Tesoro Manzanillo

Manzanillo is such a wonderful little town. It is not as busy as Cancun or Mazatlan but it is beautiful and peaceful. The Gran Costa Real is a beautiful hotel sitting all alone in a bay with it's own beach area. The beach is gorgeous and the water makes for great snorkling. The pool area is fabulous. My husband loves the swim up bar the best. The service staff are always friendly and go out of their way to make sure everyone is happy. The rooms are great with spectacular views of the ocean. The activities staff go above and beyond. They are there when you wake up and stay until you can't stay awake anymore. They encourage everyone to participate in the events they have planned throughout the day but without being too pushy. The night shows are fantastic. We have been to Manzanillo 3 times and every time we have stayed at the Gran Costa Real and we'll keep going back. Last time we went we brought along the newest additions to the family (my 5 and 6 month old niece and nephew) and they were welcomed just as much as we were. The hotel is family friendly and adult friendly, it's a great combination. I can't say enough good things about the Gran Costa Real, from the moment you arrive on the front steps to the day you leave, it's a wonderful vacation.

The Tesoro Manzanillo was wonderful. I stayed there with my sister from April 3 - 10th. We were treated like royalty. It is a perfect family resort.

I read many of the reviews before I left and agreed with some. The food was very good. And contrary to what others have said the Italian A La Carte was EXCELLENT!! It was outside overlooking the beach which was a nice view and added to the resort atmosphere. The Mexican A La Carte was very good as well! Many people will say there wasn't a variety of food, but I beg to differ there were many to choose from, but if you don't eat or try everything they offered then your choices maybe slim. The food was good the variety was good as well.

The Entertainment staff were just FABULOUS they were EXTREMLY kind and sweet (Hi Rogelio, Mara & Payo!!!). They did a great job and providing games for everyone and they did the best they could with the shows. The Servers at the Buffets and A La Cartes as well as the Bartenders were super, they were so sweet and helpful (Hi Juan Carlos and Sylvia) Front desk staff very helpful and quick with helping you out.

Yes the rooms could do with some renovations...but as one person said previously how long do you really spend in your room?? They kept the rooms and grounds clean!

My only issue was the music selection for disco. I believe that when I visit a different country I should be doing as they do. Therefore having to listen to Shania Twain and other Canadian/American music and artists was rather annoying. I'm in Mexico I want to hear the music of Mexico. When the mexican music was playing I felt like I was on vacation and my sister and myself enjoyed it more. (Thank you Payo for teaching me how to dance!!)

Tesoro is rated as a 3 star but they made my stay more like a 5 star!! Wonderful place, wonderful people, wonderful vacation. I will visit again!

Everything advertised was true!

Great value for the price!

The hotel provided us with a lovely room located on 2nd floor as requested

This is a wonderful hotel with an exceptional staff!

The food was excellent and beautifully presented

One of our best vacations ever!

WOULD LOVE TO RETURN A.S.A.P.

Anyone who's been baffled by the polar opposite reviews of the Tesoro should take what I'm about to say to heart. According to some of these writers, the Tesoro is hell on earth, a decrepit Bates Motel that's infested with all manner of vermin, with mold growing on every surface and food that would make a maggot woozy with nausea.

Please believe me when I tell you: IT'S NOT TRUE. The Tesoro is a quaint, intimate litle gem in a phenomenal location, staffed by some of the loveliest people I've ever had the goof fortune to meet. My wife and I just got home from a week there and we both wish we could have just one more day at the Tesoro, soaking up the sun, listening to the surf , being waited on hand and foot and taking in fabulous entertainment every night.

The hotel is nestled in a group of hills that's home to about six or seven resorts, all of which are more expensive than the Tesoro. The Karmina next door, for example, is $1,000 a week more. The Los Hados is also more expensive and doesn't have an elevator to the beach level. I could go on but I won't. We paid $1,400 per person, including the flight and taxes, for the week, all-inclusive.

The area is only minutes from downtown Santiago, a suburb of Manzanillo. The temperature is 30 C every day, there is little to no wind and the sun shines all the time. In fact, out of seven days, I saw very light cloud for a total of about 45 minutes. I noticed about a half dozen mosquitoes in seven days, and never encountered anything scarier than a bee the whole time.

Manzanillo, and the Tesoro in particular, is very popular with tourists from Guadalajara and Mexico City, so we got to meet a lot of Mexicans (which some reviewers seem to think is a bad thing - sigh).

Let's look at specifics:

THE ROOM: Our standard room was quite large, with tile everywhere. Some reviewers seem to think this is a bad thing. They apparently don't realize it HAS to be that way - if it wasn't, they'd have to replace everything after the rainy season. Just like the reason the building is white - it reflects the heat away so that the rooms aren't blazingly hot all the time. Some people complained about rust on fixtures. There may be a tiny bit but what do you expect? The ocean - that great oxidizer of all things great and small - is less than 50 yards away! (Which, by the way, makes for a magnificent view!)

I'll admit, the beds are hard, but that meant very little to me. Same with the fact there were only a couple of English channels on the TV. Who gives a rip? We were out of our room, except to change, from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. We were on the second floor, which meant we could keep our patio door open every night and listen to the drone of the surf. There IS a musty smell (again, you're right next to the ocean and AC is a moisture-based mechanism) but it comes from the air conditioning unit, NOT the room. Keep your AC off during the day and you won't notice it.

The bottom line is this: WHY ARE YOU IN YOUR ROOM??!! You're on vacation!!!!

THE BEACH: The Tesoro backs onto a horseshoe bay, which means it's for all intents and purposes a private beach. We rarely saw anyone other than guests using it. Yes, it's small, but who cares? I was there to soak up the sun and play in the surf, not go horseback riding. We never had a problem finding a lounger. In fact, the only downside is that the sand gets bloody hot.

Some people have complained that the ocean is "dirty" and cold. That's ludicrous. The Pacific shore is NOT the Caribbean; you shouldn't expect white sand and crystal clear, bathtub warm water. It's dark green and a little bit cool, which was great because most of the time I was overheated anyway.

THE POOL AREA: Just fine, thanks. It's not huge but it was more than enough to accommodate everyone while we were there. The swim up bar is also small but very efficient. There were a couple of days where we didn't move from the pools except to eat, and it was fantastic. To the reviewers complaining that the pool is too cold, I say pull the pacifier out of your mouth. It's freaking HOT out! I WANT my pool to be cool! Sheesh!

THE FOOD: Excellent. I got turned on to so many Mexican dishes that I'd never even heard of, and I couldn't get enough of the fruit. Loved the sausages, the pork dishes (forget the beef if you're used to Alberta quality, obviously) and the beans. And the salsa fresca! Ay caramba! I couldn't care less that there's little "normal" food on the menu, or that there aren't a dozen new selections every day. It's delicious and it fills the void. The end. Are you on vacation or on a scouting trip for the Iron Chef?

THE ENTERTAINMENT: I find it very interesting that all the crybaby reviewers neglect to mention the nightly shows. Could it be they prefer to be holed up in their rooms and pout rather than go out and have a good time? The entertainment was EXCELLENT! The Tesoro is lucky to have a group of incredibly talented people, especially Paolo, the MC and lead guy. The costumes are breathtaking, and some bits - like the acrobatics, trick ropers and a fantastic tenor - are Vegas quality.

If you're bored at Tesoro after dark, it's because you want to be. If you look at the pictures I posted, you'll see happy faces in the crowd. If they're so happy, why are some reviewers so miserable? If you WANT to have fun at the Tesoro, you WILL. I guarantee it.

THE STAFF: Utterly charming. With only a couple of exceptions, they were delightful. Fernando at the beach bar is just a blast. I commented on how the beach bar made the best mojitos at the resort and every time I saw him after that, he greeted me with a grin and shouted "Ey!! Mojito!!" A 20-peso tip was enough to elevate you from valued guest to Sinatra-esque high roller with just about everyone.

In fact, we gave our drink server at the pool a 50-peso note one day and I ended up having three beers going at once! I swear to God, she could read my mind. I'd be laying there thinking "Man, a beer would be good right now," and next thing you know she was standing there with her patented sweet smile: "Cerveza?"

J.C. from Air Transat and Miguel (or Miguelito, if you're a joking sort) are there to look after all your questions. The concierge, Susi, will take care of everything that they can't. The front door staff are excellent, making sure to fix your taxi price before you even get in the cab.

Everywhere you go in the resort, you will be greeted with sincere smiles, "Hola!" and attempts at English. For some reason, a few reviewers think it's the staff's duty to learn English because, of course, their sole reason for existence is to serve Canadians.

THE DRINKS: Have we become such an entitled, crybaby culture that we are actually able to complain about how much booze is in our free drinks? Or that the drinks are served in - horrors! - plastic cups? I won't dignify this twaddle by talking about it.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you sincerely want to have a good time, and enjoy the sun, sand and surf, the Tesoro will take care of your every need for a great low price. If, however, you want to spend a week in a fancy hotel room, being fed Moxie's-style food and breathing recycled air, surrounded by people speaking perfect English and wearing sharp-creased slacks, I suggest you shell out the extra money and stay elsewhere.

Please, God, let this end the stupid debate over this delightful little resort. Te amo, Manzanillo. Te amo, Tesoro.

Great food, great people, great service, and great weather... All the requirements for an excellent vacation.

Where to begin......well let`s talk about the food!!!! Nothing but fresh food served daily, many choices for every palet! There was something for everybody, either water aerobics, kayaking, snorkelling, cruises around the ocean, polo, etc....the list just keeps going. We were there for Christmas vacation and it was the best thing that we ever did. The kids had a blast and so did I! The staff there were there to make everyone happy, espically the kids! That got me the most!

Just about every night there was a performance, and they were geared towards all ages, I know my kids just loved them, espically the Christmas show! I have never seen anything like it before, and all I could do was sit in amazment and see how the much the kids really enjoyed it! The shows were just something out of a story book, with the colors, lights, make-up, costumes, dancing...you felt like you had entered the story and were living it!!!

What I thought was just the best thing...at the end of each performance, the little ones were asked to go onto stage and dance with the performers...you could see the excitment in their eyes when they were on that stage!

The staff there, espically the sport and entertainment staff, were just the friendliest bunch...you can always tell when people aren`t happy at work, but this bunch...always made you smile and always had something nice to say to you. You could tell that they really enjoyed their job!

We really enjoyed our visit there and are going to return next year for sure...I already promised the kids we would go back...LOL!

To all the staff at the Tesoro Manzanillo.....we will see you soon!!!!

Brenndan, William and Antonietta!!

The Tesoro Manzanillo is a lovely Spanish style hotel, Built into the side of a hill. It has non-smoking rooms (2nd floor), and some great views! I cannot emphasize how good the service was: everyone we dealt with was courteous and friendly, and did their best to accommodate our wishes.

The rooms are clean, the fridge is stocked (water and beer), the safe is included in the price, and finally, the food is wonderful. I was a bit bummed that the Mangoes were out of season, but there was lots of fruit (Papayas, melons, pineapple, apples, etc., and at breakfast, a wonderful Omelette lady who cooked our eggs exactly how we wanted them. Be sure to try the Chillaquilles for breakfast! I always like mine with a couple of over-easy eggs on top… Breakfast is our big meal and we were very pleased. Lunch and Dinner were also wonderful, with many courses and lots of tempting desserts. There are two buffets; one by the ocean and another on the “R” level (6th floor). There are two ala carts; one Mexican (great) and one Italian (great) which is in the snack bar at night so there is an excellent ambience. There are tennis courts (clay, I think) and a good supervised kid’s park with waterslides.

Our experience here was great. The hotel is built along Playa Audiencia, which is the beach Bo Derek (and Dudley Moore) ran along in the movie “10”, so many years ago! Our customer service rep was Jean Clemente, a transplanted Quebecer who came here as an animator 16 years ago and stayed ("I'm at the counter for you from 8-4, I got no life -no girlfriend, no boyfriend, just a cat -but I'm happy") His“get acquainted”talk was fun, and quite informative. We booked tours through him with Tlaloc Tours.

Here are a few thoughts about Manzanillo, the resort, and the state of Colima:

1. The Beach gets quite hot, so a pair of flip flops or good sandals is essential. The is quite a drop off in the ocean just off shore, so watch your kids! The sand extends out further into the ocean at the extreme south end of the beach, so that is better for little ones. There are lots of fish and rays in the water. The surf is rarely gentle, so snorkeling is not the greatest here.

2. Afternoon temperatures run 30-35', but evenings and mornings can get a bit chilly so a light sweater might be nice to take along.

3. IF YOU TAKE ONLY ONE TOUR, take the all-day tour to Colima. It is super.

We drove for 1.25 hours on a new toll road in a new Mercedes van with a good guide. Our driver/guide was Sylvestre -Sly- and he was great, speaking very good English and keeping us informed all along the route.

We saw the state capitol, Colima, which is beautiful, and a smaller city, Camala, which is quite lovely. We had a Tapas Mexicano meal in Camala, which is like Mexican Dim Sum (they keep bringing wonderful local food until you tell them to stop!) We also got two drinks with our meal (5 different kinds of beer, etc - try the "ponche") We also will went to a terrific ruins park in Colima which was a real suprise! The pyramids, etc are not as big as Chichen Itza but they are stunning. This site was only discovered after WWII and has some unique history. There is a just-opened tomb that you can look into and see the dog statues that guard it. There is a tour of a wonderful Hacienda museum as well, with original art by the family owner, Hidalgo. Finally, we drove up to a nice viewpoint on a coffee farm to see the Active Volcano. It steamed a bit – lovely area.

The total cost for everything was $65 USD each.

Be sure to take lots of $$$ as the prices for souvenirs, art and booze are unbelieveably cheap in both Colima and Camala. The “ponche” you can try at the cantina can be bought for 35 peso's right across the street and there is some wonderful art.

4. At the hotel, the nightly entertainment was the usual,

but the karaoke night was a pleasant surprise, and don't miss the Mexican night, which has some 1st rate entertainment. As this hotel has a lot of Mexican guests the interplay between the singer and dancers and the audience was wonderful.

5. We caught a local bus on the road just above the resort for 4 peso's that took us to the main road, in front of the golf course, where we caught the BLUE STRIPED BUS marked "EL CENTRO DIRECTO" which will took us to downtown Manzanillo for 7 peso's - look for the gigantic blue sailfish statue - that's where you get off.

Manzanillo is a great working city, (largest shipping port in Mexico) – not unlike Puerto Vallarta in layout, with lots of shopping.

Coming home, we caught the BLUE STRIPED BUS MARKED " MIRAMAR DIRECTO" (this is actually the same bus we took downtown, just going the other direction) to get back to the road by the golf course where we caught the local bus back to the resort. (It is about a 15 minute walk to the resort)

6. Regarding tipping, this is not absolutely necessary, but the service is so good you will want to tip some people. Tip for the baggage guys (a buck a bag), the room maid (a buck a day), the omelette lady (love her!) and the girls who give you great service bringing drinks for you onto the beach. If anyone impresses you, tip ‘em! Another thing: DON'T tip in US or CDN coins… the local banks won't handle them so they are useless. Take $Peso's or $US singles – they work great.

Overall, this was a wonderful experience. It is still relatively unspoiled by development, although that is beginning (they have a WalMart and McDonalds, etc). Prices are much lower than Puerto Vallarta, and the pace is slower, too. We have been to many places in Mexico and central America and were very pleased with our first visit to Manzanillo, and the Tesoro Manzanillo. It won't be our last.

We were there in Janurary and had a great time, the food was great, the shows were first class and the staff were really helpful.

The Location reminded me of a Greek Island with all the surrounding White Buildings.

We have been travelling for the past 20yrs and this was one of the best Hotels and good value for money

We took some trips on the Local Bus which was a delightful experience.

All in all we had a great time and will go back most likely this Fall

Tony and Rachel McBlain Grimsby Ontario

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy life to share your experiences at Tesoro Manzanillo. We strive to provide every guest an experience unlike any other, all while providing exceptional service.

We have shared your comments with the entire staff and the Sports and Entertainment division, the team that puts on the shows, and they were so happy that you enjoyed yourself.

Please feel free to contact us for your next visit. We look forward to welcoming you back.

Jessica Rivera

Public Relations

We stayed at the Tesoro for a week in March and after reading all the reviews we were not sure what to expect so we were prepared for the worst. Upon arriving we were amazed at the beautiful building. Inside you can see it does need some repairs but not all that bad. It is definately not a 4 star property. Our room was on the 3rd floor and we did not have any problems with the elevators as reported even when we were on the 6th floor, which is the lobby. Our room was quite sufficient for the time we spent in it. We had a beautiful view of the ocean and sunsets. The only thing is the bathroom need an good cleaning or an update, mold on the shower wall and old fixtures. We had lots of towels and great room service the entire week. I took airwicks and bounce for the smell from the AC units. We even went into town and shopped at Walmart LOL...and took a sightseeing tour that was very informative and enjoyable. Air conditioned tour bus.

The food was an issue with the daily restaurants closing from 12 - 1 pm daily and much the same food being rotated from one day to the next and not much variety on the dessert table. The staff at Tesoro are really nice and our server by the pool (Sylvia) was very nice. All in all a very nice week, we met some nice people and would do it again.

The Minnesota girls were the highlight of the week..great fun!!

My fiance and I just returned from a two-week stay at the Tesoro Manzanillo on April 3rd, and we had a great time.

TRIPADVISOR

We found the reviews on TripAdvisor to be fairly accurate, if a little odd; someone posted some stop-the-presses information about cracked tiles and whatnot, and in fact, I saw a cracked tile, but I didn't swoon or anything, so that's good.

As always, take the bad reviews with a grain of salt; everyone expects something different when they travel. My fiance and I shop for price before star rating, so all we ever expect is a bug-free room and toilets that flush; the rest is pretty much gravy. We paid very, very little for our two-week stay, and we feel that we got good value for our money.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Don't worry about bringing a bunch of cash with you; you will get a better rate of exchange if you use your bank card and withdraw funds from your bank account.

Before we left Canada, I bought 4000 pesos, and it cost me $413.62 CDN. When we were in Manzanillo, I used my bank card to withdraw 4000 pesos from my account, and it cost me $355.41 CDN.

Just remember to go to your bank and change your PIN number to a 4 digit number; some bank machines in Mexico don't accept longer PIN numbers.

I'd suggest that you bring some CDN cash to buy drinks on the plane there and back, and buy 1000 pesos before you leave, and ask for them all in 20 peso increments. This will cost you just over $100.00 CDN, but you'll have money to start buying and tipping as soon as you get there.

HOTEL STAFF

The staff are absolutely lovely; we had no problem communicating with anyone, and everyone was friendly and courteous. The bartenders were fantastic (here's yet another shout out to Fernando, who's already famous). I strongly recommend that if you pay cash for your internet, or exchange dollars for pesos, you count the pesos you are given before you walk away from the desk.

TIPPING

When you leave tips for the maid, make sure to leave the money on your unmade bed; a couple of travelers we met were leaving cash on their nightstands, but the maids won't take anything that's sitting anywhere other than the bed; these are some seriously honest folks. Same with the people who refill your fridge; leave the tip inside the fridge; if you leave it on top, they may not take it. We tipped $4.00 per day (20 pesos for the maid, 20 pesos for the fridge lady) and had stellar service; our fridge was never empty and our room was spotlessly clean every day.

CHECK-IN

For us, check-in was relatively quick and easy; we were first off the bus, so we were about fifth or sixth in line. They hand you an envelope that has your towel cards, key cards, and your TV remote, smack some wristbands on you, and one of the bellmen will haul your luggage upstairs for you. We were in the pool about 30 minutes after setting foot in the lobby.

APPEARANCE AND CLEANLINESS

As many others have pointed out, the Tesoro is an old property, and hasn't been upgraded since it was built. There are signs of wear, and the decor is quite dated. There are cracked tiles and beaten-up fixtures. That said, it's immaculately clean, and there are a bevy of housekeeping staff and maintenance people working to keep it so.

HOTEL SAFES

The safe is mounted on the wall, and is electronic, which is great; it means that you don't need to sign out a lock or a key from the front desk. Our safe was hanging open when we checked in, so all we had to do was close the door and enter a 4 digit number onto the keypad, and it locked automatically. If your safe is closed when you check in, call down to guest services and let them know, and they'll send someone up to fix it as soon as possible.

The safe is apparently a standard hotel-sized safe; we fit all our electronic gear (blackberry, camera, Zune, PS3, etc, as well as all our travel documents and had room to spare. Again, a regular laptop probably wouldn't fit into it, but one of those 7" mini-PC's should fit just fine. There IS wireless internet available in the hotel, although I'm not sure if it extends into the rooms or not.

ROOMS

Our room was clean and comfortable, with a huge marble bathroom. We were in room 954 in the tower, and though it was WAY too close to the nightly entertainment, we know we could have switched rooms if we'd wanted, but elected not to; the view was worth it. Everything worked, and the TV in our room had RCA jacks on the side, so we could plug our Zune in and watch movies at night or during siesta time.

RESTAURANTS & FOOD

The food was a little up and down, for us. The menu runs heavily to Mexican dishes, which is great, because we're in Mexico, and I don't want to feel like I'm sitting in Saskatoon having a BLT, but while I've never thought of either my fiance or myself as particularly picky eaters, we both had a hard time finding a full plate at every meal.

That's not a complaint, per se; there was lots of food available, it just wasn't always...appealing to us.

The Italian restaurant was very good; we heard nothing but raves from everyone who ate there, including ourselves, but we didn't make it to the Mexican restuarant, and from what we heard, we didn't miss much.

Try the mushroom soup; it's excellent. Also, the pancakes for breakfast are great, but for the love of Pete, be careful of the red sausage (chorizo). The flavor is... different. Try some for yourself, but start small.

Also, try a small bite of everything on your plate before you take a big mouthful; there's a lot of REALLY hot food on the buffet, and it can come as kind of a surprise to someone with no taste for it.

BOOZE AND BARS

The fridge in the room comes stocked with cans of Sol beer, as well as coke, sprite, and water.

The all-inclusive package doesn't include ALL premium brands, just some. For example, you can have all the Smirnoff and Bacardi you want, but the Beefeater will cost you. :)

POOL AND BEACH

There are two pools; the main pool and a children's pool and play area. I don't think I ever saw a single child in the children's pool, so the main pool was jam-packed with kids, especially on weekends.

This isn't shocking or terrible, but it does contribute to a certain level of... mistiness in the water, right to the point where you can barely see your feet. If that grosses you out, you have two options; get out and go to the beach, or have another cerveza. Whatever works for you.

The Tesoro is on a sheltered bay, so there is a completely private beach that's very quiet. The water gets very deep, very quickly, which contributes to a line of undertow right at the water's edge, which is enough to suck a large woman right off her feet. I am the large woman in question, in case you're wondering. Once you're in past that line of surf, all is well, but until then, tread carefully.

Also, the sand is friggin hot. HOT HOT HOT!!! A certain kind reviewer warned us all, but I secretly thought that maybe they were just soft city folk. That notion went right out of my head the first time I went to walk down to the water, and my casual stroll turned into a screaming run for the water. Wear Aquasocks.

The surf at the beach is not suitable for boogieboarding or bodysurfing; in order to find the right kind of beach for that, put on your swim gear and pack some towels and head to the lobby to hop in a cab. Ask the bellman or security guard to ask the taxi to take you to the beach in front of Club Maeva. There's an artist's market there that extends onto the beach, and there are a bunch of restaurants where you can rent a table with an umbrella right close to the water, and drink Pacificos in between catching huge waves.

GETTING AROUND

I'm not gonna lie, I'm lazy. On our second day at the Tesoro, we decided to hike over to the sister hotel, Las Hadas, to check it out. On the little map they give you, it looks like they're right next door to each other, and they are, but they're right next door across a hill that does not ever seem to end.

We took a taxi back from the hotel, and that was the end of our walking tours; from then on, it was all taxi, all the time.

TIMESHARE OPERATORS / BEACH VENDORS

We didn't see or talk to a single timeshare operator in our entire 14 days in Manzanillo.

The only beach vendors we saw came to us when we went to the beach in front of Club Maeva to boogieboard, and then they were very polite; when we said "no, gracias" they just continued on their way.

EXCURSIONS

We went on four excursions; the Manzanillo sightseeing tour and the ATV tour with Tlaloc, and the snorkel tour and the 3 hour fishing trip with Pacifico (the guy who sits in the booth by the pool).

We had a really poor experience with the sightseeing tour; even at only $20.00 USD per person, we feel like we wasted our money; we were in a huge open-air cattle car, and the guy on the mic didn't share much information about Manzanillo, just about what bars and restaurants his family or his friends worked at, and how we should go there and spend our money. The second half of the tour, he blasted a mildly pornographic spanish rap CD. While I enjoy the genre, it made for kind of a crappy sightseeing tour experience.

The ATV tour was absolutely excellent. Myself and my fiance were the only two on the tour, so it was pretty much a private tour. We're both fairly advanced ATV riders, but even folks without much experience would enjoy themselves.

The ride takes you along some gravel backroads; there's no beach or backwoods riding in this tour, but it's still well worth it, I think. They took us to this perfectly lovely little river, and because it was just the two of us, and we arrived so quickly, we got to play in the water for more than an hour.

The fishing trip was well worth it; we paid $150.00 US, and myself and my fiance got to go alone on a good-sized, meticulously clean fishing boat. We caught about 17 fish, and landed 10 of them, and got some great pictures.

The snorkel tour was totally worth it; again, $20.00 US per person, and they have these huge boats that they take out into the bay, show you a couple of interesting features, frolic with dolphins, and then take you to a sheltered cove where you can snorkel for about 40 minutes. The snorkelling is excellent, and we had such a great time that we actually took this same tour twice.

Last minute tips and advice

The hotel itself is not in Manzanillo, it's in a kind of suburb called Santiago. Everything you might need is there, or in the neighboring suburb/town of Salagua including a Wal-Mart, a KFC (doesn't taste like home) a Burger King (tastes exactly like home) and a Dominoes (nothing like home), and a few other places, like Starbucks and DQ. If you get to missing home, go there, but don't go looking for deals; everything is the same price as at home.

Bring travel mugs; they'll keep your drinks colder, longer.

If you're flying Air Transat, bring your own food on the plane. We got boxes of President's Choice Chinese food on both the trip there and the trip back, and it was...kind of gross.

Go and see the shows; the entertainment staff is excellent, the shows are great, and the meals are excellent.

I probably wouldn't stay at the Tesoro again, but we will definitely return to Manzanillo, and probably stay at another hotel.

I read a ton of reviews before the trip, and was actually a bit concerned due to the polarized views other guest have had at this place.

I got there and the place looked great, the service and staff were helpful right away. We were assigned a room close to the kids area, the beach, and the pool, but we did not know it was right next to the club that will have music going until 1AM. Having a 3 y/o son, this was noisy; however, we approached the reception area and were changed to a room that wasn't so close to the pool or other facilities, but the view was great.

The food was amazing, I had never put on so much weight in one trip alone.

Although I do agree that the hotel is a bit old and needs upgrading in some areas, I loved the town, the weather, and the food. Will definitely go there again.

My spouse and I came back from Tesoro April 3. Overall, it was a satisfactory experience and largely what we expected based on trip advisor reviews. There are some things you should know if travelling to this hotel. It is mostly a family resort. Specifically, a mexican family resort. There are lot's of children. We went during a slow pre-easter week, so the numbers of children were not overwhelming. There are plenty of facilities for children including a wading pool by the adult pool and very nice kids club. However, no children used the kids club as the parents preferred to play with them in the adult pool. It's not pleasant being at a swim up bar with children splashing and playing all around you. But again, this is a family resort and you need to know that. There weren't that many children on the beach.

Our room was very nice. Second floor pool and ocean view with a terrace, not just a balconey. Cleaned well. No problems. The service was excellent. Pool and beach drink service was a nice touch. Service at the front desk was efficient and friendly. No complaints. Check in was quick and easy.

The beach was very nice. Lots of waves, but they didn't break right for body surfing. When we arrived the beach had a steep drop and the water was over your head in 5 or 6 steps. However, this changed over the week and there was shallower water to frollick in the last few days (tide, I think). We solved the whole problem from the start by walking to Walmart and buying two water noodles. We also purchased some tequila for the room as it was cheap at walmart and the tequila at the resort was quite cheap. (not even Cuervo).

Drinks were mostly good. They had a few premium brands if you asked for them. However, the food was not so good. Maybe it was just the week we were there, but the buffet food was just edible. My spouse said I was being too critical so I'll say the buffet was ok. The Mexican a la carte was poor. Bad service and cold food. The Italian was outside overlooking the ocean. The food and service was decent. By the way, if you get good food and service tip your server. Your sincere "thank you very much" spoken to the waiter as you are leaving doesn't help put food on his table.

There really isn't any nightlife at this hotel, and we really didn't venture into town on this trip, except for the walmart walk. We saw one show and walked out. It was like a high school production. I couldn't help but laugh a few times as it was so amateurish (and no I wasn't expecting Vegas, but I've seen more than a few of these types of shows).

They did have a pretty decent fitness centre at this resort if you're so inclined. The cardio equipment was new and they had a good selection of free weights.

Overall, this was a decent family oriented hotel which I would give 3.5 stars. My spouse gives it 4 so I will defer to her. I wouldn't really recommend this hotel unless you were travelling with children. If you are looking for a family all inclusive vacation, this is your affordable spot.

My Husband and I spent two weeks here in February, overall we were quite satisfied, we would definitely go back if we don't ewant to spend alot on a vacation,,,,

The first thing I would like to mention is the service, the service was excellent we could not have been taken care of any better! From the servers, bartenders and maids to the clerks at the front desk, service was excellent!

The food was quite decent...The buffets had a good selection, there was always something good to eat, although it became a bit repetitive. The breakfast wasn't that great, except for the omelets which were amazing! Don't waste your time on the Italian Restaurant, the Mexican was pretty good, especially the Ribs!

The View was amazing, Tesoro is located in a nice little private bay, the beach is your own,,,,the view from our room was absolutely incredible!

The entertainment was very good, always something at the pool during the afternoons to entertain you, and the nightly entertainment was very good!!!

The only things that could have been better......The Hotel and grounds need a bit of upgrades, there were certain areas of the hotel that weren't too appealing, the pool had chipped tiles, which my husband cut his foot on when he jumped in, there was a nasty smell coming from the drains at times, and the elevators!!!!!! The elevator would take forever to come and stop at EVERY FLOOR which was not too great when you are on the 18th floor.

Overall it was pretty good, considering the price, I mean we weren't expecting 5 star, we were pretty happy the complaints were minor., we would go back we had a very nice time! ( Oh yeah, the aromatherapy massage was amazing, I would definitely recommend it!!!!!!)

~Cindy and Tony

After so many mixed reviews we were very pleasantly surprised! The Tesoro is ultra clean, the rooms large and our balcony in rm 852 was HUGE! (see pics!) Sure, there are a few imperfections...but had I not read all the negative reviews, I probably would not have even noticed!

We found the food really good! There was tons of variety and we ate everything from sushi to tacos! We had no tummy upset (except for one day but that was self induced!)

Do yourselves a favour and if you only do one excursion take the snorkel trip on the Nonni. The owner is a really nice guy and it is a WONDERFUL day out!

We lacked for nothing at this hotel....

We travel frequently and have stayed at loads of hotels and we considered Manzanillo and this hotel to be one of our best trips yet! There is alot to do and see and the weather can't be beat!

Enjoy yourselves at the Tesoro and ignore all the naysayers, some people just love to complain!

We brought our five year old twins. If you're looking for a good family vacation resort, this is it. If you're looking for a place to party, you probably want to go somewhere else. It was safe, clean, and the staff was very accomodating. The place was older than I excpected and in some areas it showed, but the kids area was great and the staff was very helpful when needed. Yeah, the bed was a little uncomfortable, most hotels are. The shower went from scalding to cold. I went to Mexico to enjoy Mexico, not showers. If you can get over the minor details, there is much to enjoy at the Tesoro. Anytime we noticed a minor flaw in the resort, we would simply look at the view from where the Tesoro is and quickly decide it was a small price to pay! Other than the view, nothing will jump out at you, but nothing will truly dissapoint you either. Clean, convinient, great family resort. Not for partying.

FACILITY

This was second time to Tesoro Manzanillo, March 2009. We stayed at this resort in February 2008 as well. The facility is a moorish style typical of other buildings and architecture of Manzanillo and other places in Mexico. The facility is actually not as bad as some reviewers suggest, unless you think the world wide architechtural standards are canadian/american wood frame boxes with plastic carpet, plastic decorations and amenities and sometimes well mannered plastic people. The rooms are large and overall the cleaning standards are pretty good. Electrical and plumbing standards are another matter. Iam a retired engineer and am tempted to comment on the Mexican electrcal standards but I've decided to entertain myself by taking photos of variours amazing electrical bees nests hanging from power poles in mosts places in Mexico.

On this trip I did manage to figure out how to get all the lights and outlets to work except one. Plumbing fixtures are usually dripping, rusting and are usually not stylish. This seems to be pretty well what the norm is in this area of the world. With temps in the 30's everyday and the ocean about 50 yds away it would a challenge not to have some rust. One concern about bathroom plumbing at the tesoro is the floor drains in the bathrooms. I do not believe they are properly trapped and the net result is you could have some septic odor back throught the floor drain. This happened to us last year, so we requested a differerent room. I carry duct tape when I travel and it may come in handy here!

The A/C sytem works well but does carry a mould odor. We have experienced this in a number of other places as well, (Texas California and others). Might want to bring along Claratin if you're sensitive.

The rooms are kept clean and the linen is always clean although the towels sometimes look like previous occupants may have used them for other purposes!

The playa here is great if you like swimming in salt water, it drops off quickly and you don't have to worry about being head planted into the sand like the beach at Santiago (beautiful beach otherwise) or manzan bay. The pool is great and kept remarkably clean considerig all the oil slicked whales wallowing in it spilling drinks regularly.

FOOD

The food varies from average to very good. I know the food is at least okay since I almost always return to the buffet waaay too much. The buffet has a pretty wide selection and choices vary from plain to very good. I wouldn't recommend the mexican oatmeal for breakfast don't think it has any oats. If you can figure out what's in it let me know, cause I do like my oatmeal.

The mexican ala carte Adobe, is good with a couple of exceptions in the choices; tortella soup very good as are most soups in the resort. Ribs not so good. The not so good - palapya Italian restaurant - average at best and the lunch buffet at the Palapya is a poor choice, food is not always kept warm but burgers pretty good if you get there just after they've been grilled. The waiters and servers are always super. Could not ask for better service, breakfast, lunch or ala carte!

Stayed here 2 weeks in 08 and again in March 09 and have never had montezuma's revenge at this facility, I eat salads, drink every drink with ice they mix and probably get a little backsplash from the pool. Of course I have a cast iron stomach - not , the week after I get back to Calgary my stomach is upset, Just can't take this Canadain food!

LOCATION

The resort is on a bus route you can get anywhere in town form the front door( for 5 pesos even). Shopping not as good as other mexican places, but I'm only looking I already have to much stuff.

SECURITY

Met lovely mexican lady (truely) who manages beach restaurant at Playa Mirimar. Lovely mexican lady assures us we can leave our doors unlocked anytime in Mazanillo not to worry. In any case we decided to lock our door and we were also careful to lock our room safe each time we were out of the room. 5 days after arrriving back in Calgary, MBNA called us to see what we just purchased on our MBNA mastercard one hour earlier in Mexico City? I had removed it from my wallet , along with a couple of other cards, left it lying in our safe, and the card remained in the safe for the 2 weeks and I returned it to my wallet when we left. We had used none of our credit cards while in mexico! MBNA profiled our card usage and picked it up. Good service by MBNA.

We would not hesitate to return to Tesoro again, but would not rely on the room safe next time.

Just returned from a fabulous week at Tesoro and had to past on what we learned.

We were debating on Cuba, Dominican or Mexico & definietly made the right call.

1. The weather was as good as it gets ... blue skies & high 90's everyday.

2. The staff were so friendly & helpful ... we never went without.

3. The hotel could use some work done on it, but nothing that caused issues.

(If you enjoy stucco & textures you'll love it. Flourescent lighting? Go elsewhere)

4. The food was fantastic if you like to try things. If your looking for the same old stuff

(roast beef, mashed potatoes, battered fish) you're out of luck. Great mexican variety

had us sampling tatstes we'd never have access to in Canada.

5. As the only hotel in the cove, the beach had a cozy feel to it. The locals were never a

bother & lent an air of variety.

6. The pool area was the center of activity all day, but in a very fun way ... not pin-drop

quiet but also not frat-house rowdy. The games & contests made you want to join

in, but just watching them was a blast also. Great pool bar.

7. There was a huge kid's area & the staff was very kind to the many children there.

We have no qualms about taking our 2 kids there next year ... they'll be busy!!

8. The rooms were nothing spectacluar, but we were only in them to shower, change or

sleep. The view of the ocean from the 9th floor was great, but we were always out.

Value-wise we got what we paid for. There were no mints on the pillows or exotic foot

massages from Tahitian princesses by the lagoon, only a fun time at a clean & safe hotel with some of the friendliest staff I've ever encountered. There was no air of stuffiness and the majority of the guests we met agreed that the price was right.

Returned from a nice stay at the Tesoro resort in Manzanillo. First let me say that the rooms need updating, but are not terrible. One problem we did encounter, was the shower curtain was too high and water would spray the floor. I shimmed the curtain lower and all was good. The caretaqker must have seen this and changed the curtain rod, But it too was too short. I shimmed again and all was good. The next day he changed it again. Well, by the end of our stay I removed the curtain all togethor and let the floor get soaked(drain in floor). Other than a few poor rules(no food by pool ) the place is decent.

We arranged for a few day trips and met a local(from manzanillo) named Rigo. He took us to manzanillo and informed us about the surrounding area. We were greatful for the local knowledge. We then got Rigo to drive us to Colima and comala. WE viewed the volcanoes and ate an excellent meal . On our trip back we encountered a taurantula and went into a local house. I am posting Rigo card, as this guy really knows his way around and is very knowledgable. Thanks Rigo

The beach is an excellent place to snorkel, especially in the morning.

All and all a great trip and would return too the area.

Had a marvelous time. Hotel was a little tired but everything else was great! The entertainment was very energetic and they put on great shows with excellent costumes.Wait staff are fantastic very friendly and helpful.Cleanliness was great. Front desk were kind and accommodating. Frankly we travelled with Transat and they were great local rep was very good.The spa was very reasonable and extremely good i recommend the sport massage.

Just returned from the Tesoro. I must say that I was afraid to go because of the bad reviews, but they were wrong.

The entertainment staff worked hard day and night, always with smiles. The entertainment was Vegas style shows. It was awesome.

The food was great, especially the salsa and the fish. Couldn't get enough of the stuff.

The staff were constantly cleaning in and out of the building.

The playground was perfect for my daughter. She loved playing on the beach, in the pools and the splash park. The sunsets and beach were breathtaking.

The elevators were fast, not slow!!

The rooms need upgrading. The room smells musty for only the first day. The beds are hard, but it was ok. The suite we had was huge. 3 sliding doors to the huge balcony.

They are slowly renovating, and painting.

All of the staff were friendly, and kind.

Great price. less than $700 each from Toronto, all-inclusive.

If you want more, pay more.

We fent for one week, not long enough, The hotel was clean, as were our room. The staff is so hard working and friendly. Special thanks to gregio,alberto, J.C. Migual, and all the others, sorry if I spelled wrong. We had a great time horseback riding, the atv, tour was very cool and dirty, We ended our trip on the party boat (snorkelling) which was so awsome, beware of the tequilla, the gorgous fish and scenery were a highlight.!! Thank-you all, can't wait to go back.

Our stay at Tesoro (incidently means treasure in Spanish) Manzanillo was a true delight and the name could not be more appropriate. The hotel itself has incredible architecture and it felt like staying in a castle where the friendliest staff made us feel relaxed and special. The room we stayed in (541) was a suite which was slightly more money but worth every penny with a huge living room and bedroom with 3 sets of sliding doors onto a large balcony with sweeping unobstructed views of the entire beach and bay. We enjoyed a number of sunsets from there with friends and cold beer (Sol) from the stocked fridge. The food was always changing and scrumptious but the fish which we ate practically every day was the freshest and tastiest we have had anywhere. The snorkeling right off the beach at the hotel was very good. Lots of brightly colored tropical fish and some plate sized sting rays vaccuuming the sand right off the shore. I actually overheard a man talking to his son telling him that the snorkeling tour they went on the day before was a waste of money as the same snorkeling was 100 feet from where they were right now. There was also lots of tropical birds around and majestic pelicans hanging out on the rocks just offshore which we got some great pictures of when we kayaked out to. The only cons we have about the hotel was the slow elevators but we soon figured out that using the staff freight elevators (or the stairs) was much quicker and the staff never seemed to mind and just smiled and greeted us. Our room was musty when we first got there (other rooms were the same)but we opened up our sliding doors for a few hours for a couple of days and it was much better. Perhaps some incense or air freshener would have helped. The weather was flawless...30C sunny every day and we saw 3 clouds in 14 days. A most enjoyable trip and experience.

We have been on a lot of family all inclusive vacations. I believe you have to rate your vacation taking all factors into account. Unfortunately, some people find one thing they don't like, and give the whole resort a bad report.

That being said, our vacation was excellent. Location, service, food, cleanliness, and the people we met at the resort from other parts of Canada all added up to a spectacular vacation. For those of you who have vacationed on the Pacific coast of Mexico, you will know that you can count on perfect weather.

The only thing that I would say could use some work is the rooms, they are showing signs of wear. We don't spend our vacation in our room, so that's not a big factor for us.

It's only a 15 minute walk to the Plaza Manzanillo for shopping. And yes, Manzanillo now has a WalMart and a Starbucks at that location as well, believe it or not. By cab to this location about 4 minutes and 50 pesos ($5 canadian)

I would definitely recommend this resort to the friends of mine who are not looking to find problems and reasons to compain, however I do know people who I wouldn't recommend it to.

Just recently returned from the Tesoro Hotel in Manzanillo. After reading the reviews on Trip Advisors I was worried about what to expect, so I kept my expectations low. However, upon arrival, I was totally impressed. The hotel was clean, the food was good (especially for a picky eater), the service was awsumb. I would definitely recommend this hotel and would go back again.

We stayed at Tesoro on the first week of February 2009 and we enjoyed our stay there. We had read unfavorable reviews before we left for Mexico and I was a bit concerned of what I might have encountered there, but I felt really relieved when we got there and saw things were ok. Be sure, this is not a 5* hotel, and from some points of view, it's not a 4* either and what I mean by that is the rooms that are a bit outdated but very clean. We did not complain because of the bed 'cause it was ok. There was a bit of moldy smell in the bathroom, that usually went away when we kept the door closed and that's why we did not bother to change the room. The view from our balcony, that was huge, was extraordinary. The bay in the sunset was a real nice scenery. Our room was on the 8th floor, and we did not have problems with the elevators, we may have waited 5-7 minutes at the most, but usually 2-3 minutes.

In terms of the food, it was really good, there was variety, although they did not have a great salad bar. They had both Mexican and North-American dishes, so we could not complain at all about the food. The waiting time for the omlette in the morning was 3-5 minutes, this around 8:00-8:30. The staff was very nice and friendly, they made us feel at home. The A la carte's - pretty good, not outstanding, but I did not expect that. The Adobe is nicer, but for authentic Mexican food a la carte, definitely go out of the resort. The entertainment crew is great, Mara and Payo did very good jobs.

The beach was great, I really loved it, as well as the ocean and yes, we did swim a lot. The water was clean and clear all the time, few waves in the morning, no problem in getting loungers around 8:30 am on the beach,so no complain about that. It's true, there were people who used to reserve 4-8 loungers early in the morning and got to use them after 10-11 am, which I found very unfair. We did not use the pool at all, so I have no feedback about it.

The hotel itself is in a very nice neighbourhood, and a safe one. We walked around after 9 pm, and no danger at all. A lot of nice private houses and villas in that area. There's a store - Kiosk, not sure if it's non-stop, at 8-10 min walking, and they have great icea cream there, but the hotel is a bit far of Wallmart, Soriana...etc. There's a bus that stops in front of the hotel and a ride to Wallmart is around 15 minutes (4 pesos/one way).

The guided tours, we only took the one at Barra de Navidad, which was ok, but a bit expensive, definitely next time I'd rent a car and go there on my own.

Overall, we definitely enjoyed our stay, and we would come back to Tesoro!

Even though our trip started out on a bad note when we checked in, assistence from our agent at Minnesota Travel Connections and Hectours in Manzanillo straightened everything out and it was great from then on. The Tesoro is an older hotel, but I have nothing but good things to say about the property, the staff, the cleaning, and the food. The variety at the buffet was changed each day and the FRESH fruit each morning was fantastic. One night we made reservations for the Italian dinner and the fish in white wine sauce was excellent, the lasagna I tasted left something to be desired though. A trip to Colima and Comala along with an atv ride, both through Hectours, were both great. While in Colima, the active volcano decided to spit up a cloud of ash and the atv ride was the best, and one I had been trying to find, of any I have been on in Mexico. One thing I have to absolutely make sure to mention, the view from the Tesoro is FANTASTIC. The sunsets were some of the best I have seen, but then it seems I say that every year. I am just blessed to have the opportunity to experience these trips to Mexico, especially with my cunado. This was my first stay in Manzanillo and the Tesoro was a good choice for an affordable vacation, which prompts me to check out Tesoros in other locations.

My two friends and I chose the Tesoro for a couple of reasons - the pictures online were beautiful and the price was great! We paid well under $1000 each for a one week all inclusive stay, during what ended up being a horrible week weather-wise back home.

My biggest complaint was all the Canadians that were COMPLAINING!!! Lounging on beach chairs, at the swim-up bar, on the beach - yet complaining! If their trip was so bad, than they should have stayed home, in the snow storms.

Tesoro was a slice of heaven for us. Sure, the elevators are slow, we were on the 16th floor, and yes, we had to take the stairs a couple of times... no big deal. The rooms are dated, but for the most part, very clean. The staff was very accommodating - whenever we called the front desk for anything, it was delivered very quickly. We even managed to screw up our safe code and in less than 10 minutes, someone had come up and unlocked our safe for us.

I loved the location of the hotel. The ocean was beautiful, the beach was amazing (the sand is crazy hot - I burned the bottom of my feet when sand got between my foot and my flip-flop... nothing that a little dip in the pool couldn't fix, though), the pool was great - including the swim-up bar.

Most of the animation team was super nice - our favourites were Fredy and Enrique - two great guys. Some of the girls on the animation team could stand to be a little nicer to the women guests, but Fredy and Enrique more than made up for it!!

The food was good at the buffet. We didn't make it to the a la carte restaurant, but we heard good things from it as well.

We took a tour, with Pancho, and it was amazing. He was very informative and entertaining.

The only other thing that I should mention is that there were a LOT of children at the hotel during our stay. I don't know if this is common or not for the hotel. They were everywhere, at the beach, in the pool (even though there was a kid's pool and a kid's play area); they were even at the disco (which started at 11 PM). Had their parents been supervising them a little better (or at all), this wouldn't have been a problem.

We are not picky people; we have champagne taste on a beer budget. The price was right and I have nothing to complain about, with regards to the hotel (stay tuned for my review of Air Transat!!), the staff, and especially the weather!!!

So, in a word, would I stay there again - YES!

Our overall experience was better than expected. After reading some of the horror stories about some travelleers experiences, we were expecting to be dissapointd. Having paid very little on a sell-off, we enjoyed our trip bvery much.

The beach is small but nice. Get up early to reserve a cabana on the beach or around the pool. The sun is extremely hot. The sand on the beach is like glass crystals, very hot by mid day.

Food was not bad. Nothing to rave about. One restaurant triples as an Italian, Beach restaurant and Disco 3 times a week.

All rooms appear to have ocean view. Ours was on the 4th floor overlooking the pool, ocean view.

Bring duct tape with you to cover the floor drain since sewer gases fill the room. Very noticeable when you first enter the room from outdoors. Everything in the room worked.

The lobby bar should be open all day. It was only opened after the pool bar closed at 6:30pm. The pool bar and restaurants were the only place to get a drink during the day other than the drinks in your room 's mini fridge.

Entertainment staff were acually very talented. The dinner, show was a nice touch at various times of the week.

The bed is extremely firm especially if you are used to a pillow top mattress.

We learned one thing from this vacation. Never travel to Mexico the week before Easter (Mexican spring break) or the week after Easter (holy week when the Mexicans travel). It was very busy with lineups.

The Tesoro must have been a nice hotel when it was first built since then they probaly

have never done any renovations to bad ....our large room was on the 10th floor so we had a great view very clean we found the beds very comfortable. The food is OK always something good at the buffet the a la carte Restaurants are not so hot. This is your typical Mexican resort if you are fussy and are expecting The Hilton don't got to the Tesoro..

We got a good deal in the sun....what else do you want .....

probably would not go back...but it was ok overall

We enjoyed our stay at Tesoro but we have stayed in better resorts. We feel that they could decrease the verbal language barrier by providing improved written pamphlets that described the amenities in more detail. For instance, the information that we received in our room, indicated that there was entertainment, but we had to ask other guests where to find it. Once found, the entertainment was poor in our opinion - except for the Mexican night. We wanted our English guests who live in Mexico to join us for a day or two, but Tesoro staff did not give us all the options. We noticed other day guests bringing their own alcohol and picnic baskets, which would have been more favourable to our guests.

The signage in the resort could be improved. For instance, we found the gym, but couldnt enter it! You have to go through the spa area and no signs indicate that. When I inquired verbally in english , the staff didnt understand my inquiry.

Not being in an-all-inclusive resort before, we did not know what to expect as far as alcohol in our room. We had two beer provided each day. Is that the norm??

The restaurants are only open occasionally so if you want to dine apart from the buffet, you have to reserve as soon as you arrive.

The positive side was that we had a great balcony with a beautfiul view. The pool activities and staff were great, and we never felt like we had to give tips for better service.

We had no rain and perfect hot weather and sunshine the entire stay!

We picked this resort specifically because of the wheelchair accessible rooms, which the other resorts in the area (Barcelo and Las Hadas) told us they could not offer. My husband is a C 6/7 Quadriplegic who uses a manual chair, so our comments will be based on his specific disability. There were however a number of disabled guests (one man was visually impaired, several guests used walkers) at the resort at the same time as us, and none seemed to experience major issues. Please feel free to contact us with specific questions.

We read through the 300+ reviews on TA before our trip, and were pleasantly surprised by the available amenities on our holiday. When we phoned ahead of time, the Tesoro representatives were very honest about what they could and could not offer, and from an accessibility perspective we were happy with what we paid vs. what we received. Having traveled extensively, we know that basic things as ramps become a luxury outside of Canada and the United States.

Overall, the Tesoro is a casual, professional 3-3.5 hotel that needs a physical facelift. The staff provides excellent service, and they are constantly cleaning. Bottom line: it’s a good place to stay for an inexpensive holiday; if you expect a luxury resort, PLEASE stay elsewhere. Check-in and Check-out were very efficient. Here’s a basic breakdown of amenities:

ROOM # 337 (1 of 2 Fully Accessible Rooms)

-----------------------------------------------------------

- Lots of open space

- Roll-in shower with bench

- Removal handle in shower (dual shower head)

- Good size

- Good view (watched the sun set every night over the ocean!)

- Balcony has small lip

- Bed is great height; king-sized; comfortable

- Clean

- Furniture was inexpensive but in fine shape

- Bright colours made the room feel warm and inviting

MAIN BUFFET

--------------------

- Good food and variety

- Lots of tables

- Fully accessible

- Excellent service

- Outstanding view

PLAZA ESMERELDA (Secondary Buffet)

----------------------------------------------------

- Great layout

- Excellent shows – lots of spectacle

- Good food

- Good service

- Fully accessible

SNACK BAR (Daytime) // IL NAVIGATI (Evening)

----------------------------------------------------------------

- Main level accessible

- Amazing view of ocean and sunsets

- Limited selection, but food is good

- Service is excellent

ADOBE RESTAURANT/BAR

-------------------------------------

- Great service

- Best atmosphere

- Be sure to order the Spanish coffee for an awesome show!

- Slight lip up into the restaurant; fully accessible within

LOBBY AND LOBBY BAR

------------------------------------

- Huge, open, inviting, well-decorated

- Fully accessible

- Good drinks and snacks

- Good atmosphere

POOL

-------

- Absolutely inaccessible by wheelchair

- Big, clean

- Drink service excellent, inside and in the surrounding area

- Pool chairs are in high demand – we usually reserved on our way to breakfast

- Pool bar is 2-sided, has all major brands of liquor

BEACH

----------

- Very calm, relaxing, not busy

- Completely inaccessible

- The sand IS hot during peak hours; wear shoes and you’ll be fine

ELEVATORS

------------------

- During busy times they could be a tad slow, but we never had any real issues. All three worked through our entire holiday.

IN TOWN

------------

We went into town 3 times: once as part of the city tour and twice on our own. The tour was great; downtown Manzanillo has ramps everywhere; lots of open areas and some good shopping. When we went on our own we used taxis; drivers were very helpful. My husband would transfer into and out of the car, and his chair fit in the trunk without issue. Taxis are very cheap; just be sure to negotiate the rate before you leave. We visited the Wal-Mart, Plaza Manzanillo, and a number of shops on our first excursion alone. There were curb cuts on nearly all streets and people were always offering to help us. The second time we braved the giant Saturday flea market in Santiago. It was an adventure, and we enjoyed ourselves, however it was located in an unpaved, uneven lot. With some assistance, my husband was able to get around just fine, but solo would have been a lot trickier. The incredible trip was certainly worth it though! They sell everything from fresh vegetable, fruit and spices to clothing and electronics. More locals than tourists, and some fabulous deals!

In conclusion, the Tesoro is what you make of it. If you want to have fun, you will. I would suggest to anyone staying here though to set reasonable expectations, and ask for help if you need it. The staff are more than happy to lend a hand.

Ok so it has been a year since out trip to Tesoro and I have had this review written for as long. It is good to see some better reviews of this hotel. It is good if you get a really cheap price but don’t compare it to any of the newer hotels. We had a lot of fun.

We booked this hotel on line because we got a great deal, 50% off the book price. We hadn't read the reviews before we booked as it was a last minute thing. We were concerned about so many negative reviews. The hotel met our expectations. It is definitely shows its age in many areas but upgrades are being made. The lobby and lobby bar area are newer and very nice. The pool area and beach are beautiful and well maintained. There is a new children’s water park and playground at the back of the hotel that never gets used. You could see the weathered look of the hotel in the rooms. The furniture was worn and chipped, the bathtub needed refinishing and the chrome was pitted. The worst part of the room was the musty smell from the air conditioning ducts that needed serious cleaning. To get rid of the musty smell we kept the air conditioning off and kept our patio door open. The scented candles we brought also helped.

The positive things about the room were the most important. The bed was comfortable and the pillows were great. The shower was hot with good water pressure. The towels were large and absorbent. The patio was small but good for two people. Bring out the comfy room chairs and enjoy the view. Our room overlooked the pool area on the fourth floor. Those that complain about the elevators being slow need to ask for rooms on the low rise area. I didn't find the elevators slow anymore than any other 19 story building. The fridge in the room was restocked daily. The staffs at the hotel were helpful and friendly. Jean-Clement the Air Transat rep was great. If you need to exchange money do it at the front desk as Rosie the tour rep didn't give the proper exchange rate. The front desk was frequently out of cash so we had to go to the bank in town one day. The food at the buffet was ok but not great. There was not a great selection compared to other places I've been and it got boring. The food at the Mexican restaurant was good and the Spanish coffee display was entertaining. The entertainment staff was very energetic but made the pool scene very noisy as they were on the microphones all day long. The dancers with the evening shows were good but there was too much talking and whistle blowing and not enough dancing. The audience participation and the announcer at the shows got a bit annoying after awhile. Beach hockey was a lot of fun, be sure and bring your hockey jersey. Canada against Mexico, brooms against hockey sticks it was great! This is not a place to have peace and quiet around the pool, but there are plenty of activities if you want to participate. Overall this hotel was a great vacation for the deal we got. If you are going to pay full book price spend a few more dollars and stay at Karmina Palace. I was there a few years ago and it is a much better hotel. The rooms, food, and entertainment are much better but the beach isn't as nice. We had a great vacation. Fun is all what you make it, we enjoyed ourselves. We would not return to this hotel but we don't like to return to any resort. There are too many other resorts to experience. We would recommend this hotel to others if they are looking for a fun time and aren't very fussy about details and get a cheap price. Oh and the location is excellent. A private bay with great sunsets. Most rooms overlook the ocean.

first, it says this hotel is 4 star, there is no way it deserves that rating. I've stayed at 8 different 4 star locations throughout mexico with all inclusive plans and this was by far the worst. The hotel is old with no recent or any updates or renos'. They have two reservation resturants that serve the same at the buffet, so are rather usless. The buffet downstairs is ridiculously small (small food selection) and was really the same thing all week. The buffet is better upstairs, but not always open.

The drinks at the pool bar are excellent. The service is excellent for the most part.

The rooms are somewhat to be desired,smelly, with extreme hard beds, however we barely spent any time in there.we had to pull the covers back each night to check for bugs, as the first night I had bed bugs or some small bugs crawling around. Next set of sheets had pubic hairs, nasty. We were never given any face cloths or hand towels, just a massive shower towel each.They're supposed to restock your fridge daily with water beer and pop. However we were rationed and only given two pop per day, we didn't use the water or the beer and asked for extra pop but didn't get it We left the patio door open wide all week to help with the smell. The toliet didn't work ,we had two serivce guys come twice to try and fix.

Not enough beach chairs , you had to come down at 7 am to reserve a chair. Sand gets extremely hot from 12-4 bring water shoes, flip flops won't work, the sand it deep and makes it hard to walk in.

They did have kayaks (double) boggie boards and snorkling equipment to use. They had jetskies for 40.00 per half hour. They had a snorkle tour for 35.00 for 3.5 hours which we did and was good for a bay cruise and some decent snorkling. However if you snorkle off the beach on both the left and the right you will find huge selections off good stuff to see, octopus, eels, see snakes and every colorful fish. Also jellyfish that are so smal you can't see until you've been stung (feels like bee stings) but goes away after 5 mins and leaves a small bump like a mosquitto bite behing. The bay is loaded with rays and we quite enjoyed swiming with them until the groups of them became more than 20 or so. They say they are harmless, they're not big about 1.5-2.5 foot in width. Having said that the water is very dirty, visiblitly is best in the morning. It had loads of foam, and nasty floaties, cups, garbage and so forth.

It is about a 30 -40 min walk from the hotel to wallmart , or you can catch a bus going either direction from outside the hotel for 4 peso's to wallmart, busses only take pesos,

You can take that same but to wallmart, step off and take the next bus called centro direct to downtown manzanillo for great shopping for another 4 pesos , shopping is from 930 on, but closes between 1-4 because it gets way to hot. We took the same bus back agin for 4 pesos, got dropped off at the golf course and walked up the hill back to the hotel, about 10 mins walk.

They have a local flee market on saturdays only from 10-10 and is also walking distance of about 30-40 mins from the hotel, or the bus for 4 pesos.

They is a huge main beach for the mexicans good for surfing,no so for swimming, at miramar we walked took about 120 mins, but no luck finding taxi for going back so we had to walk it.

Taxis are regulated, there is a board posted to the wall just outside the entrance of the hotel, where the guard guy stands and it tells you how much the taxi is from where you need to go.

9.50 each way to downtown , weather its one person or 4. But the bus was easy to use and fun, and they come by every few mins.

The elevators in the building are a joke. 19 floors and it stops at everyone weather you want it to or not. We were on teh 3rd floor and just walked the stairs, it was always faster. There is no advantage to being up high or low as every room gets an ocean view.

2nd floor is non smoking. If you want this call them yourselfs, to book it or it won't happen, and there isn't many of them ( the number should be on your tickets )_ or look it up, i threw mine out and can't find it

All in all it is what it is, and you have to make the best of it. IF your already booked, don't panic you will survive, make the best of it.

t shirts at the market are 4 for 10.00

postcards are any where from 50-100 each.

magnic 2.00

Bring a pile of small usa money, 1.00 for tips , 5's and 10's for shopping. IF you bring large bills you'll get loads of un needed pesos, they will not give you back usa dollars back as they earn more for those.

I had a great time, would I go back here to this hotel, NEVER. would I advise my friends to go here, NOPE

I have been to about 8 all-inclusive resorts in my life (the Tesoro being the 8th)

WE came back on Feb 1st .

I read all the bad reviews before I went and went with an open mind because every all-inclusive I ever went to had a few people who complained about food, service etc etc. Most of the time it was unfounded. I enjoyed my stay at the Tesoro and will tell you about everything I can good and bad. As well, please check out my picture tour on youtube on the link at the end of this review.

TIMESHARES:

Those pushy timeshare people we encountered at every all-inclusive we went to were non existant! This was refreshing and relaxing.

Airport

The airport is small and so check in and out was painless. One plane one lineup and you are off!

4.5 stars .

This is a stretch. I have stayed in 3 stars and 5 stars. This is not a 4.5 star hotel.

We payed a great price (about the same as a 3.5 star) and so we didn’t have HUGE expectations. IF we had payed about $300 more each pp, we would be complaining. IF you are paying the same price you would pay at another 4.5 star resort, then don’t do it. If you are getting a great deal, go for it. This is a 3.5 star hotel, bottom line. We paid for cheap and we got a good value, but not luxury! This place needs a reno!

Food:

The first few days at the Tesoro scared me. I thought OH MY, will I have to eat this for 7 days? Then after the 3rd day my mind was changed. They had a Japanese buffet with Miso soup, Sushi (which I found only FAIR, but Im from Vancouver and we are picky about sushi)., and they even had a great stir-fry that day. I also liked that they actually had Mexican food every day if you wanted it and I thought that they had more authentic Mexican than a lot of all-inclusive that I have been to. Their soups were fabulous as my son is a soup-head. He enjoyed all the soups and there was different one each day.

The a la carte restaurants were good. I preferred the Mexican over the Italian. We booked the first day we were there and had to get reservations on our last two days because all the others were booked. My picky son even found stuff to eat there and at the Buffets. The food was not bad, but not excellent. The fish was generally great.

Entertainment:

This is where the Tesoro does well. The evening shows are good if not a bit cheesy (as all-inclusive resorts can be), but the entertainment staff did a good job during the day as well as the night. My son who was 4 LOVED the shows. WE had a kick out of the Mexico Vs Canada Hockey games where the Mexicans played with brooms on the sand vs a few Canadian vacationers that got real sticks. There was always a volleyball game going on or aquarobics etc.

The evening comedy show on Tuesday was not great, but the Beach party and the Fantasy show are worth seeing for sure.

Kids Club:

I found this to be pretty much non-existant.

They did have a waterslide that I had to stay at while my son went on it. I was not allowed to bring alcaholic beverages there or any food. The only kid-geared activity my son took part in was the Pinata the last day we were there. I heard over the pool PA system something about PINATA NINO and so I ran to ask them what it was about. They told me it was a pinata party and so my son was the only NON Mexican kid playing because they didn’t announce it in English!

I saw absolutely NO kids activities the whole time we were there and if they were going on, it was not announced or advertised on the daily activity board. My son is an only child so I was hoping for some CHILD interaction but no such luck. Luckily he had fun with us anyhow, but they should not advertise a kids club when they do nothing for the kids. IF you want to "ditch the kids" for a few hours, this is not the place.

POOL

The pool was always clean and the water sparkling! WE spent a lot of time there. IT was cold in the morning but so refreshing at noon. Great swim up bar. WE had no problems getting chairs at 8am when we went for breakfast.

Beach

For a pacific beach this one was good. Long stretched out beach to walk along. No jellyfish when we were there. My son played in the waves as they were not big enough to cause damage. The water was crystal clear and clean! At the end of the beach are a few non pushy vendors with little stands. We actually got good deals there.

TOURs

There was a $20 boat tour that I suggest. It is only 2 hours and has about ½ hour of snorkelling but for $20 pp you cant go wrong. it’s a nice little excursion away from your hotel to see around Manzanillo quickly. Sit at the top deck or you will go deaf.

We saw some pufferfish and starfish while snorkelling. Even my 4 year old son snorkeled.

ROOM

This is where the Tesoro falls short.

Mostly, Mexican hotels are more rustic than their north american counter-parts. But the Tesoro was built in the 80’s and has décor from the 80’s! ECH!

The light fixtures, faucets everything needs a major reno and there are things falling apart (like our towel rack!). It does not need to look like the Hilton, but even our bedspread was ripped because it was so old. I have to admit that the view was WONDERFUL from our room and we were only on the 4th floor! WE also liked the stocked mini-bar with beer and pop for when you are in your room and get a thirst. IF you tip them (inside the fridge leave a dollar or so), the may bring you some extra beers!

The rooms were very clean and the housekeeping did the best they could with what old stuff they had. For those that are picky about rooms, you will not like the Tesoro rooms. We figured that the rooms themselves made the Tesoro more of a 3.5 star than a 4.5 star.

Calling it a 4.5 star is a huge stretch.

Like I said, my husband and I got a screaming deal so we really can’t complain, but if you ar paaying a 4.5 star hotel price, you should beware that it is not.

Also, the tower elevators are a problem and take forever. We stayed in the non-tower (5 floors) and had our own elevator separate from the tower and it was much faster and less frustrating. People on the 16th floor had phenominal views but rediculous elevator waits.

Pick your priority on that one.

View my little snippet of a video here:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=_qGZJl7fzOc

In a nutshell, it was OK. The food was OK, no wow factor to speak of. The notable exception might be the Adobe Mexican restaurant on the site, where the service was a cut above and the food was delicious.

The rooms we had were fine and clean, with a great view of bay and ocean.

We enjoyed the shows there with a fine entertainment staff. Very talented.

The elevators were a constant irritant, as they were slow and sometimes completely out of service. On one occasion, we had to use the service elevator as all three of the main ones were out of service. Luckily, we had 2nd floor room, which meant there was another elevator at our disposal.

Our teenagers really liked the disco where they met new people and had plenty of fun.

For whatever reason, the front office staff were somewhat disorganized and the concierge was just plain rude. Very disappointing. As well, having to pay extra for wireless internet in this day and age is disappointing as well. Note - you have to sit in the lobby - no internet in the rooms at all.

As well, the hotel is starting to show its age, with improvements minimal at best. My wife and I both had a laugh at the crude attempts to fix the lock on the sliding doors leading to the balcony.

My wife and I also weren't all that pleased with the number of kids there and the collective noise they created.

And, as other reviewers noted, get to the lounge chairs on the pool deck quickly each morning (by 0830), as they quickly are spoken for.

The location of this hotel is it's greatest charm. Playa de Audiencia is the most beautiful beach in Manzanillo!

The Activity staff at Tesoro is the reason that people enjoy this resort. The staff are very personal and work harder than all others on the grounds. Payo, Rigo, Breesa, Maura, and the rest of the gang are saviors for this place.

Most of the wait staff are stars as well. Martha at the front desk could stand smiling more. The waitress Sylvia is amazing and deserves praise for her service and attitude.

I do not eat all meals in the resort so I will not comment on the food.

The hotel as a whole is run down. I have been coming here for several years, and I cannot remember the last time that all three lobby elevators were operating. The waits for the elevators are unacceptable. I would recommend a room on the first 4 floors (although louder in the day, they have their own elevator). I think this is the greatest negative of this hotel...

The rooms are okay! I have read complaints about the beds being hard, but I like them that way. This last trip, I had to visit the front desk three times (over 6 hours) before by fridge was filled with water and soft drinks. My toilet overflowed, and two lamps were missing from the room.

The comments of too few lounges at the pool and beach are correct! Several are also broken.

The Tesoro only offers Wireless Internet in the lobby at a price of $7.95 per day, when the Los Angeles up the street has wireless in the rooms included in the cost. Julio's restaurant in Santiago also has free wireless.

I only return because of the location, and the activities staff.

In reading all of the negative reviews, I am surprised that the hotel management allows thew negative issues to continue.

As always I did my research on Trip Advisor before booking our trip and as usual there was a mixed bag of positive and negative reviews. This was our fifth trip to Mexico and we go to a different resort area each time.

One of the appeals of Manzanillo is that it is not a huge resort area like Cancun or Playa del Carmen with one hotel after the other.

We got a week at the Tesoro at a three star price so our expectations were set accordingly. The Hotel itself is getting dated and does require maintenance. It is built on the side of a hill and is located on a bay. The setting is very pretty and the sunsets are great. The food was average but what you would expect for a three star. The staff in the bar's and restaurants were great and they definitely responded well to our tips. We had a good supply of US one dollar bills which came in handy.

There was bit of a shortage of poolside chairs but as long as you were up before 9:00 you could easily save a prime spot.

There was a nice beach but the ocean was a little rough. Not really recommended for swimming. There was also a jelly fish invasion while we were there. They were small but you would definitely get stung if you went in to the ocean.

We enjoyed the tropical plantation tour we took with Pancho. He was very knowledgable and spoke very good english. I now know much more about bannanas then I ever expected and I have tasted Jack fruit with salt, lime and chilis. Very stimulating to the taste buds. A tour of Barra de Navidad and Maleque were also included in this day trip.

The highlight of the week was our dinner at L'Recif on the last night. This is a wonderful retaurant in a surreal setting on top of hill overlooking the ocean. Great food and wonderful service. Well worth the half hour taxi ride from the hotel. Our driver waited two and half hours for us and charged us 450 pesos for the trip and the waiting time.

I would return to Manzanillo but I think next time I would pay the extra money and upgrade to the Karmina Palace which is just aorund the corner.

We found the Buffet Restaurant staff and the A la Cart Restaurant staff to be Fantastic ie: Christian, Baldazar, Trinidad, Juan and Juans 'Son'. The food in all of the outlets was great and we could not complain about any of it. It was better than some of the places we have stayed at Cuba, Cancun and Cabo.

Migual, the Zip Line rep was a real good man, friendly and helpful.

JC was helpful as well but tended to side with the hotel and would not come and see for himself to confirm some of the conditionsof the hotel unless he already was aware of them and knew that the hotel would not do anything about the situations.

The entertainment was of a good mix and quality and the entertainment staff were good as well. The entertainment could become noisy but we did not mind this at all.

The elevators were a nightmare at times. We were on the 8th floor and sometimes only one would work. Some times they would stop on every floor going up and then going down as well. So it was NOT someonepunching in all the numbers before getting off. I spoke with JC (Transat rep) about this and he advised me that they have been like that for the past two years.

It seemed like every time that a new group came in, there were people that wanted to switch rooms right away as they were unhappy with the conditions.

However, the food, the staff and the location could not overcome the deteriation of this hotel to be rated as a 4 Star by Transat.

We were there for 2 weeks from Feb. 15 to March 1 for our 41st Wedding Anniversary.

Since returning I have now read some of the reviews and can not understand if we were all staying at the same property as some of the people have raved over the hotel as to how great it is. I can only state to these people, 'OPEN YOUR EYES' as I am including only a few pictures of what I found.

We met a couple that was staying there for 2 weeks as wll with their son and wife that were staying for only one week. They were so disgusted with the hotel that they paid extra and moved to the Barcelo for their second week.

Transat rates the Tesoro a 4 Star and the Barcelo a 4-1/2 Star. All you people that had positive comments about the condition of the Tesoro should take a look at the Barselo because compared to the Barcelo, the Tesoro should be a maximum of a 2 Star.

If we knew what the property should have been rated as, we would NOT have gone. However, the food and the staff made the stay bearable. We are not snobs but have traveled quite a bit and will not go there again and will take any of Transat's rating of property's with a grain of salt from now on.

We live in Kelowna BC and are willing to share more pictures and comments with others and can be contacted at [-]

Recently returned from the Tesoro and bluntly the worst hotel / resort we have ever stayed at. So much negative however to be fair there were a few positivies which I will share first:

1) Most staff very friendly. Especially the bell hop and Fernando at pool bar.

2) Food was better vs Cuba and or DR

3) Ocean view from higher floors was very nice

Now for where the Tesoro is a step away from being a complete DUMP: and as you read this please understand I am not a snobby person nor do I expect the Ritz Carlton when travelling to a beach resort, but there was so much wrong with the Tesoro that YOU should give consideration prior to booking your trip regardless of what you may pay.

A/C in main part of building (lobby and night lounge) ???

Interior decor just like stepping into Rick's Cafe from the movie Casablanca, only problem is that the movie was made in 1941

A/C in room hit and miss

Before bell hop leaves room make sure all lights work

Do you like crusted on mildew you love the sink and taps?

Beds hardest we have ever slept on

Towels...ever use 100 grit sand paper??

No lobby bar or lounge open during day, the only one opens at 5:30 pm

Pool and beach chairs and loungers need replacing most are tired

Small pool bar. FRENANDO pool bartender was awesome

Elevators: RARELY WORKING and when you were patient enough to wait for one they would most often stop on every floor both down and up as if they were programmed to do so. Many complained to the front desk, it was suggested this was a new problem but when reading previous reviews you'll see it is an on-going issue. Not a big deal if on the first few floors but when on floors 9 - 16 it does become an issue.

Beach: guess we have been fortunate to travel to beaches that were much nicer, but there were many who really enjoyed it. Caution, there were several people stung by jelly fish and too close for comfort sting ray sightlings all within metres from entering ocean

POOL: FREEZING COLD. Don't believe there is a heater. Not to sound like a whimp, but most entering into pool were complaining how cold it was and shivering until getting use to the water temp. IT WAS COLD!!!!!

Pool NOT CLEANED WELL. Most resorts vacuum bottom and wipe scum from side of pool. I am not saying it wasn't done, but when there is A LOT of sand finding its way into the pool and first thing the next day the same sand is stil there that tells they aren't vacuuming often enough. I don't mean a little I mean a lot of sand. There was only one foot sprayer working (from beach to pool area) so enough said as to why so much sand.

If you like Christmas music in Februray especially the song " Santa Clause Is Coming To Town" get used to it because the girl working the music at the pool loves that music which is why she plays it. Forgetting about who is paying the bills; I guess it is all about making sure the DJ likes what she plays??

Honestly, if you feel the need to stay at a 1 - 2.5 star resort you will enjoy the Tesoro. If you expectations are 3 or above you may find yourself very disappointed.

The property is old and tired, immediately evident by the patio styled concrete blocks at the entrance and pool areas, and the eight foot ceilings throughout the hotel, lobby bar small , you can proably count the bottles on two hands and it does't open til 6:00 P.M. The standard rooms are very small,showing their age by the 6 inch floor tiles which are mostly craacked, T.V. remotes come complete with tape to hold them together. To get to your room you'll probably have to wait, in some cases 10-15 min, and if you're one of the unlucky ones maybe even get stuck in one. After a while you get into better shape walking up and down the stairs. Some of our group squashed a few bugs here and there in their rooms but hey, what you don't see during the night can't hurt you. The pool is small and pool bar even smaller, it opens at 11;00 A.M. and closes at 5;30 P.M.. One of the few bright spots is the snack bar, hot dogs and burgers etc. opens at about noon and closes at 5;00 P.M, and the staff who were always friendly and helpful. Bottom line is, if the Transat Holidays people repersented this hotel as a 2 1/2 to 3, one could have made a better informed choice. Pictures are misleading on the property

The Hotel was clean, wheel chair friendly, staff was good. Did not like the food too many repeats daily. Beds were really hard and unfortable and the pillows well they were rock solid. Beach too short. Hotel is far and inconvient to go for a walk any place. Road leading to hotel very steep and narrow. Need to take taxi's anywhere. At best I would rate this hotel a 3 star.

We weren't expecting a 5 star but really this hotel lacks in everything except the beach. The main lobby and bar are very cold and very white. The seating is uncomfortable and the place lacks atmosphere. It is on the sixth floor and you have to go to the first floor to the buffet and pool. Take the stairs the elevators are ridiculous. We realized by the second day we could not last two weeks. People would resevere all the loungers at the pool very early and sometimes they would not be used for hours. The pool area is very cramped and very noisy. Long lineups for the bar and very rude people going to the front of the line as if the rest of us were invisible. The buffet food was just O.K. and the dinner and show was way up on the eighth floor{I think} we felt it was a fire trap as everyone would race for the elevators if there was a fire. Our room was adequate but the bathroom floor was always covered in water. Jean Clement our transat rep. suggested we check out the Barcelo Karmina Palace. Thank goodness we did as it was a beautiful and spacious hotel with fantastic rooms. We upgraded and spent the second week there We were not the only ones that changed hotels so this says something about the Tesoro. If you like lots of noise and pushy toursists stay here.

My son and I have just returned from a week at the Tesoro Manzanillo and I have to say what a disappointment!! The website I booked through as well as the travel consultant from the website that I spoke with raved about the Tesoro and that it was a 4 1/2 star rated property so I was really looking forward to staying there.

The staff were pretty friendly and the hotel and grounds very clean. The room looked nice when walking into it for the first time but I knew when I first sat on the bed that I wasn't going to be sleeping well. The beds and pillows are extremely hard and very uncomfortable! The bathroom sink taps leaked and dripped constantly. The toilet ran constantly. The shower head needed to be replaced as well as the shower curtain. The towels were very stiff and there was only 1 hand towel left each day and it was hit and miss as to whether you were left a face cloth. There was 1 glass in the room when we arrived and it remained for the entire 7 days...it was never replaced with a clean glass. Language barrier was an issue when trying to get another glass or more towels, and I finally gave up and accepted what they left each day.

The food was just okay, certainly nothing to rave about. They don't take any allergies into consideration and because of that there was very little that I could eat. My son fared better but he was not very impressed with the food either. They were not willilng to accommodate me with respect to my allergies.

Overall, a big disappointment and I would definitely not return, nor will I ever recommend this hotel to anyone.

After having read the mixed reviews, we booked our trip anyway. The price was right and, after all it's Mexico. Sometimes first timers expect too much and complain about things that are inherent to the locale. While we are not seasoned world travellers, we have been to PV and Cancun prior and thought we would try something different.

I have been to the city of Gaudalajara (spelling? who cares) and the whole area reminded me of that, dirty and well, dirty. Our resort was clean but off the resort.....

The way the hotel is set up is beyond stupid. Yes it's built on a hill, but to have the lobby on the 6th floor???????

The beds were atrocious. I did not sleep properly the week we were there. In fact, I felt like I was getting the beginnings of bed sores! I know that sounds dramatic but I have slept in bad beds before but this really was the worst. My husband and I could not get a King bed so had to sleep in a super single together. The mattress was more than hard - it felt like a box spring.

When we first checked in - we were placed in the tower (8th and 14th floors). Unacceptable. The elevators were excrutiatingly slow and since we had children with us, quickly running back to your room for a forgotten something was NOT going to happen. In total our group had three rooms. We switched to the second floor the second day. The location was much better and more user friendly.

Room Service was quick (big woo, I ordered a pot of coffee).

There was a HUGE shortage of limes at the bars and cold, potable water.

The food wasn't awful but it wasn't great. There wasn't really anything on the menu buffet or otherwise that stood out. Only one person in our group got sick, she thinks it was the eggs? It was nothing a hefty dose of Immodium didn't take care of.

The kids area was awesome but it shuts down at 2:00 every day and then opens back up later, we had 2 pretty independant boys with us so we left them in and sat at the nearby bar/restaurant, we had a visual and had witnessed the employees freaking out when an older kid tried to leave unattended by an adult so we felt it was cool.

The grounds were pretty and well maintained.

The main pool was small, but suited our needs.

The beach was fine. Our boys (five and nine)had no trouble with the surf being too rough..

The shopping in and around the resort sucked.

Our room itself was run down. I wasn't offended by the overall appearance, it was just run down.

In summary, would I go back to Manzanillo? No. The hotel options are limited, and if I am going to pay more for a better hotel I would do so on the other side where the water is bluer, snorkling more fabulous and way better shopping. Do I think anyone should stay at the Tesoro? If you are on a budget, sure. But make sure you bring low expectations, get a room on the 3rd floor or lower and bring a mattress topper with you.

The hotel is old and run down, maintenance is non existant.

No cleaning systems in kitcken or anywhere else. Dishes were wiped down by hand then placed back on tables, same with drrinking cups. Hard pressed to find a coffee cup without lipstick.

My wife and son both got sick (wife 4 times son twice) Elevators were broken and slow. Even things like burn out light bulbs, briken toilett seats were not fixed.

This place needs real management to re think the cleaning and maintenance practices of the facility.

The staff however were outstanding! We never had such great anywhere. if we were in the buffet or by the pool we were never without a drink if we wanted one. Jon in the buffet went out of his way every meal to serv us. The people working the shows and sport activities were also outstanding, they worked sometimes 12-16 hours a day entertaning the guests.

I would reccommend this place if you have a strong stomache love the sun and the pool is nice. Ocean water if filthy dont swim in it.

I agree with all the bad reviews. We booked a family vacation for the week of December 26, 2008 to January 2, 2009 in a master suite. We arrived around 10:30PM and was somewhat impressed with the first impressions of the hotel. Check in was quick and the bell hops brought out luggage soon after we got to our room.

Upon entering the room, you are hit with a musty smell that is there your whole stay. Our room was a master suite ocean view--what a view!! The bathroom was huge. We wanted to go to bed right away but the music from the entertainment was too loud. The bell hop said it stops at a 11PM, which it did.

Our first night was not bad except the master bedroom bed was hard as a rock. The morning showed us the awesome view we had of the bay.

In point form, here are the good things:

great view, smaller beach (but open to the public), service was good in restaurants and friendly staff throughout.

here are the bad things:

room is musty smelling, beds hard as rock, bar boy left our door wide open all day once, food is okay but not a 4 star hotel, no where near enough lounge chairs at beach and pool. We had to rent them on the beach since the few the hotel had were taken.

Noise got worse as we got closer to New Years. When music ended at restaurant, some moved to beach to party outside our window--we had enough so we requested a hotel change from air transat rep "JC" after he there are not any quiet spots in this hotel. We were had our 7 and 11 year old with us so we all needed a good night sleep to enjoy our days.

After 3 nights, we moved to the the Barcelo which was a similar rating hotel. Once we arrived there, to compare the two, the Tesaro is a 2.5 or 3 maximum. (see my Barcelo review).

We realized quickly that Tesaro lacked in all areas except for the awesome view. The elevators were slow to the point we walked up or down the stairs since it was faster--not to mention safer since the elevators are old and questionable on being safe.

The pool is small and there are a ton of bees near the pool bar as well as the pop dispenser in the restaurant. Saw one child get stung--surprised there weren't more.

The hotel is dirty, old and tired compared to the Barcelo--the Barcelo is only 7 years old but appears to be brand new with all the marble and higher end accommodations.

The pool at the Barcelo is awesome as compared to the boring one at the Tesaro.

The kids camp---let me tell you what a useless waste of space that was. It looks good but you can only drop off your kids ages 8-12 for unsupervised play. We had to sit in there with our younger child which defeats the purpose of a kids club---besides, everything in there is geared towards toddlers to age 7. Kids 8-12 would be bored to tears. The staff did not interact with the kids at all other than the hotel photographer taking pictures to sell to you later.

One last thing that is more related to Air Transat and Barcelo. When we requested a hotel change "JC" from Air Transat promptly started to look for another hotel. He found the Barcelo had a master suite for $300 flat rate upgrade. He suggested we go there first to see it. We immediately gathered our things and took a taxi to see the room. Upon arriving, they advised the did not have a room for us afterall. Then they had a regular suite we could see. We looked at it but needed a two room master suite. We returned to the Tesaro and asked JC to check on why the master suite was gone. They apparently gave it up right after he called and are willing to give us the regular suite for $300. We said that was not acceptable since they offered the master for the same price. They had two more master suites available now but they are now $600 a night--this made us very angry since they were now taking advantage of us. Requested JC to call them back and tell them that we expect the regular suite for less...they came down to $250. We took it because we wanted to get out the Tesaro. The unethical treatment from the Barcelo was unbelievable...fortunately, we didn't allow it to ruin the rest of our week and we ended up having a great vacation at the Barcelo

I was told online and by the a customer service rep that the Tesoro was a four star resort. After seven dissapointing days I was glad to be leaving the unfinished and unprofessional resort. lucky to get 3 stars from me. We are not sinacle people but I believe you should get close to what you pay for. And I understand that problems happen, but you need to resolve them. Oh yeah if you have kids go on the turtle tour it was really good.

- The appearance and smell in the rooms were that of a two star at best.

- broken faucets

- unfinished boards screwed to the ceiling

- sliding doors on the 11th floor with a missing lock and children in the room

- lamps that you had to turn the lightbulb as a switch

- the most uncomfortable mattresses I have slept on.

- a bathroom whose dirt and appearance scared my wife. (possibly one of the contributors toward the fact my wife and children all got vomiting sick during our trip)

- My son got sick the second night. I requested a change of bedding at 11pm, nothing came at all. So at 2am he got sick agian on the second bed I asked again for a change of bedding furious that the first never came. I was sent 2 sheets for a family of four, one to put on the bottom of the bed and one to cover us all with.

- Food

- The buffet was mundane, a choice of twelve dishes that never changed and nothing was better than average.

- The al a carte restaurant "italian" had a poor selection of food. We were only provided with one menu for four poeple. The only thing my wife was interested in calamari they didnt have. And when we actually got what we ordered it was ineddible. We all left to order hamburgers through room service

- Room service cost $2 per person - funny I thought it was included

- drinks were made with little concern for consistancy in taste at all the bars. sometimes they forgot the alcohol altogethor or made it so bad it wasn't drinkable.

- waiters service was horrible.

- the elevators stopped on every floor starting at 1 going through 19 and back down, both of them, and they did this for three days. Making the stairs with two kids in tow the only viable option for eleven floors five times or more a day.

Kids area was unkept and contained bean bag sized rocks in the sandy play area.

Honestly I could go on forever.

One last thing though, I spoke to Jean Clemante the Air Transat rep about the dissapointing experience that I had at the first of my two allowed a la carte dinners and he as he listened and responded I felt that his empathy and concern were fake. He showed very little interest in what I was saying. Thanks for the opportunity to release some of my dissapointment in this email.

I thought this hotel said it was a 4 star. Maybe 3 but more than likely a 2 and 1/2 star. Thought I would try it. I have been in Manzanillo 2 years ago at the Barcello Karmina Palace but wanted to try all 3 hotels. But I have learned stick with what you like.

How shall I start. We booked a master suite due to the fact I had our 15 year old son stay in the room with us. So I thought it would be nice to have a room alone with my husband. Well it did not turn out that way. We walked into the little living room that smelt so moldy that my son could not stop coughing. Okay so we checked out the master bedroom smelt great. So I complained to the manager but they had nothing available. So they sent up a cot for my son to sleep in our room.

The bathroom sink leaked all over the floor constantly so we laid towels on the floor. At least we had a lot of fresh towels.

Oh yes the continental breakfast. Get up early to get a seat. I had to get up 6:30 am to get a seat on the beach. No problem I am an early riser. So thought I would have a continental breakfast. Yesterdays old coffee and no food. So I asked about it and they said they did not have one. Oh I showed them their litle list of things in the envelop they gave me. He just stared at me and said oh. So I complained to my transat fella who was wonderful I must say. But they did not listen to him either.

Have fun at their buffet. If you would call it that. Although the best omlet maker I have met. If you like omlets everyday that is great. But try and tell your 3 teenage children that.

Oh the beach was littered every morning. The poor fella had to rake for 2 hours every morning. They do not have a private beach you share with the natives. Nothing wrong with that if you want a seat though you will have fun. Drinks were brought to you on the beach but sometimes they would only have one girl so you might have to wait awhile.

All in all we had to switch half way throught our vacation to the Barcello Karmina Palace. I have learned my lesson. Stay at the Karmina you will not be dissatisfied. The last 3 days of our trip was wonderful. Great food, beach, 5 pools. Enjoy yourself their and don't make the mistake I did.

Well if you like to party and everything else is oblivious to you it is a great place to stay (Tesoro).

We arrived December 26 for a week. The only thing we can say is spend a few extra dollars and stay at a 5 Star. Could not wait to leave.

Manzanillo: Tesoro Manzanillo "Bad Experience"

Date: January 3, 2009

The hotel is situated in a very nice spot with a lovely view over the bay, the pool arrangements are also OK, but this is just the only positive things we can say about the hotel. Starting with the rooms, the size is fine but they are filthy, e.g. when we check into the room the toilette and the wash basin were clogged, there was hair in the bath tub, that also was miss coloured and should have been changed long ago. As for the service we only have one question, what service?, we waited more than 3 hours to get the toilette fixed. The TV in the room did not function properly, most likely to a faltering battery in the clicker. There was one light bulb that was dead, the bed was terrible with the spring mattress on its way to burst. The furniture’s were not fully finished with partly unfinished surfaces on cabinetry. The food in the restaurant was at best mediocer. The list of defects just goes on and on.

When checking in it was our intention to stay several nights however we checked out (which by the way took close to an hour) already after one night. To summarize, the hotel is badly managed and completely outdated. For the price that Tesero charge one would expect more as a matter of fact much more.