Hotel Marina El Cid Spa and Beach Resort: Marina El Cid

Hotel rooms we very clean and well kept. Marina pool was definitely set up for children. Staff were friendly and helpful. Was difficult getting reservations at the various A la cart restaurants, it seemed like they were limited. Would definitely recommend to someone with children

Ocean Coral and Turquesa El Beso: Great experience beautiful place

It was a great resort. We had a lot of fun. Everything was very clean. The room was very nice. Our trip was with a group of friends. I on the other hand would not pick a resort that big but for people that like a lot of space it was a great place. The entertainment was really good and the workers were very very helpful and very very nice

Royalton Hideaway Riviera Cancun: Loved it here!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this resort. The whole resort was very clean and well maintained. The service we received was exceptional! Very friendly staff everywhere we went. The food was great with lots of options. We particularly loved the coffee bar and gelato! What a treat! My husband and son made use of the gym daily. It was very well kept with lots of equipment. I participated in morning yoga and Zumba classes. All instructors were fabulous. The grounds of the resort are beautiful a [... read more]nd the rooms were very nice. We loved hanging out by the infinity pools every day. Another selling point was the resort’s proximity to the airport!

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Exceeded Our Expectations!

This resort has to be the best we have ever experienced. Being elderly we were concerned about the distances to walk but with the shuttle services were so quick and accommodating; as was the service for drinks and food. The people were so kind. We cannot say enough about the entire experience. I have to say an experience because the dining areas and entertainment were exceptional. Valentin is a very elegant resort and we will certainly return.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: So much fun!!

The grounds on this resort were impeccable and well maintained. The food was great, minus the seafood ragout. The steak house was superb, filet was cooked perfectly. The service was above board. The variety of the buffets was great! Our ac worked intermittently, but for the most part worked when we needed it to. The rooms and resort is dated, but clean and welcoming. Front desk staff was fantastic. Pool was a perfect temperature. They do what they can regarding the seaweed.

Barcelo Maya Caribe: Great Resort

Good variety of food options, beach locations, restaurants, activities etc. Entertainment was great. Staff was amazing - best part of the location. The gymn was really large with a lot of options including fitness classes. The spa had a great cold plunge pool, sauna and steam room. Played mini golf for free a couple times, used the pickleball courts 1 day and the gymn every day. Great snorkelling with the turtles right off the Barcelo beach. We loved our stay. The only real [... read more] negative: 1 of the Cozumel snorkelling excursions was not worth it. Bus pick up at 5:45 am and returned around 4 pm and only had 1.5 hours of snorkelling + 1 hour lunch. The rest of the time was spent travelling. Absolutely do not recommend it just based on the itinerary. The brochure said 4 hours + travel and transfer time but it was more like 1.5 hours snorkelling, 1 hour lunch and 7.5 hours travelling and waiting around. Not worth it at all. Note that this is not a reflection on the staff that worked hard and kept us entertained to the best of their ability. It is more about a poor excursion plan with low value vs. what was advertised.

Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: Perfect! Just what we were looking for...

Went to this resort with my 15 year old son during March Break and had a wonderful time. Pick up from airport was smooth but it is a bit of a hike to the hotel - about 1.5 hr - but we were aware of this so no issue, just something to keep in mind. Check in was seamless and welcoming. Our room was on the second floor and was newly renovated. Bar fridge stocked daily. The beds did not have blankets which I found odd but you could request them via the hotel app and they arrived promptly. Room servi [... read more]ce was also prompt. Very important to me was the number of sun umbrellas at the pool area. Lots and lots available. I did go out to the pool area every morning at 7:30am but just to enjoy the sound of the ocean and birds. Generally people did not come out to get loungers until around 8 or 8:30 and this was during March Break so you could sleep in if you want. Most loungers were taken by 9am. Lots of loungers by the ocean as well. They built a jetty which creates a calm area in the ocean. Seaweed is definitely present but they make a big effort to remove it. Servers at the pool and restaurants were lovely. Appreciated tips but did not expect them. There beach bars and beach restaurant were always quiet with no lines. The resort guests were mainly French and English Canadians. Some entertainment in the evenings. We did not attend many of the shows so can't comment but did go to the karaoke in the 'sports bar' and it was fun. Quiet resort. Not a party zone. Lots of seating in the evening in the main lobby where there was live entertainment and one evening they had the silent disco which was great for people of all ages! The buffet was clean and organized, good variety and generally restocked/refreshed frequently. The seating for the buffet was very nice and generally not overly busy which was nice so it felt relaxed and not chaotic. We did not go to the a la carte restaurants so can not speak to them BUT I highly recommend you load the app at least a week prior to departure and book your reservations ahead of time to avoid disappointment. The hotel app was also useful to know the activities going on each evening. There are trolleys available to take you to your room or to the other sister resorts. Resort is great if you are looking for something chill and relaxed with a friendly, quiet, non pushy atmosphere. The only drawback I can think of was I found there was a lot of traffic on the walkways - everything from trolleys, to pickups, to delivery vehicles, even a full sized dump truck passed me full of seaweed.

Riu Tequila: Great Resort

Little rough checking in at 12.00 am only one person working at front desk finally got to the room unpacked got to bed at 130 am. we started our day at 700am and from there it was nice pleasant stay breakfast was good and lunch and dinner Staff was great pools were nice I thought it would be a problem to go to the beach but it was not the shuttle only took a couple of minutes or you could walk not far at all, beach was huge could use the pool and restaurant, bar at The Riu Yucatan, nice there to [... read more]o. Beach had seaweed but everyday they were cleaning it up you were still able to go into the ocean. When we went to Playa Del Carmen we noticed a mini market just down from the resort so we went there and they had some really nice shops. All in all we would definitely go to that resort again

Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Great Experience

The resort was wonderful and my family of four had a great stay. We say so much wildlife from our balcony and across the resort, it was endless excitement for the kids. The setting of the resort with mature trees, cenotes, creeks and rocky terrain was a one-of-a-kind resort experience. The waterpark on site was a highlight for the kids as well. There were a few amenities which were closed during our stay: the jade river, the cenote and the beachfront restaurant, and some of the closing hours for [... read more] the towel exchange, waterpark and bars seemed a bit off with the hours of other amenities, but overall our stay was amazing. We would go back.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Perfect

Huge resort. Common areas very modern. Rooms dated but clean and functional. Buffets had something for everyone. A la carte restaurants were fabulous and you could book all for week not one day at a time. We did private transfer to and from airport- A really good idea. Beaches were perfect. They looked after any seaweed early in the AM. Lots of chairs. Bring water shoes or buy at resort for a premium. Staff were fine, we didn't tip at breakfast or lunch as we received no service. Seeme [... read more]d to be more staff at dinner buffet.

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Great getaway

This is a top quartile resort. From the amazing rooms, pools, restaurants, and facilities all are the best. We loved the nightly entertainment and social time. Walk the beach to 4 other sister resorts and enjoy them all. Nothing to want…you get it all here!

Dreams Jade Resort and Spa: Great resort, wonderful experience.

The hotel was great and met and/or exceeded our expectations. The staff were very friendly, courteous and helpful. The food was excellent. Lots of variety and very good quality. Loved the evening entertainment options. The rooms were very spacious and always clean. The beach was not as expansive as we would have liked but the water was wonderful. Would recommend this hotel to anyone and would return as well. Mark & Silke Malouin

Ocean Coral and Turquesa: Beautiful resort

Great customer service, great food!!, nice rooms, spacious and clean, beautiful pool areas. The beach was full of sargassum during our stay (March 7-14) and the hotel didn't do much effort to clean it, except one day when there was a wedding and we were able to swim in the ocean. The other days we had to go in the pool or at the next hotel's beach where there was installed a barrier for the sargassum.. Note* when you ask for number of stars below, you put the beach and the pool together, whic [... read more]h is not fair. They are completely different and they should be rated separately. Pools 5*. Beach 3*

Barcelo Maya Caribe: Pretty good for a dated resort

I likely wouldn't return, but it's probably good value if you're looking for a cheaper option. It felt safe and had everything we needed, but definitely felt dated, and wasn't as nice as other resorts we've been to. There is no doubt that there are *much* worse options out there, but I personally wouldn't choose to return, as I've stayed at nicer options. To start with the "good": Beach: The beach was great at this resort. Really well maintained (they deal with the seaweed frequently bu [... read more]t discretely), beautiful sand and scenery, and lots of chairs. Worth noting that there are no umbrellas, the only shade comes from the (many) palm trees, but they can sometimes be less predictable, and the shade moves throughout the day, so it might be worth bringing an umbrella if you prefer to chase the shade (there is more shade available at the pool area, likely more challenging to find the sun there, but we didn't spend much time at the pool). Pool Options: While we spent most of our time at the beach, we did visit the pools occasionally. What I liked about this resort is that there are a few different pool options. While one of the main pools was very busy and rowdy (good if you are looking to drink / party / play "crazy game" and other events), the other pool was much quieter. There was no loud music, no organized events, and was overall a very different vibe. It's nice that there is something for everyone, so if you like a quieter, more relaxing experience, that exists! We also learned quickly that you can hear the pool noises from the beach, so be aware of which pool you are closer to on the beach. If you don't want to hear the music etc. from the "party pool", you will probably want to go to the other end of the beach. Staff: The staff were friendly and responsive, and seemed generally happy to be there! It was great meeting with some of them, and they were generally very happy to help with any requests. I will say that they appeared under-staffed at certain areas, specifically the pool bars, but I didn't have any negative interactions with any of the staff. The Grounds: Admittedly not super important, but the grounds were really beautiful and well-kept. Tons of large fountains and interesting architecture, staff was cleaning the paths every morning, and the walk from the beach to our room was stunning - some resorts pack those walkways full of different vendors / playgrounds etc., but I really appreciated all of the landscaping. Tons of trees, flowers, and natural scenery, which I thought was a nice touch. Things that could be improved: The Room / Maintenance: Our room was fine, but certainly felt dated. While nothing was exactly wrong, It didn't feel super clean and could definitely use an upgrade and there. It seemed like a standard, older hotel room (on the cheaper end). Unfortunately, we had two incidences that left us not thrilled. Most importantly, there was an error with the locking mechanism on our door, to the effect that at times, it was completely unlocked to everyone, unbeknownst to us. We learned this because on our second day, we were completely locked out of the room and had to go to the lobby to get help. (We had informed them twice at that point that the light on the electrical lock turned red when we were attempting to unlock it, but that after a couple attempts, we were able to usually just mess with the doorknob enough for it to open for us. Both times they "reset" our bracelets and told us it should be fine (we didn't actually know that it wasn't meant to turn red until we got locked out compeltely)). Once we got help, one of the resort employees informed us that there was an issue with the lock, and that it wasn't responsive to any of our key cards. We were told that it was either locked to everyone (including management's master key", and our own bracelets), or completely UNLOCKED, which meant that any time we were able to enter our room it was completely unlocked to anyone that would try to enter. This is obviously a safety concern, and did make us feel a bit uneasy. For what it is worth, they did send a maintenance person and dealt with it quickly, but we obviously wished it didn't happen to begin with. The second issue with the room was less alarming, but a few days in, the toilet broke and the handle to flush got disconnected from the rest of the plumbing. We called someone in and they were able to replace the part / repair the toilet quickly, but again speaks to the fact that some upgrades might go a long way in some of the rooms. Food / Reservations: The food was okay. The buffet actually had many promising options and was large enough that everyone should be able to find something they want to eat, but for dinner, I prefer restaurant options over a buffet, and you MUST reserve your table in advance. Unfortunately, booking those reservations were really challenging. For starters, they had us book our reservations through the service-center, rather than at the front desk or on the phone, which took some time. They only had one employee working, and for some reason it took a LONG time for them to find the reservations, so be prepared for a wait if there are a couple of groups ahead of you. We went on the morning after we arrived, before 9am, and there were VERY few options they could offer us, and almost all of them were for 8pm or later. If you enjoy / don't mind a late dinner, then you might not have an issue, but we preferred to eat closer to 6 or 7, and there would be maybe one restaurant a night that could accommodate that. This might be because they were unseasonably busy, or perhaps this is their usual, but we weren't able to get any reservations (even late ones) at the majority of the restaurants, meaning we spent 3 nights at the same spot (Mexican, and on the third night we ended up cancelling our reservation and opted for the buffet because it was only okay), and then they were able to get us in one night to an Italian restaurant (it was okay, not great) and one night to the Japanese restaurant (this was by far the best meal we ate the entire time - would highly recommend trying to get a reservation here!). I wish we could either reserve ourselves through the Barcelo app (cutting out the time spent at the service desk), or that there were more options in general so that we could try out different spots and not have to book late reservations. If you prefer to eat at the buffet for every meal, this is actually a great spot for that - I'm sure the food could be MUCH worse elsewhere, but I really prefer restaurant dining at dinner, so I was feeling a bit let down. Other general notes: This resort is HUGE. It's technically a combination of 5 or 6 resorts (each with their own lobby, buffet, and restaurants), but you have the options of visiting the other resorts as well. There is a mall (???) that joins some of the resorts. The mall is a weird vibe, unlike any other resort I've been at, but if you want to shop while you're away, I guess it's a good option. It was also really busy when we went. I think some of it is due to discrete circumstances (many people switching to Mexico from Cuba), but it was really busy pretty much everywhere. Just meant that while there are TONS of seating options on the beach, they filled up surprisingly fast. Like almost all resorts, the "seat saving" strategy is very much in play - if you didn't go to the beach (and I assume the pool as well) by 7:30 am or so to put your things on a beach chair, you likely won't have any luck, or will be left with the poorer options. To be fair, I know this isn't exclusive to this resort, but just note-worthy to be up early, even though it looks like there are so many seats to pick from! All in all, this wasn't a bad stay - it was a beautiful vacation and had the nicest beach I've seen, which is really all I needed, but I think next time I might opt for a smaller, newer resort.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Well done

Great fun pool restaurants Food excellent Thankyou Great staff Bus drivers well done Sunwing staff said thankyou for clothing for Mexican male kids and Female donated We enjoy our Sunwing ,and westjet flight s

Catalonia Riviera Maya: Fantastic vacation

Catalonia Riviera Maya was a wonderful spot for a vacation. The grounds were beautiful and well kept. The food in the buffet and a la cartes was great with lots of choices and was fresh and well prepared. The best feature of the resort is the compact size, everything is within easy walking distance. And the staff were friendly and attentive, any minor issues were addressed right away. Overall, a fantastic vacation spot!

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: First time to Mexico - Coba impressed!!

We chose Coba as a last minute trip unsure of what we would find based on some reviews, and we don't regret our decision for a second ! The hotel is large enough that even with many clients it never felt crowded. The lobby is huge with lots of table and chairs to have morning coffee or afternoon drinks. There is a coffee station where you can get your own or go to the bar and have cappuccinos, ice coffee etc. made for you. There are pastries located in the lobby, too, for a quick bite. [... read more] The pool area is quite large with lots of chairs. I did find the "towel/chair games" were played but there are so many chairs that even when arriving at the pool at 11 am or later we always found a good location, right next to the pool, to sit for the day. There is a self-serve pop and beer area near the pool bar for a quick drink. The pool bar (swim up and walk-up side) serve up delicious drinks - the only issue we had there was the staff -- they were great, but there was only one bartender on each side, resulting in long waits sometimes. The main buffet was excellent - always lots of food, and variety. They had everything from the freshest, best donuts we have ever had, to eggs at least three ways (on top of the fresh omelette station), to fruits, meats, desserts, and even tacos and other 'daytime food'. For dinner there was a lot to choose from - pasta 3 ways, rice 2-3ways, green salad fixings, meats - cooked or cold cut style, Mexican fare, several salads (potato, bean etc.), fresh buns, shrimp, and even nutella/cheese/ham and cheese sandwiches - and desserts and fruit. For lunch we ate at the snack bar by the pool. They had lots to choose from too. Freshly made pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos and cheese sauce, beans, fruit, ice cream cones and desserts. We ate at 3 a la cartes, Mikado, Nikkei Mashua and Hindu Restaurant Thali. The beef at the Mashua was so tender you could cut it with a fork. The service we had at all three was excellent, but the standout would be Christian at the Mashua. The food at Hindu Thali was about as good as I have had in Ottawa for Indian cuisine. Our room in block 20b was 'dated' but who cares, everything worked fine and was extremely well cleaned. We always had hot water, the fridge refilled, and fresh towels. The trolleys drive around all the time, there are 'bus stops' but they would also stop and let you hop on anywhere if there was room. The Sports Bar was fun at night -- there was always soccer, baseball, hockey, etc. on a tv somewhere in it. We watched a few NHL games there at night, and some of the Baseball Classic tournament. For those who don't drink alcohol there is a great little mocktail list (all of which were delicious) and 0.0 Heineken beer. They did run out of the 0.0 beer in the lobby and the sports bar (or never got a shipment that day?) and it was not offered in the buffet, snack bar, or 2 of the 3 a la cartes we ate at. Only the Mashua had it. As a non-drinker it was disappointing not to be able to enjoy a "beer" with my meals while my partner had wine/beer with his. All in all, I have to say we had a fabulous week at Coba. We thought of upgrading before we left but after a day there, we decided to save the money - we did not need anything more than Coba could offer.

Royalton Hideaway Riviera Cancun: Almost Great

Visiting this location was my first experience with an all inclusive location. The rooms were exactly as advertised, they were great. Very clean and well looked after during our stay. The staff was very helpful and there is a LOT of staff to help, very friendly always with a smile. I did find it to be very large ( larger than I would want in the future) some of the restaurants were a long walk. There is a very well appointed buffet with plenty of options PROBLEM was a lot of the food wasn' [... read more]t very warm, some was actually cold. Cold scrambled eggs really don't cut it but you can get freshly made omlettes. The other restaurants were difficult to get bookings at a reasonable time for me. The Italian offering was down in the kids section. Upcharges at the restaraunts for improved steaks or cuts was tremendously expensive. example at the Steakhouse on site to move up to a better cut of steak cost $ 180.00 US, in my opinion that is an unjustifiable charge. Honestly between the food and the size of the overall facility this resort isn't one I will be going to in the future. The ocean beach really was un-useable due to seaweed coming in, they tried to keep it at bay but couldn't keep up.

Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: Amazing Time

We absolutely love this resort and only have amazing things to say! Right from when we arrived, Francisco came out from behind the check-in desk and greeted us and made check in so smooth and effortless, providing all the details necessary for navigating the resort as well as some very cold glasses of champagne. The food choices here are vast, delicious, and fresh whether you go to a restaurant or the buffet. The service is amazing and attentive, and Jose even suggested some delicious drinks we  [... read more]didn't know were an option to order. The resort itself is extremely clean, all the natural features are very well taken care of and even the wild animals are chill indicating that there is a happy balance on the resort between people and nature. I highly recommend this resort and it is somewhere we will definitely be returning to (hopefully again and again over the years).

Ocean Coral and Turquesa: Even better than expected

This resort was a nicely laid out resort. We were a group of 4 adults (2 couples) and we really wanted a bit of a combination vacation. We wanted to be able to "join in the fun" and we also wanted to be able to relax and enjoy the sun. We were pleasantly surprised at how well this resort was laid out to easily allow this to happen. We were just regular guests - although we did upgrade to El Beso for a small fee as we wanted to be in building 11. The pool set up is nice. 4 pools - a kids  [... read more]pool that is clearly suited to smaller children. A large and quiet pool that was amazing for relaxing and just "chilling out by the pool". The main "party" pool with the swim up bar was where we ended up most of the time on resort as the bartenders were AMAZING. they remember your name, they welcome you and they made everyone feel welcome and special. I have a lot of stories about the people who we talked to who absolutely loved the bartending teams. Gustavo was my personal favorite - an amazing bartender with a seemingly endless number of drinks he could create! I have read all the reviews about people not getting chairs around the pools and will admit that if you show up at 1PM it can be a challenge. I have been to many resorts and the normal chair reserving happens - it always does and is something you just have to accept at all inclusive resorts. I will say that I was able to get chairs for all 4 of our group every day without any problems - granted - I am an early riser and had my pick each day - but there were still a LOT of open chairs later in the morning. Do not worry about the reviews complaining about no chairs - they are there just liker every other resort. The entertainment staff was GREAT. We didn't spend a lot of time over at the adults pool - but the time we were there was excellent. Same thing about the issues with reservations for the restaurants. they have an app you can log into and it goes live at 10AM. if you want a particular time and restaurant - you need to be ready at 10AM to log in and use the service - it is VERY easy to do. IF you are not good with an app on your phone they have guest services available to help you get your reservation... it is a very nice set up. The food at the restaurants was very good. I am a fan of Japanese food so I loved that restaurant but all of them were very good and had excellent selections. The buffet was very good as well - changing selections, hot and fresh stations, and well organized. One suggestion I have for the management team at the resort is to open Mikes Coffee Shop a little earlier. there was normally a line up and that could have been avoided if they open a bit earlier... but the coffee selection (hot and cold) were excellent as were the cookies, muffins, banana bread and sandwiches! NOTE - If you are looking for Michelin 5* restaurants - this is not it.... they are very good and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but have reasonable expectations of an all inclusive resort and you wont be disappointed. Room we had was room 11304. Recently renovated, great view of garden and ocean, close to amenities, clean and fresh. Again - All you can ask for at a resort. Only reason I rated the beach/pool as a 4 is the beach was nearly unusable due to Sargassum wees and while that is not the resorts fault, it took away from the beach options. Location is about an hour walk (actually a very nice and safe walk) from town and we enjoyed walking around and enjoying some local restaurants. I truly enjoyed the resort.... Staff is amazing - the grounds are well maintained and the whole vacation was a real success