Just got back from a week at this resort. We didn't get in until just before midnight because of the plane had been delayed. The person at the front desk was very pleasant and helpful. We were assigned a ground room in Block 1, which we were a little disappointed in. It was smaller than what we had expected, and unless you were standing up looking to the left, you could not see the ocean. We had paid extra for the room, and had we known, we would have requested a room on the 2nd or 3rd floor. But it more than made up in convenience. It was close to the buffets and the activities. Make sure you bring your own shampoo, tissue, and any lotion you may need, as they not provided by the hotel. Also, there was only a shower in our room, no tub, but this did not matter to us. Also, if you have young children, note that if you are toward the stage end of the building, you will be able to enjoy whatever they are doing that night from your room. It does get very loud. About the only downside for us was the base notes that you could hear from the music later at night.
As I walked around this resort I was impressed by how it was laid out. The front of your room faces a pool, the ocean, or a court yard. There's a hall running along the back of the rooms, providing access. This means that you won't end up with a view of the back parking lot or the scrub vegetation on the adjacent property. Too bad more resorts don't do it like this.
FOOD: You won't go hungry at this resort. The management was going around with their clipboards and sampling the juice, the various dishes, looking at the presentation, and I even saw one manager check the temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer. They talked with various workers, and even the chef. It seems as if they are serious about the quality of what they serve.
The two dinner buffets have theme nights every night, and they are not the same at the two buffets. So you may want to check out one, and if you feel that it isn't quite what you want, check out the other one. On our last night there we had a choice of Oriental at the one buffet, and English at the other. Of all the other inclusive resorts we have stayed at, this one had more variety from night to night. We ate at two of the sit-down restaurants, both of which were good, but felt that we were missing out because of all of the choices on the buffet--imagine that! Usually we would make sure to book the a la carte restaurants to get away from the sameness of the buffet from night to night. Not here! (P.S. The cheese cake with strawberry sauce is "to die for"--what I wouldn't give for that recipe)
Be sure to try the fish. They cook it differently for lunch and dinner, and from day to day. The food is all labeled as to what it is (except for the desserts, which I would like to see labeled). Be sure to try out new foods, as you might find a new dish you like.
We liked finding the iguana on the grounds and taking pictures. The front desk can give you the location to go looking for them if you are interested.
They also have a place where you can buy pottery and paint it. One of the workers there draws a scene on a dish or bowl, or other item, When you are done, you turn it in and they will glaze it for you and return it the following day. It seemed to be popular with both adults and kids. There are also various animals that can be painted, and other items.
There are also many other activities offered---a shopping tour, a kayak tour, dancing lessons, etc., etc.
The employees here were all very nice. I was with my husband one night taking a picture of the sunset and one of the employees came over and offered to take a picture of us with the sunset in the background. It's the little touches like this that really make you feel good about the resort. The longer we stayed, the more we liked it. We hated to leave. And when we checked out, they wished us a safe trip back home. We'll be back.