First Time in Cancun - Amazing Experience

Melia Casa Maya is an excellent hotel. It's medium sized and appears to cater to families with kids and older adults. There are lots of activities and amenities but it's quiet at night. Our room was spectacular. We upgraded to their premium lodging called "The Level". This includes lots of extra perks. The resort staff were super friendly and accommodating.

Children only resort

This hotel caters to families with small children ONLY. Although we knew it was not an "adults only" resort, we chose the "Level" option thinking it would give us some exclusive lounging and dining opportunities. WRONG!! Everyone took the option, including families of 5(majority). The property description implied a separate area on the beach for "Level" guests. Not so...there were a few labelled palapas interspersed within the rest of them. The "level" dining room was packed for breakfast and lu [... read more]nch everyday.You get a concierge assigned to you who arranges a reserved palapa for you..but again...not in a separate area. The hotel is very small with no auditorium or theater...so the children spend the evening hours running around screaming in the main lobby....cant have a nice peaceful after dinner drink. The buffet is an absolute nightmare..smallest I have ever seen. Very limited food selection. And, hold on to your plate...the kids are running around unleashed!! Also, don't expect a good steak in any of the a la cartes. They are tasteless..not char broiled, seem like they are boiled. Difficult to tell what kind of meat it was. One very disturbing issue is the lack of security on the beach. On weekends, the locals tend to head to the public beach which is directly adjacent to the hotel. This would be OK if hotel security was around to keep an eye on our stuff while in the water. Instead, locals walked freely amongst the hotel palapas and chairs. One hotel rep stood chatting with these folks for hours. I realize MOST of the locals are good people just enjoying the beach....but it would only take one bad apple to lead to disaster...especially with all the kids around. Overall, not a good experience...not a good choice unless you are traveling with infants and toddlers....teens would be bored. Finally, the room accommodation was a joke. One small 4 drawer dresser and small hanging bar. I dont know how all these families managed with little storage. No chair or couch to sit on. Housekeeping had a very hard time providing the same number of towels daily...something missing everyday. Wish I could get my money back.