Grand Decameron Complex Bucerias Trademark: Fantastic Stay!
My partner and I stayed here for 7 nights and it was amazing! This was our first time in the Puerto Vallarta area of Mexico. We flew with Air Transat both ways which was a breeze! The package booked through Tripcentral was both easy and convenient thanks to Rachel Guindon who made it all happen. She was there to answer all of my questions very thoroughly and chose perfect flight times for us. Thank you! There were signs outside of the airport that lead us to the shuttle that took us to the resor[... read more]t. We even got a little history lesson on the bus by the Air Transat Rep! We had to wait a couple of hours before checking in since we were there before the time but the Decameron staff held onto our bags for us while we used the time to eat. The staff actually upgraded our room to one with 1 king bed on a top floor by the adult only pool. We were so thankful for this. The service here is incredible by the way. They always had smiles on their faces, willing to help and were super efficient. Special shoutout to Leo, Vidal, and Yair for your great service. Also to our housekeeper (so sorry I forgot her name but she was our housekeeper from feb 8-15th room 5424) And to Samantha & Ignacio (On site air transat reps) who helped us choose the perfect excursions and were super educated and hilarious!
The beach gets packed earlier in the day so finding side by side chairs in the shade can get tough but people on the beach were super friendly and made room for us when they saw us searching for a place.
There are quite the number of iguanas around the resort. Do not pet them or feed them. They’re super cute and harmless though! Let them do their thang. On our second day there we saw fireworks at the resort which we loved and another day we celebrated Mexican Fiesta day throughout the complex. Every restaurant and bar had something special going on one even had a Mariachi band!
The food was okay to be honest we didn’t expect 5 star meals as this is not a 5 star resort but LOTS of options for everybody! The best buffet is the one by building 4 pool close to the beach bar. They have the most options including pizza and create your own pasta. The snack bars are great too. Burgers are there are good. They always have chips and guac so if you’re on the hunt for that then go here. Overall we loved this trip. The weather and wonderful staff made us wish we were still there. We will be back for sure.
TIPS:
-Stay in block 4 or 5 for quieter adult pool & bars. Also close to a nice snack bar , theatre, disco and local shops & towel exchange.
-Must wake up early as the staff start booking reservations for a la cart restaurants at 8:30. First come first serve . We went to Rodizio, Piccolo and Jap Jap. The Italian Piccolo one has the best tasting food.
-Just down the road (toward the disco and theatre) is a convenience store which has snacks, and cigarettes for cheaper than the resort and better selection.
- If your package includes a city tour DO IT! You will get to go to some cool places including a few local shops, flea market in downtown Vallarta, a beautiful church and an authentic tequila experience in the mountains.
-If you think you’ll be leaving the resort or buying literally anything while you’re there , have lots of pesos. The hotels exchange rate isnt terrible but might as well exchange money before you leave. When we went to Cancun we found that there was more chances to use USD but not here. Pesos is the way to go.
- If you’re looking for a party resort, this is not the place for you. We found a lot of the other vacationers were more senior who enjoyed fun but mostly relaxation. Perfect for us but not everyone.
-The gift shop charges 10 pesos for plastic bags (good for them) so bring your own if you need them.
-The room safe also costs about 30 pesos a day and phone calls even local ones aren’t free. You can see the cashier (also is the one who does currency exchange) to set this up.
-Go to the buffet when it first opens or after 8 pm if you’re looking to avoid the line ups and busy times.
-Check out the daily theatre shows at 9:30PM everyday! They’re great!
- WiFi in common areas only not in the rooms.
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BrettRiddell -
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Riu Flamingos: Excellent Resort
Absolutely loved this place, it’s very clean and lots of fun, the entertainment is great nightly and the food was great what more could you ask for. The beach is also phenomenal for Puerto Vallarta area.
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Private -
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Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Amazing resort!
We had a wonderful 2 weeks at Sandos Caracol Resort. We were in the adults only category even though our room was close to the beach, which was very convenient and central. Our room was super comfortable and very clean. The grounds are so well maintained and stunning to walk through the jungle everyday where we saw monkeys, deer, iguanas, raccoons, coati’s (like badgers) and beautiful birds. All friendly! This resort is a great family resort. Lots for kids to do and be busy with the Kids Club[... read more]. One of the managers, Jesus, and our concierge, Manuela, were very helpful and accommodating. We would highly recommend this resort!
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Private -
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Hotel Xcaret Mexico: Best Vacation Ever!
To be honest, I don’t have much to compare to as this was my first time in Mexico and my first time at an all inclusive hotel, but this trip has set the bar high. I talked to others who have vacationed at all inclusives in Mexico who were at the resort while I was there and they said this resort is the best for food, fun and service and that I started with the very best and nothing else will ever be comparable. I felt I got a great deal and was very happy with my garden view room.
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Tangojoe -
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Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Beautiful resort
Every thing in the resort is top notch,
amazing staff, this is our 4times to stay at this resort. Excellent variety of food
and entertainment. Beach and location of places to enjoy your stay are well planned.
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Private -
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Atelier Playa Mujeres: Very nice resort
We had an oceanfront Inspira king size room. Located on the 5th floor.
I wasn’t sure Inspira was worth it and now I can say we really enjoyed spending time at the rooftop pool (only available for Inspira before 6:00pm). We love the beach which is great, but during our 2 week stay there were events/conferences so it got a little loud, so we would escape to the rooftop.
The hotel is modern, new and very nice. A1! Still a few glitches but nothing major. I understand that conferences mi[... read more]ght take place at the hotel, but this should not dilute the “regular†client’s experience because one restaurant is closed, or there is excess noise.
All in all, I would return. The rooms, the beach and the restaurants were perfect.
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Private -
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Ocean Riviera Paradise: A resort for everyone!!
Overall a very good resort. Activities for all ages and good entertainment. Very busy as this resort is typically booked out so be patient with A La carte wait times.Always buffet if you don't want to wait.
Be sure to read your room directory as there are charges you may not be used to. i.e. only 2 beer per day in mini fridge. pay extra for more restocking. Late check out is $10 USD per hour however some people were not charged.
We paid $2 USD per day environmental tax. Seemed a little more t[... read more]han the 25 pesos per day regulated by the government.
There were some theft issues around the pool.( cell phone, sun glasses). Watch your stuff.
Other charges: calls from room, room service after 11pm etc.
Overall a great resort. Just learn what the extras cost.
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Private -
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Iberostar Waves Tucan: Very good experience
Iberostar Tucan was overall a good experience and we would definitely go back. We were celebrating our 3rd year honeymoon anniversary.
There are a few things to note though. The air conditioning in our room wouldn't go below 20 degrees celcius as a setting but never actually went low enough to get to 20 anyways, was a hot sleep. Also we had one of the restaurants in close proximity to our room and the staff were banging things (cleaning out large sinks and such at all hours of the morning, [... read more]1 am, 5am, etc.) This woke us up a few times and when we tried to call reception they didn't speak any English so it took us going down on the 4th day of our stay to complain before we could get a relatively peaceful nights sleep. Oh and the pillows were waay too stuffed, cranked our neck way too high.
We were super impressed with the food quality and service of the staff, they were exceptional. The best part of this resort are the beautiful animals and jungle that it occupies. The monkies and coati's (like cute little mexican racoons) were adorable. Was amazing. The shows were really good too. Another spectacular thing about this place was it's beach, definitely one of the best beaches I have ever been to. We loved that Iberostar is trying to be more Ocean conscious and are using reusable water containers, no straws and such.
Cleaning staff were excellent and the pool was just lovely. Waiting staff in the buffets and restaurants were all very professional and made our food experience like a date every time. Other than the sleep quality, this was one of the best resorts we have ever been to.
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Durby -
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Grand Oasis Palm: Not impressed at all
I booked with Grand Oasis Palm, paying a higher price than other family members who booked oasis palm. when we arrived we were told Grand Oasis and Oasis where now in the same building, but that Grand oasis guests had better rooms with more modern furniture. What a joke ! Room in the first floor had better furniture. We didn’t even get an ocean view so we payed more a lot more for nothing !! Buffet for Grand Oasis was pretty much the same as the buffet for Oasis, again we payed a lot more [... read more]for no difference. We did not bother to try anything else as we felt we were
Just overcharged for nothing. i was told I could use both Oasis and Grand Oasis amenities but guess what, there was only one crowded pool as the “grand oasis†building and pool became and adults only resort, not for us.
Most of the people at the hotel were good but a few, believe me, they should not be the on this business, they have no idea of how to treat people!
Please DON’T FALL on this trap. It is a waste of your hard earned money. I’m actually putting a formal claim as this is false advertisement.
!! And please Oasis Palm or Grand Oasis palm Mgr. DO NOT BOTHER to reply with your copy and paste/ FIT ALL response, that I would never come back or recommend this place.
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Ryan3 -
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Decameron Isla Coral: Up and Comer
The location of the resort was amazing! Beautiful beach and a very lively and friendly city!
Overall the resort itself was a big disappointment. I did find out that it wasn't fully open yet and was still "working out its kinks" so I do give it some mercy there. The rooms were clean and spacious, the food was overall good but repetitive. And don't expect any food or drink after 10 pm unless you're wanting to walk the town at that time. The beach was the absolute best part of the whole trip but[... read more] next time I will be using a different resort
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Jflane91 -
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Occidental Cozumel: Fantastic resort with great staff
The rooms at this hotel were extremely clean and well maintained. Very modern and everything worked well. Staff were fantastic and really friendly. They had a ton of activities and all of the areas were clean. Large assortment of different types of alcohol and mixes, and the food was fantastic as well. We were in a big group and they were very accommodating and helped us get meals together.
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Private -
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Occidental Cozumel: Good resort
Resort is clean and fun , staff is friendly and food was good . Room was awesome and big with all you need . Only problem we had was a so called sewage fee of $ 11 .00 , on arrival and no rooms ready til 4 pm .
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Private -
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TRS Coral: Excellent resort
The pools were warm and clean. The staff were friendly and very accommodating. The food was excellent for an all-inclusive resort with a wide variety of options. We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend to others.
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Hello21 -
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Occidental Tucancun: Loved it
The staff were amazing. Super friendly and excellent customer service. The beach is beautiful but the waves were quite large. The pools were lovely with daily entertainment and games by the poolside. There is also an adult only pool which was a quieter area to relax. We had a room with a beautiful panoramic ocean view. The food was decent but was the same every day which got a little old. Had a daily evening performance but no other night life.
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Lize2020 -
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Barcelo Maya Grand Resort: Exemplary of a resort that checked all the boxes!
THE GROUNDS: First of all, the grounds are impeccable. The colours are beautifully bright, the flora design welcoming and calming, and various Mayan-inspired statues reminds you of a rich culture worth exploring.
BEACH: Secondly, and most importantly for me, is the beach & ocean. I'm not sure what allows this beach to be some of the best I've had but it was just lively enough for us to have some fun whilst also allowing for fantastic scuba diving & snorkeling. The sand is clean, soft, and pl[... read more]entiful. The bars are sprinkled just far enough apart that you can grab a drink, go for a stroll, and hit up another bar to get a refill when your drink is done. That being said, I tried a bunch of different drinks where I asked the bartenders for suggestions. They never disappointed. Whether you just want a light cocktail, a stronger taste, or just a refreshing blend of flavours, they know what to serve.
FOOD: The food was excellent and the restaurant-staff were incredibly accommodating to my friend, who is also a celiac. They prepared various dishes with separate cutlery, made off-menu adjustments, and double checked every dish for her. We were very pleasantly surprised. Just make sure you ask. Just because it's not on the menu, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
DIVING: I'm also a huge fan of diving and the on-site Dressel Diving Centre was INCREDIBLE. The staff were incredibly helpful and customized our packages to fit our individual needs. The instructors insist on a level of safety I haven't experienced in Mexico before and made some of my first-time diving friends much more at ease. The waters are beautiful and there are plenty of excursions to explore, or just beautiful reefs 3-7min away by boat. If you like deeper dives, just make sure you request it well before hand as it's not an often-requested trip but they're happy to accommodate. If you're afraid of bad weather, they also have great back-ups. There were two high-wind days and we still had a day of diving left before our departure. They took us to a close-by cenote where my friend could complete her Open Water Dive Certification and I could explore a completely different underwater world.
WATER SPORTS: The pools alone are GREAT. It's huge and interesting if you just like floating around or getting some exercise in to combat the copious amount of calories you're bound to take in. But then there are also the water sports. They have over 10 jet-skis, a bunch of paddle boards, kayaks, clear-bottom kayaks, snorkeling equipment, water bikes, and more. What was different about Barcelo, is that those toys are actually used! I've seen too many resorts where they claim bad weather and never bring out the equipment. Not Barcelo. It was out every day and they tested the jet-skis every single day.
ENTERTAINMENT: I wasn't expecting the Mall. The Arts section was fantastic and I found amazing pieces to bring home. Keep in mind, I've never had an interest in buying myself anything to bring back from Mexico. Until I explored the stalls at Barcelo.
As for the shows, it's sad that they have two shows on every night at the same time, so you have to choose wisely but I doubt there's a disappointing show. They bring in artists from outside the resort and pair them with some of their own talent. Live music, excellent dancers, beautiful singers (live, not lip synced), plus treats like circus performers, magicians, and more. Thorough entertainment every single night.
SERVICE: So friendly. So helpful. If you have a language barrier, they will find someone to help and they have a multitude of information available in various languages. Guest services never had any line ups if we ever wanted to book anything and they always knew what we wanted even though may not have!
I highly recommend this resort if you like space to move around, entertainment on site, and a fantastic beach to relax on. I wanted a place to break away and enjoy the ocean, swimming, and food. The friendly atmosphere made it a place that I will return to. SOON.
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Private -
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Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: Awesome and meh
I love this resort. This was 2nd time, staff are amazing - so friendly and wonderful, love the beach, food is decent, my only complaint is room maintenance. We had a pipe burst at 1am, our room flooded and I slipped in water and broke my arm. From what I heard from other guests, this was not a rare occurrence. Having a broken arm on vacation sucks but I still love this resort and would come back.
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MexicoGil -
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Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: Terrible experience
Where do we begin. Let’s start with this is my first survey I’ve ever done. After double digits trips to Mexico and all great experiences this one has to be the worst. First hotel I’ve been to that the stores and shops don’t except USD. I’m from Canada but have always travelled with US currency. Well not at the fabulous Grand Sirenis. Now let’s talk about the wonderful food. A different theme every night decor wise. Well decorated with the exact same choices as the night before. Fi[... read more]rst time since 2007 Resort food actually made me sick. 4 out of 6 travellers actually in our group. Pretty sad when you need to make egg salad sandwiches for breakfast because it’s hard to mess up boiled eggs. Was pretty excited about all the advertised activity’s for the kids though. Oh wait they were advertised and really didn’t happen. I’d rate this resort a solid 1-2 out of ten. Resort itself is beautiful. Beach is rough and rocky.
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Private -
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Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Third time to this amazing resort
It's a quiet bit of heaven – with access to the larger sister resorts with more restaurants, pools, and the beach. The grounds are lush with trees and plants as opposed to the wide open landscaping of most resorts. Staff are great. You have free access to the 3 other Bahia Principe resorts. We spent 1 day at the resort pool but the others at the beach. We never had a problem getting chairs at the beach or pool. It's a 8-10 min ride to the beach and other resorts. We love it here.
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Robbie -
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Sunscape Dorado Pacifico: Hotel Review
My husband and I stayed at the hotel between Feb 6-13, 2020. The grounds and hotel was kept very clean. The staff were freindly and easy going, very nice.
Most of the guest are repeaters, from US and Canada. This made meeting people easy and converstations flowed in and out of the pool.
The hotel is a little dated, however, the staff made the visit lovely. The food was displayed every day. There was more mexican food on the buffets. If you crave something different there are lots [... read more]of restaurants across the street who love Canadians. The location is amazing. We enjoyed our visit.
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Jen24 -
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Decameron La Marina: Not what we were expecting
We have not experienced an all-inclusive holiday quite like this one. We believe that this hotel should not be renting their rooms out as they are still under renovations. We were on the sixth floor Oceanview which was beautiful But that was the only good thing about this hotel. Every morning we were woken up by people working on rooms above us on the seventh floor. It was constant banging nailing drilling hammering noises. They opened January 20, 2020 and still have not installed railings on th[... read more]e stairs. We only had one working elevator the other one was not in service our whole stay. We had one day where both elevators were down and we were forced to take the stairs which I was very frightened by got dizzy stuck to the wall and by the time I reached the sixth floor I wanted to puke. It is very dangerous as it is all concrete and a huge opening where anyone could fall all the way down. The pool was freezing cold as it only got an hour of sun a day. Because they had buildings on each side of the pool blocking the sun. Luckily for us we were considered a four-star which allowed us to go to the other three resorts. Our food wasn’t great so we would walk to the other resort where it was a little bit better. There was only one entertainment show a night which would be Mexican music, karaoke, a live band one night and only for an hour to two hours. Our first few mornings we couldn’t get any coffee until the restaurants opened up at 8 AM. We didn’t have a mini fridge or a coffee maker in our room. By the third morning they had coffee in the snack area starting at 6 AM. It was so hard to find a staff member that spoke English Which made it hard to order food, drinks, or ask any questions. The staff were extremely helpful where they could be an extremely Pleasant. We are very glad that we didn’t spend the extra for our three kids to join us. There was nothing to do there for children. This was our first time at an all inclusive resort in Mexico and I am sad to say that we will not be returning. We have been to several all-inclusive resorts before and never ever experienced anything like this.