I never write reviews and I have been all over the place in my travels but I felt like I needed to give this resort it's due. My boyfriend and I booked this trip in Nov. of 2012 for February of 2013 for my birthday. We were actually worried about going to a place not directly on the beach and that was so small but wow were we so not dissapointed. The staff here is amazing. The best. Very catering to us and knew our names consistently throughout the vacation. The staff is pretty much the same so it makes it easy getting to know them at the restaurant and bar, pool, etc. Now on the to important stuff - what you want to know.
Rooms - we upgraded our room to the governer suite that looks out onto the main pool. Very nice room with awesome view. We checked out the other rooms even the two floor suites but liked our room the best of all that we saw. No bathtub in that room though, just a shower.
The restuarant Emeilios is delicious. Breakfast is the best. Dont bother going anywhere else for breakfast.
Order the granola parfait and the healthy eggs. This is a must! And the antioxidant juice is yummy. This is what I ordered every day for breakfast.
Dinner is conisently good no matter what - I stuck with the fish and it tends to be better than the meats. So if you like fish stick with the fish. Desserts are sub-par. Ice cream is yummy though.
Do dinner at the beach club one evening and watch the sunset. I think they only do this two nights a week at the resort and we would not have known about it unless someone had mentioned it so make sure you ask the staff when you arrive. It's worth it.
Don't bother going to the resort next door to them. It's overcrowded and we did not like it very much. We did get a massage there but were not impressed with the resort and were told by many others not to waste our time going there to eat. In short, stay at Casa Velas. Originally we were going to stay at Casa Velas for 4 days then go somewhere else on the beach for 4 days. We checked out a couple of other resorts and decided how good we had it at Casa Velas that we decided to stay the entire time. So happy we did. It just felt like home to us. Not too big, not too small, just perfect.
Excursions: make sure you do the Canopy River zip line tour. Awesome!
We also did Rythms of the Night. Boat ride over is a little too long but other than that it was totally worth it. The scenery cannot be beat! Food is very good as well. There is a lady on the beach who does one hour massages for 45 dollars. She is worth every penny. You will run into her at the beach club. We did downtown as well the Romantica district and it was so cool! A lot of fun. Definitely worth seeing. I'd reccommend it as well as the Marina.
Now if you can - you have to set up a dinner reservation at their sister resort in Riviera Maya Grand Velas. The french restaurant named Piaf. It was by far the best food and service. So amazing in fact, that we booked a week at that resort for next February. Yes, already booked. Keep an open mind and you will not be dissapointed at all. Enjoy it!
PS - we did not see but maybe 1 or 2 children our entire trip there. This is not a resort for kids so I am not sure why they added the option. Kids would be bored out of their minds. I would not worry too much about a lot of kids. I dont think they are allowed at the beach club. Safe travels! We fell so much in love with it we are going back. Cheers!

A criitic on T. A. questioned why so many reviews. We just returned and feel compelled to review. The staff try so hard and are so good they alone require a return. The food, the decor and the pool all add to a great 4 days. We came all the way from cold Cleveland and felt it well worth it.

We had an excellent three weeks at Casa, and we really felt like we were at home (but without all the work we have at home). The staff is efficient, friendly, and ready to help. By the end of the stay, the staff were friends, not "workers." Whether you like golf or just resting and listening to the ocean as it hits the shore, this place has something for you.

We are currently staying at Casa Velas (again) and love our time here. We arrived with quite grave concerns that the "Adults Only " policy had been changed for this lovely property. We have met with the manager and understand that due to the concerns of many there is a proposal that children will be welcome only in the summer months. We feel that this would be a good decision and hope that this moves forward!

Angel the concierge has been most helpful, Benny our patio bartender is most delightful, Hector on the pool patio is a great waiter who knows your name and what you prefer.

The beach club has been adult only and remains wonderful - although we would recommend some changes to their menu.

We want to return here, and are hopeful that this "Adult Only" environment will remain.