Let me start by staying we researched Excellence El Carmen and several others before choosing our stay. The reviews were excellent as it relates to food, service and amenities. My wife and I have stayed at numerous all-inclusive resorts throughout the Caribbean, more than 15 & were excited for our visit to Excellence.
The service was excellent at first. The check-in process was easy & the staff friendly. The room was perfect, the hot tub in the room was wonderful, the bed was comfortable. Everything seemed great. We went to the beach, which was beautiful, along with the grounds and pool.
The food was awful, For the overall resort, I would give the food a 2 at best. The best meal we had was a cheeseburger and pasta salad at the pool. It was the worst food I have had at any resort.
The people are somewhat friendly and they work hard (hit or miss). We just had so many bad experiences where we felt like a burden to the workers. We are tippers and tip for everything we do. I honestly didn't tip a couple times because service was so bad. We had issues with our air conditioning unit and had our door slammed and the hands of the technician thrown in the air as if we were stupid.
I want to give a shout out to Joan, the bartender, at the Martini Bar. He was our saving grace and we loved him. He makes the best Pina Colada and is a genuine guy. The housekeepers were great and responsive.
Overall, we were very disappointed and would not recommend.