The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: So so

We've been here before I wouldn't go again. Our room was dirty, however they did come back after we asked and cleaned the floors. Service wasn't great. Food was good. Still waiting for our pictures that we paid for. They were supposed to be mailed a few days ago after we did a family photo shoot. Hopefully we get them, as we paid for them.

Dreams Tulum Resort and Spa: Beautiful Resort

Dreams Tulum is a beautiful resort with amazing buffet and restaurants. Beach is very nice and landscaping of resort is elegant and well laid out. Great swim up pool bar and mid-afternoon shows are entertaining. Close to Xel-Ha and other activities.

Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Great Place

Great resort and grounds. The bugs can be problematic so bring lots of bug spray. The restaurants are amazing, loved the vegan a la carte. Really didn't care for the hassle about timeshares, if you really aren't interested please decline upon arrival as you will waste time with the representative. I'm not sure if you can, but try if possible. I would have liked to know about it ahead of time.

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: No longer a five star resort

Unfortunately, I think when they changed the name from Azul Fives to Azul Beach Resort The Fives, there was a change in management and significant downgrade in service. We have been to multiple 5 star resorts in Mexico and spoken to families on this most recent visit who have been here before and everyone agrees, this is no longer a five star resort. Sadly, we won't be returning. I'll start with the positives: -They are pretty liberal with beach towels. You'll find plenty of new towels in bi [... read more]ns throughout the resort, no need to exchange with towel card. -Always plenty of cold water bottles at all the bars and tons restocked daily in your room. -Love the smoothie bar. They use fresh fruit and milk or yogurt so a good healthy option. We frequented this multiple times a day. -Wifi is available throughout the complex. -They still have kid supplies available: crib, extra bed, sound monitor, baby sterilizer, high chair, baby bath tub (note: non suite rooms are shower only, they do not have tubs). My issues: Day 1: -We arrived late in the evening and the usual welcome drink and cold towels were not offered. We got a grumpy front desk attendant who took forever to register us. We were in the building next door to the lobby so they didn't even offer a butler to help us to our room. Already, we noticed the service was off. -We get to the room and it's boiling hot. 30 Degrees. After 10 minutes of turning on the AC, we realized it wasn't working. I picked up the phone to call the front desk to discover the phone wasn't working. Had to walk back to the lobby. -They eventually moved us to another room and gave us an upgrade (we already booked a two bedroom suite, and now got a two bedroom sky suite) but it was almost midnight before we were settled. Day 2: -We go to the concierge to do the usual restaurant reservation bookings to find out two restaurants are closed and the others are closed various days of the week. -You can also only book restaurants one day in advance which meant we kept having to go back each morning to book. -The restaurants are also open at different times and the schedule is ridiculously hard to remember. Kept having to refer to the paper but on numerous occasions, we'd end up at the door and realized it wasn't open. -The kids club was closed the entire time we were there. One of the reasons we go to Azul Five is because it's a very kid oriented resort. This majorly sucked for my 1 and 3 year old. They moved the babysitters to the teen club but there is nothing for kids to do so we never left them there. Didn't have major issues on Days 3 and 4 Day 5: -The resort ran out of coconut cream!!! HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? This may seem like a minor point for most people but I love my pina coladas and other coconut flavoured drinks, especially from the smoothie bar so WTF! -Now, my biggest issue and the reason we will not be returning. There was renovations going on in the suite below us all week but on this day, it was particularly loud and very annoying. I called the front desk and they said the unit below was owned by a private owner and it was out of their control. If you didn't already know (which I did not), Azul resorts allow some units to be completely owned by people and they pay extra for food/drinks, etc. I spoke with the manager on duty and they said the owner would have to stop noise by 6pm. However, I had two kids who still needed to nap and could not. They were both also scared of the noise because it was loud banging and drilling. Totally not what you need for a vacation. -There is also not enough places open with AC during the day. All the lunch restaurants are open restaurants. The lobby is tiny and you can only go in and out of the shops so many times. Other negatives: -There is construction everywhere. It is annoying. -The only english speaking people are the front desk staff, waitstaff and the concierge. You no longer have a private butler who knows your name and helps you with things at the resort. Housekeeping and people working around the resort do not speak English and it is hard to ask for things you need. -This resort doesn't have designated nonsmoking areas like other resorts so maybe I'm used to Canada were you can't just smoke anywhere, but smoke everywhere bothered us. -There is no turn down service (i.e. house keeping only comes by once in the morning). That means no replenishment of fresh towels and when your kids drag in sand from the beach in the afternoon, you live with it until the next day. No chocolates or towel animals either this time. -We went in the heat of summer and were looking for ice cream during the day. They don't serve ice cream with room service. The only place that had it was at the Oriole outdoor restaurant by the beach. It is a long walk just for ice cream. And lastly, my thoughts on the accommodations. We opted to book a suite this time. Loved having the extra space and area for the kids to sleep with a closed door. We didn't use the kitchen at all. The kids liked the large living room couch. However, I don't love the open concept design. Some standard rooms have a divider between the bathroom and beds but some down. That means, your tub and sink are in the same area as the bed. The shower and toilet have glass doors but it all essentially one big room. Not a fan. Now, usually when I give a bad review, management will reply with a comment that said they wish I spoke to someone about my issues. Let me reassure you, I brought every single concern up with someone at the resort and with the exception of the room change, they were not resolved to my satisfaction. We barely got an apology for most of the issues.

Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: A great place to go and getaway for some fun and sun

Was very pleased with this hotel. We were recommended this place from some friends and so we went to check it out ourselves and we were not disappointed. The food, service, entertainment, rooms and everything was great. I will be returning to this resort again for sure.

Iberostar Waves Quetzal: Great Resort

No complaints, really. Property, rooms, grounds, staff at all levels & food are great. However, 2 points: A. Food was a bit salty--keeping in mind that salt can always be added by the person eating. B. 9 PM shows: The first 30 to 45 minutes were always in Spanish--extremely boring for someone who doesn't speak the language.

Iberostar Waves Quetzal: Amazing resort

Room was great ,clean , employee were exvellent inside and out , food and restaurant were amazing , people are very friendly and helpfull, I would rate it as 200 . I really enjoyed every min I was there . Thank you

Grand Palladium Kantenah: great family vacation!

The staff are so friendly, always welcoming and helpful. Special thanks to Brenda and her crew at the mini kids club. They put in a lot of time and passion in the activities for the kids and it meant a lot to us. Room was really clean, grounds were very well kept. We really enjoyed walking around the huge resort everyday and all the wild life to see. Kids pool was a lot of fun for our 2.5 year old. The beach was beautiful. Plenty of restaurants to choose from and a very wide varie [... read more]ty of food in the buffets. We really enjoyed our experience at this resort. Being there for their independence day celebrations in itself was an amazing experience. We were happy to celebrate a very meaningful day with the Mexicans. Thank you!

Dreams Riviera Cancun: Great resort and service

The Dreams Riviera Cancun is a great resort. Its a great layout , not too small or too big. Food and service was very good . Rooms were nice and spacious and very clean. Overall a great resort and I would definitely recommend this resorts to friends and family.

Dreams Aventuras Riviera Maya: Great staff, Food issues

Just got back from Dreams, Puerto Aventuras. "OK" experience overall, but there was one HUGE shortfall everyone should know about. In my opinion, the breakfast buffet is one of the most important parts of an all inclusive experience. This resort failed to deliver on this. The Buffet dining room is very small. The buffet items are lined up on the same wall and in two pieces on both sides of the "Omelette" guy. So, everyone lines up for an omelette, and covers the buffet trays so they are not acc [... read more]essible. Worse yet, the selections at the buffet were terrible and did not regularly include staples such as bacon, ham or sausage each day. These are the easiest and most basic items you must have at a breakfast buffet - I have been to many all inclusives in Mexico, DR and Cuba and have NEVER seen a buffet this bad.Al la cartes were so so - Portofino was the best and we ate there three nites. Pizza was excellent Took a look at dinner buffet twice and disappointed each time - again, the most standard item at a dinner buffet is a PASTA bar. This was not there either. Otherwise, all staff was very happy, friendly, helpful and we tipped them accordingly. Great selection of name brand liquor and Mexican beer. Resort clean overall and plenty of beach chairs. In summary, I was very disappointed simply because there is just no excuse for not having some very basic, daily staples at the buffet - have never seen this anywhere. This would have to improve for me to return to this resort.

Dreams Aventuras Riviera Maya: Great Entertainment, Excellent Staff, Decent Food.

Mostly young families here during the week, luckily we found a few young couples to spend the week with. The food was decent, unfortunately their were only about two a la carte restaurants open each night, through the week. Cocktails weren't good, no premium booze, what they had available was to be purchased by the bottle. No lobby bar which I found to be strange and unfortunate every AI I have ever stayed at has one. It's a great way to meet up to start the night. The entertainers (Giovani, Jor [... read more]ge and Mitzy) were excellent they kept the place alive.

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Bonus Nachos!

Fantastic resort! Rooms are all amazing, even just the basic deluxe junior suite! We tried all the restaurants except Mexican (Hacienda). Only reservations are required for the Teppanyaki inside Ginger, otherwise they are walk in and no need to book. The room service has excellent choices if you feel like staying in. The pools are all amazing and clean, the big pool has plenty of entertainment going on all day but if you feel like a quieter spot, check out the river pool by swim up rooms. They a [... read more]lso serve you lunch to your poolside loungers. There were plenty of chairs available at all times. The nightly shows were all amazing, especially Michael Jackson, the Circus and Magic show. Service is excellent everywhere! Building 4 is closest to pool so you can walk out the building and be right there. The lobby smells amazing and you can buy the scent from the gift shop. If upgrading to Oceanview, the 2nd floor rooms are much nicer as they have vaulted ceilings. Ocean water is a bit rocky but you can swim out to more shallow water where it's less rough. Overall, excellent and would go back in a heartbeat!

Dreams Sapphire Resort and Spa: Feels like home

Have been to this resort 3 times and looking forward to going back again next year. The resort is smaller and lush. The service is excellent .the people are great and the food is good. Have no desire to try a different resort ... mostly because of the people.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Great vacation

We were impressed by this resort. So clean and easy to get around. The pools are amazing and the grounds were so well kept. The food always fresh and great selection was so surprised by the quality and the preparation. We will return and thank our Trip Central agent Miranda Mawdsley for suggesting she knew exactly what we were looking for.

Hyatt Vivid Playa Del Carmen: Excellent Stay

Second trip here and won't be the last. Really good food. Top notch drinks. You can't beat the location. And the service....AAA+++. Cant wait to come back. All employees treat you like family. Out the door to 5th Ave. with all the shopping and nightlife you could ever need. Although don't be afraid to wander a few streets north and the side streets for more local fare.

Ocean Maya Royale: Nice resort but would not return.

The resort was small but nice. Very clean. Staff at the bar and in the restaurants friendly. Restaurants were a bit hit and miss. Did not like the buffet at all. Have traveled to Mexico many times and found the quality of the food to be poor in comparison to other resorts. The evening entertainment was good however during the day somewhat lacking. 2 days of our trip there was no entertainment staff at the pool at the all and non-existent at the beach for the entire trip. The beach area was small [... read more] but nice. We enjoyed our stay however I would not return this to resort.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Amazing resort

The hotel was great !!! Customer service was amazing and the people are very kind and nice. My only issue was with agency, there were some bad communication regarding room. The agency didn't communicate the issue with the people in the room so it was an issue the day we came to the resort,but thanks to barcelo resort that manage to help and found a solution.

Royalton Hideaway Riviera Cancun: Beautiful Resort

The resort as soon as you pulled into the parking lot was beautiful, the view from the huge lobby over looking the ocean was breath taking. It was a very new and very modern updated resort with some many pools and some many restaurants. We stayed in the hideaway adults only section and paid extra for the diamond club package. I would highly recommend the diamond club package we never had any issues getting reservations for any of the restaruants we were seated right away, and the food was amaz [... read more]ing everywhere, including the buffet. The beach was beautiful with white sand beach and keep as clean as possible everyday. There wasn't any place in the resort we didn't love. It is a pricey resort but well worth the money, I will be back again.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Incredible Food!!!

The hotel is rustic and traditional. We went in Sept and it was rainy season so our room was flooded but we got a different room - no upgrade for our troubles but a complimentary spa session. There's no Wifi in the rooms and it's $50 USD per week. The food experience was 10/10. With resort food I just don't expect too much but I was extremely impressed! The resort is child friendly and there's good activity and food options for them as well. I would say the resort is more geared to families beca [... read more]use the night entertainment is few and far between. Everything closes at 11pm which is far too early in my opinion.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Beautiful Resort

The resort was stunning! There was so much to and see. The buffets and a la carte restaurants were full of great selections and drinks. The staff are the friendliest people ever, always ready to help you in any need. The resort itself had a lot of activities to do, some inclusive while some were extra but it was all worthwhile. Will definitely be returning here again! Excellent for groups and families. I have no complaints at all. Thanks Barcelo for an amazing vacation!