One&Only Mandarina

This is the best place I've ever stayed at during a vacation. I have no complaints. Several things stand out including the treehouse accommodations, which had a breathtaking view and super comfy interior. The food was top notch fine dining at every location. The staff and especially our hosts made you feel welcome at every turn. The locale was diverse and stunning. I continually had goosebumps as we went from location to location. Our view at dinner one night at Alma was the most beautiful horizon I've ever witnessed. What I especially appreciated was the hospitality because for many folks, staying here is a very special occasion that can entail a good amount of saving. Yet we never felt a sense of pretension and we ALWAYS felt that we were at a truly special and luxurious place. I went in wondering if the cost and experience would be worth it, and I left thinking that THIS is why we invested in this stay here. I will never forget it, and it was truly a vacation of a lifetime ❤️

We went about a month ago so this review is long overdue, but just wanted to give a shoutout to our butler Alfredo who went above and beyond. We were traveling with our one year old and Alfredo was more than accommodating to everything our baby needed. We have traveled a bunch with our baby and he was by the far the best at making sure it was as smooth as possible. It even got to the point where our baby enjoyed seeing him! All 3 of us cant wait to go back. Thanks Alfredo!

The hotel was lovely, our room was amazing, and the scenery was out of this world. I definitely recommend the spa to hang out for a while and use all their amenities. My thorn for this trip was Carao, the restaurant owned by the world-renowned chef Enrique Olvera. It was a total disappointment. Starting with the decoration, which is extremely simple to the point that it looks like a cafeteria, the service wasn’t great either. I asked for a napkin several times, and it never arrived. We requested more salsas, which arrived at the end of the meal. The dishes themselves were okay but nothing amazing. I was definitely looking forward to experiencing this restaurant, and in my opinion, it was a total disappointment. The chef should be more involved if he wants to see this restaurant succeed.

With Mandarina, you are paying for the experience more than for value. I was debating between 3.5 or 4 stars. Pros We went in June and it felt like we had the resort all to ourselves and very few ppl around. The staff mentioned they were at 40% capacity. Most waitstaff were friendly from the drivers to the restaurant staff but unfortunately our main host, Wendy, was not the most helpful. She was our host for our group of 6 (3 couples) and responded an hour later to one couple and was not helpful in providing information and they ended up missing activities for the day while waiting for her response. I also sensed she had alot of guests to tend to. At the end, she didn’t share our dinner plans with all of us so miscommunication happened. I also thought it was strange she had another host asked one couple to PayPal her tip directly while the other two couples didn’t get that request. Over our 4 night stay, we had two hosts and we all preferred the other person who was upbeat and responded quickly. The resort including rooms, butterfly farm, tennis courts, restaurants, beaches, and spa were stunning. Very clean property. If you like to relax or staying at one location the whole time, this property would be ideal. Alma breakfast was all you can eat and part of the hotel cost. Cons Food was ok and I may be more picky because I have great Mexican and Michelin starred restaurants back in the bay area. I read in another review the bees were troublesome during breakfast at Alma’s and management was going to fix it but it is still a problem and many bees were buzzing around the pastries and inside the covers. They follow the pastries to your table and I was fearfully swatting them away. Try sitting at the center indoor tables instead of near the window. Last day in my room, a man with a key opened my door without knocking. He apologized and left. I texted the 24/7 hotline and they sent security within minutes to check on me. Not ideal and he should have knock. I’m not sure if he mistaken my room for another or thought nobody was here since my husband was at the gym. They are very attentive to where you are so you can’t go rogue on the property. Another con like everyone mentioned was the wait for a buggy. They won’t let you drive one on your own so you’re dependent on them to take you around but they are quick with 5-10 minute wait on average. I would recommend letting the guests drive around. It’s in a forest so expect rain, forest, bugs and birds. The birds are quite loud in the morning. Woodpeckers and lots of loud chirping.

I’ve never written a review for any of our prior vacations; however, One & Only Mandarina has set itself apart. First and foremost, our host, Alfredo, made our vacation incredible. We went for our babymoon, and he was always one step ahead of our needs and constantly surprising us with the most thoughtful gestures (pregnancy pillow, special treats for mama-to-be’s cravings, and baby gifts for the baby on her way… just to name a few). The resort was gorgeous, albeit expansive (requiring golf cart rides everywhere on the property). The treehouse was spacious and beautiful. The views were gorgeous. The meals at the restaurants were delicious. Everything was perfect!

The most amazing trip! We will remember it forever. Perfect for couples who love wildlife and being in nature. You can bird-watch from your villa! Extremely luxurious and excellent food at all the restaurants. Friendly and accommodating staff. Worth every penny and then some. Ask about visiting the butterfly sanctuary!

This was our first experience at an O&O and it was spectacular!! The location is very unique how they built the resort into the jungle and everything felt very private. We were a group of 6 friends and shared a 2 bedroom Ocean View Villa Banderas, which was more than enough space for everyone!! The villa had two large bedrooms, a full size living and dining room, 3 full bathrooms and our own private plunge pool. Breakfast was wonderful at Alma everyday, and you had the option of buffet items and ordering from the menu. Dinner at Allora was amazing on a deck right on the beach. We had the place literally to ourselves with a full staff taking care of us. Lunch at the Jetty was also delicious and the views from all the pools/restaurants is outstanding. Carao was a little disappointing as the service was slow and not up to par with how we were treated at every other location. The food also missed the mark here which was unfortunate, it was expensive and just not the flavors/quality we were expecting from the "best" restaurant on the property. What really made our trip special and set this resort over the top was the service and attention we received from our butler Tomas. He was always available to help with anything that we needed and made our stay so memorable. We have already booked a return trip for next year and will absolutely request to have Tomas take care of us!

The rooms with stunning views, the incredibly kind and accommodating staff, the food, pool snd beach club services - this resort has it all for couples looking for a gorgeous, relaxed holiday in the sun! It is our second time. First in a Premier Panoramic Cliff Villa snd this time on the other side of the property in a stunning Premier Panoramic Ocean Treehouse. We will definitely return again!

This fantastic property is very expensive, but it has stunning villsa, excellent service, fantastic restaurants, a beautiful setting, and incredibly nice and accommodating staff. The gym and yoga classes are first-class. All movement around the resort pretty much requires that you call for golf cart transportation. Once you become comfortable with the routine, it works well. A truly beautiful property.