Just got back from a week at the Sens. Liked the resort but there are definitely some changes that are going to have to happen if they want to really flow traffic there. Will post trip report in a couple of days. Working on the liver regeneration right now. Cheers
Trip report Oasis Sens January 11-18th Oasis Loves You? Perhaps a really really strong like. My Girlfriend and I went to the Oasis Sens from January 11-18 2015. Check In: When you arrive you are whisked to the VIP check in. It was around 6 to 630 and we were tired from travelling all day but anxious to get going on the vacation. So we had a seat and waited for the concierge to finish up with another couple. It would have been nice to have had a drink offered to us but the bar was unattended at this time. I found it odd that the bar seemed open but no bartender. Anyway so no welcome drink, very minor hiccup and it does not reflect the staff at the Sens, who are really fantastic. We checked in got to our room where Francisco and our bags are waiting for us. Francisco was great the whole trip. Rooms: The room is pretty standard fair we had room 770 with a king bed and oceanview which was spectacular. Had the patio door open all trip to hear the ocean when we were sleeping. No issues with AC, no issues with housekeeping, no issues with mini bar. Everything seemed fine. The water pressure is sketchy and the toilet sometimes requires extra coercion to flush all the time but not a huge deal. Here is a little advice though….tip the room staff. I tipped 5 bucks a day and everything went smoothly. You tip a couple of bucks to the mini bar person and you get what you want. For seasoned vacationers this is not news and makes sense for a smoother experience. Over all the room was great. A bit dated but still fine for what we required. Lobby: The lobby is not an open air lobby which surprised me with the great ocean breezes the rooms get. It has very much of a hotel feel to it. As a matter of fact there are flight crews from various European airlines that stay here on layovers. Just very, very hotel like and not resort like. Only saw the front desk staff once at check out so I cannot really comment on those folks. Check out was seamless and fine. Beach: This beach is great. Lots of beach chairs, great surf, beautiful aquamarine waters and a ton of activities to enjoy. There is a massage place about 500 metres down the beach offering massages for $40. I highly recommend them. My girlfriend and I had a couples massage on the beach listening to the ocean for $100 tip included. Spend a lot of time on the beach and you will not be disappointed. Pools: The pools are very good at this resort. It seems like one main pool complex for the 2 upper pools and a chill pool out near the seafood restaurant. The chill pool is great for quiet time. The bartender out there named Candelero mixed the best drinks I had all vacation. There is a foam party that happens on the Friday. It is a must!!! Huge fun lots of foam drinking tequila shots. The pools are a little cooler but in the hot Mexican sun you don’t need a heated pool. You have to play the towel game even when the resort is not busy. So if you are partying until 2 and get up at 9 you will probably have a tough time finding a pool lounger. Over all the pools are great. No complaints. Adding some extra areas to get a drink other than Wimpy’s and the swim up bar would be a great idea though. Restaurants: I think if the resort has a highlight it is in the food selection and availability. If you go hungry here I would be very surprised. The buffet is very good quality and has a variety of dishes. It is very busy in the am and a wait of 10 minutes is common between 9 and 1030. There is not always bacon on the buffet. Just forewarning those carnivores out there you may be stuck with sausage links for a couple of days. The wait staff is very attentive and the omelettes are very good. We ate at all of the restaurants at the resort except Benanuzza. Black Hole is an experience and should not be missed. The food at the Seafood restaurant was exceptional . I recommend the Sea Bass. Mr. Wimpy’s for burgers before they close at 4:30 is a must if you are eating late at the Black Hole. Happy Chicken is great for a mid-afternoon snack but a little greasy. The Italian restaurant was a favourite of mine with shrimp spaghetti and lasagna along with arugula salad as an appetizer. Had a great lunch at the Mexican with fajitas and chips with guacamole. The sushi was very good and the presentation was excellent. I think the food at this resort ups the appeal for anyone wanting great food and choice every night. Bars: Ohhh Boy. Ok here we go and I will not be kind. The bars are great. WHEN THEY ARE OPEN!!!!! Drop a twenty on the bartenders at the start of your stay and you will get a double every time at least. The liquor is not top shelf but I had no problem getting wasted on gin and tonics and rum and cokes. Tip liberally at the beginning of the week and no problem getting service. But here is the problem with the bars. I find resorts are great when they have a flow to them. When you are not rushed and there are multiple places for people to hang out and have a great time. This is the first resort where the lobby bar is the meeting place after the main pool bars close down. But here the lobby bar closes up at 10:30. No exceptions. So if you have been congregating at the lobby bar you now are forced to move to the sunset bar or the Kinky bar. The sunset bar is very subdued and out of the way upstairs. Not many people go there after the lobby bar. So the focus now is on the kinky bar downstairs. Techno music almost constantly and it is probably able to hold 75 people comfortably. We went on the first night for Karaoke and I belted out “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard. Fun night but the bar was packed couldn’t get to the service bar and getting served was an issue. But it was a fun night regardless. Here is the issue though. If you are going to shut down the meeting place for everyone, the Lobby Bar, at 10:30 give them somewhere else to meet and be comfortable instead of a broom closet in the basement. Open up service at a pool bar where people can relax and have a great time. Put a temporary bar outside beside Mr. Wimpys with mainstream music and tables and chairs and problem is solved. Or leave the lobby bar open until 2. Loved the bartenders, Loved the wait staff, hated the hours they were open. The closing of the lobby bar kills any vibe you had going earlier in the night. Open a 24 hour sports bar and you can solve this problem as well. My opinion anyway. Entertainment.: Again Oasis Sens shines!! The drum and fire show was excellent. The pool stage bands are very good and create a great atmosphere in the open air Mexican and Italian restaurants and on the balcony of the lobby bar. There was a Cirque De sole style show in the lobby which should not be missed. The performers are excellent. Overall I would say the entertainment at this resort has been the best I have ever experienced. It was a highlight of the stay for sure and we checked the board every day to see what show was next. The Kinky bar shows were very well done but to call them kinky or risqué would be pushing the meanings of those 2 words. It’s adults only we can handle some adult style nudity. The kinky pirate ship is essentially Kinky bar on the ocean. Good fun, but again techno dance music all night. Loved the poles in the Kinky Bar they were utilized very well by the entertainers. J The Vibe: Ok so here is I guess the most important part of the trip. If the vibe of a resort has a fun open fluid rhythm to it, I think the vibe comes naturally. Give people areas to meet and relax and converse and play everything falls into place naturally. We must have met 7 or 8 different couples that week and had a great time with all of them but the vibe gets killed when bars close down at grandma’s bedtime and you are forced to move to a different bar with a different feel and maybe not get a table or service. It just kills the atmosphere. The whole resort feels like a fumbling 16 year old trying desperately to get to 2nd base in the backseat of the Ford. Start stop move your leg over here and get that seatbelt off of my back…..I think you get the picture. Look the vibe is created by the guests for sure. But the resort has the opportunity to, either enhance and feed into the vibe, or to hinder it. I’m sorry to say that the Oasis Sens gets in the way a lot. At times it has a great party resort feel and then…..BAM!!! Dad comes in and shuts it down. I think this resort feels like a hotel a lot of the times with bar schedules and restaurant restrictions. But it has the potential to be so much better in a few areas which would make me come back. This is a solid 4 star resort where people can come to have a lot of chilling out time. I would definitely recommend it on that basis for sure. Does Oasis Love Me? I think we like each other very very much.
My wife and I are at Sens right now. I think you are being too generous with your review. This hotel is so disjointed it is hard to get anything going. Drinks are okay at best, only if you keep reminding the bartender to use the top shelf stuff. Buffet food is dismal, poor selection, cold, not seasoned. Restaurants are better but still not great. Pools are downright cold. Beach is great, activities are few and not announced. Overall we will not be back. Forgot,if you have ANY mobility issues at all do NOT come here. You will be climbing slippery stairs for EVERYTHING.
Yeah I was trying to be nice. The entertainment is great if you get a chance Forgot about the stairs for mobility. I didn't have an issue with the buffet but I had pasta a lot of the times and had it made and spiced it up with some chili's. Disjointed is a good word for the way it flows for sure.
Review just got rejected by Trip Advisor. Says there is inappropriate language or innuendo. What a bunch of tight asses over there. LOL
I think your problem might have been with the "Mr. Wimpy" or “Pour Some Sugar on Me”. Just not appropriate things to say. But seriously it was probably the word kinky. I really can't see anything else that would an automated flag. Unless someone actually reads them and just didn't like the Ford story.
LOL Its the name of the bar on the site. Anyway took out reference to hating the times the bar was open and reference to pole dancers we will see if it gets flagged again. 4th time the charm maybe. I tried to be as specific as possible and give a good report but they seem to like the 15 second blurbs people put on there.
tell it like it is Thanks for your report the more information the better I am going to the Sens from Feb. 19-25. My wife does want to go topless but is a little on the shy side, are there quiet areas for that?
For sure. My girlfriend went topless at the chill pool which is over by the seafood Mediterranean restaurant. Good place for it. Lots of sun and a moderate amount of shade. We liked that pool very much.
We sure enjoyed reading your review mmason. Constructoman follows up to provide another valuable point of view so thank you both. Wondering how many others like us? Multiple repeat visitors to Temptation. Really enjoy Cancun but looking for a better experience than Temptation can offer with its minimal beach and aging facilities. Question is how to find a Temptation type of experience only at a nicer resort? We really like Temptation 10 x repeat visitors so no question about that. Juggling your two points of view, I believe we might give this resort a try. We hope Sens attracts a younger carefree sexy crowd. That's whats so cool about Temptation. Its not the resort Its about the lamest of the places we go. Its the people that go there. We always have so much fun. What a drag to go to a resort where people just lay around. Maybe Lori says she's a little nervous about the mobility thing. She doesn't like slipping or falling or having to walk a long ways. I wish you had pictures you could have posted. Thank you for your reviews.
