Select at Casa Marina - Adults Only

Food was amazing. Drinks were amazing. They upgraded us to the corner ocean front room. Extremly clean. The views were amazing. It was my second time at this resort and I will return. The service was amazing and everyone was friendly. My only suggestion would be having a separate entrance for the Select area as you have to walk across half of the property to arrive at the private check-in.

We loved this resort. We stayed for ten days and had already decided to return next year for fourteen days. We had an oceanview room and the views were awesome. The room was lovely and the only issue we had was that the water temperature was unpredictable.. but we managed. The staff was great, friendly and helpful. Weekends are busier as many locals will stay for a couple of days but the change was fun. Loved the Select section with the private section at the buffet, separate lobby and smaller pool for adults only . Food at the a la crate restaurants was mostly very good - we did not like the seafood restaurant as much as the others. The buffet was very good with lots of options. The beach is very nice - yellow flag every day because of waves. It also gets deep very quickly so if you can’t swim, you should be extra careful.

Loved this resort and would have gave it a 9 out of 10 except for one major issue and concern, the condition of the GYM. Rooms: 9 out of 10 Food: 9 out of 10 A la carte restaurants: 9 out of 10 Grounds: 9 out of 10 Staff: 9 out of 10 Gym: 1 out of 10: Went to the gym 3 times and it was dirty, no cleaning spray, disinfectant, no towels, great machines that were not being maintained, lights hanging down from ceiling, in need of a paint job; neglected

In an attempt to be as objective as possible, I waited a few days upon my return to reflect on my stay prior to writing this review, but my opinion remains the same, stay elsewhere. Everything I write in this review was shared with onsite hotel management throughout my stay. Their response was either, “sorry you feel that way”, “it’s hotel policy”, or “there’s nothing I can do about that”. And, when I suggested I may provide a negative review, the response was “I fully anticipate that”. So, here ya go… This was a relatively short stay, only 3 nights. I needed a breather, and this was my first get away break in a while. I booked in the “Select” side of the resort, a higher-end ocean view room, and requested at booking that I be given a king bed. Yeah, that didn’t happen. It was two double beds and when I asked if it could be changed, there wasn’t anything available. When I asked to speak with a supervisor I was told I’d have to wait to the following day to speak with the concierge. OK, no worries I’ll charge on. The bell hop brings us up to the room, shows us everything including the minibar and says if you need anything call the desk and they’ll bring it up. Me being me, I zoom in on the fact there are only two beers in the fridge that will be consumed in a nano-second and ask if I could get more. He tells me to call the desk. I walk down instead and directly ask and am told they will call housekeeping and request more. Mind you this is an all-inclusive resort, so I am expecting food and beverage without limitations. I go back to my room to shower and change. I jump into the shower and dang that water was cold! It's about an hour later now and I am headed down to grab a bite. I stop at the “Select” front desk and inform them about the cold water and ask about the replenishment of the beer. The response was, “yes sir I will advise the appropriate departments”. So, I head to the buffet where I found the food selection to be not all that great. But when I sat down to eat my lunch, it was like yikes. The food quality was really bad and I left half the food on my plate. This was even more disheartening because we were unable to secure reservations for any of the three specialty restaurants onsite for that evening. Which meant we’d be back at the buffet in a few hours. After lunch I headed back to the room to take a well-deserved nap. Of course, I had to take a quick inventory, and there is no beer in the fridge. So, I walk back down to the Select desk and make another request with the hotel representative saying he’ll follow up. Fair enough, time for my nap. After a two hours snooze I get up for a shower and to get dressed for dinner. Dang! That water was still freezing!!! I get dressed and head out for dinner, with another stop by the desk to inquire about the beer and ask about when the water temperature will be addressed. Again, I am given assurances both will be attended to. Back at the buffet for dinner, and

I wish am writing a very good review for casa Marina as it was my favourite place to go to. I was disappointed with service all together. It’s about time the people who own the place pay their workers well and give them much deserved rest. It was sad to see workers tired, running from one place to other, while other workers sauntered around not doing much, only wheeling and dealing, hoping for few $ to come along. The bartenders, waiters, gardeners and security on the select side were tired looking, working way beyond 8 hour shifts and no lunch break or break that I can notice. Also, the select size lacked people to serve around the pool and the beach. There was only one guy always running… I am giving my honest feedback here as many people were disappointed but didn’t care to say it. Why people are saying is not beneficial to Casa Marina. There was a rather significant $ increase to be on the select side but the service was not significantly better. The only decent place to eat is at Herman’s. Herman’s team takes care of you, they treat you like royalty and food is good. Italian and Mexican is not good. (I am being nice here) During our stay, our bed was never changed, it was “dusted off” from sand and re made. The cleanliness of the select side is big time down. The cleaning ladies didn’t even bother to make any towel animals, we North Americans love that! They must be also running too thin to take care of the rooms. All in all I was sad about my experience. I had a good time, because I chose to go out and experience other things and places instead of staying at the resort 100%. Things are changing, the resort needs to take care of the workers first so the workers can take care of the tourists with a smile on their face!

There are highs and lows by booking Select. Sometimes the extra fee is too extravagant for what is offered. There is a section for Select guests only including a bar which serves sandwiches after noon and has a room with cold Hors d'oeuvres all day. Chocolate cake, fresh fruits, finger sandwiches, proscuitto and melon, and so on. However, all the action is at the main pool. If lounging is your thing, this is the section for you. There is also a pool at the Prive section, never used...but you can. The buffet has 2 seating options. 1 for Select and 1 for non-select. Surprising that the non select has tables outside (if you wish) and the select does not. Having free wi-fi was a big plus and we were able to exchange our towels at Select reception instead of at the main pool. Restaurants were hit and miss. Herman's (International) was good but with a limited menu, I couldn't find anything I liked. The Italian was very good. Pizza and pasta was great. The Mexican restaurant was terrible. Not only was the service slow, they served us what we didn't order. Buffalo sauce is not barbecue sauce and the dishes mentioned were not what they served us. The buffet is always a safe bet. If you see nothing you like (doubtful) there is a pasta bar where a chef cooks your choice of pasta, sauce and any extras like onions or other things. The Select section is at the fear end of the resort so walking was involved to get to the room and anytime to get to the main gate. there is no trolley but there is a bellboy to help you with your luggage. Upon arrival, I didn't get the room I requested but that was a mistake on my end with reservations. Halfway through, a room became available and we were to move. Thank you Francis. Upon check-in, we were offered only 1 key for 2 people. Ridiculous. The next day we got an extra key. Again, thank you Francis. To go select is good if you are willing to spend the extra money. When we went, it was around 200 dollars more. Recently, I saw it being 1000 (thousand) more for Select. Above all, I will return because the pros outweighed the cons.

Some of the negative reviews are a little overblown regarding this resort, and this place is better than what the comments section has to say. We stayed in the "select" portion, very chill and very quiet, the drinks are great, staff are friendly, and Juan by the pool is super cool. It isn't truly an "adults only" resort, the select section is adults only portion of the resort, the rest of the resort has lots of kids and families. It really wasn't a problem for us. Some of the steps up to the room are a bit steep so that might pose an issue for some. The food is not incredible but not bad either. The select side has special snacks and strong wifi which we liked a lot. Food is certainly tailored to a local audience, not North American audiences. The landscape that lines the coast where the resort rests is really incredibly beautiful. The staff are hardworking and friendly, tip them! The room was comfy and well taken care of. I thought overall for what we paid it was great value. Thanks for having us we really enjoyed our time. Thanks!