Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Wonderful Vacation

Myself, my husband, our 6 month old son, my mom and my great aunt stayed at the Ocean Coral and Turquesa from June 2-9. I have been to a few resorts before, but this one topped all. The food, staff, rooms and layout were all amazing. Our biggest concerns going to the resort revolved around our son. We wanted adjoining rooms with my mom and aunt so that we could have the baby napping in one room while we hung out in the other. We wanted the resort to be small enough that getting around with  [... read more]a baby was easy. We wanted to make SURE that the food was good so that no one got sick. We wanted a crib. ALL of these needs were met and we couldn't be happier. There are 4 pools at the resort, 3 of which we visited. At the pool that has the pool bar, there are shaded king size cabanas that worked out perfectly for our little family, so our son could stay out of the heat. I only have 2 negative comments. 1. At 10pm on our second last night there we were in my mom's room with our baby sleeping in our room. Through the monitor I heard a noise in the room so I went to check it out...There was a MAN in the room changing a light bulb. I was very freaked out. I don't know why they would send someone at 10pm at night. He sad he knocked and didn't hear anyone, so he probably assumed we were out at a show or something, but I think it is INSANE that he came in. We could have been sleeping and wouldn't have answered. More than that, our son was in the room! Needless to say, I didn't sleep well that night knowing that the staff can just come and go as they please. 2. There needs to be a bit more shade. Other than that very scary incident, our trip was amazing.

Ocean Maya Royale: Great spot

This is a great hotel and resort. Solid 4/5. Pool areas were quite loud with music and atmosphere, but that's what we were after. Would return again. Food is great, service is lovely. Even though the weather was a bit cloudy, the hotel staff find lots of things for us to do. Nice that the hotel lobby bar is open 24 hours a day.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Not a 5 star resort

We thought the resort was dated. Rooms were dated. You only got good service if you tipped all the time. Not enough A la carte restaurants. You couldnt change your towels by the pool...you had to wait for the maid in order to get new beach towels. Beach is amazing. Food was ok but got boring after a few days. Would not go back to this resort.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Great Family Getaway

I just got back from Ocean Riviera yesterday and I can honestly say I really enjoyed myself and don't really know where these horrible reviews are coming from. People are extremely over exaggerating and its unfortunate because it therefore scares future guests. I was very nervous to come here after reading the reviews but I was more than pleasantly surprised. First off, I traveled with my husband and my 5 month old baby and we previously lived in Playa del Carmen so we are very familiar with  [... read more]the area/people, etc. Check-in upon arrival was quick and easy, we were given one key but that didn't bother us, everyone was very friendly. There are lots of timeshare people in the lobby and to be honest I assumed we would be left alone because we had a small baby but they continually kept coming after us. We did although just say no thank you and that was that. We stayed in room 2420 in the Daisy Family section, facing the trees on the back side which we actually preferred because it was very quiet and peaceful. The room is VERY spacious, clean, modern and probably the nicest hotel room I've ever stayed in. We called for a playpen once we arrived and it was brought up with extra blankets/padding within 5 minutes. We also had a problem with the safe twice and both times someone came up within 10 minutes. Absolutely NO ISSUES with air-conditioning. We kept it set at 22C the whole time and a few times I bumped it up to 23 because we felt cold and too cool with ceiling fan! No idea where these crazy air conditioning reviews are coming from. Bathroom is very nice and spacious although not much privacy for going to the bathroom due to slotted doors, not an issue for my little family but if you are traveling with friends just be aware of this. No issues with water, we had lovely hot water all day. Because we had a small baby we actually didn't attempt any ala cartes. So we ate buffet 3 meals a day. No complaints, staff was so incredibly nice, great service, always had drinks within 5 minutes of arriving. So much variety and everything was hot and fresh, I LOVED the pasta bar and my husband really enjoyed all the different mexican and seafood variety. Once again with the air-conditioning. We never ONCE felt hot or warm inside the buffet. It was always fresh and cool and very comfortable. Kids/Family Pool area was awesome, not too busy and we were always able to find chairs with shade. Great bartenders and great service! I did notice once a few kids dropped their drinks (mudslide type) inside the pool and therefore it got dirty but that isn't the hotels fault. If you want swim up bars then you have to know a few kids/adults might spill something in the pool and it clearly stated "Please do not move around the pool with drinks" so for those that complained about a dirty pool, well....that's just was happens when you have a few hundred people drinking and swimming around in a pool. We always found it refreshing and enjoyed our pool time. Walk to beach from kids pool area is maybe 5 minutes MAX, and that is with a small baby. People like to really over-exaggerate this point. Cleaning staff was great, everyday we had a nice clean room, mini bar was stocked daily (although the fridge wasn't ice cold). Overall this is all I can really comment on because with a baby we weren't really able to enjoy the night shows, bowling, casino, etc, but I think I wanted to share my opinion on some of the sore spots it seems other travellers complain about. I would definitely recommend this hotel and return, we spent a very nice week together and I think if we had been able to enjoy all the other aspects of the resort we would have even loved it MORE! Don't be scared to go, it is a wonderful place and just go to enjoy yourself. :) P.s - One night the local artisans come to the hotel and set up shop in the square. Take advantage of this people I can say as a previous local of Playa del Carmen they have good prices and are cheaper than 5th Avenue. This is a GREAT opportunity to get some awesome gifts to take home without having to leave the resort if you aren't interested in that.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Great Resort

We stayed at Ocean Casa del Mar from June 3-10, 2017. The resort was beautiful and clean. The staff were all wonderful and nice and the beach was amazing! We went during their low season which was great because there were no crowds. The food was good and the service impeccable. My kids loved the kids club and the cool towel characters our housekeeping made for us each day. I would definately recommend this resort.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Great family vacation

Resort was great. Large but areas never felt crowded. Rooms were spacious and clean. Wifi was very good throughout resort including the beach. Food was good and plentiful at the buffet. A la carte restaurants (we ate at the steak House, Mexican, route 66, and Italian) were really good as well and did not require a reservation except for the Japanese restaurant. Hotel grounds were​ plush and clean. Pools were great and service at the bars was good as well. Kids club amazing and the waterpark wa [... read more]s a nice added touch.

Playa Vista Azul: Beautiful resort and Friendly

The resort is beautiful, we love the pools, the people are friendly, just need improve the food they provide and to switch food more often. The restaurants are excellent, i like Blue Moon restaurant. The maids are friendly. Keep up great work!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Good resort!!

The hotel is modern and comfortable. The beach just a little narrow. Excellent customers service!! Employees very friendly and helpful. About the food, no great experience... But the rest was good. I would recommend it.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Great stay overall

This was my second visit in this resort. Front desk staff are very helpful and professional. The landsacpe is very well maintained. Swimming pool, beach, and bars were clean and no complaints. The only issue was the cleaning the room. Housekeeping only chnage towles and not cleaning the whole room.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Not a five stars

Grounds well kept. Clean site. Upgraded to a privilege room for free since it was our 43rd weddind anniversary. Room big enough with bathtub and a separate rain shower. Most of the hand towels and bath towels are spotted with yellow spots ; really not appealing. And no booth to go change your beach towel ; the woman making your room is the one that will change them for you when she makes your room... You get only one bottle of water per day... Paint missing on headboard of the bed ; so not impre [... read more]ssive. Lots of ants at the entrance and the patio slab. We were unfortunately on groud level.The beach restaurant had excellent chicken and fish and fries. The a-la-carte italian and gourmet had very good beef ( amazing for Cuba ) spaghetti and chicken ; and the wine ( white and red ) were quite good. But the buffet had very poor variety for lunch and supper ; but the breakfast was good although there was no real fruit juices available, only yogourt juices...Magnificient beach and cristal clear water. Lots of chairs but some need to be replaced ; many palapas but they are too small to protect two people at a time.

Ocean Blue and Sand: Not worth it!!! Really bad resort

I don't want to be a party pooper BUT I must say what I think about this resort because we also work hard to pay off a week of vacation, some of us overpay for what we get here, I'm not a picky person at all, this was my 4th time in Punta Cana and this resort isn't a 4 1/2 as they said, this is more like a 3 star. Check in was sweet and short Loved it, until you get caught by these Yellow shirt guys that make it look so fun until he tells you that you are getting a "welcome breakfast" a breakfa [... read more]st that you paid already lol.. but to really sale you timeshare, I was straight up with him because I knew what it was but he continue bugging asking for a time for it so I gave it to him, the next day he was there waiting (even when I told him that I wasn't interested) then he gets all mad because we didn't want to go and we also had an excursion to go to! Well buddy Too bad, I went there for a vacation not to waste half of my day with you. The rooms were basic but clean, they cleaned everyday, we had two rooms and in one of them my sister found a cockroach on the bed! Yuck! The buffet food was just ok. You can find something to eat, but it was always the same food or food from the previous night, Breakfast was always My favourite, the Omelet guy "Marcos always have a smile for you" and I loved it. The servers in the buffet area are very pleasant and always smiling, a big Thank You to Roldán, Carlos (El Comandante) y Julio who made our mornings wonderful, full of laughs! Keep up the good work. The restaurants were good, the steak house was good, again thank you Julio and Jovanni, and the Italian was ok. Again I don't like these "first come, first serve" it doesn't work like that, they should make reservations for us like most resorts do in Punta Cana, not being in a huge line up to get a table of 8 people, insane... oh and you better be there by 5 pm to eat a decent meal... Mike coffee was really good! The entertainment was poor, I'm not sure if it was because of low season as they said, not entertainment for kids at all, but it needs a big improvement. The pools were nice, our favourite place to hang out. The beach.... the beach.... you know! We paid all these money for the beach (at least I do because I don't have a beach here) but it was a big disappointment (even tho I knew what to expected) but it is more worse then expected... the beach in that area is gorgeous but at this resort is BAD and those sand bags made look really bad, i understand why they did it but the smell in the morning is bad, I'm not sure if it is because of the sand bags or the amount of seed weeds that gets accumulated around these bags, Yes, some guys try to clean the beach but also with little bags and a broom is brutal for them, they should get a small truck to help out to clean this beach constantly at least. The buffet lunch at the beach it wasn't good, not food or BBQ at the beach like many resorts do, example: paella, fish, roast pig etc.... The guy who makes the panini I don't think he wants to work there maybe they should get him another job, he was a very boring Person to deal with compare to other employees. I love Punta Cana, like I told them that's my second home but this resort isn't worth it... I love Dominican people and I will definitely come back but not to this resort.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Amazing Resort!!!

This resort was absolutely amazing. The service, cleanliness and employees are top notch! The overall layout of the resort was perfect, never having to walk more than 5-7 minutes to the 4 pools, 8+ restaurants and multiple bars. Every single employee was extremely friendly,helpful and happy. We will definitely be returning to this resort and definitely upgrade to Privilege.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Exceptional Resort

The Ocean Coral and Turquesa was a wonderful resort. The food, cleanliness, employees and service was outstanding. We stayed for 5 days and every single day we were wowed by the friendliness of all employees and superb service. The restaurants were fantastic and the beach and pools were great. The overall layout of the resort was great, never having to walk more than 5-7 minutes to access all the 4 pools and multiple restaurants and bars. We will definitely be returning soon.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Fantastic Resort but Never book through Hola Sun....

April 29 - May 6....was the plan.....This resort was beautiful and the staff were fantastic. The food was actually very good by any standards, the best in Cuba . We ate mostly at the a la carte and they were all good (Origami was the best). The beach was very nice and not overly busy. We could always find a pergola for shade. The pools were clean and allot of fun. We went to the east pool and it was great . Shout out to Yunior at the bar. we had fun throwing the ball around and dancing to the mu [... read more]sic. The Animation team was excellent, friendly and kept everyone engaged. NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS...Unfortunately we were delayed in Toronto due to "The" Airline Captain being sick so the airplane was delayed 17 hours. We had absolutely NO explanation from Hola Sun. They sent a third party company to deal with all of us. They just kept telling us we would be compensated for missing our time in Cuba... Now 5 weeks later I received a cheque for $55...a ridiculous insult....even after pushing back saying it cost me more than that per day and we only received 6 of the 7 days we paid for. I guess they never want my business again. We put absolutely no blame on the Resort and would highly recommend it as a vacation destiny...just DO NOT BOOK THROUGH HOLA SUN.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Food must be improved!

We were at Ocean Varadero El Patriarca from May 17-27, 2017. Overall the hotel is very nice. It's a smaller size hotel so everything is near by. Vrery clean, modern rooms, nice, well maintained grounds. I don't think it is necessary to talk about ocean and beach in Varadero - it is absolutely perfect. BUT the food was horrible. We never expect much from the food as we go to Cuba every year. This hotel was the worst ever in terms of food. Very limited selections of food and everything taste [... read more]d really bad. Same applies to both restaurants. Milk is made from dry milk so it was impassible to drink, even cappuccinos and Latte coffee suffered due to that milk. All alcoholic drinks are watered down in the bar. That was the negative side. Another small disappointment was that swimming pool was closed at 6pm every single day. That is the time when the water is so warm and it's not that hot anymore.Lot's of people enjoying the pool. A worker stars walking around and telling everyone to get out of the pool for chlorine maintenance. However, everything else was pretty good. Music and people are simply amazing in Cuba!!!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: We will be back, AMAZING resort!

We travelled May 16 to May 23, 2017. We were 1 adult and 3 kids aged 9, 15, 16 and all of us had a super vacation! The bus ride to the resort took about 1.5 hours however I thought it went by quickly. Our guide was great and they gave plenty of information about the towns we were driving through, hear some history and it gave the kids a chance to see how other schools and homes were. I looked at it as a free excursion. Check in was easy and fast. The staff were all great! The only staff  [... read more]that I may suggest needed new positions at the resort were the 2 female servers in the snack bar area. Their English was not there, not even a little bit. It made it very hard to order food as it was not a buffet. All the other staff had fairly good English. The activities staff/Entertainment Staff were FANTASTIC with adults and kids! The resort is very large but kept very well. If anyone has mobility issues this resort may not be for you however the bell boys were super and they drive you around on golf carts if you need it. The food was great for Cuba, my 9 year old is a VERY picky eater and even she enjoyed the food she selected. We did bring some snack items just in case. The hotel didn't give facecloths, I am glad we brought our own. The room was clean and very modern. The house keepers were on their game for sure. We did have an issue with the shower head being kinda crappy but once we figured out how to use the handle part we had no further issues. The beach was super! It is a smaller beach especially when the tides are changing (every 6 hours) but it was stunning!! There was always chairs available and shade huts if you wanted them. We did some excursions...... The Catamaran tour was well worth the 89 CUC! It has 2 snorkelling stops, open bar, lunch, snack, dolphin interaction and show, and the crew were great! The jeep safari was fun but it did have moments that dragged on. The teens did the speed boat tour twice as they really enjoyed it or maybe cause they were able to drive the boats alone lol. We will be back, we had a super time!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Not too shabby

This was our first time staying in Cayo Santa Maria. We chose the Ocean Casa Del Mar as it was one of the newer hotels and the reviews weren't too bad. First the positives: The resort itself is situated on more of the natural part of the beaches in Cayo Santa Maria and you can definitely see it. Part of the beach is narrow so if you go early morning or late evening you will get high tide. The beach is naturally beautiful and the water is crystal blue. The pools are nicely done with a few [... read more] cabanas and ample chairs. They are kept clean as well. The weather was AMAZING!!! We went in mid-May during the start of their rainy season. We lucked out and there was not one drop of rain. Additionally when we went as well the resort wasn't busy at all. Almost like we had the place to ourselves!!! Because it wasn't busy it led to great service. The restaurants weren't busy and we had no issues with waiting at the buffet, a la cartes, bars or cafes!!! I wanted to give a special shout to Alexi, Madigiel, Yoel, Yunio, and Yudesky. By far they were our best servers for food and drinks and they treated us great. Remember that these folks live on tips and once you tip, they remember you and give you great service. Our maid service was amazing. We tipped her a peso each day and we would come back to great towel art and little notes of appreciation for it. Rooms were kept clean and spotless each time we had turn down. Thanks again Yamilet!!!! The entertainment staff was great. They made the most with what they had to entertain us with. They had daily competecions which got everybody involved. They chatted us up as well and we made great friends with Yoa. Thanks again for making the stay great. The food was average as expected but not bad as many pan Cuban food at hotels. The buffet wasn't bad for food but it mostly was the same. The a la cartes are first come first serve. I would recommend going early at 6:30 when it opens for if you later it can be challenging to get in. The food at Origami was by far our favorite. It was the Asian resto and was quite yummy so much so that we went 3x during our stay. We also went to Limoncello. Was okay for Italian food. Didn't get a chance to see the Mediterranean or Creole resto. Didn't know where to find it actually. Found it one day while walking the whole resort. As for drinks....YAH!!! They don't slouch. Cuba Libres were my go too and they were hella good and strong!!! If you wantes coffee or an aperatif, Mike's Coffee was our go to. Great cappucinos and espessos!!! Now to the negatives: The buffet advertised different theme nights.....however the food was the same night in and night out. If you advertising Asiatic or Italian or BBQ then give us that type of food but don't have the same food each dinner. I would also put the Creole and Med restos to where the Playa Ranchon resto is located. It was never used and only relegated to Privelege guests for romantic dinners. I would have everything centralized in one spot rather than keeping it hidden. The resort also has no elevators. All the building are three storeys and with stairs. You basically have to get a bellboy to bring your luggage up to the room. Speaking of the bellboys and others who were driving the carts around, I would recommend to slow a bit down. They fly around the resort in them, and if they don't happen to pay attention, it could cause an accident!!! Finally we did have some tech issues with our room. First night we got there the power went out in our room because of a sensor on the balcony door. That followed by the room to our door not locking. However we got our maintenance guy to come and fix it and he fixed it swiftly. We also had an issue with the safe and not being able to open it. Once we notified guest services though we got it taken care of. The flight was with Westjet and it was great as usual. Transfer from the airport was safely done by Transgaviota. Sunquest vacays did a great job with the package and word to the wise: Take the VIP lounge at the airport. It is worth it!!! Would we go back again. Absolutely!!! Definitely there is room to improve but I am sure they will learn gradually from our reviews!!!!

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: beautiful resort

rooms are ok , food is not so good, services are just fair. there is not much choices for food, almost the same everyday. A la carte restaurants are not that great. Beach and pool is good. Not much shade on the pool. Beach restaurant food is not good.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Fabulous Vacation

Loved everything about this resort! The food was amazing, the pools were so clean, the staff were friendly and couldn't do enough for you! A 20 minute drive from the airport and fairly close to Playa del Carmen. Peurto Morelos a quaint little fishing town with great restaurants and bars only a 5 minute drive. Rooms were a little dated but clean. A lot of seaweed on the beach but the hotel did it's best to keep it clean. Overall I found this resort to be fantastic and would definitely like to  [... read more]return!!

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Great time at the Ocean Coral

If your looking for negative comments you won't find many here. Staff, very friendly and professional. Cathy around the pool was a non stop dynamo. Rooms, mine was musty until I requested a dehumidifier other than that very comfortable. Although the pillows need to be changed out Food was good to excellent, great variety in the buffet. All the a la cartes are walk in, no reservations required, with the exception of the Japanese. The longest wait we had was at the Mexican, it was 30 minu [... read more]tes. The others were come right in. We had 5 in our group and it's safe to say everyone had a different favourite. The beach during our visit was unusable. The sea was rough. I can't say whether that is the way it always is, it was windy for our whole week. The pools were clean with quiet alternatives to the party pool bar. The entertainment was bit of a question mark. I can't tell you how good or bad. The communication of what was going on where and when was spotty to say the least. The last night however they featured a group of Cuban tenors in an outdoor setting, they were fantastic. I never went on any excursions, I've been to Mexico many times and seen pretty much everything I'm interested in. We made the trip to Playa del Carman and it was fun as usual. The cab fare was $72 one way for a 45 min ride, couldn't find Uber lol. We also spent an afternoon in Puerto Morales and in my opinion its worth the trip, I can't remember the cost, around $35 return??? One recommendation, bring money. There is a bank machine on site but the user fees are frankly ridiculous. Bring your money with you!!!! That's about it. I would recommend this hotel to frankly everyone. There were couples of all ages, groups of men and woman travelling together. Literally any demographic is present.