Beautiful place well maintained clean delicious restaurant but sea weeds stop me to go in the ocean and I use only the pool , at least I have good weather , food was very good, service excellent, room clean and spacious.
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Paradisus La Perla Adults Only Riviera Maya: Beautiful resort
This resort is stunning. The grounds are very well kept and clean. The rooms are large and comfortable. We had a garden view suite that had a jacuzzi on the balcony and a huge tub in the bathroom.The bed is super comfy. Staff here are amazing. The food was pretty good. Our favourite was definitely the Hibachi! You have lots of choices for food. Unfortunately my only negative would be the nightly entertainment. They do have small acts in the main lobby area. But that is only for an hour. There a[... read more]re small shows on the family side but we found it a little crazy with so many kids. Over all this is a fantastic resort and I would highly recommend it if you are looking to travel to Mayan Rivera.
Nice hotel but never use the beach because was smelling and full of grass , so I don’t use at all for 1 week, not happy at all , I hope my family goes the next week and don’t find the same situation….
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Paradisus La Perla Adults Only Riviera Maya: amazing service at the resort
The resort is very nice, service 5plus. Room very clean. However, they offered only 1 king bed for 2 women, even though I booked the room with the option of 2 beds. When I called Trip Central before my trip, they said that they put in a request for 2 beds; however, they never did. The hotel only offers 1 king bed; therefore, be careful when booking the hotel
One restaurant was closed, but all of them are nice. One thing which is also not mentioned when booking is that in the adult section, th[... read more]e buffet is served only for breakfast and lunch, not dinner
Beach- due to high seaweed season is not available- nobody is using beach- water is brown
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Paradisus Playa del Carmen: Wonderful Experience!
The resort is beautiful. It it being renovated as some indicators of age are visible if looked closely. 5/5 still for facilities. Food was really good even at the buffet. I was worried and got FC to get access to reservations and restaurants but wasn’t needed for our group's particular needs. Beach was not usable due to sargassum but that is not the fault of the resort. Staff were friendly and hospitable. Our Family Concierge Eduardo was amazing! Request for him if you book Family Concierge room[... read more].
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Zel Punta Cana - All Suites: Zel Punta Cana – May 24–28, 2026
First and foremost, it is important to note that Zel Punta Cana is not located directly on the beach. While there is beach access via a short walk or shuttle, those looking for a true beachfront resort experience should be aware of this before booking.
What truly sets this resort apart is its people. Every single employee we encountered was genuinely friendly, welcoming, and eager to help. Not once did we feel like we were imposing or inconveniencing anyone. The staff consistently delivered e[... read more]xceptional service and were undoubtedly one of the highlights of our stay.
The resort itself is fairly new and offers a very peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. If you’re looking for a quiet, serene getaway focused on wellness and relaxation, this resort is an excellent choice. However, if you’re part of a younger crowd seeking a lively party pool scene, constant entertainment, and a high-energy atmosphere, this probably isn’t the resort for you. Zel is intentionally quieter and more laid-back.
The accommodations are impressive. All rooms are spacious suites that are modern, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed. We also never had any difficulty finding pool chairs, which was refreshing compared to many Caribbean resorts where reserving loungers can become a daily competition.
The fitness and wellness facilities are among the resort’s strongest features. The tennis courts are excellent, and there are numerous fitness and wellness activities offered throughout the property. The spa was pleasant, although not particularly memorable or exceptional compared to other resorts in this category.
One area that deserves more attention is the maintenance of the outdoor grounds, particularly the palm trees around the pool areas. During our stay, we observed several palm trees with large dead fronds and hanging branches that appeared overdue for trimming. Beyond aesthetics, this presents a legitimate safety concern, as falling branches could potentially cause serious injury to guests. Given the otherwise high standards of the property, this is an area that management should address proactively.
Unfortunately, the biggest opportunity for improvement is the food and beverage program. While the food quality was acceptable, the overall selection was limited and lacked variety throughout our stay. The buffet, when open, is relatively small, and menu options quickly become repetitive.
Room service was particularly disappointing. The menu is very limited and lacks many of the simple comfort foods that guests often look for while on vacation. Adding items such as pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, additional salad options, and other casual fare would significantly improve the guest experience. Even more surprising was the absence of a breakfast room service option, which feels like a significant oversight for a resort of this caliber.
Similarly, the lunch offerings around the pool were limited and repetitive. The resort has tremendous potential, but the dining experience would benefit greatly from expanded menus and more variety throughout the day.
During our stay, we also visited the neighboring Paradisus resort, which offers a completely different experience. Paradisus is a much larger property with separate family, adults-only, and more social or party-oriented sections. It features a larger buffet, more dining variety, and direct beach access. Guests seeking a larger, busier resort experience may find Paradisus more aligned with their preferences.
Overall, Zel Punta Cana is a beautiful, tranquil resort with exceptional staff, spacious accommodations, excellent fitness facilities, and a relaxing atmosphere. If your goal is to unwind and enjoy a quieter vacation experience, it is certainly worth considering. However, the food offerings, room service program, dining variety, and outdoor maintenance require attention if the resort hopes to deliver an experience that fully matches the quality of its facilities and service.
Just got back from a wonderful 10-day vacation at this awesome resort. Grounds are immaculate, very clean. Same with our room, we were in building 4. Close to gym, pool and beach.
Food is the best we've had in 7 trips to the Dominican. Lots of variety. yes, it repeats, but there is something for everyone. Top quality and fresh.
Would not recommend staying here if you have mobility issues as alot of walking is required. 13 mins to main lobby and buffet. While golf carts are back and forth, we f[... read more]ound them passing us most of the time as they were full.
We will definitely be back!
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Melia Punta Cana Beach Wellness Resort Adults: Great week on the beach?️
The resort was lovely, rooms were very clean. Service was excellent; the staff were friendly. We really enjoyed the morning yoga & the foot massages on the beach. It’s a great resort for a relaxing low key holiday. We would definitely recommend it to friends & plan to return.
Beautiful resort. Appeared to be well kept. We upgraded to the Level upon arrival. We were put in room 1516 the view was like looking at a dumpster. Loud motorcycles all day long and trucks back and forth. Very noisy when the patio was open. Housekeeping was disappointing. The room was average, nothing special at all. Day two the housekeeper did not put clean or any pillowcases on the pillows (had to lodge a complaint twice), the next day the room was not done by 230pm ( had to complain about th[... read more]at). I left a healthy tip each day and it didn’t make a difference. Honestly, it didn’t feel like an upgrade at all. Aside from that, I would recommend the Level upgrade for all of the perks that come with it. Private pool, etc.
Originally booked at the adults only Punta Cana Beach but the other couple in our party booked Caribe Family resort in error. Punta Cana Beach had no room we moved to the Caribe side which is a family resort. We had a wonderful time and would not hesitate to book there again.
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Melia Punta Cana Beach Wellness Resort Adults: Beautiful place
Big resort. Very clean (room and public spaces). Friendly staff. The only thing is the sargassum. But the beach was cleaned every morning. And it’s something nobody has control. The pools were cristal clean!
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Melia Lima: Excellent Stay at an Excellent hotel
Class, the hotel was, from check-in to check-out and everything in between, with attention to detail in every aspect, from the smiles of all the staff and attentiveness to ensure you have the best time, to the cleanliness of the entire hotel. Class!
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Paradisus La Perla Adults Only Riviera Maya: Great time!
Staff, room, activities and restaurants were exceptional. Beach was not very good as there was considerable seaweed washed up on the shore making access difficult. The pool though was great with numerous activities (and cocktails!).
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Paradisus Palma Real Golf and Spa Resort: Paradisus Palma Real in April
The hotel was well maintained given its age, spacious and clean and likewise with the guest rooms. The property is large and the buildings are spread out so there was quite a bit of walking for us. Staff were friendly and helpful. Disappointed could not find a coconut drink everyday and was not aware that it was available only on the weekend. The food was average except for the breakfast where there was quite a variety offered.
Night shows were ok but not advertised ahead of time.
I liked the [... read more]fact that the hotel was close to the airport although took an hour to get to the airport on the departure day due to numerous pickups and traffic.
Overall a good experience and vacation.
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Paradisus Playa del Carmen: Great Resort for Families
I travelled with my husband and another couple with a newborn. The staff were very friendly and super helpful. While we didn’t need entertainment for the baby, we noticed there were plenty of activities to keep kids occupied. We also spent some time on the adult side, which was pleasant and offered a good variety of events—creating a nice balance overall.
The pools were great, with lots of seating available. I would avoid the Family Concierge pool, as it always seemed to be the busiest area. [... read more]That said, I do wish there were more umbrellas for shade—it often felt like a scramble to find one, and they weren’t easy to move when needed.
The beach was lovely, with plenty of seating and a volleyball court. There was some seaweed, but it was consistently cleared in the mornings and throughout the day, so it didn’t impact our experience much. If you upgrade to the Family Concierge, the beach chairs and service are noticeably better. That said, overall I don’t think the upgrade is worth it (we didn’t upgrade but did spend a day in the concierge beach area).
The rooms were nice, with comfortable beds. I understand the family side is due for renovations, but even without a facelift, it was still very enjoyable. One tip: avoid a connecting room if you don’t need one—we had to switch after the first night because we could hear the family next door very clearly.
The restaurants were decent overall, and the buffet was actually excellent. Agave stood out as the best restaurant on the property.
We also visited the spa. The massages were fantastic, but the facilities didn’t quite meet expectations. You only get access to the pool, sauna, and steam room for one hour before your treatment, which doesn’t feel like great value given the cost.
Overall, it was a great stay for a family, especially considering the price
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Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Some good but mostly poor
Cons:
We waited an additional 25 minutes after the last group entered the bus before leaving the arrival terminal. Maybe others took private transportation? The transport company needs to have a process to locate missing or move on.
Check-in staff barely spoke English, had poor communication skills, ignored our room requests, failed to provide towel and safe cards in the welcome package and took 45 minutes.
Most staff were disinterested in their job and the customers. We often had to ask mult[... read more]iple times for water and coffee upon arrival to the restaurents.
A-la carte restaurants can only be booked after 8 AM and only for that day and the following two days. So every morning line up in the lobby or Bazarra Rest. kiosk and hope to get a seat on last day as the others are already booked.
The main pool had few activities and the entertainment staff was not engaging with guests the remainder of the time. They did not broadcast upcoming activities.
The main pool was on average 4' 6" deep which was a bit too much for smaller ladies and kids.
More shuttles are needed due to the long distance between main building and pool/beach areas..
Housekeeping service was inconsistent - most days facecloths and a floor towel were not provided.
The bathroom floor tile was extremely slippery.
We did not have the Level package. Kayak rental was offered at $50 USD/hour. Tennis was free. Pickleball required a fee or Level package to access at the Rafael Nadel tennis center. Fees and inclusions are not clearly advertised.
The main pool bar ran out of or never had many basic items such as bananas, coconut rum and mojito ingredients.
The resort often used paper rather than re-usable plastic cups.
Pros:
Direct flights.
Wrist bracelets contain the RF chip to allow room access.
The property was beautiful.
The main pool was massive with plenty of seating and shade options.
The beachfront was wide and clean with soft sand.
The foam party was decent.
Food was reasonable in both buffets and a-la cartes.
The kids pool had lots of activities, chicken wings and tasty hamburgers.
Best staff: two older guys in the Kids pool restaurant; the lady and the two middle aged guys at the main pool and a couple of the staff at check out.
We are experienced Caribbean All-inclusive travelers and easy going. By the third day our group had all decided we would not return to this resort.
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Paradisus La Perla Adults Only Riviera Maya: 10/10
Returned Saturday from a week long trip. What an incredible week. Everything exceeded our expectations. Id return in a heartbeat. The reserve upgrade was more then worth it. By far the best resort we have been to.
Rooms
Temperature was good. kept the room comfortable. Plenty of space. Great view.
Restaurants
Flora, not impressed octopus was over cooked and portions were small. Many kids running around unattended
Blue agave, Great variety of tacos for lunch and great topping bar
Sals, [... read more]Best restaurant by far. Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted amazing.
Lemon Fish, Seafood was so fresh and tasty. Lots of variety. Octopus was awesome.
Tokimeku, Had a the hibachi experience. Great show and incredible food. Bog portions
Hadar, Lots of variety. Great tasting food. My only critique was improper signage. Many items did not have signs, left guessing what the food was.
Fahrenheit,Great for lunch. Fresh food great tasting.
Capella, Great variety of fresh pasta. Pizza was good too.
Sante, we came for lunch and breakfast more then once. So fresh, lots of variety.
Our concierge was Eduardo. We've had concierges before. He was helpful, but not overly attentive. But came through in the end for us in helping us get a late checkout.
The family said had ALOT of kids. I dont think ive ever seen a resort with that many kids before. We were very glad we were were on the adults only side. Dinner was much more peaceful and classy.
Beach, soft white sand beautiful. Many available beach chairs.
Reserve pool, its definitely more quite then the Fahrenheit pool. There was no music playing. I didnt want a party pool, but a little background ambience would be nice. the bartender and waitstaff Jairo, Sebastian, and Bladimir were top notch. Alfredo was #1 He was always smiling and singing. He'd go out of his way to get you what you needed. As an added bonus of the reserve, you can book bali beds ahead of time. Amazing perk. But in all honesty, whether it was the reserve pool or the Fahrenheit pool, we never had issues finding pool chairs, even midday.
Staff, I read reviews of the staff, prior to going to the resort. And all the reviews were right. The staff here on on another level above the rest. They were all so polite and professional and courteous. Always willing to assist.
If there is a weak point, it's late night activities and the announcement of activities. The shows were mostly held in the south bar. And we found it to be too warm in there. No airflow. We loved the shows, beautifully put together. But at some times, we would leave mid show because we were over heating. Some over head fans would be nice. I wish there was more outdoor space to sit outside and enjoy a cocktail in the night time.
Location, great location beautiful mangroves on the grounds. The grounds were immaculately kept. Resort is a 20 min walk into town for shopping, Or $25 usd taxi.
We were only approached once for the "time share" meeting. They were polite and not pushy. We politely declined and heard nothing more about it
Gym on the reserve side was small but we never had any issues with our workouts each morning. We went to the la perla gym once as well.
So many fun activities and classes to attend.
Overall our vacation was a 10/10
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Melia Caribe Beach Resort: Nice resort.
The hotel grounds were very nice, common areas likes pools were in good condition and well organized. Evening entertainment was good, although not really my thing.
Food at the buffets was good, what you would expect from any buffet. Lots to choose from. The "a la cartes" I thought were lacking. I went to 3 of the 4 on site and only enjoyed one of them. Of that one, many others in our party did not enjoy their meals.
My favorite place at the resort was the coffee bar, although it was f[... read more]requently understaffed during busy periods. Same could be said about the bars in the common areas. Many complaints about understaffing and wait times.
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Paradisus Palma Real Golf and Spa Resort: Resort does not cater to Gluten free sensititves plus Circle members seem to be treated better than other guest even the guest that paid for the reserve upgraded amenities.
This hotel caters to the circle members better than the other people even the ones paying for the reserve section which is costly.
The hotel does not really know what gluten free means. Do not go if Gluten sensitive.
One chief at the same restaurant will prepare a gluten free pasta while at the same restaurant on another night and another chief the guest is told that it is not possible to prepare the gluten free pasta.
Guest was celebrating birthday (visited April 13-22/26) and got a chocolat[... read more]e bar with a Christmas tree decoration on it! Christmas was 4 months before arrival!
Bars - some would give the reserve guests premium alcohol while other bars would not. No consistency.
Beach beds - a large amount are old and are sinking in the middle.
Beach is beautiful as well as clear sandy bottom.
Most staff are happy and gracious to be there.
For the same price point as the reserve at Paradisus Palma Real a person could go to the W Punta Cana or the Excellence properties and get better gourmet style food and better gluten free options.
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Melia Caribe Beach Resort: It was just ok.
The hotel was very nice. The rooms were nice the people were nice but when we had to stand in line to book the à la carts is was awful. By time I got to the front everything was almost gone. The bartenders were very nice but not enough of them working we waited half hour for drinks was terrible. The coffe bar was really nice but again one person working they need more people working. We had to wait in line for the buffet and the food honestly was not great. We enjoyed the Japanese. Over all I [... read more]would not go back. The pool beach drinks were all great the music was great they should have music at the pool, which they never did