Ocean Maya Royale: Helpful staff

Staff is very helpful and accommodating. Food is also good. Breakfast buffet was highlight of the day. Beach was nice but we went in Seagrass season but they were doing their best to clean. There is always activities going on to make your stay more enjoyable.

Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: Amazing fanily resort

Public areas were well maintained, food was amazing and the kids club was great with my 4 year old and my nephew who is 7. Kids pools are great and we spent most of our time there. The beach at the Grand Tulum wasn't great in the season but the others were cleaner and you can go in a short cart ride. Great hotel. Would recommend

Platinum Yucatan Princess: Amazing Resort

The resort was amazing from start to finish. The food was amazing and the activities were enticing to participate. I will definitely be visiting in the near future. Thank you for the amazing time again.

Viva Azteca by Wyndham: Great Resortr

The food was really good and the staff was so friendly! We were surprised that there is no elevators but they did give us a main floor room. Very clean and very well maintained for an older resort. The fellow at the bar made the best cappuccinos.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Know before you go

Overall Verdict: Wouldn't Return or Recommend (Unless on a Tight Budget for Basic Amenities) ​Date of Stay: (support 27- October 4 2025) Travelers: Family Prior Resort Experience: Dreams, Emotions, Royalton, Riu (Varies) ​We booked BlueBay Grand Esmeralda when it was advertised as a 5-star resort, only to see it drop to a 4-star before our trip. As seasoned all-inclusive travelers accustomed to the standards of chains like Dreams and Royalton, we should have heeded this warning. If you are u [... read more]sed to a premium experience, this resort will likely disappoint. ​Star Rating & Value: This resort felt like an outdated 3-star property. We paid a premium price and received basic amenities and services more aligned with a budget vacation. While we had an amazing week away (because it's Mexico!), the resort itself was a poor value. ​Accommodation & Room Issues (Building 7 & 4): Our initial room in Building 7 (which is extremely far from the main pool and beach) was dated. The mini-fridge and ceiling fan were non-functional, and the air conditioning was weak. We had a serious issue in the adjoining room when the fan blade detached and struck our son (age 17) in the head. We waited two hours for maintenance before being offered a new room. ​We were moved to Building 4, which offered a fantastic location near the pool and beach, but the rooms were in the same dated condition. We had to cycle through three mini-fridges before one worked, and our patio light was never fixed. While tolerable, these issues speak to a lack of proper maintenance. ​Food & Beverage: The food experience felt like a blast from the past—the kind of standard offered in Mexico 25 years ago. ​Buffet: Blah and repetitive. Options for a nice, cooked-to-order lunch or breakfast outside of the main buffet were non-existent (buffet-only). We rarely saw fruit and only saw ice cream twice. ​A La Cartes: We tried the Italian, French, Mexican, Steakhouse, and Seafood restaurants. They were all just 'okay'—nothing memorable. ​Snack/Room Service: Room service has a $7 fee. The 24-hour Black and White restaurant offered only hot dogs and hamburgers sitting in a warmer. ​Drinks: The bar service is strictly non-premium. The drinks are weak and forgettable. ​Resort Layout & Transportation: The resort is massive and spread out. Buildings 6, 7, and 8 are so far from the main hub that it feels like a different resort. You are constantly waiting for a golf cart (which can take 20+ minutes) or enduring a long, hot walk where the mosquitos are relentless. ​Staff & Service (The Highlight): The staff truly are the resort's saving grace. The people are amazing, friendly, and work incredibly hard despite being visibly short-staffed in the restaurants. Cassey at the pool is full of energy and lovely. The gentleman at the VIP front desk (sorry, forgot his name!) went above and beyond to assist us. The employees are top-notch. ​Grounds & Wildlife: The grounds and wildlife are awesome. We enjoyed seeing deer, a small crocodile, a variety of birds, coatis, and fireflies in the evening. Cats, dogs and did i mention mosquitoes. ​Tips for Future BlueBay Grand Esmeralda Guests (The "Basic" Traveler) ​Restaurant Reservations: Download the BlueBay app and book your entire week of a la carte dinners immediately upon arrival. ​Room Location: The resort will try to place you in buildings 6, 7, or 8 and pitch a paid upgrade for a better location the next morning. Decline and insist on a room in Building 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 upon check-in. ​Drink Service: Tip your pool server, and you will see her more often. Leave a note for your maid specifying what drinks you want restocked in the room (the maid is not the one who stocks the drinks). ​Beach Walk: Walk down the beach toward the "Mexico" sign for a photo op. The walk in the other direction leads to a swampy, unappealing lagoon area. ​Coffee: The coffee house (near the Black and White/Gym) is not open early, but it’s a good spot for a mid-day or evening coffee. ​Locals: The resort is open to locals, and the ratio of tourists to locals felt about 50/50. They tend to dominate certain areas, but we didn't mind. ​Packing Essentials: Bring lots of bug block and sun block! They are ridiculously expensive on-site. ​Room Amenities: The room has a blow dryer and iron, but no hair conditioner. Rooms do come with umbrellas—take them to the pool for extra shade. ​Pool Chairs: Plenty of pool chairs available throughout the day—no issue finding one. ​Walmart: Avoid the Walmart in Playa Del Carmen—prices are inflated. ​In summary, this resort is only suitable if you are paying rock-bottom prices ($1000 or less) and are content with basic accommodations, repetitive food, and non-premium drinks. If you're used to a 4.5-5 star experience, look elsewhere. All in all we had a great week away, but wouldn't return unless we were given circle one treatment. They get better everything ha ha

Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya: Amazing Family Holiday

This was our first time visit to Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya. The private transfer was the way to go. Direct to the resort. We used "All The Way" through our Trip Central travel consultant. Shout out to LOUISE ENDEAN. It was 1 hour 20 minutes from the Airport. Gated resort with efficient security. Was met by a group of lovely ladies and gentlemen to get us checked in. You are given an email/app to access your room key. Daily activities, restaurant menus, resort map etc. all available on the app [... read more]. We had 3 rooms. One was available upon arrival around lunch where we all changed for lunch and the other 2 rooms were available by 3:00 pm. The rooms are spacious, beds are comfortable there is a pillow menu if your require different pillows. Air conditioning in the rooms was excellent. Beach is beautiful and water was very calm. A little bit of seaweed which is expected this time of year but small enough you could step over it. Food was amazing. Excellent Cafe with drinks, sandwiches, desserts 24/7. Buffet Breakfast and Lunch at the market cafe with so much food you couldn't even try it all. Drinks were delicious from the Mango Joes (my favourite) to the Miami Vice. Lots of options. Gluten free options. They are very thorough asking about allergies. Room service with different menu options 24 hours delivered quickly and piping hot. Dinners were great. Highly recommend the Himitsu Hibachi restaurant. They put on a great show. Need to reserve that as soon as you arrive. You can do it through your building concierge. Our Concierge "Shout Out To Billie Rodriguez" for Building 9A was top notch. She made our reservation for my Birthday at Himitsu within an hour of arrival. She sent us the daily activities/menus every day. Checked in frequently on anything she could do for us. She was our go to during our stay. Everyone there goes out of there way to say Hello, How are you, is there anything else I can do for you. The Italian restaurant was delish. The Seaside Grill had amazing Bacon Cheeseburger. The evening poolside shows were fun/lots of food options. They did pool side barbecues near Oceana on some days. Burgers one day, chicken and ribs one day, seafood one day, scallops, shrimp, calamari, salmon, mussels etc. Their Guacamole is to die for. We didn't see too many night shows from the sun and swimming tiring us out. Busy pool (less shade) where the activities and noise are. Quiet pool was our go to lots of shade and pool side drink service. Ricardo and Cruz were top notch service as was the Pool side concierge. Always clearing away and bringing new drinks. We did tip for drinks, meals, housekeeping. Greatly appreciated but not in an expectant manner. My kids want to shout out to the Entertainment Staff at Volleyball Max, Liz, Octavio and Andy. They made the volleyball very fun. Daniel and Oscar and Didi for poolside bingo. We had a wonderful morning on my Birthday doing the Turtle Excursion. Great experience. $40USD. The only thing that was challenging is getting the layout of the resort. A lot of paths and even after 7 days I can't say I was an expert at getting where I wanted to go. I would definitely recommend this resort for a wonderful trip with the sun, beach, excellent food and wonderful people. This will be somewhere I definitely go to again and I will be a repeat booking using Louise at Trip Central.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Not a 5 star experience

Where to start. We booked for Beach but were moved to Caribe with no explanation. Reception spoke no English and didn't explain anything. Bellhop left our bags by the road and disappeared. Buffet is freezing cold and loud, food was consistently bad. Not a single quiet spot to sit, loud music everywhere. Had to get our toilet fixed 3 times and it still made a loud whistling sound at night. Some staff were nice, others were cold and unhelpful. Not worth the price. They advertise the bowling alley  [... read more]and the wave pool but none of it's included and the prices are extortionate. $50 USD for some sunscreen at the shops. The mall as well was a nightmare. You walk into the lobby and immediately are faced with a gigantic screen playing ads 24/7. We spent our whole vacation at Colonial which was leagues better.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Great family time

Check in - easy and great staff Food - variety/selection for both kids, adults and picky eaters. You have the buffet and the snack bar by the pool is great also. A la carte's were delicious. Room - very clean, everything you need inside, and I loved the blackout curtains! Kids club - fun nighttime activities; daytime activities were repetitive but my daughter (7.5) enjoyed the pool time activity and rehearsal time in the afternoon for the nighttime production. Note: there is a kids pool [... read more] area with water slides. Pool - clean and various depths so good for all ages. Bar - multiple throughout the hotel and staff were knowledgeable and friendly. Beach - fun to watch the fish (don't need goggles but great if you have them). It is shallow and doesn't go out far as it is roped off. We stayed at Coba and was about a 5 minute golf cart ride (came frequently). There is a bar at the beach and chairs but no food (that didn't bother us). Waters were a mix of murky and clear. Nighttime - they usually have live music (would be great to see more of a variety or more of an interactive show/dance time) Overall we had a good time.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: You get what you pay for

My family and I stayed for 7 days (2 adults, 1 baby). We got a free upgrade for our room which was nice but honestly the room wasn't really upgraded. There was some rust, water pressure could have been better, mattress was not very comfortable, and the outlets were not secure, etc. One thing we liked was that the wifi was pretty fast. The main buffet was where we ate the most but it is hit or miss. It's nice that they tell you when the busiest times are before you enter the restaurant. At times [... read more] they did not restock the food fast enough to meet demand. There is a variety of other restaurants, some were first come/ first serve and some were reservation only. Note that the reservations can be done on the app but easier on the browser. We went to one of each and they were pretty good. One place we kept going back to was Mike's Coffee so we definitely recommend that. Another thing to note is there are a lot of animals that come out but as long as you don't feed them, they don't bother you. As a parent, just know it is not easy going around with a stroller at times, some of the high chairs did not have seatbelts, and the crib here is a play pen. Overall for the price it was a decent resort but I won't be coming back.

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Wonderful resort but very poor customer service

We enjoyed the resort, the food, the cleanliness, the animals and all the surrounding nature however what makes this hotel a lower star is its customer service. Some people are barely speaking English, while others are rude when you ask for help. Let’s not mention the booking of restaurants… that was a total mess, so if you come for 3 days forget about a la carte, the staff always says that all is booked and you cannot book in the next couple of days. Another disadvantage is that they don’t have [... read more] an actual access to the beach. That is missing too.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Barcelo Maya Palace

Beyond words, absolutely awesome., amenities, services and personnel., of all resorts gone to i would say the best ever, originally booked @ Maya Beach later notified not available no effort with option moved to Barcelo Maya Palace , no additional charges, thank you.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Barcelo Maya Palace

Beyond words, absolutely awesome., amenities, services and personnel., of all resorts gone to i would say the best ever, originally booked @ Maya Beach later notified not available no effort with option moved to Barcelo Maya Palace , no additional charges, thank you.

Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: Great Time!

Large resort but the timely shuttle service gets you where you want to be within the resort and to the sister resorts…Coba, Tulum and luxury Sian Ka’an. Food at buffet was very good with a good selection. Was able to book in at restaurants…again with good food. Staff were very friendly and worked hard to ensure an enjoyable stay. Want to mention Maria at snack bar and Jose at the buffet for their great service. Only wish it was not an 1:45 hour bus ride. Would have been nice to fly into Tulum.

Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: Great Resort

We really enjoyed this Resort, service was great, food was amazing. We did ATVing in the juggel and the tour guide (Migal) and his team did a really good job of explaining everything and leading it. The beach was dirty in some areas but still had some clean areas.

Dreams Jade Resort and Spa: Amazing Resort

We were looking for a nice adults only resort but this looked beautiful and came highly recommended. We booked a preferred club, oceanfront King room and it was amazingly beautiful. The preferred pool is adults only so that checked that box. Because of the time of year, the seaweed on the beach was horrible but the resort staff worked diligently to keep it clean. The pools were well maintained and the staff were all absolutely phenomenal! The food was delicious for the most part - better than [... read more] other resorts I have been to: even other Dreams (DR). The ice cream at Coco Cafe was very yummy. If you are a tequila drinker there is plenty of choices. This is the first time I have been to an all-inclusive in some time where I didn't want to leave on day 3 of our 7 day trip!!! We usually cruise, but we were able to watch the cruise ships come into Cozumel in the morning and leave in the evening so that was nice. Tripcentral, and Candice specifically, made this an easy trip to take as we were well informed of EVERYTHING needed before we left!

Viva Maya by Wyndham: Had a great time

Grounds were beautiful and well kept. Hotel is a bit dated but we knew that going in. Beach was great. Pools were clean but maybe a bit small for the amount of people staying at this resort. Food was not my favourite for Mexico but we always found something. Staff work hard and were nothing but pleasant and polite. Rooms are small but the bathrooms in the rooms were a great layout. We truly did enjoy our stay

Dreams Jade Resort and Spa: Dreams jade resort and spa visit

My wife and I and 2 other couples our friends that join us with this visit to this beautiful resort we enjoyed most of the resort has to offer customer service was top clean and the workers are very nice people but most of our visit there the restaurants are part of them are closed and part are open so the only thing that was the breakfast buffet was open every day but the rest every day a different restaurant is closed and also we wasn’t satisfied with the resort shows and entertainment pool ba [... read more]r closed at 5 pm. Thank you

Royal Hideaway Playacar: Incredible Resort

This resort is absolutely stunning! We were very pleased with the cleanliness of our room, the overall maintenance and care of the grounds and the warm and inviting staff. The food was delicious, restaurants were alway busy. The drinks were well made too. We truly have nothing bad to report!

The Reef 28 Playa del Carmen: Very Clean Resort

The Reef 28 was a great stay. All the staff made the stay feel very comfortable. I found the hotel very clean. Location of the hotel was perfect. A block to 5th ave. For all inclusive, food and drinks were decent. But if you pay a little extra for stuff on the premium menu, they were awesome. For the *Reef Playacar* (other resort) - We did pay $15USD for all day travel between the 2 other resort. We went to the Playacar location because we heard the beach was awesome. It was great although t [... read more]here was some dark spots from the Sargassum seaweed, you could walk past it to the beautiful tropical coloured water. It was a beautiful resort but there was no staff to help us at the beach or pool. The food bar had barely any food but fries and terrible nachos. They ran out of towels. I feel like the lobby was overstaffed and the rest of the resort was understaff. The drinks were terrible. And because of this, I won’t recommend this place. I’ve never been to an all inclusive resort and have no staff seen at the pool or beach areas. Other than that , Their Reef 28 location, I would highly recommend. Don’t go to the other resorts, its not worth it.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Beautiful property

Good food and entertainment, very good for kids but service can be a little better. Right from check in to cleaning service the service is fair, not outstanding I would say. But overall satisfied with their service.