Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda

Not as great as it looks in the photos. We could not get a pool chair as towels were left on them all day since 6 am. Their hotel shuttle was to pick us up from our room in the wee hour of the morning for our return trip to the airport, but did not arrive. We ended up walking several blocks, in the dark, with our luggage, to the lobby. We upgraded our rooms through Air Canada Vacations for $590, but were told by the hotel that garden view room upgrades did not exist. The staff and the Air Canada representative were unwilling to help with this issue. Very disappointing indeed.

I booked Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda with tripcentral , Sandra was the agent. My experience was horrible, disappointing, frustrating and only negative emotions instead relaxation and getting piece of mind in my vacation, which wasn't easy to get with our busy lifestyles. The restaurants, dining, staff member, bars were good, no complains. The beach was horrible, horrible and horrible security and I am not exaggerating at all! When we arrived with 4 hours of delay, at evening we got the room, with was very distant from the beach, we had to take trolly , cause it is about 15 min to walk. The next morning, after we woke up, we went to the beach. There weren't any free longe chairs, everything was occupied, because the longe chairs were in limited amount. I was so tired, and hot , due to walk-in 15 minutes and was ready to sit just on the send. But, I could not find any umbrella, the resort doesn't have umbrellas! It is ridiculous: no umbrellas and no chairs! I went to VIP side, which is right beside , on our property, only with the signage VIP, and set down on the longer. Right away security guards approached and let me know if I don't leave this chair I would pay fine $200. On my question " Where could I sit and ?" , he answered " Go to the lobby and ask the management ". It was rude and silly answer. Near the pool, the situation is the same, the umbrellas and chairs are in so limited amount. I even don't mention the fact, that seaweed is infesting all beach , so the swimming is impossible . I get it, it is not the resort's fault. I got conversation with the customer service at front desk and Air Canada rep, but it was pointless and disappointing again. So, the swimming in the ocean is impossible at all, and it was my main purpose of this Trip. After couple days, I got advice from people, if I want to get sit anywhere , I have to go at 6 am and put a towel on the chair, that what everyone is doing. So, what can you say? Is it relaxing vacation? No, not at all. I was crying at first day and felt so hopeless and vulnerable. Another one day, we were walking along the beach with others people and saw some free chairs but with one shoe or just piece of cloth on each of it. Only we landed on those chairs, some people came and started yell at us " Don't you see shoe on it?" So, I recommend, never go to this disgusting hotel with heartless security guys , the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda, in Mexico. Why travel agents even sell tours there? So, I wasted my precious time and money and get distress instead.

We recently stayed at this hotel in Mexico and overall had a great experience. The grounds are extremely tidy, beautifully maintained, and full of wildlife, which made walking around the resort really lovely. The rooms were clean, modern, and comfortable, and the pool area was just as impressive — spotless, plenty of loungers, and never felt overcrowded.

The entertainment team were fantastic, especially with the kids. Fun, friendly, and always creating a good atmosphere.

There was a lot of sargassum seaweed on the beach, and at times the smell was quite strong, almost like sewage. This isn’t the hotel’s fault at all — it’s a well‑known issue across Mexico that has worsened over the years. The hotel did have nets out and were clearly trying to manage it as best they could.

The resort is huge, so be prepared for a bit of walking. It can be a long walk from the rooms to the breakfast buffet and Restaurants, although the hotel does offer a buggy service every 15 minutes. They can fill up quickly, so investing in a few more would make a big difference.

The Black & White Bar offers evening entertainment, but it’s uncomfortably hot inside with no air‑conditioning. One of the breakfast buffet restaurants was the same. Thankfully, all the other restaurants had proper aircon, so dining was comfortable.

Food overall was great, though we expected a wider variety of fruit. We had no issues booking restaurants, and every member of staff we met was friendly, welcoming, and accommodating. There is a gorgeous coffee shop onsite which I would definitely recommend visiting.

We enjoyed both the pools, one is more chill, however they closed the bar at 3.

Despite a few areas that could be improved, we really enjoyed our stay. I’d rate this hotel 4 out of 5 stars — not quite a 5‑star experience yet, but with a few tweaks it could be amazing.