Bel Air Collection Xpu-Ha Riviera Maya: Fantastic Vacation

Started off with Teresa Gates at Trip Central who was great in every way getting us what we needed to make our trip perfect! Upon arrival, our Sunwing driver Manuel was super and Sunwing representative Daniel at Xpu-Ha worked with us for anything we needed for our tours etc. My son even lost his phone on the way to the resort and it was returned in a couple of days. We went on a family vacation with 8 of us. Feb. 10 - 24 2017. Some (6) went home after a week and my husband and I stayed for  [... read more]a second. We all had a fantastic time! The staff was very friendly (some language barriers) and accomodating. The food, atmosphere and entertainment were all great! The room and beds super comfortable. A bit of an issue with the air conditioning for a day or 2 but we worked with it. All of the neysayers about this resort are just too picky!! The Chimps, Panther, Jaguars, and all of the other creatures there were great to see. They are looked after just fine. I'd like to give a shout out to Jesus and Alex at the pool bar who always made us feel welcomed and never left us empty. Oh and Hector (aka Super Mario) the entertainment director, he was a lot of fun! At the main restaurant Captain Javier Rodriguez was the best server you could ask for! He even went out of his way to make a special dinner for us. It was our 25th wedding anniv. Come visit us in Canada Javier!! :) The Sushi bar was awesome! The resort is huge and beautiful...3 cenotes all lovely. If you're in a hurry to get places then go somewhere else. We found short cuts which were very helpful. This place is super laid back and relaxing. I'm not a huge beach person but of course had to take a dip in the ocean. All in all I would not only recomend this resort, but I would return as well.

Posada Real Los Cabos: Always amazing!

This is our third trip to this wonderful little resort and it never disappoints. Much of the staff has been here for many years and make us feel like part of the family. We have always enjoyed the food but found it to be exceptional this time. We talked to many people and a lot of them have made many return trips here and we certainly know why. The rooms could use some updating but are always clean and very functional. Looking forward to our next visit!

Riu Flamingos: An over-stated 5-star

All of the service persons were wonderful, perhaps except for one waitress. Customer service people were very helpful, on anything you need which goes for the medical attention we unfortunately needed as well. Food was adequate with all the basics. A la carte restaurants were about the same as the buffets. Don't expect high end foods. Asian restaurant was poor. They should give that up. Building is old as is the interior, rooms are small, pools are small but are family oriented. Beach is f [... read more]ine but not suitable for swimming. Good nightly entertainment. On balance of all attributes, The Riu Jalisco is to me a strong 3.5 or a weak 4.0. If priced accordingly, I would be happy.

NYX Hotel Cancun: A fantastic smaller resort - we'll be back!

My wife and I stayed 7 nights (Mar 5-12) all inclusive in a 5th floor non-renovated master suite. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed the location and our stay. NYX is a smaller resort hotel than we've experienced before (we've been to about 14 AI resorts through the Caribbean, most with 400 to 1000 rooms). We are sold on the concept of a smaller resort. We loved the closeness to the staff, the beach, attention to quality in the food and beverages, and the compact size of the resort. Reception - w [... read more]e arrived before noon , knowing our room would only be ready for a 3 pm check in. We were issued our bracelets, our luggage was stored, and we went off for lunch and to explore. At 3 pm we were promptly shown to our ocean view room. Room - we were assigned room 3502 - a non-renovated master suite. There is no elevator in our building and I counted 55 stairs from the building entrance - 85 stairs from the pool. This proved to be a pretty good workout so those with mobility or health issues might want a lower floor. The room was very large and exceptionally clean, with a sitting area, king bed, dining area and small kitchenette with fridge, sink and microwave. As it was not renovated it was a little dated looking and had a few small quirks - non of them major problems for us. The sliding doors to the balcony wouldn't close fully and the lock mechanism didn't work, only one of the bedside lamps worked, and the sofa bed lacked a mattress. The flat screen TV was an older model and could only be viewed from the bed, not the living area. This wasn't a problem for us as we don't watch TV on vacation but it may be an issue for some. The balcony was large with a table and two chairs. And the view of the pool, beach and ocean was breathtaking! Wow! Food and beverage services Breakfasts are served in the buffet restaurant with seating inside and on a patio at the entrance to the hotel. The food offered was consistently good - omelettes, eggs, pancakes and waffles made to order, various hot dishes (scrambled eggs, meats, etc) and plenty of choices for fruits, breads, yogurt, pastries and cereals. Everything was fresh and delicious and buffet stations were always replenished. Lunches and dinners are in the open air beach restaurant. We really enjoyed the small but varied lunch menu and found everything we tried to be excellent. The grilled salmon with veggies was my favorite. At dinner the menu was themed differently each night and a small buffet for appetizers, breads, soups, salads and desserts offered. We loved everything and concluded that we definitely preferred the NYX model of menu / made to order meals than buffet meals typical at larger resorts. The food is better as more care is taken in prep and presentation! I should also note that a limited menu is also available right on the beach delivered to your lounger - we found this was great for mid afternoon nacho attacks! (Thanks Jessie!) Beverage services were excellent at both the pool and lobby bars, with the drinks served in the lobby bar by Edgar in the evenings being a highlight, as he is a mix master. Pool bar and beach service for drinks was also very good. The service staff at the NYX are very friendly and professional, and make the experience. We got great service from all staff but a few stand out - Jessie at the beach, Hugo at the pool bar, Edgar at the lobby bar, Raphael, Eddy, and Eduardo at the restaurants, and Jimmy at the door. Beach and pools The main pool borders the beach and while a little smaller than many resorts, never seemed crowded. It was easy to get a seat or lounger. We typically set up for the day under a palapa on the beach and it was very convenient to go back and forth between the ocean and pool. Beach loungers were plentiful. We never had a problem getting one as long as we were there by 10 am. The beach in this area of Cancun is spectacular - wide, with endless powder sand. Perfect for walking. Waves were pretty big when we were there, with red flags each day. You could go in the water up to your waist but caution is needed - there's a strong rip current in spots. We saw two rescues during our stay. The lifeguards are on top of their game. There is also a courtyard pool and hot tub behind building 3 (our building). We used the hot tub once but didn't use the pool. The area seems a little neglected - there are only a couple of loungers and no bar or towel service. It was also very windy in that location as the buildings cause a "tornado" effect, making it a bit unpleasant. This vortex also deposits some debris in the pool through the day. Too bad something couldn't be done to make this area more appealing as it might be a chill spot. Entertainment This is not a resort with big "shows" or a huge animation team. If you need that look elsewhere. However, that being said, the daytime activities, managed by Jonathan, the one man entertainment crew extraordinaire, were excellent. He was a fun guy and runs a great program with yoga, exercise, pool games (volleyball, polo) and beach volleyball. Evening entertainment is in the lobby, with a rotation of music groups. The Cuban band while I was there (blonde female lead) was excellent with their own interpretations of some Cuban classics. We enjoyed the atmosphere in the lobby most evenings. It was a great place to hang out. Suggestions for improvements 1) When guests check in, advise them if they are on an upper floor with no elevators. 2) We missed having a place for a leisurely early morning coffee. While in-room coffee was available it wasn't very good. NYX management could consider a dedicated morning coffee bar, perhaps at the pool bar? 3) Spa staff are relentless in soliciting clients for services on the beach. Each day I was approached at least 4 or 5 times often multiple times by the same person. This was annoying. Management could make the beach experience more enjoyable by limiting this. In sum, we loved the NYX. We don't usually repeat hotels but we definitely plan to come back next winter.

Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: Beautiful Grand Resort!

Our stay at the Luxury Bahia Principe Akumal for a dozen days was fabulous and enjoyed our entire time there! The resort is very large and used the trolley mostly to travel over to other sections of the resort including Tulum, Coba, Hacienda and Sian Ka’an. Trolley availability was excellent no matter where you cared to travel to on the resort. The grounds were landscaped well and were always beautifully trimmed and manicured. The food in main buffet was wonderful and always fresh /abundant  [... read more]along with having the option of dining A-la-carte every evening was a nice touch. We would find lounging chairs either at the beach or around poolside / infinity pool daily within any problem and appreciated the adult only section of beach when we wanted quiet time. There were activities at the beach we could participate along, which was great! There were plenty of fish to see snorkelling in the calm swim area created by the ocean break. Upon leaving we had to be in lobby to catch a 7:10 airport bus and many of us were there earlier for checkout and with only 1 person at the counter performing that task made checking out rather long. We enjoyed the property very much and plan to return next year with only one request that we get a villa closer to the infinity pool.

Grand Sunset Princess: Grand Sunset Princess

Very impressed with the cleanliness of the hotel. Although, I was very disappointed with the beach. There was huge rocks everywhere you step. I also thought the pools looked a bit rundown. The food was decent.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Amazing resort !

It was our first trip to Mexico and wanted it to be agood experience for my husband. So glad I booked at Barcelo Maya Colonial. It is a beautiful resort with everything inside. There are other Barcelo Resorts side by side to each other and we are allowed to see and use their facilities too. We went to use all their beaches, and went bar hopping. It's also a very family friendly resorts. So much to do for kids. They will never get board. Staff and services can't complain. They were all am [... read more]azing. The grounds beautifully landscaped. Loved being on the beach. Wonderful sea breeze. Lots of coconut trees and brand new looking lounge chairs. Beautiful view. Most importantly for me, being able to attend a Mass on a Sunday afternoon within the resort. They had everything we need. My husband was already thinking of going back 😊 Thank you Barcelo for a wonderful time !

Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Wow - Awesome family trip

The resort, staff and food where fantastic. We had a great holiday. We stayed in building 49 at the back of resort and it was wonderful to wake up and see coatis and spider monkeys every morning. The monkeys would come and take bananas right out of our hands. The buffets where great for breakfast - great omelets.The japanese and mediterranean restaurants where unbelievable. i never expected to have the best steaks cooked for us in Mexico but fantastic. The winds where high that week so only beac [... read more]h days where the last 3 days. there isn't much of a beach and rocky waters so bring water shoes.We knew that going as we where going for the Eco and jungle experience. Made some new friends and met wonderful staff. Thank You to al the staff at Sandos Caracol. we will be back.

Royalton Hideaway Riviera Cancun: Oceanview Rooms are Hide Away

The Beach was not walk able and No one swam in the ocean because of all the Seaweed. The resort is large,clean and well staffed. Do not pay up for the promise of Ocean view. We had to stand and peek around the corner of our balcony to get a glimpse of it.We complained but no action. Very disapointed considering how much we payed.

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 .