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    Playacar Palace

    3.6 (82 reviews)
    Open • Open 24 hours

    Playacar Palace Photos

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    Playacar Palace from our room

    We've been coming to Playacar Palace since 2017. The staff is so friendly and the service is impeccable. And the food... is second to none. It's truly a 5 star experience.

    GlobeTrotter L.

    In A Nutshell: -Playacar Palace is one of the many all-inclusive resorts under the Palace umbrella. -It's not the fanciest all-inclusive but if you are looking for value, this is a great choice. -The location is really great, right smack on the beach next to 5th Avenue (shopping central) & the pier where you can catch a 30 minute boat ride to Cozumel. -The amenities are average, they have a small gym, some pools, hot tub, gift shop a couple lounge areas & a handful of restaurants. -Speaking of the food, my favorite meal was at the Italian restaurant, followed by the International restaurant & then the Asian restaurant. -The International restaurant serves as the best place to go for breakfast & lunch w/ a daily roation of cuisines. -The spa was just okay. -You don't get complimentary hydrotherapy unless you book a service. -The hydrotherapy is below average too (I have been spoiled by Le Blanc Cabo & Cancun). -If you get resort credits to use, they limit you to $150 to use at the spa, but you should be able to figure out a way to maximize this by opting for the Baltic Stone Pedicure (which was really good). -They offer excursion packages but I didn't use any credits since I have done everything before (i.e. dolphin swim, cenotes, Mayan ruins, ATV rides & Xplor Park). -The room had a nice view, I recommend upgrading to the 5th floor ocean view which didn't too much extra. -The room was humid & things seemed slightly damp. Overall, the staff is very friendly, Mexico knows how to do hospitality. As I mentioned before if you are looking for a value all-inclusive this is a winner. 5 days is the perfect amount of time here & the location is excellent!

    The room we stayed in
    Nikki K.

    The views are great Rooms are situated nicely too see the ocean . Pick your rooms wisely Don't pick a room that is close to the lobby , the noise from the shows are ongoing until close to 11P 200 block rooms are to the far right and seem to be quieter , easy access to gym and pool Tip Don't do the upcharge on your room, we were told that more came with it , but it really didn't . We were suppose to have private beach access, but when we got down to the beach , they removed the rope and anyone could sit there So DONT DO THE UP CHARGE Excursion - they offered by 2 get 1 free , so ask for that . There are deals so don't just settle for full price on anything !!!!!!!! Lastly if your vegan /vegetarian the food options are OK

    Albert K.

    For $600, I was a bit concerned. However, we did get our value out of this venue and are definitely open to staying again. It's competitive, as you can stay at the Waldorf Astoria (brand new) for $475/night or other all-inclusives for $300 or so. I will list out the pros/cons: Pros: - location is right next to the center strip - 5 minute walk and you're in the action - lots of great bars and staff; decent liquor selection or premium liquor selection for $10 (clase azul, for example) - buffet food was good overall; not the highest quality breakfast food, but the omelette was delicious - great coffee shop - had 2-3 a day - drink selection in fridge was good - lots of soda, beer, water, seltzer - check-in staff are fast and professional - you can exchange money in the front for smaller bills - room service was done daily - rooms aren't too humid or hot; comfortable and the water heats up quickly - fun pool activities - small gym, but gets the job done with free weights - superior service by Hector in the cafe; the individuals bringing us drinks at the pool were also very attentive Cons: - liquor selection in the room is abysmal; stick to the bars to get medium tier liquor (no titos or goose here) - pool is pretty cold; not heated - didn't see the fire show? need more entertainment - lots of children running around Overall, excellent value for the location. The food overall was above average, and you could easily eat $100/pp at the resort per day and drink well over $100/pp in coffee/alcohol if you stay on-site. For a party of 2, that means you're paying $400 or so for the resort location. You're also paying for the convenience of getting food every time you need, or drinks, which is pretty amazing without having to ever think of a bill. I'd stay here again, now knowing the expectations.

    Adrienne L.

    I have been coming here for about 18 years. Our first trip to a Palace Resort was Beach Palace in 2005. It was amazing and we made our way around the other Palace Resorts. It was when we landed at Playacar 10 to 12 years ago, can't remember exactly when, but we fell in love. This is our home away. I haven't been to another Palace Resort since. There are many reasons but i will tell you that MY main reason are the people. They have become our family. It is a small enough Resort that you can really get to know your people! Just went at the beginning of March and as usual, we had the best time. I love this place and the people so much that i want give some shout outs! Carmen at the pool bar. I feel like after so many years he is our friend and maybe even family. Ivan and Arturo at Momos. They are awesome Marvin at the Pool Daniel at the pool Perla at the pool. She's the sweetest. There are so many more and I can recall all the names but the pool activity staff are all amazing so energetic and the ladies in the kids club were great with my 5 yr old grand daughter. She didn't even want to hang out with us, she wanted to go there all day!

    Oh where is the beach? Next door!
    Joe Joe B.

    This beach resort has no beach. It is a scam property share gimmick. My family and I went here over the holiday. From the moment we arrived things were off. We booked a car through them and they messed it up. Instead of being helpful, they blamed the problem on us! Welcome to Playacar! Eventually it was sorted out and no apology from the hotel was given. Now where do we start? The lack of a beach that was advertised? To terrible food where they clearly are trying to save every nickel and dime? (Btw lost weight here) The weak sad drinks? (Btw don't order a martini. They don't know how to make) The overcrowded pool? The this, the that... you get the point. Listen the wait staff is nice. The kids club is great. And that is it. But the fact after everything they try and sell you another trip is shocking. In an area with so many options avoid this place

    Confirmation letter with $1500 resort credit
    Jennifer F.

    Email confirmation and verbal booking offered $1500 in resort credits. Upon checkin, we were told this offer is expired and no credits are given. We are traveling with members. So surprised and disappointed. It's unfortunate because the staff, property, and food have been great. Updated to say the resort credits have been granted, although no one notified us of this.

    Beautiful location but the resort sucks. The food is mediocre and the pool is always packed with no where to sit. They cater to people that are timeshare buyers and most of the seating is reserved. We were told that we cannot put our towels down on a chair to reserve it even though we just go grab a drink. They stopped serving snacks at pool area 7 months ago. So disappointed with this place and we normally love the resorts we've been to. The last one, Condessa Fiesta Americana is way better. There's also no beach here because it has risen so much. The water slams against the walls of the resort. We will continue to come to Cancun but never here. Save your money and look at somewhere else to stay.

    Entrance waterall

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    Amazing service amazing food amazing decoration amazing pools amazing drinks amazing workers

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    Page 1 of 3

    Review Highlights - Playacar Palace

    “Since the Cozumel Palace is part of the same resort we had lunch there are hung out at the pool.”

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    Hilton Playa Del Carmen Resort - Meeting Room

    Hilton Playa Del Carmen Resort

    3.9(365 reviews)
    1.3 km•Gonzalo Guerrero
    •$$$

    We had a really good time at this adults-only resort. There are plenty of activities where you can…read morebe busy or choose to relax and enjoy your time. I was not approached by anyone offering to sell me anything or attend presentations. Staff were super friendly and helpful during our stay. There's a main pool and a quiet pool. So you have an option where you want to be based on your interest. Night shows were great with some fantastic performers. I wish that there was more Mexican themed shows or music but I guess they try to accommodate that the majority of guests were from Canada and USA. Some of the restaurants rotate being open for dinner. Your best bet is to make reservations ahead of time. You can always show up but might have to wait depending on the time. Overall food was good. Drinks were ok but as a social drinker, I wasn't impressed with my 1-2 drinks/day during my stay. I think I had one drink that I found really good. Beach area is not private and you might have people approach you to sell you stuff or services. A polite "no, thank you" works great. Location and proximity to 5th Avenue made it a great place to explore the area. Although filled with tourists, you also get some local interactions. I would come back to this resort in the future.

    NOTE: this is now Hyatt Vivid resort…read more junior suite room was a nice big size that still included two person jetted tub. fan in bathroom which is nice. all-inclusive resort and we tried these restaurants Dolma, Asiana, and the Pelicanos. all were really good especially the asian place. the coffee shop is 6:00-11:00 amazing hours. everyone is very nice. umbrellas are in closets which will well needed for the humid showers.

    Photos
    Hilton Playa Del Carmen Resort - Meeting Room

    Meeting Room

    Hilton Playa Del Carmen Resort - Restaurant

    Restaurant

    Hilton Playa Del Carmen Resort - Suite

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    Suite

    Mahekal Beach Resort - Beautiful dessert for lobster night

    Mahekal Beach Resort

    3.8(123 reviews)
    2.0 km•Gonzalo Guerrero

    This beach resort is a must if you want to stay in Playa Del Carmen and have the most amazing…read moreexperience. They have an atmosphere that is totally tropical and Zen! The service was always good and we just loved the infinity pool overlooking the ocean.

    Do NOT Book Your Wedding Here…read more They turned our wedding week (March 14 Wedding) into a nightmare so I want to warn every couple considering Mahekal for their wedding. What should have been the most magical week of our lives was repeatedly hijacked by the gross incompetence and dishonest practices of this resort's wedding team. And to be clear - we had a separately hired a wedding planner because by November we already knew Mahekal was not providing any support. We went into our wedding week thinking everything was settled without any warning of all the problems Mahekal was going to spring on us: - They lost track of $10,000 which we paid over SIX MONTHS ago. Totally unaccounted for in their system and we had to prove our payment history while onsite for our wedding. - They attempted to charge a $7,000+ penalty, claiming our room block had not been fulfilled through the code. We blocked 40 rooms and had 107 guests staying on property. We had to spend hours cross referencing the list they had which they didn't even have prepared for our meeting, with our list of guests which we had given them. We lost 4 hours to prove their botched webpage caused this issue. - What is truly unforgivable is Mahekal had an entire month after the room block deadline to communicate these issues to us. Instead, they waited until we arrived for our wedding to spring these problems on us due to their poor mgmt. We spent hours each day on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, AND Friday trying to clean up their messes, ruining our moods and taking time away from family and friends. - The front desk charged us $930 for an upgrade that was explicitly supposed to be complimentary. When we checked in they didn't even have us noted as the wedding couple and did absolutely nothing special for us - no rose petals, no welcome gift, nothing but headaches. When I brought the upgrade charge up to Laura, the in-house "wedding coordinator," she showed me on her monitor that their system had the upgrade documented as FREE... I showed her the additional $930 charge on my credit card. She took over a day to find the charge in their system and promised to work with the front desk to return this but has not responded to me or my wedding planner when we followed up. - We didn't get an adequate room even with the purchased upgrade so I couldn't take any getting ready photos. When we toured they showed a room with a living room which was not made available to me. Total bait and switch. I spent 9am to 1:30pm of my wedding day with just vendors because of this... They also do NOT have a bridal suite which is another sign they are not equipped to handle weddings. - I specifically and clearly requested mahi mahi NOT be served as the fish entrée option at our wedding and Laura said she would work with the chef... At our reception I took a bite of the fish and informed my husband it was mahi mahi and he gave me half his chicken... - For our welcome party, we were charged $450 for three infused water dispensers, a "water bar" we had approved for our outdoor cocktail hour (where it made sense given the heat despite the open bar). Instead, Mahekal applied it to the wrong event entirely; the welcome party which was hosted in a covered space with fans (La Cocina) for which we were already paying for a three-hour open bar. I didn't even see this water bar but whether it was there or not, they scammed us out of $450 because they can't even track a single add-on without messing up. - It's obvious now that we were shown updated rooms when we toured a year before our wedding. What we actually arrived to were cracked floors, broken AC, and toilets with rusted flush buttons. We stayed at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba, an actual 5-star resort, for 3 nights after our wedding to decompress from the stress Mahekal had caused. Mahekal felt like a beach motel in comparison. Mahekal is not just incompetent, they are predatory: waiting until you are emotionally and logistically vulnerable so they can hold one of the most important events of your life hostage. The individuals responsible for this horrible experience were Laura Elena Castellanos Patino and Maria Elena Armenta. The only thing I wish for them is Karma. Thankfully, we ended up having a wonderful wedding reception thanks to friends and family, and those memories are slowly replacing our horrible encounters with the resort staff.

    Photos
    Mahekal Beach Resort - Cute little bungalo

    Cute little bungalo

    Mahekal Beach Resort
    Mahekal Beach Resort - Lovely two tier villas

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    Lovely two tier villas

    Grand Velas Riviera Maya - Inside the men's restroom nearest Sen Lin restaurant, located at Zen Grand at Grand Velas Riviera Maya resort.

    Grand Velas Riviera Maya

    4.1(110 reviews)
    8.2 km
    •$$$$

    This place has it all. Seriously…read more Incredible stay all around. The service is truly top tier. The staff are attentive, friendly, and always make you feel taken care of without it feeling forced or over the top. The entire resort has a luxury feel from the moment you arrive. Everything is beautiful, calm, and extremely well maintained. The pools and beach are great, and the whole place just feels polished and relaxing. The rooms are especially impressive. Spacious, elegant, and spotless, with a very high end feel that makes it easy to unwind and feel comfortable right away. Overall, it was an amazing experience and easily one of the nicest resorts I've stayed at. Would absolutely come back and highly recommend it.

    One of the most amazing experiences of my life! The beach was beautiful lots of activities for…read morekids. Grand class was adults only and absolutely stunning but walking distance from the kids friendly ambassador. There was transportation to get anywhere in the resort. Zen the more jungle focused hotel was Also beautiful. All inclusive 24 hour room service unlimited food and drinks and refillable mini bar. Cocina de autor which is a Michelin star restaurant was amazing , the wine pairing is extra but it's worth it. Piaf has great French food , Frida , Luca , sen Lin and Chaka are kid friendly I missed Chaka but the other three are really excellent. The bistro at grand class is great and azule is a great more casual buffet. There multiple bars the pools and the beach which is beautiful have food and drink service. Some activities are included and the spa is beautiful. My suite was over 1000 square feet with a plunge pool on my balcony. Getting chairs early is key at the pool and the beach. There are bars a coffee shop multiple boutiques gyms and activities. One of my favorite was catch of the day on the beach for lunch . There is a kids and teens club and a kids spa. Beautiful place for a wedding, I saw multiple during my stay. The food is really good! They have a mini golf course most of the year. There is night security and the resort is gated. They have mocktails as well as cocktails. The staff is really friendly. Tipping is optional but tipping in American money is recommended it will get charged to your card. There are three pools not including the spa. One at the grand class ( adult only) , zen, and the ambassador. The ambassador and grand class are walking distance from each other. This resort attracts more than Americans. It's beautiful and a world class resort.

    Photos
    Grand Velas Riviera Maya - Grand Class (adults-only) pool-side service. My wife got a pina colada and I got an orange juice.

    Grand Class (adults-only) pool-side service. My wife got a pina colada and I got an orange juice.

    Grand Velas Riviera Maya - Antonio, one of our two amazing servers at Cocina de Autor. The other was Pablo.

    Antonio, one of our two amazing servers at Cocina de Autor. The other was Pablo.

    Grand Velas Riviera Maya - These ladies were a regular sight, walking up and down the resort beach, selling various colorful items. They were very polite.

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    These ladies were a regular sight, walking up and down the resort beach, selling various colorful items. They were very polite.

    Palmaïa - Avalon beauty salon

    Palmaïa

    4.8(17 reviews)
    2.7 km•Playacar

    This is future of wellness all-inclusives! I love this place so much. We came here after a friend…read morevacationed here and said the food, ambiance and classes were unlike any other resort they've been to. Being a vegetarian, it's been a dream to find a place like this where I can eat ANYTHING off the menu. My husband was able to add chicken to his meals so it is friendly to meat eaters as well. We arranged for the airport travel to/from the resort which was highly recommended. It's about an hour commute and took the stress away from the travel. Our suite was on the bottom floor and walked out to the pool. Complete dream of an experience! Not only did we have "guide" who is essentially an assistant/butler who helped answer our questions quickly, helped to book reservations onsite or book transportation through the resort. They were incredibly responsive. Your main mode of transportation is bikes which feels like you're in another world riding through the jungle on bikes. There's a handful of restaurants on site so we didn't end up leaving the property more than once. Because they're a wellness resort, they have all of these classes (cacoa ceremony, movement class, yoga, astrology, etc) where you could interact with other guests. They have a taco stand where they make watermelon tacos. I could go on and on about the food. This place almost converted my husband to be a vegetarian- that's how good it was. They make all their cocktails with OR WITHOUT alcohol and they taste just as delicious. If I could live at this property, I really would. Highly recommend going as a couple, group or even solo. It will leave you more grounded and at peace.

    Incredible experience. It's clear why they have a Michelin hotel rating of two keys. Beautiful…read moreaccommodations, wonderful service, incredible food! We rarely visit the same place twice (and aren't even really resort people) but we're already talking about going back. All of the restaurants are mostly/default plant-based, but there are non-vegan substitutions (and Palmaia is connected to a typical mainstream resort, Sandos, that guests have full access to as well). But also, Palmaia's food is so good I wouldn't recommend changing it or eating elsewhere! We ate conchas and tacos nearly every day. And the pastas at Mar de Olivo were superb! Additional advice: advantage of the wellness classes, the gym, and the beachside taco truck!

    Photos
    Palmaïa - Matcha waffles at SuCasa

    Matcha waffles at SuCasa

    Palmaïa - Shrimp at Lek

    Shrimp at Lek

    Palmaïa - Dessert at Lek

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    Dessert at Lek

    Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun - Lobby interior

    Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun

    4.0(210 reviews)
    17.2 km

    We had a wonderful time at this resort! I loved every single minute we were here!…read more Beautiful grounds and a wonderful place on earth to be. As long as you are behind the gates that is.... Outside of the gates is a whole different story. It's pretty intense out there with the police being fully militarized. They have machine guns mounted to trucks they stand on and ride around just for the presence, there are tons of people wanting to take advantage of dumb Americans at every turn. Watch yourself if you travel alone in Cozumel. It's designed solely to attract tourists. That draws out some colorful personalities in my experience. Traveled with ease from the oh so lovely Cancun International Airport. Interesting spot to say the least. We were warned not to communicate or accept anything from anyone except our driver. We arrive to the hotel really excited, somewhat cautious, and ready to have some fun. We were greeted at the front door and we handled a little paperwork, and then we were taken to our room by a wonderfully helpful chap. He showed us around the room, gave us a quick run down of the grounds, described the amenities, food situation, and some other pleasantries. He talked about the dining situation and gave us a map tour so we're would know how to navigate the grounds. They have a cool locker system in each room. The service folks just leave your anything in the locker and you don't have to interact with them at all. They just let you know it is there. Nice feature. The grounds themselves are absolutely gorgeous! It is so well kept, the attention to every detail goes so far beyond a normal resort. They comb the beach every morning. I kid you not. They seriously rake the entire shoreline before dawn. They also run a tractor to clear the seaweed from the beach. Insane dedication to making your stay great. The restaurant situation is so fucking rad. They have just about any food you might want covered between the what seemed like a dozen restaurants at the resort. I ate and ate and ate and ate.... I ate between meals, I ate between those meal and snack times. We had so much food!! Every dinner was 5-8 courses. I'm positive I could stay right here forever and never leave. Food heaven!! Spa is great too! It's a lovely relaxing oasis of self care. That's another review, but it's great. Don't take my word for it. Go for yourself! Cold plunges are good for the soul! They have shows every night in the theater and there was some sort of event being held every night in the common area. Some were private, others public. They construct stages, eating areas, weddings, happy hours with bands, and even corporate conferences. It's pretty wild the amount to building and tearing things down the do here. We rented a cabana bed one day and at the end of the day the built and transformed the beach into an elaborate engagement spot with candles everywhere, flowers, and a table for two. Very nice touch! All in all a fantastic experience. My only gripe was that the room smelled of mildew and/or too music moisture. C said something about it when we got there but it wasn't that noticeable to me. When I got home and unpacked my suitcase is when it hit me. There were clothes that I did not wear, just sat in the drawers and repacked, they all had to be washed as they smelled terrible after being packed and transported back home. I would come back monthly if possible. Nice place. '26 - 74

    Extremely Disappointing Experience at Secrets Maroma Beach…read more We checked into Secrets Maroma Beach on Sunday with very high expectations, especially considering the reputation of the resort and the premium price we paid. Unfortunately, our experience has been extremely disappointing. From the moment we entered our first room, there was a very strong smell of humidity and sewage. We were unable to sleep comfortably, and during the night we could hear what sounded like water leaking above the ceiling. We reported the odor and humidity on Monday morning, but the problem continued. Then, on Tuesday night at approximately 1:35 a.m., a significant amount of water began leaking from the ceiling. We immediately reported it. We were asked whether we wanted to change rooms, which we found surprising considering the condition of the room. At that point, moving us should have been an immediate necessity, not simply an option. We were moved in the middle of the night to another room. After using the toilet, we discovered that there was no running water to flush it. We had to spend the rest of the night with human waste sitting in the toilet and without running water to properly wash our hands. It gave us the impression that this room may not have been ready or should not have been part of the available room inventory. The next morning, we encountered even more problems. Access to the building was difficult, and when we attempted to shower, we discovered that the shower drain was completely clogged. The water would not drain properly, creating another very unpleasant and unhygienic situation. The water flow from the faucets was also not functioning normally. We reported the entire situation to the front desk and were told that we would once again have to move to another room. After dealing with sewage odors, humidity, a major ceiling leak at 1:35 a.m., no running water, an unusable toilet, a clogged shower, and the stress and inconvenience of repeatedly packing and changing rooms during our vacation, the only compensation offered to us was a beach bed. That response was extremely disappointing. We paid considerably more to stay at Secrets Maroma because we expected a higher level of accommodations, maintenance, service, and guest care. When a guest experiences this many serious problems, simply saying "we're sorry" and offering a beach bed does not adequately address the disruption and stress caused. A vacation at a resort of this level should not involve repeatedly changing rooms because of serious maintenance and sanitation issues. Based on our experience and, especially, the way our concerns have been handled, we cannot recommend Secrets Maroma Beach and we do not plan to return. We expected much better from a resort with the reputation and price point of Secrets Maroma Beach

    Photos
    Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun - Lobby art

    Lobby art

    Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun - Me at the bar.  lol.

    Me at the bar. lol.

    Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun - Heart lock sign

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    Heart lock sign

    Viceroy Riviera Maya

    Viceroy Riviera Maya

    4.4(37 reviews)
    6.7 km
    •$$$$

    We just returned from Viceroy and had such a relaxing and amazing time!…read more - The staff are all welcoming, genuinely friendly and super attentive -prior to checkin I let them know mosquitoes absolutely love me , they had spray upon my arrival (organic and off!) and they sprayed my patio and had a netting around the bed all set up. I never had any bites until I left the resort my last night for a wedding ! - food: We ate at both restaurants and the food was excellent. Especially the shrimp and octopus dishes. Cocktails were done right! Not watered down like other places . - beach - this resort seems to have the best beach area as compared to nearby resorts with actual sand The pool is a perfect size and was never crowded . Pepe and staff always took care of you. -gratuity - 16% service was added automatically to your bills. This is not an all inclusive , for the quality of service we made sure to bring $USD to add tip for everyone. They all work so hard in the heat to make your experience memorable! -Spa - Splurge for this! Best way to start our days first thing with massages and facials . You can also use the jacuzzi and steam room daily without services. I frequent Burke Williams and their masseuses are good , strong too ! They did our services outdoor for couples in this serene area with a fountain running. -room - we enjoyed the premium villas, super spacious with walk in closet, shower and bath tub . All the villas are close so a short walk to the pool - There is a little bass coming from the next door resort's DJ at night, but when I closed the windows , it was very muffled and did not bother us at all. - long drive from main road - so expect a secluded spot . They will call you a taxi that gets there in 20 min. Download WhatsApp and text the same taxi will take you back. Felt safe ! We can't wait to come back someday! Definitely highly recommend this place for all couples who just need to relax.

    Paradise for sure! We felt pampered the moment we stepped into the beautiful outdoor lobby. Staff…read moreis eager to please! From the welcome coconut drink and cool towels to the thorough tour ( thanks Claudia) ,check in was a great experience. Bellmen we're very friendly and helpful. And our villa was just gorgeous! Heated plunge pool, hammock, and more great you as you enter the area. You are in the jungle, so there is a lot of natural privacy. Inside the villa, you will be caught up in the romantic vibe thanks to the sweet and decadent decor. Outdoor shower brings you close to nature. Many special touches await. Poolside is another area to be spoiled- by Pepe and crew. They will get you anything you want, no need to lift a finger. And the wait staff at Coral restaurant are very thorough. They seem more like personal butlers rather than waiters, taking the time to get to know their guests by name, and learning their food and drink preferences. This area is also beautiful, with a view of the ocean. And the spa is very relaxing, access to the spa facilities including the steam room, jacuzzi is complimentary with your stay. Viceroy isn't without its flaws. The small beach is barely swimable due to the coral/rocks. And though they work to remove the seaweed, if you come from May-Nov that will be somewhat of a pain ( the whole area not just here). And there is music that drifts over from the next door hotel which at times annoys. It wasn't too bad while we were here, but was noticiable. There are mosquitos and rainforest animals around, so if you're not okay with seeing agouti while eating breakfast on your patio, this isn't your place. And yes it's pricey. Nevertheless the quality, service, and beauty of this resort make up for any issues. We didn't want to leave!

    Photos
    Viceroy Riviera Maya - Coral Restaurant - beach views at all tables

    Coral Restaurant - beach views at all tables

    Viceroy Riviera Maya - Walkways - they provide bug spray - use it

    Walkways - they provide bug spray - use it

    Viceroy Riviera Maya - Coral Restaurant - Blue Fin Tuna ceviche, fish of the day tacos, guacamole & pico with chicarones and queso

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    Coral Restaurant - Blue Fin Tuna ceviche, fish of the day tacos, guacamole & pico with chicarones and queso

    Hotel Xcaret - Birthday recognition

    Hotel Xcaret

    3.2(344 reviews)
    5.3 km
    •$$$$

    I had a pretty good experience at Hotel Xcaret! My husband and I came here for a work trip, and we…read morewere very excited when we first arrived. It is a huge resort with 18 included restaurants, bars, pools, and beaches. You also have access to all of the different parks which is an amazing perk. Our room was pretty big with two queen beds. It had a jacuzzi and hammock in the balcony. We didn't have a stellar view, but I can only imagine if you did. I also never thought that I would say this, but room service came way too many times. They would come 2 to 3 times a day, and once even asked if we needed room service at 9pm LOL. We mainly ate at the buffet, which did not need a reservation, and it was pretty good. Our overall consensus was that the food here was very diverse and yummy, but was too salty. We don't drink, so I have no comment on that. The infinity pool was pretty nice, but I wish it had a direct view of the beach. There was a river surrounding the hotel, which blocked the view. The beach was pretty accessible though, and the water was very clear. There was a lot of seaweed in it though and it was more rocky than sandy which made it hard to lay our towels down. Overall, though, the service was great and we had a great time here. I would definitely recommend it because we didn't pay for the trip haha.

    TL;DR: Staff physically confiscated silverware and water glasses from my 6-months pregnant wife to…read moreprevent her from eating, publicly humiliating her after we waited over an hour for food. Management admitted to these severe operational failures in writing but refuses to issue a refund for the undelivered services. Expect broken room service, massive dining queues, and an environment that prioritizes timeshare sales over the basic health and safety of its guests. To those contemplating spending upwards of $5,500 for the illusion of a luxury retreat: take heed. Hotel Xcaret is not a high-end hospitality venue. It is an exercise in operational chaos, contempt for its guests, and unvarnished corporate greed. We traveled with our toddler and my six-months pregnant wife, anticipating the promised "All-Fun Inclusive" seamlessness. Instead, we found ourselves trapped in a system that prioritized deploying over 20 staff members to aggressively hawk tours and timeshares in the lobby while entirely failing to feed their existing guests. The daily dining queues routinely stretched well past an hour. Attempting to bypass this via room service revealed a completely broken system. The phone line was deliberately left off the hook to broadcast a continuous busy signal, and when we finally forced a connection after eight separate attempts, the food arrived three hours late or simply never materialized at all. The absolute nadir of our stay arrived on our final morning. Physically exhausted and unable to endure yet another taxing queue, my visibly pregnant wife took a seat at an empty table. Rather than exhibiting basic human decency, let alone the preferential treatment explicitly mandated by Mexican law, a hostess publicly berated her as a "line cheater." In a staggering display of hostility, the staff physically stripped the silverware and water glasses from her table to ensure she could not eat. I was left to scavenge for cutlery at a waiter's station myself just to secure a meal for my pregnant wife. One might expect urgent apologies for such degrading treatment. Instead, despite management (Ulises Miranda) formally admitting to their severe operational failures in writing on March 11, the resort's corporate office refuses to refund the $2,765.20 owed for the services they failed to deliver. They operate under the assumption that foreign tourists will simply give up once they cross the border, but they are mistaken. This is now an active federal dispute for discriminatory denial of service (PROFECO Expediente #06683971, Art. 7 & 58 LFPC) and a formal regulatory financial claim. Do not subsidize this behavior. If Hotel Xcaret will treat a pregnant mother with such blatant hostility and happily pocket the money, imagine how they will treat you.

    Photos
    Hotel Xcaret - La Banda at HMX

    La Banda at HMX

    Hotel Xcaret - Xin gao

    Xin gao

    Hotel Xcaret - Xinema food trucks (theme) in th nearly morning

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    Xinema food trucks (theme) in th nearly morning

    Ocean Riviera Paradise - Juice bar - beach side

    Ocean Riviera Paradise

    2.3(268 reviews)
    7.1 km

    We stayed for a week and had a good time with family. They have various restaurants from Japanese,…read moreItalian, Burgers, BBQ, Mexican, and buffet. For two of the restaurants, you have to get in line to reserve them which I heard it's difficult to get but they offered us to buy a bottle of wine ($60) and they would do the reservations for us the whole week, so we opted for that to save us time. Mike's coffee shop is great to get a coffee and pastries. It is also nice to cool down in there with ample seating. There's a bowling alley for the kids. We say that you to do about 40 minutes each is about a full game. They have shows during the night in their theater and outside, which were pretty entertaining. My favorite is the Michael Jackson. The Italian restaurant was my favorite because of the service and the ambience. The Perez Bella restaurant near the ocean had great food and great views of the ocean. Keep in mind all the restaurants are strict on tank tops and coverups. For breakfast, they mainly have the buffet. I really enjoyed the buffet because they have a variety of food and it's different each day. We did go to the buffet once for dinner, which was a Saturday and it was a Mexican day and they had ceviche and different types of Mexican dishes. Their Mexican dishes are very authentic. The rooms were nicely laid out, and the housekeeping was on it. I will say the bathroom tile is little rundown and needs some maintenance. At night the raccoons, Coati, and cats come out which was fun to see.

    We are extremely disappointed with our stay at this hotel. From the moment we arrived, there was a…read morestrong unpleasant odor throughout the property and in our room, making it very uncomfortable to relax or sleep. The beach, which was one of the main reasons we chose this resort, was completely covered with sargassum (seaweed). The amount of sargassum made it impossible to enjoy the beach or swim in the ocean. Unfortunately, this was not clearly communicated before our arrival, and it significantly impacted our vacation experience. In addition, the hotel's location and transportation options made it difficult to go anywhere without significant inconvenience. What was supposed to be a relaxing vacation became frustrating and stressful. The overall experience did not meet the expectations set by the hotel's advertising or reviews. Between the unpleasant smell, the unusable beach, and the lack of accessibility, we left feeling very dissatisfied. Unfortunately, we would not recommend this hotel and would not choose to stay here again.

    Photos
    Ocean Riviera Paradise - Frozen Pina Colada

    Frozen Pina Colada

    Ocean Riviera Paradise - Espresso martini

    Espresso martini

    Ocean Riviera Paradise

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    Playacar Palace - resorts - Updated September 2026

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