Lopesan Serenity Bay Resort, Spa & Casino

Beautiful Resort, but Serenity Bay Falls Short of Premium Expectations We stayed at Lopesan Costa Bávaro in a King Swim-Up Suite at Serenity Bay, paying extra for what was advertised as an elevated adults-only experience. While the property itself is beautiful, our stay was overshadowed by inconsistent service, disorganized operations, and a surprising lack of attention to detail. Our arrival immediately set the tone. We were welcomed with sparkling wine in the Serenity Bay lounge, but Wi-Fi issues prevented staff from completing check-in. After exploring the resort, we returned only to be shuffled between the lounge and main reception. Despite being told our room was ready and wristbands activated, neither had been completed. Eventually, one helpful employee took ownership and resolved the situation. Our bell attendant then rushed us through the expansive property without ensuring we could keep up. The suite was spacious, and the outdoor terrace was easily its strongest feature, offering loungers, direct swim-up access, and beautiful views of the adults-only pool. Unfortunately, the interior amenities were underwhelming. There were no washcloths, the minibar contained only two beers and no snacks, and the combined shampoo/body wash had an unpleasant medicinal scent. The air conditioning also shut off whenever doors opened, requiring repeated thermostat adjustments. Additionally, the open bathroom design provided little privacy, with the shower directly visible from the room’s entrance. Dining was consistently frustrating. Specialty restaurant reservations were heavily restricted, with little assistance from staff. Our first dinner at Lima was surprisingly enjoyable, although servers repeatedly removed unfinished plates. Thankfully, one attentive employee recognized the issue and replaced a dish. Day two brought additional disappointments. The resort app incorrectly displayed breakfast buffet hours, creating unnecessary confusion. Cocktails throughout our stay were consistently weak and dominated by mixers. The main pools were enjoyable, and the cenotes were phenomenal. However, lunch offerings at Lagoon Pool Club were repetitive. Dinner at La Bohème was particularly disappointing. Dishes arrived at room temperature, including lackluster onion soup, disappointing quiche Lorraine and beef bourguignon, and an ice-cold apple tart with nearly inedible pastry. We explored the Boulevard, shops, casino, and bars afterward, but found the beverage options equally underwhelming. We attempted to attend the scheduled 9 PM acrobatic show, but by 9:18 PM it still hadn’t started, so we left. Day three offered some genuinely enjoyable moments. Unexpectedly pleasant weather allowed us to enjoy our swim-up pool, the adults-only pool, water slides, and additional areas of the resort. Unfortunately, recurring operational issues remained noticeable. At The Pavilion, pool towels were repeatedly used as makeshift entrance mats to absorb rainwater, an eyesore that seemed easily avoidable. Breakfast and lunch selections also remained largely unchanged. Housekeeping consistently arrived late in the day, often interfering with our ability to return to our room and relax. Dinner at Enclave was another mixed experience. Despite displaying our confirmed reservation, the host repeatedly questioned our booking, required additional wristband verification, and seated us near the entrance. We also encountered pushback when ordering multiple appetizers and entrées. Fortunately, the food itself was excellent and among the best of our stay. Even departure was frustrating. Despite communicating our departure plans, housekeeping approached our room three separate times, ultimately attempting to enter with a key before knocking. Other inconveniences included the outdated towel-card exchange system and the lack of meaningful distinction between Serenity Bay and the main resort. Ultimately, Lopesan Costa Bávaro has beautiful grounds, impressive pools, and some genuinely excellent dining experiences. However, the inconsistent hospitality, restrictive reservations, disappointing cocktails, and repeated operational frustrations prevented us from fully enjoying what should have been a premium vacation. Our greatest disappointment was Serenity Bay itself. Beyond the attractive swim-up accommodations and adults-only amenities, we experienced little that justified the additional cost. The resort has tremendous potential, but its service and operational execution need significant improvement to match the luxury experience it promotes.

Overall, we’ve had a fantastic holiday, with a few teething problems that are understandable given how new the resort is. We did come here knowing how new the resort is and expecting a few bumps in the road. The grounds are absolutely spectacular. Everything is beautifully maintained, spotlessly clean and stunning to look at. The cenotes are particularly beautiful, and our swim-up suite was gorgeous. The swimming pools are fantastic, with perfect water temperatures, and the drinks have all been great. The staff have been friendly throughout our stay, and housekeeping has been excellent, servicing our room every day. The food has been amazing overall, and we’ve had no problems booking the à la carte restaurants. Our favourite was the Brazilian, with the French restaurant and Enclave also being highlights. We weren’t quite as keen on the Italian, and the buffet experience has been a little hit and miss. As the resort is still relatively new and in its soft-opening phase, there are understandably a few teething problems. Some restaurants open and close on different days, with guests sometimes being redirected to another buffet. We also encountered children in the adult-only buffet, although we appreciate this may be due to the resort currently operating with limited facilities open and guests being concentrated in smaller areas. The resort has been exceptionally quiet during our stay, with the pools often almost empty and absolutely no problems finding sun loungers. It feels wonderfully peaceful at the moment, although I imagine this will change considerably as occupancy increases during the season. Unfortunately, we’ve been really unlucky with the weather during our stay. When it rains, there isn’t a great deal to do, particularly when you’re staying at an adult-only resort. The app isn’t working properly yet, making it difficult to find a reliable schedule of daytime entertainment. There was a pool party during our stay, which we happened to stumble across, but we wouldn’t have known it was happening otherwise. Better communication about activities, alongside more indoor entertainment options for rainy days, would make a real difference. I also visited the spa, which is lovely. The treatments were excellent and reasonably priced, making it well worth a visit. However, it isn’t quite like a traditional spa experience, as there’s no sauna or steam room. There is a jacuzzi, but you have to pay extra to use it, which is worth knowing before booking. The beach club is currently closed, it doesn't look anywhere near completion, but the beach itself is lovely and easily accessible. It took us around 15 minutes to walk there from our room, which we found perfectly manageable. Although we weren’t travelling with children, the water park looked fantastic, with plenty of slides and a wave pool that looked like great fun for families. There really is something for everyone across the wider resort. One useful thing to know is that the resort operates a towel-card system. You exchange your card for a towel and can swap it for a fresh one as often as you like, remembering to return your towel and card at the end of your stay. Overall, we’ve had a wonderful holiday. The spectacular grounds, beautiful pools, gorgeous swim-up accommodation, excellent food and friendly staff have made this a really special stay. Yes, there are a few teething problems, but given how new the resort is, these are understandable and should improve as more facilities open and the hotel settles into full operation. We can see this resort becoming an incredible destination once everything is fully up and running. With a little more variety in the daytime entertainment, better communication through the app and more options for rainy days, the experience could be even better. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time here and would love to see how it develops over the coming months. 🌴

The hotel was beautiful, clean, and had a very pleasant atmosphere. The pool bar staff were friendly and attentive, and I would consider staying here again. However, some employees need to improve their customer service skills. During my stay, I visited Yolo, the 24-hour fast-food area, and had a very humiliating experience with one of the employees. I was having difficulty getting comfortable in the chairs, and instead of handling the situation discreetly and respectfully, the employee loudly and rudely commented that I did not fit. This made me feel embarrassed and humiliated in front of other guests. What made the situation even worse was that I never received an apology. All staff members should be trained to treat every guest with dignity and respect, regardless of their size. As a plus-size person, I should not have to feel uncomfortable, judged, or discriminated against while spending my hard-earned money to enjoy a vacation. If you are a plus-size traveler, I encourage you to consider this experience before booking a stay at this resort. It is truly disappointing because the hotel itself was lovely, but the behavior of one employee left a very negative impression on my overall experience. Everyone deserves to enjoy their vacation without being made to feel ashamed of their body. Respect should never depend on a person’s size.