The Reef Coco Beach Resort & Spa – optional All Inclusive

Spent 6 nights at coco beach the reef. It was a nice first time all inclusive resort. I wouldn’t return to it just with the many minor cons the place has, but definitely not a total flop. To start- the restaurants to make reservations at are the way to go. Very good food & all servers are professional & kind. The one exception is the Japanese restaurant. This is the higher end one that comes with a higher premium reservation/cost but the staff were less professional & dare I say obnoxious. It’s a cook in front of you habachi’ style. The chefs behind the sushi bar kinda just kept pacing behind us & squeaking this rubber chicken throughout the meal, very distracting & disturbing especially for a place that is looked upon so highly & you need to dress up etc. The buffet food is okay. Lots of options, but nothing fantastic but you can’t ask for much at these all inclusive places so I don’t fault them. The buffet service (getting coffee/water/drinks) is well below par. You’re best bet is to drink before you get in, eat, & then leave for another drink once you are done with your meal. The drinks/bars are the good places at this resort. Lots of options & the bartenders work so hard. They are the stars of the resort for sure! The pool is a great pool & there is scheduled entertainment throughout the day like darts, volleyball & ping pong. The pool staff are welcoming & like to have fun with you. The hot tub is not the best, always cold. It was colder than the pool was on some days. The beach is the shortest walk EVER from the pool so it’s all very convenient in terms of proximity. The rooms will be the main reason I would not return. The rooms have a musty smell from the beginning. NOTHING & I mean NOTHING will dry, ever. & what does dry is going to have the terrible mildew smell. We had clothing in our suitcase that was never worn or taken out & it smells musty. Our passports (again, never removed from our luggage) are warped from the humidity in the rooms. One room wouldn’t cool down past 70 degrees & another room in our group wouldn’t heat up past 61 degrees. The rooms were right next to each other so nothing is universal. We did get a massage & it was lovely, nothing bad to say about the spa. The staff at the front when you check in are great & nice, however the moment you say no (4 times) to them about becoming a ‘member’ they walk away & are rude to you. They entice you to ‘hear them out’ for free stuff which is intriguing but I wouldn’t do it. We didn’t, & glad we didn’t because another couple said they took 1.5 hours from their vacation & all they got was a $10 shrimp add on dinner for free. The resort also allows a local tour guide company on the property & they walk up & down the pool trying to sell you excursions. It gets real old when you’ve paid all this money for an inclusive resort to relax & you’re still being sold to all the time! All & all I did enjoy my time, however, with the rooms smell & temps & the staff always trying to sell you something, it’s just not a place I’ll be back to.

We stayed over the New Years and had an okay experience. Positive things: everything is close, don't have to walk too far to the beach or buffet. Short walk from the resort to the main street if you want to try outside food. The sand on the beach was so fine and pleasant. Staff was friendly and helpful. Things we didn't like: food, very repetitive and not a lot of choices (exception would be New Years Eve dinner which was great). Not a whole lot to do in the evening: very little evening entertain (one evening there was Michael Jackson show that was good but that's really it). Not a whole lot to do for the kids: children's center seemed to always be closed and they only had kids corner (literally a corner with one table, a chair and crayons). Room had a musty smell in it. The water on the beach had a terrible smell to it and there are many boats parked just outside the hotel, right where you are suppose to swim and enjoy the water. We made the best of our time there but will not be back.