Beautiful beach, small hotel, amazing vacation!

Background: Stayed for two weeks as a family with a 13 month old baby. This is our second stay, the first time we stayed as a couple-only 4 years ago. Grounds: Beautiful and lush. The gardeners work really hard to maintain these. "Perfect" distances for walking: even carrying a baby (along with a diaper bag, swimming ring, towels) from the hotel room to the lobby or to the beach was never an issue. The layout of each villa building is such that those rooms facing the inner courtyard wi [... read more]th their balconies do not face other rooms, but the entrances into those rooms. This way you can maintain some privacy if your room is facing the courtyard. Our room was facing out (not into the courtyard) and we had a view of palms - Complete Privacy if not for adjacent neighbour. The location of each villa building is a short walk from the main avenue. Although it is a short proximity from the main avenue, you do walk through a "thick jungle" - so beware at night and bring bug repellent. The paths are lit up at night, but more of a mood lighting and the paths from the main avenue to villas do bend around vegetation and some portions are on an incline. There are also some "sentimental saying" signs that hang rather low. We did not have a problem navigating paths with our stroller, however, we laughed that if one is coming back tipsy, they might end up in a "ditch" or might hit their head on the sign. Hotel room: We were upgraded to privileged Coba building closer to the Theatre. The building was recently renovated with contemporary finishes and the washroom is updated. (I am comparing it to our original stay in 2012 in the Kabah Building which is closer to the beach). Renovations are continuing as I understand the Theatre is being updated in the next weeks. - Cannot comment on the noise that will be coming from it. Food: Yes, during the two week stay, you can tell dishes are repetitive. However, even so, there is so much choice. One has to be incredibly picky and negative not to find something to eat: from pizzas, huge selection of breads, two soups (different at each meal time), cheese station, fresh fruit station, deserts, salad bars and cold cut station. At each meal there were two-three choices of fish/seafood, and we were always amazed when there was fresh grilled Tuna steak and guests preferred red meat instead. There were a variety of warm plate dishes, some authentic Mexican - enchiladas, tostadas,tamales, molletes, ceviche, flautas, tacos al pastor, variety of salsas. Beach: Long and wide beach. The sand is soft, although not as soft as I recall in Holguin, Cuba. The fantastic thing is that there are mature palms right on the beach, so you can always find a little bit of shade if you want it. The privileged section is separated and there is also an Exclusive Privileged. Entrance into the ocean is free of any rocks, which was definitely an issue when we stayed at Grand Princess Riviera on a previous occasion. On days when the ocean was calm, we were swimming in the ocean with our daughter. There are only two adjacent hotels, and the next properties over are both abandoned in construction. The unfortunate part is the amount of plastic garbage from ships that accumulates in those abandoned areas. However, the walk is very pleasant and safe. You have some minor vendors, but nothing obnoxious. Staff/ Entertainment/ Maintenance: Staff, as any group of people varies: from genuinely very friendly and helpful, to those happy only when they get tips. Example we had one really thorough room cleaning maid, and two that clearly did their minimum required. We've met some amazing restaurant staff (Katia at the front, servers Humberto, Luis, Ekran and others) and also, some only so-so - particularly the evening restaurant manager and evening greeting lady. Maintenance: We had a leak from the light fixture in the washroom that was promptly fixed (someone was sent within an hour). Unfortunately, in the process of fixing it, the washroom fan was turned off, so the washroom begun smelling of mold. Separately, we saw several times power washing of the main avenue, scrubbing of the pools and cleaning of the wicker furniture. Entertainment crew was great! They were walking around, getting to know the guests and inviting to participate in various activities and even with a baby we found several activities we all did together - dancing/work out classes near the pool during the day, the beginning of the beach party in the evening, and participating in the Lion King. They were super sweet with our daughter. Negatives: We were approached five times by staff dressed in blue, to participate in the time share. Each time it took them minimum 30 minutes to try to invite us to the (what I understand from other reviews) is 3-4 hour presentation over brunch. Even though we stayed for 2 weeks, we came here to relax, and celebrate our first year as a family. We did not want someone try to coax us into buying in a program. After the first few times, we became very wary of them and were essentially just mumbling greetings and were off on our way. Phone calls into our room to get us to meet with them for brunch was a huge "No-No" as we had our daughter napping at the time. As far as we are concerned, if you cannot sell the actual program in 30 minutes, then it cannot be such a great deal. It is as easy as that: tell me the advantages, the cost difference etc, and I might consider. But DO NOT waste my precious vacation time.

Had a great week

My wife and I arrived at the Catalonia on September 4 for a week of relaxation...It didn't happen. It was our 34th anniversary. The first night there was a beach party...we danced all night. Good start to our vacation, and the rest of the week got better. There was a party in the lobby one night, Karaoke another. There was a pool party with a form machine and more dancing in the pool. The staff is what makes this resort. You can relax on the amazing Maroma beach or you can dance all week long. A [... read more]s I stated it was our anniversary, the hotel sent us cake and champagne to our room. We were surprised. The food is good but I must warn you when going to the Mexican restaurant, be sure to bring bug spray, this is a green resort, meaning that it in the middle of the rain-forest and Mexican restaurant is outdoors. The bugs are a bet annoying after a rainfall but other then that...It's fine. This was our 7th time in Mexico and I liked the fact that this is a small resort, only 400 room. It has something for everyone. We had such a great time that we need another vacation...just to relax.

Wonderful resort!

The grounds are beautiful, and it is a jungle like setting with coatis (little animals) roaming about. Lots of birds and relaxing music playing. The beach is the nicest I've seen and one can relax there all day, as there is a nice breeze off the ocean. You should get up early to get your palapa! The pool area is hot and there is no breeze. There are only a few umbrellas and there needs to be many more. The staff are fantastic and go out of their way to be helpful and are always smiling and [... read more] greeting everyone. Rooms are very nice. We were in the Priviledged section and it is definitely worth it. There are biting bugs in the lobby and theatre areas, so bring bug spray! They seem to like me a lot! Other people not bothered by them. They have a small area with little shops which is nice. You can browse for souvenirs, t-shirts (they are very nice and good quality!) One of the shops sells Modelo beer, if you want some better quality beer than what they serve on tap. There is not a lot of nightlife but we didn't mind, as after a late dinner and walking around a bit, we were tired. There is a disco but not that many attend, I think. People gather in the lobby area mostly and there is music there and sometimes karaoke. The food is good and no reservations are required for dinner, as in some other resorts. The buffet at Tortuga restaurant is great, and is available for lunch. We enjoyed this resort a lot!

Very nice resort and clean

For our first trip it was an awesome and beautiful resort. Loved the white smooth sandy beach. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. The buffet wasn t what we expected. Not hot enough. The entertaiment was great and those animators are very hard at work.

The best beach ever!

Went with our little son Max, he just turned two. We had an amazing time! Resort is very clean, the food is great, the staff is very friendly and carrying. Speacial thanks to manager Joaquin, he took care of us through out our stay. The only thing we did not like is this "privileged" seating at buffet, the whole area should be avail to all guests. I would recomend this hotel.

Best beach

This review is mixed. Best beach ever - and this is our 2nd trip for that reason alone. The drinks are good, the place is well maintained, but we did have bed bugs - so we had to switch rooms after 2 nights of being bitten (and convincing one of the managers using pictures we took of the bugs on our cell phones that these were not mosquito bites). There is always enough staff and the drinks are reasonable. They have GOOD LOCAL COFFEE and this is a big plus for a cappuccino drinker like myself. I [... read more] would recommend this place to anyone who wants a good beach for a reasonable price.

Most amazing beach !!

First off the most amazing beach I have ever seen! You could walk for miles both ways and clean white sand and beautiful turquoise water. Our room was clean and quiet. Food and drinks were great and service on the beach and in the beach restaurant was wonderful. We did pay to "upgrade" to Privilage but I really don't agree with it. When you arrive and see the tier system it's really not necessary. I believe everyone should be treated equal when at resorts and if you want a higher class resort th [... read more]en book that. However if we did not upgrade we were not allowed to sit under the huts on the beach, nor eat in the restaurant near the beach. Overall it was a nice resort. and I would return for the beach alone !!!

Wonderful family vacation

Everything about this resort was wonderful. Beach is amazing. Food was great. Close transfer from airport. Staff was all very helpful. We traveled with our young family and it was an incredibly accommodating to kids. We booked privileged and our rooom was in the best building, right by the beach. This is the first resort we would consider returning.

Perfect getaway!

Just what we needed. Everything was simply perfect. Food was very good, the service from the time we arrived to the day we left was very courteous. The grounds were immaculate and very relaxing. The beach is one of the best we have seen. You can simply just walk into the ocean without having to look at the bottom since it is all beautiful sand. Loved the palm trees where we lounged. The only thing which we did not appreciate was the nightly entertainment which was very amaturish and the seating  [... read more]very uncomfortable. Also the noise from the entertainment from the next resort was extremely loud, we could hear it in our room from 9:30 to 11:00 at night. Aside from those two small inconvenients, all in all one of the best places we have been and cannot wait to return.

Amazing resort setup

Love the resort setup, lounge and buffet at one end, nice illuminated walkway to the beach, smaller walkways to hidden rooms in between covered with trees,like a little jungle with small animals and all kinds of birds. Staff are friendly but did not appreciate the clerk at the desk handing our information envelope to a timeshare person telling us he would take care of us, upon our arrival!!!! Our room were keeped clean by the maids. The photographer Emanuela takes the greatest photos, is very ch [... read more]arismatic, warm and friendly. This resort is 40 from the airport, 3 minutes from cirque du soleil and about 45 minutes from rio secreto which is a must see.

Fantastic Experience

Food was great! Especially at the buffets. Super friendly staff, very accommodating. Always noticed staff taking care of the resort whether it be cleaning up seaweed on the beach, landscaping in the gardens, painting and so forth. Very well maintained. Resort is an older resort so do expect older style rooms, but not a big deal as you really only sleep there. Bring lots of bug spray! the rooms all lead to a central path through the middle of the resort, which is basically central in a forest. Yo [... read more]u will get lots of mosquito bites if you are not prepared. Would definitely recommend this resort!

Great Resort

This is beautiful resort, just got back 4 days ago. The beach is beautiful with white sand and turquoise ocean. But one thing no thatch roofs huts at the beach only for privileged rooms which you have to pay for. So at the beach you need to find spot with trees that had shade. The rooms were very clean. The service was excellent. Also there were only 2 bars in the whole resort. Food was very good. The ala carte dinners were fantastic.Also Air Transat had two free tours to Cancun city and Playa D [... read more]el Carmen for Air Transat passengers. Overall very nice resort.

Wonderful resort!

We had an excellent family trip to the Playa Catalonia Maroma in late May. It is a small resort but we actually loved being able to get to one location from another without having to walk forever or take a trolley. Restaurants were amazing; buffet has good breakfast selection but bland lunch and dinner selection. Rooms were decent and pool great for everyone. The only drawback was that the beach was full of seaweed (no crystal clear water) so my girls wouldn't go in. There were people trying to  [... read more]clean it daily but just too much. was told it was the time of the year, but thankfully the animation made up for it!

Very nice experience

This was a great resort to go to to just relax. The staff is what made it most memorable for my sister and I. Our absolute favorite staff members were Javier and Miguel in the buffet and Teotl in the entertainment staff. It was a very welcoming resort and there was always someone available for us if we had any questions. The rooms were great and food was delicious. Overall a great experience!

Two thumbs up!!!

The staff was very friendly, the food was amazing. The buffet offered a great variety and the À la carte were excellent. When we arrived at the resort, we upgraded for a swim up room. We took advantage of our pool (exposed to sun all day) on the days when it was too windy and cold at the beach and too crowded at the pool. This was our first time in Mexico and I have to admit that the beach at this resort was very nice. Never had an issue finding beach loungers. A must do in Playa Del Carmen: Co [... read more]co Bongo! Such an entertaining show. I recommend the VIP tickets as it gets crowded in there. Resort had free WiFi which was great. Lots of emphasis is put on the level of the bracelet: Basic, Priviledge, Exclusive. The beach is seperated in two, buffet and restaurants have designated areas for seating. No one could sit at the Exclusive table unless you had that bracelet. So you could have an entire evening of not having the table used but have a waiting period of 30-45 minutes at a restaurant. We were Priviledge and it happened to us once that they passed us in front of a Basic. Did not like that at all! This was our first experience in Mexico so not sure if that's how it is!

Much better than the reviews suggest!

This is a great hotel for families or couples that prioritize a quiet atmosphere, stunning beach, comfortable rooms and good food. The upgrade to Privilege is definitely worth it because you get access to more eating options, a nicer area of the beach with shaded umbrellas and priority rooms that are generally in better condition. The frozen drinks all had a syrup/chemical taste to them and bartenders definitely gave you a more generous pour if you tipped, but otherwise I had no complaints with  [... read more]the service. Would go again! Don't stay in a room ending in "05" because you'll be right across from the maid's closet so lots of noise outside your door.

Could be better

My husband and I just got back today and the hotel was ok. We had the privileged rooms but really wish we hadn't wasted our money upgrading. We arrived at the hotel at 11am. With privilege you get early check in, however we didn't get a room until 3pm. We were travelling with a 3 year old who was really tired but we made the best of it. We found a toilet and got changed. The beach was amazing, no disputing that. The pool was cold each day but once you were in it was ok. The food wasn't bad, it's [... read more] not home cooking but ok. The problem was, everything was cold unless you got them to prepare right in front of you. The "a la crates" we're very good. Staff I can't say one way or the other as no one really bothered with us. So many French speaking people had them all around them. It really does seem to cater to the French. Even all our information was in french. I would probably tell people it's a good place to go but won't return myself.

Excellent Stay!!

We enjoyed the size of this resort. Not too large and not overwhelming at all yet everything was a nice stroll away. The rooms were a bit dated but were clean with a comfortable bed. We were not in our room much anyway as the beach was the highlight of this resort. White powder sand that you could walk for miles and beautiful blue turquoise water. There were even angle fish swimming with you in the water. It was a good thing that we could walk that beach everyday too as the food was fantastic! W [... read more]e never had a meal that we did not enjoy! I would return to this resort and have no problem recommending it to anyone. Even the Staff seemed to enjoy being here!! And it showed in their service.

Great Beach, bad food, terrible service

The staff refused to honour my upgraded room, as they sold it off to another tour group, and stuck me in a rather old and outdated room. The person at the desk refused to even apologize for the mixup, and inferred that I was lying since I couldn't prove that I had booked the upgrade (The email was in my work account). The next day, upon escalation, I finally got an apology rather than smug denials, but apparently the resort was fully booked, and I was stuck in the room I was in. The food wasn't [... read more] very good, overall, but quite terrible at the buffet and the Mexican restaurant, which seems to try to cater more to American style mexican than authentic. The steakhouse and tapas restaurant were ok, but the steakhouse would occasionally be closed for no reason anyone could explain. Even when it was open, when they asked how you wanted your steak cooked, it seemed more like a survey than an order, since it would come out at a random temperature. The beach was great, perfect sand, nice water, plenty of fish in the ocean nearby. Everything I wanted out of that part of Mexico. The only issue were deckchairs. Only the privileged side had any with shade, and these would be claimed before 7am in the morning, and some of them would sit empty all day. The resort needs to work on identifying these vacant chairs and removing the items. I have no problem moving towels out of the way, but the new trend is to leave actual clothing and items behind, and I don't want to touch another persons items. All in all, I won't be returning to this resort. I won this trip through the trip trivia, and am grateful for the free week's vacation, but upon my twice annual trips to Mexico, I will definitely stay elsewhere.

Great place ,great beach

I typically go 4.5 star but took a chance on this resort because o the beach. Well its a great place love the buffet more then the a la cart. Love to go back, smaller resort but the beach makes up for smaller grounds.