Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Great Place for Family

We were guests at the OCT during the Christmas Break with a party of nine, ages 16 to 76. We dined at the buffet and tried all the a la cartes. The selection of food was excellent and no one complained about the quality which was above average but not quite gourmet. The pool is located near the beach and volleyball court which made it easy to keep the gang together. The property is well maintained and service is always provided with a smile. The hotel is only 20 km from the airport which makes  [... read more]arriving and departing stress free. The beach is wide and good for walking. Like most of the Mayan coast, the ocean bottom does have coral here and there, and on windy days (9 out of 10 during our visit), the water is not clear. Personally, I enjoyed getting out for a bike ride every day. There are lots of quiet paved roads and the the wide shoulder on highway 307 feels quite safe. I even got to see crocodiles in the wild during one of my rides. During the holiday season this is a busy resort with lots of families and young people. However, if you are there for quiet and relaxation there there are lots of locations in the resort where you can avoid the crowd. We were especially grateful that Anne, or agent, was able to secure an ideal room, close to everything, for my wife who is recovering from a number of bone fractures.

Selection Riviera Cancun: Great resort

Amazing hotel. Very clean and well maintained. Hand sanitizer is offered before entering any of their restaurants. Grounds clean and landscaped. Employees worked hard all day, everyday to remove seaweed from beach. Gourmet food was exceptional! Service was great. Staff are friendly and personable. Highly recommend this resort.

Platinum Yucatan Princess: Nice resort

Room - Spacious with separate seating area, modern double-shower room, in room double-sink and tub, enclosed toilet area, double closet space, fridge, balcony with nice view (building #5), clean. Property - Nice and very well maintained, always clean, just the right size, restaurants are nicely positioned together for easy access Food - Buffet was excellent - great options and not the same thing every day, seating very comfortable and nicely spaced out from other tables. A la carte restaurants [... read more] don't need reservations. Ate only at the Mexican (Rodeo) and were surprised when asked if we reserved with the concierge for the nice terrace. Food was overcooked and late. Beach terrace has a nice view and good food. Bars - very good with good variety of international drinks. Service was excellent all around, wait staff super friendly and ready to accommodate. Pool - all-around buildings, well maintained and nice. Beach - not as good as elsewhere. Lots of sea weeds and an undersized tractor to clean them. The tractor made tens of runs on the beach the result being more gases than cleaning. A lot of rocks in the water with one single place on the neighbor Grand Princess side with less of them and where most of the people were getting in the water. No water sports whatsoever. Very good shows with a very professional team (different from the entertainment team). Nice setup for the New Year's Eve party. I am recommending this property.

El Dorado Seaside Palms: Nice quiet get-a-way!

Just got back from a 4 night get-a-way at this resort (Dec. 28-Jan. 1) and my husband and I were very pleased. The resort is very quiet and caters mostly to couples which was perfect for us. The drive from the airport was pleasant although it was almost an hour and a half long. When we arrived the staff was very welcoming and friendly. The lobby of the Sensimar side is very dated which we noticed made some visitors concerned. Our room was not ready as we arrived at 1 pm but we were encouraged to [... read more] go eat and enjoy the grounds. We ate our first meal at Culinario which was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend their ala carte breakfast as well, which we enjoyed daily. The service was excellent, especially Cecilia the hostess. We got into our room a little before 3pm. We were on the first floor and our room had a swim up pool which was a nice touch. The room was very clean and had a Jacuzzi tub. The jets did not work but it was great for a bubble bath. We spent each day on the beach with the exception of one day that rained from morning to night. The beach is small and protected by large sand bags so it is more of a wading area, waist deep. A lot of sea weed but the workers remove it all day and it really wasn't a problem. We got out to the beach early and never had a problem getting loungers however they were not very comfortable. Lizbeth the waitress on the beach was awesome and very attentive. We stayed in the warm ocean water until sunset each day. Little tip is ask for premium alcohol when ordering drinks as we enjoyed Grey Goose Vodka when requested. The 24 hour room service was fast, accurate and of good quality. We really have no complaints. We tipped the excellent service which appeared to be much appreciated but not expected. We normally stay at Sandals resorts but opted for a less expensive trip this time and although the facilities were a little dated, the food, alcohol and service were comparable if not better. Hope this is helpful :) Show less Date of stay: December 2018 Room tip: reseach what type of room you want before booking so there are no surprises

Grand Palladium Kantenah: Beautiful Resort!

The hotel is very beautiful, with three lobbies. Kantenah and Colonial are right beside each other while the White Sands is a fair distance away. The majority of the entertainment and events take place at the Colonial lobby. The service was great, however much of the information seems to be left out. We were told reservations can only be made at two restaurants, Seafood and Japanese; this is actually not the case. You can call 5000 from your room to make reservations at all of the other res [... read more]taurants. The restaurant food was quite good, and minimal wait times at each even without reservations. Alcohol in you room is limited, but you can order a bottle to be delivered to you room if you would like something other than soft drinks, water or beer. Also not information told to us. The location is between Playa and Tulum, so depending on where you excursions are your travel time may be a little longer than some of the other resorts. I always struggle with the value at all inclusive resorts; our family is very active so excursions are a big part of our holiday. While these are very expensive themselves, you loose out of the all inclusiveness of the resort. So it is difficult for me to rate the value fairly. All in all, our family had a wonderful time here.

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: It Met Our Expectations with Some Exceptions

The Sian Ka'an was fine. There was a load mechanical banging sound that was very irritating in our suite. This would literally occur at all hours. It sounded like electrical relays...but of an industrial type. It would wake me. Not pleasant. The layout of this resort (maze) is not well marked. We were, as were others, pretty confused about directions back to our suite from the lobby. Many of the staff we met on the paths couldn't really help or didn't know where the suite was. You do, finally,  [... read more]get used to it. I did find the bar staff push alcohol a bit too much. We didn't find this in Cuba, for comparison. It wasn't all of them but a few. There was a big emphasis on this, even at breakfast. Again, by only a few. Who drinks tequila at breakfast? One last thing...we spoke to an American couple about the service at the resort and they found that some of the staff had a little edge as opposed to being eager and service-minded. I got a hint of that a couple of times but we found it dissipated with respect and kindness. My son had the misfortune of playing volleyball with a man who ended up having some sort of extremely serious medical episode (probably heart attack) on the beach. This man dropped right in front of our son's eyes. The response/ readiness of the staff to handle this emergency was pathetic and incompetent. And this cannot be overstated. This man probably died. We can't know if he did and we wouldn't believe what the staff said anyway. This is, needless to say, beyond unacceptable. The attitude among some of the staff was "Oh well, these things happen". This episode literally ruined our last full day at the resort. My son was very upset by what he saw. There is no way anyone could say that everything possible was done to help this man - because it wasn't. As travel advisors with the power to sway tourist traffic I believe it is part of your responsibility to lean on these resorts to ensure proper training of at least a few key people in various areas of the resort at all times or to warn your clients that things could get ugly fast in the event of a medical emergency....let alone the scams that go on with the hospitals, doctors and medical transport in Mexico. It's really unbelievable what goes on down there with most Canadians blissfully unaware of the potential for disaster. Do some online research first. And, thank God, most of us won't have to suffer any of this. But for those who do? The worst nightmare of their lives. This is real. We watched it. Although the physical amenities and food were fine it is this last issue which would cause me not to recommend this resort or, in fact, Mexico as a destination. We will be considering this more thoroughly but feel other destinations might be more suitable for us. We realize that there are issues throughout the Caribbean and that there is poverty and corruption throughout many of the Caribbean countries. It is not a perfect world.

Grand Sirenis Mayan Beach: generally good

nice site, great service, great room, clean, marginal open buffet food, great la carte dinner. now i need 200 characters to submit, blah blah blah blah blah blah dhdgebu djdndo sjuujsn djujdbd sisjubs

Sandos Playacar Beach Resort: Better than OK

Food was good and as long as you headed to dinner before 7, was ok to get into all of the a la carte restaurants. Beach was fabulous but the Elite Club took over the section closest to the resort along with the main pool so everyday we had to walk past to get to and from. The pool in the family section by the beach was nice but they didn’t have a proper food offering there so you had to leave the beach to eat lunch. Pools were also not heated so getting in was “brisk”. Rooms were a goo [... read more]d size and sufficiently appointed but not luxurious. We were with our (almost) adult children and their room was close but they didn’t give us adjoining rooms which was irritating. Staff was uniformly pleasant and helpful and it was a short trip into Playa del Carmen if you wanted to venture in. The town is very built up and touristy so not much authentic Mexican culture to be found there. Overall it was a very good vacation and we definitely enjoyed ourselves and we would go back, but would probably look at other options first.

Hyatt Vivid Playa Del Carmen: Very Good Resort

Beautiful resort, Very clean grounds and pool area, the room was very comfy and was well stocked with drinks. The food was okay, the beach area got crowded with the locals so therefor we had to move back up too pool area. But overall a nice resort.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Excellent place!

The grounds were always in tip-top shape. Line ups to get drinks always moved quickly and smoothly. Restaurants were amazing + buffet had tonnes of different food. A lot of different pools, so you're bound to find at least 1 that suits your needs. Shuttle to the beach only takes around 5 to 10 minutes.

Ocean Maya Royale: Good htl

Everything in this hotel is good except one thing . The night entertainment area is small and it is not very intersting to watch it . It needs a big upgrade in that regard . I wiuld still recommend this hotel for everything else .

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: Great Resort!

The rooms were new, clean, and comfortable. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and maintained. The beach area is soft light brown sand with very few rocks. The sandbag wall is a ton of fun. The beach wait service is fantastic. There are a ton of a la carte restaurants and all have amazing food and good service. The resort is medium sized as far as rooms and guests go, but it is large in area. It was a long walk from the new section of rooms to the beach. There are shuttles, but they n [... read more]ever seem to be where you need them. The cenote is a very unique and amazing feature of this resort. Seeing the monkeys was a highlight of our trip! There are a lot of pools on the property but only the main infinity pool is heated. The lobby is small and closed in. There is no space where you can hang out or play games or have a drink. The evening shows are outside without a lot of sitting space. We didn't stay for the duration of any of the shows as they did not hold our interest. The buffet was not as large as any other resort we have been to. The food was good and there were adequate choices. The food area was quite crowded and there weren't a lot of tables. We went over Christmas break so we paid a lot more than we would have at another time of year. This is a great resort for $2000 per person, but at peak times, you don't get more even though you pay more. Overall, this resort was great for our family vacation!

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: OK Resort

Good resort in general. 30 mins from Cancun Airport. Room was OK, very small bathroom, very loud air conditioner, view of trees only (building 4), pool was freezing, some a la cartes were great, buffet was good.

Barcelo Maya Grand Resort: Thumbs up !!!!!

-very nice place to stay -French Brasserie,Tokyo Tepparyaki and Trattoria Pizza e pasta restaurants were very good. The Mexico Lindo restaurant not so much .The buffets are really good . The beds and pillows are awesome, the room was clean .you really don't need to leave the resort everything we think is there except if you want to go the ruins . Ocean was rocky in most places when getting in, lot of lounge chairs. Really nice water parks for the kids , and nice pools for any age . All [... read more] the people that work there are great hosts!!!

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Great all-inclusive with much to offer

We really enjoyed our 9-night stay at Ocean Coral & Turquesa over Christmas. We had been to 2 all-inclusives in Dominican Republic (Hard Rock Casino - Punta Cana & Dreams La Romana) in the past which we had really enjoyed. Ocean Coral met & possibly exceeded our great experiences in DR. The beach is huge (the hotel has a very, very long beach -- much longer than most, if not all, of the neighbouring resorts). Our kids (18, 16, 13, 13) had a great time as well. Lots to do, many restauran [... read more]ts to eat at, nice staff, etc. The weather was very good overall. A couple of evenings were a bit coolish & it was good we had brought our long-sleeved options. Had some great day trips to Tulum, a cenote and a bike ride to Puerto Morelis. Plus a snorkelling outing which was excellent (which we did through Light House Tours at a great price & with excellent guides). Kids loved playing beach volleyball - everyday! Food was great. Seafood was very fresh & very well prepared at each restaurant. Meat options were also excellent. The variety of food options at the various restaurants was great. Coffee shop was also excellent. We didn't get a chance to try the Japanese restaurant as it was very booked up & we left it too late to try making a reservation (when we called there were no openings for a few days which was too late in our case). Lots of good entertainment each night was fun as well. Only complaint would be noisy neighbours a few nights which we were quite easily able to deal with. Guest services often didn't answer calls but call the room service number instead -- they were very responsive & able to redirect calls to front desk.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Unbelievable service

We continue to return as the employees give exceptional service. Early morning breakfast at Cozumel with Kary & Andre is a great way to start the day. Suggestions for dining..leGourmet, Mashua (best salmon) Portofino (Italian, we however recommend the tuna). Rooms are clean & a request for a bed topper was handled promptly. The gardens are lovely, well maintained property. Best are the people, courteous,friendly & hard working.

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Fantastic resort

Grounds are amazing. New staff need some time to learn the Valentine's excellent service. Food is very good in all the restaurant. Rooms are excellent, and maid service was fantastic. This was our 4th visit can't wait to return for our 5th visit.

Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya: Great time at Secrets Akumal

This was our first time at an adults only resort. And it was a lovely time. Good food (vegetarian and gluten free options in the restaurants), beautiful beach, and very nice rooms. The nighttime entertainment was fairly good most nights as well.

Riu Palace Mexico: Kids friendly fun resort

Clean, well-designed, great beach, delicious food, nice staff. Great layout and all the amenities are easily accessible. Water in the pools was a bit cold, even during the day. Fun shows at night and animation staff are very nice. All resort staff were quite attentive to needs of guests

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Great experience

The hotel is very large and there is a long walk to the beach. Lucky I enjoyed these long walks. The main pool with many great activities and a large buffet restaurant are located on the beach. This combination worked really well for my family as no one was missing out on anything. The beach was beautiful and we did a lot of snorkeling in a nearby cenote. The entertainment and the night shows were exceptionally well done.