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.

Ownership has changed, and this property is now known as Hyatt Vivid Playa del Carmen…read more My boyfriend planned the trip, and my only request was an all-inclusive resort. While the property has a lot of potential, it ultimately missed the mark, especially for a resort of this size. The biggest issue was the constant selling. I understand upselling is part of the business, but having to say no repeatedly throughout the stay was exhausting. Even after interacting with the same staff members multiple times, nearly every conversation felt like a sales pitch. We also received early morning calls to the room for non-urgent matters and promotions, which was disruptive and frustrating. Despite being advertised as all-inclusive, there were frequent pushes to upgrade to higher-end alcohol, exclusive experiences, and add-ons. I would much rather pay more upfront for a truly inclusive experience than feel harassed during my vacation. It really affected the overall vibe of the trip. The food was average and not memorable. The highlight was the coffee shop, which was open most of the day and consistently good. Poolside dining is very limited. You cannot casually order snacks like chips and guacamole while at the pool and instead have to go to one of the restaurants. Also be cautious with food near the pool, as wildlife grabbed my pizza while I was sitting there. Overall, this resort could be great, but the aggressive upselling, average food, and limited poolside service made it disappointing for an all-inclusive experience.

So many spots to choose from in Playacar. My wife found this one and we love it. So much to do ( or…read morenot do). In 2 days we have eaten Asian, steak, Mexican and burgers. We did some water aerobics; a first. A sushi making class, sailing a hobie cat, and parasailing. But the thing we have found most enjoyable are the naps. Tomorrow it's off to some Mayan ruins and snorkeling. Not sure how long I can keep up this pace. But, man, it's fun!! But be sure to sign up for your dinners at the different restaurants ahead of time so you have your table. Enjoy!!!

Just returned from a weeks stay. Great price point, but does come with a cost. The grounds are…read morebeautiful and the beach is the best around. The rooms are dated and the AC is poor. There are no AC vents in bathroom, so wife was sweating while trying to get ready for dinner. Food was not bad , always something to eat. Service is hit and miss. Beach and pool services are slow, so most of time just got it ourselves. Older crowd so nothing going on after 10pm. It's a smaller resort and has lots of potential, but need to work out some things before we go back.

is it a fancy five star resort? Nope!…read more Do they have marble bathrooms and giant bay windows with pristine views and all the bells and whistles? Also no! Do they have an expansive menu with endless dining options? That's a no as well. Don't go into this resort, expecting a Hyatt or Hilton experience. This is a small, quaint, boutique style resort. What they do have is food that is executed and presented beautifully, even if it only features one main restaurant and one buffet each evening. They have excellent poolside lunch options. The menu may be smaller, but everything is perfectly prepared. This is a resort that spares no expense when it comes to flavor. The service at this resort is impeccable. From the wait staff to the housekeeping, I could not ask for better staff. The resort is starting to show its age. It's quaint, with its thatched roofs and tree treehouse like Haciendas. The grounds are well maintained, but again it's missing some bells and whistles. They need to make some updates, including better lighting (especially) adding well lit steps. maybe it was the drinks, maybe it was the early sunsets- but the trips up and down the stairs at night were beyond treacherous! The non-skid tape was well worn and slicker than it should be, and the steps were barely illuminated. We managed to make it through the week without incident, but barely! if you want a five star resort, this probably isn't the place for you. If you have kids and want a lot of activities again, probably not the place for you. However, if you are a foodie who values quality over endless menu options and you just want a nice relaxing vacation. This is a great place to stay. For us, it came down to location, location, location! Being able to walk out of our resort and right into the heart of shopping, food, and authentic experiences was a priceless amenity. I wish the bathrooms were updated, the concrete floors and dated showers have a very strong mildew smell- the lighting throughout is very poor. There isn't enough closet space ( I was able to hang three dresses, my husband's suit, and a few pairs of pants and with only three small nightstand size drawers there isn't much space for unpacking. Maybe it's the thatched roof, maybe it's the flaking concrete, but Even after sweeping the floor feels gritty - definitely come prepared with some slippers or flip-flops. I'm not used to having to wear shoes indoors, but at this resort, I highly recommend it. our week spent here was a bit rainy and overcast, none of the hot tubs at the resort were working. They were all slightly warmer than the pool, which isn't saying much, the ocean was warmer than the pools. Unfortunately, due the size of the waves we couldn't spend much time in the ocean, but their beach is much cleaner than many of the surrounding beaches. They do a great job of staying on top of all of the debris. And they have a lot of great lounging spaces with umbrella coverage. Unfortunately, during our stay Fuego, the main restaurant was under renovation so the limited menu was further limited. We were unable to order whole fish or any of their stone fired pizzas. Despite the closed restaurant, the weather, and the lack of hot tubs and updated facilities the stay was still magical. I can only attribute that to the warmth, sincerity, helpfulness, and availability of the staff. Was it the all inclusive resort experience I am accustomed to? No! Did I have an amazing time absolutely! I think it comes down to knowing what you want in a resort. If you aren't someone who wants 1 million activities a day then this is probably a great place to spend your vacation. They are generous with the drinks and the food, and even more generous with the hospitality!

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.

Overall, we had a very nice stay at the Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen Resort. The property is…read morebeautiful, the location is great, and the staff was friendly and attentive throughout our trip. The pools were very nice and easy to access, and overall atmosphere made for a relaxing vacation experience. The only downside was the constant upselling during the stay from timeshare presentations, to photographers, to upgraded dinner reservations at specialty restaurants. At times it felt a little excessive and took away from the relaxing vibe of the resort. Outside of that, the resort itself was very nice and we still enjoyed our time there.

What a great resort! It's clean safe and easy to access. Our room was clean on arrival and the…read morestaff were amazing

Wife and I had a most AMAZING time romping around naked for a few days here. Not a lifestyle hotel…read moreat all...just an au natural resort. Very relaxing...very chill....wonderful clientele..and some amazing massages at the beach. A cute little niche boutique hotel. Food was plentiful, though a bit uneven..but would come back here in a heart beat. And hopefully will some day.

I'll put my full review on TripAdvisor, but it's worth posting a quick redux here as well…read more All said, Hidden Beach is one of the premiere clothing-optional vacation destinations on the planet. The friendly staff, the (mostly) all-inclusive menus, the swim-up bar, the king size beds. All good stuff. But for what you pay, and the fact that they put themselves out there as a five-star resort, I have to say, "Well maybe a 5* resort circa 1983. The rooms are definitely showing their age, totally lacking in electrical outlets for charging your gadgets, and the general ambiance is simply a bit below what you'd expect at that price point at any number of newer resorts on the Riviera Maya. We also agreed to take the "1-hour meeting" with Exotic Travel with the prospect of enjoying reduced rates in the future. The "no-pressure" pitch suddenly became very HIGH pressure at about the 90-minute mark at which point we decided to cut our losses. Seems they didn't want us to go back to our loungers to chat with other guests who've been a bit less than satisfied with their Exotic Travel investments. Hmmmm.... Will we go back? Probable. If we can get a decent rate without making a 10 year commitment.

We booked our all inclusive vacation with Southwest vacations and paid for a Oceanview room at the…read moreRiu Palace resort, but when we checked in they told us that all Oceanview rooms were booked up and we were given a garden view room for two days until the correct room was available. This ruined our vacation. We paid a lot of money for the Oceanview room. Attached is a picture of the garden view room. This room does NOT even face the ocean! We will NEVER stay at this resort again because they are DISHONEST.

My experience at Hotel Riu was absolutely amazing! My stay was very accommodating and such a…read morequality and pleasurable experience throughout my entire stay. As soon as I arrived, I was met with smiles and the best customer service. All the staff were very accommodating and pleasant to interact with. I never touched my luggage, when going to and from my room and I was picked up from the airport and taken back for my return flight, how convenient! My flight was even delayed and after communicating with the Riu, they were already aware and prepared for my late arrival, small things like this make a huge difference and communication is essential to me when traveling. Upon entering my beach front room, there are the cutest designed towels on the bed and room service is there upon request and of course, daily. I also love the location as it is near a lot of things to do in Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen and Yucatan. The resort sits on the beach, has two pools with a bar and thee best views! They also have an all WHITE party every Friday that is a blast! I had the best time dancing the night away with strangers and hung out in downtown Playa del Carmen afterward, truly thee best nights! The food was very underwhelming and although they had themed nights, it just didn't meet my expectations. Although convenient, the restaurant options for all inclusive guests was nothing to desire but the service was always exceptional, which really helped. I always love my stays at the RIU and this Riviera Maya resort is truly one of the most beautiful. I felt absolutely amazing during my entire vacation and RIU truly was a part of the reason why!

We stayed in the Paradisus family section of the hotel…read more We were traveling with 9 people, 3 of which were children. This is the reason we chose your resort in the first place. About 2 weeks prior to coming to the resort we reached out to your resort to make dinner reservations, knowing after a long day in the pools and the sun the kids would need to eat by a certain time and then be ready for bed. You responded to us that it would not be necessary to make reservations , there was plenty of room. This was clearly NOT the case upon arrival. One of the adults we were traveling with literally stood in line for almost 2 hours to make our dinner reservations for the week. The available times were 5:00pm or 9:00 pm. This was very disappointing as well as horrible times for a group of 9 to eat. When I went to the concierge desk to discuss this with them, the person sitting there was rude and took no accountability for this, they advised us to bring it up with guest services. The rooms were lovely and very clean, The pool areas were well maintained and very clean. The staff working the pool area was extremely attentive. Overall, it was a nice place, very kid friendly.

If you had food poisoning symptoms around mid/ end of March 2026, please reach out to me. We…read morereceived stomach pain quite immediately after eating, 10-20 minutes and nausea symptoms a few hours after completing dining and vomiting I will be updating my review on the rest of our stay, which was phenomenal otherwise, but the post is for visibility purposes.

Positive: Welcome:…read moreFrom the moment we arrived, the service made us feel welcome. David checked us in quickly and even gave the kids a "key" bracelet (without the actual key) so they could be part of the process. The step stool at the front desk was a thoughtful touch for little ones to see over the counter. Abi helped us make a restaurant reservation right away and walked us through the resort map--simple things that made settling in much easier. Room: We stayed in the 1100 building, close to both the pool and beach--ideal with small kids. The room was clean, the AC worked great, the shower had strong water pressure, and the balcony was a nice spot to relax. The only minor note was that the outdoor hanger could have used a better dusting. Parents, be mindful of the marble floors; our two-year-old chipped a tooth after running indoors (completely on us, but worth noting). Restaurants: Tulum Buffet: Loved the dedicated kids' section and plastic cups. The food was decent (don't expect a 5-star Vegas buffet), but service here was better than at Cozumel buffet at Quetzal, especially at breakfast. La Hacienda (Smokehouse): Our favorite meal of the trip. Despite mixed reviews online, we found it excellent--great service, tasty dishes, and a kids' menu that impressed even my picky daughter, who asked for seconds on the mac and cheese. Uxmal: Lunch on our first visit was hit-and-miss (good steak and fish, underwhelming tostadas, mid-level service). Our second visit was much better despite a check-in mix-up that sent us to the buffet right before closing. La Gondola: Reservation-only and worth booking. Our server, Cleiner, was fantastic--attentive even with a large party to handle. Highlights included penne Alfredo with shrimp, risotto, margherita pizza, and pizza Quattro carni. Calamari was slightly burnt (I liked it, others didn't). Desserts were all good. Bonsai (Japanese): Great service and fun experience. Food was just okay for me (salty rice, slightly dry sushi), but the kids loved it. Animals: The kids were thrilled spotting various animals around the resort--it added extra magic to our days. Pool: The kids' splash area with the playground next to it was a huge hit. I wish the main pool had more shallow sections, but floaties made it manageable. Negative: Golf Carts: We learned mid-stay that golf carts are mainly for Iberostar members and not guaranteed for non-members (like IHG guests) except at check-in/out for luggage. We sometimes managed to wave one down, but often waited 20-25 minutes for nothing to arrive. Guest services would say one was coming, but it wasn't until we spoke with concierge that we got the real policy. Tip: Reserve a cart for check-out so you know one will arrive. Quetzal Buffet (Monday, Aug 4): Service here was noticeably less attentive than during our first visit. We were seated with crumbs on the chair and sauce on the floor, which no one came to clean despite asking twice. Plastic cups (easy to find at Tucán buffet) were nowhere in sight. After asking four staff members and getting no clear direction, my toddler's patience--and mine--ran out. Thankfully, Leticia, one of the staff, turned things around. She checked in regularly with genuine warmth and attentiveness that was missing from the rest of the experience. She truly salvaged the meal. Overall: Despite a few hiccups, our stay was memorable for the right reasons--warm welcomes, thoughtful touches for kids, standout dining at certain restaurants, and a beautiful, family-friendly setting. We'd return, especially for La Hacienda, the splash area, and the friendly staff who made us feel at home.

Very nice setting. Smooth traversing the resort. Some shenanigans with the employees saying we need…read moreto buy bottles of wine for a good seat in a restaurant or show. Complained to mngmnt & they said no that should not be happening. I think some dudes got fired over this. Clean resort near local shopping which was great!!

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.

Hotel Xcaret is a sprawling complex which consists of several resorts and parks which are located…read moreon property. I was pleasantly surprised how clean the resort is and how courteous the service was. Most employees speak English. I speak Spanish fairly well so I had no issues communicating. There are extensive food options including all day buffets, restaurants, group dining and room service. The buffets lean toward traditional Mexican / Yucatán fare, however, it's not overly spicy. The bakery items are fantastic and not overly sweet. The only Michelin restaurant in Mexico is here at Xcaret. So check that out if you happen to visit here. There are several parks which include water adventures, ATV rentals, zoo & aquariums, history, zip lining etc. I was able to go to the Xplor park for an afternoon when I had some downtime. It was interesting and I had a good time. The cemetery was fascinating. I posted some pictures below. There is no shortage of pools here and every hotel section has its own. The main one that over looks the beach area fills up quick in the am. There are two gyms I believe and a spa which books up quickly so plan in advance. The beach is small and it's a bit of a walk to get to. Chairs and loungers get snapped up quickly early in the day. Security here is "air tight." What I mean the grounds are patrolled by armed guards and there are several checkpoints on the roads going in and out. You have to present your wrist band when entering and leaving with the exception of being on the bus. I was there for a corporate trip and we utilized a rental car to transport our executive staff to and from the airport. Even with the stringent security, the process was fairly easy for us. Checkout is a little odd. You go to the lobby with the letter (bill) that they slide under the door the night before you leave. If you owe nothing, you hand over the letter and wrist band and you're on your way. Large groups that arranged transit via bus was a whole different matter. They had those people wait on long lines to hand over the letter and wrist band and then wait for the bus. It looked a bit convoluted and confusing. Overall I personally had a good experience. The food and service were top notch in my opinion. The time I was able to enjoy the pool and park were nice as well. This was a work related trip and I'll definitely keep it in mind for a future vacation.