Ocean Coral and Turquesa

We planned this special family holiday months in advance to celebrate my sister-in-law's 50th birthday. Seven of us travelled from the UK and met four family members who had travelled from Brazil. We chose Ocean Coral & Turquesa primarily because it was the only resort able to guarantee an accessible room for my brother-in-law, who uses a wheelchair.

Unfortunately, what should have been a memorable celebration became a deeply disappointing experience.

The accessible room Despite receiving confirmation that an accessible room had been reserved, we were told on arrival that none was available and that my brother-in-law might have to wait three days for suitable accommodation. After we complained, an alternative accessible room was eventually provided the following day.

Toward the end of our stay, my brother-in-law experienced a medical emergency involving the accessible shower equipment he had hired. We then discovered that there was no emergency alarm in the room. When my sister-in-law tried to call for help, she also found that the room telephone did not work. For a room designated as accessible, these are extremely serious safety failures.

The beach We specifically chose a beachfront resort because we had promised our six-year-old son golden sand and clear blue sea. Instead, we arrived to an overpowering smell of rotten eggs caused by large quantities of decaying sargassum covering the beach. The beach was effectively unusable.

Our holiday representative told us that the sargassum would be cleared within a few days, but we saw no meaningful effort to remove it. This was particularly frustrating because other hotels in the area appeared to use tractors daily to keep their beaches clear. After experiencing headaches and nausea, I raised the issue again and was told, "Don't worry, you get used to the smell after a while." This was an unacceptable response to a genuine health and comfort concern.

The pools The pools were generally adequate, although the water did not always appear particularly clean. On at least two occasions, raccoons entered the pool. Given how frequently raccoons were seen around the resort, this raised concerns about hygiene and how the pool water was being monitored and treated.

Restaurants and food Several restaurants required reservations, but booking through the hotel app was almost impossible. Reservations opened at 10:00 a.m. and were often completely booked by 10:05 a.m. The app also allowed bookings for only four people, making it extremely difficult for larger family groups to dine together.

The buffet food was poor, with limited options for guests with allergies or dietary requirements. All seven members of our UK party experienced stomach problems during and after the holiday, which we believe may have been related to improperly prepared food.

Health and safety incident The most disturbing incident involved my 71-year-old father-in-law, who slipped in a flooded public toilet near the pool bar. There was no warning sign inside the toilet, despite the wet floor. He injured his lip, chest and knees.

We immediately took him to the lifeguard, who placed a plaster on his lip and contacted Guest Services. Rather than prioritising his injuries, the Guest Services representative focused on telling us that seeing the hotel doctor would cost US$150. She then tried to persuade us to sign a form stating that we had refused medical assistance, which was not true.

Staff appeared unwilling to help until they had reviewed CCTV footage to determine whether my father-in-law had been wearing footwear, even though there was apparently no camera covering the area where he fell. We asked to speak to the Guest Services Manager but were initially told that the manager was not on site. Only after the situation escalated did the manager appear and reluctantly arrange for the hotel doctor to examine him.

The Guest Services representative was also extremely rude to my wife. When we said that we intended to report her conduct, she removed her name badge, threw it across the desk and said, "There - that's my name, Berenice. Report me."

The immediate priority should have been to assist an injured guest, not to argue about cost, responsibility or blame. The way our family was treated was disgraceful.

Conclusion We were told that the resort was due to close for refurbishment from August to November. Unfortunately, it felt as though standards had already been allowed to decline and that little effort was being made during the final weeks before closure.

The failure to provide the confirmed accessible room, the lack of basic emergency facilities, the unusable beach, the food and hygiene concerns, and the appalling handling of my father-in-law's accident all contributed to an extremely disappointing stay.

This was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime family celebration that we would remember for years. Sadly, it will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Based on our experience, I cannot recommend Ocean Coral & Turquesa and would not return.

Excelente experiencia y comida. Chef Oscar is the Best!!