Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Epic resort and grounds

Incredibly clean, great staff! Room and bed were fantastic. This was our 3rd time visiting the Valentin and it definitely will not be our last. The beach was clean and quiet, pools and bars were great! The food was widely varied and excellent!

Selection Riviera Cancun: It’s not me, it’s you.

I wanted so much from this resort. It wasn’t cheap so I had mid range expectations staying at lower and higher stars before. I travelled myself with two children. Kids pool was clean as was the family pool. Kids club, you need reservations at least the day before. It’s run by booking events by the hour. No drop ins. I found lady at front to be cool at best. All staff seemed short except on cleaners and maintenance. Service by the pool was slow. Like 40min to wait for a drink and you ca [... read more]n’t eat by the pool either. Only one server the entire day by the pool. Always had to wait for buffet and restaurants even though many tables open. We have a gluten allergy. We were asked everywhere if there were allergies but no one told us what was safe and the labels weren’t found on most foods. When I asked what was safe the one greeter told me I’d be safe by sticking to veggies. Ah, thanks?! Went to the store one night for chips I knew are gluten free. $14US. Sunblock $35US. Come on. On the 3rd day I asked for gluten free nachos as when I asked if the buffet had gluten was told of course. These are Mexican. So they brought me some from somewhere. They were good so the next day o asked for more. The server said but I have to get them from the bar. Rolled his eyes left, never to return. On the fourth day, server told me if I wanted gluten free pancakes ( I asked every day what they had that was safe) he said I should be ordering them the day before. So I ordered them. They came after my children had finished eating. Food wasn’t that great. Ok, I didn’t starve though I’m sure I was glutened. Drinks- pool bar even if you went direct to it, it was still a 30 min wait if there was 4-5 people ahead of you. You also got whatever they felt like making because I ordered the same drink everyday and it was always a surprise if I got what I wanted. There was zero consistency. Bartenders did not pay attention to who arrived- more so if you spoke Spanish- and seemed almost bothered with people there. Is it that hard to smile? Say ola? Buenos dias? Did I mention I tip quite a bit? I do, people work hard however, by the end of the week service didn’t get any better even when tipping so I stopped for the first time ever. Except for the room cleaner who was always consistent and reliable. I ordered a birthday cake, the request was to have buttercream with as many sprinkles as possible for a little girl. We received a fruitcake with banana filling that turned brown and was a mush mess. Kids didn’t want to eat it. $75US When I complained concierge found me by the pool and said I heard you didn’t get the cake. I said I got a cake but not the one I requested. He said okay, thank you have a good day. Here I was thinking, they would at minimum discount the cake. Nope. Charged full price. Concierge didn’t make things happen either. From complaining about the cake to why gluten free foods were. Not labeled or properly explained to those with allergies- all they said was oh they should know. I hope you enjoy your day. The beach was unwalkable and smelled. You’d think to make up for that customer service would be bang on. I won’t be back. I gave them every opportunity to make it right while there and not complain after the fact and absolutely nothing was done.

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Paradise!

Spent a week at Bahia Principle Luxury SK. From getting off the shuttle in the lush grounds of the resort, to entering my room, eating at the buffet (after a long day of not eating), and then relaxing by the pool on that first day, I knew that the week was going to be nothing but amazing. The staff were so friendly and accommodating, and the a la carte restaurants and the buffets had an abundance of delicious food, which appears to cater to everyone's taste. The pools were kept clean, the  [... read more]beaches were attended to by the staff in an effort to clear up the influx of seaweed, and the activities were fun and entertaining (especially the Silent Disco). I have no negatives to say about the resort and plan to go back again very soon.

The Sens Riviera: Sunscape Akumal

Beautiful grounds, close to the beach...needs some updates, friendly people. Smaller resort...good food at the ala carte restaurants, buffet had smaller selections....but that's all I needed... We all know of the sargassim hitting the caribbean sea...the workers kept up with removing it. Overall the 5 of the 7 days was very manageable... 2 days seemed higher....

Allegro Cozumel: Nice resort

Hotel was very nice, good for families, great water park for kids. Pretty and clean hotel. Hammocks were very nice option. Rooms very very nice. Good size beach. Ok a la cartes. Food like most places was ok not great. Only bad was the water was terrible smelling.

Wyndham Alltra Playa del Carmen: Don’t go here!

This resort smalls so bad from all the Rotten seaweed, that washes ashore. You can smell it as soon as you enter the resort. The resort has no beach the swimming pool is small and there is never any chairs and as soon as you arrive, they hit you with timeshares for the Hilton. The bars don’t open and will not serve you until after 11 o’clock. The Buffay is small and has the same food almost every meal. The beach that is accessible is a public beach and always locals bumming and bothering y [... read more]ou. Don’t waste your money go somewhere else.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Great resort

Every thing about this hotel was great. Grounds were well kept. Staff was very nice and friendly. Rooms were cleaned well every day. Restaurants that we went to were really awesome. Food in buffet was great.....

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Great resort

Very clean and well maintained grounds. Ala carte restaurants were excellent-large portions of food. Lots of options for walking, shopping and exploring right on the property. Overall very nice place for a sunny destination vacation.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Kid friendly!

We had a wonderful time at this resort, very kid friendly and fun. We would have loved to have seen the restaurant at the beach be buffet style, the wait was sometimes so long, but the walk to the buffet was too far to do multiple times a day with young kids. Having the train run more frequently during lunch time would have also helped this issue. Overall though, it was a well maintained and beautiful resort, with lots to do.

Riu Flamingos: Another nice Riu!

Riu is a great chain, usually always enjoy our time at one. My only complaint is that the swim up pool should be Adults only- all of it not part of it. Kids don't need to see what happens, and the splashing in the drinks is a little gross. Of course the rooms are going to smell when you first get there, this climate is not like Canada and it is humid. Go down to relax enjoy the hot sun, and don't complain cause you can't get a server near the pool. move your body and grab a drink and check out  [... read more]the great people around you. Food do the restaurants. food at Italian and the steak house was good, same as the Japanese's. Tip the workers, they bring you coffee, or clear your tables or make your favorite drink a buck will not hurt. I think I do like Mazatlán over this resort.

Riu Latino: Very Nice

Everything is very clean, staff is constantly working. Service is excellent, every time it was more than expected. Tips might’ve helped as we always tip but it hasn’t worked at other resorts. Pool and chair selection was never an issue. Beach is beautiful, water slides were unexpected as we thought it was only as the sister Dunmar location. Food was great but the alacarte’s could be one step better to becoming a fabulous resort. Great experience, great staff.

Tropicana Hotel: Great Value and Perfect Location

We were very impressed with our stay at the Tropicana Hotel. I feel that it surpassed its 3-star rating in many ways. Jorge at the front desk was very friendly and helpful. We requested an Ocean View room, and he was able to move us into a beautiful room the next day for the remainder of our stay. It had a million-dollar view of the beach, pool, pier, and fabulous sunsets from the balcony. We had a standard room which did not have a mini fridge. Bottled water was only provided the first day. [... read more] Since it is not recommended that foreigners drink the tap water, we purchased bottled water during our stay. The room was freshly updated, very clean and comfortable. The maid service was excellent. She cleaned and gave us fresh towels daily. The hotel was beautiful and very well kept. There were many people continuously cleaning and gardening throughout the hotel. Wi-Fi is only available in the lobby, restaurant, and pool area, but we were told that the hotel is in the process of providing Wi-Fi in the rooms. We had our breakfasts included for a very reasonable price. The full hot breakfasts were served at the hotel restaurant which was very convenient. We also ate lunch on the beach in the private Tropicana area most days and had a few dinners there as well. We thought that the menu at the restaurant, although not a huge selection, was very reasonably priced compared to other similar restaurants in the area. The waiters at the restaurant were very efficient and continuously attentive to details. The waiter on the beach, Ulysses, did a great job of bringing us whatever we wanted. The other employees on the beach; the security guard and the person who set up the chairs and palapas were always very friendly and quick to help. The Tropicana Hotel is located right on the beach and in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta. It is within walking distance to the old town along the Malecon or on the cobble stoned streets. It is close to many amazing restaurants, shops, and amenities. We will definitely return to the Tropicana Hotel. It is very good value for the money and is the perfect location for a relaxing beach vacation.

Royalton CHIC Cancun: Did not meet expectations

This hotel was totally geared to the party drinking crowd. The pool entertainers catered to the drinking pool people and there was nothing to include the beach lounger guests. It was quite a boring place with not much to do. They have2 pool tables in the sports bar that are less than good, the balls are not even the correct size and the tables are tilted..but the workers at the sports bar were great and a nice alternative to get a quick meal..Grounds were too small to allow movement. Beach was n [... read more]ice but waves were large. Most days were red flag days..water pull was strong and took your feet out from under you a lot. Buffet was good at breakfast but food at other times was cold. Fries were always soggy and hamburgers were only offered on a couple days. The steak house was good and had the best desserts of cheesecake and crème Brule the mini onion appetizer buns served asa appetizer were very good and warm. Our server Isaac was very good .,highly recommend him. Wehad a few room issues,though the view was great on room 10612, one day we returned and the mini bar person had left our room door unlocked …our bar fridge leaked water all weekend ever got fixed…one day our room did not get serviced by the maids claiming we had a do not disturb on our door,and we did not even have one of those door cards in our room..when you used the toilet, upon rising the seat cover would slam you in the back..all issues were reported to guest services. Entertainment at night was repetitive with same dancers in different outfits. The Michael Jackson show was a good one though and worthwhile attending. We have always Been frequent Royalton fans, but this resort falls short of our former expectations. The Sunwing reps here were unfriendly and useless..they showed no help answering questions and left you with a shrug of the shoulders and a we are busy answers. These people need to be replaced. Make sure you take your phone as you have to scan code to get info in pick up times. Too bad for the non tech types… One night,I think Mexican theme, they had local vendors on the premises selling their wares,. this was nice and a time killer after supper…., We did the massage at the spa…it was good.

Grand Sunset Princess: What a week

This resort is underrated. The grounds are beautiful, everything well maintained. Plenty of pools over the whole resort. They could use a few more shaded areas. Food was excellent and the staff were very polite and helpful. The beach was good but like most places in the Caribbean the see weeds was hard to control. All in all a great stay

Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa: Large property but lots of wear and tear, and not so great service.

Ok, I'm just going to be honest. There were a few positive things, but mostly negatives. As other reviews have pointed out, it's just "meh". The pictures you see on their website are NOT what the reality is so just keep that in mind. Those pictures are from when the resort first opened and it's not like that anymore. Property/Room: To start, the resort is large, and the initial impression of the look and feel is beautiful! Huge and airy lobby, with a wonderful breeze. And despite it's size, m [... read more]ost of the attractions are located in the central building so you always know where to go. The rest of the resort is all rooms with a few pools dotted around the outskirts of the property. It's nice to walk along the different places but there's also construction going on in certain parts. They had to move all the entertainment to the lobby because the stage was being repaired, which was fine because the lobby was huge anyways. When you get over the initial glamour though and start to pay attention, you'll notice signs of wear and tear EVERYWHERE and it starts to take away from the whole "5-star" claim. Uneven tables/chairs at the restaurants, chipped plates, plaster flaking off the walls, the room phone and tv's don't work, the fixtures are loose, AC isn't cold, faucets are clogged, light bulbs need to be replaced, lamps just plain don't work, toilets are slow, sinks are chipped, showers have stains and gunk all around the corners, and that's honestly just a start! Everywhere you look you can tell that this property is in dire need of some TLC all around, and there's no way it can claim to be a luxury 5-star property any more. Room: we went with the Diamond Club Presidential Suite. It was alright. Despite being in the Diamond Club part of the resort, we still had the same issues as noted above. Our view was not great at all. Even though we paid for ocean view we got the mangrove view instead, which is just a bunch of trees and overlooks the staff entrance, so you can smell cigarette smoke and hear the loud food carts and chatter at all times of day and night. Food: Mediocre, as other reviews have pointed out. There were cockroaches in one of the buffet stations and that put a downer on the rest of the food safety for me. Buffet was sub par as most buffets are so that's not a knock against the resort, but the a la carte restaurants were just not great. The exception Agave and Hunter. Huge line ups for the a la carte as well, unless you were Diamond Club and made reservations in advance via your butler. Diamond Club: Honestly, the only part of this that was worth it was the fact that your butler could make reservations at the restaurants and therefore you didn't have to wait 30-60 mins at dinner time. Otherwise, there's nothing else that was special. There is a Diamond Club lounge, but it's just guest-services and a few snacks/drinks. That's it. You get two butlers that do morning and evening shifts, but they don't talk to each other, so you have to repeat yourself twice to get what you need. There was no diamond club agent when we got to the resort so we had to wait about 1.5 hours to check in. We went to celebrate an anniversary and I spoke to the butler before hand, but nothing was done until the last day after I reminded them again. Beach: No. Just no. Good soft sand and plenty of chairs, but the seaweed covers the entire beach and water. The workers did a good job of cleaning it, but man it came back every time with a vengeance! We went in late Feb, which is still "winter" in Mexico, so there shouldn't have been that much seaweed, but it was a warm winter all season so there was a lot. I didn't see a single person in the ocean for the entire week I was there. Pools: Good pools. As you'd expect from a 5-star resort. The kids pool was super fun! Service: Here was the biggest issue for me. I've been to 3-4 star resorts where the staff bent over backwards to make sure you were enjoying your stay. At this resort, the staff just didn't care. All my vacations for the last 10 years have been all-inclusive so I know what to expect, but the staff here were just uninterested in providing a level of care and attention to detail that's consistent with a 5-star resort. There were a few gems, but other than that, most staff couldn't be bothered. The overall attitude was poor. Despite getting my room mixed up, they were unwilling to help at all. And this is "Diamond Club". I heard from other travelers that their experience was even worse. Overall, you're paying a 5-star price, for a 4-star (at best) resort. We made the most of our trip and it was memorable for other reasons, but I generally try to find positives in everything. If you can get a cheap deal on this resort, then maybe you should think about it carefully. But there ARE actual 5-star resorts in the Riviera Maya that you should be looking at way more carefully if that's what you want for your vacation.

Secrets Aura Cozumel: Amazing Trip!!!

My husband and I went to the Secrets Aura in Cozumel in March 2023 and had an absolutely amazing time! The hotel was clean and well taken care of. Our room was wonderful, clean and comfortable. Our bar fridge was stocked on demand which was a great bonus! The food was wonderful and offered something for everyone. The staff were some of the nicest people I have ever met!!! So polite and welcoming. I will definitely be going back to this resort again and have already recommended and raved about it [... read more] to my family and friends.

Canto Del Sol: Disappointing Description of Rooms

When a hotel states luxury suite and charges more for the room, your expectations are higher. Not the case in this hotel. Luxury only means you have a balcony that over looks refrigeration systems and garbage located on the roof. We had to sign a waiver to accept a down grade to get a room that overlooks the pool area and ocean. Just the better view alone in our eyes was an upgrade. So we ended up spending more for the description of the room then what we actually received as the room descriptio [... read more]ns are very inaccurate. The rooms are very dated and the floors need to be replaced as they have seen too many years of feet. With the many Iguanas onsite, it was very common to see Iguana feces in the pool with no staff caring to remove it from the pool. Needless to say, my pool time was terminated. Food was very average, including A la Carte, and we did not get sick, so that was a bonus.

Decameron La Marina: Resort

The hotel was nice and clean. The staff were very pleasant, but most of them only spoke Spanish unless you went to the front desk and a few bartenders. Most of their clients were Mexican who were great people very pleasant and respectful. But did not speak English.. the entertainment sucked as everything was in Spanish and I didn’t understand and unfortunately my room was above the karaoke bar, which ran till around 1 AM and was so loud and everything was in Spanish so I did not take part in t [... read more]he activity and kept me awake sometimes and had to turn the TV up loud to drown this singing most of all I was very disappointed as my Sunwing representative at the airport said since the bus could not go to the hotel that they would stop on a street but bellhops would be there to help us take our suitcases to the hotel. This never happened and we were six people over the age of 60 and 70 stuck in the middle of a street trying to figure out where our hotel was. We were very afraid and anxiety was high as we didn’t know where to go after over a half hour we found somebody that understood some English, and told us where to go from the bus dropping us off to the hotel was a good three blocks Two of us had a disability and mobility issues, and had to pull her suitcases one with a cane and the other with a walker as we arrived upon the hotel, nobody even helped us, go up that ramp and the stairs to get into the hotel lobby

Decameron La Marina: Decameron la marina

The resort was very clean people constantly working to keep it clean. We were unaware that it was quite a distance from Puerto Vallarta which was another change in time. The rooms were well kept and very clean Unfortunately communication was very difficult as we found resort was geared to the Mexican community where it was 99.9% Spanish language we had difficulty finding a person who could speak English. When we arrived at the resort we had no one to guide us as to where to go we felt we w [... read more]ere left out in the street to find our way around no bellboy to help with luggage considering we had a person using a walker and one with a cane the roads were difficult to walk on so it was somewhat discouraging to deal with this. The food was ok but no bacon or sausage at anytime. The steak house meal was delicious. We were unaware that the shows were at the other resort which we were never told. In our resort every night it was keroke very loud and totally Spanish. For myself I would not return as it was so far from Puerto Vallarta

Krystal Grand Puerto Vallarta: New Management brings the goods

We have been to this property three times, most recently last year when the experience was quite poor. The prior manager whom we met to talk about our issues was a disappointment to say the least we decided to try one last time given new management. The new manager is Mexican and has instilled a new vibe with happy employees and superb service The food was improved and the staff were wonderful. We will go back. It wasca great week. Now if you can get Air Canada to provide anythi [... read more]ng resembling good service that would earn you a Nobel Prize. They canceled our return flight as we were boarding and put us up in a simply terrible place (Friendly) for the night. It ruined the whole week.