The Fives Beach All Senses Inclusive

The staff was so friendly and helpful. Our accommodations (3 bedroom villa) exceeded our expectations. We will cisit again!

I like conversing with the folks behind the bar and their help understanding the various tequila and mezcal.

Strap in… There is a lot to say! We stayed at The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences for our honeymoon and first wedding anniversary whilst travelling with our 6-month-old baby on our first family holiday together. There are definitely positives to this resort. The grounds are beautiful, lush and extremely well maintained, creating a lovely tropical atmosphere. Seeing coatis, monkeys and other wildlife around the resort was a genuine highlight. Our suite was spacious, modern and very comfortable, and one of the strongest aspects of the holiday. The hotel also provided a steriliser, high chair and bottled water in our room, which made travelling with a baby much easier and was greatly appreciated. The majority of the frontline staff were also friendly and welcoming. Most waiters, concierge staff and front-of-house employees greeted us warmly throughout our stay and genuinely seemed to want to help. The issue does not appear to be with individual staff members but rather with management decisions, communication and the way the resort operates. In particular, restaurant staff often appeared stressed and under pressure, especially during busy periods. Unfortunately, despite the beautiful surroundings, the overall guest experience never quite matched the luxury image being marketed. One of the biggest disappointments was how limited the resort felt in practice. Despite being marketed as family friendly, we have never felt more excluded whilst travelling with our baby. Throughout the stay we repeatedly encountered adults-only pools, adults-only bars, adults-only areas and were even informed at one point that a shuttle bus was adults-only. To make matters more frustrating, despite paying extra to upgrade to a premium suite for our honeymoon, we were placed in one of the furthest buildings on the complex, surrounded almost entirely by adults-only and members-only facilities that we could not access. Rather than feeling upgraded, we felt isolated from much of the resort. As parents travelling with a baby, this meant we could not simply pop back to our room during the day to collect items, change clothes or take a break before returning to the main resort areas. Instead, we often felt forced to leave our room for the day carrying everything we might need because returning was so inconvenient. At one point, finding somewhere to sit became so difficult that after walking considerable distances around the resort searching for available seating, loungers or shade, we simply returned to our room and stayed there because there was nowhere else for us to comfortably spend our time. This was the exact opposite of the relaxing, luxury all-inclusive honeymoon experience we had paid for and expected. The dining experience was by far the biggest issue throughout our stay and ultimately became the defining feature of what was otherwise intended to be a special honeymoon and anniversary celebration. The resort advertises numerous dining options and promotes a “no reservation, walk-in” dining concept which, according to the hotel, allows all guests equal access to every restaurant. In reality, this was not our experience. The Mexican restaurant remained closed throughout our stay and we largely found ourselves rotating between the Italian, Brasserie and Thai/Sushi restaurants. Of those, the Thai/Sushi restaurant became our clear favourite and offered the most consistently enjoyable food. What made the dining situation particularly disappointing was not simply the limited choice, but the amount of time, stress and additional expense it created. As all-inclusive guests, we expected to be able to relax and enjoy the facilities without constantly worrying about where we would be able to eat. Instead, securing meals often felt like a daily battle. The reality of the resort’s so-called “walk-in” system was that guests would often queue for up to 30 minutes simply to speak to a host, only to then be told their name would be added to a waiting list and that they would receive a WhatsApp message when a table became available. Waiting times of up to an hour were commonplace. This was neither a genuine walk-in service nor a reservation system. Instead, dining often felt like a lottery, with little certainty as to whether, when or where we would be able to eat. We spent significant portions of our holiday queueing, seeking assistance, escalating concerns and trying to understand contradictory information regarding restaurant access and reservations. The cumulative effect was that we found ourselves leaving the resort on multiple occasions simply because it was easier and less stressful than remaining on-site. This resulted in us spending hundreds of pounds extra during a holiday that was specifically booked as an all-inclusive experience. Rather than enjoying the convenience and value that all-inclusive resorts are supposed to provide, we were regularly paying for food, drinks and time away from the hotel because we no longer felt confident that we could comfortably access the facilities we had already paid for. For a honeymoon and first wedding anniversary, this was deeply disappointing. We had chosen this resort expecting a seamless, relaxing and premium experience where we could focus on spending time together as a family. Instead, far too much of the holiday was spent dealing with operational issues, restrictions, queues, uncertainty and additional costs that should never have arisen at a resort positioning itself as a luxury all-inclusive destination. Even after our complaint had been formally acknowledged and we received a letter from the Hotel Manager accepting liability for the areas where we had experienced a lack of service, the communication failures continued. It became apparent that the notes relating to our case had not been properly passed on to restaurant staff. As a result, we encountered daily issues where staff questioned or challenged reservations and dining arrangements that management had already approved. We repeatedly found ourselves having to explain our situation, with staff often stating that they were unaware of any special arrangements and initially refusing requests before further clarification was sought. Given that management had already accepted responsibility and implemented measures to address our concerns, we would have expected this process to be seamless. Instead, the lack of internal communication further aggravated an already frustrating situation and left us feeling as though we were continually having to justify arrangements that should have been clearly communicated to all relevant teams. The overall food quality fell significantly short of what we expected from a hotel positioning itself as a luxury all-inclusive resort. Whilst some meals were acceptable, several were of such poor quality that they were effectively inedible and had to be left unfinished. Across the restaurants, consistency was lacking and the standard of food rarely reflected the premium experience being advertised. More concerningly, we experienced upset stomachs during our stay following meals. Friends we met at the resort also became ill, and numerous other guests we spoke to reported experiencing similar symptoms. One of which actually had antibiotics for a bacterial infection perscribed. Given the number of people reporting illness, this raises legitimate concerns regarding food hygiene, food handling practices and overall safety standards within the resort’s dining operations. Seasons by Epic became a particular source of confusion. Initially we were told it was reserved exclusively for Epic members despite the hotel’s website suggesting it was open to all guests. Later, after management became involved regarding our dining concerns, we were told we would be accommodated if we arrived at 18:00. Whilst we welcomed the assistance, the contradictory information only added to the frustration and uncertainty surrounding dining arrangements. The walk-in restaurant system created constant stress. Long queues regularly formed outside restaurants, guests were left waiting with little communication, and people were frequently turned away despite visible empty tables. On multiple occasions we witnessed other guests openly complaining that they were unable to get seated anywhere. One evening there was still a significant queue outside the Italian restaurant at around 8:30pm. As parents travelling with a baby, this became particularly difficult when trying to feed and settle him for bed. We repeatedly had to escalate concerns before assistance was offered. Once management became involved, reservations suddenly became possible despite previously being told they could not be arranged. Even when reservations were eventually facilitated, the experience still lacked flexibility. During one dinner at the Thai restaurant we were asked to leave our table so it could be reused despite other tables being available. Afterwards we attempted to visit the Cantina bar and were immediately turned away because children were not permitted. Finding somewhere comfortable to sit was another recurring issue. On one day we spent hours walking around the resort looking for available seating, loungers or shaded areas. The only consistently available options were paid Bali beds. Even some bars had little or no seating available. Whilst premium upgrades are understandable, it often felt as though comfortable seating was being deliberately restricted to encourage additional spending. Shade around the pool was also a challenge. There are very few parasols compared to the number of loungers and guests reserve them very early. With a baby in the Mexican heat, shade is a necessity rather than a luxury. We also specifically raised the lack of shade with management and requested additional parasols. Staff advised that they had located an extra parasol and that it would be brought to the pool area for our use. Unfortunately, it never arrived and no additional shade provision was made for the remainder of our stay. Given the temperatures and the fact that we were travelling with a 6-month-old baby, this was particularly disappointing. The situation was made worse by the fact that the hotel’s own sunbed policy was not being enforced. The resort’s stated policy was that sunbeds could not be reserved and that unattended belongings would be removed after 15 minutes and transferred to Lost and Found. In reality, guests were routinely placing towels on loungers from as early as 7:00am before breakfast, effectively reserving the majority of available beds and parasols for hours at a time. On numerous mornings, large sections of the pool area remained almost entirely unoccupied until well after 10:00am despite there being virtually no available sunbeds for arriving guests. Throughout our stay, we never observed staff enforcing the published policy or removing unattended items. The lack of enforcement created unnecessary tension between guests. As frustration grew, some guests began taking matters into their own hands by removing towels and belongings from apparently abandoned loungers in order to secure seating for themselves. This inevitably led to disputes when the original occupants eventually returned. What should have been a straightforward and easily managed policy instead became a source of avoidable conflict because management failed to enforce the rules they had established. Management eventually acknowledged our concerns and promised assistance. We were later told via WhatsApp that we could use the members-only Enclave pool where shaded beds and parasols would be available. However, when we eventually visited, there was a rope across the entrance and members were already using the area. Without management present to support what we had been told, we did not feel comfortable entering a members-only area and potentially causing conflict with guests who had paid for those privileges. Had this genuinely been intended as a solution, we should have been physically escorted there and introduced to the staff responsible for the area. The beach was also disappointing compared to expectations. Much of the shoreline is protected by sandbags which guests must climb over to reach the water. During our stay there was significant seaweed accumulation, a noticeable smell in places and the sea lacked the clear Caribbean appearance shown in promotional photographs. There were always plenty of available loungers on the beach, likely because it was not an area many guests wanted to spend time in. We also raised concerns regarding the spa after being quoted extremely high prices for a deep tissue massage despite significant back pain and spasms from carrying our baby throughout the trip. Management were fully aware that my mobility was being affected. Whilst the price was eventually reduced, one of the most frustrating aspects of the experience was the way concerns appeared to be selectively acknowledged. Restaurant concerns were actioned, but requests regarding my back pain and a reasonably priced indoor massage were effectively ignored despite being raised repeatedly. Instead, we were offered a discounted beach massage whilst it was raining, which felt disconnected from the issue we had actually raised. The resort also relies heavily on upselling. Premium wines incur additional charges, special dining experiences such as Casa de Rosa carry significant surcharges, and even our 6-month-old baby would have been charged $49 USD despite not eating. Room service also incurs an additional delivery fee. Increasingly, the resort experience felt tiered within tiered within tiered, with additional charges constantly appearing for comfort, seating, dining or upgraded experiences. Communication throughout the stay lacked consistency. The WhatsApp service is convenient in theory, but every response seemed to come from a different staff member, meaning conversations constantly lost context and we repeatedly found ourselves explaining the same issues. On one occasion we messaged regarding restaurant arrangements and received only promotional excursion messages in response whilst our actual query went unanswered. Room service was another disappointment. On one evening we returned from a full-day excursion to Cozumel at approximately 18:45 and decided not to risk another lengthy wait for a restaurant table. We ordered room service at 19:15, paid the delivery charge and were advised it would take between 45 minutes and one hour. Our food eventually arrived at 20:14. Unfortunately, the quality was also underwhelming and noticeably below the standard of the restaurants. Between the long wait and the poor quality, it was not a dining option we would actively recommend. To the hotel’s credit, once senior management became involved they did acknowledge our honeymoon and anniversary with a room amenity, sparkling wine and a personalised letter from the Hotel Manager, which we appreciated. However, it was difficult to ignore that every meaningful gesture or adjustment came only after repeated escalation and persistence. Very little felt proactively offered. Even the honeymoon amenity ultimately felt more like a standard service recovery package than a genuinely personalised celebration, particularly after learning that similar amenities were being provided to other guests for unrelated complaints. The fact that senior management formally acknowledged shortcomings in service during our stay only reinforced our view that many of these issues were not isolated incidents, but systemic operational failures. Whilst we appreciated the efforts made once our concerns had been escalated, the repeated need for intervention, coupled with the recurrence of many of the same issues afterwards, suggested deeper problems with communication, planning and day-to-day management across the resort. By the end of our stay we felt that the recurring theme was not poor staff, but poor management and inconsistent operations. The resort itself is beautiful and many employees work extremely hard, but too often the guest experience felt reactive, inconsistent and heavily focused on upselling rather than hospitality. As a result, we ultimately raised our concerns with our TUI representative on 30 May and a case has been opened. Unfortunately, the final days of our stay only reinforced many of the concerns already raised. After personally meeting with us during dinner, we had hoped that management had fully understood the wider issues affecting our holiday. However, on our final full day we were once again left chasing assistance regarding the lack of shade and parasol availability around the pool. Despite contacting the Ambassador team at 10:30am and having raised this issue repeatedly throughout our stay, we had to continually follow up and chase for a parasol to be provided. On a previous occasion, several hours had passed after a request was made and no parasol ever arrived. On this occasion, a parasol was not provided until approximately 12:00pm. By the time one was eventually brought over from the beach, Graham had already managed to secure a parasol from the pool area we were using after other guests had left. In the meantime, we witnessed numerous reserved loungers and parasols sitting unused for extended periods whilst the resort's own policy regarding unattended belongings appeared to go unenforced. The ongoing issue of guests reserving sunbeds and parasols also led to uncomfortable interactions and conflict with other guests, which further spoiled the final days of our holiday and added unnecessary stress to what should have been a relaxing experience. At pre-checkout we were presented with approximately $100 USD of additional room charges, including room service delivery fees, drinks and other incidental charges. Whilst these charges were technically valid, it felt like another missed opportunity for management to demonstrate goodwill or acknowledge the cumulative impact of the issues we had experienced throughout our honeymoon and first anniversary trip. No gesture was initially offered. Only after the charges were challenged and management involvement was requested was an $80 USD credit eventually applied, approximately 24 hours after the matter was first raised. Carlos subsequently wrote a letter accepting full liability for our disappointment. This once again reflected what became a recurring theme throughout our stay: assistance and goodwill were rarely offered proactively and generally only materialised after persistence, escalation and repeated requests from us. We did, however, have a great meal at Seasons on our final night. The food was excellent, although it did not take away from the confusion and frustration that had characterised the earlier part of our stay. We also learned that Seasons is now open to all guests and is located above the Italian restaurant. Unfortunately, not all staff appeared to be aware of this, as we were incorrectly advised that it was located outside when it is in fact inside by resort. Our checkout experience unfortunately reflected many of the same issues we encountered throughout the holiday. At pre-checkout we were advised that an $80 USD credit would be applied against our additional room charges as a gesture of goodwill. However, when we arrived to settle our account, we were presented with a release form stating that by accepting the credit we would release the hotel from any future claims, complaints and even negative reviews. We were not prepared to sign away our right to provide an honest account of our experience and therefore declined to sign. The credit was immediately withdrawn before eventually being reinstated without our signature after further discussion. The entire checkout process took approximately an hour and became unnecessarily stressful. Despite our concerns having been escalated throughout the stay, and despite management being fully aware of th

Booked here for a week. Checked out & left after 24hrs… Do not stay here, it will ruin your hard earned holiday.. Read the other reviews as yes we were not the only people who actually felt hungry at an all inclusive… Others on here are writing 5 star reviews & it be being their first time to something like this, so they obviously know no better. Got sickness and diarrhoea from a burger earlier in the day from the beach bar, Tui rep & restaurant manager couldn’t care less, not interested. We had to wait 2-3 hours just to get in a restaurant for dinner. Queue outside for at least half hour , to then be told that a table won’t be available for another 2 hours minimum, all restaurants were like this! Finally get a table seated at 9.45pm. Dinner is à la carte. But not really al la carte as the food is all pre cooked & comes to you not freshly cooked at all , old , greasy & tired. Would class the “à la carte” food as motorway cafe quality , deeply disappointing. You can’t do à la carte dining for over 600 rooms… not with only a few restaurants & a booking system reserved for club members, it doesn’t work!! Menu choices are limited and really poor. Obviously the hotel is trying to make money on serving you single dishes & not the wide choice & flexibility that all inclusive actually is.. No buffet restaurant…. We have been to Mexico many times & to many different 5 star all inclusive hotels & this is the first all inclusive , that is just NOT all inclusive. Again you have to queue outside a restaurant to get to the breakfast buffet. The area is tiny compared to the amount of guests staying, grossly inadequate. Then queue again as a whole trail around what was supposed to be a buffet. Awful breakfast food, poor choice , cooked badly, greasy, soggy. Put my plate back & left. There was a building site next to the hotel which you could see & hear from the main plaza while trying to relax outside with a coffee etc. it’s also right next to main reception but the Tui rep & manager blatantly denied that it even existed. Had to pay again for another 6 days to book into another hotel as wouldn’t stay in this place another minute.!! Another British couple complained at same time as us. They wouldn’t even cook them a vegetarian choice in the restaurant. Night entertainment had about 30 chairs out for a potential 800 people. Coffee shop isnt all inclusive either because they want to sell you Marley coffee. AN ABSOLUTE DISGUSTINGLY MANAGED PLACE !! WOULDNT RETURN EVEN IF IT WAS FREE.

I rarely write reviews but I felt like this was important to follow up on. Just returned from a really lovely time at The Fives. Family of 4 from UK, first long haul holiday all together and we had a great time. - ROOMS: Clean, comfortable, huge shower. I love a cup of tea in the morning so hired a kettle from them (took my own tea bags and small milks in my luggage). Filter coffee provided in the room and drinks in the fridges. We had two rooms, but the pull out bed (that I slept on for our first night) aren’t the best- I’d say fine for a child. When we first arrived it was the middle of the night, nothing was too much trouble and room service was offered incase we were hungry. Unfortunately one of the back doors on our apartment wasn’t closing properly, and so the team moved us to a different room until it was fixed. - POOL: Beds around the pool do get busy but there is plenty to go around. We would often go down to the beach part where it was cooler anyway as it was super hot. Music and lovely atmosphere around the pool. We used some of the local pools for the last day and this was really nice and a bit quieter, but just bear in mind that you then have to walk to the main pool area for food. - FOOD: Breakfast is buffet/ala cart, we went to Flavours every morning, this has lots of options. Lunch by the main pool has the most incredible Tacos and then there’s Pizza and Burger or Toasted Sandwich options. This did get a bit repetitive and would have been nice to have had an ala cart option in the main plaza. Dinner (see below) had lots of options for eating out. - RESTAURANTS: The restaurants are absolutely amazing of an evening. We tried Brassarie, Mexican, Italian and my kids are super fussy but they were able to have something off of the menu every night. I was worried about this going out there but I didn’t need to worry- it was great. We got a table in every restaurant we went to. Although we chose to get there between 5:30-6pm to eat, I never saw lengthy queues anywhere (as some reviews suggest). There’s also an option to eat until later around the pool, with ‘Stay for Longer’ options. - SPA: was great - highly recommend it. Just ensure you negotiate the price as they are definitely not fixed, and they will give you discounts if you ask. I’m sure now that I paid more than others, but it was an amazing massage. - EXCURSIONS: We spoke to Aldo, and he booked us onto swimming with turtles, cenotes and Tulum visit. He was absolutely fantastic and we had great trips out. Bring cash for taxes. - MAIN TIP: Bring cash (USD used and accepted)… you will need this for taxes and tipping. We took about $250 dollars for the week. - Golf carts are a 15 min wait from the top park to the bottom pool. - There isn’t a cocktail list around the pool. Check online for a full list of ones they do. Banana pina coladars are amazing! Overall, a lovely family holiday. Closer to a 4/4.5* than a 5. I’d say if you have any problems give the hotel chance to fix things for you. Enjoy!