The author (right) said she and her family tried to make the most of their stay, but didn't have much to do beyond enjoying the pool.
Courtesy of Alana Dawson.
My oldest daughter looked at my husband and me in horror and said, "This isn't our hotel, is it?"That describes our family's only, and perhaps ever, all-inclusive experience in Mexico last summer.And indeed, it was our hotel.There were unmet expectationsAfter a quick flight and short wait at customs, we had our bags and were ready to begin our vacation. It was all our teens had talked about for weeks. We were all excited to see the beach and relax by the pool we saw in photos while booking our trip.If the wait for our included transportation was any indication of how the rest of the trip would go, we should have turned around and headed right back home. After an hourslong wait, in the blazing sun, without cover, we finally got into a van with curtains and sparse cool air coming out of the vent for a 45-minute ride to our resort.Once we arrived at the resort and stepped out of the van, a strong odor hit us. It was shocking, like a mixture of death, decay, and a rotting dumpster, but in humidity. I immediately worried about what we had gotten ourselves into.Things seemed different onlineWe booked this trip to celebrate my daughter's high school graduation. Though budget-friendly, the travel website advertised it as a luxurious beachfront family resort with a picturesque pool and a pristine beach. Reviews were positive, and the price felt right. As I was checking outa small pop-up appeared, a warning that said something along the lines of "seaweed/sargassum may cause some inconvenience." I ignored it and didn't give it a second thought until I got a whiff of it in person.
