Originally Posted by
joseror
Wanted to post a quick review as I don't see anything added for the past year. This was our third time visiting.
Let me start by saying that the hotel changed management just before COVID and you can definitely tell. Long gone is the amazing service provided at Punta Islita and you can feel the change as soon as you check in. With prior management, you were greeted at the parking lot with a welcome drink and cold towels and then taken to a small living area next to the restaurant with an incredible view. Now, no one greets you and check in happens at a tight reception desk located just before the restaurant killing the magical moment of seeing that view as you walk in for the first time.
The restaurant is another horrible story, starting with service. Service is slow and overall bad quality. Breakfast technically starts with a fruit platter and bread basket, but on our first day we got neither while all tables around us got it. Second day, we got them after our main breakfast course which made no sense. There are also tons of flies and I don't recall having that issue in any of my prior visits. They are EVERYWHERE and they get on your food, your table and yourself. The menu itself changed as well and left a lot to be desired.
Rooms got a fresh coat of paint on the outside, but that's about it. But it seems like rooms will be remodeled soon, so I'll leave them out of the review.
The gym is a joke now. The old gym was located about 5 minutes away from the restaurant and had an incredible view. The gym is now located closer to the beach club where the golf reception desk was located (there's no golfing anymore), so you have to walk down 100s of stairs to even get there. The walk used to be nice, but the property now feels abandoned. The old golf course now has tall grass which has not been trimmed in a while, the small lake now has some horrible cheap looking railings, the walking trail is pretty much falling apart and there are a bunch on mango trees that are not taken care of so you find tons of rotting mangoes on your way down (with bugs included, of course).
Punta Islita used to be my favorite hotel, but I'm sad to say that those days are long gone and the new management has killed what made it great.
This is really sad to hear as this has been my wife and my favorite hotels to stay over the years....really our special place.
We last stayed in January 2020 just as the new management had taken over. The breakfast was not as good as before, but there were no other noticeable changes at that time. The golf course was closed before the new management took over. I hope they get some of that old magic back.....we are contemplating a return in 2023.