El Monte Sagrado

We already wrote a TA review last spring. Why is TA asking us to write another review in an email received today? This was probably once a nice resort, but it was being run terribly by a new owner last spring.

We had a massive issue with this hotel recently and were unable to stay due to a reservation error. The story: we had originally booked a global 2-bedroom suite for our family Jan 1, 2026-Jan 4, 2026. In October before our stay, we called reservations to add an extra day, we wanted to come December 31st. When reservations changed our booking, they moved our check in to Dec. 31 *2026* —- 1 year later! Fortunately the manager caught this the night before our arrival, and we’re giving an extra star for Amy who tried her best to inform and accommodate us. She was able to give us two separate rooms in the hotel, much inferior to what we had booked. We were not offered any financial compensation for the reservation mishap, however, we were told reservations would be reprimanded. We were able to find an Airbnb elsewhere, and so decided not to stay with El Monte Sagrado. Bummer. We were really looking forward to this trip.

I was greeted by Christine who had already called me five minutes before to find out if I was lost. I was. But when I arrived she walked me to the locker room, assigned me my locker, and gave me my robe and sandals. When I got out to meet my masseuse, Sandy was there waiting for me in the lobby. She had a big smile and a big greeting. Sandy introduced herself and shook my hand. She gave me the best massage I’ve ever had in my whole entire life. I’m not saying I’m a spa connoisseur, but I’m 62 and I’ve had my fair share of massages. Sandy gave me a deep tissue massage that changed my life. I walked out of there the most relaxed and loose I felt in a really long time. Sandy said she used to do sports therapy and she has some tricks around really getting into the muscles and loosening things up. Then I went into the steam room, took a long shower, slathered myself with Focus body and hair serum, and Christine met me back at the receptionist desk. We ended up having a lovely conversation. For me the spa experience isn’t just about the massage, it’s about feeling welcomed into the space. Sandy and Christine did a heck of a job from their hearts. THANK YOU!

El Monte Sagrado is in a gorgeous setting. We very much appreciated the staff that we met--they were warm and welcoming. A particular shout-out to Margaret, who served us breakfast! She's a lovely person and it was a delight to have her taking care of us. There are some extraordinary services and we took advantage of the shuttle service to and from our restaurant. We had been driving 12 hours and were SO happy not to have to get in our car for one more minute. Our bedroom and bathroom were clean, and bed was comfortable. This hotel charges a lot and has the appearance and carriage of a five-star place; certainly the staff are super attentive and the range of services feel right on, but when it comes to the actual stay in the room, the hotel feels a bit like someone is asleep at the helm. Nice shower and toilet nook. The bedroom was cozy. It had a fireplace, but the gas was turned so low that it was almost impossible to tell if it was actually turned on. the lovely french doors to the yard provided lots of light, but zero privacy: the only curtain was light-blocking, so daylight was either full and exposing, or dark. One of the bed lamps had a burned-out bulb, I couldn't turn on the other until I discovered that there was a wallswitch hidden behind the lampshade. There was no nightlight--we left the bathroom light on and pulled the dividing curtains closed so we could see at night. There was a lighted makeup mirror, except the light didn't work, and it was placed so high up on the wall that one had to be at least six feet tall to use it. Who puts a mirror that high? We suspect the mirror light didn't work because the GFI outlet it was plugged into had failed. Had we been staying more than one night, we would have let the staff know, and I suspect they would have been on it quickly. But why not check lights between guests, and, who puts a makeup mirror 6' high? Speaking of lights, there was a floor lamp next to the bar/fridge cabinet that it on its last legs (the switch is failing, and one of the plastic shades has been melted). We saw that a previous guest noted the dead fish in the aquarium in the garden restaurant, and we are pleased to report that the fish are alive!--but the water was murky and set us to worrying about their health. We would stay here again, but I think I would want to check the room out before we allowed them to settle us in it.

BLACK ⚫️ MOLD IN SHOWER 🚿 Bloody nose all night. Called bfast 3 × no answer. Called FD she was going to transfer me to dead air, at my request she went to find the person. When said person answered the phone it was 2 very rude helloooo hellooooooow until i said who is this, could be FD could be maintenance ZERO PROFESSIONALISM! My bkfast was 53$ small oj tonic and parfait the most disgusting not worth it bfast Ive ever ordered. Toured the property last night at 8pm 5 employees just sitting in the office , I asked if their was hot coffe they said no its cold but was very quick to advise us there is a keurig in my room. UNACCEPTABLE, all 5 doing nothing and decided to just not do coffee. I worked for hilton for 15yrs my FD always had hot coffee and so should el monte segrado its the little things that add up to a pleasant stay! This property is toxic lazy and dismissive. I will not be back. My chest is on fire and I have nose bleeds this morning which i do not ever have.