Riu Santa Fe: Lovely resort

The resort is quite large, so there is lots of walking to the pools and restaurants. The food was only fair, serving the same buffet each day, and there were no true a la carte restaurants. Even the a la cartes were served buffet style and served most of the same items that were at the buffet. We were also there during the US March break, which made for a lot of noise at night, lots of drunk teenagers who crowded the pools and bars. The staff were nice and tried to accommodate as best as p [... read more]ossible. I would probably not fly with Sunwing again. Planes are too small and crowded, always late, ran out of food on the flight to Mexico, and poor service on board.

Secrets Playa Mujeres: Beautiful resort / Great staff

This was my husband and I first experience at a Secrets resort in Mexico. We had a spectacular Ocean view room and experienced beautiful sunrises most morning. The grounds and facilities are well maintained and the beach is beautiful. The daily entertainment was great. We ate at all restaurants and even took advantage of the restaurant at the Dreams resort next door which is really close. All were inviting, beautifully decorated and the food was Ok. The staff, at every level were welcomin [... read more]g, friendly and professional.

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Exceeded expectations!!

Amazing pool options, beach is fantastic, proximity to airport is perfect. Large property so a little confusing at first, but you quickly learn to orient yourself. Lots of food and bar options. Staff are friendly and engaging.

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Amazing

Absolutely gorgeous and very well looked after!! Staff were all very friendly. Would love to return!! Lots of Entertainment Signed up for catamaran trip at the building by the pool area. That was rather poor and would not do again. Catamaran was way too small and uncomfortable. Staff were awesome tho.

Secrets Aura Cozumel: Fun in the Sun!

Went to Secrets Aura Cozumel with another couple...all in our 50's. We all really liked the resort. Loved the slides, the staff, the pools, the use of Sunscape next door, the food was quite good and room service was excellent. Staff served you wherever you were...at the beach, playing ping pong, in the pool, out of the pool. Food and drinks were plentiful everywhere you went. Bordeaux was the best restaurant...get the beef tenderloin or the lamb. A couple of really nice touches like the se [... read more]rvice, and top shelf drinks make this resort worth the extra $$. The SkyBar is a great place to meet for a before dinner sunset cocktail, or a sushi app. Great drinks and atmosphere. Had a pool room that had a slide down into the swim up bar....How convenient and fun! The only negative comment I would have would be that the resort itself is starting to show a little wear and tear and the rooms could use a refurbishing with paint and some new furniture....the beds were very comfy though. The beach is rocky to get in but the snorkeling is fabulous right near the pier. I would definitely return to Secrets Aura Cozumel.

Riu Santa Fe: Great Stay!!

We were suppose to stay at the Riu Santa Fe for 11 days but upon arrival they told us that we had been upgraded to the new Riu Palace Baja California that is directly next door. This gave us access to all 3 Riu resorts here. We did spend a fair amount of time at the Santa Fe. Its is an all ages resort so it will appeal to more people in the younger age groups. The grounds are very well kept and the food at both buffet and a la cartes is very good. Be aware that since its an all ages resort, it c [... read more]an get quite loud some nights when they are having the night time pool parties. The first week were were there it was quiet for the most part. But the second week became spring break. That is when things started to get get loud and out of control. Made us happy that we had gotten the upgrade. Aside from the second week that we were there the Santa Fe was an enjoyable resort to be at.

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Met expectations

Overall my trip went really well, as I researched some tips about the hotel before arriving. Knowing how to get around on the trolleys, and bringing a powerbar was very useful, as well signing up for the 3 allotted dinner reservations upon arrival. Also the cheaper costing internet ($9 US) was excellent, though I had to talk to the front desk how to get it, as the prompt for it went away after the initial signing on the free wifi. The front desk was helpful for our few concerns, and the app was  [... read more]also useful to inform housekeeping of what we needed. The grounds were very nice and the sprinkler water does have an odor, but very likely from being standing water somewhere. The beach was very good, I don't expect a perfectly clear-of-seaweed beach as it is part of nature but they (very slowly) worked at clearing sections. The food was good, surprisingly the fish buffet dishes were excellent, desserts were lackluster, but I had something good to eat everyday. Cozumel, don Pablo and Portafino restaurants were adequate, though I wasn't blown away. Don Pablo had the best service. I was definitely consider coming back, for the right price.

Grand Sunset Princess: Wonderful vacation!

My husband and I had such a great week at GSP. Weather was perfect and the resort was absolutely beautiful. Pros to this resort: Absolutely gorgeous grounds. Kept up so nicely. We barely saw any garbage or a thing out of place. Everything was very clean. We has a swim out room and I highly recommend it! The resort was big, but we enjoyed walking and getting in some exercise. We both liked the size of the resort. The entertainment was great. Entertain staff was super fun and the nighttime [... read more] shows were fun. Downsides: Not your resort if you want a beautiful beach. Honestly, the beach isn't that bad...it is just very seaweed filled which didn't bother is too much but it's not that gorgeous white sand, turquoise watered beach. Not the resorts fault of course! It was still nice to hang out on Food: Our review for the food is kind of neutral. For a resort, it wasn't bad. For a 5 star resort in Mexico, we did expect a bit better. The lunch and dinner buffets were not great. Breakfast was hit and miss. The ala cartes were pretty good. We enjoyed the steak house, the french, the teppenyaki, the seaweed, and the Italian. We didn't enjoy the Mexican. However, at every restaurant, and desserts were terrible. :( Ive had better desserts at every other resort (even far less than 5 star) we have ever been to. That was disappointing. There wasn't a ton to do a night, but that's not a big deal. A quiet night isn't the end of the world! The WORST thing about this resort....which isn't really the resorts fault.....the smoke!! Smokers everywhere. It was overwhelming and stinky. I wish there was designated smoking areas. Especially for a family resort, not nice. Overall, we had an amazing time. Loved the staff, Shout out to Manuel from sunset breakfast buffet. Miss it already!!

Melody Maker Cancun: Resort with Identity Crisis

We stayed at this resort the first week of March 2019 for one week prior to the spring break kick off. I'll start by saying that this hotel advertises itself as "the biggest party hotel in the world". We didn't know this when booking and started to see the advertisements in the airport to our amazement. With such a statement we were expecting something kinda awesome and started to mentally prepare. Although revamped and under new management, the building is a little old and tired. Its best f [... read more]eatures are the amazing pools which get covered up for some of the special events. Bottom line up-front is this resort is having a bit of an identity crisis. Following are a few aspects that were noteworthy of our stay: ATMOSPHERE The reason why I titled this review "Not what you expect" is because I feel like this will ring true for all those who come to Melody Maker regardless of why you are coming meaning that its not really delivering for any target market - party'ers or relax'ers. I've been to a few other resorts in the same area and there is always a bit of a "formula" for how these resorts do business. This one doesn't really follow the formula. Firstly, for "the biggest party hotel in the world", things sure did wind down early. The pool music, and bars all close by 6:30pm and you are left with the 2 restaurant bars and 1 small lobby bar inside the hotel. Two of these bars close by 11pm and the other stays open until about 1am. I say "about" because staff are pretty eager to shut down, so at around the 45 min mark, the priority becomes closing up shop vs getting guests their final call. Further to the bars, there is no night time entertainment aside from a small sing-song band in the buffet one night (of 7) who was quite good. Now; that being said, I think a lot of people come to this resort for the concerts. During our stay we had one featured DJ on the Thursday night but this wrapped up by 11:30pm. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty cool, great stage with light show and all, definitely a high-lite of the trip. The downside of the concert focus is you loose access to the primary pool area which has a negative impact on the remaining pool and beach areas. So my point here is if you are thinking of avoiding this hotel because you think it will be too crazy, I don't think it lives up to its claim so perhaps re-consider. If you are looking for the crazy party vibe, the lower pool area "Delirio" had DJ's playing during the day which you can hear on the beach and was a pretty bumping area. If you like people watching, this hotel is full of young "influencers" looking for their next insta-moment, so lots of tiny bikinis and buff lads strutting their stuff, which makes for decent enough entertainment if you're into that. There were almost no young children even though its not an adult only resort, yet perhaps it should be. Age-wise there was the full range of people but with a definite majority in the 21-35 age range, most of them Canadian, at least when we were there. Overall this hotel is in a weird in-between market struggling to define itself. OTHER ATMOSPHERE NOTES -There seemed to be a sewer problem while we were there. Lots of strange and passing smells of sewage that would come and go throughout the resort. -Line ups at the lobby were constant. We got lucky and only waited about 20 min when we arrived late at night. -Getting drinks can be slow in some areas. The lower pool, and beach you wait about 30 min on average, even when you go to the bar yourself. TIP: Once you find a good bartender, just keep going to him. Treat him well and he will treat you well. They all tend to work the same bars so you will know where to find the ones you like. -On our last day our check out was at 12pm and our “all-inclusive pass” expired at 3pm, even though our shuttle didn’t pick us up until 6pm. This is a terrible policy, we didn’t arrive until 11pm. What are they really trying to save here? Felt like - "Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" FOOD/ROOMS Moving on to the amenities, the food was typical for a resort. Nothing really stood out as fantastic, or particularly memorable, although some stuff was terrible (again, typical). There are three restaurants (Mexican, Asian, Mediterranean) and the buffet. We ended up getting bored and eating off the resort at the near-by mall a couple nights. We recommend La Parilla overlooking the lagoon, staff is great and literally you can’t walk by without them grabbing your attention 😉 … all joking aside, the food is great and reasonably priced (you should definitely buy the picture). To note, the resort’s beach side restaurant attached to the hotel is extra to the all inclusive, which we found very strange and never partook. We traveled with my Dad who bought the VIP package, so we got to see the range of what this resort has to offer. They had a big ocean facing room with a Jacuzzi patio. Ours was Lagoon facing with no patio. Overall the rooms were nice and clean, our bed was "okay", kinda lumpy with a topper thrown on as an attempt to make the mattress go a little longer but fine overall. My biggest disappointment of the entire trip was the lack of hot water in the shower (again March 2019). We only managed to get a hot shower a couple times throughout the week. We spoke to other guests, and some were in the same boat, while others had no issues. TIP: If you get in your room on the first day, and notice the water isn’t hot, just ask to be moved right away because it didn’t improve. They refill the mini-fridges in the rooms everyday, which is great. Buffet was good with lots of variety. There is a “nice side” of the buffet room which we preferred to sit at, but there seemed to be random rules to getting a seat… “sorry closed” even though the place was half full. It was very strange. Even my Dad who had the VIP bracelet couldn’t get seating most of the time. Since this hotel only just opened in December 2018, I think they suffer from general procedural inconsistencies that they are trying to work out. STAFF/SERVICE: The staff and the service are good. People are trying hard to ensure you are having a great trip but areas like the lobby you can see that the staff are getting berated with frustrated customers so they seem tired and/or frustrated when you speak with them. CONCLUSION: Overall, we enjoyed our trip and found it to be an interesting experience that I've never had at other resorts. I think they will keep improving if they are able to survive their first couple years. If you are ok to go with the flow, party or relax, you will probably come away feeling the way we did. If you're someone who is looking to experience "the biggest party hotel in the world" I don't know, maybe its what you make of it. If you are looking for a quiet relaxing resort, perhaps this one is not for you. If you want a bit of both than we recommend!

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Amazing Family Friendly Resort

Our stay here was fantastic, rooms are very clean beds were comfortable. The food was fantastic the Peruvian/Japanese fusion a la carte is a must :) Lots of things to keep the kids occupied and having fun, for all ages. Was our second stay here definitely will return and highly recommend!

Riu Palace Peninsula: Amazing resort

Loved the beach area, we had a double balcony with fantastic ocean view. Staff were excellent. Food very good. I have already recommended this property to numerous friends. Loved the whirlpool tub in the room with view to the ocean.

Haven Riviera Cancun: Stellar getaway!

After many days of searching/researching all inclusive resorts in Mexico, I took a leap of faith and booked a 1 week getaway at the newly opened Haven. It turned out to be a great decision. The resort is modern, with minimalist details. The rooms are well equipped and spacious. I highly recommend the swim out room...pure relaxation! The food was top notch. All the restaurants were delicious. Room service was a major bonus!!! The beach is the only downfall to this resort. Expect mirky  [... read more]water with lots of seaweed, however the pools are well worth the trip! The resort was quiet, ideal for lots of R&R. You must go now before the crowds find out about this hidden gem!

Grand Palladium Vallarta: Beautiful resort

Grounds and ocean pool were amazing. Service in the Family Section was amazing as was one particular older gentleman server in the pool restaurant by the slides. Food was mostly a 3.5 star. We had an excellent time, third visit. We were actually married here and went back for our ten year anniversary with two little kids in tow. Made some great new memories. The servers treated our 8 month old baby like royalty!!!

El Cid Resort Castilla: Paradise, great resort.

The rooms, the facility was fantastic. Food , drinks and staff went above what we expected. The only disappointment was their coupon book. What a farce. Spend $6,000.00 to save $1200.00. The location of the facility is excellent.

Riu Caribe Cancun: Amazing Resort

The Riu Caribe was an absolutely beautiful resort. We stayed there from March 2-9/19. The hotel was just the right size, with excellent service, food, pools and beach Breathtaking views from our balcony. The room was very clean with lots of room. Loved the fact that you could get on any local bus just steps out front of the resort and go down the hotel zone to do some shopping in some great Brand Name Stores. 20 pesos to ride the bus one way - it only too 8-10 min to get to a huge outlet mall. [... read more] Felt very safe in this area. Would definitely recommend this resort to anyone and we home to return to this resort again next year!!

Ocean Coral and Turquesa: Amazing trip

AMAZING FOOD, AMAZING SERVICE! Beach has lots of seaweed but they try there hardest to maintain it! Pools are beautiful!! Entertainement was also pretty good. Lots of stray cats in the restaurants which did bother some people, but other people loved them. All al la cart restaurants were amazing!! Great for everyone!

Grand Sunset Princess: Very disappointed

All the hotel features were good. The food selection was good. We found you only got good service when you tipped. I had a clothing item stolen from my room. One of the service people went through are suitcases and we complained to the front desk, but nothing was done. We have stayed at this resort twice before and had positive experiences.This experience was very disappointing first we asked for a quiet room, but our room was close the pool swim up bar where there was always loud music. Second  [... read more]women’s pants were stolen from our room with a replacement value of $100.

Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa: Great Resort

This resort is beautiful, amazing food and very clean. BUT if you don't like kids everywhere then you might want to book at the Hideway at Royalton. Adults only and that's where I will go next time. It didn't ruin our trip but my kids are grow up now & I like the quietness better. Staff were amazing there and quick to get back to you if you had issues. Rooms were very nice and clean. Food was the best I have had in Mexico & I've been 5 times...and my friend 7 times. Now the smoking...they [... read more] do allow smoking everywhere outside so if you are totally against smoking you might not like this. There are no barriers for smokers..they can smoke everywhere except restaurants and rooms. Can get a bit annoying if you're by the pool, ocean or watching the shows and you get beside a chain smoker that really doesn't care and puffs away. But it's Mexico and pretty much all resorts are like this. You want restricted smoking areas go to Jamaica. I stayed at the Riu Palace in Montego Bay and they have smoking areas & even on the beach as well. Beaches have the depth to swim & sand bottom...but water is murky not clear blue which was a bit of disappointment. But once again didn't ruin the trip we could still get cooled off. I would definitely return to this resort but go the Hideaway. It's attached to the Royalton..and you get use of the entire resort...just gives you a private beach area and pool with adults only for a quieter vacation. I would totally recommend this resort for younger families. The kids pool area is unbelievable and the kids would have a blast!

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Wonderful resort

Very nice everything ,the hotel ,the pool ,the beach ,the restaurants ; the lobby open to the garden ,the wieu with the birds ; the food was very good and tasty ,fresh fruits many colourd.We enjoy all these very much .

Secrets Vallarta Bay: Fantastic Resort!

My wife and I could not be more happy with Secrets Vallarta Bay. Staff, service, food, drinks, entertainment..everything about the resort was top-notch. Definitely recommend for couples looking for an adult-only vacation.