Bahia Principe Explore Coba: A Great Vacation at an Amazing Resort

Our stay at Bahia Principe Grand Coba was a pleasure and fun filled. The entertainment team did a great job keeping the guests active and involved. Staff was friendly and helpful. The kids club staff was caring and responsible for the kids while left in their care be it for small intervals of time or the full-day. The only downside was language barrier for non Spanish/Mexican speaking guests. There were good Food options to cater to all dietary needs, however the Resort should consider having [... read more] a dedicated area for pure vegetarian/vegans where the likely hood of contaminating it with use of shared spoons and tongs between veg and non-veg dishes at the counter. As a first timer on an All Inclusive Vacations, Overall it was a Great vacation experience with all my basic transportation arrangements pre-arranged. Would definitely recommend trip central.ca to friends and families.

Planet Hollywood Cancun by Royalton: Breathtaking Beach

The food, the entertainment, and the hospitality is always fantastic! So much to do, and a variety of cuisines. Staff ALWAYS going out of their way to assist you, or simply wish you a good day. There's always staff picking up after lazy people who can't bother to return their cups, or soiled pool towels. The prices at the shops are similar to what's paid at airports or venues. Don't expect prices such as Dollarama. I wish there was an option to upload photos. The beach is very memo [... read more]rable, and I tried to spend every second I could enjoying the white sands, and the waves.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda was ok

We went the week before Christmas and the resort wasn`t what we were fully expecting. I`ll start with the good. It was only 40 min from the airport so the bus ride was pretty good. Check in was fast and the people at the front desk were very friendly and efficient. We were in building 5 which we thought was a great location, close to the pool and beach and quiet. The rooms were big and comfortable. Ac worked great, big balcony and lots of drawer and closet space. The pools were nice and th [... read more]e water was a good temperature to cool off. The food at the main buffet and beach buffet were ok but the same type of food everyday, which is to be expected. The grounds are lush with lots of trees and grass, and wildlife. Ok now for the not so great: The rooms although big and fairly nice they had a few things that needed repairing. Not a big enough nuisance though to complain about. The beach was horrible since the hurricane last year and there is so much seaweed. Any wind and the water is a gross brown. If you walk down the beach 10 minutes its better. The pool finish on the bottom is very rough, which I get makes sure you don`t slip but it ripped up my bathing suit and my kids knuckles. The bathrooms by the pool were horrible in that at there was never toilet paper and always i unusable toilet. it was the same in the mens all week. If you wanted a chair by the pool or beach you had to be up before 7am to get one and if you leave it unattended for literally 20 min(we went for a beach walk) people move your stuff and take them. The resort was not full and there was space for more chairs they just didn`t have any to put out. The a la carte restaurants were ok but not amazing like the Barcelo ones we have been to. We had an okay time but would not return to this resort again. I personally wouldn`t go back to that area again just because of the beaches and ocean water.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Loved the resort!

Having a travel agent really helped with the booking process which I loved. Thank you Erin Thunder for making that process super easy and convenient. The resort was amazing. It was very beautiful and clean. The staff was really nice especially the entertainment team. They made my stay at the resort memorable.

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: Would not recommend

In a world where almost all resorts are created to be mostly equal we found this hotel to be lacking in several ways. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone when every other resort we have stayed at provided a better experience. FIrst and foremost there is NO ADULTS ONLY area despite advertising adults only room types and packages. There is no adults only pools, restaurants, beach areas etc. If this is fine for you - great! And normally we would expect to encounter lots of kids except th [... read more]at we booked an adults only package only to be informed our room was designated as adults only. Confused? Us as well. Secondly, this resort is tied deeply to flogging time shares at the resort, on the extended resort property, and at their other locations. What seemed like a great perk - a building concierge for each room block - ended up being a gateway into a time share sales pitch for The Ultimate club or whatever it's called. Every interaction with concierge staff was always requirng us to politely turn down going to a sales meeting - some much pushier than others. Tied to this is the resorts obsession with Trip Advisor reviews - we saw, heard, and witnessed people being asked to do on the spot 5 star reviews in exchange for various coupons or perks - in ther middle of their dinners/entertainment/vacation. The whole thing felt pretty greasy. Third - This place is a long way from the airport - Our return flight pickup was at 3:05 am to get us there for an 8 am flight home. Our arrival at 2pm local time didnt have us at the resort until almost 7. Plan accordingly. Further there is almost nothing around the hotel to do without transport. If the resort is awesome - like the Palladium next door which we loved - its no issue. If it isnt - see below - you dont feel like its worth the additional travel time involved. Staff - Excellent, kind, helpful. Great people overall. Hotel itself has nice, seemingly updated rooms, but the facilities, rooms, and grounds were all rough around the edges - it was baffling how much damage there was everywhere. Broken elevators, smashed tiles, litter, debris, broken glass left for days, spills, stains, barely working door card readers, wobbly details. Wild life is great fun but, at the same time, concerning. Staff have given up tryiing to stop people feeding the plentiful Coati and monkey groups and they routinely ran a stampede through pool areas sucking up every bit of food available - even knocking lids off the garbages or crawling inside them. A spectacle but ultimately not a healthy habit. The first time you see (literally) 100 coati run around its awesome. By day 3 you realize its pretty concerning. Food was very middling with a few real bright spots in service/options - The coffee bar being open all day and serving excellent coffee and treats was great, and the pizza option for lunch was really great - Nobody is gonna say no to a fresh wood oven slice on the pool deck. Foot traffic says these clearly the best options available. Buffet was extremely mediocre - lots of option buts nothing really standing out - closer to a buffet at a Cuban resort than others in Mexico. A La Cartes were a bit hit or miss and very hard to book in - if you arrived on the wrong day of the week it seemed like you were out of luck for your entire stay. My Wife and I were able to make some bookings the first morning of our stay and bounced around on other nights to get into others when other folks no-showed. Staff at all food and beverage places were lovely. Food was decent but nothing that says "this requires long pants". Perhaps the biggest turn off for us, however, was the clientele. We witnessed several incidents requiring security invtervention in a 7 night stay. Perhaps our timing was just bad but we saw multiple staff threatened and intimidated and screamed at at the A La Carte's, saw many incidents of bizarre behaviour, had some kind of domestic incident in our room block that required intervention, and saw many, many, many patrons over served all night which lead to bizarre noise problems, smashed glass everywhere, vomit, etc. And people smoking and vaping everywhere. The staff, despite being so lovely, seemed to just be trying to get through it all. I have never really written a review like this, and despite all these issues, we enjoyed ourselves because there was sun, beach, some beverages, and some fun excusions - However - any and all resorts we have been to supply those expectations without the rest of these issues which, despite enjoy the beautiful Mayan people and their beaches, would lead me to avoid this resort like the plague. We are easy to please and this place managed to sink below that somehow.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Resort Grounds nice, rest of it very questionable.

Lobby didn’t invite us for 4 or 5 star resort as advertise. Initial service was chaotic, took them around 45 minute or more to get us a room. We did get to our room quite late in the evening, didn’t check anything until morning. Room was specious, but that’s all the positive I can say about it. It was smelly, bedding old , bathroom with greyish towels, not enough toiletries, we have to ask for it every time. Balcony doors are barely able to open. Wanted to forget all these negatives ( res [... read more]ort ground were beautiful , another positive ) and we were going to spend 14 days all inclusive , but unfortunately day 4 after a nice dinner in Italian restaurant ( I believe Romeo was our waiter and he was great ) walking around main pool I tripped and fell into poorly lit shaver pit, broke my wrist and end up in the local private hospital. Emergency physician recommended surgery in their hospital, but our insurance decline that due to very high cost and send us home to Canada for surgery. Hotel / Resort ( concierge ) promised us that they will reimburse all the cost told us just ask and keep all the receipts. They paid once for the taxi. The next day after meeting I guess with finance person in the resort she gave us email address to their insurance company to send our expenses. Nothing about reimbursement from them. Resort treated us very poorly, didn’t ask how we are or if we need anything until we filed report with WestJet, then they asked, but that’s all. And very low point was that resort ask us to pay for medical emergency, even if that happened on their property, with poor or no lights there. It is a big shame.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Basic basic basic – no frills

This was the first time to a Barcelo property and will probably not return. This complex is often compared to the Iberostar but there are distinct differences. The Iberostar is made up of 5 different categories of amenities. The Barcelo main 4 properties are all the same amenities, but diffenent vibes. I will focus on the Colonial as that was the one we were at. 1st, we had multiple issues that needed attention but at no time were we compensated or even received an apology. We arrive [... read more]d late in the evening. There was no welcome cocktail. Bad map and the buildings not well marked ended with us lost in the dark. Our travel mates had an issue with the safe when they arrived and front desk staff said they would send someone at 9 am. The next morning we headed to the buffet and as we were returning to the rooms, I commented how it was 8:40 and they would be in time for the security to fix the safe. However, no one arrived and for the next 2 hours, they called the front desk every 15 minutes to no avail. So by 11:30 they left the room to enjoy the beach. The next day, I approached the desk (as our travel mates were too upset) and after what I would describe as an “apathetic attitude” from Alexander, the supervisor, I was able to get him to call the security to meet me in the room. Which they did. The next evening we had a huge downpour and our room was flooded (6343). So back to the front desk to speak with “Alexander” again (with the same attitude) and after they sent someone, we needed to change rooms, but we could not even move rooms until 3:00 pm. I wanted to be near our travel mates and suggested that they upgrade or compensate us for the inconvenience. NOPE. We were moved 4 blocks of rooms further away from the beach and travel mates, when we were promised we would be closer. This resort is BASIC, no frills resort. There is little attention to details, like rooms missing remotes, no coffee, coffee pot broken, no creamer, no toilet paper. We only saw people serving drinks around the pool or beach 3 times. The bars and restaurants are understaffed. There is no entertainment team going around inviting you to partake in activities. The Colonial side is very quiet…I mean really quiet. The Tropical at least had some music playing. The Beach side was much more active with music and activities. The food in the buffet was basic buffet food, some staff members would go out of their way, but most would not. There was a theme, but most items repeated. There is no coffee shop or Ice cream bar or any of the little extras we are used to. As for the A La Carte, we had absolutely no problem booking 4 dinners at 6 pm. However, on the Colonial side…men need to wear long pants and closed toe shoes. They sent our 80 year old friend away with formal shorts and closed toe shoes. On  the Tropical side, formal shorts are allowed and one of them is a “steak house” which we highly recommend as the Lamb and Beef Tenderloin was delicious. The Management on the Colonial needs to take the stick out of their ***. We ate at the Colonial side: Kyoto (where they sent an 80 year old away). We ate from the menu not the teppanyaki, The food was ok. The Tempura vegetables were way over cooked. The meal was fine. The deserts were lacking. Marenostrum  - sea food – it was again, only ok. Two meals of salmon, mine included, was actually cold. Desert we had the apple pie, it was ok. We ate at the Tropical side: Capri – Italian – I am Italian so I did not order pasta, however, ordering steak was a mistake. It was tough. Santa Fe – Steak house – The best meal we had. We all LOVED it. From the antipasto bar to the steak to the desert and outstanding service. We were not offered any meals at the Beach or Caribe side, but it would have been nice. The Mall is EXPENSIVE and only accepts Credit Cards, stick to the small markets, you can bargain with them. The Go Carts – only accepts credit cards also, this is a “Hotel” policy that is extremely annoying. The Beach was absolutely beautiful. The pools are nice but nothing fancy. The drinks are plentiful and if you ask, you can get “some” better brands of alcohol. I could not get the Beefeater Gin.  Don’t ask for lemonade, you will get bottled water. WEIRD. We got a good price on the trip and for that I am thankful as you get what you pay for. We only went here because we had already booked this hotel (beach side) through Air Transcrap and they cancelled our holiday one month before. We did not want to fly out of Toronto, so this was our only choice.

Planet Hollywood Adult Scene Cancun by Royalton: Beautiful resort

It is a beautiful hotel. Best to be Star Class to have access to all the areas. A little complicated with all the levels - adult, family, Star Class, not Star Class. The food is excellent and the beach is really lovely. White sand and lots of waves!

Barcelo Gran Faro Los Cabos: Friendly resort, excellent location

Spacious, comfortable resort on a beautiful beach. 30 min walk to lovely town of San Jose. Friendly staff - great, relaxing atmosphere. Rooms are fine. Food is not excellent, but is reasonable. Would recommend for all ages.

Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun: Enjoyed our holiday!,,

We were pleased with the resort. Food, and accommodation was great. Pool areas were good, though kids need a shallower pool.We asked for Antonio each morning at the breakfast buffet, he was excellent. As was Ignasio( not sure of spelling) serving us drinks in the outdoor pool area. We sat in the area he was serving each day.

Crown Paradise Golden: HELPFUL STAFF AND ALWAYS WITH A SMILE!

When we first arrived at the Crown Paradise Golden, we were a little disappointed. Our oceanfront room was in an older complex of the hotel. Although the view was great, the room itself wasn't what we expected. It was tired, the air conditioning wasn't working properly, and the tv was very snowy, also there were only 2 English stations, CNN and a movie station, that played the worst films ever! The following morning, my husband went to take a shower and the water was cold. He immediately we [... read more]nt to complain to the manager, Roman. Roman was fantastic! He showed us 2 modern rooms in a newer building and said we had our pick. These rooms were ocean view, not oceanfront, but we were very pleased with the room and we didn't plan on spending our day on our balcony anyway, so it wasn't a big deal for us. Roman also made restaurant reservations for us in each of the 6 restaurants at the resort. We still only had 2 tv stations, but the picture was clear and, most importantly, we had a huge shower with hot water. A couple of the restaurants were mediocre, but a couple of them were very good. Our favourites were Paradise resto (Mediterranean), and the French resto Sans Soucy. The Mexican and Japanese restos were pretty good but we didn't try the Italian Piazzo resto so we can't say anything about that one. Our first evening we had dinner at Salvador's resto, which was very bright, like someone's kitchen, and the steak we ordered was terrible. I left most of food on the plate and we never returned. I'm sure if you order chicken or fish it may be ok, but we were not impressed with this restaurant. Breakfast was always good at the buffet restaurant, lots of variety and fresh food, and the staff were great, always with a smile and continuously taking care of the guests. Francisco was my favourite at the buffet restaurant. He was a hard worker, always smiling and always there if you needed anything! He was great! The beach is long but a little hilly, so not the greatest if you like to take long walks on the beach. Some of the areas had quite big waves, but other parts were a little more calm. Most days at the beach were sunny and 30/31 degrees celcius, so it was very hot and humid. There are lots of vendors on the beach, but as soon as you say "no gracias", they move along and don't pressure. We all have to make a living and this is their way of supporting their families, so I really didn't mind this at all. As a matter of fact, we made friends with a few of them and they'd pass by everyday just to say hello and we always had a laugh with them. On a final note, I have to say I love the Mexican people in Puerto Vallarta! Most are warm, friendly and very helpful! There are so many beautiful places to visit in this world, but I would return to Puerto Vallarta some day! Buenos dias y gracias to all our Mexican friends we met while staying at the Crown Paradise Golden!

Haven Riviera Cancun: Great Adults only resort

Upon arrival(230pm) to the resort we got checked in immediately. We did over hear some other guests having to wait until 3pm for check in. Bell services walked us up to our suite in bldg 3. Elevator was not working but we got to use the staff elevator. Room was ultra spacious, clean and we made use of the hot tub the few nights we were there. There is Bluetooth in the washrooms for those that get ready with music. Quiet pool was not crowded, there were even spots available early afternoon. [... read more] You could faintly hear the dj at the main pool. Beach was okay. Sand is nice. There is drinks service on the beach. Water was only murky with sand. No Seaweed. Food was pretty good. Buffet is not the top choice but alacarte made up for it. Drinks were not consistent. I always asked for doubles poolside but really got tipsy when I got a double at the buffet. Our airport shuttle arrived at 6:50 am and when we left for the lobby at 6:30 am we were super surprised that there were ZERO lights to guide us to the lobby. Basically got there by moonlight. scary because A. Animals B. There were a lot of glass panels missing on the inclined walkway with, at least 20ft drop. Overall, I would recommend and I would go back on a deal. Service staff were very nice throughout.

Flamingo Vallarta: FLAMINGO VALLARTA MARINA

A little gem. Although the restaurant only has a buffet, taste and quality was great. Location in the Marina area also offers pubs and restaurants for variety. The Thursday night travelling market throughout the Marina (2km or more of vendors) offers a great selection of items which are unique to the standard items found in the Malecón markets.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Not the greatest

We were there for 10 nights. The first night we got there no rep present or let us know about orientation. The food was always cold and not 24 hour snack only 24 drinks unless you pay $8 usd for food. Rooms needed fixing some had major water damage. Washrooms always smelt like sewage issue. This wasn't the resort I enjoyed and never go again.

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Excellent vacation

Great service, great staff, great food, clean rooms, lots to do. The shuttle service between resorts is usually pretty quick and convenient. You will need to wait a little bit longer during peak times... Dinner and evening entertainment... But you expect that because everyone is trying to move around at the same time. Beach is great but bring water shoes as the water is very rocky. But again as long as you know in advance you can be prepared. I will definitely stay here again. Tip... Downlo [... read more]ad the app and sign up for the rewards program in advance. Having the app allows you to check in about a week prior to arrival which means you can prebook your dinners and not have to wait until you get there.

Planet Hollywood Cancun by Royalton: It’s good… but not impressed

The hotel is ok. The staff are amazing. They work so hard to create a vacation for you. Lots of things are hit and miss. Buffet food are ok. The restaurants are ok. But we had one great night at Catch! Miguel knocked it out the park!?The music at night was insanely loud. Your restful vacay is def not happening. You’re up every night till 2 or 3AM hearing lousy music. One night they were playing an actual horn playing Mexican music till 3 AM. The need to re route live music on the resort. Fami [... read more]lies with small children good luck putting them to bed. The resort has master switch for your balcony light that’s like a prison light keeps you up at night. The drapes couldn’t block them out. The first few nights they weren’t on till a few day in they appear. The resort has one coffee shop never a quick stop to have a coffee. Always a que My room was not cleaned for 4 days. They couldn’t get our room till after 5 PM. It’s not the house keeping fault it’s probably management need to innovate different strategy. If someone is behind move staff like a chess board. I’ve worked in the hospitality industry for over twenty years in resorts from Whistler, BC to Kanata,ON. The only reason I recommend this resort is how amazing the staff is. They’re kind and thoughtful. I really enjoyed engaging with them. They love their jobs and the hospitality industry had a huge hit from Covid. They proved to be the hit of the trip.

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Amazing resort!

The resort is beautiful. So well maintained and well kept. Staff keep it so clean. The staff provide amazing service. The people are friendly. Being able to use the other resort amenities is great. The food is top notch! This is our second visit and we will be back again. Thanks so Susan Snider for her help. As always, she is amazing!!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Good value

This was our 3rd time going to this area of mexico. We were overall happy with our trip. To start off, its not too far from the airport so we were not all day getting there. Check in was fast and easy. The room was big, clean with a nice bathroom and fridge was well stocked with water, beer and pop. The pools were nice, however our biggest complaint was that there were not enough loungers by the pools or beach. Many of them were in bad shap and they could have used double the amout. You had to  [... read more]get up early and clain them if you wanted something to lay on and we even witnessed a few altercations over people stealing other peoples chairs. The beach was the nicest of the 3 resorts we have been to, but that is not saying much as the first 2 were really not very good. The one nice thing here was the Cenote that was a 15 minute walk from the resort. Its a must to check out. As for the food, the buffets were clwan but the food was average at best. Very repetitive for all 3 meals and usually not overly warm. The a la cart restaurants were very goof, the Steakhouse was our favorite. This resort was overall decent enough for what we paid. We are not very fussy people and we go on vacation to get away from work, life and the cold, so as long as the sun is shinning we can overlook minor things.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Verg Good resort

Amazing resort. The entertainment was amazing. The food was delicious. The beach was nice ans the weather was perfect. The hotel staff were very nice and helpful. Good value for money. Needs some renovation though.

Las Brisas Huatulco: Nice

Nice resort just to many stairs for us a really lot. Beaches were small but ok for swimming food was good not to warm at buffet restaurants were good but didn’t like Mexican much. Shuttle ran very frequently and only from room to restaurant or lobby drop off point nothing between. Would not go back because of stairs