Barcelo Maya Colonial: Trying not to be negative but will be honest.

The Barcelo Maya Colonial is one of three other Barcelo properties on the stretch of Puerto Aventuras Beach. Our family of nine booked this property with requests for two double beds for all but two of the four rooms back in July 2023 and re-requested this upon confirming with the balance of payment in early November 2023. Upon arrival, we were told the hotel was at capacity and we would have to take what was leftover. My son and his grand mother had to share a room with one king bed and a co [... read more]tt even though we had paid for two adults sharing and requested two double beds. In general, we found the hotel and staff very in-flexible to our requests such as putting a couple of tables together in the main buffet so we could eat together as a family. They just would not do it. Also, since the resort was so busy, we would have to get up every morning by 6:15 a.m. to get beach chairs. The beach was extremely rocky and treacherous. The rooms and especially the bathrooms were extremely moldy. It seems the hotel tried to camouflage the overwhelming moldiness in our room by doucing it with too much bleach. Had to sleep with the balcony door open six out of seven nights to be able breath clearly as an Asthmatic. This is supposed to be a 5 star resort and definitely had a lot of interesting amenities. However, due to the lack of flexiblity/service, moldy rooms, treacherously rocky beach, insufficient beach & pool chairs, we will never return. I rate this a 3 star property at best. We've stayed at another 5 star Barcelo property in Playa del Carmen and had the opposite of this negative experience.

Grand Sunset Princess: Not bad, not great

Pros: - Huge resort. Some might not like that, we I do as I don't feel as confined when at a smaller resort - Gardens were nice, although not as nice as other 5 star resorts we've been at. - Good drinks. Corona available both in cans and on tap. Modelo was the other beer available on tap. - Attentive staff around the pool to take your order for drinks - Entertainment staff were great in the pool (our son loved playing water polo) - Lots of wildlife. Deer, monkeys, mexican racoons, birds on [... read more] a daily basis. Cons: - We all got tired of having the same breakfast buffet each day. - Food is OK, not anything close to what you'd get at a Karima resort. Food was rarely hot, just luke-warm. - Beach was nice but always smelt like sulphur - Foam party was at the beach. We like it better when at the pool - A la carte reservations are a pain in the ass. You can only book up to 2 days in advance - Our hot water in our room wasn't very hot - Occasionally, you could smell old urine in the room. It was quite nasty at times - Nightly entertainment was average - Wet/slippy signs were everywhere. Instead, it would have been nice if the cleaning staff mopped up the wet areas. Other thoughts: - Tacos and Hamburgers stand were the best option for lunch. You're only other option for lunch is the buffet but as its the same food every day, you get sick of those options and the food there isn't great. However, be prepared to wait in line at the Hamburger and Taco stands. - For us, the biggest disappointment was the urine smell and the quality of the food.

Dreams Riviera Cancun: family friendly/not for the night owl looking to party

Beautiful location and views, I had a plunge pool room that was amazing with private access. Very great customer service, staff was friendly and always made sure the room was fully stocked and clean. The only issue i HAD WAS THAT THEY CALL IT ALL INCLUSIVE BUT THE CLUB AND ALL BARS CLOSE AT 1AM. I dont understand how it can be called all inclusive if u cant order or have access to liquor or event space after 1. the food was mediocre on the same level as Cuba, very bland no seasoning, i have had [... read more] better Mexican food in Toronto. They should offer authentic cuisine as an option instead of catering only to Americans. Location wise was not too bad but its not considered the hotel district so you dont have much options to leave the resort. its a good 20-30 min drive to get to the hotel district.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Needs a little TLC but had a great time!

Our family of four (7yo and 9yo) went for a week with another family (11yo). We have travelled extensively and been in the area multiple times. Here’s our here. Pros: Friendly staff that worked whether you tipped or not (but they definitely appreciated tips) Shuttle was frequent Food was tasty, fresh, and a great selection Drinks were ample and a variety and the swing bar by the beach was my kids fav to have their virgin pina coladas. Lots of pools to enjoy and a quiet pool tu [... read more]cked in the back for those wanting to avoid the loud music Elevators was nice especially for luggage or after a long day at the beach The ac worked great, showers were warm enough, the fridge was always stocked. Decent entertainment. The kids loved it and that’s all that mattered. Cons: It’s a big resort. I don’t recommend if you have mobility issues as you will still need to walk a bit with or without shuttle The beds are older and “bouncy” and a double. They would benefit from platform bases versus screws on legs and some variety in room set ups to be more family friendly. The leg kepts falling off and they never came to fix after multiple calls. We ended up sharing a bed each with one kid as pretty small for two grown adults They are skimpy on towels and lacking spoons. They made up for it with plastic spoons but it’s weird to get a plastic spoon for a soup in a restaurant when you have regular cutlery for everything else No towel animals. This may seem silly but it’s something kids look forward to. Limited change. We brought money to tip but could never get it broken down. This made it a challenge to tip as often as we liked as some days they had no change! App wouldn’t let us make group reservations for dinner so had to go every morning to make reservation for the following night. Need more spaces for groups to hang out and play cards without loud music. This was something people kept looking for and we enjoyed but it was hot and sticky behind the black and white bar Intermittent wifi. I didn’t mind disconnecting but I know it was frustrating to send a quick message and it not send when you needed it. Chairs at the pools or beach were limited during peak season. Once people left jan 7 we could find seats much easier

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Disappointed

I stayed at this resort twice about 10 yrs ago and booked it thinking it was the same quality. Was very disappointed we had 11 of us and was looking for a wonderful family vacation. Start out bus picked us up almost 1 1/2 hours late with a bunch of different excuses. The rooms had some mold and we never got any refills of water or pop only the first day we checked in. Towels they sometimes did not provide any some days only one for the two of us. Called down to the desk everyday but nobody  [... read more]showed up with towels after they said they would bring them unless my daughter in law called who spoke Spanish Showers had litterly no hot water ours sometimes did not even have any water would stop in the middle of your shower. The pool and ocean had very little seating available most loungers were broken they seem to take them all away at night and than very little available the next day. Food was good not great but didn't have any issues other than they did not want to accommodate our large group. Public washrooms other than the lobby and spa were not clean toilets broken and overflowing and not cleaned properly. Was told my manager at front desk that it has been bought out and no upgrades were being done till new owner takes over. This resort should not be a 4 or 5 star.

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Just ok

The resort was nice but i have been there 3 times at bahia principe but this is the first time in the adults only at Sian Ka'an, this part of the resort was less impressive than the other ones including the rooms, lobby and beach, if i ever go back there it will be to the Tulum, the food was way better there, very mad at the staff in charge of our check out and transfers coming back to the airport, the bus left us hanging as no show when we were all waiting and had to pay our own way from playa  [... read more]del carmen to cancun for 4 of us.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!!!

We planned a family vacation over the Christmas break to celebrate the New Year. 11 of us went to this resort which is rated as a 4 star resort. It is NOT a 4 star rating maybe 2-3 star rating. Bus to pick us up at airport was 2 hours late. We were told there was an accident then told bus a mechanical trouble. Driver showed up wearing an under shirt and had to clean out bus before we could board. We were not the only people waiting few other families were also waiting. One family got a taxi and  [... read more]left. Resort was run down traps on roofs, no water at times from taps, no hot water at anytime. Wanted to charge us for everything possible a new wrist band for my under aged daughter who was served alcohol all the time! Elevator did not work at all, was left to find pour hotel block in the dark, shuttles to drive guest around resort may pick you up if they feel like it. No chairs at either pool or beach have to get up before sun comes up to secure chairs. lounge chairs are broken, one restaurant didn't even open for the day no notice that is was closed. Beds are has hard a rocks, no towels or very little one person in your room. Lifeguard takes belongings off your chairs if you leave to go for lunch and gives them so someone else. Was told this resort has been sold and you can tell. Tripcentral should be reimbursing clients for false advertising. Wll Not book again with tripcentral and will not go back to this place again. Westjet was the carrier and they gave us a swoop airplane to fly from Toronto to Mexico and back thats like sitting on milk cartes for 4.5 hours. No notice that the plane was not a true Westjet plane. Was told our dutyfree was part of our carry ons in mexcio we were scrambling to get all our belongings on the plane and not hold up other passengers.

Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Wonderful Mayan experience!

Sandos Caracol Eco resort is truly a unique hotel. Carved out the natural environment, this hotel features natural waterfalls, rivers, jungle and even archeological ruins. But the real star of this resort is the natural cenote (sink hole) that you can swim and snorkel in! Rooms in the superior family eco area are wonderful and close to the all the amenities including the beach and waterpark. Salvia restaurant is great for authentic soft taco, say hello to Santiago, the best waiter in the who [... read more]le resort! He'll give you expert recommendations. All around, a fabulous trip!

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Excellent family vacation place

This resort had everything for our family, ages 6 - 70. It is large but not too big. It was full during our stay but not crowded. The a la carte restaurants were the best we have ever eaten at. The resort went all out to celebrate New Year's Eve. We don't smoke but the smoking areas are very tastefully done. On the cool, cloudy days, there was still lots to do with Strikers, mini golf, the fitness centre and the mall. Our only negatives are: The wifi wasn't consist around the resort and the ro [... read more]om temperature was not easy to control. Transportation form the airport in Cancun took many hours but the return trip was smooth.

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Mexican Paradise!

Mexican Paradise with some suggestions for improvement Check-in- we arrived around 2 am. There was one person working. There was no one else around. The check-in was smooth. We weren’t asked if we wanted a bell-person to bring our luggage but that was fine with us. I didn’t like that I couldn’t pay the hotel tax with Mexican pesos. I believe that local currency should always be accepted. Chairs- I woke before 7 am each day to reserve a chair at the pool or at the beach. The first day,  [... read more]I saw that all the chairs were taken by 9 am! We were at the resort during New Year’s so this might not always be the case. The Reservation System for the La Carte Restaurants could be improved. The second day, I was unable to book an a la carte. I was told to reserve for that week and return on Saturday to book for the following week. I woke up early and arrived 15 minutes after the 7 am opening. I was told that there was no availability for the Italian restaurant because people had booked the night before. That’s ridiculous! The staff need to tell people the correct information. Also, we asked about the New Year’s Eve Gala. We were told to just show up. Then, my husband said why not check again after being misinformed about sign up times. I went and asked at Guest Services. They signed me up for New Years. When I asked why they said it wasn’t necessary previously, they said they just learned that themselves (2 days prior to the big event). I’ve been to other all-inclusives where reservations weren’t necessary or ones where you can book on-line or through an app. Restaurants: The Buffet has an excellent selection of food. Salt and pepper shakers were almost non-existent at this resort. I did appreciate that the Buffet didn’t close between breakfast and lunch. It did close in the late afternoon until 7 pm. There are no snack bars. The less expensive Barcelo property had beach grills. We went to four a la carte restaurants. We liked the service at the Brazilian Restaurant at the Palace the best. We weren’t impressed with the food or the service at the Agave (Mexican). We both had the Snapper and it was dry and overcooked. We enjoyed the show and the food at the Japanese restaurant and the service was okay. I have seen better Hibachi shows at other resorts but I’m sure it depends on the chef. I loved my grilled salmon at “La Comedie” the french restaurant. The service declined as the restaurant got busier. For example, the service became slower and my husband had to ask a couple of times for his dessert when it wasn’t brought out with mine. Rooms: We had a quiet ocean room view. The room was clean and spacious. The bed was huge. I took advantage of the balcony hot tub. Pool: Beautiful, expansive, infinity pool. Beach: Lots of shade. Chairs reserved early. The communication could be improved. On the other properties, there were signs with schedules and maps. Some guests didn’t even know that they could go to the other properties for the nightly entertainment. At the AO, there were digital displays with schedules that flashed up and QR codes. I opened the QR code and made a screenshot of the schedule. I feel the front desk should give you a map not a QR code where you could look up a map. I would have appreciated being able to access the menus for the various restaurants ahead of time. At other resorts that I’ve been to, the reception and guest services display the schedules and menus. There could also be print copies of weekly schedules for guests who wanted them. This is a beautiful resort. I appreciated being able to visit it.

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Yes it really is amazing resort

It is a place for animals as well. To see the many different animals was good, and to know the care etc it takes was a special place to be the grounds, so very large spaces,the up stages to maintained, was amazing.loved it.

Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa: Fair to good Resort

Overall fair to good. Very busy resort. Not enough pool chairs for the people staying there. Unless you were up at 630 to find a chair, you would not get one. Too much emphasis on diamond club. For new years all show seating was reserved for diamond club members only. Rooms were showing wear and tear. They say no reservations required for a la cartes. Thats misleading. They should say you can’t make a reservation unless you’re a diamond club member. Non members have to wait in line and i [... read more]t is hit or miss whether you get in or not. Pools are good. Beach is good. Ocean water is fair.

Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya: Another Amazing Stay!

This was our second visit back to Secrets Akumal and we could not be happier with the stay - 10/10 all around, in particular the service. The staff goes above and beyond to make sure every one of your needs are taken care of, particularly around the pool / beach area.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Wonderful resort

The grounds were impeccable especially for such a huge resort! There is a lot of walking as it is 444 acres. Sand fleas were a problem for me but other than that, the beach area was massive and a great walk. There were 8 complexes, two huge buffets and 5 restaurants so there was always somewhere to grab food and a drink. The best takeaway from that resort was the staff. They were helpful, friendly, always smiling and worked very hard to keep us "tourists" happy.

Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa: Fading Allure

At first sight the hotel in general appears well, but after a day or two you notice the peeling, blistered paint, the little bits of maintenance left undone and blown woodwork. The rooms are a good size but again fixtures and fittings are all showing age. The a/c keeps up but housekeeping is inconsistent and not totally on top of things….missing coffee, toiletries and towels. There is however a regular drains’ smell in various places across the property, especially on the landward side. Beac [... read more]h is great and well kept but loungers etc. are in need of repair or replacing. Food is plentiful with lots of choice, though it was seldom above warm. A La carte restaurants were much the same and only able to ensure a reservation by buying a bottle of wine. Staff are friendly but poorly supervised so inconsistent standards.

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Not the best resort but descent

Resort and sleep quality was amazing, rooms were great! Food was bit repetitive and the restaurants need some different flavours while cooking! Also booking the ala carts should not need reservations now a days, it’s 2024 we need to be able to book online or on an app it was a pain to meet with guest services I’m on vacation and don’t want to work to book my dinners. I’ve been to several 5 stars and this one was a bit behind the eight ball on a few things.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Rundown Nightmare

This hotel was way overpriced. It was poorly maintained, no hot water in rooms, rooms were not properly cleaned etc. Front desk tries to charge for EVERYTHING. The rooms were not sound proof. You could hear everyone around you, including the cleaning staff rolling their cart up the hallway. Food was okay. Not the best. Beach was terrible. So much seaweed and again not maintained well.

Royalton Hideaway Riviera Cancun: Really Disappointing

The best thing I can say about the resort was the workers and staff were there to help you enjoy your vacation. The hideaway is tired and getting run down, our room was comfortable at best not at all 4+ star quality, 3 star at best. The a la carte restaurants are good, not great, unfortunately we never had a hot meal, my wife got food poisoning from one and I had a bad case of diarrhea. You need to line up for the a la cartes as they are first come first serve, they would not take reservations u [... read more]nless you had a diamond up grade, which was annoying. The buffet was good also not great, you usually had to wait in a line 10-15 minutes to get in on most nights. The beach was really nice not much shade, the resort booked so many people that they didnt have enough beach chairs for everyone. This wasn’t impressive when you’re paying good money for a supposed 5 star resort. The gym and spa are great, but other than that I would not recommend this resort to anyone.

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: Would not return

The hotel is visually beautiful. The path through the jungle was amazing everything was stunning. The pool and beach view was stunning but the water is very rocky. Food was good. Very clean and staff were very friendly. However. This is not an all inclusive resort. Many features required additional cost (room service delivery, ice cream on the beach, up selling of wines (or attempting to), etc. this was unexpected. The New Year’s Eve party cost money (1 Bali bed was $600 US and a table at th [... read more]e event was approximately $170 US). Again, completely unexpected. Our room was tiny. Barely fit a king bed. No seating etc. It was impossible to get reasonable Al la carte reservations but they took walk ins. Anytime I was there they were half empty. It didn’t make sense. They ran out of beer, alcohol, and food on multiple occasions. And the line ups to the bar took upwards of 20 minutes to get a drink. No entertainment at all. They had people dance at the pool twice a week but that was it at the main pool. There is no night entertainment. There is a plaza which is very pretty where you can have a drink and hang out, but no shows or bars or clubs really to do anything but drink and stare at each other. While we made the best out of our trip, overall we were disappointed with the resort given the rating and the cost. For a resort at this price point and rating I expected much more.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Amazing resort

Everything was amazing. It was our first time at an all-inclusive resort and it exceeded our expectations. The staff were amazing and the activities were so fun. The beach area was fenomenal you could see a lot of different fish.