Travel Rant # 2: All-Inclusive ResortS

Our visit to Yucatán over the New Year was amazing. We certainly understand why this region of Mexico is one of the most popular international destinations for Americans. From mild weather to stellar public safety, Yucatán is a great place to travel. To us, Cancún only served as an entry point for direct flights in and out of New York. For this trip, we spent most of our time in and around Mérida, in Yucatán.

I debated how to wrap up this trip. Should we somehow squeeze in a visit to the state of Campeche or spend a few nights at one of the many historical luxury haciendas that Yucatán is known for? I purposefully left the last few days open-ended, which is abnormal for an obsessive travel planner like myself. From Mérida, Cancun is a solid four-hour drive, and I was reluctant to leave that drive to the last day. Ultimately, we decided to have the classic Cancún experience: three nights at an all-inclusive resort.

It is hard not to be in love with such an amazingly looking pool.

After extensive research, I decided on a three-night stay at the Haven Riviera Cancun Resort & SPA. The resort is situated in Benito Juárez, just south of Cancun. It is just enough away from the bustle and craziness of the so-called ‘Hotel Zone’ (Zona Hotelera). This adult-only resort has thousands of reviews and an average of 4.5 stars on Google Reviews and Tripadvisor. Not part of an international hotel chain, the resort has a modern boutique ambiance just to our liking. So it was with great irony that our all-inclusive resort stay was our only unpleasant experience on this trip.

From the moment we arrived at the resort, we have had plenty of thoughts on our stay at Haven Rivera and the concepts of all-inclusive resorts in general. Our experiences taught us what kind of travelers we are and what we value in traveling. I want to be as honest as possible, in my opinion. I could see how I may inadvertently offend many fellow travelers here. So here we go…

Sanctuary or Prison?

People often describe resorts, all-inclusive or not, as a sanctuary from the outside world. Free from the sights of local poverty and local scammers, all-inclusive resorts offer a level of isolation that is comforting and relaxing. For the most part, I agree with that characterization during our previous resort experiences in Oman, Thailand, and Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, we felt more stressed out within the walls of Haven Resort than our jaunts across Yucatán. Before I write anything further, I have to make a disclaimer that we were very fortunate to be able to travel at all, particularly during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, we were responsible for face masking and social distancing in all public areas.

At check-in, the staff gave us a sheet of rules and service changes due to the pandemic. At that time, the first vaccine was only authorized a few weeks before and was only available to frontline healthcare workers. It was safe to assume that none of the staff and guests was vaccinated. All guests are recommended to wear face masks in all public areas, which is mandatory at the buffet restaurant. It took us only half an hour to realize that almost every guest on the premises was blissfully ignoring all the recommendations and restrictions. In contrast, the staff were great and took all the precautions. The contrast between the behavior of the guests and the employee was jarring.

During our three-day stay, we did not observe any instance where staff confronted any guest for flaunting the rules given at check-in. It was mind-boggling and frustrating. Unless we barricaded ourselves in our hotel room, there is little chance for social distancing. The management also did relatively little to maximize outdoor seating. Inevitably, we were seated indoors with all the unmasked guests moving about in the crowd quarters. We debated what to do to keep ourselves safe. It was ridiculous that we felt more at ease in central Mérida than at a four-star modern resort.

Awful Food & Bad Services

The biggest disappointment for us is the food offered at the all-inclusive resort. Brian warned me ahead of the arrival that food offerings at all-inclusive resorts were never as good as imagined. Even so, I am surprised by how bland and lousy the restaurants are. With three specialty restaurants, a general lunch buffet, and poolside snack bars, the offering initially seemed wide-ranging. The specialty restaurants include a Mexico-inspired steakhouse, an Asian fusion hibachi grill, a seafood restaurant, and an upscale Italian place. What surprised me the most was the lack of Mexican food offerings among the resort’s many restaurants. It is particularly surprising given the Americans’ love for Mexican food.

During our stay, we got to try the steakhouse and the Asian fusion place. Both were lackluster, to say the least. The menu and portion sizes seem to be tailored for feeding the masses. The dishes were not composed and were far from the promised fine dining experience. The ribeye we received at the steakhouse was one of the smallest, saddest pieces of steak I have ever had. It reminded the $12 tourist steak that was available for tourists by Times Square. We were both amazed by just how basic and inspiring the food is. And if you know us, you would know that we enjoy the food of all levels of finesses, from fast food burgers to Michelin star tasting menu.

The sad plate of food at the pan-Asian fusion restaurant; it was definitely not worth the 90-minute wait.

But as bad as the food was, the main letdown is the service, resulting from bad management rather than the staff. The resort was understaffed, especially in the restaurants. It was tough to watch how rushed and sweaty all the servers were; It was like fighting a tsunami with a sword. They were going through the motions to stay afloat. It almost made me mad to see some guests making incredibly picky demands on these servers. Even though we were not happy with the food and were still hungry, we decided it was not worth bothering our server and just left early.

For our last evening, the dinner service at the Asian fusion restaurant was so chaotic that it took us 90 minutes to be seated and an hour to take our order. Another 90 minutes in, we were only served appetizers, and it was already 11 pm. At some point, we just decided to leave and order room service. And our case was not an outlier. A couple seated right after us had only one plate of tapa two hours after being seated. The lack of care by the management was shocking.

Not All Guests Are Equal

As a newbie to the all-inclusive experience, I mistakenly assumed once we arrived, we would not have to worry about getting food or basic services. How wrong was I? Of course, I was not naive enough to assume things like spa sessions, golf outings, or top-shelf liquor would be part of the all-inclusive package. At Haven Resort, the VIP package is branded as Serenity Club. In addition to having rooms at the higher two levels, the club also includes many typical perks such as a dedicated butler, special drinks on arrival, and access to an exclusive member-only lounge and dining spot.

The most important perk available to Serenity Club guests is the ability to pre-book dinner reservations. Unlike most all-inclusive resorts, this resort has no general buffet restaurant for dinner service. As a result, most guests are funneled into specialized restaurants during dinner time. Those of us who did not buy into the Serniety Club package were left to go from restaurant to restaurant to assess how long the wait would be. We can’t help thinking just how ridiculous the system is. Honestly, we would rather opt for a generic buffet for dinner to avoid all the uncertainties and lines.

For all its misgiving, it is a beautiful property.

Our experience with the ‘special’ New Year’s Eve dinner was infuriating. At check-in, we were informed that the resort is staging a special dinner at all the restaurants, and we would need to make a reservation with a special customer service desk in the lobby. First, only one staff in the whole resort could take reservations for this special dinner. It took 30 minutes for the guy to make a reservation for a party of four in front of me. Frankly, we could not care less about where we ate and what entertainment option was available. We only cared about getting a table outdoors or by an open window to avoid potential infection.

Well, long and behold, the agent told us all the outdoor tables were reserved only for Serenity Club members, and they could not guarantee any open ventilation. When we mentioned our concern about COVID and that most guests were not masked indoors, the agent acknowledged that they were not enforcing their own rules. Instead of working on a solution, he told us we should have room service. We were certainly unhappy to wait in line for 30 minutes to be told that. Overall, the whole experience left a bad taste in our mouths.

But our worst experience was with a concierge we met while standing in that line. A couple behind us were waiting to make the New Year’s Eve dinner reservation. That couple flagged a concierge from the front desk and asked whether they could make the reservation with him. The guy jotted down their details and preferences on paper and sent those guests on their merry way. Since we were frustrated by the long wait, I approached the same staff member to ask whether we could also make a reservation with him. He said ‘no’ and that the only way to make a reservation was with the guy at the special desk. Did he think we couldn’t overhear his conversations with that couple from a minute ago?

Well, back into the line, I guess. Finally, when it was our turn, that guy swooped in and dropped that piece of paper to the reservation agent. It was just such a disrespectful move. It showed absolutely no regard for us as guests. We never felt so insulted at a place of ‘hospitality. Is it possible the guy did them a favor because they may be a Serenity Club guest? If so, please be direct and upfront, and don’t lie to us. Is it too much to ask?

Let’s Talk About The Online Reviews

Given the mediocre service, food, and the lack of COVID-related safety precautions, I was just surprised by how high of a rating this resort garnered online. Before booking, I read many reviews, particularly about how the resort dealt with the pandemic. It seemed like all the reviewers talked about how safe they felt and how empty the property was because of the capacity cap at twenty percent. Many of these reviews were from as recent as a week before our visit. So it was bustling for us to find that the resort was teeming with guests and restaurants were struggling to serve guests at dinner service.

Midway through our stay, I overheard a couple of staff saying that the management decided to raise the capacity to 80% just in time for the New Year holiday period. Of course, the management did not hire enough staff to cope with the sudden rise in occupancy. That perfectly explained our experience at the resort. It showed us that there is a limit to what online reviews could tell us. Midway through our stay, we became so frustrated with our experience that I decided to dive deeper into what my fellow travelers were staying online. Amazingly, our experiences were not reflected in any of the reviews. There was no mention of non-compliant guests or being understaffed. It made me wonder whether we were staying at the right resort.

The more I read these reviews, the more I understood the interesting subculture inside of all-inclusive resorts. For many resort goers, leaving an online review seems obligatory and part of their travel experiences. People love to recount what other resorts they previously stayed at, what kind of room class they have, and just their assessment of which restaurant is the most inclusive. But by far, the most interesting phenomenon was name-dropping staff members who provide exemplary services. Of course, there is nothing wrong with leaving positive reviews for exemplary employees. The unequal power dynamic between employees and guests made many of these reviews sound borderline condescending.

Final Thoughts

Our all-inclusive resort experience was amiss. Pandemic aside, I could understand why so many Americans make this type of travel their preferred relaxation mode. It requires little planning and thought. The fact that I found such an environment to be stressful and unpleasant made me realize how my expectations for travel have changed over the years. As an intermittent traveler, I embrace the cultural shock and the unexpected. All-inclusive resorts are just the exact opposite. Because of the inherent boredom, I began to examine various aspects of the resorts, like an exotic culture. Inevitably, I allowed myself to be frustrated and cynical. I honestly believe this may my final inclusive resort experience for the foreseeable future. Perhaps I will change my tone when I reach my retirement age.

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