Sunset Royal Beach Resort

I’m not one to typically complain, but honestly, I feel like this needs to be said because the current state of this resort is genuinely disappointing and, quite frankly, embarrassing.

My parents have been members here since 1995, and I’ve been coming to this resort since I was a baby. This place has always felt like a second home to me, which is why it’s so disappointing to see how much things have declined, especially since COVID.

First, the staff. Over the years, we’ve lost so many of the staple employees who made this resort feel special — the bellboys, waiters and waitresses, bartenders, and other familiar faces who made coming here feel like coming home. Over the past six years, many of these employees have either been let go or have resigned. It’s sad to see so many experienced and familiar staff members disappear, and it really makes you question how management is treating and retaining the people who make this resort what it is.

Secondly, the pool. I’ve never been the biggest fan of the Royal Sunset pool and typically don’t swim in it, but this trip I brought my partner with me and was honestly shocked by the condition of the water. The pool water is a nasty green colour and looks extremely dirty. I genuinely don’t understand why anyone would want to swim in it in its current condition. In my opinion, the pool should be closed temporarily for proper cleaning and maintenance. This is completely unacceptable for what is supposed to be one of the Royal Sunset’s main amenities.

Third, the hot tubs. This is another issue that has been frustrating for years. It seems like the hot tubs at the hotels are rarely, if ever, fully operational. Every time I come back, there always seems to be a hot tub that is out of service, not working properly, or unavailable. These are basic amenities that guests expect to be maintained and available, especially at a resort of this price and reputation. It’s frustrating to continually see the same issue without any lasting improvement.

Fourth, the hotel shuttles. The shuttle service has also noticeably declined. I remember when shuttles used to run every hour, making it easy for guests to get around the different hotels. Now, it seems like the service is every two to four hours, with no shuttle service at all during certain parts of the afternoon. This is a huge downgrade from what it used to be. For a resort where guests rely on transportation between the different properties, having such limited shuttle service is extremely inconvenient and makes getting around much more difficult than it used to be.

Fifth, the beach. The beach is another area that seems to have been poorly maintained. The lawn chairs are extremely outdated and uncomfortable. After sitting or lying on one for no more than 10 minutes, my back was already hurting. These chairs have clearly seen better days and are in desperate need of replacement. When you’re spending this much money on a vacation, you shouldn’t have to choose between being uncomfortable or not enjoying the beach.

The cleanliness of the beach is also disappointing. There was garbage and debris laying around, which takes away from what should be one of the resort’s biggest attractions. The beach should be one of the cleanest and best-maintained areas of the property, yet it currently feels neglected.

Sixth, the drinks. I’ve been coming here for many years and have experienced both busy and slow periods at the resort. This trip is definitely not the busiest I’ve seen the hotel, yet the quality of the drinks — especially at the pool bar — has been extremely disappointing. The drinks feel rushed and lack the care and effort that I remember from previous visits. When you’re paying what we’re paying for a vacation here, you expect a certain level of quality and service.

Lastly, the entertainment. It’s honestly quite sad to come on vacation and find out that there is only one theatre performance during our stay. ONLY ONE. In previous years, there were performances every night, and the entertainment was a big part of what made the Sunset experience enjoyable. I was really looking forward to showing my partner what the Sunset experience was like for the first time, and it’s disappointing that there is so little to offer compared to what I remember.

I understand that things change over the years, but this doesn’t feel like the same resort I grew up coming to. For someone who has been a member of this resort for decades and has been coming here their entire life, it’s genuinely heartbreaking to see the quality, service, atmosphere, and overall experience decline this much.

What makes this even more frustrating is that these aren’t small, isolated complaints. The staff, pool, hot tubs, transportation, beach, drinks, and entertainment are all things that contribute to the overall experience, and unfortunately, almost every one of these areas has declined.

For what we pay to stay here, I expect much more. I really hope management takes this feedback seriously for once, because I would hate to see a place that has meant so much to my family for so many years continue to go downhill

The places was regular, the room did not have a full length mirror, the bed and the pillows were old and worn out. Poor customer service, I had asked my butler at 12:46am for a comforter and I called room service no one answered until the next day at 11:40am. The pool had a cloudy/un sanitized color. Also got unauthorized charges.