Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Fun Week at Sandos Caracol

We arrived on a Tuesday so it was fairly quiet at check in at 1:00. Our room was ready and we were taken to our rooms right after check in. The room was a basic room on the ground floor which wasn't bad since we were on the outskirts of the resort. The balcony was extremely small with only one chair. There is also an in room blow dryer that looked like it was from a different era, that I didn't use so I would recommend travelers bring their own if they depend on that. We had an in room wate [... read more]r cooler which was nice but no coffeemaker. We upgraded to the deluxe so we had a tub as well. The resort was nice and big with plenty of places to walk and explore. The pool area was large with a small area designated for small children. There are plenty of chairs and palapas. I am an early riser and usually go down to the pool and reserve my chair on my way to breakfast. You had different options for breakfast which was nice so you didn't have to depend on the buffet all the time. The food was your basic resort food, I found something to eat at each meal. The beach wasn't very nice. It is very rocky and hard to get into. Having said that I didn't go into the ocean during the week. I had read reviews and knew that, so it was no surprise. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. I found some of them weren't strong with English so it was fun practicing on my Spanish. The resort is extremely family friendly. There are lots of activities for kids and the shows are geared for them as well. Speaking of which the shows were amazing. The Mayan shows were at different locations which added to the excitement. There were lots of walking paths and animals throughout the resort. There is a little farm for the kids. They have quite a large gift shop on site so if you have forgotten something you could find it there at a price. Overall we really liked this resort and would recommend it for a different eco experience.

NYX Hotel Cancun: Great resort!

We had a beautiful ocean view and the room was really big. They had a crib for my baby and converted a daybed for my toddler. The best part is that the food was really good! Especially the dinners, fresh fish and meat, yum!

Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: Resort Review

The grounds were very well taken care off and the beaches were absolutely beautiful. The 2 complaints I have compared to other resorts I have been to in Mexico is the staffs English was nowhere near as good as other staff in resorts in Mexico and the rooms were very basic compared to other resorts around the same price point.

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Great Place!

Great meals, nice staff and well kept grounds. So many options for dinner including the other grand Bahia resorts. You can download an App to do your meal bookings over free wifi. It's not on the beach but the shuttles ran often and the resort has its own designated beach area. Drinks were very good as well, highly recommend this resort and order a Mexican Sombrero to drink!

Ocean Maya Royale: 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!

Grand Sunset Princess: Grand sunset

The pools were great, the rooms were clean but the beach wasn't that great very rocky and full of seaweed Some restaurants were better then others, if I would have to pick a favourite my favourites were the steakhouse and Italian restaurant, the Mexican restaurant was the least favourite out of all of them

Grand Palladium Select White Sand: Great Family Resort

The resort was great but for the star quality it can use some improvements. We liked that there were 4 sections to the hotel which we could visit. There were rides available to get to the other lobbies but we loved the option to walk on the trials and along the beach to get to them. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. We had issues with the in-room beverage refrigerator. The floor was flooded when we got to the room so we had to get that cleaned up. The bed sheets were stained and dirty on t [... read more]he pull out sofa which we had to have changed when we arrived. There are toppers available for the sofa beds, but this was not offered to us and we only found out about this option from another person who had one, so we requested one. Before the topper, my son complained about the sofa bed being too hard and not having good sleep. The sofa beds are very hard and the topper made a big difference so it should be offered at check in. There are rugs in the suites which we never saw being vacuumed. The main rug in our suite was very dirty so we had to request to have it removed all together. The food options were very good. The Japanese Sumptuori and Chang Thai restaurants were the best. The buffet restaurants were great also but the Tikal was better than the others with more food selection. We thought the beach Punta Emilia restaurant needs much improvement. Everything was very salty and the garlic shrimp were poor quality and very overcooked. The beach was beautiful but we found that the members beach was maintained better than the rest which is not very fair. The pools were all wonderful. The entertainment staff at the pools were super fun and friendly. The Pirate show was the best! Super fun! Knowing the hotel now and what to expect would make our return trip much better. We do plan to return some day. Hopefully some of the improvements needed will be addressed.

Riu Santa Fe: Good!

The food was good.There was a good variety.Drinks were good except red wine.It was kept very clean.Staff was very friendly and helpful.There were a lot of spring breakers.Would not go in March again too noisy.

Grand Palladium Select White Sand: Great Resort, Lots to Do

The grounds, rooms and staff at the Grand Palladium White Sands were amazing. The other three resorts were also beautifully maintained and the staff seemed really pleasant. The White Sands was one of the quieter resorts but still within walking distance of the Colonial and the Riviera where all the action was. Food was good, not exeptional but good. Beach was amazing with the nicer beach being in front of the Kantanah.

Occidental Cozumel: Nice Resort

This resort was I guess a standard all inclusive, beautiful grounds in the jungle, the beach was nice but a bit messy with seaweed, and shells but it is a typical beach, the snorkeling is pretty great - lots of fish to see. The food wasn't horrible, lots I didn't try as didn't no really what they were, or had something I didn't like, there was always a good variety at the buffets if you chose to try everything, they also offer to cook up fresh fish or meats or omelets, eggs, etc. They have al  [... read more]a carte resturants, you have to book reservations, 2 at a time early in the morning and wait in line to do it. Staff works very hard and are always friendly or helpful, front desk would be better to have a few more english speaking, seems they had none of our requests at all, so had to ask when we arrived, it worked out but only because the supervisor was there. The rooms are very nice and large, cleaned well. Bar staff at the pool and beach were always busy, they needed some help, the entertainment was fun they tried to get people involved. Kayaks and snorkeling were free for an hour. If you don't like to or can't walk or go up stairs, this isn't the place for you, I didn't mind at all. Nightly entertain was funny, and interesting, the disco was too loud to the point you had to scream in your friends ear. There is nothing close around to do at night. Rented a car, which is interesting, the gas stations swarm you and you can't see what they put in in gas - and tell you how is it now, then he hasn't put in the right amount, so check the actual pump for numbers and litres pumped, happened to most who rented. Also, biggest turn off is the damn Occidental so called staffers, that hover and get you to go on a 90 min tour for buying time - high pressed at the end, but they scam you into going for a really cheap rental price or free snorkeling trip. They shouldn't be allowed to where those shirts - it looks like they are the staff - they are NOT! just sales men. They warn you but when you see they are part of the hotel you think you are in the right place to rent, there is another place for excursion and rentals. should be clearer. We loved touring the island and going into the town it was fun and felt very safe and we were there for Carnival so extremely busy. Check taxi prices - the hotel at the front the guy will tell you the prices, and ask on the way back to be sure. Over all we had a great time, hotel is average I would say maybe 3.5 - 4 star. Not are nice as other places I have been in Mexico but again it was a great holiday, met a lot of fun people that made it better!

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Great week

Everything was great pools food and especially the staff they all worked so hard to make our vacation a good on. The only compliant our good had was the beach wasn't very nice it was a disappointment but everything else was just wonderful .

Allegro Cozumel: Fantastic Resort!

This was a beautifully kept resort-the staff were friendly and professional. The food was fantastic-there were a number of comments on Trip Advisor regarding the line-ups for the buffets, but we found even with a long line the guests got sat quickly and the buffet offerings were different every night. The a la carte restaurants were all fabulous, with the Oriental being the most fun & delicious. Rooms were small but beautiful and the cleaning staff was amazing. My only suggestion would be  [... read more]for more "evening" outside seating areas. Our group of 13 found it difficult to find an area to gather and socialize after dinner. The Sports Bar was open until 1:30 am, but the seats are inside the main building. With the beautiful weather we would have rather been able to sit outdoors!

Grand Sunset Princess: Amazing Resort

Very large resort, with many food choices. Suggest booking the alcarte restaurants upon arrival. Staff are friendly and helpful, everything was spotlessly clean. Would suggest tables at the ocean front be wiped down by the staff more often. Otherwise, perfect.

Grand Isla Navidad Resort: Best of both worlds

Vacation at Grand Isla was top notch. Clean, well kept property, excellent food choices and service was always friendly and staff very accommodating. We loved the combination of resort stay plus easy access to town. We (group of six women) would definitely consider a return vacation and may even allow our husbands to join next time:)

Friendly Fun Vallarta: Wonderful Time!

Hotel is very nice, very clean and tidy. Staff are super friendly always going the extra mile to accommodate your requests. Food was a little repetitive but you could always find something to eat. The wait staff was always on the go with the drinks to the 3 pools, hot tubs and beach area. Grounds were beautiful including the banana trees! Always something to do - zumba classes, water aerobics, mechanical bull rides, kayak lessons, Spanish lessons, etc. The resident peacocks were always a t [... read more]reat.

Friendly Fun Vallarta: Amazing Resort

Hotel is very nice "rustic", very clean and tidy. Staff are super friendly always going the extra mile to accommodate your requests. Food was a little repetitive but you could always find something to satisfy. The wait staff was always on the go with the drinks to the pools and beach area. Grounds were beautiful including the banana trees! Always something to do - zumba classes, water aerobics, mechanical bull rides, kayak lessons, Spanish lessons - always something.

Excellence Riviera Cancun: Beautiful resort

My husband and I really enjoyed this resort. It was clean. the grounds were beautiful, the food was delicious and the rooms were great. The staff were very friendly and we enjoyed the entertainment. We would certainly recommend this resort to friends and family

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Lovely resort - fantastic staff

Myself and 3 other ladies just returned from a 5 night stay at this very new resort. I'm happy to report, it was everything we expected and even more! The food and service was exceptional for an all inclusive resort, the rooms were beautiful and clean and the vino very cold!! We spent a lot of time at the beach where there is also a pool which is awesome. The music at the El Beso and Eden pools is fun and upbeat as well. My only non positive comments would be, there are no bars open at n [... read more]ight outdoors. Only the lobby bar and sports bar are open after 6pm and both are enclosed spaces. I would recommend they utilize the big space outside of the lobby for some sort of open air lounge with music of course. Also, not enough garbage cans around the resort ( don't give people an excuse to litter )!! We would recommend this resort without question and I hope to go back with my hubby someday!!

Grand Oasis Sens: Take me back!

The Grand Oasis Sens was overall a very good resort. The staff was very accommodating and the food was great! If you stay, you have to make sure to get reservations at the Black Hole and Benezuza, they are both amazing experiences! There are a lot of stairs throughout the resort that would definitely not be an issue unless you have bad knees/mobility issues. The upgrade to sian ka'an is definitely worth the money...the room upgrade is great and the access to premium liquor is very nice. The  [... read more]resort is located at the south end of the hotel strip and is only a short $1 buss ride into the main entertainment area. Buses are safe, clean and run 24 hours a day.

Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: Huge Resort

This was my first time in Mexico. The resort is so big. Good thing there is trollys to bring you from one place to another. If you have difficulty walking, this is not a good place to be. Rooms are clean but the view was horrible. My view was just other villas. I wasn't introduced to our concierge, don't bother tipping the maids for little extras because there isn't any. Check in time was quick but our room wasn't ready until past 4pm. Spent all our beach time at adult beach area. Nice beach bu [... read more]t disappointed in swimming area as barricaded by rocks and boyds. Snorkling was nice just off the beach. Buffets were big and plentiful but repetative. Macgiver, the adult beach bartender was exceptional, eager to please and always smiling!! Made our week. All in all, trip was fun, hot and windy. Drinks were superb. Don't sweat the small stuff.