The hotel was in a good location near the marina, lots of great places to eat and drink at marina. Plus dolphins etc were swimming around all day and evening it was great.

Rooms they were small, basic, old fashioned and bed was terrible didn't sleep very well it was terrible. It was cleaned every day which was good.

Staff were mainly nice especially alfonso in tequilla bar and Lucia who worked in tequila bar or sports bar in the evenings. Restaurant Mgrs seemed rude not helpful and didn't seem to work themselves much!

Beach and pools were great, they were very busy but ok and kept very clean.

Food was good but basic except in 4 special restaurants on complex, you could not book table you had to wait for ages to get tables.

Would we go back I'm not sure!

We normally fly out of Winnipeg but the return flight times were terrible for people our age. We opted to fly out of Toronto as we had relatives there and the flight both ways with Air Canada (surprise) was reasonable and pleasant. The same for the flight to and from Cancun on Transat (options plus) and we had excellent flight attendants both ways.
We arrived at the hotel just after lunch and it was getting full. Pablo at the front desk was very accommodating by arranging a room with a view of the pool for us after a short wait. Another couple travelling on the same flight became quite irate that the room they had wanted was not available. This seemed to set the tone for them for the rest of their vacation and when we saw them at the end of it they were not impressed with any of it. They did however both have very nice tans. The room was fairly spartan but clean and comfortable. The washroom had a small leak from the air conditioning but it was quickly fixed when mentioned. Our shower leaked onto the floor a bit so we blocked the edges with face cloths. It wasn't a big problem. We only had one chair in the room but a second one showed up during our second week. We didn't spend much time in the room except to sleep and on two rainy days.
The maid service was excellent with new towel art every day. The room was spotless. Make sure you tip the maid every day so you reward the one who cleans your room.
The food was very good at both the buffets and the a la cartes. The service was very good. The el Mercado had very good breakfasts and lunches but dinners were a better bet at the a la cartes. All al la cartes were good although some people mentioned that the Mexican (Alebrijes) was not for them. The only complaint we had at the Mexican restaurant was that they gave us too much food. Our favourites were the Bamboleo (steaks), the Mikado (Japanese), the Bellavista (Italian), and la Creperie. The Bamboleo was also great at lunch time too but watch the seagulls if you sit near the outside. They are creatures of opportunity. We lined up between 5:30 and 6:00 pm and always got a table. If you prefer a later seating show up between 7:00 and 8:00 although you may have a short wait. There is always a bar nearby to sit in.
The resort is actually a combination of two, the Catalonia Yucatan and the Catalonia Riviera. The layout is a bit of a maze but after a few exploratory excursions we got the hang of it. The beach is okay and for us the snorkelling and swimming out past the stony beach was good. The main beach becomes quite crowded with the usual towel on chair for reserving it. The beach all along the Yucatan was wiped out by a hurricane a few years ago and they have made an effort to haul sand back in. It's a narrow beach. There is a little stone half bridge near the lagoon and is a fantastic place to see tropical fish. The water is shallow so even the kids can enjoy snorkelling there. Beware the seagulls if you feed the fish. None of the water is over 6 feet deep and some people complained it was too shallow. There are 5 pools on the property with some more lively than others, so something for everyone. Beach volleyball, horseshoes, bocce, catamaran rides and kayaks were free. There were nightly shows and most were enjoyable.
Being right in Puerto Aventuras is an advantage. It's a gated community so we always felt safe. We did not do anything different than we would at home and that seems to be the key anywhere you travel. Don't make yourself a target. There are dolphins and manati within a 10 minute walk at the marina and you don't have to pay to see either. For a fee you can swim with the dolphins or feed the manati. There are also shops and restaurants there.
It's about a 20 minute walk to the entrance of the community and another 5 minutes to a large store where you can buy everything from groceries to washers and dryers. I took a bike (free) and toured the area. Look for monkeys early in the morning or at dusk.
We would definitely stay here again.

Pros: central to most activities, ok snorkelling, close to marina, adequately clean, Japanese restaurant was good

Cons: the hotel overbooks to the point they cannot accomodate even the most basic of requests. My boyfriend and I had 1 request - king size bed. I was first off the bus and first in line to Register in the lobby where I was told there was not 1 room available in the entire hotel (& adjoining hotel) that had a king size bed. We were Fred & Wilma for 3 nights in 2 double beds.

Two single women - behind us in the check in line - requested 2 double beds, and received a King bed with an upgrade to the Privelaged section.

3 days of going back to the lobby to request a change - was not until I brought up trip advisor that suddenly a room with a king bed became available.

late check out - IF you can get a late checkout it is $40 CAN. There were 6 of us in our group, checkout is noon, our bus did not leave to the airport until 11:30pm, all of us were refused late checkout - at both lobbies. I persisted and finally got a small room for the 6 of us to share until 6pm.

I have never seen front desk staff so programmed to say NO. I have stayed at Breezes, Bahia Principe, Palladium, Las Brisas, and I have NEVER seen such unaccomodating staff.

NEVER AGAIN

Our second visit here, 1st time in 2008. Overall a decent trip, the weather although warm was cloudy quite a bit and we had mostly red flag days except for 2 yellows in a weeks vacation. Food was ok, service was great.
We had a standard room in the 2 building. Very quiet area, but central to everything. No alarm clocks or fridges in rooms. You only get a few water bottles in your room first day then you need to refill them on your own. I hear the privileged rooms for extra $'s had these amenities that were lacking in the standard rooms.
We traveled with teenagers and there was def a lot of activities to keep them occupied. The sports center has pool tables and ping pong, a great way to meet other people.
The beach IS rocky, water shoes def recommended. Snorkeling is awesome as there is a reef just feet away from shore. Not the sandy beaches of Cuba by far.. And can't walk on beach very far, just to the right to walk thru the adjacent hotel then back. However great walk in the gated area of Puerto Aventuras... So beautiful and safe.
We did the ATV tour, with a visit to a cenote and snorkeling, was awesome, even though rough for a beginner rider.
Overall a good trip.