its very clean, the food is great, the staff are all friendly and helpfull. so enjoy this excellent hotel and its lovely location.

We stayed at the Catalonia side of the hotel (Cat tended to be Canadian/American/British, Riviera Maya side those from continental Europe) from Oct 13-20 and had a great time. We were on the 3rd floor and had a nice room overlooking the water with fully functioning a/c, no problems with water pressure or temp in the bathroom. The room was meticulously cleaned each day and the housekeeper always left us extra towels and a daily towel creation (we brought $1 bills and did try to tip regularly, but all staff were extremely helpful and friendly regardless).

The whole resort has beautiful landscaping & ample spots for lounging in both sun and shade. The vibe at this resort is definitely laid back- lots of families & water enthusiasts, not so many Cancun-style hard partyers. Staff were constantly maintaining the property (watering, weeding, cleaning, painting, replacing railings, etc..- it's build, repair and replace season). Keep in mind that most buildings are open to the breezes and elements (ie humidity/sun) so this may not be the place for you if you prefer a/c in the lobby, restaurants & bars.

We didn't bring water shoes and didn't need them- we could easily see where the reef was in front of the beach and the lagoon also has gorgeous, clear, non-wavy water for swimming. Beach was very clean, raked constantly... The reef offered excellent snorkelling- we brought home great memories of the fish & coral!

The food/drink (full-strength) was plentiful & we weren't sick at all. I travelled with a chef (read: PICKY EATER!) but we found tasty things to eat at each of the a la cartes & the buffet (some things we could live without, but the kitchens are catering to a lot of tastes..). We couldn't get enough of the Creperie- for the breeze, views, and the food! Rooms do not have fridges BUT there are 1litre bottles of water left for you when you arrive and the restaurants & bars all have spots to fill up the bottles with more purified water.

We booked some tours when we arrived and now have this insight: the day-long tours (we booked through Trafic Tours) that include lunch are good value (they usually provide water, drinks, lunch, snacks, blankets, tour guides, shopping opportunities, etc) BUT it can cost a lot less to do it yourself. From this hotel, it costs $48 return to take a taxi to Tulum- we went with another couple on a Sunday when admission to Tulum is free and a full day of sightseeing and swimming at Tulum cost us $12 each (we took lunch from the breakfast buffet). We snorkelled with the turtles at Akumal beach (a lot of the scuba/snorkelling tours/trips stop there for the turtles and incredible reef offshore) for a day and we split a cab again for $5 each. So it's worth looking into your options given this resort's location right in the middle of the Riviera Maya! Closer to the hotel, the marina was an attraction all by itself with the dolphins, manatee, lots of fish, shopping, restaurants, fishing charters, and wandering wildlife (we have pics with a sloth).

We can't wait to go back!

This was my first visit to Mexico and would have to say will not be my last. It has everything you could possibly wish for apart from the opulent and fancy interiors that you may expect from a 4 star in some places. All in all compact, clean and very friendly. Although I came here alone I always had someone to talk to either in the bars or at the poolside so if your quite happy with your own company and like a bit of space its ideal. I met some wonderful people from all over the world and all were equally friendly. It literally takes no more than 1 minute from your room to the pool, beach, bars or restaurants. All drinks excellent and include branded spirits like Smirnoff and Bacardi although would have to say the wine is like the house wine you never really wish to drink! Food is plentiful and a large selection of various international foods so if you can't find something to eat you must be really fussy! The a la carte restaurants are also reasonably good but more of a 3 star standard. I didn't take part in the activities or watch the entertainment but if thats what you fancy plenty of people seemed happy with what was on offer. There are an abundant of trips to suit all tastes and you have the benefit of the marina being 5 mins walk away where you can take the catamaran trips, swim with dolphins, sealions and manatees and go sport fishing if you wish. Snorkelling in the area is excellent and the beach here although a little stony in parts in the water is gorgeous with a lagoon to the side for the less brave! One thing I would highly recommend is the massage hut on the beach at £65 dollars for an hour of pure blish with the breeze and the noise of the waves lapping give it the perfect relaxtion experience. The rooms are good with pretty hard beds and the hairdryer isn't the most powerful but beware your hair will certainly not look like it is at home anyway. Everything is really clean and the staff are constantly cleaning up around you. Probably apart from everthing else that is good the staff are excellent and always friendly and helpful. .

We booked this about 4 weeks before going and we had never been to Mexico before. We have trouble sometimes as my husband does not like to lie around on the beach all day long and has to have enough things to keep him occupied.
In the space of 2 weeks we did a Mayan Encounter trip which was great value for money - included a trip to Coba, a mayan village, zip lining and abseilling into a cenote (amazing). We also swam with dolphins at Delphinus (excellent experience). Through Pro Dive at the hotel we booked a snorkelling trip where we saw turtles, stingrays, squid, loads of tropical fish etc. It was absolutely stunning and really well organised. This convinced my husband to do the PADI licence for diving which he really enjoyed. If we had wanted to do something different each day I am sure we could have. The weather was a little rainy around lunch timr on our first week but it gave us an excuse to go and eat more!
The hotel itself was brilliant. It was only 40% full and that was perfect. The restaurants were never too full and there was plenty of room around the pools. If you wanted shade / sun there was always room for both. The rooms were cleaned every day and the beds were firm but comfortable and I slept really well.
All in all I cannot wait to go back to Mexico and I usually like to try new places but when the service, food, rooms, pools and beach were this amazing there is no need.
The location of the hotel also meant we were never more than 20 minutes from the main attractions (Acumel beach - snorkelling with turtles, Xel-Ha & Xcaret - eco parks, Delphinus - dolphin swim) Everything seemed to be close by.
If you need any more information please feel free to email me at lourawcliffe@yahoo.co.uk
Dont forget your underwater cameras!!!