Bahia Principe Explore Coba: Wonderful resort for families and couples!
Friendly staff, very clean resort, yummy food, great selection of drinks, very kid friendly ( includes buffet area kids can reach to serve themselves from) not to mention the waterpark. Most bars close by 11pm (other than a disco and sports bar which was a short tram ride away from main areas)... We appreciated this as we aren't into partying late or hearing other people partying late! Didn't take our kids this time but plan to take them back when they are able to swim...they will love it!
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Richmond hill -
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Selection Riviera Cancun: Wonderful service and modern clean rooms
We had a great vacation the grounds are immaculate & rooms well looked after
One of the best we have visited in Mexico..only bad part we love the ocean and worst place for ocean goers. We stayed put as you are too far from any outings.
The food and service was excellent. The buffet at spoons is all you need if you do not like fine dining. Shall return if they clean up beachfront.
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Cindy32 -
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Grand Palladium Kantenah: Not a bad Vacation
If the Resort was a bit smaller it be Better... Only if we could Go from Lobby to Lobby without using a Shuttle it be much better....waiting for the Shuttle to come is way too long . The Food at The Buffet must Improve a lot more....The Pool is a bit outdated on our last Day there we waited half an Hour for the Shuttle they never show up ? We were so late to Get onto our Airport Transportation Bus ...... Overall we would never go back very disappointed:(
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Raya -
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Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: Better here than the pacific side, great vacation!
What a beautiful resort and great service from everyone! This place is huge when you count in all the other resorts within the property. Beach front is clean and full of happy staff ready to make your stay wonderful.
We downloaded the APP when we arrived and booked all the A-la cart dinners in one go (don't wait till the day before, you won't have a reservation) Since we booked at the Akumal we are allow to eat at every place on the property, ie: Sian Kann, Premier, Tulum and Coba.
Check out th[... read more]e sports they offer and take full advantage of the free ones, which will also make your day more fulfilling.
Nightly programs are not the 5 star type but we were happy with most of the shows we saw.
Rooms got stocked and cleaned and if you need anything done just phone up and request it. Staff are very friendly and will answer anything about the hotel and how to get around the place.
If you happen to see some one trimming the coconut tress and you'd like to try the coconut water, ask if they can cut you one :) We had the pleasure of sipping out of a fresh cut coconut (just don't forget to tip them a little) Tipping is not mandatory but if some one goes out of their way or gives you good service please be kind.
Location of the hotel is about 1.5 hours from the airport, it's a bit far but the beach is clean and beautiful. If you'd like to go adventure outside of the hotel just take the transport carts to the Hacienda and walk 10 steps to get on the collectivo. it's 20mins on the collectivo (aka local mini bus/van) to Tulum city or the Ruins, cost each person 40 pesos each way and 10mins with 25 pesos each way to Akulma Beach (best place to snookering for turtles) and 30mins with 70 pesos each to Playa del carmen.
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Pascale -
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Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: first time at a resort
my husband and 2 sons aged 13 and 18 came with us to the grand bahia principe tulum,
we had a great time ,the rooms were beautiful, the resort was very clean, staff were attentive and friendly, fun evening entertainment,loved the outdoor feel, enjoyed the tennis,bike rides, bring your own snorkeling equipment as on red flag days you cannot use theirs , also bring your own soccer ball,frisbee ,board games,
we rented a car,$85 for one day ,if we had agreed the morning of taking the car to 2 days ,[... read more]we would have only been charged an extra $18 we thought that we would wait until the end of the day to decide and then they said it was too late,
so i recommend take the 2 day option, we drove to coba and climbed the pyramid ,great views and then went to a cenote nearby ,that is an underwater cave where we swam and jumped off 5 and 10 meter platforms ,awesome!
superbowl night the resort put on a fantastic party, so they do really try to make your week outstanding!
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Cre8tvmind -
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Iberostar Waves Tucan: Great Jungle experience
Travelled to Iberostar Quetzal Playacar from Jan 27-Feb 3, 2015. This resort is twinned with Iberostar Tucan. The resort is beautiful. I have travelled to the Mayan Riviera at least 10 times and this resort is by far the most unique. Built around the Yucatan jungle, the resort offers you a brief glance of what it must be like to live and walk in the jungle. You walk down pathways (well lit at night) and meet up with peacocks, monkeys, flamingos, egrets and more. Quite unexpected. Waking up to bi[... read more]rds was heavenly. The jungle setting is what sets this resort apart from others in the area for sure. The grounds are very well maintained and the staff were friendly.
Very clean, the staff are extremely prompt to clean your room and re-stock linens. The beds were very comfortable, as were the pillows - we all know how most hotels you feel like you might as well sleep on the floor. I was quite surprised and actually slept well.
Check in was painless. The check in staff were very friendly and we were offered a welcome drink too. I liked the fact that this hotel is on the smaller side so you don't have to fight for chairs at the buffet for breakfast or lunches.
The beach was spectacular. Well maintained and never had to fight for a lounge chair and a palapa. The waves were great. A lot of activities for those who are inclined, from stretching to yoga to salsa lessons to archery to zumba on the beach with other water activities also available (for a fee of course). The drink ladies on the beach were great, always pleasant and remembered your name which is always a nice touch.
The food was good but the food was often not hot enough. The best thing at the buffet for dinner were the tacos and the omelettes in the morning were great. The a la carte restaurants were ok (I've had much better) but reservations at 630pm or 700pm were tough to come by so recommend you make your reservations as soon as you arrive at the hotel or you will be eating at 9pm.
The lobby bar makes great cappuccinos and the orange margueritas were awesome - my new favourite.
I wandered the resort many times at night and never felt unsafe. The beauty of this resort is that it is located within the Playacar gated community. Many people own homes in the area and only those living in the area or staying at the hotel are permitted beyond the gates. A local shopping area is also within walking distance of the hotel.
I would definitely recommend the Quetzal to others.
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Patlap5 -
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Iberostar Waves Tucan: just amazing!
This was our 4 trip to the Riviera Maya. We stayed at amazing resorts in the past this was our #1 in Mexico so far. We were 4 adults and enjoyed it. Best beach in Mexico,staff were all friendly and food was good in all restaurant. Always something to do. Great entertainment. We did two tours ( tulum ruins, Xel-Ha park) both must do when there.
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Esharpe -
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Catalonia Yucatan: family fun
Had a great week. Wonderful food. Lagoon area perfect for kids. Lots of pools. Great time. The beginning of the week it was a bit cool, but by the end of the week it was glorious. We walked to the dolphin marina and it was a nice short trip for the kids. We preferred the smaller yucatan side as opposed to the mayan side of the shared resort (we switched rooms).
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Rollerman -
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Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Fantastic resort
We were very pleased with the resort, the staff, the food booze. Everything was clean and well maintained. The beach itself was a little lacking, a lot of seaweed but if you wandered down the beach, there are some better areas.
The only issue we had was with food service. Due to some excursions leaving at 7am. There is really no way you can get a decent meal. We tried at the pool side restaurant. They had food sitting waiting but got belligerent with us when we wanted to grab some juice, fruit [... read more]and a box of dry cereal.
Pack a breakfast the night before to avoid this situation. We all felt the restaurant could have been a little more flexible and understanding.
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ISalsa -
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Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Highly recommended! Two thumbs up!!!
My wife and I travelled to Riviera Maya Mexico from Jan 26 to Feb 02, 2015 to celebrate a few occasions but specifically for our 6 year wedding anniversary. One of the reasons we decided to go with Luxury Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an is because it was an Adults only resort and we had access to Luxury Bahia Principe Akumal, Grand Bahia Principe Tulum and Grand Bahia Principe Coba.
I wanted to make this trip extra special for my wife because it was our 6 year anniversary and I wanted to know what [... read more]the Sian Ka’an could do to make our vacation and stay special and memorable. I sent an email to the resort on Jan 16 asking if we could pre book our A la carte’s a head of time (at least for the day of our anniversary) and to tell them that we would be celebrating our 6 year anniversary on January 29. I did not receive a reply until one week later; this was a concern because I was already questioning their customer service due to the delayed email response. On January 23 I finally received a response from Public Relations Rep and they apologized for the delayed response. The Rep explained that they were giving priority and replying to emails according to the proximity of the arrival. The Rep also explained that their system does not allow them to pre book the A la carte restaurants anymore. The specialty restaurants reservations may only be made upon arrival at the hotel. The Rep did say that they can arrange and surprise my wife with a bottle of sparkling wine to our room as a courtesy and the room can be decorated by their house keeping staff.
Check-in was quick and efficient, with a welcome drink and happy service even though it was close to midnight when we arrived to Sian Ka’an. We had a few minutes before guest services closed but we managed to book our A la carte reservations. We booked Maiko, Alux Gourmet Restaurant located at Sian Ka’an and Don Pablo Restaurant located at GBP Tulum.
My wife and I booked a Deluxe Room (most basic room) and when we arrived at the resort we were given room 42323 on the 3rd floor (which is the top floor). The room was in a quiet location, spacious, clean, and had a king size bed. We could have booked a Junior Suite, Junior Suite Superior, Junior Suite Superior Garden or Junior Suite Superior Penthouse but the room we had was just perfect. The room was more than adequate; the bed was comfortable that had lots of pillows and good clean sheets. The room was cleaned every day after returning from the beach with plenty of towels, soaps, etc… The fridge was always restocked fully every day especially the bottled water. We had a different towel animal made every day.
Yal-ku buffet had great food with a variety of delicious choices during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner was always themed and there were traditional international dishes from specific national cuisine. Service was always great; staff always acknowledged you and made sure we always had a drink.
Maiko was our first restaurant we dined at, the food was tasty, great ambiance, staff was very friendly and service was great. My only recommendation to the Maiko Restaurant is that they should pour less of the 3 dipping sauces they serve for each table. Or, use smaller saucers, as it is a waste.
Alux Gourmet Restaurant was the second restaurant we dined at and was the day of our anniversary. We had an early reservation (5:30pm), we were greeted by the restaurant manager who served us some wine as we waited to go into the restaurant by the pool area. There was probably only 2-3 other couples in the restaurant during this time which made it really private. When we were seated at our table it was beautifully decorated with shredded rose petals that formed a heart and other rose petals lingering by the plate settings. It was classy and not cheesy at all. My wife loved it and she was so happy. It was not expected and something that I did not request or arrange. The food was delicious; the servers were top notch and always attended to us, they were very friendly and provided excellent service. Another great touch they surprised us with was during our final course (dessert), they came out with a piece of chocolate cake with strawberries on top and chocolate writing on the plate that said ‘Happy Anniversary’. They then poured some type of liquor on the cake, lit it up and then magic, the cake and plate lit up into a small flame. It was pretty cool and a very nice way to end our dinner. Sian Ka’an and Alux Gourmet Restaurant went over and beyond to make our 6 year wedding anniversary a memorable and special day.
Don Pablo Restaurant located in GBP Tulum was the third restaurant we dined at. The food was great, staff was also friendly and provided good service. My only recommendation is that they should have had the ceiling fans turned on because I found it too hot even though their windows were cracked open.
On the day of our anniversary we spent the day at the beach and when we got back to our room the bed was beautifully decorated with rose petals formed into a huge heart with a groom and bride towel swan display in the middle of the heart. There was so much detail put into the towel swans and I was quite impressed by the house keeping staff. This was a great touch and made my wife happy. After we had our dinner at Alux Gourmet Restaurant we went back to our room and there was sparkling wine and 3 chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us. The rep did say that they would surprise my wife with a bottle of sparkling wine to our room as a courtesy and the room can be decorated by their house keeping staff. I must say that Luxury Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an delivered and did not disappoint me on our special day. We received this special treatment even though it was our first time at this resort and booked the most basic room. LBPSK listened, took note and made it a memorable day and experience!
Cenote Snack Bar had some good eats! The location was convenient if you were chilling by the two centre pools when you wanted to grab a bite to eat. We ate there a couple of times late at night and the server and service was still really great. There was only one server and one cook late at night and these guys are worked, especially when it gets busy. I give them the utmost respect and I don’t think people really acknowledge them or are appreciative of their service. Kudos to the night staff at the snack bar.The only disappointing event (but did not ruin our trip) was the hamburgers we ordered through room service on our 3rd night. Both my wife and I experienced awful stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting from either the burger or mayonnaise that night. Not sure which one, but just a heads up, if you plan to order late room service. A RECOMMENDATION TO SIAN KA’AN: keep your packets of mayo refrigerated, instead of stored in a cupboard. Normally, mayo can be stored at room temperature, but with extreme heat, perhaps it could go bad.
The Sian Ka’an Beach was recently moved to the T-shaped pier beside the Akumal beach and close to the Arlequin restaurant (convenient for Sian Ka’an guest to grab a bite to eat). There were no sand whales (unlike the other beach areas at that are not GBP resorts) but a natural reef to block the waves. The beach had nice sand, clear blue water and very few rocks. From what I read and was told the previous Sian Ka’an beach location was much rockier. We brought water shoes and we didn’t have to use them. I was really amazed on what the beach staff does to make this part of the beach area clean and enjoyable for their guests. One morning I witnessed the beach staff and the Animation Team help each other gather the seaweed brought in by the tides, put them in bags, hull the bags up to be picked up by other staff. Again, I give them the utmost respect because I don’t think people really acknowledge them or are appreciative on what they do.
The Sian Ka’an beach area is not that big but it’s roped off, there is a little bar area where you can get/exchange your towels. The servers at the beach are friendly and come up to you often for an order. There were lots of fish swimming around in some areas of the water. My wife met a lad in the water that had bread and gave her some to feed the fish and before you know it we were surrounded by a school of beautiful fish.
Trolley rides were frequent and fun. It wasn’t a big deal to us that you had to take a trolley to the beach because it didn’t stop at all the other resorts before you got to the beach. The drivers all had their own funny characteristics and were very friendly.
We went to see three shows at the sister resorts and we really enjoyed the Fire Show and loved the Acrodance Show. We enjoyed the live bands at Sian Ka’an and the band that played at the Hacienda Dona Isabel. We didn’t think we would get to hear a lot of Salsa, Merengue or Bachata music but we did and we were able to dance.
Animation Team was fantastic! Their energy when instructing classes, leading the “crazy" games and volley ball tournaments was contagious and fun! The animation staff were friendly, not pushy and super funny. They made our stay at Sian Ka’an extra special. Considering they work super long hours, you would never be able to tell because they are always “on†performance mode from morning to the late hours of the evening.
Luxury Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an experience is much more different than the other sister resorts on the Bahia Principe property. It is modern looking, adults only, peaceful, relaxing, great food, excellent staff and service.
My wife and I highly recommend Sian Ka’an for your next holiday, especially if you're celebrating a special occasion!
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Lolucky -
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Hyatt Vivid Playa Del Carmen: Great honeymoon
This was a great spot for our honeymoon. The resort is the perfect size and within steps you are off and shopping. Food, drinks, service and staff are all amazing and so accommodating ! You do have to play the towel game so be prepared to wake up early to claim your spot !
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MC613 -
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Platinum Yucatan Princess: Very Good but not a 5 star
We have just returned from a 7 night stay at the Yucatan Platinum All-Suites resort through Sunwing. We had a very good time. The rooms are very modern and nice, and clean. The bed was very comfortable and we both had no trouble sleeping.
- If the swim out room upgrade is a reasonable price, take it! (note that the pool is very cold)
- The resort is very large so bring your comfy shoes to get around!
- The food was good and healthy! Lots of great options to choose from in the buffet. Our favorit[... read more]e a la carte dinner was at the Japanese restaurant, least favorite was the International.
- no extra charge for your room safe
- Free wifi came with our package. You can get wifi throughout the resort which is nice for those who want to be connected
Negatives - We could not find a do not disturb sign for our room door. We finally made our own on a piece of paper and put it on the door.
- The shower did not have shelves to put your stuff on. We ended up bringing a plastic table from the balcony into the shower to fix that issue.
- When you check in, you sign a contract stating that if you lose your towel, or your room key there is a charge. What kind of a 5 star hotel charges you if you lose your plastic room key (I can't remember offhand how much the charge was)
- We got a bit of a run-around trying to get late check out which came with our package even though the hotel was not full (maybe 70% full)
- Very hard to find a lounge chair on the beach
- We made 4 different stops picking people up on the way back to the airport (this after the bus was 30 mins late picking us up). We were on the bus for 2 hours in total before we got to the airport!
Sunwing/Nexus optional packages:
- I would also recommend NOT getting the "VIP Lounge" at the airport ($33 US PP). The lounge is a joke. Save your money and spend it at one of the restaurants at the airport.
- Most of the people on the plane paid the extra fee to pre-book their seats. If you don't like being at the back of the plane, pre-book!
-We did the Snorkelling with Turtles/Chiken-Ha Cenote tour for $80US/PP and it was worth every cent. I would absolutely do this again! Ask for the day when the tour goes direct (and not to 5 other resorts to pick people up)
We loved this resort...everything from check in to check out was fantastic. (Traveled January 24-31 2015 with husband, grandma and daughters ages: 13, 14, 17.) We were looking for a relaxing family vacation in the sun, and this resort does well to provide that. We especially appreciated the jungle with wildlife, and the comfortable laid back atmosphere. The grounds and decor are gorgeous, and although not necessarily a ritzy or party type resort, (pleased because we weren't looking for that) we [... read more]all had so much fun. There are several daily activities planned and implemented by the Star Friends with something to satisfy all ages. These energetic Star Friends go above and beyond to greet you individually, and make you feel welcome.
ALL of the staff went out of their way to make our vacation a relaxing and enjoyable experience. The entire resort is immaculately clean, rooms are adequate (we stayed in Quetzal basic), service is excellent, drinks and food are plentiful and appetizing. Anything regarding food or drink was honoured whenever possible. All requests or concerns we had were handled with professionalism and care. They are very accommodating with everything you ask. Every employee was friendly and helpful and they were ALWAYS working hard. The beach is absolutely perfect!
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Mern1 -
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Dreams Puerto Morelos Resort and Spa: return visit
This was my second visit to SSS ,after last years initial week. I never return to resorts, as there's so many out there that offer something different, BUT Secrets was that good ! Great food, exceptionally pleasant and accommodating staff, fantastic rooms ( their showers and amenities offered , shampoo etc. are fantastic) wonderful nightlife , with a crowd that doesn't "roll up the carpets" at 9;00 p.m.. The resort is the perfect size with everything just spread out enough , but not a long hike [... read more]to get to the restaurant's, rooms. etc.
Couldn't recommend it more highly !!!
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Bruce13 -
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Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Just loved the resort
Everything was first class the only problem was the late night snack bar and bar was usually under staffed for as busy as it was and the warm shots of tequila that came out of the kitchen. I really want to get back there for another vacation
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Terry D -
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Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: Very Nice Resort & Enjoyable Stay
Overall the Resort was very well kept, rooms were clean, beds & pillows good. The staff was very friendly and work hard to keep all areas clean. The food at buffet was very good and had lots of variety. We did four al la carts and found that the "La Gran Tortuga" (Brasileno) one was extremely good, while the others only average. The bar staff was really great and not to long to get a drink, also liked the tequila sample bar. Beaches are nice, although a little rocky in some areas.
We really enjo[... read more]yed our stay, had a great time.
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Bigdaddy -
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Catalonia Yucatan: very good
This resort has very nice grounds and very nice staff. The food was great in any of the restaurants there. The animation team are second to none. The beer is carrona wich was nice.
There is however two things that we did not like. First the beach is ok for beach chairs but do bring water shoes or do not go in the ocean because there is too many rocks.
The second however is worst while i was sitting at the pool bar, I noticed that the bartender took a bottle of tequila that was half empty and fil[... read more]led it with tap water then continued to use that for the drinks. We usually drink beer but two days before my wife did drink a "Malibu" and the next two days were spent in our room because she had intestinal problems. This made her lose her fishing trip. I went fishing anyway . The bartender was very busy and maybe he ran out of tequila but there is no excuse for what he did.
The Iberostar hotel and the staff that work there were amazing. They went out of their way to please you. The service, food, entertainment, spa and the beach were wonderful. We will definitely return again.
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Nania -
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Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: Nice resort
Nice grounds, nice beach, good food, good service
a bit far drive from Cancun airport but it's worth it
large selection of a la carte restaurants, no limit for that, no hassle with beach towels and towel cards, plenty of seats available on the beach.