Grand Sunset Princess: Fabulous place!

Everything was clean and well maintained, from the grounds to the rooms and pools. Super service and despite being March Break not crowded or too busy. Only regret is that we couldn’t possibly do it all!

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: Not the same as it use to be :(

This was our fifth time at Grand Sirenis (not that anyone cared). We noticed a lot of differences that were unfortunately not positive. Check in is always a pain -takes a while and they always try to put you in the older suites first (we know not to stay in those from past experience). It’s always a lot of asking to be put in a building we know is better than the others (even though they are all the same cost). The ‘big show’ and kids mini disco (which didn’t happen every night any more) [... read more] were way lower quality than what they have ever been - a lot of lip synching and repetitive dancing. They show an advertisement for the resort on loop for like an hour before, which didn’t happen last year and was boring. There were no Covid protocols but I didn’t expect there to be. This year we would have breakfast by the pool and would not even be acknowledged by a staff member, where last year we would be offered coffee. Numerous times we had to search to get our own cutlery and could often not find plates at the buffet, no matter if we changed the times we went. The staff seemed not very happy, which I understand to a degree (dealing with rude privileged white people has to be annoying) but this was more than that. The grounds weren’t as clean as they use to be, we saw a squished ketchup packet sit in a main walking path for days, floors were dirty ore than they were clean. The bathrooms throughout the resort were always smelly and disgusting, especially by the pools. Perhaps it was just hard to keep up with guests that acted like feral animals (people are gross), but it was a notable difference from past visits. It was just disappointing this time around. It’s the first time we ever skipped a ‘big show’ and the first time we ever talked about not returning and trying somewhere else. I will say, the staff cleaning the seaweed worked their butts off and did a great job. The weather was great.

Occidental Cozumel: Sick and Sicker

Breakfast was ok, lunches were hit and miss, and dinners were terrible. Food was tainted and both my wife and I were I’ll and required medical attention which we paid for. Many fellow travellers were ill as well as staff. Definite problems with poor food handling and preparation. Pool area crowded We started with a cancelled Westjet flight and had to book and pay for our own. More to come on our travel problems by way of a separate email.

Grand Sunset Princess: A much needed reset

I recently took my two oldest and myself to the grand sunset princess. We stayed from March 9th-17th. The resort was beautiful, the grounds were gorgeous and there was a lot to see in regards to wildlife. We saw monkeys, a crocodile, a deer and local animals as well. The food was great, something for everyone although it was very difficult to book the a la carts, and when we were able the earliest time was after 8pm which is a bit late with two young kids who have played in the sun all day. B [... read more]ut we utilized the buffets and the sports bar which had some great snacks, sandwiches and entertainment. The chill out snack buffet was our favorite for breakfast, as we arrived nice and early before it was crowded. The staff at that buffet were lovely and it was considerably smaller than the two at the main resort lobby area. We loved it. The pools were great, although guests saving chairs the night before and well before dawn got a bit frustrating as having small children, shade is necessary in the intense heat. We made it work, and found shaded spots when needed. I was warned about the seaweed and it was exactly what I've read from others. Awful. The water was mucky, the seaweed went out at least 30 feet and it was next to impossible for the staff to keep a section cleared. But we did still enjoy a few trips down to the ocean. A special shout out to Maria Gordillo in the sports bar who works her tail off while always smiling, thank you for everything! Thank you Jennifer, for helping us book this much needed trip. Our family needed this on so many levels and it's filled our hearts with joy and memories.

Krystal Grand Los Cabos: Had the Best Time!

Loved this place. I've stayed in a few resorts, condos and houses in the area and this was good bang for the buck. Received a complimentary upgrade to an Oceanview room overlooking the main pools in the Palmilla building. The room was just ok with a couple of plumbing issues but the view made up for it. Mostly hung out at the beach close to the adult pool and met so many friendly and wonderful people. Travelled with my 25 year old and "jelled" with adults of all ages. Could always find some [... read more]thing at the buffet for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The best a la Carte restaurants for dinner were the Japanese and Italian restaurants. Staff all worked hard and were friendly. Make sure to scan the QR code at the front desk or check the board for weekly activities. Karaoke nights were so much fun! Weather was perfect and the whales and manta rays jumping out front were entertaining. Re Covid - Some staff wear masks, there were no obvious sanitization protocols and no hand sanitizer available at restaurants/buffets. We were told that we would be required to wear a mask when entering restaurants and it could be removed once seated. No one did this and it was never enforced.

Krystal Grand Nuevo Vallarta: Wonderful resort

The Krystal Grand at Puerto Vallarta is a wonderful hotel -very clean -excellent service -food was great -the breakfast buffet with their assortment of fresh fruit and omelettes made to order was a wonderful way to start the day. We had upgraded to a swim out and would highly recommend this. The concierge made sure we had beach chairs where ever we wanted, reservations for dinner etc

Planet Hollywood Cancun by Royalton: Loved it!

We spent a week with our two children, aged 9 and 11. PH was an amazing resort! The beach was gorgeous, the grounds were easy to navigate and there was lots to keep my kids busy. They absolutely loved the lazy River, FlowRider, and water slide. The room was perfect. We had a king size bed with pull out couch. The pull out couch was about the size of a king sized bed, which was perfect for the kids. The food was amazing and the buffet, which was our default restaurant, did not disappoint. W [... read more]hile it was difficult to get in to a restaurant, you could easily do so by being there early. The staff was fabulous and always smiling. We especially appreciated Lalo from guest services and Antonio, our everyday server at the buffet in the morning. Our only complaint is the major spring break vibe we got the moment we arrived. It wasn’t the most pleasant scene, being there with kids and having them witness unruly and inappropriate behaviour.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Amazing resort!!

The Barceló is a beautiful 5 star resort! The staff are friendly and work very hard. Onesimo is an amazing manager. The whole resort is kept very well and the food and entertainment were amazing! The beautiful Caribbean waters and beach are so gorgeous. I recommend this resort to everyone!!

Secrets Huatulco: We loved everything about this resort

Best place ever. Food is fabulous at buffets and restaurants. People are great, helpful and ready to please. Pools are large with plenty of chairs. rooms are veryclean and spacious. Facility is large, modern with 9 floors and yet easy to get to anywhere. Beach is private and large - sand is grainy and water is warm. One area for improvement would be pool side music.

Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun: Nice resort

The hotel and the grounds were very clean. Some of the finishes to the room we were staying at and around the resort looked a little rushed. The pool area is nice, but there isn’t enough chairs for everyone. The beach is actually really nice but the ocean in that area is very dirty. Looked like brown water. The water slides were great. The food was amazing and the staff were really nice. If you aren’t diamond club you can’t reserve al carte restaurants. The best kept secret is the s [... read more]ports bar for food! Overall I probably won’t go back, but it is a nice resort.

Secrets Mirabel Cancun Resort and Spa: Ok resort but not great.

The food at the buffet was limited. No peanut butter at breakfast, no bacon unless you asked for it, but the a la carte restaurants were better. Hotel staff lovely. Pool chairs all gone by 630an. We set an alarm to get up at 530 to get some and go back to bed. Rooms not updated, broken and stains. Cockroach in the shower. Toilet had a lot of problems. Positives were our view was outstanding!!!! Best I have ever had.

Krystal Grand Nuevo Vallarta: Excellent resort

The grounds and pool were immaculate. The staff were very helpful and friendly. There was lots of choice for meals and entertainment. The spa service was amazing. Would definitely recommend staying at Krystal Grand. It is close to Buceria to walk or taxi to.

Tukan Hotel Playa Del Carmen: Provided the basics

Middle range hotel. Positives - quiet, felt safe, nobody hassled us in hotel, nice swimming pool, room cleaned daily, meal plan availabe in restuarant across the street including drinks. Negatives - room had an odor, fan was broken, ground floor balcony space was not private, one of the shower faucets did not work. 10 minute walk to beach. Playa del Carmen public beach was not very peaceful because of many vendors. Sargassum sea weed had to be cleaned up daily. Transfer back to airport (supposed [... read more] to have been provided by Air Canada vacations) was hard to arrange (no contact no provided, Spanish speakers at the contact number that we were given via hotel reception, hotel reception not very helpful with assisting) and did not in fact materialize, so we had to take a last minutes 70 USD cab ride to airport.

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Best resort we’ve been to

Our 7th time. Has everything we want - the layout makes it seem smaller than it is, grounds/landscaping is excellent, food is great, rooms are very comfortable, & staff are the most friendly we’ve met

Platinum Yucatan Princess: Just as good the second time around

It had been six years since we visited the Platinum Yucatan Princess, and the resort is still in very good condition. Our Junior Deluxe Swimout room was beautiful, and while our patio wasn't quite as nicely finished as the Platinum Deluxe Swimout we had in 2017, it was still lovely to sit on my patio by the pool, drinking coffee while listening to the multiple species of birds singing happily every morning. Housekeeping was overall very good, with some odd service times but never intrusive. The  [... read more]selection at the buffets was INCREDIBLE... food quality was excellent and still the best among any resort we've been to. All of the a la carte restaurants were very good, with a couple of exceptions; at Aroma, my wife ordered the catch of the day (Snapper), which was drenched in butter. So much butter that she could not taste the fish. Service at Rodeo was very slow the night we ate there, but they did seem short-staffed. Out waitress WAS working very hard and we truly believe she did the best she could. Our meals were very good. There were loads of activities, the evening shows were great - particularly the Burlesque and Grease shows. Party pool entertainment crew was great, and the atmosphere here has something for every adult - if you want quiet, you can have quiet. If you like to party, the big pool is the place to be. Dining options are terrific, and there are so many spots where you can just sit and relax. One thing that struck us about this resort both times we have visited is how immaculately CLEAN it is. The staff go above and beyond to make it beautiful. The only unfortunate thing about this visit was the condition of the beach. This is a Mexico and environmental issue and in no way is reflective of this resort. The buildup of sargassum was awful, and the smell at times was overwhelming. The beach was unswimmable, and difficult to walk most of the time. Kudos to the staff for doing their best to manage it. Those guys are incredibly hard workers.

Sandos Cancun: Not a 5 star resort

This hotel is not up to par the food is terrible at buffet or the restaurants. Had to upgrade to a suite as regularly rooms are wet and smell awful. It costs an extra $200. The pictures of this hotel is deceiving.Spend your money at another hotel

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Great beach

The resort is very big. Lots of pools, the mall and markets are fun for shopping. A La carte restaurants were ok, rooms needed updating, buffets were good. Lots of fresh food and we loved the Mexican coffee! Entertainment was good but too loud. Wish they could have turned the volume down a bit. We were a family of 5 and booked two rooms and were disappointed they would not give us two rooms with double beds instead we had to settle for a king and a couch (not a fold out!) We booked two double ro [... read more]oms so our teenagers would have their own beds. Maybe they need more rooms with double beds? My daughter had to sleep on a couch which after paying so much didn’t make us very happy.

Riu Flamingos: Great resort!

This property was good for us, we stayed March 5-12 2023 and had nothing really to complain about. The first night our room had some issues which were taken care of then we could simply enjoy our week. Food and grounds were perfect and pools were nice and relaxing, not cold or hot. Good times had by all.

Fiesta Americana Riviera Nayarit: Will definitely stay again!

We had a fabulous week stay at the Wyndham Alltra Resort March 6-13th, 2023. Everything from the room to the service we received from the staff was perfect! We had 2 little issues in the room with one of the sink taps and the wall magnifying mirror that was taken care of immediately which was so appreciated. The buffet and different al e cart restaurant food was not over the top amazing but very good. Would definitely recommend this resort!

Barcelo Maya Palace: Excellent vacation at the Barcelo, as usual

We had a great time - loved the room, which was updated and had great amenities. We left a note asking that the air conditioning be left at a higher temperature, where we set it (as they kept turning it down to 20c which we found too cold). Only issue with the room was the Wi-Fi router (?) which had a very bright green/yellow/red flashing light facing the bed - bright enough to keep us awake. We fixed this by draping a facecloth over it to dampen the light. The food was great - especially a [... read more]t the buffet, which also had a nice atmosphere (better than most we've been to) - our favorite was the outside dining space, right beside the ocean. We went to four restaurants, our favorite was the French, followed by the Steakhouse, then the Brazillian. We also visited the Seafood - which was okay, but we wouldn't return as the menu options weren't as good as we'd hoped. Beach was great - a bit rocky at the Palace end, but we took water shoes which worked well. There was sea weed, but the staff were really good at clearing it, both early morning with tractors and during the day with wheelbarrows. Most days it cleared up quickly, and wasn't an issue. Last couple days were stormy, so there was more, but they managed it well. There were loads of beach chairs, and the palm trees have grown well, so there's lots of shade available. We spent time at the pools in the morning, before the spring breakers got there - then we moved to the beach, so had the best of both worlds. Although there were a lot of spring breakers there, the hotel staff managed them well - kept them entertained, and very quickly dealt with any behavior issues. It would've been nice if the dress code was enforced, and also if there was a dress code for women, as some of the outfits were totally inappropriate.