One&Only Mandarina

We had a wonderful 5 night vacation in early February. This was our first time staying at the One&Only Mandarina & it exceeded our expectations. This is not your normal 5* hotel. The concept is very different. Service was excellent (our butler Javier really made our stay even more relaxing)....

We had a wonderful 5 night vacation in early February. This was our first time staying at the One&Only Mandarina & it exceeded our expectations. This is not your normal 5* hotel. The concept is very different. Service was excellent (our butler Javier really made our stay even more relaxing). Food for the most part was good but pricey. No need to bring all your bling clothes or jewelry here, this is not that kind of hotel. It's very private and intimate. You really dont get to see the same people very often as there are so many places to relax & eat. This is definitely a hotel to go & recharge your batteries & have a romantic break. We had no issues with the buggy service & everyone was very attentive. Highly recommended.

This was our fourth visit to Mandarina, the only resort / property we've ever been repeat visitors to. The beauty of this place keeps drawing us back; it's the perfect break from our midwestern winters. The staff are all friendly and warm, without being pretentious. The hosts will go out...

This was our fourth visit to Mandarina, the only resort / property we've ever been repeat visitors to. The beauty of this place keeps drawing us back; it's the perfect break from our midwestern winters. The staff are all friendly and warm, without being pretentious. The hosts will go out of their way to help you with whatever you need-reservations, activities etc. No hotel is perfect, and when you spend this much on a place it's easy to have sky high expectations. I think it's better to focus on what's special and be forgiving about small mis-steps. One things to know is that food and drinks are expensive. You aren't just paying for the food or beverage, it's for everything that goes into running a place like this- expect resort prices. Save yourself from sticker shock at check out by reviewing your bill the night before you check out. It's in pesos so it's helpful to take your time checking for accuracy. Most of all, enjoy this paradise if you go, it's in a category of it's own!

Stunning in every way possible. Service absolutely impeccable. Food sensational. Cocktails inventive and delicious. Property beautiful beyond imagination. The spa gorgeous and relaxing. There was not a single part of the trip that wasn’t perfect. The best resort we’ve ever stayed at and we’ve stayed all over the world.

Stunning in every way possible. Service absolutely impeccable. Food sensational. Cocktails inventive and delicious. Property beautiful beyond imagination. The spa gorgeous and relaxing. There was not a single part of the trip that wasn’t perfect. The best resort we’ve ever stayed at and we’ve stayed all over the world.

I have made 4 attempts to leave a 5 star review for this property and 4 times it has been removed. This property is one of the best and wholeheartedly deserves its “worlds top 50” position. The restaurants are great and the treetop bar, always a wide selection of meals...

I have made 4 attempts to leave a 5 star review for this property and 4 times it has been removed. This property is one of the best and wholeheartedly deserves its “worlds top 50” position. The restaurants are great and the treetop bar, always a wide selection of meals for our 5 night stay. The spa is at one with nature, using its surroundings makes it one of the most special experiences. We will be back, despite the distance. Wow

The service was excellent from the time we got to the airport. We were picked up and driven in a buggy by our own host to wherever we wanted to go inside the resort, anytime of the day. There were staff everywhere you go offering assistance. The Alma is the...

The service was excellent from the time we got to the airport. We were picked up and driven in a buggy by our own host to wherever we wanted to go inside the resort, anytime of the day. There were staff everywhere you go offering assistance. The Alma is the best place to have breakfast and dinner for a magnificent view of the ocean where you can also lounge in a cabana all day, if you wish. We stayed in a tree house villa that overlooks the ocean and the same eye level as hundred year old trees. It was like living in a magical forest. There was never a sound of a car or any outside noise. The villa was cleaned in the morning and a staff came in for a turn down before sunset: put cushion and slippers on the floor by the bed, close the curtains and make the bed for the night. It is about 2 hours away from the city so we didn't leave the resort which was fine. There was enough to do. The beaches are amazing and areas were constantly cleaned. The staff were very respectful and polite. Whatever you choose to do while in the resort, do not miss the Spa!

Already planning my return stay to OO Mandarina. I’ve read some reviews that flagged some concerns but we did not encounter issues with service, rooms, or food. I’ll start with the con, since it’s such a short list. The spa was closed for treatments during our stay. They were still...

Already planning my return stay to OO Mandarina. I’ve read some reviews that flagged some concerns but we did not encounter issues with service, rooms, or food. I’ll start with the con, since it’s such a short list. The spa was closed for treatments during our stay. They were still offering massages during our stay in one of the villas but I passed as I was looking forward to a spa experience. Again, all the more reason to return. On to the positives. From before we arrived the staff reached out to get more information and to see if we were celebrating any special occasions. Since we were, we coordinated details for a couple of special experiences. The staff worked to accommodate some of our picky eating. They ensured the menu would suit exactly what we were looking for. We also booked transportation and a few additional experiences before our arrival. The staff was quick to respond and address our questions. Upon airport arrival, our transportation greeted us outside. The vehicle was spacious, they offered snacks, access to an iPad and other amenities to enjoy during the drive to the hotel ( about an hour). As we arrived into the property, really enjoyed the beauty of the space and was welcomed by staff who offered a welcome beverage. Our room was not quite ready yet, and we were offered lunch as we waited. Room was worth the wait. Lovely ocean view tree house. Room felt private and tucked away with a great ocean view. We had a note and some sweet treats that acknowledged our special occasion. The room was spacious, lots of storage space to unpack, and we enjoyed some of the little touches. Very comfy bed/couch that was nice to enjoy when the rain didn’t allow for hanging out on the patio space. We had breakfast at Alma during our stay and they offered both a buffet as well as ordering from the menu. Enjoyed the breakfast options and tried a few different things during our stay. We also enjoyed our meals at Carao and Jetty Beach Club. The staff at Jetty Beach club were amazing! Made our special, unfortunately rained out, beach dinner memorable. I’d recommend the tour of the Mandarina and some of the private experiences. The staff does a fantastic job making you feel welcomed and always willing to go an extra mile. We had a small cake left in our room, during turn down service after we returned from dinner. Again continued small touches. We were greeted by coatis on our patio a few times, so if you are afraid of little small animals running around something to be aware of. Not enough to cause any concern during the stay as they scurried along once they saw you. If you are uncertain about visiting, I say go for it. Hoping you have a great time as we did.

We scheduled here for our honeymoon, having come from another all inclusive resort in Mexico that was less private, but just as beautiful. One and Only is picturesque in many ways, but its service and experience fall far from its pictures. First, when working with them during prebooking... they kept...

We scheduled here for our honeymoon, having come from another all inclusive resort in Mexico that was less private, but just as beautiful. One and Only is picturesque in many ways, but its service and experience fall far from its pictures. First, when working with them during prebooking... they kept not answering my emails. I'd have to follow up with them multiple times to get information about activities, scheduling, location, pricing, etc. Instead of just answering your questions, they write (or ChatGPT?) paragraphs of fluff content you have to read through, or attach a 10 page PDF for you to figure out on your own. Second, Roundtrip travel from the Airport is about $450-500. Its about 45 minutes each way through the countryside north of PV. This surprised me, many resorts in the area include free transportation to their location. Third, when we tried to check in, we had reserved a tree house with an ocean view. The front desk staff said that they had upgraded us for "Free" because of our American Express (I didn't pay with an american express?). They brought us to a unit that had no view, and shared a wall with an adjacent unit with no real privacy or view. SERIOUSLY? Apparently reading other reviews online, this is something that the hotel has pulled on multiple occasions - basically giving you a downgrade but telling you its an upgrade. After we told our concierge that we demand the unit we booked originally, they took us to a another unit that was on the other side of the property and could - just barely - see the beach from the deck and plunge pool. I think, after review of their site, that they mislead you with the name of the rooms. Most ocean view rooms are partial or no real view of the ocean (mainly jungle, as it has grown in since original development). Only the panoramic ocean view options ACTUALLY have a view of the ocean. Also at check in - they charged $2k for incidentals. I understand incidentals are used for food and activities, but given the short duration of our stay (only 4 nights), I was confused that our burn rate would be $500 / day for food, in Mexico. Turns out... yeah basically whatever you would expect to pay in the US under relatively normal circumstances, you will pay 3x that here. You are basically trapped at the resort and forced to pay 2-3x the cost of regular food in the US. Normally, price doesn't bother me if the quality is there - but the food was just awful. Everything we ordered just had so little flavor or was not that great. $50 cheeseburgers without the cheese. Guacamole and chips for $60 and the guac was just a partially diced avocado. The cocktails we're pretty average but $30 each. Breakfast each day was just.. okay. Juices were good, but I found everything else to be lackluster. The best food we had wasn't at One and Only. It was at the new Japanese restaurant on the cliffside in the opposite Resort (rosewood) that you can buggy too. Not only was that restaurant Amazing in its design, experience, authenticity and beauty... but the food was excellent. Cocktails strong and well balanced in flavor. Everything here was fine dining priced, but it was worth it because the experience was just that good. As for the venue and accommodations.. The units were pretty with a fair amount of jungle enclosure. I enjoyed the integration in with the greenery, despite there not really being total privacy as you are about 10-15 ft away from other units. The beds aren't great, but are fine enough, and we did appreciate that they brought us a floor fan to the room to use for our evening sleep. Our treehouse unit had some of the floors buckling (likely due to humidity from the shower), or part of the wood slats of the ceiling were hanging down. The plunge pool was very nice. Between that and the cliffside pool they advertise everywhere, I will say those were probably the highlights of the experience. The staff were all pretty nice, except for the trick the front desk people pulled. You can tell they think this place is quite special and care about their work. I guess in summary for us - we won't come back. If we hadn't enjoyed other luxury experiences before, this might have impressed us. But at the price point, the food, and overall venue.. it just didn't land - I honestly felt trapped and looked forward to leaving. In comparison, locations like El Nido Palawan or Boracay Shangri La in the Hhilippines (I know its not Mexico) were just so much better in terms of food, experience, value, service.

We chose the O&O Mandarina to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Everything from start to finish was superb. The Premier Panoramic Treehouse and the grounds were truly divine. In saying that, the star of the show was the service. The people were so friendly and willing to go above and...

We chose the O&O Mandarina to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Everything from start to finish was superb. The Premier Panoramic Treehouse and the grounds were truly divine. In saying that, the star of the show was the service. The people were so friendly and willing to go above and beyond to make our stay memorable. Shout out to both Jorge and Lluvia for their exceptional service. Although not expected, a friendly tip from time to time is always appreciated. We were able to eat at all the restaurants and the food at each was delicious…good portion sizes as well. As mentioned in previous posts, the food and drink are pricey. Just be prepared to budget around $500-600/day for food and drink (depending on how much you drink). Overall, the resort exceeded our expectations. In saying that, it is a snoozer resort. There is no entertainment or lobby bar like you might experience at other high-end resorts in Mexico. That could be a plus for many. From a demographic perspective the crowd during our stay was mostly adults 25-50 years of age. Some tips to consider: 1. The “buggies” or golf carts are quite timely. Just give them 15 minutes. It’s simple to order them in advance via the app. It’s generally a 5-10 minute drive to get from one place to another…not bad at all. It poured every night around dinner time. The buggies are covered and no one got soaked. 2. As mentioned earlier, the resort is quiet. Head over to Allora beach bar between 2-4 PM. They have 2 for 1 happy hour on margaritas and Aperol Spritz. The staff over there is very friendly and the drinks are great. 3. Bugs are a thing here. I mean you’re in a jungle. In saying that, they have insect repellant in the room, on your patio and at the pool. The first few days the breeze was up so we didn’t feel much, but once it dies down you will get bit. Just plan accordingly…like sunscreen. In summary, this is a special place that does come with a premium price. In saying that, the resort and the staff made it worth every penny (or Peso).

We cannot say enough about our stay at One&Only Mandarina! We were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary! The entire staff made sure to wish us a Happy Anniversary every chance they had and had so many wonderful surprises our entire trip! Our room took our breath away! We booked a...

We cannot say enough about our stay at One&Only Mandarina! We were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary! The entire staff made sure to wish us a Happy Anniversary every chance they had and had so many wonderful surprises our entire trip! Our room took our breath away! We booked a treehouse and were upgraded to an ocean treehouse. What a thoughtful surprise! The staff took care of us better than we could have imagined… from our hosts, the buggy drivers, the waitstaff, all of the staff, they made us feel like we were family. The food was delicious! Breakfast at Alma each morning was so good. You can choose from the menu or buffet or both. Carao was a true dining experience. The Jetty Beach was a great place to relax and be pampered. We were there during the rainy season and loved watching the thunderstorms in the evening. The lightning displays over the ocean were mesmerizing! The jungle came to life with each storm. We cannot say enough wonderful things about our entire trip! We felt well taken care of and were truly spoiled! We hope to be back very soon!

My husband and I spent three days here and it was a magical stay. The service is excellent, everyone goes out of their way to ensure that you are having a great time. Staff are friendly and helpful, the property is immaculate. There’s a reason this property is one of...

My husband and I spent three days here and it was a magical stay. The service is excellent, everyone goes out of their way to ensure that you are having a great time. Staff are friendly and helpful, the property is immaculate. There’s a reason this property is one of the top 50 in the world. Our room was stunning. We were perched on the cliff side overlooking the ocean. The views were unbelievable and we really enjoyed our own private plunge pool. Our butler and drivers were all excellent. Special shout out to Julio and Guillermo, and many other others who made our stay so special. We did zip lining, had massages at the spa (amazing!!), visited the horses at the stable, and relaxed beach side. Everything was perfect! Thank you for making our trip so wonderful, and all the attention and detail that goes into keeping the property so beautiful. We can’t wait to return!

We honestly can’t put into words how extraordinary our stay at One&Only Mandarina was. From the very beginning, everything was seamless—Ricardo Morales arranged every detail flawlessly. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by our butler Julio Garcia, and later Guillermo Uribe, which immediately set the tone for the entire trip....

We honestly can’t put into words how extraordinary our stay at One&Only Mandarina was. From the very beginning, everything was seamless—Ricardo Morales arranged every detail flawlessly. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by our butler Julio Garcia, and later Guillermo Uribe, which immediately set the tone for the entire trip. Our Ocean View Treehouse Villa was exactly what we had hoped for—quiet, tucked away, and perfectly private, just as we requested. Each morning, we looked forward to the peaceful 10-minute walk through the jungle path to breakfast, the best way to start the day. And, every one of the four restaurants was excellent, each meal more like an experience than just a meal. (For convenience, golf carts were also available, but we loved the walk.) One of the true highlights of our stay was the Mandarina Polo and Equestrian Club on the property. A heartfelt thank you to brothers Choncho and Emi Ayala, and Manuel, for their generosity, expertise, and warm welcome. I spent three days on the trails and beach, refreshing my riding skills and even on the polo field a bit. What made it unforgettable wasn’t just the opportunity to ride, but to learn from three remarkable horsemen whose intense passion for their horses and community was so inspiring. It was far more than a lesson—it was an experience I will treasure for a long time. The spa was another standout. Sugey was exceptional—her 90-minute deep tissue massage went far beyond expectations. She listened carefully to what my body needed and worked with such skill and intention that I left feeling completely renewed. Mohamed at Bastien Nail was equally outstanding—not only did my feet feel healthier, but I walked away with a new appreciation for the strength and importance of that foundation. We stayed at One&Only Palmilla a few years ago and have such fond memories, but Mandarina offered something altogether different. The thoughtful staff, the breathtaking jungle setting, and the unique experiences made it truly unforgettable. We are already looking forward to our return to One&Only Mandarina.

Such a wonderful restaurant and a definite must if you happen to stay at One & Only resort or Rosewood Mandarina! I've been to arguably the best restaurant in Mexico- Pujol (Mexico City) and this place is on that level! Chef Enrique Olvera should be proud! Place has open kitchen...

Such a wonderful restaurant and a definite must if you happen to stay at One & Only resort or Rosewood Mandarina! I've been to arguably the best restaurant in Mexico- Pujol (Mexico City) and this place is on that level! Chef Enrique Olvera should be proud! Place has open kitchen and woodsy om the hill aestethics and ambiance. Service top notch. Food was simply amazing but my favorite was the fish chorizo! Delicious! I went to continue the celebration of my birthday and was well satisfied. I can't wait to return!