One & Only Exclusive Resorts

Being the good husband that I am, I chose to truly show my wife a great time for our fifteenth wedding anniversary. She has been dropping hints about the lovely One & Only Resort in the Bahamas for quite some time and I knew that this would be the perfect thing to do if I could pull it off. I started doing a bit of research online and found the Ocean Club in the Bahamas from One & Only Resorts. I do admit, even I was sold after just one look at the website. It displayed glorious photos of a pristine Oceanside resort that was quite alluring to say the least. It took me less than fifteen minutes to decide that this is just what would make my lady very happy and I quickly made my reservations online.

When I first told my wife what we would be doing for our anniversary, I thought she was going to faint! We packed our bags and headed off into the sunset, anxiously awaiting the time we would get to lay our eyes on where we would be staying. Much to our surprise, we were greeted at the gate by a smiling gentlemen who helped us make our way to our room, which was immaculate. We actually over packed for this trip because of the fact that everything was right there at our fingertips. There was even a laptop in the room.

Our weekend at the Ocean Club was unforgettable for sure. The food was delicious, the staff was incredible, and everything was excellent. We felt like royalty at the resort because of the way that we were treated. I especially enjoyed the fact that they served strawberries and champagne each afternoon and the fact that we could choose to have meals in the privacy of our room if we desired. As for the view-words cannot describe what it feels like to be surrounded with crisp turquoise waters and soft sandy beaches. I only wish that we could have stayed a lot longer!

Pros: The room was extremely clean, the staff was courteous, and the setting was perfectly situated with a view of the beach. There were so many amenities to enjoy at this resort.

Cons: If there is only one complaint that I can find it would be the price. I paid quite a bit for our weekend excursion and discovered later that there were cheaper options that were probably just as good.

Amount Paid: $2,596.00

Purchase Date: June 6th, 2012

Online or In-Store: Online

Final Notes: Great resort, but be prepared to pay a hefty price for your reservations.

Recommended: Yes

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

I love taking vacations and a friend of mine told me about One & Only Resorts. It is a resort that offers food, fun and gorgeous beaches. They have locations all over the world. The one I took advantage of was Paradise Island in the Bahamas – though I would really like to try out several others now that I have seen what the resort is like.

The online booking process was simple. I got to check out the different resorts online and view photos. There were also different levels of accommodations to choose from. I chose one of the more affordable places to stay on the resort and was pleasantly surprised by how luxurious and spacious it was inside. The friendly staff attends to everything. Before you can even ask, the staff has taken care of you. I have never felt so well taken care of in my entire life.

Pros: Inclusive means inclusive. I didn’t have to want for anything once throughout the entire 5-night stay. We were able to drink what we wanted, eat the most gourmet dinners and take advantage of some amazing entertainment. We didn’t have to worry about transportation, where to go next or being bored at any time.The spa was also gorgeous and had a long list of services offered to ensure me and my boyfriend could relax.

Cons: The only con is that they are expensive. When I first saw that they were $584 a night for the lowest accommodation, I thought I was seeing things. However, you have to consider what you are getting. You are getting a luxurious room, not a small cabin like you are getting in a cruise ship. If you look at what a high-end hotel costs you as well as the top of the line restaurants, you can still save money with One & Only and enjoy more luxury around every turn.

Other Info: There is always something to do on the resort. We were able to do a lot of things I would have never been able to do on a cruise ship – plus the beaches were never crowded with tourists and screaming kids, which was a definite advantage to booking with One & Only.

Amount Paid: $2800, not including airfare

Purchase Date: December 3, 2012

Online or In-Store: Online

Final Notes: As a girl who loves cruising, I liked the idea of everything being available – and was very happy to find out that when they say everything, they truly mean that everything is available at the resort.

Recommended: Yes

Overall Rating: 5 stars

If you've never been to Mexico, there are really only two ways to do it right. First of all, you can enjoy a trip to Tijuana with a few friends. Tijuana is a really raw, authentic, and sometimes scary town, so unless you're looking for a very specific type of adventure, your best bet might actually be to consider a great resort trip, instead, like those offered by One and Only.

One and Only make big promises, and they live up to every one of them. Namely, One and Only really does deliver on making you feel close to the culture. Los Cabos is just about one of the coolest places in the world, and One and Only's resort deals put you right in the heart of it.

When I arrived at the Palmilla, Los Cabos resort, I was really surprised at what I got for less than the cost of a month's rent and utilities. For three days and two nights, I enjoyed a beautiful ocean front view from accommodations atop a dramatic cliff. If there's a better way to enjoy Mexico, I don't know what it is.

The trip really couldn't have come at a better time. Having gone several years since my last vacation, I was ready to explode with work and my home life at the time, so taking a few days off to soak in the sun and swim at the beach really helped me to keep from going insane.

Pros: The view was amazing, the room was really comfortable, the food was fantastic and the people there were incredibly friendly. I felt like a welcome guest, not just a customer. I was really surprised at what I got for a relatively low price. The private balcony over the cliff was just about my favorite thing. Having grown up in California, I've always had a love for the Pacific Ocean, and being able to wake up to it in the morning was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Cons: As it turns out I could have spent a lot less if I'd known about certain deals on the web, but alas, they were perhaps not as well advertised as they could have been. I might also have preferred more flexible scheduling options as I was forced to leave a little earlier than I would have liked.

Experience: The long-running joke about Mexico is not to drink the water, but in truth, I never had any problems with it. The food, the scenery and the people were all stellar. Even when it came time to sit back at the end of the day and chill out in front of the television, I was able to enjoy programming from back home via satellite.

Amount Paid: $850

Purchase Date: 6/12/2012

Online or In-Store: Online

Final Notes: A great summer retreat.

Recommended: Yes

Overall Rating: 4/5