Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Great resort, it has a great balance of activities and amenities!

I've been a number of resorts and this one beats all the others from the great balance of things that it offers "aspect". First of all I booked this resort because we needed a family oriented vacation. The addition of our daughter as a new family member made me look for resorts that offer a variety of choices for things to do. Sandos did not disappoint in this area! From the start we liked the grand picturesque entrance that the resort complex offers, it is spectacular from when you enter the [... read more] hanging vine arches. Inside is a mixture of jungle meets beach, which we loved right from the start. The resort offers many activities to do such as: watch the wildlife, hikes, bike rides, the flora is diverse, nightly entertainment, it offers daily entertainment by the pool (which we were never really a part of), water activities, kids water zone (this was great, with slides and many size pools), restaurants of various types and buffet, snorkeling through the cenotes, romantic boat ride, water activities. It really has a wide caveat of things to do and enjoy. One of the things we liked and disliked at the same time is how far our room was from the beach, we liked it because we would take a different route every day and check out the wildlife as well as the hanging bridge. I recommend booking all of the dinners the first or second day you are at the resort as these get reserved fast, we never got to see the Japanese restaurant as apparently it was booked solid throughout the week. I enjoyed the beach quite a bit, but we found you had to go at certain hours because the beach would get filled up with a sort of floating seaweed that would make enjoying the beach impossible. (if it was windy chances are that the beach gets completely filled with the stuff). There are multiple bars and snack bars around the resort complex and even though this is a huge resort sometimes it doesn't quite feel like that because of how abundant green spaces are within the complex. I loved the fact that there is shade literally everywhere around the resort, as many resorts are normally new and don't have any mature trees. (I know most people look for a sunny beach, but sometimes you get overwhelmed by the high sun that you have to run for cover between noon to 3, and this place offered this). Juan the concierge is a great person and facilitated our stay at Sandos. Our daughter was sick due to the weather and he made our stay a lot more welcoming, facilitating delivery for prescription medications for our daughter from a nearby pharmacy, giving us information about the resort complex and an all around nice guy. The downside as I mentioned is that the complex is huge and depending on what you like or your fitness level or needs if you are placed in the far end of the complex then everything is a long walk (reception, restaurants, play room, internet, the beach, pools). Most of my complaints are about the reception at the hotel. Because of covid it was unfortunate that we didn't get a copy of the map or any information at the reception. Also the reception always had huge lineups (every service at the resort was understaffed), reception would never have change for your currency (I was there every day in the morning and they would say that they were out of money, so on my entire trip I never had any pesos or smaller denomination to be able to tip), reception would also take clients at random sometimes from the line (I remember waiting 45 minutes to ask for something only to be turned to the concierge for that question). The first couple of days we were clueless, they don't give you any information on anything, internet is only available in few places and this resort is huge (big downside not having Wi-Fi, we could not get in touch with our other family members in the resort and the Wi-Fi was located very far from our room). The fact that the hotel is tiered based on how much you pay, you get privileges' for certain things (select club, adults only, elite, and so on).

Krystal Grand Nuevo Vallarta: Well run resort

The concierge (Gilberto) was an exceptional problem solver. He provided several options for the ArriveCAN mandated PCR test. We opted for the “in room” test ($145 USD per person) with a 12 hour e-mailed result. The test took 10 min. Costs for the tests varied from $100 USD to $200 USD per person, depending upon who provided the test and where the test was performed. All staff we’re wearing masks and they politely reminded guests to wear theirs in all appropriate areas. The rules are i [... read more]dentical to Canadian rules.

Krystal Cancun: Do NOT stay here!!!!

Not sure where to even begin. Since my review can only be so long let me be quick - Terrible service (got cut off?) - Terrible food (no variety) - Outdated - Bad plumbing - False advertisement! DONT GO

Grand Riviera Princess: Beautiful resort, amazing staff!

Staff was very friendly, resort was very clean. Driver of the resort shuttle (Bernie) was such a special character, always there to pick us up and drop off back off all with a smile and many jokes! We had an amazing time in Mexico! Thank you to all the staff that made our trip so memorable. For 7 days it felt as if the pandemic did not exist and we were away from our worries.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Great time

This is a resort that has it all. So much to do if you want to keep busy and a great beach if you don’t want to be busy. Just one tip to get your covid test. Do not use the shuttle bus. We waited 30 minutes to catch it. Then it took 20 minutes to get to the hotel with the testing site. It was a 5 minute walk along the beach ! So if you’re able just walk there.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: The staff make this a great resort

Let's start with the bad, this is a very large resort which accommodates 2500 travellers. The rooms although dated were very clean and well maintained by a very friendly cleaning staff. The distances from the restaurants, buffet and show area was far from the rooms, although golf carts were available not many were operating. Occupancy was only at 28% therefore staff was limited and only 2 a la carte restaurants were ever made available to us, different themes on different nights but always same  [... read more]2 locations. The ocean in front of the resort is ugly, brown water and lots of washed up algae, however 100 meters either way and the ocean is much prettier. 5 minutes walk left of the resort is a beautiful lagoon area with crystal clear water. The pools are huge and the service is exceptional, kudos to the bar staff, fast efficient and always friendly. Same can be said of the buffet team, friendly greeting every morning afternoon and night, service is fast and they go out of their way to get you drinks, coffee, water and or juices. Front desk staff and manager were very helpful and knowledgeable. I would like to thank the lady in the back office who helped me book my golf rounds, she went out of her way and called several courses to find those that suited are needs, I'm ashamed that I can't remember her name. The resort has a great variety of wild life, deer, coaties, raccoons, giant guinea pigs or small Capiberra not sure what they were, spider monkeys, so many different kinds of birds and of course iguanas of all sizes. Again signs everywhere telling the guest not to feed and to respect nature As for the Covid protocols, they were definitely in place, masks had to be warn at the front reception area and they had boxes in case you forgot, lost or broke the elastic off yours. Restaurants and buffet while standing, and any other in door facility. Every location had plenty of hand sanitizers, the buffet was still self serve but they provided plastic gloves and they were mandatory along with your mask. There were signs everywhere reminding everyone of social distancing. Every public area was constantly being cleaned, bathrooms and dining areas were immaculate. Pool area was clean, trash and glasses being picked up by the bar staff all day. Busses and taxis required the wearing of masks while in the vehicles. The resort has taken every precaution, unfortunately not every nationality followed the rules, North Americans for the most part did but local Mexican guests and some Europeans didn't put much importance on masks or distancing. Overall I would rank this resort as good to great only because of it's incredible staff. Buildings and facilities are dated but still ok, beds were comfortable and rooms were very clean. Too bad for the Ocean but not much they can do about that. Things I liked include the food which was always amazing, kudos to the chefs. The friendliness of the staff, the large pool was a lot of fun with a lot of room. The beach bar with the swings was a nice touch. 👌

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Great hotel

Amazing staff, very courtious and fun and super attentionate to our needs, you need to bring your aquashoes to go into the ocean..weeds and rocks,beautifull sand 20 min taxi ride from playa del carmen’s 5th avenue.

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Best of Barcelo

This section of the Barcelo Maya resort is far superior in all respects. The design and architectural features are superb. Pools and beach are spectacular. Rooms were large and ver comfy. King beds are supersized. Service was excellent. Food at buffet was very good and a la cartes were a real treat. Good drinks. Oceanfront room is definitely worth it. Covid tests easy to arrange. Overall a beautiful resort hotel.

All Ritmo Cancun Resort And Waterpark: Beautiful resort with friendly staff

The resort is older but kept in good repair and always updating things. The beach is kept in pristine state and water so warm. All the pools are kept so clean they were refreshing to swim in. I will say I loved the food here even though it's not super fancy. The vegetables are extremely fresh. Their fish and chicken are the best. They also have hotdogs and hamburgers for fussy kids. Oh the nachos are with mentioning delicious with cheese and beef and jalapenos on top. They have different themed [... read more] meals every day. There is an amazing water park here with water slides and a giant bucket that's dumps water. It's great for little kids and big kids like me (47). This is truly great resort and the staff is so happy and friendly.

Viva Maya by Wyndham: Down to earth hotel

Beautiful landscape and palm trees for beach. Nice front yard with flowers and palm trees. Buffet is good. Cleaniness of hotel and bathroom. Many activities at the beach and hotel. There is bar near the pool and beach.

JOIA Paraiso by Iberostar: Fabulous Resort

Everything was top notch. Food was delicious and a great variety from the buffets to the the restaurants. They were so accommodating anything you needed they were there. We liked that our resort was children free. We used the Tranquil pool which was so relaxing. The grounds are immaculate. This is our third time visiting this resort and will return back next year.

Grand Decameron Complex Bucerias Trademark: Wrong Season

The resort was in good repair and ongoing upgrades. Missed the small fridges that were being removed. The staff were very good. However, 90 % of the quests were locals so it was hard to socialize. It appeared that the buffet was adapted to Mexico clients, chicken,chicken, chicken. Not the the level as my previous visit. There was constant changes to the WestJet flight times and no recognition of the Mexico daylight saving time change.

Ocean Maya Royale: A breath of fresh air!

Nice to be able to travel again, and second time back,at Ocean Maya Royale. We chose the Privilege suite and happy we did as we prefer this room layout and location over the block building rooms. Love being able to walk along the beach all the way to Grand Velas and back, about a 90 min. walk in all. The sun is still shining making lounging around so nice. As with any resort, it’s so nice simply having to choose what to put on your plate and not having to get the groceries or make it. So t [... read more]hankful for the resort staff who are cooking and cleaning and making the stay so enjoyable, Shoutout to Crystal and Asusana in the Privilege area as they were so helpful with inquiries and in arranging the PCR test required to get back in to Canada. Very smooth process as a nurse comes onsite for the testing and you get the results back within about 30 hrs. The added requirements uploading various docs to ArriveCAN added a touch of anxiety to the last 24 hours of the trip, yet I would do it all again. The staff go over and above with masking protocol and I feel sorry for them as they even must wear it outdoors and in public spaces. They definitely deserve generous tips for sure. You see additional disinfecting taking place around the resort as well. And you have to wear disposable gloves when getting your food at the buffet restaurant, La Hacienda. All good, and I’m sure all required by the Mexican tourism board to help tourists feel safe. Would love to know the number of positive COVID tests from people having stayed at the resorts. I would wager less than 1%. Totally felt safe being there, unmasked in open areas, and around lots of people, regardless of their vaccination status.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Good resort

Hotel is nice. Has 4 different hotels on the territory. You dont have to walk there are little cars are coming to different locations. Rooms are clean. At buffet very good variety of food. Nice clean fabric tablecloth on the table. They give plastic glove to go to buffet and you have to wear mask. But at the table you take it off. Friendly staff. Only if you are coming from Canada change money to US $ at Canada. They dont want canadian $. You can change them only in pesos at the hotel not at US  [... read more]$. Take extra because covid test cost 120 US$ for each person location at the Tulum hotel or there is the option the lab can come to the room for 115$, antigen test cost 35$. All programs are running in full capacity. Kids club were you can send kids from 9-5 and enjoy kids free day. Program is free. At night kids show at 8pm, entertaiment show like circus, magic show, silent disco at 9pm. At 10pm live music and karaoke. Pools are clean they clean them each morning. Beach little bit far you need to take little car and 5min you are there. You will need water shoes for the beach a lots of rock in the water plus seaweed. Also there is a delfinarium on one the hotel (Tulum). Little bit expensive to swim with dolphins 159$. Also if kid want go no money back. You can go to the pool in all those 4 hotels. At Coba hotel there is kids slides I found little bit rough went myself. Bars make good drinks. Best bar for coffee and cocktails at the lobby. They clean all tables and chairs. At the beach you can take kayaky for free. Or there is katamaran if you know how to sail its free. With instructor it cost 45$. Parasailing 75$ per person. We mostly spend time at the pool, because beach has a lots of rocks. Water is warm at the beach and at the pools. Food was good and big variety of food. You always find what to eat. Deserts ware amazing! From airoport will take you 1.5 hour to hotel, bit far. They left surprise for the last day bottle of brut and stawberry covered in chocolate, which was very nice. Restaurans are open. Everything is open and running there. You can buy diffrent excursion at the hotel as well like excaret, xelha, chicheniza... Yes would recommend the hotel.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Great Resort

We had a wonderful time at the Ocean CoralTurquesa. The Covid protocols made us feel safe throughout the resort. I have a problem with stairs and we were moved to a ground floor unit within one day. The restaurant’s were very good. We used room service one night and it was prompt and hot. The Blue team was amazing. We had so much fun at the Chill pool watching the games. Special shout-out to Ivan and Freya who always took the time to greet us and interact with the Canadians. All of the staff  [... read more]was very accommodating to us with whatever our needs. Look forward to returning.

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Valentin

Such a great resort! Beautiful grounds and very friendly people! Beach is the best! Only thing is they raised price of exclusive per person and disappointed about that! Also due to excessive paperwork upon arrival took a very long time to check in!

Platinum Yucatan Princess: Excellent Stay All Round

This hotel has exception service in everything. Staff is always super friendly and willing to help as much as possible. Great buffet with amazing restaurants! Pools and rooms were always clean. Fun and entertaining shows each day.

Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas: Amazing resort

We love this resort loved it enough to go again . Grounds ate we maintained as well as rooms. Pools are clean. No issues with staff. They seemed to follow their best for covid, like wearing masks at times. Little issue with the covid testing no one not even lobby staff new where to go or how to book we and other vacationers had to figure it out ourselves.

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: Has gone down since last year

Silly mask wearing rules. You can be in open lobby with no mask but one server at bar says wear it when others do not care at all. At outside bbq by beach wear a mask. Also Friday and Saturday full of locals and there was a fist fight in the lobby saturday night. Classy.. I guess the Karens of the worlds quack the most and they listened. I get it that they need to make some revenue during these times. However the resort is still nice and the staff are great.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Vacation 2021

This hotel is very clean. Restaurants one open other closed no communication. Front desk be prepared to wait 45 minutes on a good day. Our Sunwing rep. was the best person to talk to and get issues resolved Thank you Jesus your the best. No entertainment prices should be cheaper. Covid testing big money grab.