Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda - All Inclusive

This is a very large resort. I suggest getting an ocean-view or ocean-front room because you are closer to the pool and ocean. We have stayed at many resorts in this area, and Blue Bay had the best food so far. Lots of choices for restaurants, and not difficult to get in. The staff was very friendly. The two favorite things that we appreciated was the pool area, where they did not blare loud music all day long, and the pool restaurant where we ate breakfast and lunch. It had a great buffet, and the best part was you didn't have to get dressed to eat there, pool attire was acceptable. There is a block to walk from the beach to the other ala carte restaurants, but it was enjoyable after a big dinner. We highly recommend Blue Bay. The only negative, that is not their fault, the beach is nice for walking, but the ocean is full of sea weed at the moment and not very appealing, but the huge pool area makes up for it.

We found some aspects to be 5 stars, some 4 and others 3. The food was good at all the restaurants. Except for a couple nights at the buffet, we made restaurant reservations a day in advance with little difficulty. The room was nice, a good view and the maid, [...], was the best we've ever seen. Every day of our 8 night stay included a different "decoration" in our room.The nine buildings of rooms are a little spread out. I enjoy walking but my wife's knees mean we relied on the shuttle to take us to the lobby or some of the restaurants. It is about 500 yards from the furthest building to the lobby. Most of the time the shuttle worked well but at busy times there could be a significant wait.Other comments about the beach at this hotel are accurate. It is adequate but not the perfect sand and blue/green water of other resorts. When we were there, the wind was so strong most people stayed around the pool. It was our 25th anniversary. The trip had some wonderful memories, in large measure to the good attributes of the hotel.

The hotel was very nice. Where it is so big, and there were many complexes, they had shuttles to bring you to and from wherever you needed to go. However, they were not always available. When it rained, it was hard to find any shuttle to take you to and fro. Also, where entertainment is concerned, it would have been nice to have either a band or DJ play music so people can dance.

this was a great hotel with friendly helpful staff. the room was always clean, with water and beer refilled everyday. the rooms and hallways were very loud at night,if you're a light sleeper. the food was very good even at the buffets. the fitness area had a lot of equiptment to choose from. the pool area was really nice and you could always find a chair. don't come here for the beach and ocean swimming. lots of seaweed and sand bags, but the pool makes up for that. the waiters around pool area were great, a small tip goes a long way and drinks keep coming. don't get talked into the time share meeting, it's a complete waste of time.

I felt the hotel was as I expected. Being a family friendly resort the pool was loud with children crying and screaming. While I can handle the playful sounds of children, the crying around lunch was a bit annoying. We upgraded our room to an ocean view balcony and for that we are grateful, it made a great difference. We were exceptionally close to the beach and the pool. During our stay we were wrangled into the "membership" presentation and while it lasted longer than the 90 minutes quoted, we did receive gifts for our time. We upgraded to the VIP beach service and it made a world of good. The beach was private and quite and while there wasn't a pool to cool off in, there was a personal bartender and it was close to the bathroom. The staff was very helpful when we needed assistance and they were always sure to make sure we understood everything. I feel as though Americans complain a lot when we travel internationally and I think the staff was very sure to make sure we were satisfied. While everything was not perfect, it was a wonderful time with my husband and we are planning to return to a Blue Bay hotel in the future.

We went in early June, which is apparently is a slow time in Mexico. We were a group of 14 people, 7 couples. It was great, we did not have to fight with people to get chairs on the beach or by the pool or to get dinner reservations. The grounds were great, very well manicured. The room was nice, but needed some work. There were some holes in the ceiling with some water damage, the shower needed updating and our safe broke constantly. However, the bed was comfortable and the A/C kept it nice and cold during the hot weather. The food was great at night, wish there was more to choose from than buffets for breakfast and lunch. I would recommend this place, mainly because it is good for the price. If I wanted a really fancy place, I would look elsewhere, but it was perfect for a group of 14 people looking to have fun in Mexico

i had a great time

The staff was great, very fun and good service. The dinner restaurants are great, worth waking up early for reservations. We had 7 total couples there, which made it really fun. Very good resort at a really great value!

Overall a great experience. Room was always clean, though they didn't follow their own "green" policy with the towels and sheets. Service was excellent. They used reclaimed water for their gardens, and it often had a strong odor during watering times. Beware the ants in the grasses and the "it's not a time share" sales calls and sales pitches. The beach was superb, the food was good to average, same with the drinks. Entertainment was decent, a little pushy from the entertainers sometimes. Great location. Not too far/not too close to/from anything really :)

Everything was better than we expected (having stayed at other all-inclusives in the past). The food, drinks, entertainment, room, view, staff (including concierges), and service were wonderful. The only frustrations occurred with transportation and excursions that were pre-paid and booked online--not through the hotel.