I contemplated writing this as Desire Pearl was always hands down our favorite annual trip. We have met so many amazing couples that have become life long friends but unfortunately this trip has soured us ever wanting to return in the near future.
Started off with lack of communication to have our 20yr vow renewal performed which was originally planned to take place on the pier. Antonio the guest manager never returned emails or calls to verify and confirm arrangements were completed. Thank goodness a good friend of ours was arriving a few days early and assisted with the final details. We were never informed until her arrival that the Pier was not available due to it being in disrepair. They gave us the option of the beach or lobby lagoon area. After she checked out the beach situation (no beach all seaweed) our only choice was the lagoon area. Our original package email the one and only time Antonio responded with pricing and what it included was to include a private dinner buffet for up to 10 couples in UNIK. We had planned our renewal on a Sunday to accommodate. When we arrived the Friday before renewal Antonio was not around so we met Saturday morning. He informs us that it will now be a prefix menu with choice of the one of each of the following entrees. Beef, Chicken and Fish. We specifically requested a nice Grilled Steak entree with NO SAUCE on it. He agreed. We were also informed the dinner would be on the terrace outside of UNIK - UM NO it's JULY mosquito and humid 100%. They moved it to a section in Aphrodite. Upon check in we informed Husband is allergic to Cilantro. This was reminded to Antonio for the dinner as well. He charged us $150 CASH for flowers that were to be at the ceremony including a bouquet of red/white roses for me, 2 long roses for my gal pal, and 3 boutonnieres for the gentlemen - groom, he best man, and our bestest bud who was our photographer. Had to have the money that Saturday so he could order. NO FLOWERS AT LOBBY CEREMONY. Only the bouquet, boutonnieres, and 2 single roses. Really that cost $150... The ceremony area was still gorgeous Vince performed the vow renewal and the DJ was amazing and so were the bar staff and waiters. We had 7 couples total. The spa staff were great to let us ladies get ready in the Salon area and they brought Chardonnay when asked for champagne but that was rectified with the help of one of our ladies.
Our dinner well that did not go so well at all:
Menu was practically the same all the other guest so Aphrodite got that night. Soup that they served my husband had Coriander seeds (Cilantro) yep he got ill had to leave the dinner for a while had to send some friends to check on him as he was gone for over 20 mins. Steaks had sauce on them and were way over/under cooked. Chicken was very dry. Fish well it tasted way to fishy. We didn't even get to cut into our wedding cake due to my husband being ill. Asked them to bring up to lobby bar area later for us and other guests to enjoy. After my husband took some meds he was okay to continue the celebration but not at 100%. The quality of food lasted our entire stay no matter which restaurant we visited. Some nights we pretty much went without dinner as we had to just walk out due to the quality of food being served. He was very ill on the 4th of July day didn't make it out of the room till almost the foam party. Which by the way was the worst day entertainment foam party in 5 years of 4th of July trips.
Foam was not very good, they typically in past had a american rock/roll band. This time they had 3 guys singing love songs from Sinatra era and a girl doing a pole dance next to them. Everyone was pretty much falling asleep.
When we voiced our complaints to management Antonio became very confrontational and talking to the GM Alberto Martinez who we have known since Cabo days it felt as if our concerns fell on deaf ears. Turns out my husband tried to order some type of entertainment for our group during the wedding night or my birthday which was the following night but Antonio flat out refused. WHY? We do this every year hiring some type of dancers for a private show? You advertise it as well on your website. We want to spend more $$ with Desire.
My wedding cake never made it out on our wedding night until hot tub time when one of my gal pals went on a hunt for it and brought it out herself. We got a slice to share but were told we could not have it at the hot tub so we requested they bring it out the next day. That never happened either - nor did I get the birthday cake that was ordered for me by a friend the next day either. She also gave them decorations to decorate our room for my birthday which I found out after the trip when she asked if they decorated our room for my birthday - UNFORTUNATELY NO -
There was no grilled fresh fish during lunch this year - no ceviche on buffet or at dinner - the burgers looked like frozen walmart patties that kept falling apart.
We were originally scheduled to return Halloween but we are in the plans of canceling that trip and we are not going to be returning to Desire anytime soon. It took us almost a month for my husband to get over stomach issues from this trip. Oh and the alcohol seemed watered down, which was a first for us. There were also a lack of chairs poolside even for members due to the beach conditions everyone was at the pool areas and unless you got up early and got a spot you were out of luck. Do love the new bathrooms at the hot tub. And they beds were being used not for storing items well most of the time however one night when a friend and her s/o went to use a bed that just had towels on it another lady yelled from inside the hot tub, hey that's my bed and she politely told her well use it then, needless to say she didn't get out of they hot tub to use it so it was put to good use by our friend and her man. The regular wait/bartend staff were great, EC team GREAT, our returning and new friends AMAZING if it wasn't for them being there with us we would have checked out early.