Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa

I’m rating this stay 3 stars, and honestly that may be generous. The all-inclusive experience felt diluted and restrictive. Food and drinks were technically included, but the process made it uncomfortable to use them freely. Every interaction required asking for a cheque and navigating tipping, which removed the ease you expect from an all-inclusive resort. There was no ability to casually grab food or drinks and go about your day. The buffet options were very limited, and the overall setup made me hesitate to order food or drinks at all, because each interaction felt forced and transactional rather than relaxed. Instead of feeling “all-inclusive,” it felt like every choice carried friction and additional cost. That said, the concierge desk is the main reason this review isn’t lower. Johana was outstanding. She was genuinely helpful, proactive, and made a real effort to assist us with arrangements and logistics. Her service stood out and significantly improved our experience. If the all-inclusive model were simplified and more flexible, this could be a much better resort. As it stands, expectations should be set carefully.

Poor communication and customer service! 1044524581 Shambolic end to the holiday. This is my original review which I’ve edited because it’s ended on such a sour note: [Could easily be 5 star review with a few tweaks. I won't repeat the good stuff - it is a beautiful resort. Highlights: the best meal we had was at Los Riscos. The service, food and ambience was just excellent. Las Marias for breakfast is lovely and the views of the whales is unforgettable. The grounds of the hotel are so well kept and every single bar and restaurant is a pleasure to visit. The service is exceptional. Thank you. Things to improve: we booked a room for our family (2 adults, 16, 9 and 3 year old). Our travel agent gave us no room options so we assumed we had paid for enough beds. When we checked in, we were advised we had a studio which was small for our family and to return to front desk if it was the case. Our room, despite being a studio, was beautiful and perfectly adequate sized for our family but we only had 2 double beds. We spent over an hour going back to the front desk only to be offered a larger room at a higher cost. We had no further budget to pay more money and just expected beds for our children at a minimum. In the end, we were delivered a rollaway bed this has been perfectly acceptable and if it had just been placed there originally, it would have saved a lot of agro at the start of our holiday! We sense it was a way to make more money. We asked if we could keep our room on for our last day as we don't leave until 3pm but check out is 11am and they said there was no option to keep it. That's a shame. In Europe, you get the use of a courtesy room but this wasn't offered. I feel like front desk was the least friendly/helpful service out of all the staff. Bars close at 10pm. We like to eat a late dinner and enjoy a later drink but there is no where to go after this. The skybar at the Marina Fiesta is open later but the return bus ends at 10.30pm so you'd have to pay for a taxi back. It's a shame this resort has no where to go. It lets it down. Information is not provided easily. We had to discover a lot for ourselves and ask a lot of questions. Booking dinner reservations is tricky for availability and children under 10 aren't allowed in Mestizo but we weren't told that until later in the week. We aren't willing to leave our children with babysitters so that's a shame to miss out. Cabo is a long way from England but we would absolutely return here if the opportunity presents itself. Thank you for a wonderful time.] *** UPDATED*** We checked out at 11am and were not told we had no access to all inclusive after 12 even after I explicitly asked. Had we known, we’d have had something to eat and drink earlier before leaving for the airport at 3pm. There’s no way we could afford the prices on the menu as a family of 5. Our luggage is left in the lobby - no specific storage and there is no where to shower before you leave (if you’re using the pool etc). I asked to see a manager to complain about the lack of information regarding the 12pm end to our all inclusive and he couldn’t care less. This holiday started badly with the room debacle and it has ended badly. We will no longer return here - all could’ve been avoided if people communicated better. I know this resort will not care about this negative review among all the good ones but I hope it at least helps someone. Happy new year!!

It was clean and well appointed, as well as roomy. We moved 3 times, and the rooms were all similar with better views as we moved. .

The place is so stunning and elegant. Our server, Blend, was amazing. We enjoyed the food and the service was fantastic!

Friendly and amazing staff. The management is terrible and will avoid accountability at all costs. Our room had visible signs of mold infestation, not to mention a dead moth underneath the bed and a lizard that got in through HVAC. When we asked to speak with the front-desk manager, we were told to come back when she wasn't as busy. Despite multiple attempts, she never once contacted us directly. We weren't offered any compensation besides a room change. Their buffet is breakfast only. If you don't have a dinner reservation, be prepared to wait at least an hour to be seated and to get your food. They aren't equipped to handle their capacity, which leaves staff completely overwhelmed.