Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: GOOD VALUE WITH SOME SUBTLE IMPERFECTIONS

Just spent a week at the Blue Bay. Lots of good at this resort. Staff were all great. Grounds were well manicured and full of wildlife (even a deer!). Rooms were clean (ours needed to be remopped upon arrival as they clearly had been mopped with sticky water -- not a big deal). Air conditioning was fully functional, lots of hot water. Fridge was stocked with pop and beer and fresh bottled water daily. There are two centres of activity and accommodation here. Buildings 6,7, and 8 which are  [... read more]close to the main lobby and a quiet pool area; and the buildings close to the beach. It wasn't worth the extra to pay to be close to the beach; it was a short walk regardless and the quiet pool had a bar, restaurant, washroom and activity. The beach-area pool had lots of activity. If there was one issue it was the ocean; the sea bed didn't feel like sand, more like a paste (perhaps from settled algea or other sea weeds. plus there were rocks hidden in the bed -- bring water shoes). The waters by the beach had old doc structures and big sand bags to save sand so it wasn't exactly picturesque. Overall a decent resort -- quiet and a 50+ vide (although the beginning of reading week saw an influx of youth). Food was decent (although they couldn't cook a hot dog. I stepped behind the grill to cook my own hot dogs and burgers). Buffets had a good variety. Lots of great drinks mixed up, and an excellent coffee shop. Only 40 minutes to the airport which was great!

Iberostar Selection Paraiso Lindo: Excellent Resort

We recently came back from staying one week at the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo resort in Mexico. It was a great place! The food was good, the grounds and rooms were very well maintained, and the service was impeccable. The app was a great way to get information about activities as well as communicate with guest services. We would highly recommend this resort and can't wait to return!

Catalonia Riviera Maya: Great Resort

First the good. The grounds were well groomed, the food in Bloved and a la carte dinners were delicious. The staff were very friendly and efficient. The bedrooms were clean and updated (was told our building was newly renovated). We enjoyed the amenities and had a fantastic time. We found the size of the resort was perfect to get around in. I also want to make mention that Keila in Bloved was amazing as our main server. The resort is lucky to have her! Now the bad. While we apprecia [... read more]ted the location of out rooms, it was very central in the resort as we were in the Privileged rooms, our nights sleeps were not restful at all. Building 3's stairwell was directly across from the building that housed the laundry, supply room and dish cleaning area. The noise at night that came from there was very loud, and reverberating up the stairwell and into our rooms. The doors to the rooms are very thin and need to be sound proofed. Also the path from that building out to the rest of the resort ran right past our patio door. All the transporting of laundry, booze bottles etc to the rest of the resort were moved down that path in carts that had plastic wheels. These deliveries were made at all hours of the night and would constantly wake us up as they went past. As mentioned above, if the doors where soundproofed it would help to buffer the noise of the other guests coming and going. For most of our stay we had 2 rooms that were together and had young people in them. They did not respect any other guests, and banged their doors and talked loudly when they left at 11pm and returned in the wee hours of the night. The other recommendation I would make is to have more shading around the pool areas. There is not enough! Overall I would return to this resort, I would just never stay in building 3 or in a room along that path.

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Awesome Resort

I loved the hotel and the resort. We loved the fact that you could stay at one and play at the other three. We were with another couple on this holiday. The staff at our resort were very helpful and easy to deal with. If you needed assistance they helped you right away and tried their best. The rooms were nice and big not what I expected (I thought they were going to be smaller) but they were perfect. As we had a bad rain day we were able to sit at the table in our room bring in the chai [... read more]rs from our friends room and play dice, cards with the couple that came with us. The fridge was stocked and if we wanted room service it was just a call away. The rooms were kept very clean. I loved getting on the tram to take us to the different resorts as it was entertaining and got to meet new people. There was a variety of food and drinks. Lobby bar the staff were friendly and it was nice to sit in the open with the breeze coming through and watching the nightly shows. The chocolate donuts were just off the charts. I would totally recommend this hotel. Like I said stay at one and play at three was just perfect.

Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel: Enjoyable Nature-Focused Resort, Maintenance and Staffing Issues

Overall my partner and I enjoyed our week-long stay at Blue Diamond, however there were some issues with our stay that I feel are worth noting. For context, we spent 4 days relaxing at the resort and 2 days on full-day excursions that we booked through Viator. Pros - The resort is situated in lush jungle and mangroves, with beautiful gardens and a cenote on site. You can walk around and view the cenote whenever you like, but you have to book swimming in the cenote with the concierge at leas [... read more]t 24 hours in advance. Our swim in the cenote was cancelled due to rainy weather (nothing we're not used to in Vancouver!) but after seeing it, we didn't feel like we were missing out. We saw a lot of wildlife during our stay, including iguanas and other lizards, coatis, agoutis, raccoons, turtles, crocodiles, and many kinds of birds. We were warned that we may see snakes, but we did not come across any during our stay. There is an adorable and friendly cat that hangs around the lobby. - My partner and I found our Patio Junior Suite to be spacious, with a large bathroom, walk-in closet, and indoor and outdoor seating area. - The resort is small in comparison to others we've been to, which felt more intimate and made it easier to get to know the staff and other guests. - We really enjoyed the food, although I will note that we aren't picky and don't have any dietary restrictions. - The staff were very friendly and accommodating - any issues we encountered with service were not their fault but rather due to understaffing. - The beach was lovely and rarely busy. There was some seaweed in the water and on the beach, but not so much that it ruined the experience. We really enjoyed swimming at the beach and hardly went in the pools at all, although they were nice. It would have been nice to have a shower/rinsing area down by the beach. Cons - Almost all of the common area buildings/structures could benefit from some minor maintenance, while a few areas need major maintenance. For example, we often encountered plumbing issues with the washrooms near the pool area and many of the tables we were seated at at the restaurants were wobbly. The ramp from the pool area down to the beach was broken and taped off. In general, there is visible wear and tear on most of the furniture and amenities at the resort. - Regarding our room, there was also visible wear and tear on the furniture and amenities, nothing extreme but it did detract from the experience. Our bathroom had two showers, however the one with the spray handle didn't have sufficient pressure to use and the blinds on the shower windows, which were necessary as you could see into our bathroom from the public path outside our room, were rusting and difficult to use. On the second night of our stay, we received a call from reception that they were experiencing resort-wide issues with the air conditioning system. The staff apologized for the inconvenience, but couldn't give us any information about when they expected the issue to be resolved. We ended up not having any air conditioning in our room for about two days, after which it gradually increased and returned back to normal by the end of our stay. We also experienced issues with our room keycards not working 3 times throughout our stay and had to go to reception to replace them. - A new resort is being built next to this one, resulting in loud construction that can be heard from the pool and restaurant area. Luckily we could not hear anything from our room. - The resort, especially the restaurants and bars, seemed understaffed. While all of the staff were lovely and doing their best, we often had to wait a while (30-45+ mins) to place our order and receive our food. Many times we never received the drinks we ordered and either gave up, or had to order them again. Overall we enjoyed our stay, but I don't think we would return unless the maintenance and staffing issues are adequately addressed. I can imagine that this resort was excellent when it first opened, but it seems that the management is no longer prioritizing guest's overall experiences which is a shame, because the resort itself is beautiful.

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: My favorite place!

Our second time at the Sirenis and will not be the last. Has all the amenities you could ever want; coffee shops, ice cream shop, sports bar, several a la carte restaurants, loungers a plenty poolside and at the beach, great beach service so never without drink and of course the lazy river. The rooms are in need of a refreshing so good to see that renos are in progress. Every other resort we’ve been to pales in comparison!

Platinum Yucatan Princess: Very Nice Resort

Very clean resort , rooms and grounds . Staff very helpful always willing to help out. Plenty of chairs at the beach and pool. Lots of activities to do for all levels of fitness or just for fun. Only concern was that they sprayed a fog pesticide around the resort during dinner time. You could smell and taste it in the air.

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Better than ever

We’ve been to Barcelo Riviera Maya previously and enjoyed it. This year has brought change in a Positive way. Lots of new activities at the Tropical Pool area. And the Buffet restaurants have Theme nights.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Nice resort

The grounds are kept neatly trimmed & watered. The hallways are scrubbed daily. Rooms are a good size; a/c worked well, good shower, lots of closet space. Seaweed is raked off the beach every morning Beach chairs are scarce some days as guests at the other hotels use the beach at the Maya Beach hotel…it’s the best beach. Buffets are the usual, food is plentiful. The entertainment was disappointing compared to prior years. We found that the main & beach buffets seemed to be short  [... read more]staffed. Service was not as good as in the least, nor were they as friendly. The pool we used occasionally was big, with shallower sections. They can get quite noisy as the day goes & more drinks are consumed! We prefer the beach/ocean. The a la carte that we tried were delicious! Highly recommend the seafood one. Book as soon as you can after arrival.

Wyndham Alltra Playa del Carmen: Amazing Resort

This hotel was awesome! Very clean, the best customer service and the food was delicious. There isn’t really a beach in the property. However, there is a public beach beside it. I prefer the pool and loved it. Everyday there were activities going on at the pool and every night there was entertainment. The staff were amazing. Very helpful and friendly. It was very close to the markets and bars etc. We were able to walk around each night with no worries.

Grand Palladium Riviera Resort And Spa: Very nice resort

Grounds were pretty cool. Lots of wildlife. Secret pool was awesome. Marcelino was the best bartender at the Secret Pool Bar. Food was okay. Breakfast was the best, especially at the Grand Azul. Sports Bar food was okay but the service could be improved. Room was a little dated but we don't go for just the room. If we had an issue it was dealt with. Beach wasn't as good as other resorts we've been to and not enough loungers.

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Pool and Beach Chair Problem!

All chairs were gone very early. We were there 2 weeks Feb 8th to the 22 2025. The resort needs to fix the problem. The rest of the resort services were perfect. We enjoyed all 10 of our Ala carte dinners. Service was very good.

Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun: Amazing resort! Will visit again

The resort was amazing! We loved the buffet restaurant, it bas everything you can imagine and the food was delicious. The staff worked really hard to keep the resort so clean. The beach was really nice, the sand was soft and it was quiet at the beach. The resort was a short drive from the airport. There is a water park, lazy river and other things the keep the kids entertained. The night show, especially the white night was a lot of fun! Will definitely go back!

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Not a great resort

Just spent a week here. The app doesn't work to pre-book restaurants if you have more than one room as it needs your room numbers. So, we only managed to get 2 a la cartes. The rooms are dated. The beds are very hard. They did put a mattress topper on after the 1st night which helped. The breakfast buffet is the only good meal at the buffet. There is only 1 person doing omelets so the line is long. The lunch and dinner buffets are terrible. The selection is meager. Not even any potatoes or carve [... read more]d meats. None of the labels matched the food. But, the selection was just so bad. We have stayed at numerous Mexican resorts and this was not a good one. The Cenote snack bar was good and the staff were good. The grounds were nice. The trolleys to go to the other resorts were good. And, the fact that they fumigated in our rooms when they were occupied, and walked around with their full respirators on while they sprayed the foliage all along the paths, while the wind blew that poison all over the guests, was unreal. Would not come back and do not recommend. This is not a 5 star.

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Beautiful, spacious resort!

What an absolute fantastic resort. This is our second time to the Barcelo Maya Tropical and it once again did not disappoint. It is even bigger than before. It has so much to do, fantastic shopping mall and so many individual vendors that sell everything you're looking or even not looking for, whatever your budget. The beach/pools are very clean and well maintained, you can see the staff constantly cleaning every aspect of the resort. Rooms are the same, food is definitely a bonus with such [... read more] a variety for even the pickiest of eaters. There is an on site scuba resort (Dressel Divers), dolphin tanks, water slides, go-carts, surfing pool, gym, spa and the list goes on and on..... We loved our stay and would highly recommend the Barcelo Maya to anyone who is looking for a fantastic visit to Mexico.

Catalonia Playa Maroma: lovely, laid back resort

We loved this resort for what it was: smaller than many in the area, immersed in a jungle-like setting with lots of greenery and wildlife and replete with an international vibe (lots of French and Italian speakers, more of a family or mature adult setting rather than a party setting. This is what we were going for. We particularly enjoyed the food and Beloved and feel the privileged rooms were worth it for this restaurant alone. The buffet was fantastic for breakfast but we really preferred the  [... read more]a la cartes for dinner, which were all good. Our only major beef is not with the resort at all, but rather with sunwing, an airline that has had dozens of well-documented long (24+ hr) delays in the last few weeks and keeps touting weather as the issue, though staffing seems to be the major problem. Our flight was cancelled on the first day and then majorly delayed on the second, getting us in at 11 pm. I'd advise Canadian travellers to use air transat or another airline, if possible, to get to the resort right now. But the resort itself is lovely and my family would return in a heartbeat.

Dreams Puerto Morelos Resort and Spa: Amazing Resort!

This hotel, pools/grounds was absolutely amazing! We were a family of 8 (3 daughters with husband/boyfriends). We had the absolute best time and made so many memories. We knew the beach wasn't the best before going and we were ok with that as we are more pool people anyways and this resort has 9 amazing pools! The food, staff, entertainment were all excellent!!

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: 2 star resort at best

We were very disappointed in our stay at blue bay. Alcohol was water down and the food was horrible the buffet was better than all the restaurants other than the Italian was ok. No night life. If you wanted a chair on the beach or pool you need to get up at 6am or you won’t get one.. Friends we went with had no air conditioning and it took them 3 days to switch rooms. Beds are very uncomfortable We will never stay there again

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Wonderful time at Barcelo Maya

We stayed at this resort for two wonderful weeks and had an amazing time here. Everything went smoothly from check in to check out. All the staff we dealt here were very helpful, friendly and professionally. We ate at the buffets with plenty of options to choose from and food was always hot and tasty. We also ate at all the a la carte restaurants and enjoyed everyone of our meals. Our room was very nicely decorated in traditional Mexican charm. It was always kept clean by housekeeping, and had n [... read more]o issues asking and getting an extra towel or facecloths. Our mini fridge was always restocked. We enjoyed our time at the beach and the pools with just enough fun activities happening there. We found the loungers to be the most comfortable and plenty of pool towels. We would recommend this resort to our family and friends.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Amazing resort!

Ocean Riveria Paradise is an amazing resort. Definately recommend staying here. Food was spectacular we did not have a single bad meal. Location is amazing because you are close to downtown playa del carmen and very close to a lot of the excursions that happen in the Riveria Miya area. Service was amazing. 10/10.