Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Would not recommend

Rooms smelled too musty Service was not very good À la carte restaurants took over an hour to be served not enough staff to look after all the guests Definitely not enough loungers at the pool and beach area too many people complaining that they don’t have enough loungers and there were even altercations due to not enough loungers I will not be returning to that resort

Riu Vallarta: Barely Okay Stay

This was our first trip to Mexico and we booked 3 weeks, paying a premium for a top hotel. The only good thing I can say is that the weather is incredible - blue skies and 29-31C every day. Room was bad, ended up paying another $750 CAD for an upgrade after a 4 day wait. (This must be a common practice because they have an actual "Upgrade Your Room" Desk for a fee.) Pools are overcrowded with people reserving chairs well before 7am even though they say this is not allowed. After the first week,  [... read more]the whole El Mencho Cartel thing happened but we felt safe. Then the hotel started closing all A La Cartes except 1 so your meal options were limited to the Buffet or the 1 restaurant that you cannot reserve in advance so good luck getting in. FYI - most of the A La Cartes are also buffets. In my opinion, the food options are terrible. You're not going to starve but the options rarely change so it's the same thing day after day after day - it gets old fast. The hotel moved us again to completely close the North Wing of the hotel because of cancellations, etc. so 3 rooms in 3 weeks. There was no pool/beach bar service and the drinks were just okay - bitter vodka, probably low-end quality for sure. There is a sign in the room that says they restock the minibar/coffee/waters every 2nd day but we had to call down at least 4 times because they were not replenished. We booked one excursion in the hotel with Sunwing (Rhythm of the Night) - we were not told we had 2 options (evening/night shows) so we were booked on the night show where the show was first and dinner was served at 10:30pm. We had to take a taxi to/from the marina ourselves (more $). The boat brought us back to the marina just after midnight where NO transportation was waiting to take any of us back to our hotels. One person managed to find a taxi, and luckily for us that driver called a bunch of his counterparts for the rest of us- otherwise, I'm not sure what we would have done. The nightly hotel entertainment was just bad and depending on where your room is, you can't get away from it. It repeats every week, so if you're there for 3 weeks, you're going to see the same things 3 different times. You can walk for miles on the beaches which is nice, but there are few shells, etc. to find (if that's your thing). Beach chairs are plentiful but side tables are not. Local bus service is available right outside the hotel, and takes you to Walmart where you can take a different local bus to the Malecon, etc. Or the bellhops can get you a cab from the hotel. I doubt this entire poor experience was a result of the cartel effect (which really lasted 2 days). This was our first vacation in 15 years and I was beyond disappointed. Overall, I felt ripped off, especially considering what we paid.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Great resort!!

The Resort was beautiful! Lots of pools and beach space. We never had to worry about finding chairs. Buffet food was good. Al a cart restaurants were fantastic! My only suggestions would be to upgrade rooms, they are out dated and provide more service at the pools for drinks and snacks.

Temptation Resort & Spa: Fun, No inhibitions experience

Our trip to Temptations was a last minute decision over the Christmas holidays. I had been to the resort almost 10 years ago so I had some idea of what to expect. We enjoyed the adult atmosphere, the food and drinks were very good, the restaurants had good ambiance. For a couple that just wants to have fun and not participate too much in the activities we enjoyed ourselves. The games are cheeky and the staff are a blast. But we also got to relax and just enjoy the day by sitting off to the side  [... read more]and people watching. I would recommend this resort to a couple that just needs some quality time to reconnect or have a little fun without feeling like they are at an Adults only resorts that feel like honeymoon spots, not what we wanted. The beach is nothing special but the pool make up for it and they are next to the beach. This is definitely not a Varadero or Punta Cana beach. Its not the focus of this resort. I would say our room needed some updates but it was fine. We did book entry level pricing. My recommendation for a couple coming here is to embrace the fun, bring the sexy outfits, undo the extra button on the shirt and just relax.

Krystal Puerto Vallarta: Very basic Resort!

The Krystal Puerto Vallarta is a basic 2 or 3 star Resort. Was very outdated, over run by Raccoons at night that can be seen climbing on the closed buffet tables. The daily bland buffet that never changed got very tiring after the 3rd day. The so- called Adult Pool was never cleaned and had slimy tiles with sand on the bottom. The Beach bar (one was completely closed) the other would open randomly. Alcohol section was the lowest rail possible. The rooms were clean and okay once they figured out  [... read more]how to program my our room keys and get the safe working. Staff were not very helpful and at time a bit rude. No nightly entertainment and there was nothing to do to keep you entertained on the resort. Thankfully this resort was conveniently located on a strip where there were other restaurants and lounges and malls/ stores within walking distance to attend to keep us busy. Not worth the 5K we spent for a 7 day stay.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: 2 words...horrible service

Our stay had a few good moments, but overall the experience was defined by ongoing service frustrations that became impossible to ignore. Across most of the resort, proactive service simply doesn’t exist. Getting a drink, finding help, or having someone check in on guests usually meant going on a bit of a scavenger hunt. After a few days of this routine we started jokingly referring to the place as “Bar-celo” instead of Barcelo, because actually getting a drink often felt like a small achieveme [... read more]nt worth celebrating. To be fair, when you did manage to find a staff member, they were generally friendly and helpful. The issue wasn’t attitude. The issue was that there rarely seemed to be enough people around to actually provide service. Guests were left doing a lot of the work themselves. One bright spot was the service team at the Maya Beach buffet. The servers there were attentive, present, and genuinely seemed to care about the guest experience. It was noticeable, and honestly a bit surprising, because that level of service wasn’t something we saw consistently in other parts of the resort. Breakfast highlighted another operational challenge. Having one cook managing the entire morning buffet creates a predictable bottleneck. During busy periods the line grows quickly and the wait becomes frustrating. It feels like a very fixable problem that simply hasn’t been addressed. A couple tips for first-time visitors. The resort layout is confusing and not particularly intuitive. Download a map ahead of time or you’ll likely spend the first day wandering around wondering where things actually are. Luggage assistance is technically available at check-in, but don’t be shocked if you end up hauling it yourself while trying to decode the property layout. The beaches themselves are beautiful and well maintained, which is a credit to the grounds crew. Unfortunately, the overall experience is dragged down by inconsistent service and noticeable staffing gaps. When guests spend more time tracking down drinks, chairs, or help than relaxing, something clearly isn’t working. This resort has the bones of a great experience. Right now it just feels like the operations haven’t caught up with the expectations.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Ok resort

The food was good, friendly staff. This resort requires more maintenance upkeep. There were not enough pool loungers and people were fighting over them because of this problem. There were no chairs or umbrellas around the pool areas, had to carry own chairs from our room to these areas. Not enough shaded areas around pools. Main check-in, not enough staff present to handle the arriving guests and the process took way too long.

Villa Del Palmar Beach Resort: We will be back!!!!

Villa del Palmar was one of the best resorts I have ever been to. It was very clean, and staff were always eager to please. The location was perfect! A 25 minute walk to marina, or town site. Very close to beach, and the waves were calm enough to go swimming without fear of undertow pulling you in. Water is a beautiful torquise colour. No seaweed on beach. They have paddle boarding and kayaking just down the beach free of charge. The excursions were awesome and usually have drinks and food on b [... read more]oard. The whales jumping right out of the water was unreal! Never seen anything like it before. Last but not least, the food was exceptional! Ribeye steaks, salmon, shrimp, fresh tasty salads, and the best sandwiches ever! The drinks were NOT watered down. Never had to wait long when requesting a drink or food on beach. I would highly recommend this resort! I would consider this a 5 star resort!

Grand Decameron Complex Bucerias Trademark: Best holiday we never had.

We cancelled our vacation at grand Decameron due to the civil unrest. This would have been our milestone birthdays holiday. We had planned this vacation for a couple of years only to have it cancelled due to the cartel uprising

Hyatt Vivid Grand Island: Fun time

Rooms: clean and spacious Grounds: well kept, lots of chairs to tan in, no real rush to run down and save Entertainment: a flop. The resort shuts down early and the shows could use some work/ more creativity Staff: beyond friendly, fun activities in the day (drink class, sushi class, painting, bracelet making etc) Food: excellent, fast and friendly service- not overly pushy with the up sells (booze and add on foods) Beach club: out of this world. Fantastic food, atmosphere and beach. Tons  [... read more]of chairs. Beware of the “$200 off” scam- we upgraded to Vantage club hoping we would get vouchers like I often do when I upgrade with Hyatt- turns out they tried to rope us into a whole day timeshare scam. Skip the $200 vouchers- it’s not worth the 6-8 hour day off the resort and being harassed to invest. It’s also useful to note the resort was very empty- 1/2 of it isn’t open (being transitioned to residences) and the actual capacity of the other 50% of the resort was at best 60%.

Camino Real Zaashila: Rated too high

The location of this resort is lovely, and the beach was beautiful. It's not a very busy place, chill atmosphere. They pool was large and shallow and seemed a bit dirty. Our room was rundown and ant infested. Food was decent. The staff were all very friendly. The wait staff was mostly very slow and inexperienced and/or untrained. Overall it was a good stay until we got sick from something we ate on the second last day. I would rate this resort a 3/5 at best. For the money, I would recommend choo [... read more]sing a different option.

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Amazing place

We found the resort grounds beautiful, the jungle feel is wonderful, with lots of animals around to watch the Iguanas,monkeys coati deer were so fun to watch. The staff were amazing, always had waiters at the pools and beach. The food was good and always lots to choose from. The xcaret park attached is well worth the extra cost. All and all a great vacation.

Dreams Puerto Morelos Resort and Spa: Good resort

We arrived early but waited 2 1/2hrs to get our luggage, absolutely ridiculous. I know this has nothing to do with the resort itself. The resort is close to the airport which is good. It sits back off the road a piece in the trees. It is a very nice resort for the most part very small in all. Our room was fine, quite damp. We had a lovely view of a pool (which we couldn't use) and we could see the ocean. Rooms are very spacious with a separate shower and toilet room. We always had lots of towe [... read more]ls and fridge was filled with water and beverages everyday. Beds were quite comfy. The buffet was quite small for being a 5 star resort and only 1. The food was good but repetitive. The al a cartes were wonderful, we went to 5. The Rue de Ravoli was probably the best. Th Ki was very accommodating for our large group of 23. The grounds are nice but we found they didn't clean the pool deck area. They put new hooks on the umbrellas and left the metal shards laying around, we had asked the concierge to have some one come to clean it but that never happened. They had a garden party one night but neglected to let everyone know that the buffet would be closed and couldn't accommodate everyone, so left us scrambling to find a place to eat. Bar service 2as good. They have a lovely coffee bar with treats and ice cream, that was a favorite ? of our group. There is no beach at this resort and really no way to walk anywhere. They have a fun spot for kids with water slides and play area. The only issue is there is little to no shade there. 2 of the pools were not in working order so the main pool was very busy. There definitely is a shortage of loungers, if you weren't out to save a chair by 6am good luck. They have beach beds but you had to rent them, I believe they were $65-$75 a day. I feel if they got rid of those they could put a bunch more chairs in. Check in and check out were fairly fast.

Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas: Returned after 15 years

We had not been to this resort for 15 years, the upkeep is outstanding, the employees are delightful. RIU should be ecstatic about how hard everyone here is working for them to keep this piece of paradise up to form.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Experience at barcelo maya beach resort

The only thing I liked about this resort is the cleanliness of the room . The people who are working at the resort are friendly and helpful. But it is a mixed of , adult and family with children little bit too crowded at the swimming pool and and at beach area. Also I am not much impressed about food. The alcohol drinks are the cheapest grade so I couldn’t drink at all.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Experience at barcelo maya beach resort

The only thing I liked about this resort is the cleanliness of the room . The people who are working at the resort are friendly and helpful. But it is a mixed of , adult and family with children little bit too crowded at the swimming pool and and at beach area. Also I am not much impressed about food. The alcohol drinks are the cheapest grade so I couldn’t drink at all.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Nice Resort

Most Staff were good and very thankful us tourists. Some Staff in Lobby were not that helpful and not always helpful, language could of played part possibly. The Staff that shuttled us around when was good especially Antonio our peep, peep guys we loved. NOT ENOUGH LOUNGERS AT POOL SIDE, along with no shade should be lots of umbrellas available if people needed to get out of sun without leaving the pool area. Also no chairs if you could not get a loungers. Had to carry down our chairs from our  [... read more]balconies to sit on. Nevermind Staff in early morning removed our towels and bag but left lots if others people's (was the first time we were able to get loungers under shade out of 7 to 8 days.) Food was good, room was clean. Beach was not the greatest but we enjoyed being around the pool.

Ocean Allure Costa Mujeres: Great new Resort.

Stayed Feb 23 - March 4th 2026 Ocean Allure in Costa Mujeres is new facility approx. 1 hr drive from the Cancun airport. Typically with a few drop off's to other resorts along the way. Check in was 10: 30 pm. Since we were the only ones arriving at the time, it was quick and efficient. We were up graded to a swim up first floor room junior suit. Room was clean, well stocked with towels amenities etc. mini fridge stocked everyday...pools we large, clean and temp was ok. Beach was on red fla [... read more]g everyday except one, so was a bit wavey and there was plentiful seaweed in the water and on shore. The sand was clean with no shells or corral/stones as was the walk into ocean. There plentiful beach chairs at both the pools and ocean. lots of umbrellas at pools and palapas at the beach (could be more though as went quick ) beach was long and can walk for as long as you would want and was perfectly safe. there was always entertainment and activities at the two main pools. Bowling and pools tables were fun. we played pickleball on the three courts for the first time and had a lot of fun...there was tennis also available. Food: coffee shop amazing. Bar were plentiful throughout the resort and drinks were good. Morning and lunch buffets were available with food being plentiful and good variety . never had a problem fining something different of good. However at night there was only A la carte available . There was five restaurants (different themes) and only four were open each night as on a rotating days one would close each night. This did create some long waits and travellers getting very upset and angry over waits....it was not an ideal situation and a lot of talk about it during the trip. they missed the boat there defiantly. We did hear they were short staff so hopefully for the resort they open ng the buffet at dinner and alleviate a lot of pressure on the A la cartes. This was our only complaint we could find ....workers were very friendly and more than willing to help with any needs or just to talk. Bottom line..great new resort..dining needs some work

Allegro Cozumel: Nice resort

We enjoyed our stay here the ground's are beautiful the staff from the front desk were very friendly and helpful.The rooms are small but clean and beds are comfortable The food was good always something to eat. Breakfast and lunch were the best . Dinner time was abit of a hit and miss . But still ok if you got there early. Did not like the pool bar it's connected to the lunch area and service was very slow . So would go to the beach bar for drinks where they were fast and knew exactly how to mak [... read more]e a good strong drink ! The beach was also ok alot of coral all around in the sand but plenty of chairs and lots of shade if that is what you were looking for .The cleaning staff was great ! big shout out to all the ladies that work so hard to clean all the rooms.Too be honest the entire staff at this hotel are great! Happy friendly and helpful. Entertainment is good at the shows and the entertainment staff at the pool are a lot of fun . We definitely enjoyed our stay will we be back you never know but we do love Cozumel.

Grand Decameron Complex Bucerias Trademark: This resort exceeded our expectations!

From the moment we arrived, we were taken care of. When I needed a playpen, they were so quick and brought it to our room. Room service even made the sheets in the playpen when they cleaned. The staff are some of the friendliest people I’ve met, and felt like friends/family when we left. The food is incredible, never tried the restaurants but also didn’t feel like we missed out. Even when I went to grab a highchair, someone was quick to stop me and bring it to the table. This resort is incredibl [... read more]y clean, you notice staff cleaning all throughout the day. We cannot wait to go back!