Grand Fiesta Americana Los Cabos: Great Vacation!

We had a fantastic time! Food and weather were great, and seeing the whales was definitely a highlight of the trip! We thoroughly enjoyed going on a whale watching tour seeing whales, a dolphin, a sea turtle and the sea lions.

Las Palmas by the Sea: Fantastic resort!!

We have been to other resorts in PV and this one was by far the best. Trip central made everything smooth, From the time we landed to our transfer to the hotel to the check in it was so smooth. Flights there were uneventful and very friendly. The resort was amazing. All the staff were so friendly and fun. No complaints with the food and drinks. The resort staff took the time to ensure we all enjoyed our stay! Def a thumbs up for us and we will return!

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: Great Resort

Very nice resort. Very clean. Very friendly staff. Great beach. Good food. We walked along the beach from Azul Fives all the way to Playa del Carmen and found the beach at Azul Fives to be the best of the 6 KM stretch. We had a 1 bedroom jacuzzi suite. Room was large and we had a view of 2 pools. We had a large balcony which was great for evening drinks.

Ocean Maya Royale: Beautiful Vacation!

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

JOIA Paraiso by Iberostar: Top resort

Vast, superb and well taken care-of grounds (seen some wildlife, too!), low density, clean, very relaxed environment and really attentive service staff. No stampede-feeling to eating areas, beach, pools, etc., you get in most resorts - low density in guest numbers: large grounds, plenty of eating space, a wide beach with good sand. Pools are great: an 80m salt-water pool, a heated 20m sauna pool, a 40m regular pool, etc.. Large room, well appointed, well-stocked bar and snacks (...if you car [... read more]e for it). A show every night, etc..

Las Brisas Huatulco: Still Paradise

Our third time staying at Las Brisas. Last time was 5 years ago and the hotel did not disappoint. We stayed in the same building again, as requested, facing the ocean view. Room was super clean and had been newly renovated with fridge stocked every day. Staff were awesome and friendly. The food was good and the entertainment just right for a little dancing in the evening. The grounds are beautiful and the water and beaches are very clean. The snorkel beach is still a wonderful asset to have at t [... read more]he resort. I don't know if the hotel was at capacity, but there were definitely more people than our last two visits. Many have been multiple times. I think that says a lot for the hotel and Huatulco.

Riu Emerald Bay: I loved it very satisfied I would go back

This hotel is perfect for families we really enjoyed our stay The staff are very nice and helpful a lot of them don't speak very good English but you can find someone who does if you ask around The staff work hard at keeping the place clean and entertaining the guests The beach is awesome even though the ocean is a bit rough you can still enjoy boogie boarding If you ask for a memory foam for your bed they will bring it and it makes a big difference The food is Ok I really enjoyed the br [... read more]eakfast food the most just like any all-inclusive the buffet is pretty much the same every day but I always managed to find something I liked Typical sweet drinks and draft beer as any other resort We really like having a mini fridge that was stocked almost daily we had a nice king sized bed and a beautiful view of the ocean I was happy with everything overall I want to thank Karol at trip central for all his help

Dreams Jade Resort and Spa: Now Jade Riviera Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Mexico

I stayed at the Now Jade from January 27 - February 3, 2017 in a tropical suite. Transfer to the Hotel by Nexus (Sunwing transportation company) was swift and no issue. However on the return the bus was 45 minutes late with an excuse that the originally booked bus had mechanical difficulties. We asked to be taken directly to the airport but the driver stopped at Now Sapphire and waiting another 20 minutes. First impression, the Resort was very clean and modern. Check in was quick (note t [... read more]he ask for a $300US deposit, not an imprint but actual charge on your credit care which is suppose to be refunded 3 days after your return). We were quickly ushered to a gentleman waiting for us to do a resort orientation. Much to our disappointment it was a sales pitch to upgrade to the preferred side, the salesperson gets a bonus/percentage if you upgrade. A firm "no" and a healthy tip solved that problem promptly, however we were called one morning in our rooms to see if we wanted a 90 minute discussion and to upgrade. Service/Staff: Outdoor lobby bar is open and airy and a view of the ocean with a beautiful warm breeze. The staff at this bar were very friendly, accommodating and pleasant. Wonderful service and staff and all services were excellent. Room services was very good as was any issues there were there within 5 minutes. Bar and beach service was excellent. Grounds: Well groomed and plush vegetation. Beach was cleaned of seaweed every day, towels were refreshed on the beach. Rooms: Spacious and very nice, kind bed and sitting area with medium sized balcony. Bathroom was gorgeous, deep jetted tub, separate shower with rain showerhead, marble floors, bidet and two sinks. The beds were very comfortable. We were located in Building 3, sufficient but would ask for Building 4 - closer to lobby, pools and restaurants. Food/Restaurants: The food was top notch. Enjoyed the restaurants (Italian, Asian fusion and Mexican). Restaurants and food were outstanding in the restaurants, buffet and pool side grill (great for burgers, hot dogs, ribs, fries, nachos etc.). Coco cafe was also excellent (get your take out coffee, cappuccino etc. here) late night snacks etc. Beach: Rocky when sitting near the centre; further to the right side for the sandy part which was the only part good for swimming; There was lots of lounge chairs till about 9-10am; there was some seat reserving but still remained lots of loungers but not as many palapas. Beach drink services was quick and very friendly. Pool; Did not use the pool at all. SMOKING: When we arrived we were told the resort was Non-smoking. We were shown a small smoking area beside the lobby essentially standing on a small roadway where the staff would smoke. We were stunned as their website does not indicate "non-smoking" nor were we informed by sunwing or our travel agent of this and it is not the norm in Mexico. We then asked (several times to different staff) where is a smoking area and we were told this was the only location. On the third day we found a bar "The Mix" and noticed ash trays everywhere so in essence you were allowed to smoke there, also found a spot outside the lobby. We were disappointed that the staff would not inform us of this when asked several times and had to find on our own. We also encountered a few other guests who were also not told about these smoking areas. I felt the resort did itself a disservice but not informing us of smoking areas, we tried to figure out their motivation and the only conclusion we could reach was that they did not want to look their tip by sending us to another part of the resort. It is a beautiful resort with amazing food but I would not return to this resort

Breathless Riviera Cancun: Amazing 10 night stay

We wanted a higher quality experience and we got it! We stayed for 10 nights. Every staff we encountered were happy and super friendly. The atmosphere was very laid back and comfortable, young, and social. Expect to make friends easily. Food was amazing, even the buffet was super impressive quality and choices. Freshly squeezed limes made all the margaritas. We recommend upgrading rooms, to the excell club for sure. Gym was great. We found a perfect 10 km run that we did almost every day from th [... read more]e resort that ran parallel to the coastline. This hotel line makes you do a long informational session upon your first visit to try to sell you on an Unlimited Membership. It's a really nice hotel, so I'm not surprised people sign up. But, don't let them take longer than 1 or 1.5 hrs if you don't want to sign up. They will try really hard to get a yes from you. But it wasn't for us and you can leave the meeting after 1.5 hrs and still get a $200 coupon for the amazing spa! Go here! Do it now!

Barcelo Karmina: Amazing Resort

This resort is just a nice as it shows in the pictures. We could not have asked for a better stay. All the restaurants, including the buffet were excellent and we would recommend to all. Our only downfall for this trip, was that even though we requested for the 2 couples to be together, we originally ended up in 2 different area's of the hotel. They were good enough to change rooms for us to the same section, but different floor. The pools were all very nice and had enough chairs for all. I mu [... read more]st say, the water temp was a little cold for some of us. It took us a bit to get into it, but once in, it was very refreshing. The beach, was small and not as inviting as I like. We did see quite a few people using the beach every day.

Grand Oasis Cancun: Grand Oasis

The resort was pretty much exactly what we were expecting for our honeymoon. Beautiful grounds, huge variety for bars and restaurants, but lacking in customer service. Not exactly "all inclusive". We upgraded when we arrived so that we could experience the entire resort, and not be limited to certain restaurants.

Riu Flamingos: Fantastic Resort

The hotel was very well kept and elegant. You always have access to terrific food whether it be in the sports bar, or all day buffet. The rooms are all very close to eachother, so if you go here with a large group it is very easy to meet up. The Steak House is by far the best place to eat in terms of restaurants, but with how terrific the all-day buffet is there isn't really any need to worry about making it to the restaurants in time. However, the steak house (located right next to the beach) h [... read more]as an amazing view of the sunset around 6:30-7:00 so for that you cannot be tarty. The drinks are all very well made too, a little strong but i mean hey,you're on vacation right? The rooms are beautiful, i stayed on the bottom floor in the cheapest room and it was still fantastic. 9/10 would go again.

Occidental Cozumel: Cozumel Occidental Grand, pros and cons

Here is my evaluation of the Occidental Grand Cozumel at which my friend and I stayed January 27 to February 3, 2017. The evaluation is meant to help you guide others who might be contemplating staying at this resort. 1. The grounds of this hotel are quite beautiful and meticulously maintained. The cottages are secluded and interspersed, each sitting in a lovely botanical setting and independent of the others, offering perfect privacy. 2. Our room seemed to have been recently renovated. I [... read more]t was a generous size, clean, and bright. The linen was good quality. Bottled water in our room was always in good supply. I found that tipping the maid ahead guaranteed exceptional service. She was excellent. 3. The bathroom also seemed new, tiled from floor to ceiling in a terracotta large tiles. 4. Hot water was always available, and the shower heads, one fixed and one hand-held, worked well. The safe and the closet were both situated in the bathroom. This is not a practical arrangement. This inconvenience brought my rating of the room to "fair" 5. If we left a request, towels were replaced daily, and in generous numbers. 6. Bathroom items such as soap and shampoo were plentiful. 7. The air-conditioning unit worked; however, the thermostat control did not. No matter at what temperature we set the unit, it ran continuously. The air-conditioning vent was situated in an upper section of the wall in such a way to blow directly onto one of the beds. 8. The fan in the room worked and for my purposes was a perfect solution to nocturnal temperatures. I am a sound sleeper and the buzz of the fan did not disturb me. 9. The main buffet restaurant offered average quality dishes, but there was ample choice, and even a chef making tasty meat or fish dishes to request. Salad choices were ample, vegetables were offered raw as well as cooked, and there were numerous desserts. The desserts to me were mostly inedible, but perhaps my dessert palate is not accustomed to Mexican sweets. For example, their mousse bore no resemblance to mousse one eats at our restaurants. There was, however, always fresh fruit. 4. We were led to believe that we would be entitled to eating at speciality restaurants 3 times during our stay. However, once we checked in, someone told us that the resort is so full that we would be able to eat at these restaurants only 2 times during our stay. Evidence showed that this is a deliberate deception in the brochure, as these speciality restaurants were never filled to capacity. On the contrary, they seemed more than half empty every single day. 4. Food in speciality restaurants turned out to be exactly the same as in the buffet. The chef took a tiny cut of meat or fish (2 square inches), fanned a few slices of zucchini and carrots around it, and drizzled some reduced balsamic over the dish, and presented it as a gourmet plate. The pasta in the Mediterranean Room was really quite horrible, overdone and soggy. The Seafood Specialty Restaurant on the beach was mediocre at best, although the ocean view and the stars made up for the food mediocrity. All in all, one did better to eat in the buffet restaurant and design one’s own specialty dishes. 5. The waiters were all hardworking and accommodating, courteous and professional. 6. The beach was always overcrowded and it was nearly impossible to find two chairs together. 7. The big pool offered no shade whatsoever. 8. The smaller adult pool was lovely with new well padded loungers. Iguanas lived by the pool, sometimes as many as 8. I found the first 2 charming “guests”, but more than that an utter annoyance. I could tell the iguanas were enjoying themselves, making love all day and resting in between. Another negative about this pool was how guests monopolized the chairs by parking towels on them at 7 am and not showing up until after lunch. The only way we could get a lounger was to come out at 7 am as well. We felt no guilt over this tactic because we actually used the loungers all day. 9. My biggest complaint about this resort is unequivocally about the vast number of smokers around the pool and in the lobby area. Since we in Canada (perhaps in big cities only) find smoking to be so passé and so dangerous really, I had a hard time with this imposition on my enjoyment of the resort. For this reason alone, I would never revisit this resort. 10. The gym had new equipment: 3 treadmills, 1 elliptical, 1 bicycle, one rowing machine, and various weights. It was never busy, so I could enjoy 2 hours every day of uninterrupted solitude and alone time. BELOW IS A REPORT ON WHAT HAPPENED TO US BECAUSE WE DID NOT KNOW AHEAD OF TIME OF THE DANGERS OF SALES PEOPLE DECEPTIONS: Immediately as we deplaned and entered the Cozumel Airport terminal and asked for a Transat rep, we were led to a booth where a man claimed to be part of the Transat team. He stressed the urgency of talking to him first, so we will know what the best and most economical way was to arrange tours, etc. Ten minutes into this presentation, we realized he had nothing to do with Transat and dashed outside to be sure we had not missed our ride to the resort. We barely made it. And by the way, everything this man told us was a lie. The first morning of our resort stay, we ventured into the lobby to ask about an upgrade, as you suggested. Since the lobby was populated by many desks and many people in uniform, we asked the first available person how much an upgrade would be. He led us to a desk and ensured us the person sitting behind it would be the best person to arrange this upgrade. This was where our nightmare began. The story is very long and extremely frustrating, but in a nutshell: we were guaranteed by 3 people who were called in as back-ups, that the upgrade would be $US 21/night, but we first needed to speak to one more person to secure this upgrade request. Before we realized it, we were sitting in a large room, being given a time-share sales pitch. We then made it clear that we were not interested in time share. After many, many more little incidents and protests, we were led back to the original “liar” to finally arrange the promised upgrade. Unfortunately, he said this upgrade is no longer $US 21, but $US 37. On and on it went, until the room was actually not available for another 4 nights, etc. etc. I finally realized the lies were getting bigger, and raised my voice to let them know that they were all lying and giving the resort a very bad name. In the end, we did have some marvellous luck that the reception manager Gabriela heard me and called us over to her desk. By way of compensation, she gave us the upgrade for free, although the room itself would only be available on Monday. She also commented that these sales people are not part of the resort, and that they lie continuously to everyone and anyone they trap for their sales pitch. As part of Gabriela’s generosity, we had free wifi in the lobby and in the upgraded Royal Club section, we had access to La Caretta, by far the best restaurant on the premises (where we ate often), we had access to the Royal Club pool. In fact, we had all the privileges of the Royal Club members. On Monday, we decided not to move rooms, as our room was fine and moving seemed at that point not worth all the effort. I felt sincere gratitude for Gabriela’s kind offer and to make up somewhat for the free upgrade, I rewarded the restaurant staff with generous tips when we ate at The Caretta. The waiters were attentive, pleasant, professional, and welcoming. Mosquitoes and other bugs: On our fight back, I noticed a few bumps on my arms and hands, but paid no attention. On Saturday morning when I woke up in my own bed, I counted 19 oversized bite marks—raised red bumps on my left arms, 7 on my right, several on my back, and the itchiness began. I am on Benadryl and confident the marks will disappear. I don’t know what caused them—mosquitoes or flies, but they are not pleasant to live with. The odd thing is that I did not feel the bites when they happened. So, all in all, although this resort has truly lovely and well maintained grounds, friendly and courteous staff, and is well priced, I would not recommend it to people who like pristine open spaced beaches, quiet pool areas, a smoke-free environment, and insect free spaces. I myself would not go back. As well, I would not go to Mexico because of the utter lack of professional work ethics of sales people. Feel free to share my outlook on Cozumel Occidental Grand with your clients. This report in no way reflects your part in this trip (Tripcentral agent), as you were flawless in your arrangements. Thank you. N.B. I would like to remain anonymous in the context of not sharing my email address with anyone other than Tripcentral staff.

Excellence Playa Mujeres: Very nice resort

This is our third visit to EPM in the last 6 years and we were not disappointed. The grounds, pools, rooms, restaurants and bars are really 5 star. The beach seemed improved this visit likely due to the fact that another resort was built just north of it. They groom the beach regularly and you can tell. All the staff are very friendly. Being only a short 20 minutes to the Cancun Airport makes it excellent as well.

Decameron Los Cocos Guayabitos Ramada: GOOD RESORT

This is an older resort with lots of the problems that go with that situation, it is very very clean and under construction so understandably it was noisy at times. The food is what I would describe as slightly below par to good but the steak ala-cart is very good. lots of beach chairs and seating room for the number of people and there is plenty of room on the grounds to spread out. If there is one thing that I disliked about my stay it would be the entertainment this resort has 80% Canadians b [... read more]ut the entertainment is mostly in Spanish and much too loud it is turned up to the point of speaker distortion then a bit louder yet and while this racket is going an all of a sudden some kind of band sets up on the beach adding to the noise and at the same time both bars are playing different music at the height of this so called entertainment it is very very loud and annoying. But over all it was a pretty good place to go I personally will not return as I appreciate some thing quieter.

Grand Sunset Princess: Stunning Resort!!!

We booked this resort as a group of 5. We traveled in January into February. The resort was very welcoming. Check in went smooth and our rooms were clean and ready for us at 3:00 pm. It took us a couple of days to get an understanding of the resort. So much to see. Enjoyed the restaurants and the staff. We had some great staff share some of their stories and were very friendly. Had a great time!

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: 4th Visit and Still Fabulous

We returned from our fourth 2 weeks visit to the Valentin Imperial Maya hotel and we will definitely be returning for a fifth visit. This hotel has everything that we look for in a 5 star hotel. From the amazing grounds that are always kept in immaculate and beautiful condition to the great food and amazing service at all of the restaurants, and the fabulous beach and pools this hotel has everything you could want. We have been to many other resorts in Mexico, Dominican Republic and Cuba and [... read more] this resort is by far our favourite. There are a good variety of rooms to choose from. We always choose the Golden Junior Suite and although more expensive than the basic rooms which are also very nice the Golden Junior Suite offers a little more room and the they surround the lazy river pool which is much quieter than the larger main pool which we appreciate. We also always choose the privilege package as there are a couple of things in the package that we really value. The first is the ability to make reservations at all of the restaurants. We like to go to dinner at a certain time so with reservations we don't have to wait during the busy dinner time between 7-9 pm. The food continues to be of high quality and the service just seems to get better and better each time we go (if that is even possible). The staff at this hotel are amazing! The second major benefit is having a reserved spot at either the pool or the beach whichever you prefer. I love this benefit because I never have to worry about getting to the beach early enough to get a good spot. Your spot is reserved for the whole time you are staying at the resort and there are no issues with having as many towels as you would like. There are a number of other perks with the privilege package but these are the two that we value the most. Although the resort is quite large it never feels overly busy. The grounds and walkways are fabulous for taking daily walks and there is lots to keep you busy if you so choose. The beach also offers a great swimming area and the ability for long walks along the beach. The beach certainly isn't as good as Bavaro Beach in the Dominican Republic but is still quite good. If you are looking for a resort that is adults only and has pretty much everything you could ask for then this is the resort for you.

Las Brisas Huatulco: Las Brisas - New Found Favourite Place

With beautiful grounds, tons of amenities, good food, good clean rooms with friendly and accommodating staff, safe warm clear ocean waters to swim, close by safe and friendly community towns to visit and lastly nothing but sunny warm weather...it's definitely become one of our top favourite resorts and places to visit going forward. Our family traveled for two weeks Jan 20 to Feb 3 2017 and had had a perfect vacation. Nothing but sun, relaxation and fun ! Our 79 year old father says this b [... read more]eats their annual Florida vacation to escape the northern cold any day and will be the place to return to in the coming years !

The Fives Beach Hotel and Residences Playa Del Carmen: Mixed feelings

I have very mixed feelings about this resort. Some things were great and some awful. We were traveling with a very small baby so this resort was recommended for babies. They offer things like high chairs, crib, strollers. We chose to bring our own stroller and happy we did. Several couples we met didn't and were not able to get one. One couple was there 14 days and couldn't get a stroller. The resort is beautiful but our room was the smallest room I'd ever seen. It was clear the resort was [... read more] no where near capacity and apparently most rooms are huge. We asked to move, again we had so much baby stuff, and no one would help us. They finally offered to move us for an additional $150 per night to a room slightly bigger with two queen beds. I went to look and it was very small still. Oh and no bathroom. Just a sink with no where to put anything and a standing shower that was a nightmare and a very not private water closet. We moved some unnecessary furniture onto the balcony and were able to fit the crib and our stroller into the room. No really it's that small. About the size of a cruise ship room if not smaller. It was difficult to communicate as very few people spoke English. We asked for water to our room several times, still waiting for it. Several times I was in the ladies room and staff used the washroom and didn't wash their hands, every time I saw staff there was no hand washing. We were told we would be away from the construction but we were right beside it. It wasn't too loud. We didn't mind. The area we were in made it very difficult to get around with a stroller. It was very rough. We had to carry baby most of the way and then put her back in the stroller. Also the elevators are so tiny only one parent could go in with the stroller and other would take the stairs. I feel like this resort should become adults only. It's beautiful and the restaurants were really good. The house wine was fantastic. The concierge was amazing and friendly. There is monkeys there that really made our trip. Would we go back? Probably not but we might try another Azul. If you book just be sure to get a bigger room and you'll have an amazing time.

Las Brisas Huatulco: Beautifull place

We have spent 7 days in this resort and never regretted it at all. The ground and the Hotel was spotless, the people were friendly and helpful . The food was delicious and always hot. The beach was great, weather perfect. Only one thing that there were not enough lounge chair available, if you got down to the beach late (after 8am) it was almost impossible to get a spot. Our room was good only one problem. We had a very bad sewer smell coming from the drain. Had to open the shower to wash the  [... read more]smell down. Over all our experience was good.