Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa: Top knotch resort

I'd recommend this resort. The food was excellent and the staff were well trained and friendly. Great pool area with waterslides for the kids. The beach is very nice with lots of chairs and great sand, but the swimming area at the beach is just so-so. My only other quibble would be they have staff that are asking you about once a day to attend a time share presentation. They're nice enough about it, but it gets old after a bit.

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: Perfect destination for young families

We just returned from our week-long stay at Azul Fives. Although the resort was recommended to us by a friend, it is always a gamble when you go somehwere you have never been, and we couldn't have been more impressed. I'd gladly return to this hotel anytime and I'll break down my opinion into sections: 1. Room We reserved a one bedroom pool view jacuzzi suite for ourselves and our 18-month old son. The room was huge and gorgeously kept. There was an enormous full kitchen and dining room along  [... read more]with a large sectional couch. There were two bathrooms (one powder room and one full bathroom), and the bedroom and jacuzzi area could be closed off by sliding doors. This was the perfect set-up for people travelling with children. In the evening, the kids could sleep in the bedroom section and you still had access to a bathroom and the full kitchen/living area without disturbing them. We were on the ground floor which was amazing because we had the pool right outside our doors along with a personal patio and set of lounge chairs. The doors to the patio locked so I was never concerned about pool safety with a young child. Although the resort was busy, we never felt crouded and the way the villas were set up, you get a lot of privacy from the other guests which is nice. If you want to be around a lot of people, then you just have a short walk to the ocean and large pool by the beach. One thing to mention is that we were in Villa 2, which i believe is in the older part of the resort (although everything is fairly new anyway). There are new villas 15,16 and 17 which are brand new and furthest from the beach. They look very nice and have their own pools but they do seem more crouded and have less space/trees/privacy. If you want quiet and privacy I would try to book in Villas 1 to 8 2. Dining All the food at this resort was great. No stomach issues whatsoever. My opinion is somewhat limited because we did dine early and at the child friendly restaurants. The room service was fast and good for breakfasts. Flavours and La Brasserie were great buffet options for speed adn variety. The ocean-side grill by the pool was excellent and the cevice and fish tacos were amazing. Meso Tapas was also excellent. There is a mexican restaurant by the newer villas that was also awesome with great atmosphere. I would suggest using your personal concierge every day to book your dinner reservation. We didn't because we thought we'd just do the buffet, but found that it was confusing to know which restaurants were open each day because there were closures for private events etc. 3. grounds/atmosphere The lanscaping and pools were always pristine and really added to the feel of the resort. It made walking the resort to get to restaurants/beach very enjoyable. The main plaza was breathtaking with coy ponds, twinkle lights at night, and these amazing bamboo pods that you can sit in/eat in. Gorgeous! One unique feature was a wooden walkway through a jungle with a cenote beside the resort. Really great photography opportunity...lots of lizards, birds, trees. To walk the whole thing is about 15 minutes and it is really a unique experience. At night this area was back lit with green and blue lights and was magical. You also had a view of it from Flavours restaurant through floor-to-cieling windows. Restaurant decor was also on point. 4. staff Friendly, polite, really enjoyed talking to my young son. Remembered our names days later. Very gracious when tipped. The one thing I noticed about this resort was that there were very few people walking around trying to sell us stuff which I really liked. 5. special accommodation If you are travelling with a baby...this place has EVERYTHING!!!! We did bring supplies from home but they supplied a crib, bottle warmer, bottle sterilizer, baby monitor, high chair and stroller. It was incredible. They were also very accommodating with high-chairs in restaurants and offering special food for the baby (milk, juice etc.)

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Can't beat it!

We had an amazing time! Everything was perfect. We highly recommend the week pass to Xcaret park next door. We went snorkeling everyday in the park and then explored the park for an hour or two longer. We returned to Occidental for lunch and enjoyed the pool and the beach for the afternoon. The staff at Occidental were very helpful and friendly. We would definitely return.

El Dorado Seaside Suites: New Building Not the Same

Have been to El Dorado Seaside Suites in the past and when booked for Dec 2016 saw the new building with the ocean front infinity suites. Just got back and wish we had booked Sensimar Seaside Suites which is the old El Dorado Seasides. The good news is we had access to Sensimar and the beach/beach beds as well as all of the restaurants. The view from the new building is spectacular and I did enjoy having a dip in the infinity "river" off the suite, The downside of the new building is you can h [... read more]ear everything in the suites. For some reason they built the rooms with adjoining doors (not sure why in an adults only resort) and you can hear everything. On one evening our neighbours had the TV blaring at 2am and it felt like it was in my room, and on another night they ordered room service and I could hear the cutlery on the plates. If you have stayed at the old Seaside Suites and enjoyed the small buildings and resort I would suggest staying there as it's less expensive and a little more quiet. As always with Karisma resorts the staff and food at both resorts was excellent!

Riu Palace Riviera Maya: This is a great resort

This hotel, grounds and beach area are all well maintained. The service beats any resort that I been in the last 5 years. Staff are friendly and always ready to help out in any way. The buffet has great selection and the restaurants all have good selections.

Grand Palladium Kantenah: Great time!

Beautiful, huge resort. Room was clean and spacious. Only complaint is the food at the buffet tended to be cold most of the time. However, any of the made to order food was great. Highly recommend ordering at the Sports Bar. The Chang Thai restaurant had really good food with quick service. Alejandro and Alfredo at the swim up bar were awesome. They were friendly and funny. We loved hanging out there in the afternoons. Staff is very friendly and the resort is very well kept.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Beautiful!

Grounds were immaculate. The staff were cleaning steady. Food was good. The beef at the steakhouse and French restaurant were impeccable. Staff was always nice. Armando at the beach bar is awesome! Beach is beautiful. Some parts a little murky but still fine for swimming. Just say no to the time share they try and sell you when you arrive. Other then that we had a wonderful time

Catalonia Playa Maroma: Fantastic place

The hotel was great, the grounds look relaxing and were well kept. The beaches great. The Food and Restraunts were fantastic. The hotel staff were nice and cheerful. The pool was good too. The rooms could of been clean and stocked better, I had to go and get my own stock. But other wise beautiful place I would be back.

Paradisus Playa del Carmen: Great Family Trip

We travelled with a 3 and 5 year old and they just want to go back! They never tired of watching the fish and the turtles each morning in the beautiful courtyard, while mom 'n dad relaxed on lounge chairs or lounge bed and had an Americano and fresh pastries from the Illy café (included). The pirate ship pool was warm and fantastic and right next to the adult pool with swimup bar for margaritas and pinatas for the kid. I have never seen such sincerely friendly and helpful staff. Tanya Smith  [... read more]with Tripcentral was fantastic with helping us find the perfect spot, and with all the details when we had to change our dates (she even got us an upgrade!) The beach was lovely, some days with a lot of seaweed and some days not so much, but it just took a short walk own the beach to get clear of the seaweed. The food was amazing, even the buffet (check out the theme nights early so you know when to go - we even cancelled a dinner reservation one evening to go to the buffet) The lunches by the pool were mediocre American fair, but with such decadent breakfast and dinner, I didn't need lunch and it was fine for the kids. The biggest thing missing is a place to get lunch/snacks on the beach for families - you have to go back into the resort to get food, and my favourite thing on a sun vacation is to dine al fresca by the ocean, so that was the only disappointment. Absolutely gor

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: Sirenis Regular

I love this resort, this was my 3rd time there. They have a lot of different choices for a la cartes as well as great buffet with theme nights to vary the selections. The staff there is amazing and always willing to help as best they can. Lazy river is great and the grounds crew work tirelessly to keep up with the pool cleaning and the gardens. Lots of wildlife, great snorkeling and swimming. Easy access to Tulum or Akumal by collective. Rooms are starting to need a bit of a refresh, but all  [... read more]in all they are super clean. Pillows are TERRIBLE! My only complaint was the Sirenis management staff. I travelled with 5 girls, 3 of us were on our 3rd visit there in less then 2 years. One of us is actually a Sirenis Member. We tried to book through her membership but website was down and no one was available by phone for 2 days and we didn't want to lose out on Air Canada deal. I booked and then requested a few very easy to accommodate upgrades. We were given the run around for the 1st three days there and then just gave up. I would never recommend the hotel again just for the principle alone. As for Air Canada vacations..I was disappointed to find out that they do not offer inflight movies (unless you rent an ipad for $10) and they don't give you any food at all, not even a mint! I have never been on a flight that didn't at least give you a snack.

Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: Really nice resort

We found this to be quite a nice resort. The buffet food was better than the average resort. We really liked the kid's water park at the Coba side of the property. The quality fo the cocktails was a bit less than expected though. We also found the a la cart restaurant reservation system to be hard to deal with. The beach is pretty nice but has really rocky areas, but there are also some nicer areas. Loved that they have Sea Doo and other water sports on the property.

Grand Palladium Kantenah: Amazing resort

We really enjoyed staying at Grand Palladium Kantenah in Kantenah Beach near Playa del Carmen Is one of my best trip I had in Mexico. The minute we walked in the front lobby we felt we are in paradise everything feel so beautiful the view the people were amazing nice, the services was amazing the view was so wonderful we really enjoy the long walk along the beach every day We also enjoy the walk to our room it felt like we were camping with all the bushes and tropical plant and the walkway in b [... read more]etween. We also loved when we check in and out it was so quick we did not have to wait long to check in or out. We also enjoy the walkway between the restaurants it was so nice. We also loved going with the train to other part of the resort so it was never a boring time. We loved the services and the people were really nice. We also felt so private as there was no once at the beach trying to sell you things. We enjoy it all, I have told all my friends already about this amazing place so if they going for a trip to Mexico they can try it out. For me I would probably go back again to this place.

Iberostar Selection Paraiso Lindo: Fantastic destination

Once again my husband and I were not disappointed....third stay at Iberostar and second at the Lindo....service and property still upheld to the highest level..Rosario, kept our room immaculate and well stocked, all waiters, bartenders, ground keepers, kitchen staff, and Star friends entertainment go above and beyond....thank you also to those who work behind the scenes who help the resort run so smoothly....thank you for a memorable birthday

Hotel Marina El Cid Spa and Beach Resort: First Family Vacation!

We stayed here for 2 weeks in December with our 3, 6 and 8 year old boys and were very impressed with this resort. We upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite ocean view which was nice. Rooms were nice and cleaned very well. Fridge was always stocked with water, pop, and beer. Resort grounds were extremely clean and very well maintained. Food at the resort was excellent. Always something different each day. The a la carts were very good, especially the Mediterranean and the Italian. Pool activities  [... read more]were great for the kids and they also enjoyed the kids club a couple of times. There was no outdoor snack bar which almost all other places I've stayed at have, which at first I thought that would have been a down side but soon after I really liked that aspect as there are no bugs and birds trying to eat food around the pool area, etc. The cliff and water slide were excellent for the kids and adults alike. Absolutely bring water shoes for the ocean, fun to play in but very rocky. Great service from everyone working at the resort. We will definitely be returning with our kids!

Riu Palace Riviera Maya: Truly a 5 Star Resort !

This is truly a 5 STAR RIU PALACE ! We travel extensively to Mexico and the Caribean and we know what the Star ***** rating system means and this is a 5 STAR. Each Riu team member goes the xtra mile to make sure you are happy, enjoying the resort and that if there is anything they can do they will. Food is really good, tasty and excellent choice. Lobster served twice in main buffet and always at the Chilis restaurant in the evening and the Lobster is truly delicious. Located on a beautiful long  [... read more]soft white sandy beach you can enjoy a beautiful walk right into Playa Del Carmen which you can also walk to by sidewalk in this community. Rooms and hotel is a palace and all is very clean, palacial and good. Entertainment staff is very good and you can either participate or be a fly on the wall people watcher. We enjoyed every minute of our stay and yes we would go back in a minute.

Ocean Maya Royale: Some much needed quiet

Overall The ocean maya was a fairly small resort, perfect for the couple that wants a quiet and relaxing break. It certainty didn't seem full. It was clean and the staff were friendly. There were lots of activities available; included games like beach volleyball and additional activities like parasailing, jet skiing, and scuba diving. And of course off resort excursions (I highly recommend a full day at Tulum). If you love being busy there was lots to do. But if you just want to relax on the be [... read more]ach, you won't feel overwhelmed by the goings on. The beach front was very small, most of the waterfront was not accessable for swimming and had a sort of board walk. The accessable part of the beach was very nice and the staff kept it well maintained, but make sure to watch your step as you walk into the water so you don't stub you toes, there are a few rocks. The pools were nice, pretty standard. Rooms Our room was a gardenview perfectly located between the lobby/main buffet (6 block) and the pool/beach. However if you had room in the 20s you would be far away from everything. The house keeping staff always did an excellent job, we always came back to a perfectly clean room, they also made sure our fridge was stocked with lots of water. Food There are several restaurants included: sushi, italian, mexican, and french. We tried the first three and they were excellent. The French one requires long pants. The regular buffet was also good, it has lots of options.

Platinum Yucatan Princess: Re: Platinum Yucatan Princess is a fantastic resort!

My husband and I spent an amazing 9 days at Platinum Yucatan Princess, an adults' only resort. First time we've ever gone to a resort longer than 7 days and 9 days was perfect as two days are spent travelling. The staff were so friendly and always so helpful. We were pleased this resort was smaller (less rooms) than other resorts we've stayed at previously. We opted for a "swim-up" room (building 2) facing the garden area which we thoroughly enjoyed. Room was quieter than the swim-up ro [... read more]oms facing main pool area and the serenity was a little piece of heaven! A small pond was across from our room and being animal lovers, we enjoyed checking out the wildlife including a solitary turtle and many iguanas and beautiful birds! The buffet had a wide variety of great foods and theme nights. The entertainment both pool side and in the evenings was really good. Especially enjoyed the flame throwers' show, but the drummers were the best we've ever heard. Could definitely have been a Vegas hit show! The a la carte restaurants were excellent and we enjoyed the Rodeo Grill (excellent rib eye steaks), the Tao (Japanese) and Bruschetta (Italian). And what a plus, we didn't even have to reserve....we walked right in except for the Tao which we waited about half an hour for. Pretty great. The pools were wonderful and very clean. The only negative was the rocky beach and even though we brought water shoes, the red flag was up and it was too wavy for us to venture in the ocean. But, we walked the beach (only at 10 minute walk) and one can use the sister resort's beach which is sandy, but it is obviously more crowded. There are many excursions one can do, but we opted to stay and enjoy the activities at the resort as we've enjoyed excursions before. All in all, we would highly recommend this resort and hope to travel to the Platinum Yucatan Princess again in the near future! Our thanks to Marlena Bielak of Trip Central and to Sun Wing staff. Excellent trip!

Grand Riviera Princess: Best One Yet!

We travelled from December 7 - 14th and had a swim-up suite. The additional cost for this was well worth it in my opinion - the balcony was bigger and we had our own private section away from the crowds at the other pools. The room itself was spacious and clean with a large walk-in shower and jacuzzi tub and a king-sized bed. The resort was large and lush and very well maintained - I didn't see a piece of garbage anywhere the entire week. Everything was kept clean, from the walkways [... read more] to the common bathrooms - spotless!! There are a lot of restaurants to choose from, as well as several buffets. There are 2 buffets that serve only breakfast and lunch (these are closer to the beach) and 2 more that serve all 3 meals (closer to the lobby) We ate at the 2 Riviera buffets. There are also plenty of a la carte restaurants to choose from - we tried the Oriental, Mexican, Italian, steak house and the Japanese Teppanyaki. We didn't really care for the oriental, but the rest were delicious, as was the dinner buffet. We also ate at the bbq grill on the beach, which serves hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, nachos, etc. There's also no shortage of activities going on throughout the day. There's a sports bar where we played pool and had some snacks, and there's always something going on throughout the day. We didn't participate in any of the activities, and didn't go to any of the nightly shows, but we did enjoy the evening entertainment at the plaza bar near the lobby where there were live bands and other things - one night they had a "fire show" which was fun to watch. There are also several shops with the usual tourist stuff as well as a great jewelry store. We booked several off-resort activities, but they have nothing to do with the hotel, so I'll leave that out of my review. I would just like to say that there are PLENTY to choose from if you want to head out for a day (or half-day) trip that you can book in the lobby. I would like to add that this is NOT a place for anyone who doesn't like animals as there are plenty of them here. They have a sanctuary of sorts within the resort that houses ring tail coaties and you will see them everywhere around the resort. There's also plenty of iguana and there are also some domestic cats that have been rescued by a local animal shelter that live here (these are all tagged and get regular check ups from the shelters). They don't bother anyone, and I didn't see any animals in or near the restaurants or on the beach. But the ring tail coaties are brave little buggers and they'll come right up to you on the walk ways if there's food nearby. They didn't bother us, and they're very tame and very cute... but they ARE there. I thought it added to the charm and appeal of the resort, but I'm sure others may not have the same opinion. To sum things up - this resort is clean, spacious with beautiful pools, a great beach, delicious food, and great service. I would go back in an instant, and would recommend it to anyone - either with a family, as a couple, or on your own.

Wyndham Alltra Playa del Carmen: 1st class all the way

we have always stayed at a large resort as we like large selection of amenities that comes with... but never again. we are sold on a smaller venue. the service was amazing, we were not just a room number but guests with names. staff were all helpful, friendly and HAPPY , they all seemed to love working there. room was clean, and well appointed. bed typical hotel bed. comfy enough. food at buffet and all restaurants was brilliant... so good, well prepared, well presented. beach and pool [... read more] 5 star... entertainment mediocre, but being in playa, by the strip made this a non issue, all the entertainment one could want literally 2 min walk away. the spa and weight room 1st class... we will be back to the Grand Porto

Catalonia Yucatan: Incredible Resort

This resort offers something for all travellers, Singles, couples and families. Although the resort was mostly couples there was plenty of room to find a relaxing area of beach or hang out at one of the 5 pools. Entertainment all day with interactive fun. Snorkelling at the resort in the warm ocean is safe and tropical fish are in abundance, they swim all around you, an underwater camera will capture some beautiful photos. Young children who can snorkel would have an incredible time exploring [... read more] the lagoon and small protected reef. The area of Puerto adventures is safe, you can stay at the resort or tour outside the resort and explore the marina, golf course and other large areas seeking monkeys and iguanas plus a variety of birds. Restaurants are excellent and having a number to choose from was well accepted, never got tired of the same food. The selection of food was very good. I wood like to have seen more prawns and crab, however, the variety of fish kept me satisfied. Fruits, vegetables, cheeses and meets were fresh and delicious. Some dishes may be a little salty, so I would suggest taking smaller portion at first to sample. Rooms are extremely clean, quiet and staff are accommodating when needed.Leaving a minimal tip a day got you a nice touch to the hotel room each day from the cleaning staff. If you want to leave the resort and tour, I would suggest you take a cab to the nearby cenotes or ruins. Very reasonable prices and the safest way to get around. If you want to tour Chitza Itza or Ekbelam, book a tour bus, the hotel will help you with the arrangements, a little more pricey however the best way to avoid the corrupt police who expect bribe money and target rental cars, gas station attendance may rip you off during a fill up. (stating you did not give them enough money or trying to over fill your oil. Theatre and live music in the evenings followed by star gazing on the beach were a great way to end the day.