Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa

We returned to this resort as repeat guests, which makes this review all the more disappointing to write. We will not be back. Transportation Fiasco Our premium wristband package included airport transportation to hotel, but the voucher was never sent to us. We were left stranded at the airport and forced to spend $180 out of pocket on a taxi. When we raised this with the reception to receive our promised credit, we were ignored and pointed back to the original concierge that sold the package who never responded to emails, when we left messages for his “manager” still not response ultimately we were given a credit of $100 for 4 people which is less than what we spent and they charge over $100 per person when you book transportation. Package Promises Not Honored Several inclusions from our package simply never materialized: no welcome drink upon arrival (arrived on a Thursday), no bottle of wine in the room, and a $100 resort credit that was never applied. When we asked about these at reception, staff were unhelpful and deflected responsibility to the concierge who in turn pointed back to reception. No one took ownership of anything. Premium Bracelet — Not So Premium Multiple times at the bar we requested top-shelf tequila, which is supposed to be included with the premium bracelet. Several times, we were quietly poured well liquor instead, and only when we questioned it were we told they had "run out." We were also never informed at the time of purchase that certain wines are not included, a material omission. Room Assignment Despite the resort operating at roughly 50% capacity, we were refused a room above the ground floor. We had to keep our shades drawn the entire stay for privacy. With so many rooms available, there was simply no reasonable justification for this. Timeshare Pressure When we politely declined a timeshare presentation, a representative named Luis tried to negotiate a room upgrade from ground floor in exchange for attendance at a presentation which also would have required us to skip a prepaid $900 UTV trip through a different tour - when we declined to forgo our tour he became loud and confrontational at the taco restaurant and yelled at us across the dining area at the Taco restauranr. This was our first night, embarrassing and completely unprofessional. A Medical Emergency — Where Admin Failed, One Person Stepped Up When we needed insulin delivered to the resort, reception refused to assist in receiving the package - a serious lapse given the medical nature of the situation. One of the Valets, Darril, thankfully, stepped in, went above and beyond, and personally made sure the delivery reached our room. He deserves recognition and our genuine gratitude. The Bright Spots This review would be incomplete without acknowledging the staff who were genuinely wonderful. Juan at the adult pool and Oscar were hardworking, attentive, and a pleasure to interact with throughout our stay. The spa is a true highlight, world-class facilities and some of the best massage therapists we've encountered anywhere. All restaurant and pool staff were consistently warm and helpful. Final Thoughts The pattern here is clear: the front-line hospitality staff (restaurants, pool, spa) are excellent. The administrative, reception, and concierge teams are not. We came back because we loved this resort before. We won't come back again and we won't recommend it, because of how poorly the guest experience is managed at the organizational level. Hopefully this feedback reaches someone with the authority to make real changes.

Adrian our waiter who provided excellent service!! The food was amazing and steak was cooked to perfection:)

‼️Do not stay here For the love of god, please do not book this stay. It’s insane that there are so many good reviews. To call this an all-inclusive resort is beyond insulting. The service is atrocious. I’ve never had to do so much planning ahead just to make a vacation tolerable. There’s also major construction blocking the view on the left side of the property. 📍 Location problems This location is terrible if you're actually coming to Cabo to do Cabo things. It’s not close to boating, beaches, or many of the activities people want to do. You also can’t reliably call Ubers here, which makes getting around even more difficult. Want to explore the city or go on a sunset cruise? The concierge charges significantly more than what excursions cost if you book directly online or at the marina. The shuttle to the sister hotel, Marina Fiesta, only comes every two hours. Otherwise, they’ll charge you $30 for a 10-minute ride each way. The all-inclusive package doesn’t even cover the hotel shuttle. ⏰ Endless waiting Expect to wait for literally EVERYTHING. Everything you ask for takes 5–10 minutes longer than it should—for no apparent reason. Need towels? Wait. Need transportation? Wait. Need help from the front desk? Hope someone answers the phone. I stayed here for four days over a weekend, and the constant waiting became exhausting. 🍽️ Restaurant frustrations Most of the restaurants were closed when we tried to eat at them. Several close on Saturdays, which is absurd for a resort. The dining options are already limited, and nearly every dinner restaurant requires reservations multiple days in advance—even when the restaurant is visibly empty. You’re paying hundreds of dollars for inconvenience. 💸 Hidden costs & premium package issues We upgraded to Premium and were shocked by how many things still weren’t included. Even basic items like Red Bull cost extra. Room service costs extra too—even with the all-inclusive package. And you can’t order food from the restaurants to your room. The "all-inclusive" experience feels more like a series of upsells and exclusions. 🛺 Golf cart hell The rooms are spread far apart across steep, hilly pathways. The resort is designed around guests using golf carts driven by bell staff. The problem is that the golf carts rarely appear unless you call ahead. And even then, they’re often late. So your options are either walking long distances in the heat or waiting around for transportation. To make matters worse, the front desk rarely answers the phone, making it difficult to even request a ride. We missed reservation times and spent way too much of our vacation coordinating basic transportation around the resort. Even if you have dinner reservations, don't expect transportation to be reliable. 🤦 Service failures The service was consistently disappointing throughout our stay. * Called and asked for pool towels. They never came. * A waiter knocked over my drinks, said he’d bring replacements, and never returned. * Ordered omelets at breakfast. They never came. * Front desk staff rarely answered the phone. * Golf carts regularly arrived late. On top of that, if you're a man wearing Birkenstocks to dinner, they'll make you ride all the way back across the resort to change shoes to comply with their dress code. 🦟 Mosquitoes & checkout chaos As a final bonus, we came home covered in mosquito bites. Then we ended our stay standing in a checkout line for over 30 minutes with no clear estimate of when we'd be helped. ⭐ Final verdict This place is a giant scam wrapped up in a pretty bow. Every aspect of the experience requires extra planning, extra waiting, extra phone calls, extra reservations, or extra fees. A relaxing all-inclusive vacation should make your life easier. This resort somehow manages to make everything harder.

Adrian was an excellent guide! We had a wonderful experience. Thank you Adrian!

Beautiful property, but be warned: Hacienda Encantada routes all taxis through a union service that won’t quote prices upfront and charges two to four times the Uber rate. My 25 minute round trip to centro Cabo cost $110. I expected $55. When I asked management, the manager on duty said it was “100% my fault.” Most staff are lovely and I’ve stayed often, but this soured me. I left a night early. On the way out, a driver demanded an extra $10 to release my luggage; large, intimidating, the only time in a year living in Cabo I’ve felt threatened. Hacienda Encantada is part of Mexico Grand Hotels. After this, I can’t recommend any of their properties. A “luxury” resort that blames guests for a predatory taxi arrangement it controls deserves to have that documented. I can post this review now that I am no longer in Cabo. I’m pretty shook up and don’t know if I will ever return. I have deactivated the two credit cards I used there. I lost complete trust in the management.