We recently returned from Secrets Royal Beach afte...

We recently returned from Secrets Royal Beach after leaving 2 days earlier than scheduled due to me getting very sick after eating lunch off of the buffet upon arrival.
We have stayed at multiple Secrts resorts in the Carribean and our expectations were high, as Secrets has always exceeded our expectations across the board. This resort doesn t even come close with the other resorts of this Brand.
The rooms: Old and moldy. When we first arrived to our room, the smell about knocked you over when entering. The bedding was even moist from all of the moisture in the air and poor ventilation. There was mold everywhere. The bathroom, the ceilings, etc. The bathroom was also not the cleanest.
Timeshare Sellers BEWARE: These people are SUPER aggressive. The will harass you if you get within 15 feet of the lobby. They refuse to take no for an answer. They call the room repeatedly as well. We have always encountered the timeshare people at most resorts, this was beyond anything I have ever experienced. We felt that we had to avoid the lobby.
The Beach: Tons of seaweed. The seaweed smells awful as well. This is not the fault of the resort, as they make efforts to remove it early morning and evening. There are TONS of locals trying to sell you everything, including drugs, that come into resort property. If you try and walk to the ocean, they won t leave you alone. They also do not take no for an answer. Total vacation ruiner for us. Since most everyone comes on vacation to relax, between the timeshare people and local vendors, there was no relaxing.
The Food: AWFUL. The food at all of the restaurants we went to... awful. The buffet was small and the food was left out for hours and not kept at proper temps. There were flies everywhere. My husband was served cold, under cooked chicken at one of the restaurants. The shrimp was never cleaned and deveined at any of the restaurants. The cheesecakes were room temp or warm.

There was a ton of inconsistency with bar drinks as well. Not a ton of variety and the liquor is not even close to top shelf.

We have been back for a week and I am still recovering from the food poisoning that I got while there on day one of our vacation.

We will unlikely return to the Dominican, we most definitely would never return to Secrets Royal Beach. If you have been to a Secrets resort and are expecting high quality, do not stay here. You will be beyond disappointed.