Second trip here, first was under the Bahia umbrella and much more enjoyable than this trip. Hyatt seems to cut corners at every step. Constant maintenance issues with zero resolve during the entire 8days. Food was not great, although not terrible. Ate at seven of the restaurants, and only the Italian passed the test. We are not fussy travelers, with my favorite place being Holguin Cuba. It's the experience I enjoy, and this trip was unfortunately less than impressive.

The stay at this resort was great. Food was amazing, beach was great. Weather was excellent. Service was top notch and very friendly and welcoming. I would recommend this resort. We had one major hiccup, when we were checking out and waited for our bus, airport transfer, the app said we would be picked up at our resort at 5:40pm, we waited for 30mins and no bus, we went to the counter to ask for an update and were told the bis went to Aquamarine (next door) and left and did not come for us. We were told we were supposed to go their but no one told us this prior to pickup. It was a major upset for myself and wife. We had to pay an expensive price for a taxi to get us to the airport and not miss our flight. The communication between Air Transat and the resort was non existent. We contacted Air Transat support through the app and they gave us information we already had from the app. They mentioned thats the information they were giving us, from the app, and the bus should be there shortly. We tried to explain that the bus had already left the resort next door and didnt not come to our resort for us. They said to just wait. The bus never showed up as we inquired later at the airport. This was changed our experience with Air Transat tremendously. We now have to go through hoops to get reimbursed for our unexpected expenses.

I had a very good time at Bahia Principe Explore. The resort staff we excellent, professional and courteous. I would certainly recommend this resort to anyone looking for some rest and relaxation. The beach and pools are conveniently located and it was a very pleasant experience!

Our experience was difficult to say the least. The language barrier was the start to many issues. i met many people that spoke English in places that didn't need English (getting me water at the buffe) and places that needed English which never had a single English speaking person. (the front desk). Which because of this the lady at the front counter screwed up the shuttle time to get us back to the airport. We ended up paying $268.80 Canadian for a taxi. the Pros and Cons: -Most of the alcohol you have to pay and it is between $11 and $20 USD per shot. the only all inclusive alcohol is low quality and very small selection. -Jelly fish in the bay. The wife was stung multiple times. the water is not blue it is brown murky with about 12" of visibility. -half the bar staff was amazing the other half was dismissive and didn't want to do there jobs. -room clean lady was amazing. -food was good -location as a lot further then expected. -pool was clean but it was chaos at all times. no regard for others and no relaxing with the constant no stop crazy. -beautiful looking hotel -have to pay for pool table, air hockey, ping pong, foosball and what ever else. for an all inclusive. you had to pay for everything. -entertainment was really good. -don't buy anything or pay everything. bag of Cheeto's $13. dollarama size bag of candies, $8. two single burgers at Wendy's, $30 (not a combo). two taco meals at taco bell, $45. - can go on and on about this place. At the end of it all, with everything together. I would not recommend this nor would i go back.

This resort is clean and comfortable with excellent service and amenities. The pools, food, drinks and entertainment all exceeded expectations. The only challenge was getting reservations at the restaurants so be sure to book before you arrive.

The Bahia Principe Escape was a fantastic resort. The rooms we current, very clean and comfortable. The grounds beautiful and well maintained. The beach is not great if you like to swim but if you like to snorkel its ideal. The food was fantastic. Lots of protein of different varieties. The hostess and serving staff were very organized and friendly. The pool bar staff wonderful! The day and evening entertainment crew were outstanding! They kept us active and entertained.

Very good hotel - room. service. entertainment. people. Cocktails. Traditional Latin American music's very good. But Music's can be more modern - electronic shaffle lambada and samba probably will be more often use and attract more people.

The rooms are big and very nice. The cleaning staff are very good. The staff at the receptions are nice, friendly and very helpful. The severs at restaurants are nice, do a great job. We love the beach, unfortunately sometimes we do not get a spot because of people from Ambar take our spots…..

All in all we had a nice time at the Bahia Escape. The Good- -The resort was fairly quiet ( but much busier on the weekends.) We wanted a quiet vacation so that suited us fine. The beach is small but deep enough to swim without being too deep. - The snorkeling off the beach was actually really good. We saw an octopus, spiny lobsters, a spotted eagle ray, a flounder, a porcupine fish, puffer fish , a golden spotted eel and lots of colourful reef fish. -Food was good. I am a pescatarian that doesn’t eat bread, pasta or rice either so usually I struggle with food at all inclusives. The chefs at the à la cartes were great. Shout out to the Brazilian restaurant chef who created me a salmon dish that wasn’t even on the menu and it was the best salmon I’ve ever had and I’m from the east coast of Canada and salmon is a staple of my diet ! -The service from the wait staff was really great. The Bad - Our oceanfront room was lovely but we were on the 6th floor and elevator was broken more than it was working. In fact the last 3 days of our vacation it didn’t work at all. Kept being told it was being worked on but didn’t see anyone working on it. - Some of the advertised room category amenities weren’t included. No bath robes, only got turn down service 3 out of 7 nights. Had to ask for mini bar to be restocked and the people restocking took the tips we were leaving for the housekeeping staff. Thank goodness we realized that before the end of our trip so we could tip her but spent $90 usd in tips leaving a note just asking for water….. -Because of the hurricane last year not all the advertised restaurants are open. Our room category stated we had 7 à la cartes a week and were only able to use 4 because they were full before we were even able to book them. Unfortunate, since this was the reason we chose and paid for the best room offered at the resort. Was not impressed at the lack of support we received when using the Bahia app to address our concerns. Because of this we will most likely not return to this resort.

It's our fourth time to this hotel. We love that it's beside the golf course. The staff is extremely friendly. The a LA carte's restaurants are very good. The lobby bar is nice. The snack bar has good food and Jesus the waiter is the best. Thank you for another great vacation!

I usually go with hubby who likes the rainforest vibe. This time I took my niece for her birthday. She absolutely loved everything. Small resort with access to 4 others providing so many options. All the excursions booked had hotel lobby pickup. I really appreciate that since Hyatt took over the resort has put in hand rails going up to your room. I like the 3rd floor so you are on the treetops. You may be as social as you like or feel private if you need. Some younger people are repeat visitors. In 10 days we did 6 ala cartes, 4 excursions, and a show. We did Zumba at the party pool followed by volleyball. Going in September meant fewer crowds but the mosquitoes were lil snipers. When I go in April I don’t need big spray but we had just enough for our stay. The staff are always nice and helpful. Service is excellent whether you tip or not. So if you find you don’t have it on you don’t feel bad. Entertainment hasn’t seemed to change and becomes repetitive after a week like most resorts. Niece and I celebrated our moment with matching tattoos at the Hacienda. It was my first and I picked it out. Niece is talking about returning with her partner. I find the rooms spacious but I will return and get the penthouse. Love the extra space and the rooftop deck with small jacuzzi. I am so glad the pool restaurant still has personal service and many of the staff hasn’t changed.

What a wonderful week of fabulous food, great service, and amazing accommodations.. The service was outstanding and we always felt that people would go out of their way to help. The proximity to the golf course was exceptional as one of the reasons we stayed at this resort was the course close by. This is our 5th time visiting this resort and I am confident we will return.

This is my 2nd time and can't wait to return. The staff are so welcoming, helpful and so pleasant. They are a joy to be around. Liz & Jorge in concerige arranged rides and picks ups. The entertainment crew Abigail, Fabian and Tiko were so much fun made everyday at the pool. Miriam in the breakfast buffet knew our drinks by day 2 ? Loved our stay at Sian Ka'an Escape

We stayed at Bahía Príncipe Grand Tequila at Tulum Mexico. The resort is immaculate, easy to get around, has 3 alacarts, and 2 pools. The staff were awesome especially Lourdes, Alex,and Jose in Cozumel alacart. Bellboy Raul gave excellent service. Smokehouse alacart had awesome beef ribs,brisket,and burger. We stayed in September 2026 so had access to all 10 alacarts. Great place to relax and enjoy the activities.

Myself, husband, son, daughter in law, 2 grandkids and a friend went October 1st to 8th, 2026. This resort has been updated, the beach was a little rough but as we all know it was hurricane season, however we still got to swim was not too bad, we totally enjoyed the pool also and the rooms beautiful and food totally 5*. Our family had a great time; they are all looking on when they can return.

We had an amazing week at Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal and would absolutely return. From the moment we arrived, the staff really set the standard for our vacation. We found the resort clean, beautiful and very well maintained, and we felt comfortable and safe throughout our entire stay. One of the biggest highlights was the staff. Our concierge service was excellent, the shuttles around the complex were frequent and convenient, and whenever we needed something, the staff genuinely tried to help. Even little things made a difference, like having our minibar changed to Pepsi and water based on what we actually drank. We really enjoyed the pools and the relaxed atmosphere around the resort. We also loved being able to explore the other Bahia properties in the complex. Having access to different pools, restaurants and areas made the resort feel much larger and gave us something different to experience throughout the week. Our romantic beach dinner was one of the highlights of the entire vacation and something we will remember for a long time. We also enjoyed several of the à-la-carte restaurants and had some excellent meals during our stay. There are a few areas we think could be improved. Late-night food options were quite limited, and the room-service food was disappointing compared with the rest of the resort. We also found restaurant availability difficult at times. Better signage and clearer food labels would be helpful, especially when exploring the different properties. We would also love to see better milk or cream options for coffee. Those issues were relatively small compared with our overall experience. What stood out most was how comfortable and relaxed we felt at Akumal and how hard the staff worked to make guests happy. We enjoyed our stay enough that Bahia Principe is somewhere we genuinely want to return to. Thank you to everyone at Luxury Akumal who helped make our vacation so memorable.

Good things: 1.There was no shortage in fruits for buffets and there were enough breakfast options. 2. Nice Greek ala carte restaurant. 3. Showers at the beach were working good 4. Towel handling at the beach were friendly, however some towels had small stains which is ok and normal as long as they are clean 5. Swimming pools were nice however there were many dirty stuff in them that was from the users so It is normal to see those. 6. Billiard and table tennis people were friendly however the tables were a bit old but that is also absolutely fine. 7. Internet was good in the area except for the beach which is normal. 8. Rogers roaming had no issue at all in the resort and also in the region. 9. Hard working staff were almost all nice mannered. Bad things: 1.More than 95% of the foods were not tagged their content in English. 2. Even though the room was renovated there were plenty of spiders. 3. The ocean water was full of seaweed and the water was mixed with too much sand and therefore it was not pleasant at all to swim or snorkel. some days the beach was smelling like toilet too. 4. There were too many local merchants at the beach and some of them were not morally good people, some of them were extremely pushy to sell you stuff that you don't need. 5. Even some of the people from the resort did not have good behavior if you did not buy their packages after they explained to us. 6. The best food I liked there was pizza and that means a lot. It means if a restaurant does not have enough good food you would end up going for French fries and pizza, however I would not say that it was bad however they could put a bit more effort to make the dishes better. 7. Ala carte restaurant of Mexican was just ok a bit salty, The Mongolian was very good except that a piece of broken plate was found in her food after biting it she found out. 8. Room temperature was not greatly controlled it is either too cold or you have to turn it off. But this problem existed in a few other places that we were in the past. 9. Fast food at the beach closes too early 10. On the arrival at the airport it was not very easy to find our shuttle. 11. At the registry of the first minutes of arrival I am expecting that sales men do not approach us too much so we can get to our room and get some rest in that hot climate. 12. some nights was for sales men to have their jewelry demonstrating on the desks for sale, they were also a bit pushy too. 13. We were buying this package under the assumption that we were allowed to use one more buffet of a different resort but that did not happen. Might be our mistake. I don't have time to go back and check all the papers. 14. We also were not allowed to go and check at least one of the other resorts for their night programs. Our night entertainment was just ok. Yet I appreciate their effort.

Great resort, we would recommend to everyone. Stayed on the adult side, family side opening soon after renovations due to the hurricane. Great pools and a couple of small beaches. Excellent room with ocean view. Grounds were well maintained. Staff were very friendly, polite and helpful. No issue with service. Entertainment staff were fun. A la carte were good. Buffet food was very good. A 5 star from us.

Was my second time there and again had a great time. Food is great. Rooms were perfect had a swim up. Service was excellent Beach unfortunately was bad but not the hotel’s fault. Shows were fun.

The resort that serves burnt food, no towels in washroom and begging for water I didn’t feel that good at all. People needs to be bit compassionate about the tips and money they r getting from tourists. Also makes little easy for check in process so people will understand it clear and better.

Explore Akumal is a big resort and gives you access to all other resorts in the Bahia Principe compound. Staff was very helpful and friendly. The beach area is better than other Mayan Riviera beaches. The a la carte choice is ample and good quality. Mixed drinks were pretty good as well and so were the evening shows. There are shuttles to take you from one resort to the other and they run pretty smoothly and regularly. O'Neil from Tripcentral was very helpful as usual in working with us to make sure the resort fulfilled our requirements.

Perfectly appointed hotel with fantastic food, large rooms, and an excellent pool with lots to do. Staff were all smiles the whole time and made sure that everything was perfect during our stay. Largely couples during our stay so may not be ideal for singles looking to mingle.

My first time at this resort. Can’t say enough about the resort. Room , pools , food excellent. I was also surprised that they upgraded my room. The staff is wonderful, very pleasant and always available. I really enjoyed the perk of experience and exploring the other 4 Bahía Príncipe, that was a luxury. Was able to book à la carte meals and they were delicious. Lobbies of all places were exceptional. I would definitely return.

FOOD IS SECOND TO NONE! every single day , consistent, huge selections, meats, pastas, You name it!, Drinks top branded!, exceeded expectations!, Beach was incredible, NO SEAWEED!, private type bay beach, resort super clean, rooms AC were amazing, Casino was incredible, I would recommend this place to anyone!!!!

We stayed at this hotel 5 times. We keep coming back because it feels like home. All the staffs are helpful and will go out of their way to get you what you want. They genuinely want to make your stay memorable, fun, happy and stress free! We love the size of the rooms, very spacious. We normally stay over the family side because we find it more entertaining. The luxury side is for those looking for peace and quiet. We can’t wait until the other side is open. It’s a huge resort. Lots of restaurants options once the family size is open.

Grounds and rooms are clean. Food was decent however we were able to use Akumal and Tulum Bahai resorts aswell.which made the selections of food better throught the resorts. Pools we clean and warm. For some odd reason Saturday was mexican day and the resort was filled with mexicans but no other days on that week. Rooms are dated and needs updates, service is good however no poolside service and mixed drinks were hit or miss for quality. I would rate this place a solid 4 star.

Overall amazing, the only downside is the beach not usable. My kids would have loved the beach and it being so close to our room. We had to use another resort’s beach front which required travelling a bit. I would have loved to have the restaurants open even if it was not peak season to have more variety for the guests.

Room was dated and it feel like it as well. Balcony door did not lock, luckily we were on the second floor. Shower was falling apart and the toilet was making weird sounds for a while after being flushed. Food was decent in the buffet. Breakfast and lunch was repetitive but dinner had some good options like lobster night etc. The lunch by the beach seems to be better than the one by the pool. Mixed drinks were a hit and miss. The ladies I traveled with felt they were being ignored by the bartenders sometimes serving the men first. As for service, majority of the employees were good and attentive but there were a few that just ignored requests. Could be a language barrier but it would have been better if they just indicated they did not understand. The Beach was infested with seaweeds. They try to pick it with a tractor but it was hopeless. Not the fault of the hotel and the workers were doing their best to control it. Pools were good and enjoyable. A la carte - a couple good ones. The Brazilian and Mongolia were the best of the ones visited. Sushi and Indian not so much. Not a lot of good activities for kids. There were a few good shows like the magic snow and circus, but it started and 10pm. After a day at the pool, the kids were too tired to be up that late.

Our experience at Bahia Principe Punta Cana was truly amazing from beginning to end. The resort exceeded our expectations with its beautiful surroundings, outstanding service, and the incredible Caribbean atmosphere. From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed and cared for. The resort offers beautiful gardens, a spectacular beach, relaxing pools, great entertainment, and comfortable accommodations that made our vacation truly enjoyable. We would also like to give special recognition to Manuela Romeiro, our vacation travel agent, for his exceptional attention, professionalism, and support in helping us organize this unforgettable trip. Manuela went above and beyond to ensure every detail was taken care of, providing excellent recommendations, quick responses, and outstanding customer service. Her dedication helped make our vacation smooth, stress-free, and memorable. Thank you Manuela for creating such a wonderful experience. We also highly recommend this resort and the excellent service provided by our agent for anyone planning a dream vacation in Punta Cana. ?☀️ We look forward to returning again!

This was an amazing resort to just get away from it all. The beach is quiet, with a sweet little dog that greets you everyday. The food was amazing, and the staff are very kind and attentive. The grounds are stunning, lots of trees and a beautiful view of the ocean. This is not a resort for people who want late night events, or a big social sceen, it's a place to just relax and disconnect by connecting to nature and calm.

We booked our trip to Bahia Principe, Montego Bay,Jamaica through TripAdvisor, and the booking process itself was smooth. We found the resort, via internet, called directly, and had everything confirmed within an hour through Jairus Maus. On July 14, We arrived at the hotel around 2:30 p.m. after an hour-plus drive from the airport, but unfortunately our room wasn’t ready until after 4:30 p.m. The first two days at the resort were enjoyable. Before leaving Canada, I had emailed my travel agent Jairus regarding excursions and transportation but never received any information or reply in that regards . We decided to find this info from the hotel once we reach there. Rather than waste more time, I booked our excursions through the hotel reception after checking in. We spent our second day relaxing and exploring the resort. On our third day, we went to the Dunn’s River Falls excursion, which included climbing the falls, zip-lining over them, and snorkeling. The excursion itself was fantastic. The tour organizers had arranged lunch for us at a nearby village restaurant after snorkeling and had even taken our meal orders that morning. Unfortunately, this is where our vacation took a terrible turn. We arrived at the restaurant Chukka Island Village outpost around 3:30 p.m. after not eating all day. The staff were rude and inattentive. We were ignored for quite some time, weren’t even offered water, and had to ask for it ourselves after our jerk chicken was served. When they finally brought it, they simply slid the glasses onto the table without saying a word. The service was extremely disappointing. After lunch, at 0345 pm, we were driven back to the hotel, arriving about 30–45 minutes later. Almost immediately, my husband began running to the bathroom repeatedly and started shaking. As a nurse, I became very concerned. I called reception asking if they had Tylenol. They initially offered to send a nurse, but I explained that I was a nurse myself and only needed medication. They directed me to the gift shop, where I paid US$30 for a bottle of 24 Tylenol tablets, along with an overpriced package of Pepto-Bismol. Later that night, I also became ill. For the next five days, both of us suffered from constant diarrhea and stomach illness unable to hold anything down. Our vacation was completely ruined. We could barely eat anything—even a piece of toast would pass through us almost immediately. Every day we hoped we would recover enough to enjoy at least part of our trip, but we never did. Even on the morning we were leaving for the airport, my husband attempted to eat something light before our flight and had to run straight to the bathroom afterward. Throughout our stay, we repeatedly asked for fresh lemon to have with tea, hoping it would help settle our stomachs. Every restaurant told us they didn’t have any. It was surprising that a five-star resort couldn’t provide something as basic as fresh lemon. What was most disappointing was the lack of follow-up from the resort. I reported what had happened to the excursion booking department, guest services, and reception. I explained that I wasn’t only concerned about us—I wanted to make sure this didn’t happen to other guests if the meal from the excursion restaurant was the cause. Unfortunately, no one ever contacted us, checked on our condition, or followed up in any way. The resort itself is beautiful, and the facilities were great. However, we were unable to enjoy any of it because we spent almost our entire vacation sick. The only food we ate outside the resort was the lunch provided as part of the excursion that the hotel arranged. If you’re planning to stay at Bahia Principe Jamaica and book excursions through the hotel, I would encourage you to be cautious about the meals provided during those excursions. Our experience completely overshadowed what should have been a wonderful vacation.

Bahia principe Ambar was the perfect getaway for us. The location was right on the beach and the resort enviorment was perfect for older couples. Food was excellent and we had mamy choices of restaurants to choose from as all of Bahia principe resorts in Punta Cana are conectred

It is good resort food beach activities show except reception guys which don't want to fix cold water in the sink in our room I'm ask them 3 times during our vacation and they still not fixed because only hot water coming any position and you can't do nothing water is very hot you have to step in bathtub to do your thing this is only one thing I don't like in this hotel all the rest it was perfect

Clean rooms, fantastic food and amazing staff everywhere. Unfortunately did not get to go in the ocean because of jellyfish, but at least we could walk the beach because there was no smelly seaweed. If you are not obsessed with the beach, I would highly recommend. The pool and activities were a lot of fun. We upgraded to adult side (Bouganville) which I think really made a difference, as the family side was quite busy.

The only good things I could say is that the rooms were clean and the “Limbo” à la carte restaurant was good. That is were it ended. The meat at the Rodizio steak house was harder than my shoe. We went for a wedding and the chicken also was tuff to cut and was stuffed with raisins when it was supposed to be wild mushrooms. Most of our guests got sick and to top it off, all 4 toilets by the pool were locked the two days I had to use them.

The property was nice. Pools are good, Rooms are nice. Good gym The issue we had was with the food - especially with the lack of food options during the day. The only coffee shop on the resort was off limited to us as we were at the Aquamarine and the coffee shop was only for those at the Ambar. So, machine coffee it is. The meals at the restaurants are OK, not great. Went to watch a World Cup football game at the sports bar, during the day. The place was empty except for the 4 booths at the very back that were full. This is because no one was allowed to site the big screen without reservations. That entire area was empty! Also, beer was $5 at the Sports Bar. The staff was polite but not friendly. I will not be returning to this resort.

I truly enjoyed my second trip to Sian Ka'an. I want to thank the staff who were friendly, helpful,and asking if they could be of help and if I needed anything. I had a few à la carte dinners; however, I enjoy Alux restaurant the most. My room was upgraded on my check-in, and it was located in a great location. I will be returning early next year. As a single traveller I felt safe in the resort.

We loved the resort grounds, the food, the people. Room was very dated but clean. The AC worked and toilet flushed. Entertainment was good but often ended early in the evening. Liked that it wasn’t crazy far from airport too.

We truly had the best time there. Not only is the country beautiful, the nearby excursions (MonkeyLand and Saona Island), as well as the friendly staff too. We were 4 friends celebrating a birthday. It's so much fun and there's so many things to do in and out of the resort. The à-la-carte restaurants and buffet food is made with love. The rooms were always clean. The staff doesn't expect or force you to tip. The front desk and bell-mans are always available, smiley and friendly. Every staff member was happy to see us every day. A HUGE thank you to Angel from the beach restaurant for being the sweetest, funniest and kindest person. Luis A., Luis B. and Yismeily Are THE best entertainers, they work so hard and are super fun to dance with. The bartenders, especially Christian, Alberto and the bartender at the pool, are amazing and make the best drinks (with and without alcohol). Nathaniel and Enmanuel, although quite shy due to the language barrier, were extremely nice waiters and they're kindness didn't go unnoticed. If we could remember everyone's names, the list would be super long!! The talent at the night shows was unreal. The overall cleanliness of the resort was comforting. It's also so easy to make friends all around.

We have been to this resort 3 times in the last 4 years, we had excellent service from Rodolfo the beverage person. The house keeping staff was amazing, an issue we had was we booked a king size bed in November 2025 but we were given 2 twins. Which was disappointing as this was our 25th wedding anniversary trip. Some of the à la carte restaurant the staff were dismissive and rude. The Indian and Greek restaurants were disappointed in.

Pretty grounds, talented bartenders. Poor communication about shuttles to and from the airport Food was amazing with new items everyday. Very nice house red and white. Bring singles to tip wworkers

The hotel was very nice , the room we got was very nice too we just have some trouble with opening the door that was fix immediately, the food was very good, the front desk, waitrers, entertainment all are awesome, very good experience , we really like it

this was a beautiful resort except for the beach part. not a lot off sand here ,small and low water.I really go to those places for the beach part.No non alcholic beer was another thing .The pic you are addvertising for the beach is false.Iwas not expecting what i saw.

clean, good foods, big rooms, lots of wellness activities, large pool, clean children’s pool, good location, prompt check in and check out, many bars and snack bars, early coffee, safe to walk early in the morning and evening

1 restaurant and the buffet was open. After 1030 only room service which took over an hour especially after a night of drinking. Plenty cockroaches. Last call at the bar is 1am. The food at the buffet was good.

Everything was impeccable.........................................the grounds, the pool, the restaurants, the unbelievable service for all of our fourteen guests. All the staff were incredible. We renewed our 50th anniversary vows under the gazebo and the wedding planner Eddiana wwas outstanding and the officiator was absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!!! We would highly recommend this resort to everybody.

Hotel was amazing. Very clean, staff super friendly, food was amazing at every restaurant that we visited. Hoped for a little more entertainment in the day but the vibes was really good. Lots of space as well to chill alone

Bahia Principe was stunning! All the staff were fantastic! They had activities all day long near the main pool, including a foam party open till 11pm on Sunday nights. Everything was super clean, our room was huge, gorgeous and cleaned up to 3 times a day which was super amazing!!! The beach is really small and rocky but good for snorkeling and still nice to sun tan. The food at every restaurant including the beach restaurant for lunch and Jasmine buffet was super delicious and they had so many different options!

This is a nice hotel. The room was great, not dated. Food was good even at the buffet restaurant. Beach was okay, except for the sea weeds. There was no problem getting a beach chair at the beach or the pool. The entertainment team was nice and the games were fun. The night shows were nice too.

I love this resort as my now number one resort and I have been to many. Cleanliness. Good food. Good room. Great service. Friendly staff. Love the entertainment team especially Miriam and the others. I will be coming back definitely next year with my big family. My grandmother is turning 92 next year and she would love the room location we stayed at close to the lobby. Think it’s building 52. Rooms 52114 and room 52115. But will need more rooms for more family members. Looking forward to coming back and seeing the people and enjoying this beautiful resort. Thank you

Fantastic Beach - protected by corral from large waves...sandy beach no need for shoes in water. Can walk for kms either way safely. lots of sun protection on beach. Buffet large and ample choices. restaurants are a pleasant surprise and provide nice treat. Staff friendly. Rides to further rooms constantly available. No close neighbouring resorts so feels secluded. Loved it.

Will definitely recommend this resort to family and friends The place was clean, friendly environment and great food except the Truck snack bar. The empanada and the chicken wings are not very appetizing. The alacarte are really good and the buffet selection are excellent

The hotel was clean, the food was delicious, and the staff was kind (especially Santa the waitress in the main lobby bar/entertainment area who always took care of us). The beach however had a lot of seaweed, which the staff did their best to clean each day. The bathrooms in the hotel rooms were also in pretty bad shape and need renovations.

We had a beautiful anniversary trip and made wonderful memories the week we spent here. Beach was stunning, and only minutes from our room. Our first night our air conditioning was broken as we asked several times to have it fixed until we had to go to the main desk. It really upset us as well as a fire alarm going off our first morning there. We addressed these concerns to the front desk and got put into a swim out suite. It meant a lot to us to have our concerns heard and dealt with. The vibe was right, entertainment was great, and food was good. You were never hungry and there were options. Was the food amazing? No. But it’s good and you get by just fine. Drinks were plentiful and the staff was friendly. Nice resort with maybe some miscommunication about how to book the kayaking but that didn’t bother us. We loved it and would definitely return. Thank you for an awesome vacation!

Well…this was exactly what I wanted and needed….a place to relax … This is not a party place…or someone who has walking issues even though it is not horrible if placed in the proper room. Food was good but repetitive…beach was small…not a beautiful Cuban beach..

The hotel grounds are a beautiful tropical oasis. Our room was spacious, clean and close to the pools and main building. Italia went out of her way to take fantastic care of our group of 11. She was at our disposal and was able to book us into the Alux a la cart restaurant, which was an amazing dining experience. In addition, Italia made accomodations with the chef from Portofino to prepare a specialized meal for our group when we couldn't get into that a la cart restaurant. She also arranged for transportation to the other resorts so we didn't have to wait for the trolly for dinner reservations. Luisa and Rosa provided exceptional spa services. I would highly recommend booking with them at the spa. A recommendation I would make is to improve the on-line booking process. It has many glitches and makes the process extremely frustrating. You can't book any a la cart restaurants unless you are checked in on line. And if you are a group of more than 6 you can't book the a la cart restaurants anyway. Ten days before our trip, 99% of the restaurants were fully booked for the full 7 days. We are extremely grateful to Italia for assisting us when we arrived. We would have booked many more restaurants but they are somehow all fully booked. There needs to be a better fairer way. The seafood night at the buffet was excellent. The pool restaurant food is also very good and hot. We found the buffet was good but the food wasn't always hot. The service in the buffet was also very good. My other suggestion would be to have more dance entertainment after the main show is over. Even leave a play list going so guests can get up and dance.

The Bahia Principe Legend was a great getaway for our family of 5, with kids ranging from 11 to 4. Buffet had ample options, although could have been better quality/taste. Some of the à la carte restaurants were fantastic (e.g. Mediterranean and Italian), while some seemed like they were just repurposing the buffet food. The pools, waterpark were the highlights for us. We pretty much lived there :-) The beach was great… if it wasn’t for the sargassum “seaweed”. Sand was great and water was warm. Overall service was good, not great compared to some other (higher end) resorts I’ve been to but nothing to really complain about. The shows were enjoyable for the kids, although a bit repetitive. The Oneiro dinner & show was really fun, although we went through a long 3 course meal before it really kicked into the performance. Overall, would rate this an 8/10 and certainly a great option for families that don’t want to bust the bank.

Staff very nice and caring. Grounds very well kept. Older rooms but spacious and clean. Nice pool and good entertainment. Shows every night at lobby. It was my second visit in 2 months. Beach at Akumal is good. Lots of chairs and good entertainment.

If you are looking for a resort that gives you a relaxed feel this is the place The food is great, the service from all.the servers are unbelievable These people know the true meaning of hospitality!!! From.The front desk to the driver's of our shuttles The housekeeping sparkling!

The hotel is well laid out grounds are well kept well lit at night. The rooms can do with a little touch up. Impressive buffet. And of course the Bavaro beach is wonderful. Would like to have seen better quality drinks served if the hotel is claiming to be a 5 star and not have your guest pay for them.

Usually a great resort but due to hurricane, staff has completely changed. Beach on adult side is non existent and very rocky. Room service menu is very limited. Only 1 elevator working the entire stay.

We enjoyed 10 days of zero rain during the day. From booking with Cindy, to the end the trip was flawless starting with the WestJet flight. We have been to four other GBP resorts and this one was fantastic. Beautiful Resort, grounds, rooms, and service. Great value.

Although construction was happening, the grounds are still stunning and lush. Pools are spectacular and clean and you never had to fight for a seat! Drinks were very generic and not great quality liquor even with hefty tipping. The bartenders were good. Room service (food choices) is where the quality and choices have drastically gone down. The house keeping team was excellent, the mini fridge needed to be requested for particulars. Buffets were mediocre , not nearly as much choice as last visit, breakfast always great. A'lla Carte Restaurants were outstanding . Would deffinitely return.

Nice hotel, clean rooms,close to the beach, however the service is terrible. We had a hard time getting a simple glass of water at the buffet breakfast and lunch. The à la cartes were fabulous. The food at the buffets is “meh”. The drinks were awful overall stay was okay. However, we will not be back. For the price we paid, I would have expected at top notch stay.

Spent two weeks ,resort is smal but has own vibe .Staff was frendly room was very clean ,food was very good.only was too close to to the road.beach was clean every day,no beach bar and line in a pool bar

Tequila resort is nice, has newly renovated rooms with modern cozy design and expansive materials. Adults only option perfect for the one who’s seeking for fun and entertainment all day long . You can easily travel between 5 resorts ( Sian Kaan - jungle style, Akumal and Tulum resorts - ocean vibes, Coba - family oriented with a lot of options for kids). All stuff employees are friendly and welcoming , being happy to help with anything you might need. The food is amazing, tasty and made with love you can feel. Bahía Grand resort worth to visit it, no doubt!

Just returned from spending a wonderful week here. Not a big fan of large tower style resorts but this one pleasantly surprised us. Staff was amazing and treated our adult special needs son with respect and involved him in all sorts of activities. Food was excellent with lots to choose from. We are not big beach people so the smaller beaches did not effect us. Lots of chairs and loungers around the pools so never a problem getting a spot.

Only half resort was open, second half was under restoration. Room were good. It seemed like they cleaned it several times a day which was very unusual but great. Didn't use mini fridge often, but each time it was refilled shortly after. Beaches were not great for swimming without shoes, but we were snorkeling and it was perfect for that. Food was very good in buffet and amazing in all restaurants for reservations (only 3 were open at the time). There were a lot of fun activities during the day and in the evening. Very helpful and pleasant staff and Sunwing rep (Vincent)on site. Pros: room, service, food, snorkeling, activities. Cons: privilege club reps first day, beach.

The hotel was nice and the food was good The room service was pretty bad they encourage you to use the hotel app which didn't work and when I told them it didn't work they were rude about it insisting that it worked Some of the employees were pretty rude and they would forget things when you order room service The beach and the pool was very nice My wife got a massage from the spa and the oil they used gave her a bad rash so we stayed in the room the last day and a half Overall we had a good time but probably won't go back

While I had a great time spending the week with family and friends, several aspects of this resort left me disappointed. One challenge was the language barrier, as very few staff members spoke English fluently. That said, the staff were always kind and genuinely tried their best to understand and assist, which I appreciated. In hindsight, I probably should have brushed up on some Spanish before travelling. The rooms were clean, but they felt very outdated and could definitely use renovations. Storage space was limited, with very little drawer space for clothing, and several drawers were difficult to open and close. Another major issue was the lack of hot water, which made showering uncomfortable throughout the stay. The food was average and not particularly memorable, and the entertainment team did not seem very engaging or interactive with guests. My biggest disappointment, however, was the beach and ocean. The water was murky and not inviting, likely due to a nearby river flowing into the area. Unfortunately, I had to pay for an excursion elsewhere just to enjoy clearer saltwater and a better beach experience. Overall, although I still enjoyed my vacation because of the people I was with, this is not a resort I would personally recommend, nor would I choose to return to it in the future.

Bahia Principe La Romana is a beautiful resort overall, especially the grounds — they are absolutely stunning and very well maintained. The rooms are nice at first glance, but once you spend some time in them you can definitely tell they are dated and there are quite a few imperfections. The food was good with lots of variety and plenty of options to choose from, although I was hoping for more authentic Dominican food during the stay. One of the biggest disappointments for me was the ocean. I had done a lot of research beforehand and kept hearing that La Romana had some of the best ocean views and water in the Dominican Republic, but that honestly wasn’t my experience. If I return to the DR, I would probably stay closer to Punta Cana instead. Another thing worth mentioning is that there were communication barriers at times since many of the workers didn’t speak much English. Everyone was friendly, but it occasionally made things difficult. Overall, we still had a good trip thanks to the beautiful property and solid food options, but there are definitely some areas that could be improved.

Basically it’s a beautiful hotel nice ROOMS cleaning stuff. We’re very nice and awesome but they might as well not have a pool bar. The service was terrible. The bar closes at six. It only serves cocktails until 430 and then you have to go up Top even if you tip them, they look right past you and serve their friends or maybe it was just people that speak Spanish because they certainly overlooked the white people.This wasn’t once I was there for 10 days. It was every time. as far as the food goes it was okay they hardly ever serve bacon for breakfast very skimpy on that I don’t know that I would recommend this hotel.

Grounds were beautiful, food fantastic, room was great, beautiful beach and nice pools. Entertainment was on going and fun. A great getaway highly recommend it. Felt very safe. Staff curtious and helpful.

The guest experience was Excellent. We had a wonderful time. Food was great , all services were on point. My wife forgot her phone in the tour bus, the hotel tracked it down by looking at all the cameras and realized it was in the bus. That was very impressive. All around was an Amazing experience. Highly recommended to anyone going to Jamaica ?? ♥️

Well kept resort. Clean rooms. Swim up room is very fun to have. Food is very good. They do serve Coors Light, amazing ! The only thing we did not like is people ''reserving'' chairs at the beach and at the pool very early in the morning, and they use them around 9 or 10am. Very frustrating !

Very good resort and all the staff are nice and accommodating. Just the food is average. Need more selection of international dishes…it’s seems some menu are just repeated everyday. Fine dining booking is limited. We stayed for 7 days only 1 fine dining we experienced.

The hotel grounds and services were amazing, as expected from other Bahia Principe visits in other countries. The one main issue was what it seems are reductions in services. Not sure if it's seasonal, or just during a slow period, but during our stay, the Akumal buffet was closed for dinners, and at our last night, the Tulum buffet was as well, and we ended up going to the Coba buffet which was a step down from what we'd expect staying at Akumal. We also noted that the snack shops would close early, and from past experiences, there would always be a spot that was open overnight in case you were hungry or missed dinner. We had no such options during our stay it seems. Otherwise, it's a wonderful location, staff were great, just the amount of services available seemed to be reduced. Not sure if it's due to external factors or due to declining visits from guests. It did seem the resort was well below normal occupancy, not busy at all.

My sisters and I had a wonderful time together with the rest of the family. Great bonding , excellent service ! We had a chance to visit and explore each resort . Your staff are most polite and accommodating . My only dislike are the number of lizards we encountered and those animals with long tails that looked like cats and raccoons , I’m afraid of them ! Others , everything is excellent!

The whole resort is so nice, so many places to walk. Food is fantastic, service was great as well. The only thing is if you want to go to the beach it’s a long walk or you wait for the trolley, which you might wait 10 to 15 minutes to get one.

We just returned from a week at this resort. It is about a hour and 20 minute van ride from the Punta Cana airport. The resort it's self is nice, little dated. The grounds are well kept, beach is (Raked and cleaned daily.) The water is brown which our travel agent told us up front but calm and no sea grass, but there are jelly fish, and they sting. The buffet was plentiful but repetitive just moved to different locations in buffet area. Some of the workers seem to be enjoying their jobs smiling and singing others had a very hard time to even acknowledge you. I would have a very hard time recommending this resort to friends.

We just returned from a week at this resort. It is about a hour and 20 minute van ride from the Punta Cana airport. The resort it's self is nice, little dated. The grounds are well kept, beach is (Raked and cleaned daily.) The water is brown which our travel agent told us up front but calm and no sea grass, but there are jelly fish, and they sting. The buffet was plentiful but repetitive just moved to different locations in buffet area. Some of the workers seem to be enjoying their jobs smiling and singing others had a very hard time to even acknowledge you. I would have a very hard time recommending this resort to friends.

My wife and I had a great two week trip to Bahia Principe La Romana. Everything was amazing and our agent Jennifer Brown made sure it was easy and worry free . The food and service was outstanding all around. My only issue was the beach water is not clear like Punta Cana it is murky due to a nearby river flowing into the ocean. The beach was great for walking and just relaxing . It was my second visit to this resort and we really enjoyed our holiday.

We have enjoyed the beautiful Sian Kaan for many years; it always feels like going home when we arrive! The rooms are a little dated, but clean and comfortable. This is a very small hotel, which makes getting around very easy; you can easily walk everywhere. If you want to take advantage of the other 3 hotels, the trolley system works great and is easy to hop on and off to get around the other hotels. The food is generally pretty good, and by staying at Sian Kaan, you have access to all of the other restaurants and buffets at all 4 of the hotels... many different menus to choose from and something for everyone. We tried the new Smoked restaurant and loved it! When you go, you will recognize Daniel, who previously oversaw the Sian Kaan buffet restaurant... it was nice to see him again! There are so many great staff members who provide exceptional service... a special shout out to Alina and Eglaydy in the main buffet who always have our drinks ready when they see us coming in and go out of their way to make each meal enjoyable. Claudia, Jose and Jesus in the Cenote who keep the food and drinks flowing at lunch or while we play cards in the evening! And most importantly, Camila with Guest Services, who couldn't do enough for us the whole time we were there, she is fantastic! This was our 1st trip back since the Hyatt merger, and although we are very disappointed with the significant changes to the Reward program (we were previously Black level), the staff at Sian Kaan went out of their way to make returning guests feel appreciated! We have always had great service here, but this trip was truly exceptional! Everywhere we went, the staff was bending over backwards to help us. There are so many kind, caring staff here - it really makes up for any shortcomings of the hotel. We travelled a little later in the season this time and really noticed the low occupancy. The upside of 50% occupancy is that there is never a shortage of chairs anywhere you go, pool or beach! The downside is that they rotate closures of restaurants, making it a little more challenging to get into your favorite places. We found the selection at the Sian Kaan buffet was significantly reduced because of the low numbers, and while I understand it makes perfect sense from a business perspective to reduce staff, limit food on the buffets to reduce waste, and rotate closing restaurants and move staff around...it can be a little frustrating as a guest. If you are planning to go in the off-season, adjust your expectations. Long story short... we love the Sian Kaan, but hate the new Hyatt Rewards program. The amazing staff helped to offset the change this time, but work is needed to improve the Reward program to retain long-time returning guests.

I thought the hotel was very clean and the staff were very friendly, kind and dedicated to the well being of how their guests were. The entertainment staff were 10/10, with their enthusiasm, excitement and dedication to make people laugh, play silly games and have the best vacation. As with many reviews the beach area was a huge disappointment and the water was murky. The hotel rooms could use some upgrading but then again, youre only in them to sleep, shower, get ready for the day/night and baddabing baddaboom. I felt the entertainment pool area was great but I do think the bar over by the tiny ankle deep pool is silly because that area has very little people and with those who don't want to swim were regularly seen walking over to that bar for a drink. If the swim up bar had bar area at the back so that people could walk up to it for a drink I think that would be great but overall the drinks were cold, the sun was hot and we had the best vacation. The entertainment pool was also great for people watching. There are a lot of characters out there lol. We met some really great people from near our home town which also made it fantastic.

Very clean, staff very friendly. Pools well maintained, beach area cleaned morning. Room was good, fridge leaked but worked. Disappointing part was we trouble booking restaurants, all booked. Unable to book in advance but when we tried booking when we arrived they were all full. Manager got involved and got us into the 3 on our part of the resort.

Bahia Principe Aquamarine is an overall great resort. Staff are friendly and very accommodating. Lots of great dining options. Amazing beach and pool. A bit of walking within resort, which we enjoy and shuttle services readily available. Biggest downside is that the rooms are outdated and in need of a refresh and renovation. Overall clean, but our room had lampshades broken off fixtures, electric outlets pulled out of wall, missing shower tiles. We don’t spend much time in room, but a refresh at this resort is necessary. Overall, satisfied and would recommend the Aquamarine to others!

My first time in the DR, such a beautiful place , amazing people and hotel staff that go over and beyond. Now considering we are in the DR, there was minimal night entertainment and pretty much everyone was in their rooms by 10-11 pm , lobby was cleared out and quiet . This type of guest entertainment was essential on several nights it down-poured rain. Unfortunately and unlike other resorts previously experienced throughout the Caribbean, this is the first time I did not experience local culture of dancing and /or lessons , music etc. As well, no alcoholic beverages provided in the room fridge nor was room service food available as advertised with the exception of a sandwiches which had to be ordered in the lobby as phones were down. Apparently there was a transfer of ownership at the time of my stay which was only announced 1 week before departure.Even though I was looking for a more relaxed & adult location , myself and alot and even older of the older other guests felt like it was more a senior home , sadly I agree. Considering it’s such a beautiful resort with gorgeous ocean views and great staff that had to hear the guests complain. I found myself bored most nights talking to the staff walking by.

This resort was great overall. The room was clean, the food was good (although the "alcohol" in drinks is watered down significantly), and the beach was nice. As with other resorts, though, the "reserving" of chairs is a pain to deal with. We had to be on the beach by 7 to get a chair. Resorts have to come up with a different system. They either have to increase the number of chairs significantly or remove everything left on sets of chairs that are left empty for a while. If no one reserved their chairs, there would be ample places to sit for everyone as people come and go. The bus ride there was scary, the driver repeatedly passed in bends in the pouring rain near cliffs. The bus on the way back had transmission issues to the point that it could barely make it up a small elevation and took twice as long to arrive at the airport as it should have.

Sian Ka’an has become our go to vacation place every year. We love the ambience and the welcoming staff who remember you from previous visits. It’s a laid back place but if you want a more exciting vibe you are able to visit the sister hotels via trolley. The trolley is part of the fun ! Love having the choice of restaurants every evening and I’ve never had a problem booking them prior to leaving on holiday. I honestly can’t say I’ve had a bad meal. Our latest discovery was Le Gourmet, the lamb chops were delicious. I had requested a room halfway between the lobby and the Cenote pool as my husband walks with a cane. We were in Bldg 7A. Room # 40701 and I couldn’t have been happier. The room was immaculate and well maintained by the maid and fridge people. We did the tequila tasting this time and enjoyed it. They give you various fruits, chocolate and yes, bugs to try with the different tequilas. Yes, we ate the bugs !! The only suggestion I can think of would be provide a microwave at the buffet as sometimes the food gets cold when it’s sitting out. If you’re interested in getting a tattoo while you are there, you can visit the Hacienda (a shopping and entertainment venue in the complex) and go to Jaguar Tattoo. Ramon and Henry are talented artists. This was my second tattoo and I’m planning my third on the next trip. My husband who had vowed to never get a tattoo also got one last September and loves it. We will be returning later this year for trip # 7.

Beautiful looking resort but employees were not the friendliest. It took over 2 hours to check in 15 people. Employees at buffet were very not the friendliest and service at the tables was slow at times

Overall, we had an amazing time. Weather was perfect, pools awesome and clean, a little bit of seaweed on the beach but nothing to keep you out of the warm blue water, food was great, we attended 2 amazing a la cartes while there, People were so friendly and helpful, rooms were clean and well stocked, except the last 2 days we were there - seems we were missed for clean towels, but I reuse mine anyway so not a big deal and Nice little tourist shops in the Village and at the Lobby. I truly recommend this resort.

Overall: the resort is reasonably pleasant. Grounds are well maintained. I would give it a 3.5 stars. The Akumal area, where we were, had half of the villas closed and under huge renovation. This caused noise at the infinity pool and dusty, noisy walkways towards the rooms. Room: was clean but dated. It does need a refresh. Buffet food: buffet had good choices of food, with various themes for every night. Some of the servers, like Jose, were very attentive, courteous and prompt. Jose was friendly, funny and very helpful. A-la-carte dinners: we stayed for 10 days. While we were entitled to a-la-carte dinners every nigth, it was extremely hard to book anything even 8-9 days in advance. The resort had low occupancy yet, dinners were very hard to book. Some of the service desk curtousy staff (like Marco and Miquel) were helpful and tried to accomodate our requests, but very few requests were successful. Pools: clean and well maintained. Night programs: shows were poor quality, not really enjoyable. I’ve been to this resort a few times in the past and at that time the evening shows were nice quality, really enjoyable. This was not the case anymore. Also, after the show was over, there was not much to do. Beach: this resort is not famous for pristine, sandy beach. It was rocky sand, and the level of sargassum was high. The crew was working long hours to keep it clean. However, if you like a nice sandy beach, with clean water for swimming this is NOT the resort you should chose. I was a return guest at this report (have been there several times in the past) yet, I did not feel any appreciation for being a loyal customer. I did not expect much, just a tiny bit of extra customer service, especially that it was my birthday as well. Other that a "happy birthday" banner on our room, there was nothing special. Quite disappointed, since it is so easy to make a little surprise. Summary: vacation was OK, but I will not return to this resort anymore. Luckily there are many other choices to consider for future vacations.

We absolutely loved this resort. It was our second visit, and it was just as wonderful as the first. The buffet offered great food with plenty of variety, so there was always something for every taste. The à la carte restaurants were also excellent. We are pool people, and this resort was perfect for that. The entertainment was scheduled only in the afternoon, which allowed us to enjoy quiet, relaxing mornings by the pool. There were always enough chairs for everyone, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Overall, another fantastic stay.

The resort is huge since we also have access to the other connecting resorts. Sports bar at Ambar, self serve soft ice cream at Punta Cana and the beautiful village kind of in the middle of it all. I got lots of steps in during my stay! Staff are so friendly and very patient to let me practice my Spanish with them. Food was delicious at the buffet, the three A la cartes I had as well as the delicious hamburgers at the pool side grill. There are three pools with the middle one as the busy lively one. Entertainment at the pool was fantastic throughout the day. Only saw the one night show, Fire show, which was just wow! The beach is a little walk to get to but I didn’t mind. I prefer the pool anyway. The room was huge with a spacious bathroom. It was clean, no bugs. I chose upper level and was in building 83. Do choose poolside view. Only bad thing I have to say is that the bed is really really hard so I didn’t sleep well. I did ask for a pillow top which was so very thin but it helped a wee bit. I would still go back….I caught up on sleep this weekend!

My wife and I are retired and have been travelling to and from the Caribbean for most of our adult life. We used to view the Bahia Principe hotel in Akumal, Mexico, as one of the greatest values in terms of an all-inclusive resort or hotel. This hotel is one of 5 hotels situated on the same property: Sian Kaan, Akumal, Tulum, Coba, and the recently added Tequilla. Together they have access to each other’s properties, and use trolleys to regularly transport guests throughout the complex. Each hotel has its assortment of a la carte restaurants; a main buffet; snack bar; its own pools; and bars. The Bahia Principe hotel chain began a formal Loyalty program in early 2017, which replaced the informal incentives one could benefit from, if you were a repeat customer prior to 2017. My wife and I were married in 1989 and benefited from the many incentives offered and applied to each subsequent visit, well before their Loyalty Program began. With the introduction of their formal Loyalty Program in 2017, we opted in and travelled to Bahia Principe resorts and hotels, almost exclusively. We did so in hopes of reaching the Loyalty Program’s ultimate level: Black. In addition, we brought many family and friends with us to various Bahia Principe hotels throughout the years. This did not help us gain the Black status faster, but we truly enjoyed visiting these hotels, so we willingly recommended the Bahia Principe hotel chain to our family and friends. Our visit to a Bahia Principe hotel in April of 2025 marked our 22nd trip for my wife and I. And at the completion of this trip, we had successfully achieved the Black Level status, with 4 times as many visits required than that of the closest level (Gold). We were anxious to experience the new benefits that we would be entitled to, with our membership to “My Bahia” as Black members. So, for our 36th wedding anniversary (in September of 2025), we booked a trip to our favourite Bahia Principe lodging: The Bahia Principe Luxury Hotel in Akumal, Mexico. A few months later, we booked and paid for our trip. This was done through Trip Central, a travel agency based in Hamilton Ontario, since 1989. Up until recently, Trip Central has provided excellent service and took responsibility for the trips they booked for us. My wife and I took comfort in the fact that we were familiar with the layout of the hotel complex; our favourite a la carte restaurants; the pools and bars; and the many non-motorized watersport activities available. Then in early 2026 we received notice that the Bahia Principe hotel chain was changing ownership and would now be know as the World of Hyatt. The Loyalty program that was known as My Bahia, was “cancelled”. We were assured that we would be transferred to Hyatt’s incentive program and automatically become “Explorist” members of this plan. We did. We were promised that this change of ownership and management, would translate into bigger and better benefits for us. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our problems with Hyatt started well before we arrived at the hotel. We tried to log in and book our a la carte dinners as we always have, 10 days prior to our arrival. However, we could not gain access to the updated Hyatt program. I emailed virtually every valid email address that had been sent to us, via their various ‘notices’. I also called our travel agent, and the Customer Service lines for both the Bahia Principe hotel chain, as well as the World of Hyatt. No one was able to help us book our a la carte dinners. We even had our children help us try to sign into our new Hyatt account, thinking that our problems were based on operator error. Nothing worked, but we were repeatedly assured by Hyatt reps that the app was functioning properly. We were worried that there would be problems, and other unfulfilled promises on our upcoming trip, courtesy of the World of Hyatt. Before becoming Black members of their formal Loyalty Program, we received a number of benefits. It had become painfully apparent to us, that we would not be able to enjoy our upcoming trip with our long-awaited, Black member benefits. So, although we had faithfully and repeatedly attended only Bahia Principe hotels for the last 8 years, we were not going to enjoy, even a single trip with the benefits we were promised. Benefits that took us over 8 years to achieve. Further, the trip was filled with shortcomings, and we did not receive a number of things we had typically enjoyed prior to Hyatt taking over. Therefore, for the benefit of any future traveler to this hotel, my wife and I have prepared a point-form list of the things we experienced, in terms of products and services that we previously enjoyed, but were not provided during our stay. To be clear, these are not things that we would have enjoyed if our Black status was honoured. This is a list of the things any typical guest would have received prior to Hyatt becoming involved, but were not provided now that Hyatt is managing the property. Less Staff: After speaking with a number of hotel staff, we estimate that the work force was reduced by about 25% (as comments from staff were noted, with most of them saying that they though the figure was between 20% and 50%). The comments that we received when asking about the apparent staff shortage, went something like this: When Bahia owned the hotel, as we moved into the low season, the hours for permanent and temporary staff were reduced, but everyone got to keep their jobs. When Hyatt took, over, they just said “bye, Bye”. This explains why the waits for trolleys were longer; bars with a typical operational staff of 3-4 were reduced to 1-2; pool wait staff was reduced at some pools from 3-4 to one; and in some cases, to no staff at all; kitchen staff were limited and did not have a basic knowledge of the English language (food items in the buffet were obviously mislabeled, like chicken labeled as vegetables, and desserts being labeled as fish, possibly because of a shortage of English-speaking workers). Limited Security: The security guards on the property were virtually non-existent. The only ones we ever observed in our 2-week stay, were not inside the grounds of the hotels. The only ones we saw were a couple in the parking lot out front of the Akumal lobby. The result was a noticeable decline in enforcement of basic rules, which translated into people throwing garbage all over the place, and other problems. The pools were regularly littered with baskets left over from snack bar food, empty water bottles, and cigarette butts. People were smoking all over the property. In the past, smokers were not seen frequently because the designated smoking areas are well away from the restaurants and pools, and this was strictly enforced. Unfortunately, at the entrance to restaurants, many areas in and around the pools, and throughout the walkways in the complex, people were lighting up and smoking without regard for the rules. This was not due to a change of policy in terms of designated smoking areas, but rather an apparent growing understanding by smokers that they would not be asked to butt out. We spoke to a number of staff members as this occurred often. None of which wanted to do anything about people smoking in non-smoking areas. There were many signs, but no one wiling to enforce the policy. All of the workers were visibly concerned about being complained about, and subsequently fired (a very real and reasonable concern). So, staff members refused to enforce this rule, and also refused to give the names of their supervisors, when asked. The names of their supervisors were not being requested for the purpose of getting the worker in trouble, but rather to locate a person willing to enforce the rules. The supervisors we spoke to, advised us of the staffing levels and their general fear of being the next one to be fired. They were truly scared of losing their jobs, citing Hyatt only needing the slightest reason to fire the existing Bahia Principe staff, to make way for hiring their own. The lack of security staff is particularly concerning. Primarily because this trip we did not feel as safe as we typically have at this hotel. So, it was not surprising for us to hear about other who had been the victims of thefts and other crimes. This is no longer the safe and secure hotel it once was. Beaches Neglected: Although on some days there was a full-sized back-hoe and dump truck being used to help clear the seaweed, the workers could not keep up. Their attempts to rid the beachfront of the copious amounts of seaweed that littered the beach each morning, were almost pointless. My wife and I typically love to beach walk, but could not do so. Primarily because, even so much as a gentle grazing of this stuff would produce intense itching that could not be overcome by simply dipping into the ocean. Both my wife and I ended up with a bad case of itching a couple of times. In each case, it was only remedied by washing with soap and water in our room. We tried to beach walk on four separate days, then after not being able to escape the itchy seaweed, we gave up and opted to pool hop and get drinks at the bar. Poor Quality Drinks: Coca-Cola products have been replaced with Pepsi products. I don’t know about you, but most people I know, order a rum and coke, not a rum and Pepsi. Previously it was easy to get a tasty drink (with alcohol or without). On this trip it was difficult to find a good drink. Although Fernando at the Sian Kaan Beach Bar did make a delicious and interesting one with tequila and grapefruit juice. I am not sure what he called it. The bartenders at the Sian Kaan Lobby Bar also made an excellent drink: a passion fruit mojito. No Alcohol in the Rooms: Previously a small bottle of rum, vodka, and whiskey were all provided in the bar fridge of each room. On our trip, none of these were provided in our room. We inquired, but the cleaning staff said they no longer do provide this service. Reduced Landscaping: Previously you could not walk anywhere without seeing at least one group of landscapers tending to the beautiful grounds. Now that Hyatt has taken over and fired a large number of staff, we did not see one worker completing these tasks – throughout our 2-week stay. Closed Restaurant (Katok, next to the infinity pool): Previously one could enjoy a dip in the pool, then put on a shirt and some shoes, and enjoy a bite to eat in the indoor-outdoor buffet at Katok, immediately next to the infinity pool. This buffet closed for both breakfast and lunch on weekdays and weekends, in the middle of our stay. Restricted Access to A La Carte Dinners: Two days before we arrived, we still had not been able to book a single a la carte dinner for ourselves. This being after several attempts to do so. In a desperate attempt to obtain some dinner reservations, I sent an aggressive email to the unhelpful staff at the other end of the email address, that I believed was at the actual hotel. We got some booked but most were at times well after one would typically eat dinner (i.e. for 9:30 pm). We were told to figure it out when we got to the hotel. We arrived and even before we went to our room, we attempted to book other a la carte dinners, but were told that there were none left. The staff seemed to hide behind a regularly used excuse of “it is subject to availability”. I understand the concept, but when one is promised an a la carte dinner for three nights of their 1-week stay, and they are unable to book a single one, this is not acceptable. This was the case for a group of more than 40 people from Buffalo, on a destination wedding to our hotel. The staff cited “subject to availability” to them and my understanding was that not a single person in their group was able to book an a la carte dinner during their 1-week stay. This seemed odd to us. Especially since we were told the hotel was at 50% capacity. Maybe these guests were talking through their drinks and exaggerating. So, my wife and I talked to other couples and asked how their experiences were with regard to obtaining an a la carte booking. After speaking with over 20 different couples during our trip this is what we discovered. Not a single person we spoke to reported that they could book an a la carte dinner, prior to their arrival. Throughout our trip, all of those we spoke to cited problems with the app, and a reluctance on the part of staff to help them. My wife and I resorted to offering large tips to the reception staff to gain entrance into a number of the a la carte dinners, just to receive what we had been promised in our all-inclusive package. So thankfully, one of the more important parts of our trip (fine dining) was not lost. While we were at these special restaurants, we noticed most of them with 60% vacancy. Virtually every a la carte restaurant we dined at, had more than half of their tables completely empty and unattended. (The only exception was Alux, at Sian Kaan.) This did not make sense to us, so we persisted by asking supervisory staff at these restaurants. They explained that ever since Hyatt had taken over, they no longer honoured the Loyalty Program and this had somehow translated into only allowing 40% of the restaurants to be used for serving regular guests. We later found out that this was to accommodate the Privilege Club members of the Bahia Principe who had totally different access to the hotel’s app. We did not find this out from talking to the staff at the hotel. We only heard this through the Privilege Club members we spoke to. It appeared as if the Privilege Club members did not know that the options available to them through their access to the hotel’s app, is significantly different than the options available to non-Privilege Club members accessing the same app. Watersports No Longer Included: Previously, all non-motorized watersports were included at this all-inclusive hotel. This typically involved kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, wind surfing, and sailing. I have sailed at virtually every Bahia Principe hotel we have visited, as all of them had small simple Catamaran sail boats. Now that Hyatt was managing the property, non-motorized watersports were “included, but you had to pay for them”. This is the explanation I received. Yes sir, they are included, but you have to pay $63.00 USD as a minimum charge if you want to use the sailboat (and $79.00 USD if you wanted an instructor to go with you). We did not see a single Catamaran out on the ocean, throughout the entire duration of our trip. Purchased Upgrades Not Provided: When you pay for an upgrade to a room with an ocean view, or a swim-up pool, you expect to get a room that at least resembles these features. I know ocean view is somewhat subjective, but a room with a swim-up pool is not. This issue did not happen to us, but it did happen to many of the people we talked to. They were quite upset to have been placed in our building (#83 near the infinity pool). Even some of the Privilege Club Members were denied access to the upgrades they had paid for. Construction: I am sure that there is usually a small number of repairs or minor construction projects going on during any given stay. How else would a hotel boasting 2500 rooms stay on top of keeping the entire property open – and in a state of good repair. However, we have not been privy to witnessing this as the Bahia Principe management made a point of keeping this work well hidden. To be clear, at no time in our previous 21 trips to any of the Bahia Principe hotels had we been exposed to the major construction that went on while we were staying in Akumal this trip. Hyatt chose to close down numerous nearby complexes of 18-unit and 36-unit buildings. This resulted in us regularly travelling past several work sites with industrial machines, and tons of garbage. Our view from the balcony of our room was of used uncleaned toilets, and plumbing fixtures that had been ripped out of these nearby buildings, and thrown into a pile on the ground out front of the buildings that were being worked on. We took pictures because our balcony was quite unpleasant to use. No less than a kilometer of pathways were enclosed (on both sides) with black tarp cloths along the path. Each one being supported by aluminum poles that we had to watch being cemented into the ground, during the first part of our trip. The infinity pool had the building next door being jack-hammered from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm each weekday. No warning of “construction” was mentioned by Trip Central, or any of the customer service reps we spoke with prior to our arrival. Our own travel agent was there the week before we attended and she tells us that she was not notified either. One day we stared outside of our room into a pile of old mattresses and bedframes, and the next day it was mirrors and broken furniture. A far cry from the picturesque settings beyond the construction sites. Even when we tried to get away from the construction surrounding our room, we would regularly cross paths with vehicular traffic on their way to the construction sites, consisting of heavy-duty machinery and large trucks. Spa Treatment Scam: I am a retired member of the Toronto Police Service so I know a scam when I see, or hear, of one. Here is the current Hyatt scam. Offer the guest a “complementary” spa treatment. Tell them it is free when you make the offer. Show them a “zero” at the bottom of the paperwork they have to sign before receiving the treatment. Tell them the Spanish word on the document means “complementary”. Reassure them that the service they are about to receive is free, immediately upon entering the private room. Then after the treatment, tell the guest that they forgot to sign one of the pieces of paper to receive the free spa benefit. This is what happened to me. However, unlike most people, I read every letter of any document I am asked to sign. I make every effort to fully understand anything I sign. I noticed that the document now being pushed in front of me, claimed that I had agreed to treat the spa as “full compensation” for the problems I had cited about the hotel. I told them that I was not willing to agree to this, and asked why the document was not provided prior to me receiving the spa treatment. At this point I was told that they never used the word “complementary” when in fact they did. My wife, who is a retired Police Officer, witnessed the offer being made to me (by a supervisory staff member of the hotel) and at no time did they refer to this interaction as compensation. My wife heard their claims of “free spa” but still refused to participate. However, I was told if I did not sign the form, the charge for the spa treatment would be charged to our room. I refused to sign the form. In response they advised me, that upon check-out, I would not be allowed to have my baggage leave the hotel if I did not pay the room charge. Later, the hotel staff literally held our baggage hostage, and refused to allow us to board the transfer bus, until I signed the form or paid the bill. It was only $60.00 USD so I wasn’t overly concerned about the money. It was the fact that I had been swindled by an otherwise reputable hotel, that really bothered me. My guard was down because this was from talks with supervisory staff at the hotel, not some local scoundrel prowling along the beach. I guess my wife was right. So, I chose to pay the bill, and never go back.

Beautifully kept property. Clean. Lots of greenery, animals and available places to sit. Food very good and very nice service/ wait staff. Manuel very nice waiter. Due to downsizing of staff (just starting off season) we were told no available a la carte restaurants. All booked up? No info sent to us advising to book prior to arrival which have never had to do. Concerns were brought to manager who managed to secure 2 9pm dinner times

Both my Husband and I loved everything about this resort. We cannot think of anything that we would have changed- Staff, Food, Amenities were all 10/10! We’re already planning to go back next year :)

The food is amazing, staff really helpful and really nice, nice room, cleaning staff did a good job, but where we were a bit noisy because of the loading dock of another resort. There was not much place at the beach, on top of having the Ambar guests taking our places at the beach…

Unfortunately we did not have a great time on his family vacation. We got to our room and I can’t say bad things about the room itself. It was odd to have 4 single beds for a family of 4 but that was the least of our worries. We stayed at the tulum resort in November and it was night and day better than the coba. We knew coba would be more budget version but we didn’t realize how much. First thing is the resort is much smaller as they took away some of the coba to make it the tequila adults only. Secondly - food was absolutely terrible. There was no pasta stations, everything was 90% of the time empty at the buttet (chicken, bacon, hashbrowns. Fruit etc) Everything else was meh in terms of food nothing special. My family had pizza a lot, as it was the best option. The pool bar had a very bad smell. Almost puke worthy. Found it hard to get a drink as there was only 1 bartender. Also you could only order tequila shots, nothing else at the pool bar. You had to pay to visit the other resorts $100-200 per person for the day. I could go on but that is the big pain points. Safe to say my family will not be returning to Bahía Príncipe explore coba.

Very nice “adult only” section amongst the Coba section. Entertainment is very loud all day and until almost 1:00am. No poolside service so there’s a line up at the pool bar most of the time. No room service. The buffet was very good. The beach was unswimmable with all the seaweed. Only one spot to get drinks at the beach and was a line up all the time. I would go back to the Sian Ka’an next time. The room was very nice and I had a king bed.