Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Great resort ... but a few things to note

The Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda is a great resort. The beach is wonderful with lots of water activities: catamaran, kayaks, swimming (rocky bottom but just walk down the beach and you can find a sandy spot to swim). The buffets were great with lots of variety each day, the main buffet had the most variety. The a la carte restaurants were good. My favourites were the French restaurant and the Mexican restaurant. The oriental restaurant had slow service and the food only okay. We did not make it t [... read more]o the steak restaurant as we saved it for our last day and it wasn’t open that day. I was not aware that some a la carte restaurants were only open some days. The staff were friendly and helpful. Our first night was not the greatest though. We arrived at 9pm and were given a room with one king bed (I was travelling with a friend and we requested 2 beds). If that were the only mishap, it wouldn’t have been bad but our room smelled of sewerage, mold and had at least 50 mosquitos in it when we arrived. We requested a room switch and were told that we could not switch until the following day. That night the air conditioner dripped all night long and when we woke up the next morning there was a puddle of water an inch deep. Luckily we didn’t leave any bags on the floor or they would have been wet. We were switched the next day into building 5 and had no other problems for the rest of the trip. Our travel agent Dianne was wonderful. One of the Air Canada Vactions staff at the resort was rude and unhelpful when I approached however we spoke with a different representative the next day, her name is Anna, and she was absolutely wonderful.

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: Great stay at The Fives Azul

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this resort. We travelled with our 1.5 yr old daughter and the room setup and layout of the resort made it enjoyable. We had a ground floor, 1 bedroom suite steps from the pool. The pools are spread out along most of the rooms so most people are close to a pool. This was perfect for us as we could be at the pool with our baby monitor and baby napping 20 feet away. The double balcony allowed us to easily slip outside when she napped as well. The food was good  [... read more]for the most part. The room service food wasn’t great. The downfall for us was that there are no informal dining options or places to grab food to go. Our little one wasn’t interested in sitting down 3 times a day and it also made it difficult to find snacks for her between meals. Unfortunately my husband and I both got food poisoning one night after eating at the Koh Thai restaurant. The beach is small but nice clear sand and water which they work hard to maintain. The grounds are very lush and extremely well maintained. Despite the food poisoning we would likely return.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Beautiful

Its a lovely resort it was second visit..was there about 7 years ago....I love the walking ..and the food was excellent especially at the beach lunch buffet ...we however could rarely find a place to sit at the pool or on the beach but what ever I'm away from the canadian cold so I will sit on the ground I'm so happy to be on vacation....staff were great and always friendly ...all in all very happy 😊

Breathless Riviera Cancun: Exquisite attention to detail.

The hotel was just breathless! Very clean and so much attention to detail! Workers and staff everywhere all the time working very hard to ensure all the guests have a beautiful place from the beach to the front gates! Each was very clean at all times. The only down sides I would have to say is that their 24 hour buffet isn’t 24 hours. It closes at 4pm daily and the main restaurants are open only at 6 so you have to go to the beach pool area for burgers etc. Room service was great but alway [... read more]s 1 hour wait so make sure you aren’t starved! Also on the last night before we left I had put my two piece bikini on a chair on our swim up patio to dry, which is accessable only to the other 4 rooms adjacent to us by pool, when I woke up in the morning to get the suit, my bottoms were missing. I checked the pool and the area around, also in our room in case I miss placed it. I waited till getting home to check my baggage thoroughly and yup they were taken. I don’t know why someone would take someone’s bikini thongs, I know they were super cute cause I bought them just for this trip, Anyhow other than that I have no complaints about this place! Don’t get talked into the “club” presentation. We were told it would take 90 min but 2 1/2 hours later, 😳 but they paid for our excursion and a show so I guess it was worth it.

Royalton Hideaway Riviera Cancun: Amazing Resort! If you're looking for good food and Beach this is your spot!

We were skeptical to book because the pictures looked absolutely amazing, but sometimes things are different when you get there. I must say we were not disappointed! The service, food, Beach and really everything was perfect! We upgraded to a swim out room and I would definitely recommend the upgrade! The food was probably our favorite part of the whole trip! Every single restaurant aside from Tex-Mex we loved! Eldorado was our favorite and Hunter Steakhouse! The Caribbean BBQ on the beach was a [... read more]lso an amazing experience! I did think the nightly entertainment should be extended for longer hours, but the other Resort had lots going on after 10 p.m.. The beach massage service is based on tips and they are absolutely amazing and way cheaper than the spa. Tip Victor well and he will cater to your every need! I was disappointed when I saw the spa prices. Vacations are expensive enough and I've never seen Spa prices that High ever! However it did look wonderful, but I doubt they could beat the massage service on the beach! In a way we booked just for the spa, but ended up getting massages everyday on the beach instead and we're just as happy! If you're worried about the beach I was in the same boat reading some of the reviews on here. They have a bobcat that goes all morning taking the seaweed off Resort so don't worry! There beaches are some of the better ones I've seen in Mexico. Sand all the way out and no Coral or rocks to worry about. However with that being said the snorkeling around the resort is a little boring, but their snorkeling Excursion is amazing! I would definitely recommend the catamaran snorkeling Excursion. Is its only $50 and is so much fun and 3 hours long! Definitely worth it. We saw a couple sea turtles, but the crew ahead of us saw a hammerhead shark! So there is lots to see! Another perk I liked about this resort was that Grey Goose was not a top-shelf liquor that you had to pay for. We didn't figure this out until our 5th day so I thought I would mention it on here! Take advantage! All the drinks were amazing! They don't cheap out on anything at this place! I hope this review was helpful. Also, there is construction going on for new resort on the other side of building 1 so I would recommend if you are there to ask to be facing the pool so you don't have to look at it. Although it might be nice to look at the ocean every morning ❤. The swim outs facing the ocean (building 1), and in building two or three are the best ones! We were in building 1 facing the pool and they were a little cold as they didn't get much sun during the day. But I still loved it! So amazing to be able to wake up and go on your patio and dive in! Another bonus is that you are only 10 minutes from the airport!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Excellent Resort for the 2nd Time!

Extremely clean resort. Staff, waiters, bartenders, all awesome people. They took care of your needs promptly. Easy check-in upon early arrival and room was ready and clean which was a bonus. Food once again was fantastic at all the Al a carte restaurants. Beach was much better this year as previous year due to the seaweed but only mother nature can fix that! Only negative is that there could be more beach and pool chairs available.

Barcelo Maya Palace: Wonderful vacation resort

The Barcelo Maya Palace is a wonderful resort. The staff is friendly & always smiling. The food was first rate. I tried many different drinks that I thoroughly enjoyed. The on sight shopping was very good. Our tour guides to Tulum & Playa Del Carmen were fun & informative. The rooms & the whole complex were clean & well kept. We would certainly consider returning for another fun filled vacation. The only down point is that people reserve the lounges by the pool early in the morning (7am) so t [... read more]hat there were no lounges available when we came out later. Most of these lounges were not occupied most of the day.

Royalton Hideaway Riviera Cancun: Great Resort

First time at a 5 star for us. Enjoyed all the amenities. It was busy as it was the US March break so lots of kids on the Royalton side. We spent our days in the Hideway area but enjoyed most of the restaurants. Was difficult to get into the Japanese restaurant. Like the idea of the door 'key' on your bracelet. No worries about carrying around a door key. As per previous reviews, it is a strange way to clean off the weeds from the beach. They use a bobcat. You would think tha [... read more]t the first pass in the morning, they would use some type of rake. We had an ocenview room which faced also the Hideway pool with balcony Jacuzzi. The hot water for the Jacuzzi was very slow. Also no instructions on how to plug the drain. After a while, found a lever behind a panel on the Jacuzzi. Trip back home which was via Sunwing was delayed 1 hour.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Grand bahia principe coba Mayan Riviera

Lovely resort. Suite was nice and clean. Lots of restaurants for a LA carte dinners. Kukulcan buffet restaurant had huge variety of food. Air Canada Rep really helpful with planning excursions. On the down side, floor dangerously slippery in Kulukan buffet and lobby stairs. Alot more tip requirements than I expected. My daughter's brand new laptop stolen from our suite. Was too big to put in safe box. Bus ride from airport was two hrs.

Riu Playacar: Great resort all around.

Very clean, great food choices, lots to do for couples and kids/families. Shopping is across the street. We were very sceptical about visiting Mexico but had a great time with the kids 3 and 7 months. We felt very safe and would definitely return.

Iberostar Waves Quetzal: Another terrific week

We loved the grounds and staff. A jungle in the middle of the resort with loads of animals roaming about was a pleasure to walk through and see everyday. The beach is incredible as it enabled a 3 or 4 km walk everyday. Food is good. Staff are excellent and super helpful. Very safe, very clean.

Royalton Hideaway Riviera Cancun: Fabulous resort

Fabulous resort. We were well received at the hotel no problems. The only thing that was negative is trying to find the right line to catch the plane. Not organized at the airport or signs and people from sunwing were not available. My ride to the airport was 45 min late because we were waiting for one more couple that finally never showed up in the end leaving us 2 min to spare before hoping on the plane then they changed the gate to upstairs instead of down so we ran and made it at the last mi [... read more]n. We were tired and stressed

Unico 20 87 Hotel Riviera Maya: Unico, Mexico

We just returned from Unico in Mexico. Overall this was an excellent stay, the staff met us at the door upon arrival and handed us cool wet towels to refresh us, coming inside we were seated as staff members took our luggage to our room. We were given delicious drinks and briefly checked in with a few different staff members as well as our own personal contact Pascual who was our personal go to guy and checked in with us daily to ensure we were ok! The hotel its self spared no details, it was lu [... read more]xurious and amazing, such a boutique like feel with high end finishes. We were always drawn to look at something beautiful! The staff, what can I say they wouldn't even let me carry two plates without running to my side to assist me, even on the beach food and drinks were served to us and towels always laid on the loungers for us to sit, they worked their tails off to assist and please, they were amazing. Everyone always smiled, greeted and solved any issue you had without hesitation. The food was great, however a word of warning, my husband ate raw salmon at the buffet and ended up with a gastro intestinal issue ( going on a week now) BUT we did both eat the raw fish at the Japanese restaurant and both were fine, my assumption was the buffet salmon was sitting there a while ( lesson learned) The grounds were spectacular and the staff took great care to ensure it stayed that way. The tub on the balcony was utilized by us daily, such a great bonus. The entertainment was great and we got so many added bonus for staying at the resort such as spa services and excursions which were inclusive, as well as some paid options. Over all I would highly highly recommend this resort. We will definitely think about going back. The only one negative thing I will say is this, our welcome package was great it was informative and pleasant until the end when the lady tried to sell us on a brunch were we would get to see the new wing of the resort, she made it seem as if it was just a nice brunch with a small tour and then you would get a free gift - in other words they were trying to sell us on some type of time share which REALLY turned us off, she told us what time in the morning and we sort of smiled and nodded, we decided we didn't want to go and the staff called our room three times. My husband finally answered and told them no we were not interested and after some convincing they finally gave up and never bothered us again. For that reason we decided not to look into excursions to avoid running into the lady trying to sell us. It was a pity as everything else was so so well put together. I was there for my honeymoon not to be sold on a time share. We also told them we were on our honeymoon, we didn't expect special treatment but any means but they didn't go out of the way to do anything for us ( rose petals on the bed or what have you) That was a bit disappointing as you often hear of some Honeymoon perks! All in all it was a beautiful week away with great weather, beautiful views, pampering and relaxation. If you stay at Unico I doubt you will be disappointed.

Hyatt Vivid Playa Del Carmen: Loved the Hilton in Playa Del Carmen

I loved the Hilton in Playa Del Carmen. We stayed there the week of March 18TH, 2019. The room was spacious and clean. The service was great, The food was excellent with a lot of choices. I loved the location with 5th ave right outside the door.

Dreams Tulum Resort and Spa: Wonderful experience!!

We loved everything about this hotel!! The food was fantastic the staff wonderful everything was " a pleasure". The rooms were clean and well stocked. The grounds were beautiful many trees and flowering plants, and the sounds of the birds , so enjoyable!!!

Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya: Beautiful Resort

Secrets Akumal is a beautiful resort located in Tulum - Riviera Maya. Please note anybody interested, this is almost 1.5 hour away from Cancun Airport. Kindly, factor that in based on your flight schedule. We were at the resort last week for an early anniversary trip and had a great time. It feels like you are in a rainforest with lush green surroundings and birds chirping everywhere. Occasionally, we even spotted Iguana (Huge Garden Lizard). This was our third trip to Mexico and hands down n [... read more]obody can match their level of service. Everything from restaurants to housekeeping is top notch. We really enjoyed dining at Market Cafe for breakfast and lunch. For dinner we preferred Portofino and Himitsu (they have enough choices for Vegan/Vegetarian/Seafood). Beach is beautiful with white sand and clear water - al lot of seaweed that cleaners are constantly clearing out. It's a great place if you enjoy snorkelling and other water sports. There is one point I would like to highlight - the beach is not as private as one would expect. In Mexico beaches are public and hence, you will see people from other resorts sitting right in front of you on the beach - really wish the resort staff can set some boundaries. For this reason alone, I would not want to return to this resort. Overall I give it 4.5 star rating (would be a full 5 star if the beach was even partly private)

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: The food!!!

The Fives Azul Beach Resort is THE place if you want to have delicious food. Every meal, with the exception of the buffet, was AMAZING. We didn't expect to have sushi in Mexico, but we visited the Oka restaurant twice because it was so good!! And the Italian restaurant was a 5-star too! and don't even get me started on the shrimp tacos at the beachside restaurant. Its also important to note the staff @ The Fives Azul were lovely and pleasant and always accommodating to our needs. The pools w [... read more]ere the cleanest I've ever swam in at an all-inclusive, and they worked hard on keeping the beach free of trash & seaweed. We 100% would return back to this resort as a family, and we are also looking forward to checking out other adults-only Karisma properties.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Quality Family time + Adventure = Goal Accomplished

From the moment we booked our trip until we returned, the trip central team and the resort ensured we were taken care of to achieve our goal = relaxation with a splash of adventure! Knowing we could ask rep any questions with confidence was invaluable. The resort breathtakingly clean and well maintained. The staff demonstrated that they cared repeatedly. The amenities were wonderful and kept our teenage kids moving and shaking when they wished or chilling when they needed it! The food  [... read more]was delicious. Our favourite restaurant was the a la cart Japanese - one word to describe - WOW! Overall, this is a great resort that is beautiful and luxurious, staffed by some of the hardest working people I have ever met, who prided themselves on taking care of the visitors. We wish we had everyone's name Antonio, Joshua, Samantha, Jacob to mention a few!

Grand Sunset Princess: Great Family Resort

This is our second trip back at the Grand Sunset Princess - March Break of 2018 and 2019! We loved the experience both times. The resort is immaculate, the service outstanding and this year there was a focus to keep the beach well groomed and sea weed free, which we all appreciated. Our kids, aged 4 and 6 also loved the nightly shows. We would highly recommend this resort.

Hotel Xcaret Mexico: A week in paradise

Beautiful modern and clean hotel. Excellent service and unbelievable food and drink options. Inclusive park access was an added bonus. Will certainly return at a later date and highly recommend to anyone looking for a 5* experience. Definitely worth the money!