We went in February 2018. I wrote up a draft for my review but neglected to post it, sorry! My husband and I got back from a sensational trip to Temptation. This was our 6th visit to Temptation but the first since the renovations. Wow, what a wonderful resort. I mean, we loved it BEFORE the renovations, but now Temptation is on a whole ‘nother level. Sleek, modern, crisp, chic design plus all the great staff, guests, and flirty fun. I apologize if this trip report is a little scattered. Bash Tower: We stayed in the Bash tower, which was lovely. I guess I lucked out because I booked through a third party (Hotel Power) and that room was the cheapest. We got the room for cheaper than the Trendy Garden rooms, apparently. (Thanks Hotel Power!) We were given blue wristbands which gave us access to the Bash tower rooftop. We visited the rooftop 3 different days. On day 1 (Monday), it was closed (?) I mean, the door to the roof was locked, no one was out there, maybe we were early? On day 2 (maybe Wednesday) it was PACKED solid. I heard later there was a big Facebook group (“No Bra Club”?) and the rooftop was so full of people. It was more packed than the main pool! There was a DJ, music and tons of people. Both jacuzzis were FULL and all the beds were taken. On the 3rd day we went, there were only a handful of people and both jacuzzis were almost empty. So the Bash rooftop seemed to be hit or miss. Oh, and the VIEW from the rooftop is AMAZING. Breathtakingly beautiful and lovely breezes - great for photo ops! Our hotel room was terrific. Spacious enough, motorized curtain (controls for the curtain, lights and thermostat are bedside) Shower did not have a door per se, but it was designed such that the water does not leak out. Shower was rain-shower-style. Double-sinks in the bathroom, 4 large towels, some smaller towels, a digital bathroom scale, hair-dryer, curling iron (nice touch!) and magnifying mirror. The TV is interactive: you can choose to watch news, movies, local TV, porn or you can review your bill, order room service, see local weather, etc. We were on the 3rd floor of the Bash tower and we could not hear the noise from the party below, which was great. The only noisy thing were the motors outside for the A/C; it was a constant droning that was loud but didn’t bother us as it was more like “white noise” There is another jacuzzi, the one not on the rooftop, but one level above Bash was pretty cool. I mean, the water was hot, but the jacuzzi was nice. Great views and cubby-holes for your belongings. Unfortunately we didn’t notice any drink service at all. Access open to all guests. Service: Service at the resort was terrific (as always) So nice to see familiar faces, like Charlie at the front door, Lucio, Miguel and Reyes at the Rain Buffet (Lucio is hilarious), JJ at entertainment and Daniel in the lobby (I remembered him from Desire RM) The entertainment staff (aka “Playmakers”) were great, too. JJ, Pedro, Mike, The Kid, Lover Boy, Laura, Bella, Lollipop, Simona (it was her first day!) and of course, Mini Cooper - all fun people, got the crowd going. While we loved so much about this new Temptation, there were some things that we didn’t like. Not everything was perfect but the imperfections will not keep us away. Fall hazards: I’ve seen this in other reports. There are fall/trip hazards everywhere. There are stairs where you don’t expect stairs and many levels suddenly become uneven. I heard many guests complaining about falling or nearly falling. I myself almost broke my neck when I was walking at the pool. There are those circular pods that are like hot-tubs (but they’re not hot) and if you walk around it, there’s a part where the level suddenly dips. The color and pattern of the tile is exactly the same so you really cannot see where the changes in elevation are; it’s awful! I was walking along and didn’t see the sudden dip in elevation. I stumbled, fell and hit my neck on a pool chair (the ones that are submerged partially in the water) I was VERY LUCKY to only come away with a bruise. I felt like I was almost decapitated the way I fell. Even knowing where the sudden change in level was, it was still hard for me to see it when I looked back at it. Also, in the lobby, as you exit to go to Bash, there is a step that isn’t very noticeable as there is no change in color or pattern in the flooring or even a safety strip. I can’t imagine how many people in sunglasses, or high heels or under the influence stumble on these steps. And finally, the dance stage at Bash is a fall waiting to happen. Yes, it looks ultra-cool to dance on an elevated platform, but I was terrified of me or another guest falling off. It wouldn’t take more than a slight bump or accidental shove on a crowded stage to send someone down a nasty tumble. I honestly love Temptation but I hate these fall hazards. The food: OK, I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but we really didn’t think the restaurants were that great. I mean, we LOVED the food at the Rain buffet, but neither my husband nor I really liked the food at the 3 restaurants that we tried. Sea Flirt: Sea Flirt is the seafood restaurant. We love seafood but the food we ordered didn’t seem that great. The waiter and the hostess were friendly but the manager (I think he was the manager) was actually a little rude. When we had first walked in, he tried to tell us there were no tables available but he didn’t realize the hostess had already gotten a table ready for us. He just wanted to make us wait for no reason! Then when he brought my drink and just plopped it on the table, not even making eye contact and walked away. I felt like we were an inconvenience to him. But again, the waiter was great and that’s what counts. She: She is a restaurant that is promoted as a romantic, seductive food experience. Many reviews I’ve read said it’s a “must do” Well, we were unimpressed. OK, the dancing is nice and the descriptions of the food are amusing, but overall for us, it was too little food that took too long. At She, there is a standard menu (you don’t order) and they bring you tiny bite-sized portions of food, one at a time. If you are hungry, don’t go here as there is a long wait in between each portion. The food is good, but we were there nearly 2 hours from start to finish and we didn’t stick around for the 8th and final portion. So, yeah, it’s a nice experience but I would rather have had good food in a timely manner. Amores: Amores is the Mexican restaurant. There was a live Mariachi band which was very nice. The service was good. The acoustics are horrible. There were only maybe 3 or 4 other tables with diners but the place was somehow so noisy. All the laughs and general conversation were echoing off the walls and it was awfully loud. I don’t know if I can explain just how disturbing the volume level was. We honestly almost left because the noise was almost unbearable. This was all before the Mariachi band showed up. After the Mariachi band left and some of the other diners left, the noise levels were tolerable. The food, well… my husband said his food was just OK. I ended up puking mine all up afterward, so there’s that. Rain Buffet: this was the best food at the resort in our opinion. After the experiences at the other 3 restaurants, we didn’t want to try any of the others and just stuck to the buffet. There is a grill and the server will cook fresh any of the following: shrimp, beef, chicken, white fish, salmon, pork and veggies. The shrimp was amazing, we couldn’t get enough. The buffet is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. During breakfast, the buffet has 2 sides (Rain side and Flame side) Be sure to check them both out as there are different items in each. Their guacamole is terrific and so are their chips (the chips are kept separately from the guac for some reason) The beach was good, but the water was cloudy and unappealing. The weird thing was that just a few steps to the left, past the pier, the water was crystal-clear. There are plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas and there is good drink-service. There are vendors who walk up and down the beach selling jewelry, cigars, scarves, conch shells and coconuts. Be wary of the guy selling the “$1” bracelets. When you ask, he’ll say they are $1/gram and each weighs 5 grams. I bought one anyway because I felt sorry for him (he has a physical deformity) The main pool was fun but oh how the water was so deep! As many reviewers have stated, the water level is pretty deep. I am 5’2” and the water was just below my chin. It was not fun to keep my drinks hoisted above the water and stay on my tippy-toes the whole time. And as I mentioned before, fall hazards, lots of them. In the pool, by the pool, to the pool. Please be extra careful walking everywhere. Good service at the bar. They were in the process of replacing the countertops at the time. The only other complaint I have was the constant push of “Have you taken our tour yet?” We absolutely detest timeshare pitches and we said from the start that we did not want to take the tour. Yet every time we passed the attractively dressed men and women in the lobby, they’d try to sign us up for a tour. Every. Time. Other stuff: There was no coordinated group outing to Coco Bongo’s like there used to be. We left the resort a couple of times to walk along the boulevard. It’s a nice walk (if you turn left as you leave the resort) and there’s a bridge with great views of the lagoon and pirate ships. We had wanted to take the bus to La Isla shopping plaza but we were told they didn’t open until 11am and we were out on our walks early each morning. (11am is beach time!) There are 2 nearby places along the beach that offer beachside massage. There is a convenience store just across the street. I believe it’s open 24hr Some photos: RAIN BUFFET THESE MAKE ME HUNGRY VIEW FROM ATOP BASH TOWER (amazing) NICE VIEWS JUST A SHORT WALK FROM RESORT BEACH SAW A MINOR ACCIDENT JUST A FEW STEPS FROM THE RESORT Here are some of my previous reviews from years past: Had a great trip! (June 4 to June 9 2015) Trip Report: Temptation Aug 12-17, 2016 Fifth visit: HAD A BLAST! DRM Trip Report: Desire RM 3 nights, 1st timers!
Great report. A few comnents... Agree with service, etc!! RoofTop (Sky Bar 3.5) was great. Yes closed on Mondays and open only 11-6 other days (at least in April). Great for lunch...some different foods. And yes a great place to chill or party based on crowd. Either way different than Sexy Pool. In fact Quiet Pool is also a nice place to chill and fight off a hangover if not fighting it off by the best method...just staying drunk continuously! In an attempt to correct the tripping hazard at the lobby step down just in front of the stair entry leading down to buffet and in front of the lobby bar they have added carpet of a different color that helps it stand out. We were there in April. Do agree with the pool tripping hazards near the fun holes though. They should really change up the tile color so folks can possibly recognize a change of level. Thank goodness you were ok and did not have to visit the hospital...a totally different topic! Agree with comments on She! Try Amores (Italian) next visit. We belive the best meals. Lobster at SeaFlirt was great. Also the best breakfasts open until 11am.
My husband and I actually liked She, it was one of the only things that we liked about the new TTR. We were there in April originally supposed to be 4 nights, but we left a day early to go over to Desire Pearl. We stayed in the old 3000 block, which had an amazing view but it was impossible to sleep until Bash closed, which was way later than we wanted to stay out every night. I doubt we will ever stay at TTR again.
Really? What did you not like about it, besides the volume of Bash? We are also big fans of Desire, especially Pearl, but it's oh so pricey.
