Tukan Hotel Playa Del Carmen: A normal hotel for its price, but very noisy

Pluses: 1. The hotel is located close to the beach(walk for about 10 minutes) and fifth avenue 2. They cleaned the room almost every day Cons: 1. Very loud music plays until 2 am and on weekends until 4 am. In general, it is impossible to fall asleep because of it 2. The neighboring room was being renovated when I stayed there, so the renovation noise started at 8-9 in the morning and continued until the evening. But that's just my experience. I think the noise was not heard in other rooms [... read more] 3. Very small selection of dishes and they are not very tasty 4. A rather small pool, in which there was always cold water and it stank of chlorine

Riu Emerald Bay: Amazing resort

Stayed at RIU for the first time, haven't been to a better place ever. Great service both room and hotel in general, clean pools, nice bars with entertaining bartenders, huge variety of delicious food, everything was on point. 5 stars, hands down!

Sandos Cancun: Not a four diamond hotel or Five Star

Main Buffet was average , no cheese offering , limited meal selection , breakfast was good. Restaurants that required reservations had small servings and quality low. Rooms were clean , room service was cafeteria quality

Catalonia Royal Tulum: Pretty, Unique Adults Only Property

The arrival transfer: this was the biggest letdown. They had a van that seated 8 people plus the driver, and they put 8 people plus the driver in it. They originally tried to put my partner and I upfront and I was too tall to fit without my legs being smushed against the gear shift and dashboard. Eventually another couple with a shorter woman offered to sit up front, and afterwards even she said that it was tight for her. She was about 5'2". Anyways, we got there in one piece. We had a direc [... read more]t transfer from the airport to our hotel, which was nice. It took about an hour and 10 minutes from the airport. I informed the Transat rep the next day, as it was definitely a safety concern. Our transfer back had no issues fitting everyone in, though it was still full. On the resort: A very beautiful and unique small property! The checkin was friendly and efficient, our room was ready when we arrived around 2pm. Originally they offered us a room on the ground floor, but we prefer an upper floor room and they were able to accommodate us. We were offered the Privilege upgrade at checkin for 30 USD (per person per night) for a minimum of three nights and we chose not to take it. The only nice thing about it would have been access to 24 hour food for us to make it worthwhile. We were in room 2205, a Premium room, which was nicely appointed. The amenities in the room included a mini fridge (water, soda and beer), snacks (chips, oreos and nuts), toiletries, as well as refillable shampoo and body wash. The bed was nice and comfy. Showers were nice with lots of hot water, and there was a rainfall shower head and a handheld shower head, both with separate taps. The towels, hand towels, and face cloths provided were in good condition and nice and fluffy. They will only change the towels and sheets if you indicate you'd like them changed, which saves on energy and water waste. Our beach towel was in the room on arrival. There is no towel exchange by the beach, you will have to have the towel exchanged at the end of the day for a fresh one as the cart comes by your room (assuming you are, indeed, in your room when they come around offering to exchange towels). The stone pathway from the lobby to the beach area is a little uneven and there are no elevators in the room blocks, which could make it a difficult resort for those with mobility issues (or if you've had one too may cocktails or even if you're just wearing flip-flops). The pool is on the smaller side, and finding consistent shade throughout the day can be a bit of a chore. Some of the umbrellas needed to be replaced. There's no umbrellas or palapas on the beach, only palms. There's better shade everywhere in the afternoon. We are not sun-tanners and found that we had to move around rather frequently to avoid being in full sun. The pool can be quite loud during they day (music, entertainment, other guests). There's lot of daytime activities to participate in. The beach is absolutely beautiful, soft white sand and gorgeous clear water. We did not have any issues with seaweed while we were there. There does seem to be more smoking than I expected on a resort in a country where smoking in public areas is now prohibited. People also smoked on their balconies, which was a shame. The clientele was largely European, though there were a fair number of Americans and fellow Canadians as well. The entertainment staff spoke in Spanish, Italian and English during the daytime games/activities and during the evening entertainment. The buffet is small, but has a lot of variety. We had no issues ever finding anything to eat, but during peak times (ie. breakfast) you would sometimes have to wait for a table. The buffet is open for breakfast and lunch only, except Saturdays for the Mexican buffet evening. The a la cartes are by reservation online (you're given access to the website on check-in). The Terrace was the most popular due to the ambiance. The vegetarian meatballs there were very tasty! Portions at the a la cartes are small, especially at the Italian. The Mexican was interesting, more of an 'elevated" style of Mexican with unique taste combinations. The food in the a la cartes were good. Rauxa has a dinner and circus show, but we did not eat there. We also didn't try the grill, as we were only there 5 nights. The BLoved is exclusive to Privilege guests and it's the only 24 hour restaurant. If people like larger meals/a snack before bed it might be prudent to book an early seating at one restaurant and a late seating at the tapas or even Rauxa. There is early entertainment in the lobby at 7:30 pm. We found that it was limited and only for an hour or so, and it was a lot of musicians who sort of walk from table to table to play requests. There was one gentleman who set up on the little stage and actually played music, he was a big hit. The evening shows (that we saw) were good but they don't start until 9:45pm and there's no actual stage, so it could be hard to see sometimes. The Mexican night had fun games and a mechanical bull. There was karaoke one night as well. This is not a party resort by any means, but the pool bar (not the swim up) is open until 2am and the entertainment staff work really hard to make sure everyone is having a fun time. There are lots of animals onsite. Highly suggest that you do not keep snacks in your bags while you're at the pool, as the coatis will steal whole bags and run off. People were unfortunately feeding the animals, which encourages this behaviour. If you don't want the animals in your bags while you're at the pool, keep the snacks in your rooms. Also ensure that your room sliding door is closed and locked. We opened a bag of nuts while the screen door was open, and we looked out and had a small flock of birds and a coati ready to join us for a snack. Some people complained that coatis had entered their rooms. If you have an early morning transfer, lights in the hallways and stairwells are still off, making it difficult to see which could be dangerous. No food was open before 7am, but there was coffee and croissants in the lobby. All the staff that we interacted with were amazing! They have really great people working here, from the front desk, the bar tenders, the waiters, and the entertainment staff. 10/10 for the staff. :) All in all, we enjoyed our stay and would consider returning. We've never returned to the same hotel twice, so that's saying something. :) We booked one excursion through the Transat Rep. We had booked a full day Tulum/Coba combo tour, but on the day of we were unable to travel to Tulum due to a road closure for the forthcoming "Mayan Train" (they say it will be open "soon" lol). We went to see Muyil instead which was actually more interesting as they are still in the process of doing excavations. We only had 45 minutes at Coba by the time we got through the entrance, making renting a bike or cycle taxi necessary to see the large site...it's not super expensive (5 dollars for a bike, 7 dollars for a cycle taxi). The food at the included Mayan Village was not great at all (I've been on maybe 4 similar excursions in the Mayan Riviera and this was by far the worst) and the cenote was underwhelming. It looked like it was a newer establishment, and they gave us an hour and a half (!!) there which seemed like way too much time. We would have preferred an extra half hour at Coba. The tourist tax: we did pay it at the airport while leaving and saw that some folks had paid it before arriving. However: no one asked to see proof of it, and my understanding is that it's not enforced at all. I'm sure lots of people didn't bother paying, but this may be changing in the future.

Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Good resort

The resort itself was good. Check-in was fast. The weather wasn't the best. It rained for a few days. The beach was rocky and you can't use it. We ended up going to their sister resort which is 15 minutes away to use their beach. The taxi for 5 people was $47 USD. The food was good, it could have been better but we are not picky. The Italian restaurant served us cold food. The Japanese one was good. I enjoyed all the animals around us. The room didn't have enough sun on the balcony and our cloth [... read more]es needed 2-3 days to dry. It was humidity and even the clothes in my luggage were damp.

Riu Dunamar: Good hotel

You won’t regret staying at this hotel. No problems What made me crazy was how many people didn’t tip the very hard workers at this resort, you would not walk out of a restaurant at home with our tipping. If you can afford to go to this resort you should be tipping.

Royalton CHIC Cancun: Fabulous resort

Everything from beginning to end was great Loved the grounds ,room and staff went above & beyond. We would definitely return to Chic Punta Cana We have referred this hotel to many of our family members and friends

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Beautiful resort!!!

The hotel is huge, beautiful and clean. Since we were able to go to the other three resorts, there are lots of walking to do and to visit. The public areas were nice and clean. Rooms were average but clean. No issues with the AC. They should put more shelving inside the big dresser, that holds the TV, to get more storage for the clothes. My only issue was with the access cards to get in the room, they stopped working after a day. Twice we got locked outside our room and needed to go to  [... read more]the front desk to get the access cards re-magnetised. We finally got one access card to work but the second card worked for only half a day. We gave up on trying to get both to work and managed to use only one access card for the rest of our trip. Apparently they went with a new company for the access cards and they easily get demagnetised. They told me to keep them away from electronics aka cellular phone?! Weird but it did not work since one card stopped working and we kept it away from our electronics. The buffet style restaurant was nice and clean. Lots of food and good variety. The a la carte restaurants were good and the food was great. You might have to walk quite a distance to get to them because they are spread through out the four resorts. You should book them first thing after you are done unpacking and have your room number. The food at the restaurant at the beach was good. The lineup for the burgers were interfering with the lineup to get other food which was annoying and frustrating at times. The beach is beautiful but very small grain of sand. You will get sand blasted when it is very windy. Lots of palm trees for shade. Enough lounge chairs for everyone. If you want a good location on the beach, you will need to go place your towels on the lounge chairs before 8am. Strongly recommend to wear water shoes when going in the ocean because there are too many big rocks on the ocean floor and very spread out. The water is murky and you don't see them. The swimming pool are large and enough lounge chairs for everyone. We went swimming with the dolphins, it was awesome and it is located on the resort so didn't need any kind of transportation to get there. The drinks were good but I wish they had a menu to tell us what they were offering. The beer must have been watered down because it didn't have an effect on me after drinking so much of it. I will definitely go back in the future. Probably try the adult only resort located at the same place.

Riu Flamingos: great resort

This is my third stay at Riu Jalisco and it remains consistently good. I do think the rooms are starting to show their age a bit and would benefit from some updating. A la carte restaurants are not truly a la carte but rather a hybrid between buffet and a la carte. Pool areas are great. Beach is great.

Friendly Fun Vallarta: Nice resort clean

Food was good beach was great Hotel was older but staff kept it clean Would go back again ......................................................................................... ..................

Occidental Nuevo Vallarta: Very Good Resort

Firstly, This was my wife and my selfs 29th time to PV and have been to about 15 different all inclusives there, as well as about 10 other carribean destination all inclusives. We were there 2 weeks ,Dec 6 to 20th. Not a very busy time in my opinion ( just before the xmas rush) Things were just starting to get busier when we left. Great Resort if your not a terribly picky person! Buffets were very good ( as good as a buffet can be at an all inclusive ). . Rooms all getting a little rough around [... read more] the edges. Very disappointed in the fact that most rooms dont have balconies and that the rooms are a little small, but on the plus side it forced us to get up and get out of the room early and enjoy the day more. Also allowed us to get a lounger by being out early(7-8am) if it wasnt for that your wandering around aimlessly looking for a place to sit down. I complained to the concierge and she said it has always been a problem!! I told her that there is two very simple solutions... 1. GET MORE CHAIRS! There is plenty of room on the pool deck and beach to place more chairs. I cant imagine the situation in high season! 2. - enforce their own rules for not saving the chairs for so long. I saw no staff ever take a towel off a chair even after chairs sitting all day ( 8hrs) with no one using them and other people with no place to sit. The buffet in the morning was a little slow getting a server to bring you coffee or water but not a huge deal. Coffee station in the lobby was a huge plus for us! Those were my only complaints. Everything else was great! Great service. The bartenders are very friendly and quick to get you a drink. At every bar! Servers are very attentive , especially being there 2 weeks, they would bring us our "usual " without even asking. Canned beer everywhere and not draft was a huge bonus , and surprise , for me. Doesnt matter how good the draft is when its served in those detergent smelling plastic cups. Also bottled water was always available every where. My wife only drinks champagne and red wine and both were very pleasing to her and she is kind of fussy! But the highlight of our stay was the Italian A la carte restaurant. Amazing meals!!!! Our server Juan was probably the best waiter we have ever had at any restaurant in our lives!! We were fortunate enough to get in 3 times and each meal was better than the last. Cant say enough good things. I would definitely recommend this resort.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Great resort

All bases well covered! Absolutely gorgeous compound, beach, restaurant, pools, food, rooms, service. You in the middle of all attractions and parks. Perfect experience will come back for sure!……………….

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Great resort, had a blast

This hotel is very good, food was excellent at the buffet and snack bar. I didn't try the a la carte restaurants. The staff care about their jobs and making guests happy. The resort and my room were very clean. One negative was there was not enough chairs at the smaller pool. The ones that were there were always reserved since very early in the morning with towels and hardly anyone ever using them. The concrete loungers in the pool were usually mostly taken but I could always find one when I wan [... read more]ted one. I wish the staff monitored the smaller pool and reserving chairs was not allowed. You should also be aware that this is a REALLY big resort. There are 8 buildings of rooms spread between the ocean and into the property. I was in building 7 and it took about 25 minutes to walk from my room to the beach and main pool. There are golf carts that regularly drive around to help people get around but sometimes they are full and infrequent. Overall I am very very happy with my stay and with the resort in general, I just know I prefer smaller resorts now because I'm not a big walker.

Royalton Hideaway Riviera Cancun: 3rd time in this resort

Still a nice resort, especially I caught it at a good price. Last time was a year ago in Dec/2022. Dorado is still our fav restaurant. Most aspects were pretty much the same, except our mini fridge wasn't replenished. I had to call everyday. Even after I complained at Hideaway guest services and was told it will for sure be filled everyday, it still wasn't. We gave up and just got bottles of water from the lounge to being back to our room. And there was a day when our room wasn't made up [... read more] at all and we'd have to call to have it serviced while we went for dinner. We've never had so much problem with mini fridge before, Hideaway or other resorts. That part was very disappointing. But we still enjoyed ourselves.

Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: Amazing resort!!

The grounds and rooms were very clean with so many amenities and activities! The food was delicious with so much variety! The staff is welcoming and very attentive. We would highly recommend this resort to anyone.

Royalton Hideaway Riviera Cancun: An Excellent Resort But..... Adults-only Diamond Review

Full disclosure, I had what may have been the nicest room at the resort if one was looking for beachfront, swim-up serenity. The room was large and comfortable. The view to the ocean was 10/10. The room was kept clean and stocked and the entertainment system was adequate (despite only working 2/3 of the time). I was in 1105. BUT! Despite being adults-only Diamond, you really need to access the entire resort, making only the time in your room really that elevated experience. 90% of servi [... read more]ces are in the large, family friendly and NOT serene part of the resort. Restaurant dining only had one option in the adults-only diamond club area (and it was excellent). So this is not truly an adults-only diamond club experience, in case that's what you are used to at other high-end resorts. Last point: the diamond club lounge in the adults-only is like a rec room, including very uncomfortable furniture, funky smell, a well stocked but awkward to use bar- not something I could see anyone wanting to use besides for check-in/out and problem-solving. I would return if the price was right, and especially to room 1105. I never did figure out how butler service was really very helpful at all.

Flamingo Cancun Resort: Good time

Family trip to Mexico Christmas themed lobby Great food Nice sun Nice ocean Nice staff Hardworking housekeepers Able to use other nearby Bahia hotels Markets on site with vendors Water in room fridge daily

Riu Flamingos: Good resort

Garden and beach location is nice.Had a good time on beach. Foam party in pool was amazing so much fun.Nightly entertainment was really good. Variety of entertainment program.Al carte needs improvement. It is not Al carte it is buffet style. Same menu each day .Really disappointed.

Flamingo Vallarta: Average

Rooms need maintenance! Chamber maid wasn’t the best.We went in after she was done. We were greeted by a clump of hair(not mine) also in the bathroom wasn’t clean.I would check in on your chambermaids.I have worked in this field. Keep them on their toes. The kitchen staff plus bar staff. They were amazing! It made our visit memorable.

Excellence Playa Mujeres: Amazing Solo Trip

Loved the suite! Awesome food and amazing staff. Just be aware if you are a smoker it can be an issue in Mexico ...maybe quit before you go. Support from Trip Central and communication was awesome....no complaints and only good things to say.