Catalonia Riviera Maya: Family Vacation

We stayed in a 1 bedroom suite, spacious with everything we needed and a very nice big bathroom. The large balcony with outdoor tub was great! We liked all the pools, nice to be able to sit in different areas of the resort throughout our stay. We found the service and food good value for what we paid, especially the 'privilege' perks. Beach is small but nice, lots of fish that were easy to see even without snorkels. The staff in the kids club were great.

Platinum Yucatan Princess: Awesome time!

The platinum side of this resort was pretty awesome. I've been to the grand sunset and the riviera and now the Platinum. This was just a touch above the others. Booked a swim up room which was very unique and lots of fun. Not too noisy but not too quite. Great time overall!

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Beautiful!

If you love nature and all it has to offer, this resort is for you. We spent hours and hours just walking on the trails at the resort and at the park. The rooms are beautiful, the pools are great, the adult section with the natural pool is awesome! Superb meals all around. Will definitely return.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Quite a Fun Resort

This Hotel has it all mostly. Great service and staff and good food. Good choice of restaurants although the Mexican bfast and lunch is not open on a regular basis. the Japanese restaurant is quite popular and people wait in long lines to book a dinner time. There is good entertainment, teen room, tennis and batting courts. The rooms are quite spacious and one big benefit is no mosquitoes when we were there. There are a good number of swimming pools. I love that there is guy who makes crepes n [... read more]ear one of the pools for a good part of the day. The beach side restaurant is also pretty good. My only point about the resort which is quite long and has a shuttle service too is the Beach. There are a lot of small rocks and when the waves come in, they really hurt and hit hard which can be quite painful. My advice would be to dredge the beach area to ensure there is soft sand only instead of the small pebbles and rocks that keep making it very inconvenient to walk around.

Ocean Maya Royale: Consistent

We have been here three times in the last 18 months. Food and drinks are great. The only thing better is the staff. The 4 restaurants and buffet will not leave you wanting. The beach is clean and seaweed free most days. Will return again.

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Great resort, amazing service!

We stayed at VIM from January 2-9 2020. A This was our first visit to Mexico, but we have been to Cuba many times, the Dominican twice and Antigua a couple of times. We are a married couple in our mid 30’s. The age range here is vast. No certain age range seemed to dominate. There were young, old and everyone in between. We booked a deluxe junior suite but we were put in a silver in building 1. The room was nice and big, updated, built in bluetooth speakers, separate toilet area a rainfall [... read more] shower, and a separate jetted tub. There is only a thin curtain that you can see through separating the bathroom from the bedroom area. This wasn’t a problem for us. The grounds are stunning and amazingly well kept. Absolutely love the “jungle” feel of this resort. The main pool is HUGE. The towel game is the same here as anywhere. I was usually up around 8am and there was always lots of chairs to choose from at the pool (sun or shade). 2 mornings they did come around and take all of the towels off of the saved chairs though. The beach was beautiful. White sand, turquoise water. It was rough most days because it was quite windy. But the waves were fun. There was zero seaweed. Even without seaweed, a tractor still cane every morning and groomed the sand. Excellent beach volleyball court on the beach (although the net is a bit high, likely to prevent spiking). The service here is what really stands out. It doesn’t matter what room type you are in or if you tip or not, the service here is amazing. There are no “2nd class citizens”. The waiters/waitresses are constantly walking by asking you if you want drinks at the pool and at the beach. At the restaurants, I always had a fresh drink before mine was empty and they were very attentive to us. The food was really good. We ate at Taman Sari (Indonesian), Ginger (Japanese), L’Alsace (French) and L’Olivio (Italian) and La Havienda (Mexican). Our favourites were the Indonesian and Japanese. Italian and Mexican were also really good. The French was good, but not stand out. I would skip the buffet they have with the show. We did not enjoy it very much. For lunch we had the buffet but were not too impressed. We loved the food they had at the main pool every day. The tacos are incredible!! The main pool is basically split into 2 sides - the quiet side and the party side. We opted for the party side - music playing, activities going on, lots of people at the swim up bar having a great time!! I usually opt for the beach, but loved this pool. Always something to do. There is also the small silver pool and the golden pool (lazy river) that are both VERY quiet if you want total relaxation. The GO team was awesome. Loved playing Beach volleyball twice a day!! They would leave us the ball so that we could keep playing passed the allotted time. They were always walking around getting people to participate and announcing the activities at the main pool. A shout out to Memo and Jesus!!! The nightlife here is good. There is usually live music in the square before the show and also after the show. The imperial band is really good. We only saw a couple shows - they were ok. The Michael Jackson show was fantastic and I highly recommend not missing it. The resort was close to capacity, yet it never felt crowded or busy during the day or at night. Don Miguel’s was great for a before and after dinner drink. Some very cool drinks are made here. The martini bar outside the lobby was also good. The sports bar had playoff football on and it was packed. An excellent atmosphere for the games for sure!!! The one negative that stands out is the Coffee. It needs improvement. There are besides so machines in every room and in the lobby, but the coffee isn’t great. Cappuccino from the martini bar in the morning was good, especially with a shot of 1921 in it. But we love our morning coffee and were a bit sissPoibted by it. I hope that they seriously consider adding a coffee shop to this resort, that would make it perfect!! There are too many amazing things about this resort to let the sub par coffee bother us though. A lot of people we talked to that have been to Mexico multiple times said this is their favourite resort. This was our first trip to Mexico and would absolutely return to the awesome resort.

The Sens Riviera: Great Resort

Grounds well maintained. Rooms were nice, staff super helpful and friendly. Food was nice. Should have kept lobby bar open after 11pm. Could use more entertainment. Beach was nice and clean for swimming with young children.

Barcelo Maya Grand Resort: Amazing resort.

I just got back from Barcelo Maya resort and we have no complaints at all. We originally booked into the Tropical where we had 1 regular Junior Suite and 1 premium level oceanfront junior suite. The older kids (18 and 15) were in the regular room and my wife and I in the premium room. No issues with the transfer from the airport. Got to hotel and they ended up upgrading us to the Caribe. At least it was more expensive to go there when I was looking to book which was over New Years Eve. We d [... read more]idn't mind. The process of checking in does take a little while but the workers there are pleasant if you are pleasant back. No need to get all worked up about having to wait a little. Your on vacation after all. Got to the room. It was really really nice. Very clean and no damage. We were very happy with it. The premium oceanfront looked over the pool and we loved the room. The regular room looked over the gardens and it was serene and peaceful. No complaints and we would for sure book again at the Caribe. Half way through the vacation we were informed that we had to move rooms due to a maintenance issue in the building. They put us into the Palace in an oceanfront premium junior suite. The whole move process took about 2 hours however it rained during that time so it wasn't so bad. It didn't rain the entire vacation except for that two hour window. Think most people would be put off and not happy with having to pack up and move rooms half way through but we saw it as an opportunity to see another part of the resort. Plus it was an upgrade. The palace is way more expensive than the tropical or caribe. The room at the palace was also very nice. Clean and right on the oceanfront next to the Palace. If I was comparing the Caribe Premium Oceanfront to the Palace Premium Oceanfront I would say the Caribe was not any less quality but it cost a lot less. I would also say the Caribe bed was more comfortable. However there ware some perks that you get with the palace that you don't get with the Caribe such as access to all the resorts and all the restaurants. One of our favourite things to do was to pool hop from one end of the resort to the other. You could, for the most part start in the pool at the Palace and walk all the way to the end of the Riveria in a pool almost the entire time. You have to get out of one pool and into another but the longest walk was maybe 50 meters. Some only about 10 feet. The other great thing was there was a pool bar in all the pools so you were never not with a drink in hand. Keep in mind that this is only possible if you are staying at the Riveria or Palace with the special bracelet. We did this almost every day and it was a lot of fun. Better than walking on the beach which was rocky and was not good to walk on at certain points. There are some great parts of the beach that are nice soft sand but the whole resort is not that. There is also a wonderful beachfront path the runs along the entire resort that many people walk on and jog on in the mornings. Very easy to get from one end of the resort to the other and still be at the ocean with the beautiful views. The difference between the Caribe, Beach and Tropical was minimal at best. In my mind they are all good and all are a little different in their own unique way. The Riveria is brand new and although we didn't go inside the resort the outside is modern and sleek. The pools are awesome infinity pools and the oceanfront room views are amazing. I'm planning on going back to the Riveria in April that's how cool it looked. As far as the other amenities go. The Fitness facility is amazing. Huge and centrally located. For a resort this was top notch. The sports bar was very good too. We watched college bowl games and NFL playoff games there and the staff were accommodating. The food there is typical bar food. Chicken wings, Nachos, Hamburgers and Hotdogs. Hit the spot when you were watching the big game. My only critique of the sports bar is that the pool tables should have some TV's near by them so you can watch the game while playing pool. They are isolated in the back behind a wall all on their own. Also there should be some kind of sign up list or waiting list for the pool tables. There are three of them and you can purchase 30 min or 60 min of time to play however when it gets busy at night the staff aren't monitoring how long people are out there for so they had no idea when the next one would come open. With a resort this size and this many people those three pool tables fill up quick at night and they need a better system to monitor the time of play. (and put TV's back there). All the restaurants were very good. No complaints at all about the food, lots of variety and was very delicious. The waiters were always pleasant and nice. We did not experience even one person that wasn't nice or didn't have a smile for you when you said hola to them. If you are nice to them they will 100% be nice back. We didn't do the Ventura sky fly park but it looked really cool and we will do it when we go back. Also the Dressel divers we want to try out when we go back. The snorkelling right off the beach was decent. Not a lot of coral and most of it is dead however we did see lots of fish and three sea turtles and a sting ray right from the beach which was cool. I've been to almost every carribean island and lots of resorts. Overall this was a very good, safe and clean resort. I would absolutely recommend this resort to people without hesitation both adults and families with kids. Note that it is a very large resort and the easiest way to get around is to walk, however, there is lots of walking. If you aren't that mobile or don't want walk a ton then you can take the free shuttle through the resort. We did it once and it was good however we liked to walk to burn off all the awesome food we ate so we walked mostly. The grounds were meticulously kept. Workers were painting, pruning, cutting and clearing the entire day. I was very very impressed on how well the resort was kept up.

Paradisus La Perla Adults Only Riviera Maya: Nickle and dimming resort - Paradisus La Perla

A heads up - Paradisus Junior Suite means the following: first floor, facing the garden which in reality a concrete wall with some wild short vegetation in front of it. the worst part, on the other side of the concrete wall is the parking lot. Also, after paying over $4,000 for 7 day stay, we cannot get a coffee machine in our room as only the prestige level get one of those in their suite. The resort workers keep pushing room service for all your needs as it cost $5 USD for each delivery. [... read more] The adult side is so quite, boring, they only offer aquafitness at noon and dance class at 4 pm.

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: Wonderful family vacation!

We had a lovely week vacation at the Fives. Travelling with a 7 year old and a baby is not easy, but the hotel made it virtually seamless. Between the baby amenities (crib, high chair, bottle sterilizer, stroller etc), the kids clubs, the great pools and beach, good food and the friendly staff, we really enjoyed our stay. We would definitely recommend it to those travelling with families.

Platinum Yucatan Princess: Fantastic resort

The resort was beautiful. People were all very friendly. Entertainment was fantastic and excursions were absolutely amazing. The food was a little bland but plenty of it. If you went hungry it was your own fault. I didn't find there was enough seating at the pools or the beach. You can not swim at the beach without swimming shoes as there are several rocks. We had a fantastic time.

Barcelo Maya Caribe: Nice vacation

It was the third time we went to Barcelo, Riviera Maya The rooms are clean, the AC is great, the staff is helpful and working hard. It is humid climate and the bugs are thriving . They use DTT to disinsect. DTT is toxic and not used in Canada but they use it in Mexico and Dominican Republic. This time they used a lot in our room and took a day to clear out the smell. In spite of this, there ere small bugs 🐜 in the bathroom. The smell of bathroom was coming into the room from time to time es [... read more]pecially during the night. Also, the food is not as good as used to be. There is a lot of food but the chefs are not great. Besides this, the beach is great, people are very nice and helpful. Overall, it is a good hotel. The best is the gym. One of the best I have seen. Also, the outdoor activities are great and keep you motivated. There is not a perfect resort, but is worth for money.

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: Amazing time

We had an amazing vacation and wish we did not have to come back. The hotel, food and rooms where just amazing. Can’t wait to book our next vacation with Michelle for my 40th this year. Michelle went above and beyond as your agent.

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: Something for everyone

Something for kids, teens and adults. From kids club, aqua fit, volleyball, and sun loving... Plus an adult only pool for a more mature vibe when desired. Food for every preference, lots of gluten free options. Staff was friendly and competent. Cleanliness was top notch. 2 bedroom condo we stayed in had space for everyone. Highly recommend.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Barceló Mayan Riviera

The Hotel and grounds were very well kept. The only surprise we had was that the alcoholic beverages were not served until noon. We were told that it is a new law that was put in place by the Mexican government I would have liked to be informed of this before I booked. At 11:00 when the sun is out it would have been nice to have one of the specialty drinks. I had gone to the Bavero the previous year in the Dominican and was expecting the same experience.

Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Was ok

got back jan 7 2020. To me this would be an amazing place to spend a day. I would book the sandos playacar and then visit the caracol for a day. Do your research before you book, they are very different resorts and this one is the caracol is clearly the lesser of the 2. We visited the sandos playacar on day 4 and spent the last 3 days over there by taking a taxi everyday ($20 one way and 15 min drive). You have full access to either resort between 10am and 11pm. But it’s a bit of a pai [... read more]n to do that. Playacar seemed more organized, had more amenities, cleaner, much better service, a shuttle ran every 5 mins and will take you around the resort, a proper- decent lunch spot at the beach, a burrito bar, cupcake cafe an awesome teen club with video games, ping pong, foosball and the adult area looked amazing and clean! An amazing theatre spot, and one of the nicest beaches I’ve ever seen And so close to playa del Carmen. i think sandos resorts spend the majority of their money staffing and making the playacar a better place. people seemed happier here And although it was fully booked it didn’t seem too crowded. At the caracol, The resort grounds are Really nice Carved out of the jungle with lots of cool things to see. but everything is so covered and sheltered it is hard to find the sun. Swimming in the Cenote was really nice and refreshing and the rivers are really nice. The water park was a lot of fun - good for everyone but how much time are you gonna spend at a water park. The pool was pretty crowded And small the for size of the resort but otherwise ok. Can’t really see the ocean from the pool area and it was very difficult to find a damn chair! The beach was ok but you can’t really swim in the ocean because of the rocks. If you walk about 5 mins to the left there is a nicer beach at the azul resort. We went there for the beach everyday and then fell in love with the playacar. the entertainment Team was non existent. I think they spend all day in the kids club (which actually looked really nice) and make an appearance to the general public now and again For a quick game or something. The restaurants Food was ok but most are first come first serve. The buffet was terrible with so few options and we were joking that if you were vegetarian or vegan forget it! Most people were fighting over the Limited And not great pizza cause everything else was mediocre at best. They are clearly understaffed at the restaurants and it shows in food quality and availablility. We heard many people with the same complaints. Food sucks, long lineups, beach sucks, employees waay overworked This resort did not have enough staff or amenities for the amount of people to be comfortable. If you do go here know their downfalls and make the best of it!

Barcelo Maya Grand Resort: One of my favorite Places to stay!

If you are looking for an all inclusive resort that has it all look no further! The pools are gigantic and the beach is beautiful. I just returned from the resort after taking my 14 year old twins. This was their first trip away and were blown away with the experience. Their only complaint was that the cheesecake tasted like cheese and not sweet like we are used to. We enjoyed the Buffets and did not find the need to go to any a la carte restaurants. One thing to note is that the pool  [... read more]bars do not start serving alcohol until noon but the beach restaurants start serving at 11 am. I also recommend finding the towel place on your first day as people claim their beach and pool chairs early. I would have rated this 5 stars but I found that the level of service has dropped since the last time I was here. I found there to be less servers around the pool/beach and in the buffet. It is over an hour bus ride from the Cancun airport to the resort. Worth it once you are there but makes a long travel day. I will definitely be back!

Iberostar Selection Paraiso Lindo: A very nice resort hotel.

I found the hotel to be very nice in all aspects. The staff were great, the grounds well maintained, food was good, we were attended to quite well. I can sum it up as I would go there again, which is a testament to itself. The only small, and not worth requesting a change with, was, we though we had a pool view room, and were given a different room, overlooking another part of the hotel. So little time was spent in the room outside of sleeping, it was really not an issue. The room was clea [... read more]n and comfortable. Room service was very slow, ( 1 hour) and food was cold when it arrived. The food was mostly discarded. The a la carte restaurants were not a vast improvement over the buffet, to justify the schedule changes required to arrive at the appointed time, and to my surprise, to a near empty restaurant, and to be eating at 9:30 pm. ( the only time "available") I would give the hotel a 4.5/5 as a rating.

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Wow!

This hotel was spectacular! Super clean , friendly and attentive staff. We had a minor issue with our room it had 2 single beds and my husband and I let the front desk know and they immediatly rectified the situation. Their was a fabulous variety of food at the buffet and it was delicious! Although it is not on the beach the shuttles run constantly and its a 10 min ride ..no biggie! Also you an all access pass to the other 3 Bahaia resorts : Coba ,Tulum ,Acumal which are all unique in their ow [... read more]n right with different services, restarants and ativities you can access! If its your thing there is a number of fab tourist attractions in the area. I' d definately return ...Go whatcha waiting for!

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Awesome resort

Barcelo Maya Riviera Resort as soon as ate got there the the staff from the front entrance to the reception desk was very friendly helpful, and it was quick service, made us feel welcome. Handed us a drink with a smile.