I had to really think about this before writing it. I read alot of mixed reviews before going to ASP (12/7 to 12/16) and I strongly believe that your vacation is what you make it. I don't care if my room is made up by a certain time, or it there are spots on mirror, or if I have to wait a little longer for dinner. I don't even care about the "towel game". The little things don't generally bother us and we really appreciate everything the staff does to make our vacation enjoyable. It's just that on this trip, there were so many little things that it just wasn't the Palace experience we've had in the past. I just felt defeated half way through the week. It was very obvious that the facilty was overbooked, the staff was overwhelmed, and there were shortages on the basics. Even though they are not physically under construction to transition to the Hard Rock brand, there is a difference in "something". Even some of the staff commented on some of the differences. I'm not going to go into all the details because I don't want anyone to be anxious about their upcoming vacation. The grounds were beautiful, we did end up with a good room, the Spa was WONDERFUL, the food was good, and the entertainment and waitstaff were great. Strictly personal preference, we now realize we prefer the smaller resorts and even though I was well aware there was no beach, we found that we really missed it. We took the tour up the HRC for the day and we LOVED it. We've already decided that is where we will be staying next year. I remember the reviews of HRC were not great while they were going through the HR transition, either. Even though ASP isn't the place for us (again, strictly personal preference), I do look forward to visiting and seeing the changes after the conversion. Still giving ASP 4 stars because I think most of our issues were temporary and we did have a good vacation. Special thanks goes out to Juana, Enrique at front desk, Ofelia who pre-arranged our Spa, and Celine at the pool for putting up with us. Note to Palace/HR Management - please try to get your reservation staff some consistant information. There is nothing worse than having to call multiple times, getting multiple answers to the same question, and then showing up after traveling thousands of miles to find out the answers were wrong.

We stayed at the Aventura the 20-25th of December. All of the reviews on here made me very nervous, so I went in with a little bit of a negative expectation. We did the concierge level, which really was only a few hundred dollars more, and it was absolutely worth it. We never had a problem getting a chair. We did go reserve them early after one day, just to be certain we got the spot we wanted. The food was pretty good. I wouldn’t call it great, but I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was. Breakfast was my favorite. I enjoyed the Italian the least, and the Japanese and Steakhouse the most. Never once did I feel like our meal was bad.
We did not feel ripped off at all by the $1500 credits. I guess it just depends how you look at it. We used approx. $900 of our credit, so our bill checking out was $90. I was thrilled to have done 3 spa treatments, go on a tour to Tulum and my husband golfed for that price. I have never been one to go to spas every day, but with our credits, I had one package with a massage/facial/body scrub, hot stone massage, and a back massage (complimentary with Concierge level). My husband had a facial, which he really liked as well. The spa truly is fabulous. Yes, we didn’t get the appointment times we wanted every time, but a little persistence goes a long way. If you ask nicely and tip a little, it’s amazing what people will do for you. I also got a pedicure in the salon, which wasn’t great. I would not waste my time or resort credits there.
The rooms were nice, but not fabulous. I am a little snobby when it comes to accommodations, and they really do have decent rooms. They need to upgrade linens, but everything was very clean. We stayed on the first floor. If there had been a 2nd or 3rd floor available we would have preferred that.
A few other things. The gym was absolutely top notch. They have spin classes, great free weights, and plenty of cardio machines. We went every day and it was pretty crowded. They could have gotten a few more elliptical machines, but other than that no complaints.
I would definitely return to the Aventura Spa. The staff was very friendly. They did not always know exactly what was going on, but they were always trying very hard to make sure you were enjoying your vacation. The big thing was, take time your first day there to book everything. It makes for a much more enjoyable time. If they say they don’t have something, be persistent and keep asking. They will get it done for you eventually. It was a bit of a hassle to book all of our spa/golf/tours, but was worth taking the hour to do it all in the long run.

I arrived at Aventura Spa Palace with my girlfriend on Sunday December 16, 2012. The resort was big and clean, and we had a great first impression. First thing we did was having dinner at El Greco restaurant. The food was really good, and the staff were really friendly.
I left the resort on Sunday December 23, 2012 after I had a great time.
Rooms are usually ready for check-in at 3:00 pm, so if you arrive before that, you have to wait. But you still can go anywhere in the resort and use it as soon as you arrive even before you get you room. The best thing I liked about the resort that it's 18+. There were no kids at all :)
The spa was really good, and the food was great. This resort does not have beach beside it, so swimming only in the pools.
The $1500 resort credit was not really good! They charge very expensive for everything you want to do using the resort credit. Trips cost $1500 using resort credit, cost only $500 if you buy it on your own

My wife and I just returned from 8 days here and we really enjoyed every part of it. The place is beautiful, the staff are great, and the food is always great. Treat yourself to the spa! You have to do that, it is wonderful! The biggest surprise was the Thai food. We eat Thai often and both of us felt the Thai food was the best we've had. Crazy good! Looking forward to going back.