Barcelo Maya Colonial: Amazing experience for Mexico

Beautiful Resort Very Friendly beaches were clean staff was excellent Transat was informative with day trips overall good time will go again soon............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. [... read more].........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: Exceptional experience

We can't say enough about this hotel. This was our second visit and nothing had deteriorated but improved! The new Essence suites are modern and we had the pleasure of spending our holiday in a swim up suite. The showers had a 16" x 16" rain shower head surrounded by a light! The grounds are really well kept. Some pools get busy but you can always find a quiet area in one of the other pools. Staff are more than accommodating and very personable. Restaurants now have a no reservation polic [... read more]y which seems to be working well. You are not rushing to a set time for a reservation. Love Azul Fives!

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Spa and Hotel – The Bad, the Good, and the Ugly

I would never personally stay at Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Spa and Hotel again because, for the cost, it was a poor value. But, I have mixed feelings when it comes to whether it should be recommended or not. THE GOOD AND THE BAD It is an upscale resort with beautifully maintained gardens and lawns; well-paved roadways and walkways of stone, cement, and brick; three welcoming pools; a long beach, eight à la carte restaurants; a large main buffet and two restaurants that serve as buffets p [... read more]art of the day; lots of activities for the guest; a big outdoor covered amphitheatre, a spa, gym, and a disco. However, it is an unwieldy 20 resident buildings resort packed with people. Even at a moderate to fast pace, it takes 20+ minutes to walk to some venues, notably the spa, gym, and disco. It took me three days to find my way around. There is supposed to be a golf-cart shuttle service, but there is no schedule and no route map. Some shuttles are for “members” only. Other shuttles are full or just do not stop. Actually, in my seven-day stay, I was able only once to catch a shuttle. For the size of the resort and the numbers there, there are not enough bathrooms, and they are small. In fact, six of the à la carte restaurants and the main buffet do not have bathrooms. If a bathroom is closed for cleaning or maintenance, you have quite a trek to the next bathroom. Finally, you need a smart phone, GPS, or walkie talkie to locate or find your family and friends. In addition, just like the anonymity of a large city or cruise ship, there was no regular meeting place to make new friends by bumping into people more than once. The food is excellent and the à la carte restaurants each provide a different cuisine; French, Italian, Mediterranean, Japanese, Thai, and Brazilian. The large buffet offers a variety of cuisines except for Mexican Night, once a week. However, the main buffet is closed for 3 hours between meals and is only opened from 7 am to 10 am for breakfast. Our first morning at the resort, we nearly missed the buffet breakfast because the day before, our travel day, we had been up since 2 am and wanted to sleep in, but still have breakfast. Also, the reservation-required à la carte restaurants are small; thus, it is difficult to get a reservation, especially if you are staying for only a week. The three pools are well laid out. Two of them are activity pools and have swim-up bars. However the activity pools are noisy with either activities or music most of the day, not a great place to get an afternoon nap or just relax, nor is your room as I will explain later. There is a large crescent-shaped quiet pool, but the space for lounges is pathetically small, with lots of places along the pool too narrow for lounges. I was never able to find a vacant lounge at the quiet pool. To compound the problem at the quiet pool, almost all of the wider lounge area was reserved for “members only.” In addition, the lounges at the pools and beach, although comfortable, are difficult to adjust. You have to get out of the lounge and fool around with the support bar to move it to change the height of the back of the chair. There was no easy way to adjust the back support. Also, the lounges could not be adjusted to lie totally flat, nor could the back support be angled up to a reasonable height for reading. The rooms are spacious and beautifully appointed. The beds are comfortable. The roomy bathrooms include a bathtub with Jacuzzi water jets and the shower has a rainwater shower head available. The floors of the unit are an attractive marble or granite, and there is an ample balcony with a table, chair, and retractable clothesline. The maid did a superior job of keeping the room clean. We were in a VIP junior suite. However, our safe did not work; the Jacuzzi water jets were non-functional; the cracked toilet seat pinched our skin every time we sat on it; and the faucet dripped. After a few calls and discussions with our concierge, our safe was repaired, and the Jacuzzi was made to work. On the other hand, the facet continued to drip throughout our stay, and the toilet seat continued to pinch us. We set the air conditioning as warm as we could 25C (77F). Nevertheless, the room was freezing. Other guests were complaining about the same thing. We had to figure a way to turn the A/C off, but then the room tended to feel and smell humid. Finally, all resident buildings were close to one or the other loud activity pools. If you wanted some quiet time away from the hordes of guests, your room was not the answer either. Even the balcony door being closed, the sound of the ceiling fan and freezing A/C could not drown out the racket coming from the pool, especially the voice of the specific activity leader who, despite having a grand amplified speaker system, found it necessary to scream. So, there was no peace from noise at the activity pools or our room; plus, the quiet pool was always full. The resort had a coffee shop which served delicious specialty coffees, such as café latte, Irish coffee, Monte Cristo, cappuccino, etc. However, for this enormous resort, there was only one coffee shop. No other venues served specialty coffees. The resort also had an ice cream parlour which served premium ice cream of a variety of marvellous flavours. However, again, there was only one ice cream parlour. No other venue served ice cream during the day. The parlour closed at 6 pm. Ice cream was available from 6:30 to 10 pm at the main buffet as part of your meal. There was a large coastal area along the resort. Many spots had beautiful look-outs and one isolated point had two somewhat shaded hammocks, a miniscule oasis of quiet. However, 75% of the beach was too rocky to sun bath or even to access the water from. The sandy beach area, with large “members only” sections, was overrun with sunbathers and swimmers. Available lounge chairs were impossible to find. The scene is reminiscent of photos of the crowds along and in the Ganges River. THE UGLY Bar Service was a disappointment. At the quiet pool, there was no alcoholic bar. At the activity pools, one server came around about every 90 minutes or so during the day. It took him/her 30+ minutes to bring a drink. It was better to go to the bar. However, the pool bars ran out of pina colada mix almost everyday. The beach bar service was worse. At the beach bar, there was only one bartender to serve the mass of beach goers. He gave priority to the one waiter’s massive orders from the beach. If a guest went to the beach bar, there was a minimum 20 minute wait. However, if you ordered from the waiter on the beach, the wait would be minimally 30 minutes. At the main buffet, cocktails were never available even during dinner. The staff at the resort is absolutely excellent, superior in every way. They work hard and are extremely friendly and accommodating. However, they are overworked at every venue. The resort should either increase the number of staff or cut down on the number of guests in order to improve all service. Grand Sirenis’s Final Farewell Service to Us. There are people like us without smart phones or lap tops. Our last full day at the resort, I asked the concierge to help us book our next day flight on line. Despite explaining to him our situation, he said he could not help us. I have been to three other Mexican resorts in the past 14 months. Grand Sirenis has been the only resort which refused to help us. Thank God, Air Transit hostesses, using their own personal phones, helped us and other couples book on-line. Maybe Air Transit should co-ordinate customer service at the resort. Our shuttle left for the Cancun airport at 7:20 am. No food venue was open early enough for us to have breakfast or even pick up food, not does the resort make any attempt to have even coffee and continental breakfast in the main lobby for guests who depart before food venues are available. I have never been to any other resort, hotel or on any cruise ship that did not have food available for early departing guests. Finally, our departure on our shuttle was delayed because when we checked out, the resort forgot to give us proof of check out for the shuttle service. We had to go back to check out to get the proof. This was our final disappointment that we had experienced at the “upscale” resort. RECOMMENDATIONS I guess if you want a large expensive upscale resort with lots of duplicate amenities and venues; a big area to hike through and explore; a host of activities; many guests; somewhat impersonal and with a high degree of potential anonymity; then this resort is for you. However, if you want a small, cosier resort, where it is easier to make new friends and get to know staff, but with more limited venues and activities, then go to an upscale resort like Sun Palace in Cancun, or a more economical resort such as Allegro Playacar in Playa del Carmen, or Cameron Los Cocos in Rincon de Guyabitos near Puerto Valharta.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Blue Bay Esmeralda - Mexico ......Okay Resort - Great Location

This was my 5th visit to the Mayan Riveria. I love Mexico. For the most part, we are not going for the resort, but rather to experience all the area has to offer. Typically, we rent a vehicle and travel up and down the coast to see and do a variety of different things. Based on this the hotel's location (situated about at the half way point between Cancun and Tulum) it was perfect for reaching places in a short amount of time. The hotel itself was for the most part clean and well kept, h [... read more]owever was lacking the "WOW" factor. Nothing about it made us say "Hey, look at that....isn't that special". No swim up bars, No lazy river, very little water sports available, no fruit or ice sculptures on the buffet, no disco. There were a few shops (not that I want to shop) and basically one bar in the evening with some entertainment. Also, there were game tables however you had to pay to use them. At the time of booking ( and I will say I paid more this time than I have ever paid for a trip) we put in a request for a King size bed. We never did get our King size bed, but instead had 2 double beds. For people who are used to sleeping in a Queen size bed at home, this made for a very uncomfortable 9 nights sleep. I did request each day to have a King size bed (none available) but stopped asking by about the 5th day. To me, the beds should at the very least be Queen size. Meals: We did like that fact we had several dinner options each evening, Mexican, Italian, Steak House, Oriental, Seafood, French and a dinner show. Usually I enjoy the food in Mexico much better than I did this time. For the most part the food was okay but not spectacular. I will boast that the 'presentation" of the food on the plates at each restaurant was very nice. Circle One Club: Or whatever they call it....BEWARE! Over the years I have done several Time Share Presentations - all a total rip off! And this is just another one of these too! Although they don't call it Time Share. The 90 minute presentation which turned into 3 hours was a farce. They want you to invest a lot of $$$ in the property which boasts nothing more than a more private section on the beach! What a waste of our vacation time. All in all I would probably go to another resort next time or even consider not an all-inclusive option as I feel we don't get our money's worth for the amount of time we actually spend at the resort property. If I WAS going for the resort, I would go to the Grand Princess or try another one with more things to offer - "more bang for my buck"

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Amazing vacation !!

We absolutely loved this resort. The kids were never bored. The grounds were impeccable and the staff overly friendly. Not a bad word to say! We will definitely be booking this trip again with Stephanie Brucculieri. She had a great recommendation! Thank you for the memories.

Grand Sirenis Mayan Beach: Incredible resort

We just arrived home from 7 days and this was our first all inclusive, it exceeded our expectations by far. Very clean, excellent food, entertainment, 7 days of no rain and perfect weather and the people were just amazing, would go back in a heartbeat!

Grand Palladium Kantenah: Great times with great friends

Great Resort. Good food. Lots of sunshine. Beautiful beach with aqua blue water. A++++ A lot of things to participate in. Staff was very friendly and hardworking. We may even go back to this resort one day 😆

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Beautiful Resort

We stayed at Grand Bahia Príncipe Coba in January for one werk to celebrate my husbands 50th birthday. We were a group of 11. The grounds of the GBPC are beautiful! There are many trolleys to get around and the drivers are fantastic in helping you. All you have to do is ask, they will even stop to ask you if need a ride. I would suggest booking the Royal Golden rooms simply because you will be close to everything! We did and we were extremely happy with the location! It's a short trolley rid [... read more]e to the beach. Which is ok, but we preferred the pools. Even though on my opinion there should have been more entertainment there. The rooms are kept very clean, and the mini bar was restocked daily with lots of water, beer, pop, chips and even chocolate a couple of days! Please tip the maids and the guy who restocks the fridge, they do an amazing job! The fridge was always cold. ( we left the cabinet door open to allow air flow.) The food was good although a little repetitive. You can always find something to eat, even the fussiest eaters lol. The staff in the buffet are great at bringing your drinks and keeping your table clean. Antonio at the buffet restaurant was amazing! Always friendly and efficient! Remember we were 11 but never had to wait for a table or service! The bartenders were always friendly and made fantastic mojitos and margaritas! We booked a massage at the spa and it was awesome! All in all of was a great vacation! Thank you GBPC!

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: Great resort for families!

This hotel has beautiful grounds, it is very well maintained, rooms are very clean, staff is extremely helpful and friendly, the food is good. Lots to do to stay busy; pools, beach, lazy river, dolphins, shows, bars, entertainment, snorkeling, walking trails... Things to consider before booking: this is a very large resort = lots of walking, the beach is not picture postcard beautiful like some of the other resorts or destinations. It is rocky. The coral reef and rocks on the edge make it  [... read more]beautiful but in a different way than the usual white sand and turquoise water.

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: Awesome resort

excellent food, staff and weather! spent the entire time by the infinity pool and it was amazing! only downfall was there were quite a few children always around the pool, would maybe consider an adults only resort next time!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Would go back

The staff were exceptional! Beach was nothing special 10 min walk down the beach to a very nice area to swim in at a different resort. The food was also exceptional! I have been to different resorts in Mexico and I would say the food at this resort surpassed all the others I have been to. We swam mostly in the pools which were very nice except the fact that both my kids cut open their feet on the tiles that were broken in the first two days of our stay. The staff at the kids club were gr [... read more]eat and the shows at the resort were amazing.

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: we will be back

id like to first thank alfie duva of trip central for finding and booking this hotel for us.my wife and i had an excellent time .the hotel itself is amazing and the staff was very friendly. it is a huge resort with many things to do some at a cost but acceptable pools were always clean as were the grounds.there were many bars so there was no lack of a cervesa when needed and when the bars were a little busy there was the frindly waitresses walking around and making sure you had what you wanted [... read more].our room was very nice everything in it worked kept clean everyday as well as the mini fridge being well stocked.the buffet in my opinion was very good and the a la cartes we did have were a1 the only thing i would like to see is possibly more trams on the property they did have many for the members and i feel there were more non member guests there as well as perhaps a bike rental place it is a big resort and would be nice for the ones that would like to see it without waiting for a tram thanks to juan ,jose and alajandro as well as our 2 very helpful air cananda reps thanks again

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Great resort

The resort is very clean and the staff is very helpful. The buffets are huge and the la a carts were just amazing. The beach is just gorgeous. There is so many pools to choose from for your days activities ..

Catalonia Yucatan: Beautiful place!

We spent a very short time at this resort because we were offfered an upgrade to a resort down the road that offered a child free environment that greatly appealed to us. 😉 We did however, have the chance to enjoy the buffet for lunch and walked the grounds before we moved on. The lunch was delicious and the staff were so friendly and helpful. The grounds were beautiful and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I'm sure this resort will be on the top of our resort list when we plan on tak [... read more]ing our family along.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Excellent

This hotel was excellent, very clean and great food. The rooms are large and you can catch a train to any part of the hotel as well as the other adjoining Bahia principe hotels. The staff is very friendly. The beach is further than Tulum hotel but just a short train ride. Also, there are a few pools to enjoy and always something going on. Seven family members attended this trip of varied ages, fantastic time.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: This resort was absolutley beautiful!

the Barcelo maya Colonial resort in Maya Riviera Mexico was amazing. the service, the food , the weather could not have been better! The tours are spectacular too. We went ziplining and went to the Tulum ruins. It was a great day. We had a traditional mayan lunch and saw some beautiful greenscape. I would really recommend this resort to anyone wanting to go to Mexico. We stayed at the Barcelo Maya Beach resort the last time we went which was equally as nice but on a smaller scale. The ala cartes [... read more] were delicious with a wide variety of restaurants including Japenese.

Iberostar Waves Paraiso del Mar: Iberostar paraiso del mar

We stayed in January and I could not complain about anything. Everything about this resort was excellent. There is something for everybody all ages on this beautiful resort. This was my third time to Mexico and this one topped the list. The a la carts were terrific. I read bad reviews about the Italian but ended up being my favourite. We also had the Japanese and Brazilian which were both very good as well. The buffet restaurants always had lots of variety. The service and entertainment staff we [... read more]re the best I have seen at an all inclusive.

Grand Palladium Kantenah: Awesome Vacation

We booked a mayan suite at the Grand Palladium Kantenah for a week just before Christmas 2016. Our room was gorgeous with a cathedral ceiling with a fan, a very comfortable king bed, and a sitting area with a sofa chair and table. The bathroom was huge with a whirlpool tub and private outdoor mayan shower. Everything was very clean and well maintained. The best part was that it was right on the beach and had a covered balcony with chairs a table and a hammock. It also had free basic wifi. I woul [... read more]d happily return here and book this category of room again. When you stay at the Kantenah you get to use the facilities of 3 other Palladium resorts at the same location - it's huge with many pools, restaurants and bars plus two theatres. The beach is long with lots of huts and the main pools have many rows of huts around them. We never had issues with getting lounges and shade at either the beach or the pools which was a refreshing change from some of the other resorts we've been to. We had dinners at at the Thai restaurant, La Lola (tapas), La Adelita (Mexican) and Portofino (Italian) - all very good. The other nights we went to either Tikal or La Hacienda because they were closer to our room and the nearest theatre. The selection and quality of the buffet food was excellent as was the service.

Iberostar Selection Paraiso Maya Suites: Good resort

Stayed in Iberostar few times prior to the last visit. In time of booking requested room in the building 62, upper floor, in the wing facing Grand hotel. On arrival was given room on the upper floor in the building as requested but with balcony facing towards the pool (room 6265). Next day found out that even with the balcony door closed there was quite a bit of noise coming from the pool area. Concierge in the building accommodated my requeast and transferred me to the room facing Grand but on  [... read more]the floor bellow (room 6247). It was a mistake on my part: I could hear everything coming from the floor above, furniture moving, steps, doors etc. It was the most unpleasant experience during my stay. The concierges in the building did the excellent job, trying accommodate my requests. Especially want to mention: Claudia, Elizabeth, Alejandra, thank you all. One minor detail: there was no bottle opener in the room. Rooms are in good shape, very good cleaning staff, mini bar was always full. Good selection of international and local drinks at the main bar, JW Black Label, Don Julio tequila, Spanish champagne and wines etc. Main bar (I call it Pyramid Bar, but proper name starts with K), bartenders Johny, Alberto and others are very efficient and trying accommodate your requests in no time at all. With exception of noise (it could be just me as I spend a lot of time in hotels world over while travelling on business and very sensitive to the noise coming from outside) you are getting good value for your money. Good selection and quality of food in La Marina restaurant, La Tapia(?) during lunch, very good service. I corresponded with Tripcentral about Sunwing representative in the hotel. I brought back the card for requesting return transfer to the airport. Shall be happy to scan and to E-Mail it on your request.

Platinum Yucatan Princess: Beautiful Resort. Service not the best.

The hotel itself was very nice. The grounds very well kept. The food wasn't outstanding but it was what we have come to expect at a Mexican resort. The buffet selection was better than some but as with other resorts it gets a bit tired after awhile. Some of the service by staff was below par. There were some staff that gave great service but the ones that didn't provide that are the ones you seem to remember most.