Stayed at this resort 1-19-13 to 1-26-13 for a getaway with my wife. Pulling up to the hotel there was nothing special (but who really cares). Entering the hotel we were greated by some very nice staff members. We went to the front desk to check in and were immediately pressured to upgrade to a different room (the woman could not even tell us what the big difference would be for an additional $100 per night pp). Glad we rejected this offer, because their special preferred 12th floor is really nothing special (save your money and spend it at the spa). When we finally got to our room 2 hours later, it was a very nice sleek modern design. With that comes some flaws. The doors are very large and honestly we had to sleep with ear plugs due to the slamming of doors all night long. This can be pretty disruptive if you like to get any kind of sleep. Also, the walls feel like they are paper thin as you can hear everything that is going on in the hall. The balcony views are beautiful. The food was top notch. All restaurants were excellent. We loved dining at the Market Cafe due to the service of Emilio (He should open his own restaurant as he is one of the nicest people I have ever met). I wish the food was alittle more authentic to Mexico and not Tex-mex....Antonio at Blue Water was great as well, went back to visit him twice due to the service. Their food is excellent The pools were nice, but the chairs by the pool get over crowded on a nice day. Feel that if you are not out there by 6am to claim a spot you have to sit at the upper pool which is pretty lame during the day! The entertainment staff was great however feel they are held back by management. Beth and Winnie did an amazing job. Give them some freedom to have some fun during the day. Music during the day at the pool is elevator music, except during water aerobics. It is a caribbean resort, play some good music. Felt like we were at a nursing home due to some of the music selection at times. People would not have to sleep in so late if they did not have to listen to doors slamming all night. The beach is rough, so if you are not a masters level swimmer do not plan on spending much time in the water. I know the resort does not control this, but I wish someone told us before we took the trip. I was sold on this trip as our travel agent told us it is very similar to Sandals. Honestly, there are few similarities to Sandals.

You go to paradise and visit a resort that treats you like royalty in a manner that exceeds almost all places and some people nitpick to the point of ridiculousness. Two stars to The Vine in a review because there were problems with the rides to and from the resort and you didn't get your complimentary bottle of wine or the exact massage you wanted and there was a problem with the bill? What about the spectacular rooms, service and food? Quit complaining about the little things like no complimentary bottle of wine (it is unlimited at any bar). Always review a bill long before check out time. Much easier to resolve problems when the taxi isn't waiting.

I sometimes wonder if people really read the reviews on Tripadvisor? This resort had problems in the past such as loud music in the morning, no full length mirrors, very hot and sunny work out room, unheated pools and noise in the hallways. They have listened to the complaints and have worked hard to fix most of these problems (they say mirrors are on order) but still need to do something about the hall noise.

Wine prices - way too steep. If you really want something other than the free wine but want your favorite wines without the markup - very simple solution - bring some of your own bottles at home. Then the $15 bottle of wine costs you $15. We have done that many times on our excursions and wrap several bottles of wine in towels in a suitcase. Just open the bottle in the room. No need to complain about the wine prices in the restaurants.

Dress code - they have one so bring a pair of pants and some collared shirts. What is the big deal?

Enjoy the luxury - you are on a wonderful vacation.

Overall, we enjoyed our stay at this hotel. We traveled with another couple so the following comments are a compilation of our observations. The staff is outstanding: professional, polite, attentive. The facilities and rooms are well-maintained and very clean. The gym (and its staff) was excellent. The food at all restaurants, including the buffet, was fresh, well-prepared and appetizing (although the entrees at the Asian restaurant were unremarkable in that they lacked the flavors and spices that are generally characteristic of foods from the various Asian dishes that the restaurant specializes in; salt seemed to be the spice of choice). The location of the hotel itself is a bonus in that it is about a 20 minute drive from the airport; it is, however, located in a long row of hotels and has very little of its own property. There is little greenery and landscaping to appreciate. There is room for improvement in terms of their wines. The list of included wines was limited, and the wines themselves disappointing. The "for purchase" wine list was terribly overpriced. There are 3 wine-tastings offered at the hotel each day, with the 5pm tasting having a charge of $20 USD per person. We paid for the tasting and were disappointed in the 3 wines offered at that tasting; we shared our complaints with management who handled our complaint respectfully and professionally and refunded our money. Given the many fantastic properties on the Mayan side, we are not certain that we would not stay here again. One last note: the hallways are very noisy and the doors slam (there doesn't seem to be a way to close them quietly). Perhaps some art on the walls would also help not only with the noise level but with the stark feel; the 12th floor contains almost all of the restaurants and the lack of decoration as you step off the elevator onto this floor leaves you wondering if you've mistakenly taken the service elevator.

My wife and I travel to the Caribbean a couple times a year and have been to Cancun 5 or so times. In the last couple years we stayed at Excellence Playa Mujeres and Live Aqua. We had the Honeymoon OceanFront Suite at Excellence, the Live Aqua Suite at Live Aqua and had the Preferred Club MasterSuite at Secrets the Vine. Nothing will ever compare to the Excellence suite but I liked Live Aqua Suite and Secrets Master Suite Equally. Only listing those so you can see what i'm comparing everything too.

The Hotel is very nice throughout but very cramped in space. Cancun resorts in general have small properties compared to other islands but Secrets is a 1/4 of the space than other resorts in Cancun. So theres not really anywhere to go for privacy on the beach or pool area. All the chairs are almost touching each other.

The food has potential but was average at best. We traveled with another couple and we all got travelers sickness at different times throughout the week. As much as we goto the caribbean, we know all the precautions to take to prevent this and have never gotten it before. So something was off with the food. There was always something at each restaurant that we liked but then also stuff that was not very good. I got the ribs one night at the steak house and It was literally one huge rib with 98% fat. Not good! Breakfast and lunch were very good. Just hit or miss with dinners.

The service was pretty good. Had a couple bad experiences at dinner but overall good service. Things just move slower in the caribbean and you have to be prepared for that. Most people were very eager to help. And I want to send out a compliment to Servero at the preferred club on 21st floor. He was the best of the week!

In conclusion, I liked the hotel but probably wouldnt go back because of no where to escape for personal time. Its definitely a party crowd, so if you are looking for some luxury and want to just party all week, then you may love this resort. I just prefer to have the party but also some personal space by the pools and beach. I would have to rank this resort 3rd out of Excellence and Live Aqua. Feel free to ask any questions.