For the most expensive only availability in the area, it was subpar at best…read more The good - it was a roof over my head with hot running water. The bad - found multiple roaches dancing across the floor. Floor was slippery with what felt like some type of wax material. Lots of deferred maintenance in the building. For the price, there is better out there.

Everything was great except breakfast. You have to pay extra for breakfast and when we got down…read morethere at 8:30am the food was pretty cold. I guess the warming stations need improvement. There is a Waffle House and a Cracker Barrel right nearby; I recommend going to breakfast there. They hotel itself is beautiful and the room was very nice with a fridge and kurig

So I chose this place strategically because it's 45 mins outside of Cancun. I'm one for adventures…read moreso staying at an all-inclusive off the beaten trail made sense to me. However, I will say that if you're an active Fitbit user... you will get your steps in here! The resort is spread out so you'll do a lot of walking but if you're not up for it... just wait by any of shuttle signs and you will eat picked up by the passenger go-carts that drive around frequently. We were shuttled to our room and every building has a concierge during the day if you have questions on getting around or questions regarding your room. The rooms are a nice size and the view was amazing. The only set back is, if you're on the bottom floor then you may have some furry visitors as there are animals on the property. But no worries, don't bother them and they won't bother you...simple as that. Housekeeping cleans the rooms daily, this is a requirement and it says so on their website. There is a safe available in the room if you would like to lock away your valuables, but the housekeeping staff is nice and we were gifted with a new towel animal daily. They have nightly free shows and the sports bar (black&white bar) is 24 hours. The Festival restaurant is buffet style and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The resort has other cuisine specific restaurants but you will need to visit he lobby to make a reservation, same day is fine as long as the reservation is before 5 PM. For late night snackers (or if you're like us... if you need a burger after shots at the beach bar) then visit Don Ista (located behind the Festival) between 11p-1am for a burger or hot dog. If you're comfortable enough then you can grab a taxi and visit 5th avenue in Playa Del Carmen... it's about 15-20 mins away from the resort and cost us $30 USD. 5th Ave offers shopping, restaurants and Starbucks if you're really in need (lol). Overall, there are plenty of resorts available that are closer to Cancun. But I challenge visitors to explore the resorts in the direction of Playa del Carmen, including this one.

One of the most beautiful hotels I have ever stayed in. Located about 40 minutes from Cancun…read moreInternational airport and about 20 minutes from Playa del Carmen, this one of kind resort is not only immense in size, but It is all inclusive as well. After about a minute of driving up to the hotel lobby grand entrance, you are immediately greeted by the friendly staff that is eager to help you with your bags. The entrance in itself if spectacular with huge fountains and a great open rotunda type reception area. After our bags were taken, my boyfriend and I headed immediately for the nearest bar which was the sports bar. This bar is directly located to the right of the reception and this is also where the dinner and a show takes place every night. This is also one of the few areas in the hotel that you can get FREE WiFi without paying $5 bucks every hour. Now as for the rooms, they are a bit of hike away from the reception lobby, but they are so worth the walk. Extremely spacious and all single rooms include a California kind bed, FREE mini beer bar that is stocked with beer and soda (this is also replenished everyday) and a huge shower with a rain shower head. I also forgot to mention that this resort is one of the few in Mexico that is completely GREEN. This means that all of the lighting in the rooms can only be turned by putting your room key in a slot by the front door. The lights will shut off once you remove your key. These keys are extremely sensitive to sun and water so keep them in a dry area (we got locked out twice because the card got too hot.) One of the best features of this hotel is the pool area. Blue Bay has about 5 different pools that are all connected to one another. Lounge chairs are pretty tricky to get here because you have to wake up at the crack of ass in order to "reserve" your chair. So wake up early to avoid searching for a non exist ant chair around 11am-4pm. The pool area has has two bars on either end. One is a great round swing bar that actually has swings around it. This by far was my favorite bar just because of the chairs. There is also another bar behind the steakhouse on the beach that is for VI P's from 10am-5pm, but if you get lucky like we did you can sneak in if there is no watch guard. This bar has the top shelf liquor and the best bartender! Ask for Wilbert he will hook you up. The food was pretty good for an all inclusive resort. Blue Bay Esmeralda has 6 restaurants which include Mexican, Oriental, a Steakhouse, Italian and Seafood. In addition to these they have two buffets and the sports bar. The best one was hands down the Mexican restaurant. It had a great atmosphere and the food was delicious. The buffet for breakfast is great. They have everything from huevos rancheros cooked right in front of you to something as plain as yogurt. There is definitely something for every ones taste. Another amazing treat at this resort is the amazing staff. These workers work 12 hour shifts and still manage to keep a smile on their face. They are truly what makes this experience so wonderful. I recommend tipping at least $3 because to them that goes a long way. Unfortunately most of the hotel guests were not as gracious with their tip giving. If you have the extra cash, I recommend spending it in the spa. This spa is truly a dream. It is completely outdoors, and has pools, saunas and massage rooms. The massages are a bit pricey about $160 for the cheapest one hour massage to be exact, but again if you have the flow definitely come here and get a massage. If you only want to use the facilities it is $30 for all day. This resort is something out of a dream and I cannot recommend this place enough. If you're thinking about staying in the Riviera Maya definitely stay here you will not regret it.

Building is well kept, but aging. Grounds are clean and semi well lit. Large lobby includes…read moresofas, computer access, and small convenience store (large gas station joint by parking lot). King size bed fits comfortably into room with love seat, desk, and normal hotel room furniture. The fitness room was small but did include a primitive treadmill AND the had some great adjustable dumbells (50# max). Host was friendly and professional. Price was right. Beats paying double at a Holiday Inn.

I didn't stay here by choice. The army picked my hotel for me. My room is a nice size. And that is…read morethe only good thing I have to say about it. My room smells like the homeless guy that lives out back (true story) uses the carpet as his restroom. I had the maintenance guy clean the carpet multiple times and it still smells horrible. The doors on the sides of the building say they lock at night, but they do not ever lock. The 24 hour fitness room has a bike and a treadmill. Customer service isn't horrible. Their free breakfast consists of a waffle maker and cereal. And it has a pool. The neighborhood is sketchy at best. Back to the homeless guy. I walk outside and a homeless guy has his old beat box, a 40, and a joint. He is there every day. The noise from the freeway is bad. I would never choose to stay here.