Polite and friendly staff. Resort is clean and well maintained. The food was very good and there is a great system to try other restaurants. I would like to say, if anyone could find a serious flaw at this resort, then the problem may be yours.
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Ocean Allure Costa Mujeres: Beautiful Brand New Resort with Fabulous Staff but getting a table for dinner can be a challenge.
We were a multigenerational family of eight looking for a resort that offered something for everyone: one 80-year-old, four people in their mid-fifties, and three university students.
Our criteria were fairly specific:
Not too big, so our 80-year-old didn’t have to walk long distances, but not so small or quiet that it felt sleepy
Some action and energy, but not a full-on party resort
A beautiful beach
A newer hotel
Reasonable price within our budget
This hotel met all of our requiremen[... read more]ts and came in at the lower end of our budget.
What We Loved:
There were so many things we really enjoyed about this resort.
The Rooms
The rooms are new and gorgeous.
The Layout
The resort is a great size — not too big, not too small. I especially liked how most of the restaurants, café, and ice-cream shop are grouped together like a little “main street.” The landscaping, however, felt a bit underwhelming for a hotel of this quality.
The Beach
The beach is large and beautiful. The swing bar was fun, and the beach service was good. There were always fresh towels available at the pool.
The Staff
The staff were incredibly hardworking, friendly, and often very funny.
Activities
There was a good range of activities that suited everyone in our group, and the resort app worked well for tracking them.
Drinks & Entertainment
The drinks were great — we especially loved the lobby bar. The 7:00 p.m. entertainment was a fun way to start the evening, and the fire show was spectacular.
Special Mention
Bettyna deserves a special shout-out for rescuing us with much-needed drinks at the reception desk when we arrived at 1:30 a.m. after a very long journey.
Food
Overall, we thought the food was excellent.
There were a few overcooked or cold meals between the eight of us, but on the whole the food was very good.
The buffet was the best I’ve ever experienced at an all-inclusive resort. Unlike many buffets where the fruit and vegetables are bland and uninspiring, everything here was incredibly fresh and flavorful. There was fresh fish, steak, prime rib, and a wide range of sauces and options.
The Biggest Negative: Getting a Table for Dinner
Our only real negative about Ocean's Allure was the difficulty of getting a table for dinner.
This was my sixth all-inclusive resort, so I’m familiar with the typical reservation challenges. Usually, however, you always have the buffet as a fallback option. At Ocean's Allure, the system of “reservation-only” restaurants combined with “first-come, first-served” restaurants didn’t work well for us.
Reservation-Only Restaurants
All reservations (unless you are Privilege guests) must be made through the app.
We were a group of eight staying in four rooms and couldn’t figure out how to book everyone together through the app. On our first night, someone at guest services kindly helped us book a table at the Hibachi restaurant.
However, on night three we went back to guest services for help booking the steak restaurant, and they refused to assist us. They told us each room needed to make its own reservation through the app and that they would try to seat us near each other.
We understood that a table for eight can be challenging and even offered to split into two tables of four, but guest services still refused to help.
Note for large groups:
This resort made very little effort to accommodate our group. Even when two tables were beside each other, we were not allowed to push them together.
First-Come, First-Served Restaurants
Blue Moon
Our night here was unfortunately a bit of a disaster.
We were told the wait would be 45 minutes, but it ended up being 2.5 hours, even though there were empty tables visible the entire time.
After 3.5 hours from the moment we put our name on the list, our food arrived cold, and one of the dishes wasn’t what we ordered.
The wait staff themselves were friendly, fun, and clearly working extremely hard. The restaurants simply appeared to be understaffed.
Summary
By the middle of the week, getting a table for dinner had become something that genuinely stressed us out.
We loved most aspects of this resort and felt it offered great value for the money, but something needs to change in their dinner reservation system.
We’re currently discussing whether we would return next year, but we’re unsure if the dinner situation is worth the stress.
It would also be nice if the resort made more of an effort to accommodate larger groups instead of making them feel like a burden.
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Alain -
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Royal Hideaway Playacar: Great Resort to relax
The check in was quick and personalized but our room was not quite ready/available even if it was about 2pm in the afternoon. After a quick bite by the beach where the main breakfast/lunch is held, you notice right away that this is going to be fun to eat here every day! The view of the white sandy beach and turquoise water is just amazing.
Finally around 3h30, still no room, this is quick fixed fixed and go to the room. The accomodation is nice although it does feel a little dated it was ver[... read more]y comfortable and spacious. The balcony facing the back alley and the Resort next door is definately not what I was looking for to relax after a day at the beach. Tried to get another room with a better view but our concierge (Carlos) was not able to work this out so we stayed it our allocated room for our 2-week stay. The grounds are well manicured with something like 4 pools and rivers throughout, very nice. The main pools are located close to the main restaurant and the beach where it is very hard to find a lounger past 9am. Although there is a sign that is very clear about not being able to through your stuff at 5am and show up at 2 in the afternoon (a little sarcastic here but you get it right?) People still do it because this rule is absolutely not inforced, so why bother? Anyways, further to this, quite a few loungers were reserved every day (with signs from the Resort no less). Good thing I would rather be at the beach where there were enough loungers there even if you show up at 10am after breakfast. The best part here was those mini tent-like sun shades that you could pull over the loungers to hide from the scorching sun. Well done. We also liked the fact that there a quite a few palm trees on the beach to get some shade as the day progresses.
Meals: All breakfast can be taken at the main restaurant for buffet or at the Spices restaurant (above the main one) where things are "a la carte". Lunch can be done at both, at the main restaurant, you can select either the buffet or "a la carte" or a combination of both. Suppers have to be via a reservation with the help of your Building Concierge. This was an easy process although you can't always pick your prefered timing (from 18h00 to 22h00), for us, supper at 9pm is a little late! 6 Restaurant of various food selection and dress code. 2 of them requires gentlemen to wear long pants, collared shirt/Polo shirt and closed shoes, the others will accept shorts and shirt
There is some entertainment during the day, mainly at the main pools, and in the evening at the main bar but don't expect a grandiose affaire! Unless you attend the Mexican show, held every Saturday evening. Because we arrived on a Saturday, we could not go that night andhad to settle for the following Saturday, because we were there for 2 weeks. Had we been there only for 7 days, we would have missed this. It is some kind of dinner and show and it was quite enjoyable.
For the return, there are no Travel Representatives or Travel Binders to help you navigate the transport/pick-up time to the Airport, make sure you get this from your travel agent ahead of time as missing/no pick up of transport can get quite expensive by taxi for the 1 hour ride to Cancun.
All in all, we really enjoyed this relaxing vacation and would recommend but if you are looking for action and games, this may not be the best place for you.
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Ric Cameron -
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Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Third visit and as always a wonderful time.
The grounds of the Valentin Imperial are spectacular. It is a large resort but nothing is overpowered by the buildings. It feels very natural with beautiful flora and a surprisingly varied fauna including lots of species of birds. The staff is amazing - everyone very friendly and always looking to be helpful. Lots of nice restaurants with different and very good cuisines and menus. The beach is ok, but the great pools balance it out. Rooms spacious and well appointed. Interesting evening [... read more]programs for music and shows. And we met a lot of people we enjoyed hanging with, most of whom were also return visitors.
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Lorelei -
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Catalonia Playa Maroma: Beautiful!
Catalonia Maroma is a beautiful, well-maintained resort that has been built to embrace the natural environment. Walking through the mangroves enjoying the wildlife was our favourite part of this resort other than the spectacular beach which is truly the highlight. You can walk for miles along pristine white soft sand. The resorts along Maroma work diligently to deal with the sargassum which got worse as our week there went on. Lots of sun loungers means no early morning rave to get one. Food was[... read more] fresh and the buffet offered lots of variety. The restaurants were a bit hit and miss but the Mexican one was exceptional. We didn’t have issues making reservations.
The room was modern and clean but our air conditioning wasn’t working fully (never got down to set temperature) despite many requests to maintenance to fix it. As well the pillows were awful.
Evening entertainment could be improved though the shows at the theatre were amazing! Offering quieter music in the lobby after dinner before the show is needed though the guitarist and pianist were very good.
A 45/60 minute drive from the airport makes CM a perfect destination. We will definitely return.
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Private -
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AVA Resort Cancun: Definition of Grand
This was the grandest resort I have patronized. The scale of things is absolutely enormous - the 1000m saltwater pool, the super-high ceilings, grand art throughout, all gave it a luxe, ostentatious presentation. The food presentation at the restaurants was impressive and the service was excellent throughout. I did find that the flavour of the food at the Asian restaurant Bao was a little lacking, as were some of the items at the French option Chez Moi, but the Short RIb at the Black Iron was [... read more]amazing! The frozen yogurt and gelato stands were also excellent quality
I loved that there was no rush - no need to reserve a poolside deck chair, there were lots available. Same with the beach chairs.
The beach was simple but ample - lots of sand and coastline. There are no activities at the beach though - no food stalls, volleyball, cabanas or anything else - just sand.
The entertainment was fun, I enjoyed the Mexican cultural night as well as the game show night. It is less polished and professional than a RC Cruise and nothing like Vegas or Broadway, but still fun.
Lots of huge options for family and couples - kids club, arcade, bowling, laser tag, escape rooms, shopping and bars.
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Grand Park Royal Cozumel: Terrific resort
The resort was terrific. Clean, good food in the restaurants and on the buffet. Small beach area but there is a couple of pool areas. One is the adults only infinity pool, very nice. Friendly staff. Walking distant to some attractions, restaurant/bars and shopping. Short cab ride ride to downtown. Highly recommend!!
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El Dorado Seaside Palms: Fabulous Resort
Extremely lush grounds, very large rooms, and a good selection of restaurants! Beach at the Palms is nice and quiet. Resort is not too large. Great selection of mixed drinks! Transportation to and from airport were good.
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Linda -
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Barcelo Maya Tropical: Resort was very clean!
Everything was lovely, Nicolle referred the Barcelo Tropical and did not mislead us it was what she said.
As we have stayed at the Bahai we did miss the entertainment at nights that they hold outside with different people playing guitar and singing.
The resort itself did not disappoint with rooms and food. Very good!
Entertainment we missed.
Thanks again to your team for another beautiful resort!
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Iberostar Selection Coral Cancun: Fabulous Hotel Iberostar Selection and Coral in Cancun
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Honest & Detailed Review
We really enjoyed our February 5–12, 2026 holiday overall. The property itself is beautiful, and the beach is absolutely stunning — incredibly wide, soft sand, and wonderful for swimming. It is one of the nicest beaches we have experienced.
Our family stayed at Iberostar Selection, while we chose Iberostar Coral for the Concierge service. We spent our days together on the Selection side, often renting cabanas, which we loved — both with and without them.
Th[... read more]e Coral section is definitely more elevated in feel. The rooms were fabulous, the views were breathtaking, and housekeeping and room service were very good. (A lighter room service option, such as a chicken club sandwich, would be a nice addition for late evenings when you don’t want a full meal.)
The buffet was good, with some enjoyable themed evenings — the Asian night was particularly delicious. That said, after six days of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it does become somewhat repetitive. The casual beach bar menu was very limited (hamburgers, chicken nuggets, and fries only), though the more formal beachside restaurant was very nice for lunch.
The à la carte restaurant experience, unfortunately, was disappointing. We were informed that policy had changed either just before or during our stay. Unless you were an Iberostar “Member” (which involves attending a 2–4 hour membership presentation), reservations were not being accepted.
We were advised by Concierge to line up early when the restaurants opened to attempt booking later dining times (7:00 or 8:00 pm). We did so multiple nights and were turned away each time, often rather abruptly. The Japanese restaurant was the only one we managed to try — the food was acceptable, though the temperature inside was uncomfortably cold.
This created inconsistency and confusion, as some guests were able to reserve while others were not. From what we understood, there were a number of similar complaints during that particular week. Guests who had visited in January 2026 or earlier did not appear to encounter these issues.
The Concierge service at Coral was friendly but felt limited. Our previous experience at Dreams Resorts & Spas set a very high standard — concierge there were readily accessible and truly went above and beyond. At Coral, interactions felt more desk-based and transactional. We were frequently approached regarding the Membership presentation, and attention seemed to diminish once it was known we were not interested. That dynamic was noticeable.
All that said, the overall resort environment is lovely enough that our family would happily return — even if dining remained buffet-focused. My son and daughter-in-law even commented that the food and beach surpassed the luxury resort they visited for their honeymoon nearby.
For us personally, whether we return will depend on how the à la carte and membership dynamics evolve, as that aspect did affect the overall relaxation experience. We might choose to stay at the Selection next time and simply upgrade our room. I remain somewhat torn — time will tell!
Enjoy your holiday!
Additional Notes:
The Selection Ocean View with Balcony rooms were very nice. The bathrooms were somewhat oddly shaped and slightly dated, but overall acceptable, especially given how lovely the beach, pools, and layout are.
If adults-only is important, Coral is worth it for the generous, updated rooms.
We participated in the hotel’s complimentary 30-minute photo shoot offer. Photos were $20 USD each to download, with package options available.
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Sensira Resort and Spa: Excellent family friendly
All round good, quiet family friendly resort. That's the target clientele i believe
Things to consider- not a party resort.
No activities for teenagers, young adults etc
No drinks served after 11pm.
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Dreams Aventuras Riviera Maya: Well Short of Expectations
Background
My wife and I travel often and stay at many resorts. We are easygoing guests. We do not walk into a room looking for issues or take photos of every small problem. We look for a good overall experience and understand things happen.
This stay fell short of expectations for the price point and star rating. We will not return.
What Worked Well
Transportation, check in, and check out ran smoothly.
The staff stood out as the best part of the resort. Every team member we met w[... read more]orked hard and treated guests with care.
Staff stayed pleasant and responsive even during busy times. When we reported issues, they acted fast and tried to help each time. Their effort and attitude deserve recognition and was the only bright spot.
Room Issues
The room had several maintenance problems.
The bed did not have a fitted sheet. The sheet kept coming loose through the night, which left us waking up on the bare mattress. For a resort in this price category, basic bedding is an expectation.
The toilet had a weak flush and often clogged (which was a common issue for other guests as well). The safe also stopped working more than once.
The resort relies heavily on its mobile app for service requests. We logged maintenance issues through the app multiple times during our stay. Staff responded each time to repair the problem quickly. After several visits for the same issues, however, the situation became frustrating.
Seating and Common Areas
Seating across the resort created one of the largest frustrations.
There were not enough loungers or chairs at the pool, beach (or even seats in the lobby). Guests who did not wake early to reserve spots by the pool or beach had few options, or none at all. I say this even though we are early risers and did not have this issue, but for those who like to sleep in you will be disappointed or feel pressured to set an alarm.
The lobby layout adds to the issue. The space feels cramped, and the bar and café area has limited seating. They have one bartender and one barista to serve a large number of guests, which slowed service through no fault of the staff.
For a resort in this category, having loungers for guests is expected.
Noise at the Pool
The pool area stays extremely loud for most of the day.
Our trip focused on a couples getaway. We enjoy a fun atmosphere and have no issue with activities or music.
The level of constant noise made rest difficult. Organized games, announcements, and loud music ran through most of the day. Guests who want a quieter environment or a nap during the afternoon will struggle.
Food and Dining
Food created the largest disappointment of the trip.
For the price and star rating, the dining experience fell far below expectations. We have stayed at many comparable resorts and expected a much higher level of consistency.
Specialty restaurants delivered uneven, poor or barely edible meals.
After a few attempts we returned to the buffet, which normally serves as the backup option at most resorts. We hoped for more reliable meals there.
The biggest concern involved illness. Several members of our group became sick during the stay from the food. We travel often and follow safe eating habits when abroad. We also spoke with other guests who reported similar issues.
Final Thoughts
The staff work hard and deserve credit for their effort and professionalism.
Outside of the service, the resort fell short in several key areas including room quality, seating availability, noise management, and food.
For the price point and star rating, expectations were much higher. Based on this experience, we will choose another resort for future trips.
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Planet Hollywood Adult Scene Cancun by Royalton: Hotel planet hollywood
This is an older building. Many issues especially with smelly rooms smelling so damp that even bedding felt wet. The people that served were great. Overall we had a good time but would not return to this hotel
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Private -
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Catalonia Grand Costa Mujeres: Amazing resort!!
This hotel is quite modern and kept very clean. The weather was not the greatest, so we did not spend as much time in pool or beach as we'd like. The staff was friendly, though there was definitely a language barrier, especially the staff who served at poolside. Service was great though and the food was spectacular! I would definitely return but found it was a little overpriced.
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Smoke shack 807 jason -
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Ocean Allure Costa Mujeres: above and beyond
this hotel was amazing very well laid out the food was second to none the staff were super sweet and very attentive most definitely recommend and retuning the main lobby is very welcoming and relaxing
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Plaza Pelicanos Club: Quaint resort
Look carefully at the layout of this place. It is not on the beach. There is another resort behind it that overlooks the beach. You have to walk thru the lobby and around another building to reach the area where you can access the beach.
The staff are friendly and helpful and a few are funny and entertaining. The grounds are immaculate. The rooms are clean. The food is good. However we experienced a nasty sewage smell in the area off and on thru out our 10 day stay. We had a great time here bu[... read more]t I would try a different place next time.
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Willy -
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Ocean Allure Costa Mujeres: Wonderful Mexican Resort
The Oceans Allure is a very nice and upscale resort. The staff are wonderful and the food was great. You really need to try the Italian place and see if you can get Wilburet as your server. This guy is friendly, humorous and professional.
Antonio at bag drop another beauty. He can’t do enough for you and has a great personality. Mikes coffee is delicious and the vibe of the resort is uplifting.
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Private -
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Occidental Tucancun: Poor
Too many,many stairs , the ocean was with red flags all10 days that we were there I didn’t go to the ocean not even one day, and to books the al la cart it was at 7.00 in the morning you had to be there at 6.30 in the morning to get a reservation because they is only 4 restaurants I don’t Recommend this resort
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Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: ok
needs work rooms are outdated for what paid using bad water for grass in resort staff does stock at bars over hour to get to resort long wait to check in after check in at home long wait for bars and getting around resort
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Dreams Sands Cancun Resort and Spa: A little piece of paradise
This was our second year in a row to this little gem of a resort &it did not disappoint,the whole resort is so easy to get around, not too big, amazing choices of restaurants, food amazing buffet restaurant , no reservations required except for Asian restaurant which is so worth it, buffet & so many restaurants to choice from, beverage service also amazing, the pools are clean, warm & the beach is just a stone throw away,so clean, clear no seafood. Grounds are so clean and all staff in every dep[... read more]artment go above & beyond for guests….we love this resort perfect for all ages…..perfect for kiddos to play in the sand