Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa

This is our 8th visit to HE. We worked with Kenny in reservations to secure 4 rooms. Two of them were in Phase 1, top floor and the other two were in Building 2/top floor as req'd. The rooms were great! the housekeepers spoiled us with fresh towels and twice daily room services. (we are used to staying in condos in Maui, so this is refreshing) We had dinner at Los Riscos the first nite, Alejandro kicked off our vacation in the best way. The Filet and shrimp was amazing, try the soups, they are so well made. The drinks flowed, we saw Whales from our dinner table. This is our favorite place to start out of vacation. We spent the 1st day at the phase one Adult pool. Thanks to Juan and Ingrid for taking such great care of us. We had no problem finding loungers, the pool temp was great! We met so many of the same people we did last year! That nite we went to El Eden for TACOS! oh my gosh. it was soooo good! Felicano is the best server! You need to ask for him. He was amazing. Really made our dinner memorable. The food was hot! the drinks were tasty! of course we ended with churros! Second day we were in Phase 2 pool so everyone could paint ceramics with Pat/Sr Santos. Angel was our server, he remembered our drinks, our room numbers and our orders! Angel really knows how to take care of customers. It was such a good experience. Of course we loved the sun deck chairs and warm water! Next day we were back at the phase 1 pool. BIG shoutout to Tania the pool concerige. She is amazing, she can help with any reservation at the SPA or dinner, etc. She also will help with tours, such as sunset cruise, art walk, Etc. You need to find her! She is such an asset to HE. That day we ate ceviche, coconut shrimp, and quesadillas. How come the food and drinks were soo good in the pool! HAHAH Other staff we need to remember for excellent service would be Gabriel and Yimi at Barolo, and Ernesto at Mestizo. Then our favorite staff, the golf cart folks. Years ago we met Trinidad. He is amazing! He remembers my family, asks about my mom, is waiting when we need a ride at our building with a smile. Antonio is another that we have adored. He tells us unique things asks about all our friends and we look for him in the evenings after dinner. Saul is new to us, he learned our names and our room numbers on the first trip. I know that to many the bell staff is just staff, to us they are precious people we have grown to be friends. They ask us about our families, our days and tell us they will see us soon, (in our case yes! we are going back) If you decide to go to the SPA ask for Nefie. Her hands are gold! He is firm but not painful. I did the 80 min massage special for the 50 min price (tania had specials for us). It was a lovely 2 hours, we swam in the infinity pool, say in the hydro spa and relaxed with cucumber water. This was another great week. If you are looking for a very safe, well appointed resort, this is a perfect choice. I travelled over 50k airline miles took 7 weeks of vacation and still think this is a great resort!

Blend served us at La Trajinera for dinner and he was attentive, funny, and offered the best recommendations. We loved the live pianist, authentic Mexican gourmet cuisine, and atmosphere. Our server Blend made our night extra special.

Staying in a two bedroom with my spouse and toddler. We asked for a quiet area because of his early bedtime, and I’m not sure if it was done intentionally to be nasty or they just didn’t care, but we are literally above a stage that plays shows so loud our windows rattle every few nights. The room smells strongly of mold. I would ask for a room change, but the guest assistance people were so aggressive about forcing us to go to a timeshare presentation when we arrived that I’m concerned that we will end up in an even worse room. My son was crying after check in (long day, not their fault), but the salesman who cornered us would not let us leave, insisted he was with guest relations, and when I told him we were not interested he said that if we didn’t like the hotel enough to take the tour he would call us a cab to take us back to the airport. The all inclusive is very limited, does not include room service or any food to go. I’m gluten free, which we were assured they could accommodate, which has involved being told at multiple buffets that there is “plenty” with no guidance. Some of the menus have gluten free labeled, but those dishes are not gluten free and cannot be modified (for example, an octopus tostada on a wonton was labeled gluten free, modification involved octopus on a plate as the sauce, wonton, all chips, and tortillas here have gluten in them) I’ve been doing my best but have been sick due to cross contamination for multiple days. The views are beautiful, but that does not make up for how little accommodation there has been for our needs. Not a resort that I would stay at if you have any dietary restrictions or children.

Karina was amazing! She helped us spot a few whales while enjoying breakfast. Highly recommend for anyone going to enjoy a great service. Thank you!

This resort is tired. staff and service was great. Food is VERY expensive. Pools are tired, buildings are worn out.