Fantastic Resort

We just spent 7 days at the Ocean Mayan Royale.....it was an amazing resort! The service was superb, the staff were very friendly and helpful. Most spoke good English. Our room was very spacious and had a king size bed that was very comfortable. The ground are well maintained and staff are always working hard to keep the grounds looking amazing. Lots of wild life around too which was pretty neat. Food was amazing! All the AL a Carte restaurants had great food and amazing service. Favorite re [... read more]staurants and must trys are the Romantic and Italian. There is a little coffee shop on resort called Mike's.......must try it has amazing specialty drinks and treats. By far best trip we have had yet! Would recommend this resort......5 star!

Mixed feelings

Okay, this is going to be fairly long review but I have a lot to cover so bear with me. I traveled with my sister and we arrived on March 6th. We had requested a room with double beds, near the beach and NOT on the first floor as we don't feel safe on the first. So what do we find out at our check in...double beds, yes but on the first floor and the furthest building back from the beach you could get. I have traveled a lot, especially the Mayan Riviera and Dominican Republic. This was our first  [... read more]time at an H10 hotel. They showed us three other rooms, closer to the beach and we decided on the room in building 33 on the second floor. Back at the front desk we are told it would cost us an extra $90 per night for any of those rooms as they were considered "premium". We were not impressed. They finally brought it down to $45 per night. We really had no choice as our original room was totally unsuitable. We were told the room would be freshened up while we had lunch. My sister is a bit of a germophobe but even I had to agree that there was no way our room had been "freshened". Stains on the floor, dust on the dresser and the sheets and pillows were damp. However, after our call to the lobby, housekeeping was there within 10-15 minutes. They recleaned and put fresh linens on the bed. Anna, our maid, was an absolute sweetheart all week. Because we do a lot of traveling, my sister and I decided to listen to their pitch for their "Premium" service, etc...On our arrival, Caleb, the one who set up our breakfast meeting with a representative kept insisting it wasn't a timeshare. Guess what, it's a timeshare with slight variations. Isaac, our rep., was very, very nice. He would tell us the costs in Canadian dollars and my sister and I made the wrong assumption when we were getting down to the final details with the manager, Bobby. We were very interested but still had a few doubts. Of course the pressure is on because this price is only offered now and is off the table once you leave. If you're ever in a similar situation, please be aware that, legally, you have up to five days, I believe, to cancel with no penalties. BUT, be aware of the difference in exchange rates. We had decided to go for it, it was going to require a deposit of $3,675 which I was going to put on my credit card. When we went in the office to sign the agreement the amounts were stated in US dollars. We had been talking Canadian and assumed the final price negotiated was in Canadian dollars. That changed everything and we said no, we wouldn't take it. They had already processed the payment to my credit card BEFORE I signed the agreement. The amount was recredited to my visa but when I checked my account on line I was shocked to discover that because the banks have a different rate for buying and selling US dollars, I lost over $250 due to the exchange rates!!! When I spoke to the Premium office about this they said they recredited the same amount they had debited, which they had. The difference in the rates was not their problem. I was leaving today when I noticed this and its on the plane that I remembered them processing the payment BEFORE I signed the contract. Not sure that is legal but I will be looking into it further. The hotel is quite a long distance to the main road and I wanted to take the Collectivo to Playa del Carmen. The hotel doesn't offer a shuttle to the main gate, you either walk or they call a taxi for you. It costs 50 pesos or approx. $3.50 for a 5 minute ride. The collectivo was 20 pesos or approx. $1.50 for a 15-20 minute drive. You shouldn't have to take a taxi. It's ridiculous. Food: wasn't bad. Was always able to find something I liked at the buffet. Their selection of salads are pretty limited. The Smoothie station in the main buffet and at the bar by the Mexican grill was very, very good. Brazilian night was my favorite. Someone complained in another review about not being able to order from a menu. Of course you can't at the buffet but if you went to the à la carte restaurants, they had menus. We ate at the Blue Moon one night and it was fabulous. My sister had the clam chowder and salmon for her main course. She raved about both. I had the ginger, carrot soup and warm beef/beet salad and the beef tenderloin with wild rice, also very good. Grounds are well kept. They have deer that come out at dusk and these funny creatures that look like raccoons but with long noses, along with your ignuanas. There are two pools, right next to each other. One is for the "rowdy" crowd, the otI her end for those who like things a more sedate. The beach was not the greatest. Very wavy and the water was dirty, full of seeweed. They tried very hard to keep up with the seaweed. The pool bars do close early, 5:30 p. m. but the bar in the lobby is opened 24 hours. All in all we did enjoy our stay despite the setbacks, annoyances, etc. The weather was great. The staff are all friendly and very nice. Shout out to Manuel and Selena at the main buffet who were awesome. Would I go again? Yes, I would consider it depending on the price. We paid, including the upgrade cost, almost $2,000 cdn for the week, which was not worth it. $1,500 to $1,700 is the most I would pay, and that would be for a premium room by the beach. Otherwise, there are many other resorts I'd rather return to visit. Hope this helps!

Ocean Maya Royale

OMG!!! by far the best trip ever!! We've been to Cancun several times & thought we'd try the Mayan for a change. We were not disappointed to say the least. Our welcoming concierge, Cesare, was very helpful & ever so friendly which made us feel comfortable immediately in our new surroundings. From the helpful, friendly hotel staff, the modern, clean room with a great view, the delicious buffets & Italian restaurant meals, the endless & tireless entertainment people who kept us amused with their  [... read more]parties, music, movies, magic shows, as well as the amazing Mexican & Mayan traditional nights, the awesome bartenders & spanish coffees...wow!! oh, and the weather for our 10 day vacation was the icing to this amazing, amazing trip to OMR!! Thanks to Kim for all her help in getting us to this spectacular resort!! We definitely recommend it & if possible, will definitely be returning to it!!! For Sure!!!

Very acceptable, clean resort.

We stayed at the Ocean Maya Royale for a week in February 2017, to celebrate my 50th birthday. It was a very pleasant week, with only a few minor issues. Our overall summary would be this: it was very acceptable and one of the more affordable adults-only resorts in the Mayan Riviera, but nothing special enough to make us want to return for another visit, when there are so many other all-inclusive resorts to investigate. The GOOD: this resort is very clean, and the grounds are well-maintained [... read more], and quite beautiful. We enjoyed seeing lots of animals and birds: coatis, deer, and iguanas mainly. They are not a problem (just please do not feed them) We found the FOOD in the restaurants very acceptable. Nice serving sizes that look too small for North Americans, but actually do fill you up. Picky eaters will always be picky eaters. We tried all of the restos, and thought they were mostly very good. The buffet was available for all 3 meals, and had an impressive assortment of foods. The 4 a la carte restos were all very acceptable. The teppanyaki show at Yookoso was very entertaining, and there was lots of food, although it was all seasoned the same way, so it was a little repetitive. We thought the Mexican “El Charro” was very good, and the Italian “La Dolce Vita” too. Probably because this resort is only about 10 years old, the climate control works very well. It was a treat to find that the air conditioning inside the buildings wasn’t set so low that you were freezing cold. It was just comfortable, and a nice break from the outside heat/humidity. The Mexican and Italian restos are al fresco, so no air conditioning at all… but good breezes off the water! Another nice surprise was that clothes and towels in your room would actually be mostly dry by morning! The entertainment was enjoyable, and some of the shows were surprisingly good. Remember that this is not Vegas… these are young, local dancers and performers who work hard to put on entertaining shows. The resort staff were generally very friendly, helpful, and hard working. Lots of activities around the party pool area if you wish. Unfortunately, guests do go down to the pools/beach to reserve most of the chairs early in the morning, but we were usually able to find a little space to sit after breakfast. IMPORTANT TO NOTE: We booked through Sunquest, and the airport rep gave us a package with our local Sunquest agent’s name and the time we should meet with her to arrange return shuttle to the airport, and it had some coupons for booking daytrips, etc. The airport rep warned us that the resort staff might ask for that package then just try to get you to book extra things through them! When the resort “concierge” checks you in, they will tell you that you must book a private “breakfast orientation” for the next morning to learn about the resort. Be wary of this “orientation”. You might get some resort information, but it is actually a time share talk, and they are very high-pressure. We declined the breakfast meeting, and she kept pushing, but we wouldn’t budge. After that, this concierge was suddenly much less friendly, and although she had earlier promised that they would do something special for my birthday, nothing happened on the day! Very petty. Hubby did ask at the front desk, and they did a little something the next day, so that kind of made up for it. So the moral is: if you want anything special, don’t assume that it will happen with one request…. Follow up a couple of times! This is a fairly small property, only 320 rooms, and there are no shuttles/carts to drive you around. Thank goodness we brought a rented wheelchair from home for my husband who walks with a cane due to M.S. There were several other guests with wheelchairs too. Because of the chair, we were given a bigger room, which was very helpful. The staff were generally very kind and helpful in assisting us. But be warned, there is no elevator to get to the main lobby building where the buffet and 2 of the a la carte restos are located!! There are ramps everywhere, but the main one up to the lobby level is fairly steep. There is a good handrail with the stairs, so hubby was able to work his way up the stairs, while I rolled the empty chair up the ramps… I definitely would have worked up a sweat pushing it up with him in it!! Oddly, the party pool and the quiet pool are right next to each other, and right at the beach. So if you are looking for absolute peace and quiet on the beach or at the pool, you won’t find it, but it is somewhat quieter at the far end of the pool/beach. If you enjoy a nice beach and swimming in the ocean, this resort might not be for you. As you can see in the pictures, there is a boardwalk along most of the beach, with just a small area off to the side with direct sandy access to the water. That area is quite crowded with beach chairs, and only a few umbrellas, but the water looks nice (although some people do complain about seaweed… this IS the ocean, folks). The “beach” area enclosed by the boardwalk is really weird… it feels like a huge concrete slab with about 4 inches of fine sand on top. Very firm. In summary: this is a very acceptable resort, especially if you are easy-going, just want to relax, have some fun, and enjoy different kinds of foods. (i.e.: not a picky eater). We probably won’t return, but we would be ok with recommending it to friends who were looking for a somewhat budget-conscious holiday and who aren’t too uptight!

Great holiday

We enjoyed our stay at the Ocean Maya Staff were very friendly, the resort was clean and well kept. The food was good our favourite restaurant was the Blue Moon special thanks to Caroline and Adrienne. His Mayan coffee was the best! Entertainment in the evenings was professional not the activities staff and was very good. The resort went all out for the Super Bowl party -decor , big screens great themed food and lots of Coors light! We had no problems getting lounge chairs on the beach everyday [... read more] and enjoyed long walks down the beach. Only downside was they need more bartenders and could only get wifi with iPad in the lobby. Phone picked wifi up better even on the beach.

Beautiful Vacation!

We had a wonderful stay at the Ocean Maya Royale. The grounds are beautifully kept, there is the chance to see wildlife all the time. We found the resort a lot smaller than what we are used to, but it was still a very nice resort. The staff are what truly make this resort amazing! Our check in at the front desk went very smooth and efficiently, yes we had to wait until 3pm to get our room, but we expected that and were prepared with a change of clothes. The H10 privilege guy was great as wel [... read more]l. Yes he tried to sign us up for the breakfast meeting, but we just told him we weren't interested, and that was that. Our most favorite staff was everyone at the Lobby bar! Ana and Tila were just amazing and were always super friendly. All the guys that worked at the lobby bar were amazing as well (sorry didn't get everyones names) The food was great at all the restaurants we went to. There is always something to find to eat, the variety was great. If you are looking for a good ol burger - head down to the grill by the pool. Best burger in a long time! The beach isn't the greatest, but we did know that when we booked. There is still a decent section of beach to go swimming in the ocean. We also walked down to the lagoon which was great, and I would recommend it. I did get a few bug bites, but it only seemed to happen at night. I'm not going to complain about it though, if you have ever been to Muskoka in the spring time, you learn to deal with bugs lol I do agree the nightlife is lacking a little bit. The evening shows were entertaining, and we enjoyed them. We did however find that we didn't really know what to do afterwards except drink, or go to sleep. More activities/shows/music at night would be great, seeing as it is an adult only resort. Overall this is a very nice resort, and I would recommend it :)

Good resort

Very nice resort beautiful grounds and staff is very nice and helpful . The buffet was very good lots of choices . The Italian restaurant was excellent . The Japanese restaurant always had a lineup but I understand the food was just OK . The room was small and the bed was hard and the pillows were terrible . The beach was small but good swimming and the two pools were very nice . Overall it is a good resort but because of the bed we would not stay there again .

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.

Great Getaway

The hotel had a great layout. The pool was clean and the grounds were always being attended too. The staff always had a smile and willing to go the extra mile. A great effort was made for nightly entertainment. Overall the noise level was loud until midnight. Sound carried throughout the villas. There was always something to choose from on the daily buffets. The Japanese restaraunt was delish! As stated from other reviews, bring your own pillow was a good tip. Erosion has taken away almost al [... read more]l of the beach. If that is your 'thing' this is not the resort for you. It was great being an adults only, didn't miss the young ones at all.

It wasn't all that we expected

We recently stayed at Ocean Maya Royale and we loved some things about it but we disappointed with the rooms and some of the service. We found the food very good but did miss seeing seafood at the buffet. Also liked that it was adult only. We found the amenities in the room were lacking and when we called to get things we needed we had to call several times and still didn't get all the items.

Great suggestion!!

This upscale adult only resort met all our expectations. We were going to book a different resort but the tripcentral agent recommended this one and we had an amazing time. Grounds are pristine and well manicured. Our room was lovely but a little noisy at night as it was close to the lobby but conveniently close to everything. The service was spectacular and the staff were friendly and helpful. The food in the buffet was very good but the a la carte restaurants were excellent and no reservations [... read more] required. The only complaint was beware of the sales pitches for buying into prestige. It's basically a time share!

Wonderful week

My partner and I travelled to the Ocean Maya Royale last week for a 7 day vacation. The staff were all very pleasant, especially Maria Jose on the front desk. At check in, we found that we had a ground floor room, and requested a change to 2nd level room. Maria indicated that none were available at that time (Sunday afternoon), but that she would ensure that we were moved to our desired location the next morning, and we were. So thank you Maria Jose! The grounds were kept neat and clean,  [... read more]and our room was cleaned each morning. The animals roam around the resort, but don't bother you unless you make the mistake of feeding them. Don't do it! There are signs saying not to feed the animals and the staff will remind you, but we saw some people feeding them, and taking photos. The last thing you would want is for the animals to become a nuisance, and a liability for the resort. So, please just leave them alone and they will leave you alone. :) The food was good, not outstanding, but good. We did not pay for the upgrade to privilege status, so I can't say if the food is better in the privilege area. There are separate items on the menu for those who have taken the upgrade as well as certain top level brands of alcohol, so if food and specific alcohol items are important to you, then you may want to consider spending the extra dollars. We liked that the resort was small and fairly compact. The weather was hot, hot, hot - and we had a wonderful time.

Pests

I thought over all that the resort was good. The employees were pleasant. Even the beds were comfortable. The thing that was so disturbing were H10 people all over the lounge area trying to sell us on H10 one morning I counted 8 of them. Then even after refusing they called my room in the morning. This was way to much, I think if you want repeat customers this should be stopped or cut back. I know personally because of that I sadly will not return.

Great Value

Ocean Maya Royale is a great resort with immaculant grounds, delicious restaurants, comfy rooms. The staff are all very attentive and ensure a great time is had by all. Any problems we had, such as being given a double room rather then a king (unfortunately not requested by our agent as we asked) was corrected ASAP! There is free wifi everywhere, free room service until 11pm. We were not privilege guests, but didn't feel we lacked anything at all. We enjoyed our stay and definitely recommend th [... read more]is resort as it is great value for the money. Thank you Ocean Maya for a wonderful holiday!

Great Trip

Great hotel. Smaller in size, so there was no need for shuttles. Staff was great, very friendly and helpful. Food was very good, no reservations needed, so we ate at the al a carte every night. Need more shade at the pools and ocean. All and all, I would recommend this resort to any of my friends.

Amazing resort!

Service and food were the best part, best I've had in all inclusive. There was water front and beach but a board walk took more then half of the beach area. That's my only complaint, overall my gf and I had a wonderful time

Good Value

This resort was well maintained. Clean rooms and facilities. the grounds were well kept and around the pool was very nice. Not enough shade around the pool though as you cannot move umbrellas. The food was pretty good, the snack bar near the pool had amazing burgers! The a la carts were quite nice. I found it took quite a while to be seated if you went to the buffet. I also feel like it took a long time for the wait staff to come and offer you either water or a drink, but that was only at the bu [... read more]ffet. I just feel like they were maybe under staffed at the time I went. The entertainment staff around the pool were great. Really tried to get people involved, and the foam party on the Friday was a blast! the maid stole a pair of shorts and a shirt from me, which was very odd, but other then that all the staff was good and the over all experience was a good one! Not somewhere to go with a bunch of friends, its more of a couples resort I found.

Beautiful resort

small in size, which is nice great food including the a la cartes if your a beach lover and swimmer, this resort is not for you wifi everywhere on the resort great smoothie bar good nighttime entertainment

Lovely smaller resort with great amenities.

This beautifully landscaped resort provided for all of our needs. Restaurants x5 were great, food delicious with local and North American and European options always available and plentiful. Staff were always friendly and accommodating. The resort is just the right size, we could easily walk comfortably to all amenities. Pools were pristine, never crowded and easy to access. Beach, was very protected, lots of chaise and umbrellas (room for all), well serviced by thebar. Resort based amenities we [... read more]re plentiful:, pool side sports, crafts, water sports, seafood, kayaks and snorkeling, all available on site. Valentin, the resort based off site planner was Very knowledgible for shopping, snorkeling, touring.....all Mayan Experiences, and his recommendations were made with client need, comfort and safety in mind. I loved all of my off site experiences as well, Valentin helped me make choices suitable for my interests, skills and age. Night shows at the resort were energetic, musical, magical and well attended. Although the resort was fully booked when we attended in Match, it never felt that way, we easily could find quiet time, quiet space and a friendly smile.

Fabulous

Ocean Maya is one of the best resorts we have stayed at. We were a group of 12 (3 families) and we had an amazing vacation. The rooms are very clean & comfortable and very well appointed. The grounds are beautiful, the food delicious, the drinks amazing and the staff incredible. Loved every minute of it !!! If you are looking for a beautiful beach, it's right next door , just walk along the beach to the right, through the next resort and you can walk for miles on a beautiful sandy beach!