Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa

Trajeneras st Hacienda Encantafa. True Mexican cuisine with a flair. All was very good.

First off, the good stuff- the grounds are breathtaking and the staff is absolutely amazing. From the bellboys, the concierge Pepe to the serving staff in every restaurant- we loved them all. Pepe helped us out more times than I can count and he is the most genuine, kind man. Always smiling, too! The landscaping is some of the most beautiful I’ve seen- it’s truly a stunning location and we had a perfect view of the whales at breakfast and beautiful sunsets at dinner. We opted for all inclusive as we planned to spend a lot of time at the resort. Breakfast at Las Marias was a highlight, the food was very good and the staff extremely cheerful and helpful. Lunch was also excellent., both pool side locations and the sushi place were yummy! The food at dinner was generally average- beautifully presented but often lukewarm and lacking real flavour. Not good, not bad- just eh. A little complaint is the lack of decaf coffee in the evening at dinner. Now, the not so good. Our first room was directly next to the pool. Very noisy. Not the peaceful retreat we’d hoped for. Thankfully Pepe (Jose) was able to find us a new room the next afternoon. The new room was in an excellent location- generally quiet and had a perfect ocean view. But- the room itself was so musty/moldy smelling and the kitchen drain smelled of raw sewage. Maintenance attempted to rectify but the smell almost immediately returned. There is no way I would’ve cooked anything in the kitchen- it was clean, but the smell was a real turn off. And any food we had left on the counter (even wrapped) absorbed the musty smell and was inedible. The room itself was clean enough (could’ve been dusted, for sure) but the furnishings are tired and the bed- I’ve slept on floors with more padding! If you like a firm bed, you’ll love these. What else? The shuttle to the Marina resort was really handy, we caught an uber from there a few times as ubers aren’t allowed on HE property. Be warned- a cab to the Marina was pricey so using the complimentary shared shuttle was maybe inconvenient but well priced! Coffee at Lola Mia was a huge splurge- I think a grande latter and an Americano $35 CAN. OUCH. Still did it every day but it hurt! I’d been warned about the hills- but let me say it again. The hills! If you’re not used to walking up & down and up again all day, you’ll spend a lot of time waiting for golf carts. They are plentiful but it’s sometimes inconvenient. I don’t know yet if we’ll return to Hacienda. If it was being decided based on the staff and the grounds alone, we’d go back tomorrow.

Our server Blender was Excellent at dinner

Adrian was exceptional. On top of all our needs. The food was outstanding, will definitely come again

The tap water turned DARK ORANGE. manager never contacted us about it after we reported it 3 times. Enjoyed whale watching and the grounds are well cared for. staff are helpful and friendly.