Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Would not return!

This resort is stunning for its jungle feel, wildlife, unique activities such as swimming in a cenote or Jade river, Safari tour, biking trails with wildlife and ruins and so on. What discouraged us during our trip was the long line ups, the lack of staff vs the amount of guests, We got to know some workers and questioned the functioning of this resort and they mentioned that at Sandos Caracol, its always at 95% capacity. Its a busy resort with not enough staff, not enough lounge chairs at be [... read more]ach and pools making it difficult for guests to feel relaxed during their vacation. Its a constant battle to find a chair, wait in line for the buffet and even book a la carte restaurants. If they gave a limit of 3 restaurants per family this could avoid the struggle to get in. We had tried the app, which was always saying restaurant closed OR no availability. We found out that guests book their supper for the following day at midnight on the app. We were sleeping by then. We tried tipping at 3 different restaurants and asked several times for a cancellation to get in that evening and that only worked at one restaurant which my son got food poisoning from (Italian). You could either book restaurants with concierge, on the App or for 2 restaurants you had to wait in line at a booth early in the morning. The food at the buffet was comparable to Cuba. The layout on its own was horrible. It was one constant line up whether you wanted a salad or just fruit, everyone was in one line like an overcrowded hospital cafeteria. To get an omelette, it was a 45-60 min wait because the person making them was making one at a time (never seen that before) Yes lots of choices but the quality and freshness wasn't there. You could wait in a line up of 100 people to get in to the buffet and then again in another line up once inside. Choices for snacks were hot dogs and hamburgers, with again more line ups and waiting. No ice cream all week at the water park when my kids were excited for unlimited ice cream during their vacation. No fresh fruit to grab and go such as apples, or bananas which would be an easy snack when you're tired of eating hot dogs especially while in mexico. Room service was cold, and often no meat with breakfast even at the buffet, never seen bacon or sausages and scrambled eggs were watery and farm tasting (Cuba was even better). The pools were foggy and not clean, overcrowded because of their small size and no chairs often. Between the lack of organization at this resort, the rocky beach (which we knew about) and the horrible food, this vacation seemed like a constant battle to book things, get into things and a whole lot of waiting and standing. I would not recommend this resort. We visited Sandos playacar, and it was night and day the different of the cleanliness, the food options, quality and layout of the buffet which made so much more sense (salad, bar, kids section, mexican section, ice cream bar) never seen line ups or waited, it was quick, efficient, made us feel like we were actually on vacation. I would recommend staying at Playacar and visiting Caracol hands down. For those 2 resorts to be in the same chain (Sandos Playacar and Caracol) as well as the same price, the difference for the organization and food is huge. Yes if you want the jungle feel and you don't mind hot dog, hamburgers and pasta and having more hot dogs and hamburgers for snacks then you'll love Caracol. Were used to travelling to Mexico and having fresh fruit, fresh quacamole, pico de gaillo with tortillas...but its not what we got during our stay. If you're ok to pay the same amount at caracol then you would at playacar and be willing to wait in line and struggle to get in restaurants and wait in a huge line up at buffet full of impatient people, then you'll be just fine.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: clean tidy and comfortable resort

It took 2 days to get the humidity out of the room but after that it was comfortable. The grounds were immaculate, staff kept things looking good. The pool was clean, and the service was great. I would suggest that the hotel monitor 2 things - their no smoking policy is not policed and allowing people to place their towels on the lounge chairs then never show up is not fair to others. If your shower doesn't have hot water - turn it on 10-15 minutes before hand so that its warm when you are re [... read more]ady to use it. The restaurant staff are beyond fabulous - they are kind, helpful and friendly. The food at all venues was great - you can call always find something delicious. The Mikes Coffee staff are the quickest baristas I've ever seen, serving up great coffee. But, the roads to the hotel - full of pot holes - are the worst - be prepared for the roughest ride of your life.

El Dorado Seaside Palms: Great resort every time

This is our fourth time visiting this resort. The food, entertainment and staff are, without fail, amazing. This time, parts of the resort were under construction, but did not affect the great time we had. The beaches were kept clear of the weeds, the food was gourmet, the staff was always friendly. The only downside was the mini bar service - once in our week there and room cleaning - three times in the one week.

Wyndham Alltra Playa del Carmen: Really nice resort!

First time in Playa Del Carmen, and first time at Wyndham Alltra. Resort is a boutique hotel with really nice amenities. Only 3 specialty restaurants, but can have dinner every night at these restaurants. Most resorts only let you book 3 nights with specialty restaurants. Pool is really nice, but have to wake up early to get sun beds. Beach is rocky. Beach at the north end of resort is nicer, but still rocky. Walked a few steps to Hilton next door or Grand Hyatt for sandy Beach an [... read more]d free of Seaweed. Night entertainment is average. All employees are friendly and willing to help. Beach towels were not available one afternoon.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Excellent resort!

We enjoyed our stay at Bahia Principe Grand Coba. We had a lovely, large room and the cleaning service was very prompt. The grounds and pools were large and well maintained. The buffet was really good. The snack bar was open until 6 am which was great. The raccoons that frequented the snack bar were pretty bold but cleared off after being squirted by the waiters!! The Coatis were curious but mostly ignored us. The beach was clean and sandy, but not very big and pretty crowded. Walking into th [... read more]e water wasn't the best experience and there were a lot of sharp rocks. So sand shoes are a must. The staff was very friendly and polite and the night shows were entertaining. The drinks were really great too. We'll definitely go back. Thank you to all the staff.

Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Amazing Amenities and grounds, not so great a beach, Food was okay!

The Resort is a solid 4 start nothing more because of food and beach. There is no more beach left. If you are a beach person, this is not the place for you. It's rocky, lots of seaweed and you will not be able to swim in it without getting hurt or cut on the rocks as the waves come crashing against you and rock you nice. I am a beach person and I found myself sitting at the pools which I never do, so that was a big let down for me. Where the resort shines is in its Amenities that it off [... read more]ers, a lush Jungle of green trees and bush with filled with a variety of wildlife that will keep you entertained especially the kids. From monkeys to Iguanas, to strange looking birds and an animal that resembles a undersized racoon that are a delight to watch. The birds that came to our balcony every morning were incredible. Waking up to that every morning was pure delight especially for my daughter as she loves birds. This place is like living in a Jungle the entire time you are there. It was a different and incredible experience in that respect. Eco Resort also has a natural fresh water Cen?te that you can swim in and snorkle to see all the wonderful fish and other animals living in there. It was really beautiful. Be careful here as this area is filled with mosquitoes that have a different bite than the ones found here in Canada. These ones here, it feels like your skin is on fire with one unbearable itch. The good thing about these bites it they don't last long, after about 1 hour the bite is almost not existent and gone, no more burning pain, or itch. The Rooms are very nice and look very modern. These are the family Superior rooms. The only thing is that our room 5013 is located quite a distance from the central part of the resort where the main buffet is and the restaurants. It was quite a walk especially if you had forgot something in your room. From our room to the main Buffet La Laguna was 8-10 min walk to the beach it was 15min walk. Now for the Food: La Laguna is the main Buffet for this resort. In all honesty, for the size of the resort and the amount of people that were there, this resort needs a 2nd Buffet. There times where there were lines to get in and sometimes waiting up to 15 mins or more. The Food here was a hit or miss. Some days the food was good and some days, it wasn't. I'm not a very picky eater but I found the Breakfast a bit tiring, no bacon, no sausage, just meats and chicken that were more geared towards what you would have during dinner. If you wanted to have fresh eggs made to order, Good Luck! get in line and wait 20-30mins as there is only 1 person making eggs, big disappointment. I only eat eggs at breakfast and sometimes there wasn't any eggs on the menu and I had to line up for 20 mins to get some. There should be at least people at this station making eggs. The worker making them was miserable and tired. Big let down for breakfast. Lunch and Dinner I found very good and I had no issues there. The Deserts they offered were fabulous, very tasty and lots of variety. We went to some of the restaurants during our stay El Templo is amazing, Japanese Teppanyaki. The chefs there are incredible and the food was super tasty! Los Lirios was another restaurant which was good and food was generally really good here. Breakfast and lunch at Lirios was only for Royal Elite Members so you couldn't come here unless you were a member. Caracol Eco Resort is actually a very nice resort, the grounds are breathtaking the activities that are offered on the resort are so vast that you don't actually need to leave the resort and everyday you can keep busy with lots of activities that will keep even kids entertained. We went for 9 days Jan. 13th to Jan. 22nd. The resort was extremely busy with lots of people more than I am accustomed to. Please keep in mind that this is a huge, huge Resort! it's big and vast and if you look up the map on Google you will see what I'm talking about. The Service at this resort is actually pretty good. No complaints here. There was also room service for food as well and we used that twice we were there so if you arriving into the resort really early or very late, just use room service for the food and it will be delivered straight to your room within 15 mins if the buffet is closed. Overall, this was a very relaxing 9 days at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort and I could see myself coming here again for my daughter as she loved it, but I think my next trip will be Sandos Playacar in Playa Del Carmen next year. The beach there is stunning from the other reviews that I have been reading on Google and some of the photos I have seen back that up.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Fantastic time ¡

This was a wonderful week. The resort was clean, modern and beautiful. The associates were outgoing and helpful. The food was never boring. The buffet was changed daily with an abundance of fresh produce. We pretty much camped out beside the pool from dawn to dusk daily and never had a problem finding lounge chairs and towels. We are already planning to return!

Platinum Yucatan Princess: Amazing resort

So the resort was beautiful. We had a swim up room which was totally worth it due to the main pool area being quite small, very small amount of lounge chair to be had. People are out reserving their chairs early. Food and drink were fantastic. Beach is also very small but nice. The only real complaint that I have since I’m a smoker is that there were only two places to smoke in whole adults only section. One was by the buffet area which was ok but needs a couple more cement bench’s for people [... read more] to sit. As for the other one it was closer to the main pool area, it was terrible and felt unsafe to use at night. It was not lit up at night and felt unsafe. No where to sit. Sign says do not walk on grass and it’s all grass to get there. So people were breaking the no smoking rules a lot.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Our time at the resort

Our time throughout was very pleasant start to finish. We enjoyed every moment be it the room, be it those dining areas, pools and the greenery around. Our only advise is to maintain the running water in the bath. We had few times when water stopped or became very low during shower Thanks

Secrets Moxche Playa del Carmen: Everything we expected and more…

This is a top notch resort. The staff are perfectly trained in the hospitality sector and know how to take care of customers. Every staff member was completely bi-lingual and introduced themselves immediately. All the meals were first rate with the highlights being Japanese, steak house and the preferred 9th floor restaurant. The evening shows are fantastic with great talent and presentation. I highly recommend this resort. You can be as quiet or as active as you like… Mexico is fantastic…

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Fantastic resort

The resort was very clean. The food was amazing, specially the French restaurant at the palace worth to pay an extra $20.00. The service on the resort was very good as well. This a great resort for families to enjoy a holiday. The rooms are a little dated but very clean. The only problem we had was the key card was not working periodically. This was our first time in Mexico and the resort was fantastic. We would come back again.

Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Sandos Eco Caracol

Nice family resort for kids largely due to their great water park. Beach 6 out of 10, if you want the best beach you need to taxi to Sandos Playcar for 350 pesos each way (approx. $32 CAD). Food 3 out of 10, if you want good food you need to go to Sandos Playacar or Sandos Cancun. People/Staff 10 out of 10. Was everyone perfect. Most people were especially given the number of demanding tourists they deal with as result not all tourists treat the staff as they are supposed to - we are all equa [... read more]l human beings. Please be kind to each other. You are on vacation yes you paid for eat however the staff are not less than you. Room service 10 out of 10 Up keep - while not all parts of hotel were 100% they were always working on something as result would give them 10 out of 10 especially for effort

Selection Riviera Cancun: Nice Family resort

The resort is very good, Pools, Food, Rooms, Service & Staff were excellent. The Beach is tiny. You can not go for a walk outside the resort. The only ATM dispenses US dollars. For excursions and extras they want to be paid in US dollars. We had pesos which they finally accepted but prefer US dollars. Even if paying in pesos they work the rate out in US dollars and then convert to pesos. This is costly for the consumer. The charges for withdrawing money from ATMs (at the hotels or Banks)  [... read more]are very high. Bring cash in US dollars with you to pay for excursions and lots of single dollar bills for tips. We went to Porto Morales to visit the market - thinking it was a market used by local people - it is a tourist trap. Beach was ok but lots of armed soldiers. Day trip to Tulam historical site, Cenotes Pools & swimming with turtles was excellent. Bring a good hat and lots of sun screen. Taxis are more expensive that Canada, Generally found shopping - all geared at tourists - more expensive than Canada This was an Air Canada Vacations tour. Plane was old with no entertainment system. Flight delayed coming and going. Did not see or hear from A/C rep during whole trip. Could not contact them for confirmation on pick up for airport on return. TripCentral rep Manuela was good and responsive, Hotel very helpful but I would never book a vacation with Air Canada again.

Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun: Great resort, Not pleased with Trip central and West Jet

When I booked our trip to Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun Mexico from Hamilton the Trip Central website showed a morning flight. However it immediately changed to an evening flight, when I brought this up to my agent, I was told they don't see a morning flight on their end. However I showed them a video that clearly showed the time change, they replied by saying that's strange but did not offer to look into what happened or fix the issue. I did not want a late day flight as we lost  [... read more]the entire first day of our vacation. My next issue was with Transportation. We landed in Cancun at 8:15pm yet did not arrive at our hotel until 1:30am. Why? A minor issue with our planes gate being occupied (1 hr), an average wait for our baggage (30 minutes) and 3 hrs waiting for Nexus the transportation company that WestJet works with to get you to your Hotel. After exiting the airport we made our way to the gentleman in the orange shirts in charge of getting us onto our shuttles and to our hotels. They had an IPAD with a spreadsheet with all the reservations and hotels. We approached one of them to check in and to be directed to our bus. They took our name said wait here and they proceeded to leave 2 full planes worth of passengers to wait for hours as they walked in circles constantly looking at their lists with confusion platered on their faces. When they finally did put us on a bus there was no guide welcoming us to Mexico, explaining the currency or when to meet your rep at the resort like we usually receive during the drive to our resorts. there was only 1 driver and too many bags. he had to stack them at the front of the bus, and remove them with each stop so the passengers could get off. We were the second stop, They took us to the wrong resort. There are two Margaritaville's both Trip central and WestJet need to learn about the resorts that their customers are staying at, and ensure they are delivered to the right place and that their paperwork matches this. We tried telling this to the driver however he couldnt wrap his head around this, so we wasted another 20 minutes as the security at this resort tried to explain it to the driver. My last issue was that there was no representative to speak to about our return trip home, no note under the door to tell us when to meet with them. So on the last day when we checked out at 11am we asked when our pickup would be for our 9:30pm flight home. We were told we should have came to our meeting? What meeting? SO the man at the desk made me call and arrange pickup for 5:50pm we were told to be waiting no later than 5:40pm. They did not show up to get us until 6:30pm, most likely because they went to the wrong resort to get us. I have used Trip central many times to book our vacations, I often tell friends and Family to use trip central. However with so many issues with timing & transportation. I likely wont use them or WestJet in the future. Why use a travel agent if they don't offer any added value? anyone can book a flight, a hotel and private transfer online. An agent is supposed to make these things easier. Not this trip!! The Hotel was fabulous! I would return, but I would book and plan very differently next time!

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Fabulous resort

We really enjoyed our stay - good food, lovely accommodations, gorgeous beach, friendly and helpful staff. (Suggestions: Have more rooms with 2 beds available & turn down the painfully loud volume of the band in the theatre.) My second stay at Barcelo Maya and we're looking forward to our next visit.

Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Would not recommend

Main pool small and cloudy Couldn’t get into restaurant even after setting alarm to book at 12:01am which I’ve never heard of at any other resort, staff at concierge were no help and not very friendly,buffet long line ups and food always the same

Barcelo Maya Tropical: WE HAD THE BEST TIME!!!!!!!!!!!

The chain of Barcelo hotels in a row is just about the biggest resort I have seen. The beach was beautiful to walk on. The food was wonderfully prepared, the Grill Bars by the Beach with the breeze from the ocean were perfect! The cenotes right across the street was a big surprise, beautiful!

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Everybody loved it!

The Barcelo Maya Colonial was excellent. The room was comfortable, the restaurants were very good, and the amenities were first class, especially the pools. The drive fro and to the airports took about an hour and 30 minutes travelling at a very high speed. If you’ve got the stamina and energy, you can the three other Barcelo resorts in the area.

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Good First Impression

Grounds were outstanding, pools great, beach and palm trees was the place to be. Food awesome. We did switch rooms once due to bad sewer smell on tropical beach front side we realized this was the way that side of the hotel smelled on the ocean view. New room was good.

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Great Resort

We picked this resort mainly because of the kids activities. Unfortunately my daughter was only 3 while we were there and the kids club is 4+. The resort is huge and something we found out while there is that is actually a chain of resorts side by side and you are able to use 3 out of the 5. They have their own tourist bus system allowing you to hop in and off within hotels. Some A la carte restaurants are located in the other hotels. There is a market, a casino, a shopping mall as well. You can [... read more] walk or take the bus. Very convenient. The dolphin show between the hotels as well as the spa. They do advertise the surfing experience but you have to pay to access that part of the resort. It also have a big ship with 4 slides which my daughter loved. It is $20 US per person per day or $60 US per person for the week. Food was delicious. Every day. The only thing I would say is that I wanted to experience more of their food. For breakfast I wanted Huevos rancheros every morning but they wouldn't provide the tortillas which was really dissapointing. I would suggest they offer them at all times. Is part of their cousin signature. The staff is beyond friendly. Anything you need they are there to help you (except for the tortillas in the morning lol. I asked every morning and only one morning I got three). The hotel is very very clean. Overall one of the best resorts we have stayed at