We stayed at Allegro Jan 31st- Feb 5th and loved every minute. We were worried after reading all the bad reviews but went with a positive attitude. Here is our opinions...

Yes, the beds are on the firm side but we were so tired it didn't matter. The rooms may be small and a little rustic but everything was extremely clean and functional. The food was good, large variety and always avaliable- plus I didn't have to cook it!! The entire staff, including the front desk, were some of the nicest people I've met. Our luggage was delayed and they were on top of it immediately. We did tip the maid, bartenders and waitress about $1 a day. Day and night entertainment was great- they keep you busy! The beach may be gone but we had a great time using the boogie boards and boats. Then we would return to our chairs by the pool to lay in the sun. By the way, you can still find chairs all day, you don't need to be up at 6am.

We loved the Xel-Ha tour! If you do this, pick the all day package. We were there from 10am-5pm and still didn't do all we wanted. They have tubing, snorkeling, caves, cliff jumps and more. A short walk to Playa provided a day of shopping- just stay on 5th Avenue! We also parasailed in front of the resort- it was great!

We would definately stay again. We did not expect the royal treatment and were just happy to be on vacation in such a beautiful, clean and friendly resort. Some people always complain and will find fault anywhere they go but we could find nothing wrong at Allegro except those people that did complain.

After reading many of the reviews, I was a bit hesistent when we arrived. The property and all the facilities were clean and well maintained.
Yes the beds were hard and not much of a beach, but not the hotel's fault. We like a hard bed, so that was OK. We spent some time every day on the beach - although not very expansive (due to the loss of a good deal of beach due to the hurricane's in the late summer of 2004) and found a lounge each time. The ocean was crystal clear blue and a refreshing, with little undertow. How much beach does 1 or 2 people need??? All of the staff were friendly and very helpful, including the front desk, at no time did we fell any of the staff expected a tip for the outstanding service. We enjoyed the food at the buffet and both restaurants - but make your reservations as soon after check in as possible - they fill up quick. This was my second trip to Mexico and I enjoyed our stay at the Allegro much more than my prior trip. It was smaller, but I felt you got to know staff better, and had as much in activitites and amentities as the hotel we stayed at in downtown Cancun.
The shows were Ok - if you saw one, you saw them all - lots of dancing, but at least it was something to do after dinner, in stead of going to town.
Drinks were free flowing and they would make anything requested, on one particular night I was in the mode for a flavored martini and the bartendar made me one of the best melon martini's I ever had.
One other suggestion - I would rent a car to get around the next time, taxi's and transfers from Cancun to Playa are expensive.

I stayed at the Occidental Allegro Playacar January 30 - February 3, 2005. I have visited the Cancun and Playa Del Carmen area approximately 15 times over the last 12 years. I normally stay at the Omni in Cancun, but am always looking for good deals and as such am willing to try new resorts. In addition to the Omni, I have previously stayed at the Fiesta Americana Condesa, the Grand Oasis and the Melia Cancun among others. The Occidental Allegro Playacar is not a 5 Star Resort. I did not, however, pay for a five star resort. When I judge one of these resorts, I judge them based upon whether it was a good value for the money that I paid to stay there. Obviously if I wanted to pay for the Ritz I would stay at the Ritz, but since I am not paying Ritz prices, I do not expect the Ritz. I always find it amusing when I read a negative review written by some moron who paid for a 3 Star Resort and expected to find a 5 star resort. Nevertheless, I have nothing but good things to say about the Occidental Allegro Playacar. The location was great (close enough to walk to downtown Playa Del Carmen); the grounds were beautiful and well maintained; the staff was very friendly; I was not approached, not one time, by a time share salesperson; the food on the buffet was very good; the specialty restaurants (Italian and Mexican) were okay, but not great; the beach was truly devastated by the last Hurricane, I knew this before I arrived so that was no surprise. Enough of the beach still remained to walk around and lay in the chairs under the cabanas. Overall, it is my humble opinion that this resort is a very good value for the money.

This was my first trip to Mexico, and I have to say, I fell in love with this region. At first, all I could see were the poor conditions, despite the tourism, Playa Del Carmen is poor by Canadian standards. After a week, I saw a region rich with life and realized that the happiness the locals show is genuine. This, and the beaches, will bring me back every year. Now on to the resort itself. Luckily, I was a trip advisor reader, and was prepared for this resort. To confirm, beds are hard, bathrooms often smell of raw sewage, walls are made of paper. Birds are noisy, and something I haven't read yet, BATS are everywhere at night. Not a problem, just beware of falling guana. My friend has a stain that just won't come out.. Despite the bathroom smell, the rooms were very clean, sheets and towels fresh smelling. I brought a small mist air deoderizor, and we kept the garbage pail over the drain in the bathroom and the door shut. The beach, or what is left of it. Take the advertisment pictures and cut the beach in half. We didn't have a problem finding a chair on the beach, as long as we were up at 6:00am to put our towels down! By the way, leave only the towels. Some people mentioned their books being stolen, and I had a hat stolen. Otherwise, the ocean front is breathtaking. Other things to mention, do not be fooled by people in dress shirts with name tags who look like they are hotel guides. If they ask you to breakfast, or any meal, be wary. They are time share salespeople. Fine if you are interested in time shares, but a warning, a breakfast with one can take up your entire morning. I was with my friend, and we were not their target. Beware if you are a couple. I've seen many comments on the food. The buffet food does tire after a week. The desserts are all made of geletin, no pastry chefs here. The Italian restaurant was very good. I would suggest making your reservations early. We found that the 6:30pm reservations were the best. After that, they get behind, and some people were waiting up to two hours for their reservation. The staff is awesome. Regardless if you tip or not, it is just their nature. I did take more than $50 in ones, and glad of it. The hotel does not readily exchange large bills to small, and in town, they prefer to give you change in pesos. The nightly entertainment was top notch. Something for everyone. If you are interested in excursions, a small and affordable one is the "Marj and Glen" Tulum Experience. It will only cost you $4 for the bus out of Playa Del Carman and $4 for your entry into the ruins. It will however cost you $12 in bandaids if you do not wear socks with your shoes. Also included is the cardi workout through Playa Del Carmen backyards, a good way to work off that buffet! In summary, this hotel is not a 5-star. YOu will be disappointed if you are looking for high class and luxury. What you will get is a hotel that is unpretentious, a place without airs, with a group of people who will all complain about their rooms, while sitting in 86 degree weather, sipping beverages, with an ocean the colour of turquoise as their backdrop. My suggestion, stay out of the room as much as possible.