Riu Emerald Bay: Best 36th Anniversary EVER!!

I went through a Travel Agency who recommended this site to me. The price, the room category, the flights/times, the dates and the cost were exactly what I was looking for so went ahead and booked. Previously I've always booked myself ie: flights and hotel/resort but nothing I could find hit all the right notes. I then started reading the reviews and have to say, most of them were right on target: 1: Elevators - can be an issue 2: Beach Bands - can be an issue 3: Al a Carte reservations at [... read more] 7:00am These were 3 issues I was extremely concerned about. ..... and they were all right on target. We just felt they were really, no big deal!! Our flight out through Sunwing was great. My wife had come down with Vertigo a month before we were to leave and Karol our Travel Agent with Trip Central got us arranged to have a wheelchair assist and the Sunwing folks were great, both at departure and arrival in Mazatlan. Flight was great, paperwork done, food good. Loaded onto a bus to head to the resort. Sunwing reps talked, ...... and talked ........ and talked. Trying to sell excursions and beer. Okay I get it. But how about being a "Host" on the 30-45 minute trip. I'm used to questions like "Who's here from out of town?" or "Whos here celebrating Honeymoon, anniversary, etc" Nope. Then it was just plain inaccurate information. ie: Worlds largest shrimp fishing fleet. (sorry, but nope), or Tourism is the #1 income generator in Mazatlan and so "We're the boss!" Um, well, no. Got to the resort and its a mad house in the lobby. Buses coming and going. folks lined up with their luggage to get on the bus we're getting off. Battle through the crowd to the reception desk to get wrist band, keys etc. In line for the desk, someone starts talking over here, then someone else starts talking over there. Can we hear? No! Get to the desk. Get registered. All set to head to the pool or beach because its like 10:30 in the morning and there's no way our room is ready and...... What!!?? Rooms ready! Fantastic!! Wheres our luggage?? No idea. Have to ask 3 people how to find our luggage. Just sitting in the lobby, no one around. Got ours (Could have taken anyone's) and headed to the elevators, 6th floor. Room 637 Junior Oceanview Suite! Wow! Double balcony. 6th floor was great. Great room. Quickly unpack, change, head to walk around, find the restaurants, pool, bars etc. You know, get the lay of the land. Easy. Well set up. Liking the 6th floor. No sweat walking down the stairs and could go up in a pinch. Remember, I'm almost 60 and my wife has vertigo so the elevators will be needed. Get to the pool, spend some time there, get some lunch (we've been up since 2:45am CST) and decide we might want to take a bit of a nap. There it is!! 2:00 and the world famous beach mariachi band (Not really because its a trumpet, trombone, Tuba, snare drum, base drum, cymbal and other such noise makers that make sleeping at 2:00 in the afternoon simply impossible) I even believe that at one time that day, there were 2 of them! No sleep. Great dinner, went to bed and up until Lord Only Knows what time as there was a party on the other side of the hotel, out on the street and when you phone to see if something can be done? No, public land. So much for tourists being in charge. Can't/Won't do anything about the bands or the noise. We met some great folks that work at the Riu Emerald Bay. Ernesto was our breakfast waiter, everyday (other than the one day off a week he gets when he made arrangements for one of his co-workers to take care of us). Julian was our dinner waiter (small world, Ernesto is Julians Tiu or Uncle). Beranice would cook my eggs every morning, with a smile. Head Chef Jorge starting coming over and saying hello when he's see me. Even cooked a special dinner for us on our last day. In a Buffet!! We ate at the Bamboo restaurant twice. First time I was able to book a reservation for the 6:00 sitting at the front desk, at Noon!! The 2nd time we got there around 6:00 and asked if they had room for 2? Yup! c'mon in!! Remember, al a cartes are buffet too but to our way of thinking, that's better because you can try everything you want and more if you like it! Just Remember Tempura Shrimp!! Mmmmmmmm!!! We also ate at the Italian restaurant where no reservations are required. Were kinda inconsistent on when it was going to be open but no matter. The food was really outstanding no matter where you ate! we were very impressed across all venues. Jorge, Pedro, Genaro, Leonardo were some of the very hard working bar tenders who took excellent care of us around the more quiet infiniti pool. Maid service in the room started off exceptional. Every day a different towel figure. We did leave a tip every morning however unfortunately, later on over the 2 week period were there, it really dropped off. One day we left around 9:30am, put out the Please make up the room sign and when we got back between 3:30 and 4, the room still wasn't done. This is when we like to shower, lie down and get ready for dinner so, no way are we calling for someone. After that day, no more towel figures, took all out glasses without replacing them and then the last day, my wifes Norwex facecloth she uses was gone:( Also, we would generally go for dinner around 6:30-7:00. We got back to the room to find 2 additional pillows on our bed. Odd. I went down to the reception desk and asked who was in our room and why. They had a record of us calling at 7:59 (this was around 9:00) asking for more pillows, body lotion and something about the air conditioner. Wasn't me. Confirmed the room number. Yup, my room number. Wasn't me! Went back to the room, looked in the bathroom and sure enough a bunch of hair conditioner and body lotion on the counter. Then the phone rings. Its the desk asking if we would remove our Do Not Disturb sign so they can come see us. Odd. Removed the sign. 20 minutes later 2 guys, obviously maintenance come in and are checking the plugs in the bathroom and by the fridge. I explain that everything is working fine and we did not call them. They left with a shrug. Never heard anything back from anyone on that fiasco! Odd. Spent 2 weeks, eating, drinking, sleeping when we could, drinking some more and generally enjoying ourselves. The 2nd Tuesday was our Anniversary, our 36th to be precise. Ernesto brought us Mimosa's at breakfast and Julian decked out a table with red table cloth, rose petals, Sparkling wine and a really nice cake for dessert. Could not have asked for a better bunch of people! I went dreading the bands. I went dreading wasted time waiting for elevators. I went dreading having to line up for everything, reserving loungers at o'dark hundred and getting bored of the same ol food day in and day out! What we got, were, well, yes, those dreaded bands. What we got was some slow elevators but really no big deal. What we got was absolutely no line ups and pretty great service all in all with such a wide variety of food in the buffet that I don't know how anyone could complain. Lots of fruit, a great salad bar, desserts you want to eat but cant because you've stuffed yourself with so much food but do anyway. I took a photo of my plate on our anniversary. It had Beef Tenderloin off the grill, Lamb, Grilled Shrimp and Carved Roast beef!! All on one plate!! I wanted to hate the Riu. That Big Corporate Approach where you're treated like cattle but after discussing the pro's and con's with the little missus and some other friends, not to mention Ernesto, Julian and Jorge, I think we'd like to go back next year. You know, I'm practicing for our upcoming 40th.... :)

Hyatt Vivid Playa Del Carmen: Exceptional Resort

This Resort was top notch. From the service, beautiful rooms and grounds this Resort exceeded our expectations. The restaurants were wonderful and the staff were exceptional. Best coffee and ice cream shop. It was just the right size not too big and not too small. If you are looking for relaxation and pampering this is the place to go!

Flamingo Vallarta: Good hotel overall

I think overall its a good hotel, not super luxurious, but hey, for the price you pay I think is OK. There are lots of comments regarding the food, I would say that if for breakfast you are OK with bread, toast, eggs, pancakes, you are good. Supper options are not that great, but again for the price its OK. We would eat out for supper and the bill for 5 people it's around 130 CAD. So, it's quite expensive to go out for every meal so I would recommend for an extra couple of dollars, it's good to [... read more] go for all inclusive. Just eat out once in a while :). The pool is nice, because is mostly retired people that are in the hotel! They just take the chairs and read and tan all day long. So pool is basically private. My toddler loved it! I would recommend it if you are looking for a holiday and you are on budget. There are beaches near by or you could go to Sayulita, very nice little town 45 minutes away. Uber will cost around 50 CAD and you can enjoy a nice day there. This I will recommend to do.

Royal Hideaway Playacar: Third time at this resort, only one complaint

This was our third time staying at the Royal Hideaway Playacar (we've gone each February for the past 3 years). The food, drinks, rooms, grounds, and staff are all amazing, and the resort has such a charming, intimate feel to it because it is so small (about 200 rooms). My only complaint is about the canvas sun shades/canopies on the beach. This hotel is distinct because it has one of these for each set of chairs on the beach (most other resorts don't have this). When we first came here in Febru [... read more]ary 2018, every single set of chairs on the beech had one. When we returned in February 2019 we noticed that some of the canopies were not in working order and had not been replaced, and some chairs were missing canopies altogether. On our recent return trip in February 2020, I was shocked that there were hardly any canopies at all. I estimate that only 20% of the chairs had them, which meant you needed to get up before the sun to reserve your chairs on the beach if you wanted one. This luxury resort is doing itself a disservice by not replacing the canopies. We want to return in February 2021, but I'm worried that there will be no canopies on the beach at all. In order to enjoy a relaxing and comfortable day at the beach, there has to be shade options for every chair.

Allegro Playacar: Great time!

Lovely resort, well kept grounds, good food and excellent staff. The room was modern and fresh and the beds very comfortable. Restocking the water, coffee and fridge were a bit inconsistent. If someone had mobility issues they may find the stairs to the upper units and the walk down to the beach a bit of a challenge - slight slope heading toward the pools and beach. Would certainly travel back to the Allegro.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Nice resort

Well kept grounds. Friendly staff. We were a bit disappointed with the beach. There is no shade. Tall skinny palm trees don't provide any shade. Therefore we would park our stuff by the pools where the shade is minimal and walk to beach to swim. Why are there no palapas? I have never been to a resort with no palapas.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Great Resort

Had a great time at the resort. It is well maintained and clean. Any staff we met were very friendly and welcoming. They really could not have been nicer. The food was very good and had many choices. Our room was kept clean. Overall we would definitely stay again

Riu Emerald Bay: Lovely resort

I didn't realize that it was a family resort but even though there was a lot of young children, it was actually nice to watch them have fun. Our accommodations were good, the food was good except for the Italian restaurant. Not enough true Italian food. The grounds were beautiful and well maintained. The drinks were okay except for the beer. My husband bought his own supply at the Kiosko across from the hotel. Overall we had a great week.

Las Brisas Huatulco: Wonderful resort

This was our fourth visit to Las Brisas and we will be back! The staff are outstanding and provide attentive and friendly service. There is lots of choice at the buffet with a good selection of alternate a al carte choices. The resort is large and provides opportunity to walk and work off some of the excess indulges or to take a trolley that runs constantly to speed you to your destination. There are 3 beaches to choose from with soft sand at each. The tennis clinics are run by a very experience [... read more]d and patient instructor ( Paco) who provides excellent individual pointers to improve your game. The resort is located near a small town that provides an easily accessed alternate activity for a day or evening.

Riu Emerald Bay: Nice Resort!

Accommodations was great, food was awesome. Flight was good. Transfers good. They do need more elevators. There was only one type of beer, red wine and white wine. Just so happens that is what we drink so would have liked a better selection.

NYX Hotel Cancun: Terrific resort

The rooms were very spacious and well appointed. The hotel is layed out very well and nothing is too far away. Lots of stairs which might not be great for those with mobility issues. The food was outstanding from the breakfast buffet to the beach restaurant. The Japanese restaurant was absolutely fantastic as was the service! Chianti had excellent dining as well. The pool area doesn’t have a lot of loungers but the beach area has lots. The service on the beach by all the servers d [... read more]eserves a huge thank you! They knew what we wanted and always had a smile! We would highly recommend this resort for those who like a smaller cozier resort!!

Krystal Grand Los Cabos: Did not disappoint.

This was a repeat trip for us and as promised they stepped up and got us the same 7th floor room and Diana (room services manager) walked up to the room with us for the surprise of champagne, fruit and a welcome back banner. Carlos at the Altitude club remembered me by name as did the General Manger, Michel. It was a pleasant surprise and the hotel lived up to our expectations once again. The sky lounge bartenders Enrique and Ramone are exceptional and the mojitos by Enrique are the best ever [... read more]. We had no issues with food and they have improved things to do at night since last year. If you want to party, this is not the place for you and that's why we like it. The place is spotless and the servers work hard for you. It is fairly small and feels very cozy as we met the same folks every day. Drinks were not watered down and the Martini bar makes wicked martinis. We shall absolutely return for a 3rd trip.

Las Palmas by the Sea: Excellent staff

The staff at resort were awesome Rosie the morning cook was fantastic grounds were very well kept pool areas were well kept room was good my only complaint about the resort was chairs by the pool towels were put on chairs starting at 5 am or tipped over went to the pool at 11 am was about 12 ppl around pool and 4 in pool and not a chair to be had seen towels put out and no one on them till afternoon other than that it’s a great resort was our third time there

Riu Caribe Cancun: Great resort

We stayed at the RIU Caribe for a week in March 2020. The staff here were incredible as well as the food - excellent in all restaurants and the buffet. The only downfall was the extremely hard beds. We usually stay in the Mayan riviera but wanted to try it right in Cancun for a change..... it was a great place but too much of a party vibe for us - which we were aware of but prefer the more laid back quiet of the Mayan.

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: VERY NICE RESORT!

THIS RESORT IS VERY BIG A LOT OF WALKING, HOWEVER THERE ARE CARRIAGES GOING BACK AND FORTH ALL DAY UNTIL 11PM IN EVENING. THE GROUNDS ARE BEAUTIFUL, WELL KEPT, LOTS OF WILDLIFE HERE AS WELL. SUPERIOR ROOM WAS LOVELY, WALK IN SHOWER/MAID WAS EXCELLENT. FOOD WAS GOOD, LOTS OF CHOICE AND MANY A LA CARTES TO CHOOSE FROM. STAFF WERE ALSO VERY ACCOMMODATING. THE BEACH WAS BEAUTIFUL.

Grand Palladium Colonial: Amazing resort

I had an amazing stay at the Grand Palladium colonial resort in Cancún. The grounds were beautiful the people friendly and extremely helpful. The nightly entertainment was amazing and the dance music well let’s just say I danced every night. The dance group involved the guests. They also had a children’s hour of entertainment. The rooms were clean and spacious. I would stay there again in a heartbeat

Akumal Bay Beach and Spa Resort: Amazing Resort

I loved everything about this resort :) Food was great our rooms were great. Beautiful beach and grounds :) The staff was very attentive and just all around friendly and helpful will be returning to this resort

Ocean Coral and Turquesa: Wonderful Resort !!

This resort was amazing from the moment we entered. As soon as you were checked in which was quick and efficient you walk out the front doors of the lobby and the ocean and pool were directly in front of you within feet. Closest resort we have ever been to the actual ocean. Our room was 14305. It was a short walk from the lobby and completely covered so if there was any rain it was no worry to get to different amenities on the resort. The room was a garden view room but just over the pa [... read more]lm trees you could actually see the ocean. The room was so spacious and clean. Everything at this resort was a very short walk. The set up was very convenient and efficient for getting around to the different amenities. The bowling was amazing. We bowled every day and it was big ball bowling so we had never done this before. We enjoyed daily ice cream from the ice cream parlor and specialty drinks from Mikes Café. The food was amazing at all the a la cartes and the buffet. We loved that no reservations were required for a la cartes beside the Sensai. The beach was very well cared for with not a lot of seaweed. It was however very windy the entire week we were there so it was hard to stay on the beach because it was so cold and the sand was pelting off you. Our only complaint was not enough chairs on the beach and especially at the pools. We did not get a chair at the pool till our final day as a lot of the guests reserve chairs using there towels by 7am. We enjoyed the entertainment. There was a lion king, grease, and a fire and light show which were amazing. The other nights we were not overly impressed with the entertainment. We also enjoyed a day at the spa. The actual spa amenities that you get to use while being there were amazing. We just were not overly impressed with the services for the price we paid. Upon leaving we checked with Air Transat the day before departing as we were directed to do so because of the time change that occurred while we stayed. We were informed to be checked out at 7:20 and the airport transfer would be at 8:20 am. We were all checked on the morning of leaving and went to breakfast. When we came back our shuttle to the airport had left without us. We had no Air Transat Rep to talk to because they were not in till 9am. We therefore had to get a cab to the airport and pay out of pocket. We were so stressed. Got to the airport and still no one to talk to about what happened. It was a $40 US fee to get us to the airport and we would have been ready if they told us the proper times. This wasn't the resorts fault but I thought it should be brought up and I wouldn't want someone else to have it happen to them. Amazing resort !!

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Worst experience we've ever had

Deplorable customer service ... "It's not my problem" was an actual reply from a restaurant manager that best sums up their policy. Raccoons sifting through garbage in the hallway outside our room that was left there for 3 consecutive days. FIVE scheduled pickups that didn't show up at this ridiculously massive and spread out resort. Construction their own staff seemingly wasn't aware of. Food being recycled to the point of drying out, yet they STILL wouldn't discard it. Toilet, hot water,  [... read more]electrical and phone issues in extremely dated rooms. This was the only time in 20 years we've wanted to leave a "vacation" days early.

Sandos Playacar Beach Resort: Large Dissappointment

Want to start with our group of 13 are experienced travellers, have been to Cuba, Dominican, and especially Mexico (10 times) So I am extremely familiar with the level of service and what is to be expected. 1. no service whatsoever, get your own drinks, even though we were club select adult area 2. 10 of 13 got food poisoning and spent the day in their rooms. 3. Monkeys although cute left feces that took days for the staff to clean up on the hand rails 4. Lawn sprinkler system uses stagnant  [... read more]lagoon water (strong sewage smell) and was sooooo bad it woke us up in the middle of the night on 2 occasions, absolutely brutal! 5. Pool was dirty. 6. Staff constantly ran out of premium alcohol and hid it below the counter for black wrist band folks. 7. Was lied to at the reception, told if I wanted a king size bed, I could not have a balcony, this is not true. 8. I could go on for hours, overall the resort is nice, food was good, beach is amazing but too rough for any snorkelling, but your money is better spent on resorts with much superior features and service. No one in our group intends on ever coming back.