It wasn't too bad. There was a lot of construction, there were 4 restaurants open, one "inside bar" and the deli and the ice cream shop. The evening entertainment was kinda cheesy - except for one night they had "cirque du soleil" type performers.
The place is MASSIVE. There was only one building open for people to stay in while I was there, and even then, the rooms were unfinished (for the most part). It was about a 40 minute walk from my room to the lobby (only the main lobby was open - the group one still was under construction). It was very easy to get lost, but there was always someone around to help you find your way back.
If you'd like to see pictures, I took a bunch - just let me know.
What the accomodations lacked, the staff more than made up for. They were all incredibly kind and went out of their way to help us (now, this may be because there were only a few people at the resort at the time, and they were handing out free weeks like it was el presidente beer, but still...) They remembered our names and were very kind to my son (he's 4).
Things were very unorganized, though. Even though we were assured by the front desk, the reception line (oh - when you press 0 from your room phone, it doesn't go to reception at the resort, it's some kind of call centre) and other patrons that local and international calls were free, some people still got dinged for them at check out. Also, excursions were supposed to be included, but people were being charged, the casino runs were not on time and there never seemed to be enough room in the bus, and if you needed something fixed in your room, there was a pretty significant waiting period involved before you even knew how it was going to be handled.
The food was very good. Only a few people got sick (but I don't think it was because of the resort's food... it may have been "liquid" induced - I have never seen so many drunks in one place ever!) but the doctor(?) at the resort was very attentive and caring.
The 24hr construction crews were kinda disconcerting, though... you couldn't go anywhere without seeing guys painting, digging, or planting flowers or trees. From what I understand, they were mostly all haitian workers, and were just as friendly when my son was practising saying "hola!" to anyone he passed
The kids club was run out of a towel hut, but had excellent attendants. They took the kids to the beach, played with them in the pool, taught them how to play card games and dominoes, and really seemed to care. My son had lots of fun.
The drinks were all unlimited and we even had a bar in our room with full bottles of vodka, rum and something I didn't drink! There was a HUGE selection of alcohol and the bartenders made strong, tasty drinks.
There was only one little (VERY LITTLE) store and it lacked a lot of the things we would find necessary. The staff were very sweet, though, and after my son's sandals were stolen, one of them went into town and bought him a pair and brought them back the next day (along with a little toy).
Security was always present - even if they weren't seen - and the lifeguards were amazing. They were very vigilant, and were out there 24 hours a day.
One thing that peeved me a bit was their "currency exchange". They would take canadian and american bills, but they would only ever give out pesos... even when american dollars were specifically asked for. Some excursions only took american, and cab drivers seemed to have the same preference. I found that the local's exchange rate didn't always match - and to this day I still can't figure out whether or not it would have been better to pay in american or in pesos.
I have to admit, though, that my opinions are very biased. This was the first resort I've ever been to, and I have no idea what it cost. My entire trip was a gift. Had I been the one paying for this everything, my impression may have been drastically different. For pete's sake, one of the highlights of my trip was that they had paved one part of the road leading from the first gate to the lobby! LOL
My vacation companion (my mother in law) stayed for an extra 3 weeks after my son and I left. She told me that by the end, the place was drastically different. They had opened up 4 more pools, more restaurants, and even the excursions were better organized and managed. I plan to go back in January (again, courtesy of my travelling companion!) and I can't wait to see how it's changed.
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Moon Palace
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