The Grand Velas certainly lives up to its reputation. From the stunning property to the gourmet…read morefood and impeccable service. Every detail is closely attended to from the amenities in the room to the sauces on the plate. If you're looking for luxury in a beautiful setting this place is the one. I highly recommend it and I will be going back the first chance I get.

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.

We stayed at the Posada Mariposa for 6 nights in May, and I really enjoyed this boutique garden…read morehotel right on 5th Avenue. When planning our trip to Playa del Carmen, I was lucky and found an EXCELLENT deal via Groupon Getaways ($246 for 6 nights = $41/night) for Posada Mariposa. For that price, they can make a lot of mistakes and still get a decent review from me, but they literally did everything right, from start to finish. We arrived at about 3 am after our flight and rental car pick up in Cancun, so we were exhausted. I was worried about our reservation being lost or denied or somehow incorrect because of the Groupon purchasing, but everything was in order and we were shown to our room, number 33. The room was at the back of the hotel, and away from the noise of 5th Avenue, much to our liking. The interior of the hotel has beautiful vines, trees, flowers and a fountain. Tile floors intersect with boardwalk style bridges taking you to your upper level room. There is a small elevator that two people can fit in, or it can be used for luggage. Our room was small, but perfectly adequate for my husband and myself. There was a queen bed and a twin bed in our room. We used the twin for laying out our luggage. The beds were hard (as is the trend in my Mexican travels) but not unbearable. We used the comforter from the twin bed as an additional layer of padding, and when the housekeepers noticed this the next morning, they made the sheets up over the comforter so we could still get the padding, but sleep on sheets. Very thoughtful of them to notice and accommodate our preference. There is FREE wifi with good connectivity (get code from front desk) and room amenities include a mini fridge, flat screen TV, and AC. Since electricity is expensive in Mexico, they require you to used a card attached to your key to turn on the main power of the AC. I have no issue with saving electricity, but since the room isn't air conditioned 100% of the time, the room did have a slight mildew smell when we entered each afternoon. This smell went away after a few minutes of AC, but it did bother my husband. Each day, housekeeping made cute towel animals for us, which I loved. Two bathrobes and slippers were placed on the bed. These simple touches made me feel cozy. As is typical for Mexico, the water pressure wasn't great, but at least the water was HOT HOT HOT. The window above the shower didn't close completely, but again, not a huge deal. Shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, bar soap, and a shower cap are provided. Bring your own loofa or wash cloth though, as the only towels were hand towel size or bigger. There is a limited amount of storage (just one shelf) and a pedestal sink, so high-maintenance ladies might have trouble with their morning routines in this space. You can get BIG beach towels from the front desk. The lobby has filtered water and we filled up our bottles every morning before heading out on our adventures. Our room came with continental breakfast which takes place at La Vagabunda across the street. How it works is: get breakfast ticket from front desk, walk 15 steps across 5th and grab a table, present ticket, toast with butter and jam and yogurt with fruit will be delivered to your table. Drink choices are coffee or orange juice -- get the juice, it's fresh squeezed! Parking is the biggest issue I have with this hotel, because there is none, not even for loading and unloading. You need to find street parking nearby and then tote your stuff. We found safe, free and always available street parking about 5 blocks away on 34th and 10th across from a soccer field. Other than the parking predicament, the location is ideal on 5th Avenue. It's centrally located in the city, so you walk either left or right and there is shopping, art galleries and local artists, dining and more. Beach access is about 4 blocks away. I plan on coming back to Playa del Carmen, and I'd happily stay at Posada Mariposa. This hotel is perfect for the active traveller that plans to wake up, eat a light breakfast, spend all day out and about, return to the hotel to shower and then head back out for dinner or night life.

I am very picky with hotels and this hotel is so much nicer in person and in such a great area lots…read moreof shops and restaurants around very clean and friendly staff

We stayed here for my very first dive trip. John is an expert. I took my in water part of PADI…read moreopen water course with the dove school. I can't say enough about this "resort". Now, it's a no frills kind of resort. I believe there are 30 rooms. Yes small. There is a lovely open air restaurant with very good food, great happy hour specials and Uber friendly staff. Dive boats and staff are clean and friendly. Pool was cold but used it only for the course. Very nice place and would definitely I tell return! The dive boats are valet service. They take care of your equipment on the boat, you rinse on land. Recommend. Recommend recommend

Avoid avoid avoid! These guys ripped me off for almost $1000 because I wanted to check out after it…read morewas so nasty and dirty, non-functioning air-conditioning, toilets that don't flush paper so those a shit stained trashcan in the bathroom. There showers trickle, smelly water and horrible, absolutely horrible customer service. Definitely stay away from blue Angel, it's nasty and they're dishonest. The restaurants OK though.

Tony and Laura were excellent hosts. They gave us multiple rides (once to Rio Secreto) and were…read morealways kind and helpful. I would highly recommend this place to anyone.

** Unforgettable Private Tour - Adrian Is the Best!**…read more My wife and I booked the private tour to Chichen Itza and Ek Balam, and it was the highlight of our trip. Our guide, Adrian, was outstanding: knowledgeable, passionate, and clearly proud to share the real history and culture of the Maya people. He brought both sites to life in a way no guidebook could, and we never felt rushed. Climbing Ek Balam and standing in front of El Castillo with someone who truly knows the story behind every stone was incredible. We were so impressed that we booked a second tour with him the very next day to see the Tulum ruins before our afternoon flight. He planned it perfectly, so we got a full experience and still made it to the airport with no stress. Professional, personable, flexible, and genuinely kind. It was worth every penny. Whenever we're back in Mexico, we'll book with Adrian and Living Dreams Mexico again and again. Highly recommend! -- Kevin & Sureni

We booked LeZebra hotel. We got Alondra and a driver the first day trip. The second day trip was…read morejust Alondra. She is an Ahh-mazing tour guide and person. She took photos for us and send a link so we didn't have to worry about getting our phones wet. She took us to local food and private cenote places that were incredible and we never would have found on our own. She is incredibly kind. Speaks fluent English and Spanish. She assisted with us shopping and other things we needed besides the tour. I would love to use her the next time we come back again.

Beautiful suites with everything you need for a comfortable stay. My room even had a stackable…read morewasher dryer. There were two sinks. The bed is very comfortable and an extra person can sleep on the couch which has removable cushions. There is a French press but I didn't get a chance to use it. There's a small balcony with two chairs. Staffers Juan Ramón, Uriel and Desi were helpful and friendly. The hotel has an agreement with a beach club where you rent the beach chair for half price. I didn't get to use the pool. On my return to Playa del Carmen I'll definitely stay at the Newport. It's close to Quinta Avenida.

The Newport House is a boutique hotel that offers 15 apartments ranging from one bedroom, to a…read moresuite that has a king sized bed and a separate kitchen and king sized couch, kitchen, and laundry. We stayed in a fifth floor corner apartment that had two balconies overlooking 10th avenue. Each balcony had both small chairs and a table and a hammock swing. Our apartment also had a full kitchen (pots, french press, refrigerator, toaster, blender, utensils, etc), a washer and dryer, and two kind sized beds. The apartment had toiletries, robes, and smart tv's. The decor of this place is what really sets is apart. This is not your typical cookie cutter hotel room. The rooms were furnished with local materials and had very clean, almost Baja/Scandanvian/boho influences. White walls, oversized water action sport photography, boho style pillows- I wish I knew the decorator. The apartment was immensely comfortable and we had a wonderful time here. We were close to 5th avenue without being too close, and could run up to the corner store to grab snacks for happy hour at the rooftop pool. The rooftop pool had palapas, over-sized bean bag chairs, a shower, and a fridge. These little details are what set the Newport House apart from other hotels. In addition to all this, they also had bikes and skateboards that you could take out for free and paddleboards and other items to rent. My son and I spent a morning just biking and skating around the area. The Newport House encouraged travel, not tourism. It was an amazing place and I can't wait to go back.

Stayed here for 3 days and 2 nights for a friend's wedding. It was pricey but a nice experience for…read moreeveryone. Day1 We got there early and waited until 3pm to get checked in our room. Upon arrival, we were given hand towels to clean our hands and offered popsicles but since we planned to eat, we didn't take advantage of that anymore. We were given bracelets which served as the room key. We were able to eat brunch at the buffet (Naos) first while waiting but they closed at 12 noon and opened at 1pm again. The food was breakfast food and was just okay. It was the only place that's open and doesn't need a reservation so we had no other choice. While waiting (for 3 hours) we lounged outside the buffet restaurant. There were bed chairs available outside. We tried the drink bar which was really nice since it was a hot day. While waiting, we also roamed around both La Esmeralda & La Perla. It's basically the same except it's extremely quiet at the adult side. The room was spacious but you can see the wear & tear specially in the bathroom. The flush of the toilet was weak that you have to press it long enough for it to actually flush. The iron was unfortunately broken and not usable. We went swimming and there were plenty of areas you can swim depending on your preference. The whole resort was huge and for sure you'll find a spot. The water was cold if there's no sun directly hitting the spot where you're at. For dinner, we went to Naos first since other places need reservation. The food was better than the breakfast's line up. Our friend had a reservation at Flora so we had our dinner continuation there. The theme there was nicer. It's mexican food where you will walk towards the sand and they had stalls where you can pick your food buffet style. It was interesting and enjoyable. The food was good too. Unfortunately, even when we asked for a high chair, they didn't give us one. Since we're here for a wedding, the first night they had a bachelor and bachelorette's party and drinks were unlimited, of course. We also went to the bar. I just didn't like the music they were playing there. It was a bit boring for a bar. Day 2 For lunch, we ate at Blue Agave. They offer ala carte Mexican food. The service was poor and we waited so long for our food. It did not help that the weather was quite hot too. The food was not good and we did not enjoy our meal. Afterwards, we tried the ice cream and I liked the banana split. The wedding took place at the bridge between Flora and Blue Agave. It was cool and windy there. The only thing I didn't like was since the beach was right in front, people were passing by and sometimes they even pause and stay for a while. It kinda ruined the view of the couple during their ceremony. For the reception, I was surprised the resort had halls. (This resort is huge after all). I don't know if I should comment on the reception since it's also the couple's preferences and the deal they made with the resort. But, if the sound system was the resort's then it was pretty good and loud. The food was just okay. The serving portions were not that filling. The decoration was minimal (both for the wedding and the reception). Day 3 Breakfast at Naos. They open at 7am. It was check out day for us. After our luggages were picked up from our room, I had ice cream one last time. I'm not sure if it's because it was early but they offer milkshake in the morning at the ice cream bar too. For checkout, apparently you can do it online too. If we had known, we wouldn't have waited for an hour in line. Other comments: Since we were here for an event, we didn't get to avail the other resort amenities but there were a lot you can do here. Too bad we didn't get to experience them. For starters, they have daily schedules for kid's activities. They also offer discounted massages (but it's still pricey). There's a guy you have to talk to regarding that. Along the pool area, there were table tennis tables where you can play. There's also a snack bar that offers burgers and fries and the like when you want to eat while swimming. The cabanas are paid for though (you pay extra for that). There's also the beach. All the staffs we talked to were nice. Overall, the people and the place were great. Unfortunately, the food was not what we were expecting though. We didn't get to try everywhere though so there's that.

It's a really nice looking resort. Everywhere you look, you feel like you are part of the jungle…read more Pros: - A lot of swim up suits and they are not connected to the main pools. - All the drinks were really good - Everyone was friendly and always had a smile. - If you opt for their Upgraded Ni'kte suit rooms, you get your own person concierge and that worked out really well since you can text them via WhatsApp. - When you updated to Ni'KTe suits you also get to check in your own special area that's never really crowded and have access to you a special lobby area - there is an adults only section if you would like. - Kid friendly. - More than enough pools so you never feel overcrowded. Cons: - Even though everything looks beautiful once you get a closer look you can start to see the wear and tear. - The beach isn't really for swimming due to the amount of seaweed but there are more than enough pools and they do try hard to clean it all day. - the food isn't great. We were really disappointed in the food. We mainly ate outside at the lunchbox. Now it's about a 45 mins ride from the airport so be prepared. If possible I would probably arrange transport before hand instead of trying to get a taxi. If you book an upgraded room, you get a cenotes Tour included. This resort is outside of Cancun and alot quieter and more family friendly. It's relaxing but you may be disappointed with the food options. I would probably go back honestly due to the service we received. They did try to schedule a timeshare meeting but I said no one time and never heard about it again. Most places usually call over and over trying to get you to attend a presentation.

Haven't been to Cozumel in over 10 years and wow what a difference. There is still the old terminal…read morenear Senior Frog that seemed to me a bit more authentic than this one. Seeing its new, they have upscaled the shops with a lot of brand names and overpriced goods. While this is very clean and well kept, gives the vibes of a typical tourist shopping area. We ended up meeting our excursion guide here and they have a great transportation terminal on the back side of the buildings.

I went to Cozumel in 2004 and it has evolved tremendously over the past twenty years. There is…read moreplenty to do when you get off at the cruise terminal and lots of picture taking. If you don't have an excursion, it'll be fine since the area has plenty to do and isn't like Costa Maya. We went to Chankanaab to spend the day there and saw the manatees as well as the dolphins. We were able to have an open bar and non-alcoholic beverages and lunch. I highly recommend this part of Cozumel to explore since it's a great experience. After we arrived back at the terminal, we did some shopping and got shirts and souvenirs to bring back home. There are plenty of bars and restaurants to check out if you want to get your fix. It was a fun hump day!