs all day by pool and beach, so good luck finding a spot - rooms are musty and have no ventilation, no screens on patio doors so can't keep windows open. Your clothes will get damp and musty within a couple days. - wifi is weak; I could only access whatsapp and facebook - phone in room was missing buttons and didn't work well; front desk couldn't hear us - we requested a room with 2 beds but they only had a king. They kept assuring us they'd have one the next day and to come back but they never did. Royal waste of time to have to pack everything up and return to check-in and concierge twice. - buffet food was pretty bland, especially the lunch at jaal-ha - staff was unhelpful and sometimes rude. Host at one of the restaurants told us to "cálmate" (calm down) when we were waiting to be seated for a reservation (we were totally calm and did nothing to provoke this attitude) - ceiling in the hallway outside our room was heavily leaking water all over the floor every day - rooms and buildings generally feel run down and poorly maintained - no lotion, conditioner, or face/wash cloths in the bathrooms - felt generally ignored by staff. E.g. no one came to take our orders on the beach or the pool, but we saw them delivering drinks to some other guests - bathtub tiling near faucet was cracked and falling apart, tub looked dirty, lots of buildup and caulking was falling off - we repeatedly told concierge and staff that we were celebrating a birthday and they didn't do or offer anything to help elevate our experience - concierge, front desk, and staff in general didn't seem all that interested in ensuring we had a good stay. No explanation of what the hotel has to offer, how things work, or anything. No personalized experience. I don't think I got to know any of their names, and they didn't get to know mine. This is a sharp contrast to other hotels that go above and beyond to make you feel welcomed and comfortable. - front desk check-in staff did not warn us that we need to return the towel cards, or else they'd charge us. We left the beach towels in the room, and check-out staff was threatening and rude to us about this

  Feb 01, 2026
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  Underwhelming. Awful smells in the rooms

  The rooms were terrible. There was an awful smell in the room that never went away. It made us sick to our stomachs just walking in. The food at the restaurants was mediocre. This hotel is rated as a 5 star. Id have a hard time rating it as a 3 star even! My entire family got sick! And no we did not drink the water. The only amazing thing about Blue Bay was the staff. They went out of their way to help us. The owners however do not seem to care about the quality of the place.

  Feb 01, 2026
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  Adequate Winter Get away

  We wanted to escape our harsh Canadian Winter. We chose this hotel as it was in our budget. It met our expectations . It is tired though and could use a facelift. The food has been more than adequate, the à la carte restaurants have been a pleasant surprise. The staff has been most accommodating. Some of the reviews that we read spoke about the lack of lounge chairs by the pools , that is absolutely correct. There are signs stating the there should be no saving lounges, no one listens and it is not enforced. Unfortunately, fights break out and we saw this happen. The other thing we read about is the low water pressure, also very true.

  Jan 31, 2026