Bahia Principe Sunlight San Felipe

I recently stayed at Bahia Principe Sunlight San Felipe, and unfortunately, the experience was far from what I had hoped for. The hotel feels stuck in the 90s, with outdated decor and a lack of modern amenities that make the whole place feel tired. The cleanliness left a lot to be desired. I encountered cockroaches in my room more than once, which made it difficult to relax. The room itself was surprisingly spacious with amazing views of the sea—a huge plus that was sadly overshadowed by the issues with pests. The food was another major disappointment. The buffet was repetitive and lacked variety, with most dishes either overcooked or lacking any real flavor. Even the basics didn’t taste fresh, and given the cost, I expected much better quality and choice. The pool area was also unable to cope with the number of guests. Finding a spot was a constant struggle, and it felt overcrowded from morning to evening, making it hard to enjoy the facilities. The entertainment was similarly underwhelming. The shows were lackluster, lacking the energy and engagement you’d hope for on a holiday. The one redeeming quality was the staff. Both the waiting staff and cleaning staff were friendly, attentive, and went out of their way to make up for the hotel’s shortcomings. They truly are the shining light in an otherwise disappointing stay. I wouldn’t recommend Bahia Principe Sunlight San Felipe unless some serious improvements are made.

Good points Excellent sea views. The rooms are big and have plenty of storage. Close to shops and restaurants Staff work hard and are friendly. The housekeeping staff are really good and keep the room and hotel very clean. The drinks served on an evening were nice but you have to pay for them if you are half board. Good activities/entertainment for the children. Bad Points The pools are a bit small for the size of the hotel. When it's busy, you might struggle to get a sun lounger because they are reserved early in the morning. Poor lighting in the room. Air con does not work. Sewage smell from the vents in the bathroom. The shower pressure is weak. There are only 3 lifts for 16 floors, and there can be a bit of a wait during busy times. The doors can also close on you while you are getting in them, which is dangerous. The rooms are dated. A 4-star hotel should not be charging for the use of the safe. No tea or coffee in the room. You can ask for a kettle from reception and buy your own tea and coffee if you are desperate. It's probably advisable because the drinks machines in the buffet restaurant are terrible. The buffet restaurant is absolute chaos during busy periods. I feel so sorry for the staff working there. There's clearly not enough staff, and the restaurant is not big enough to deal with the number of guests.  From queuing to get into the restaurant and not enough bowels/plates, etc. The noise and ambience of the restaurant is like school dinners. The air con does not work properly, so it gets too hot and makes the whole dining experience unpleasant. There was heavy rain fall one day, and a section on the restaurant had to be closed off, which made the restaurant worse than usual. In my opinion, the a la carte restaurant should have been opened up to everyone to help elevate the problem. This brings me to the next question. Why do only the all inclusive guests have access to the a la carte restaurants? The half board guests should be able to go during their stay, too. This might also help reduce the choas in the buffet restaurant during peak times. If you have vegetarian or vegan dietary requirements, I think you will struggle with the food, especially if you are staying longer than a week. The chefs culinary skills seem to only be able to cater to meat eaters. The food labels are not always accurate. This could be dangerous if you have a food intolerance The food is very repetitive, and the standard  of the food declined during our stay. It would be nice to have proper themed food events each night to break up the repeativeness, e.g., Spanish, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Asian & USA. It would be useful if the food menu for the week. The desserts can be hit and miss. The nice deserts tend to go fast, and if you leave it too late, you will be left with jelly in a cocktail glass or yoghurt with sauce in a glass. I ordered an omelette one morning, and it was disgusting. I couldn't eat it. Location The beaches around puerto de la

Room was fairly decent with a great view (sea view upgrade) however the bathroom did smell of sewerage. Pool was good and clean, plenty of sun loungers and decent pool bar. Buffet selection was poor and the food quality was not great - lunch time options at the pool bar were okay with Paella being served one day and Chicken & Pork on the grill another. Servers were mostly friendly and attentive.

Some of the review I read before going left me with a bit of dread, people saying about the food, the rooms and other bits I was dreading it. On some terms I agree with the modernization especially in the rooms, it does need a revamp, made a little brighter and the Aircon made modern a little better but over all the room was wonderful and clean with an amazing large balcony and wonderful sea view. We had the large double sea view room. The maids was wonderful, the room was always left clean and changed the towels frequently or when requested. They brought more water for the room when used. Nothing was too much. Me and my partner and little boy went with my parents who had the room next door, there was a joint door which we asked to be unlocked so if we needed to be with one another we could easily. The entertainment team was great doing things throughout the day for both children and and adults. They did a foam party once a week was great fun. The party dances in the lounge bar was great fun, my little one loved doing his dances and the entertainment staff was fab with him. The ground it's self is lovely with a little park near the kids club near the tennis court. My little boy loved walking round and playing. The food in dinning room was repetitive but it was delicious and if you found something great last week then on our second we looked forward to it, especially the ribs!! Loved the food and could always make a meal from what was available. My little boy who 1 always found something he liked too. The staff was so wonderful the two Eduardo's was great and played with Louie and so was the ladies but can't remember their names. The staff was so lovely, hopefully meet them there again at some point. The Italian and Mediterranean restaurants was nice and we enjoyed two meals there. Overall we had a wonderful family holiday for Louie's first holiday. Would definitely go again!! Miss this place already!

Don't belive the bad reviews. my husband and I have just stayed for a week and loved the hotel. everywhere was really clean, our room (Jr suite was light and airy) The food was plentiful and prety much what you'd expect from am all inclusive. staff were really polite and helpful, and the entertainment crew worked hard to keep everyone busy. would definitely visit again

First of all I’d like to say the staff are AMAZING!!! Couldn’t fault them whatsoever!!! But unfortunately the hotel is just a average 3 star hotel that is very dated in places!! We stayed all inclusive which was worth it for just the drinks alone!! But unfortunately the food wasn’t up to much!! Breakfast was 3/10 Who want’s chicken sausage for breakfast???? The plates absolutely stunk (lucky to get a clean 1) Lunch/Tea was a slight improvement but cold chicken and soggy chips just cut it for me!! Absolutely zero choice for little 1s also!! Seem to cater more for the German/Spanish!! Rooms are adequate yet dated… Maids are amazing cleaned rooms every day!!! Pool was freezing (supposedly “heated”) Entertainment staff we’re 11/10 absolute credit to the hotel!!!! Deserve a massive Pat on the back 👏 But overall we had a average stay but if it’s cheap n cheerful this maybe the hotel for you!! Also the hotel needs to look at the pool steps they are EXTREMELY SLPPPY!!! I seen a lot of people slip on them whilst entering the pool!! Even myself on the first day!!! Needs looking at ASAP before a serious accident happens!!!!