Riu Santa Fe: Cabo Mexico Family Trip

Hotel itself was nice and well maintained. Disco Pacha music was way too loud and the bass could be heard in building 3 across the pool area from 11 pm to 2 am. Room doors slam too loudly at all hours.

Selection Riviera Cancun: Amazing week at The Azul

Loved this property. Just the right size. Not to big but not so small that you felt crowded. Staff were all wonderful! Cheerful and accommodating. Room are a little dated and need a little TLC. However they are clean and comfortable. We did spend 1 night in one of the newly renovated rooms and it was gorgeous. White with aqua accents makes the room looks so bright and airy. We decided to upgrade to a swim up room which was amazing. Love that each room has its own set of stairs with a railing to  [... read more]get in and out of pool. The staff from the swim up bar come by about every 25 minutes to take your drink orders. They were amazing and well deserving of the tips we gave them We had no complaint with any of the food. Room service was fantastic and restaurants were varied and never to crowded. There was only one night when we waited maybe 10 minutes for a table at the Mexican restaurant but they seated us at the bar outside and we enjoyed a before dinner drink. Most restaurants don’t require reservations they operate on a first come first serve system, but as I said we never really had to wait. They few restaurants that do require reservations are super easy to book. Each building has its own concierge and you can book with them at your convenience. We highly recommend the Italian Restaurant! The main buffet Spoons has a large selection of food with different themes everyday. Food was good but could have been a little hotter. We understand that it is hard to regulate temperatures without overcooking or drying food out. They do have an area we’re you can pick out your own meat and they will cook it for you to your liking. We also appreciated that they take food allergies very seriously. They always asked if you had any allergies before seating you. We did not any of the nightly shows so I can’t comment on them. Overall we really enjoyed our stay at the Azul. If you are beach people this is probably not the place for you. Beach is small and it was full of seaweed while we were there, which is why we switched to a swim up. It could have just been a bad time for the seaweed. There was staff out there daily raking the beach but it didn’t last long. The ocean views from the restaurants and pool areas are lovely Overall we really enjoyed our week there.

Decameron La Marina: Sunny vacation

Resort was decent value for the money and most staff were good and assisted when they could with the exception of older male at front desk. He was rude and not helpful. Recommend that front desk staff be fluent in English to assist visitors.

Le Blanc Spa Resort: First Class Service

What stands out is the service. They obviously spend a lot of time on the recruitment and training of there employees as they are the best of the best. I was disappointed that the rooms ( Ryl oceanfront honeymoon) do not have balconies as this is very unusual of any other resort I have stayed. I was also surprised that there was only one sink making it awkward for two people getting ready. I read on a FB site I followed that many people thought the food was the best they have had. I go to a lot  [... read more]of restaurants and the food was the best of any all-inclusive we have stayed but not as good as a top restaurant. We found the French and Japanese the best. I was disappointed in the Italian and Blanc for dinner. The Blanc breakfast and lunch buffet was real good. A good selection and everything kept impeccable clean. The towel game was played here the most of any resort I have been at. If you want a chair around the main pool you have to get there by 6:30am. The staff are saving the chairs. There has to be a better way. All in all, we really liked the resort however we paid more than twice the price of other 5-star resorts, and I do not think that it warranted that much extra.

Grand Palladium Vallarta: Just OK

Overall, the resort is just ok. We did a Saturday to Saturday trip and it was too long. We were getting pretty bored by day 4. We chose this resort after staying at the Palladium in Riveria Maya, which is much bigger and better situated. Our room (panoramic ocean view) was clean, but the bathroom shower made a huge puddle on the floor with each use and the jets in the tub were full of mildew. No way I'd take a bath in that tub. As for the view, the tiny balcony has a solid wall so if you sit [... read more] down, you'd be looking at concrete. The ocean could be seen if you sit up on the edge of the right hand side of the bed. We were overlooking the infinity pool, it's supposed to close at 10:30 but 3 nights there was a lot of partying going on much later. The beach is really nice and there are boogie boards, surfing lessons and boards, mini catamarans and paddle boards to use. The waves are high though, but if you can swim its fine. If you want a shaded chair at the pool or the beach, best to get out there and tag one with a towel before 9 am. The pool is super warm and you can see whales pretty much all day from the pool edge or the beach. Buffet restaurant is not bad, the food is pretty average buffet fare. We were not impressed with the a la carte restaurants at all. The Mexican one was the worst of the 3 we tried, food was bland and salty. Italian was the best, fish was nice and the carbonara was good until I came across a bunch of uncooked egg whites in it which killed my appetite immediately. There is a small store at the resort, my advice is bring some snacks, sunscreen and any OTC meds like Tylenol from the airport or home. They are charging $8 USD for a bag of chips. Sunscreen is $25 USD. Activities were expensive, everything is in USD rather than pesos which is inconvenient unless you are American I guess. I was hoping to get out and explore Sayulita but was told the bus and colectivo are not recommended. Taxi there and back was about 100$ CAD. We did go on a nice sail boat for snorkeling and whale watching which was $300 CAD for 2 people, and it was worth it. Taxi to the marina and back was charged by the amount of people even though it was the same van. 440 pesos for 4 people and 1100 pesos for 8 people on the way back. The staff were all super, cheerful, very nice and helpful throughout the resort.

Grand Oasis Cancun: Mediocre resort

From the check-in to check-out it wasn't the best place I've stayed. Started with the 1 1/2 hours just to check in cause they only had 2 people on the desk. Process was painfully slow and very frustrating. Got to our room, wanted to shower after a long day only to find no towels in the room. A theme repeated on a daily basis. Housekeeping would take the towels but never leave fresh towels in the room. Floor hadn't been swept during the entire stay. Expected a king size bed we had paid for  [... read more]and got 2 double beds pushed together. Mini fridge was not filled at all without being requested when told it would be filled every 2 days Entertainment: nightly shows were extraordinarily poor. No thought it seemed given to actually entertaining anyone and not worth watching. Restaurants: definitely not the best. Only one had food that was any good, very disappointing to say the least. Will definitely not be going back

Haven Riviera Cancun: Amazing resort!

This resort was first class from the moment we arrived. It was quiet and peaceful, never feeling crowded. We were able to go to both the beach and the pool at anytime of a day and get a lounge/cabana. The staff were wonderful. We would highly recommend this resort for anyone looking for a quiet relaxing vacation. However there was always lots available if you are looking for things to do.

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: Wheres The Beach

Traveled from Feb. 25 to Mar 04 Upon arrival to the Grand Sirenis we were greeted with a Backhoe and numerous dump trucks trying unsuccessfully to clear away the seaweed from the beach and water. This was nonstop all day, everyday of our vacation. We were told this has been an ongoing problem for weeks and will be for many more. We would not recommend this resort.

Riu Santa Fe: Amazing Resort!

The resort was beautiful. Very well kept and very clean. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was nothing spectacular, but was okay. You could always find something to eat, but everything is very bland tasting in my opinion. More pool activities could have been offered at the upper pool not by the ocean. The nightly entertainment shows were okay; some better than others. This is our second time staying at this resort and I would recommend it.

Canto Del Sol: Some disappointments

CONS: Took us 3 tries to get decent room. First 2 rooms - bathroom door wouldn’t close, taps leaked. One bathroom did not have ceiling or light and wires were hanging down. Third room was improvement but still leaking taps which were never fixed. Lounge chairs at main pool could not be adjusted - could not sit up. Couple of days lounge chairs were difficult to come by. My party would have liked more dancing. Some furniture in restaurant and bar areas definitely needs upgrading. PR [... read more]OS: 3 pools available were fine. Plus nice splash pool and a shallow area for little ones. Buffet food fairly good/average. Plenty of selection. Enjoyed the 3 restaurants we attended. Most nightly entertainment pretty good. Majority of resort employees were great. There was hand sanitizer available throughout resort.

Riu Emerald Bay: great beach

resort needs a face lift, showing it's age Bring Mexican money with you or exchange at airport. Exchange rate at resort not very good and ATM is not reliable Food is not that great. Great beach, although there are a lot of cig butts

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Fantastic experience

We travelled to the resort the last two weeks of February and first few days of March 2023. We stayed at the Tropical, in the Veracruz building, about mid-section, top floor facing east towards the Barcelo Palace. Our room was listed as a "Superior room run of the house" and I can say it was a great room, spacious, clean, well furnished and everything worked as it should, hair-dryer, TV, A/C the works. Perfect. There are six total resorts on this stretch of beach, all operated by Barcelo and i [... read more]nter-connected by pathways which are easy to figure out and well lit at night and there are enough bars, shops and night-life to keep you entertained. The pools are situated between each resort-pair and also mirror each other so you can choose which you want to hang out at, however if you want a good lounger you will need to rise earlier to claim your spot. The pools are well maintained and clean. The beach has loungers to spare so show up anytime and you're bound to find something suitable. The beach itself was a bit of a disappointment but we soon adapted and still had a great time. It's primarily a coral beach so the sand is peppered with small objects, remnants of coral that jab your bare feet. Bring water shoes if you have them or purchase them at the beach store behind the pool or if you're careful bare feel will do too. Also the depth of the beach isn't what we are used to, it's a very short distance from the palms to the water and there's a bit of a drop down to the water's edge so if you have mobility issues that could be an issue. And there're rocks too just under the surface that will require some dodging. When approaching the water look for the dark spots and just walk in between them that's where the sandy bottom is and you'll be fine. The buffets were good, ample food and well prepared, well staffed by pleasant, helpful and happy people just want you want. The a la carte restaurants were all amazing, best food I've had on vacation that I can remember, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Make sure you take a pair of slacks and collared shirt for these as no shorts or t-shirts are allowed, though if I were the establishment I'd relax the rule allowing nice bermuda-style shorts as well. All in all we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would come back to this resort in a heartbeat. Have fun!

Hacienda Encantada Resort and Spa: Beautiful resort but has some flaws

The Hacienda Encantada is an absolutely beautiful resort, very Spanish in terms of the architecture. The landscaping is gorgeous and the entire resort is kept spotless. The pools were very clean indeed. We had a one bedroom suite and it was amazing. We loved it. We went for 3 weeks all inclusive. Having said that, this resort very much caters to the time share or owners as they liked to be called. As the owners cook their own meals, the breakfast buffet (Las Marias) for the other guests i [... read more]s extremely small (the smallest we’ve ever seen in 30 yrs of travelling all inclusive). The egg lady has the grill up far too hot and doesn’t speak any English so getting a properly cooked egg was a hit and miss. I will give shout outs to 3 employees at Las Marias. Alejandro, Estela and Fernanda were lovely people and very quick with their service and always with a smile. The other restaurants are all open air and it was very cool while we were there but they do their best to keep you warm with blankets and heaters. Our issue being all in for 3 weeks was that the menus got very tiresome. Lots of seafood options and a lot of Mexican food options. I would have to say that the lunch options were scarce if you want to eat healthy. Most of the items on the menus were greasy fried food. A free shuttle to and from the Golden Zone, along with 6 other options there for lunch and dinner helped with a change of scenery. In terms of post Covid cleanliness, the resort charges $5usd for each day of your stay for sanitation. We did see some restaurants cleaning tables and place mats etc but unfortunately we did see the cooks in the The Patio cross contaminate while cooking. Shout outs to Raul our bartender at the adult pool. He was amazing as was Roberto and Gustavo, the servers. Also shout outs to Oscar at Los Riscos, Javier at Borolo and Onell at Il Forno. Two other things we did not prefer is that the on-site store did not take cash, everything had to be charged to your room or credit card. The other thing is that, for everything you eat or drink, it must be signed for. Like previously said, we have travelled all in for over 30 yrs and have never seen this practice ever before. As beautiful as this resort is, we will not be returning.

El Dorado Maroma: Adorable El Dorado

The restaurant staff were all very friendly and great at making sure all was perfect. The food was amazing, we stayed at many good resorts but this was a notch above. One exception, Celina (Mio restaurant) was quite inflexible the day of our arrival and another night despite having a reservation. The concierges checked in with us often but failed to deliver on their promise to act on our requests. Beach was amazing, with sand powdery white, just incredible and one could walk indefinitely on  [... read more]either end. They worked daily on managing the seaweeds but nature often won. It was still great to swim though you had to walk in a long way to get to deeper water. The spa and gym were very nice. Painting (with Felipe) and cooking classes were so much fun. One note of caution on excursion: we booked a few excursions to Tulum and Cenote and snorkelling, with Lomas travel, their own on-site agency. We were quoted a cost in USD. Upon checking out, they converted back to pesos and ended up charging up 20$ then the quoted USD price even if we paid in cash. The Lomas agent would not accept cash upon booking.

Sunscape Puerto Vallarta: Weather and Beachfront

We found the resort very clean. The rooms were restocked daily. The staff were amazing! The a la carte dining was served like a 5 star resort. Gorgeous presentation. The buffet did not have much variety though.

Platinum Yucatan Princess: Wonderful trip

We had a great holiday,good people,food ,room ,service,and grounds.would recommend to everyone.the beaches are usually really good but it was an early seaweed year.there was a great assortment of restaurants

Smart Cancun By Oasis: There Feb 24/23 to March 3/23

Overall, good hotel. Walking in, it’s a very run of the mill small hotel lobby, clean and had a beautiful smell. Staff was pleasant but we were taken by surprise by the $50 U.S. hotel fee. At first, the rooms look nice but the bare basics as far as cleaning was done. Mirrors were dirty, swing out mirror was filthy, bad smell in the mini fridge but the floors, washroom and bed were acceptable. NO BALCONY ON THE 4th, 5th and 6th floors-(only on 2nd and 3rd). I feel the cleaning staff have their  [... read more]hands full because they do start cleaning mid morning and are still cleaning early evening... (I do believe it’s just one housekeeper per floor). Pool area: probably one of the prettiest most comfy spots I’ve ever come across. Beautifully done and clean! This hotel is close to everything and perfectly located being close to Costco, Walmart, a great market across the street. We made our own meals, which was great. 12 pesos gets you to the beach (roughly 2.6 km from the hotel) and 12 pesos back. Unbeatable location and great price! Had a very relaxing time and may very well go back!

Ocean Coral and Turquesa: Could’ve been better

Everything was quite mediocre compared to the other 4 start resorts I’ve been to. Wouldn’t go back and wouldn’t be at the top of my list to recommend to someone else. For the price, it wasn’t worth it.

Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Great Family Place

We spent a wonderful week at this family oriented resort. There was lots to do for everyone. We enjoyed the facilities. We swam in the cenotes, spent time by the pool, had fun at the waterpark, walked on the beach, went to the all the shows, went for a walk to checkout the ruins, hung out at the sports bar and played pool and ping pong. It was amazing to see all the wildlife roaming around the resort. Checked out all the a la carte restaurants and got into all of them. The staff were very kind  [... read more]and helpful. Food was good. Rooms were comfortable and clean. Thanks for the suggesting we check this place out.

Krystal Grand Nuevo Vallarta: It was a supper Resurt, has almost everything one would want.

First we booked and paid for Deluxe Resort View with Queen bed but was downgrades to Standard Resort View with double bed for first 4 days but upgraded to Deluxe for the last 3 days after complaining to management every morning for first days,other than that the resort was almost everything anyone would want. The workers were excellent and bent over backwards to help you. Management has some growing pains but is working hard to ensure the right person is filling the right slot. Talking to peo [... read more]ple that have spent time at the resort before said that the resort was not quite at the same level yet as before COVID19 but will get there before end 2023. We don't know what that means but we were impressed. The next question;Would you recommend this resort to a friend, ONLY IF YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR AND ADVERTISED. I would also go back with the same reasoning and was compensated for the downgrade. Our value and overall rating is based on unfair treatment.