SECRETS HUATULCO: An Honest Review of What to Expect
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- This video is for informational purposes only. We pay for our own trips. We are not compensated and our opinions are our own based on our experiences.
This is actually our third time vacationing at Secrets Huatulco. It's located south of Oaxaca in the community of Huatulco, Secrets Huatulco sits right on the beautiful, Bahia de Conejos
Checking in was smooth overall. The bellhops were right there to help with our luggage and gave us claim tickets to hold onto, which are important not to misplace. At check-in, they take a copy of your passport, and there’s a little paperwork, but no wristbands are required; instead, you'll get electronic key cards. One thing to note-they do try to invite you to a timeshare presentation over breakfast.
Secrets Huatulco is built into a hillside leading down to the ocean, with the check-in area at the resort’s highest point. This setup really maximizes the views.
The resort is easy to navigate, with six buildings spread across the property. The layout makes it simple to get familiar with, so you’ll quickly know your way around.
This resort is also small dog friendly with a cute leash-free zone off to the side of the resort.
For accessibility, there are air conditioned elevators to reach different buildings, and the resort is wheelchair accessible.
The pools are arranged in a unique terraced setup. The pools do have some serious wear and tear. While they’re kept pretty clean, a fair number of tiles are broken or missing, which can create sharp edges. In my opinion the pools need a complete overhaul.
The main activity pool is the hub for daily events and socializing, with a swim-up bar at the heart of the action. If peace and quiet is more your style, head up to the upper pools, known as the "quiet zone."
Just beyond the center of the pool area, you’ll find the entrance to the beach. The sand here is a bit on the coarse side, and when the afternoon sun beats down, it turns into a fiery challenge for bare feet.
The rooms, like the pool area, are definitely in need of an upgrade and some TLC. You can see some wear and tear here and there, but despite that, they were clean, comfortable.
The air conditioning worked really well. There’s also a ceiling fan, and the bed was firm but still comfortable. The linens were decent. The mini fridge is pretty basic. The toiletries are Pharmacopia. They also provide some extras like a sewing kit and a vanity kit, and if you forget anything like a toothbrush or razor, you can request it directly through the app.
The balconies are basic with just two chairs and a small table.
There’s plenty of storage inside the suite, as well as a desk area.
The shower and bathtub are side by side, with both a handheld and a rainfall showerhead. The wall separating the shower and tub from the main bedroom area can be moved for more privacy or you can leave it open. The toilet is separated behind frosted glass. Housekeeping and turndown service were very good.
There are 8 restaurants, a coffee shop, and 6 bars to choose from:
Restaurants:
1. Oceana - Seafood
2. Castaways - Steakhouse for dinner and à la carte lunch spot
3. Tamarindo - Mexican
4. Bordeaux - French
5. Spice - Asian
6. Cin Cin - Italian
7. Barefoot Grill - Poolside lunch spot
8. Market Café - Buffet
9. Coco Café - Coffee shop
Bars:
1. Rendezvous Bar - Lobby
2. Sky Bar
3. Barracuda - Pool bar
4. Marlin - Swim-up bar
5. Showtime - Theater bar
6. Sugar Reef Bar
The food here is NOT the main reason you’d come to the resort. If you’ve been to other Secrets resorts, you’ll need to adjust your expectations. The food isn’t as high-end, the chefs are not as skilled and the quality isn’t as elevated as you may expect. The food is ok. It isn’t anything special nor is it consistent, and you may find yourself ordering a second main if the first just isn’t to your taste. You’re not going to go hungry but you’re not going to be wow’d by anything either.
Secrets Huatulco is a charming resort that really grows on you the longer you’re there. The resort is a little rough around the edges and worn out. But as we spent more time here, we realized it’s the staff and the resort's location that make it special.
It’s not luxury. It’s not a standout in the Secrets lineup, and it certainly isn’t the belle of the ball. But it’s a pleasant, charming place with fantastic staff that makes it easy to overlook the imperfections. After some time, it grows on you in absolutely the best way.
As for the food and drinks, while they’re not exceptional as I said they’re certainly fine. You won’t go hungry, but the resort’s location is what really brings us back time and time again. No seaweed, consistent weather after the rainy season, and those unique views-if you’re looking for something more authentically Mexican than the commercialized spots like Cancun or Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco is definitely worth considering.
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Hi Nancy, You're so good with details. So glad you mentioned things like accessibility, pillows, and broken tiles. Hope your husband wasn't badly hurt. Almost every video I comment on the toilet issue! The designers are playing practical jokes right? Yeah, let's design the toilet so your family and maybe even the room attendant can smell, hear, and see it all! take care
I'm so glad to hear you appreciate the details. Thank you! I figure it's better to have too much info when you're looking to drop thousands $$$ rather than too few.
Those bathroom designs baffle me too. What are they thinking? I'm sure the poor housekeeping staff has walked in seeing more in the WC than they signed on for. Lol! At least it wasn't open to the rest of the suite. A small favor, I suppose. 😜
I totally enjoy your honesty.
Thank you.
Thank you so much! 😊
Thank you for this honest review. We are booked March 27 for 10 days. You mentioned in your video that you were going to post a video of the different room buildings and which would be your most/least recommended. Did you post yet? I’m curious which would be your favourite and also your least favourite building.
@@sherriharach5976 Thank you so much!
I haven't finished the suites video yet but to give you my Coles Notes version; I honestly tend to avoid building #3. It requires an extra elevator and it is in my least favourite location on the resort.
I also avoid paying extra for the hot tub rooms. If they are the cheapest then maybe, but they aren't worth any extra $ imo. They are showing their age and the hot tubs are in the direct sunlight with almost no privacy.
The swim outs in building 5 have just been all renovated. My guess is that the ones in building 6 will be finished by March as well.
I really like the ocean front jr suites on the second and third floors of buildings 5 & 6. I also don't mind building 4 on the upper two floors but it can be loud at night unless you request being down towards the end of the building away from the sky bar. If you are not an "early to bed" person it won't matter. 😊. Building 2 has great views but you need to request the top floor.
I hope this helps a bit!
Have a great trip! 😊
@newtravelescapes Yes this is super helpful! Thank you! Last question, I promise lol… we booked a junior king suite (no hot tub), and four other couples we are traveling with did the same. We’d like to request rooms in the same building. Which building and floor would you recommend?
@@sherriharach5976 Building 5 or 6 - second or third floor are my favourites. 😊
We love watching your videos. It so nice to get an honest and unbiased review and opinion on resorts. We are off to Huatulco on Friday, staying at the Barcelona. Since I booked flight and hotel separately I’m looking for an airport transfer company, what are your suggestions?
Barcelo autocorrect damn you!
Thank you so much! I appreciate your kind words. 😊
This past trip we used Oswaldo Rojas from Gran Turismo. We were very happy with his services and his English is very good.
I'll link his contact info for you: facebook.com/share/12DyroVnUCh/
Have a great trip!!!! 😊
Really enjoyed your videos, thanks for all the tips and tricks. We are heading there next week and I am wondering which building we should avoid, we are also hesitating between keeping our room with a hot tub or to upgrade to the higher floor ones as the hot tub ones don’t seem very private. Thanks so much
@@mimii1 Thank you! I actually just finished the suites video today so I'll have it up on Saturday. Hopefully, that will help answer your questions. I put in some good pics of the hot tub terraces so you can have a look and see how you feel about them. 😊
Thank you for this honest review as we are thinking of booking here in 2026.
@@LisaHoult-g8t It is a nice place as long as you go in knowing what to expect. 😊
We had the same experience flying into Huatulco a few years ago when the plane flew right over our resort
Such epic views eh?! It's such a gorgeous area. 😊
Fix the pools!!!
@@geneconroy7795 100% !!!