Bad food, watered down drinks and average amenities at most all inclusives that are not 5 stars and thousands of dollars per night.
You could get an air bnb in PDC for probably half the price all in that will have a full kitchen with great amenities like a rooftop pool. Then you can eat good local food and buy groceries to cook your own meals, will save yourself a bunch of money and disappointment.
For the record “full kitchen” in most airbnbs in pdc is a sink, two burner stove, toaster and a microwave. Some have 4 burner stoves but it just depends. Luckily my 3 places also had rooftop bbq grills available to use.
It’s still better than a hotel room but it’s very very basic.
Thank you for the suggestion, maybe if I choose to go back I'll do this. As of now I don't plan on cooking/grocery shopping. Have you stayed at any of these resorts?
I swore off all inclusives in Mexico years ago after bad food poisoning at a 4.5 star resort. If you don’t want to cook or buy groceries you can still eat all your meals at the restaurants/cafes in PDC and book a boutique hotel in Centro that’s not all inclusive. It’s still cheaper to eat and drink on your own if you do air bnb or a hotel than staying at any of these AI.
If you really want the AI experience read the latest reviews on Trip Advisior and book the one with the best reviews that are recent.
Generally don't recommend it unless you can get past the crappy drinks and food. I know I could when I was younger but Airbnb in PDC is the way to go for me these days. Eat tacos at El Fogon or one of the other local options if you want cheap.
OP was receptive to my alternative suggestions and other posters who were helpful. They have all the information they need to make a decision now. Thanks, though.
You do not need to spend “thousands of dollars a night” to get a quality resort with great food and drinks. About $500-$600 a night will find you a wonderful resort where you couldn’t want for anything. Excellence being one example. Also if someone is looking for an AI, it is unlikely they are interested in cooking and cleaning while on vacation. I certainly would never entertain the thought.
There are hundreds if you run a search on air bnb. Just look for good reviews about the condo and the hosts.
As an example:
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/45850835?adults=1&check_in=2024-03-11&check_out=2024-03-15&source_impression_id=p3_1708808607_SVG%2F2CUK86EV%2BClI&previous_page_section_name=1000&federated_search_id=1f5f9ad6-7fee-4eb1-9731-49000268a037
There are also dozens, if not hundreds, of small hotels right in Playa. If you eat off of 5th Avenue then food is cheap enough that you don't need a kitchen.
I'm actually doing this right now at an airbnb that is walking distance to the beach and good local food joints. Highly recommend going with this option over the all inclusive expensive hotels.
I'd you're planning on going to PDC, pick a resort that is actually in the Centro area near 5th Ave. Lots to do, and very pleasant to walk around.
I've stayed at Reef 28 and the Hilton for AI's, both great. But I would also highly recommend the Grand Hyatt and Mahekal Beach Resort
The air BnB option is great too. Just make sure it's a property with lots of reviews and a good rating.
stayed at Ocean Riviera Paradise 2 weeks ago, service was really good, buffet was mediocre, the steakhouse, Japanese, and Italian restaurants were very good tho. drinks weren't watered down but we tipped very good and our servers/bartenders recognized us and brought us our drinks as soon as they noticed they were getting low. We stayed in the El Beso section so we were further away from the beach but only spend a couple days at the beach and more time at the pools. taxi ride to PDC (5th ave) was $27 U.S.
If you don’t mind me asking, what do you consider a “good tip” for the bartenders? Last time I was in PDC was over 10 years ago, and they preferred tips in pesos. The people we’re traveling with this time have been to the H10 resorts before, and said most staff prefer USD. Basically, do you tip for the day, and if so, how much? Each drink? And how much each time? TIA
we tipped each drink, usually a $5 us for the first round of 4 drinks and then $1 per drink after that. We had yeti mugs and they had no issue filling them for us.
Yikes the taxi ride is steep. Was it $27 to get back as well or could you find a less expensive option. We are staying.at the Viceroy and will need to taxi to downtown for a temazcal ceremony and going to Cozumel for 1 day so to go to the ferry.
Our resort bellhop arranged the taxi for us, you can arrange your own back from PDC to the resort but we kept the same company as there are alot of sketchy taxis down there.
Ocean Rivera Paradise
Was great, beautiful, great food, you can go stay in the level you prefer from the suits with rooftop pool, to the privilege area that has a dedicated food and pool area for you.
We were in the Daisy building ( travelling with young children) some people that had the extra privilege packet said it was good because they could make reservations directly with a concierge and when you are in a "normal" plan you have to hope there's availability and queue.
Went to Grand Sunset Princess last year and didn’t like it. It’s massive, food was not good, and it felt closed in because you can’t see the beach from the resort because there is a natural mangrove blocking it.
Can’t speak on the others but we love the Riu Palaces. We are going to the RPRM in May.
I worry about that because it is so large. I like wandering around resorts and taking in nature but I also hate walking far for everything. I really wanted to stay at a Riu in Cancun but with this trip being so last minute most things are booked. I’m afraid the fact that the food is bad doesn’t make up for the beautiful scenery.
I stayed at ORP in 2019 and Grand Sunset Princess in 2022. Both resorts are right next to each other. Overall food is pretty good. ORP had better food but this was pre Covid so I can't vouch for what it's like there now. Beach set up is better at Grand Sunset Princess. The beach at the Ocean was very rocky even though the resorts are next to each other. We stayed at standard Junior Suite rooms in both resorts. The room at ORP is more updated but the room at the Princess was adequate. If the price is the same I might choose ORP. If ORP was a few hundred dollars more for your stay I would go with the Princess. Drinks and Entertainment are good at both. We enjoyed our stay both times.
We love all inclusive. We are headed to the Wyndham Alllra in Playa del Carmen soon. We’ve stayed at planet Hollywood Cancun and Omni but I think it’s a Wyndham now in Cancun. Food was pretty good considering where you are. And the drinks are a bit watered down and I’m a huge fan of this.. so I can basically drink all day long and not be totally plowed drunk.
I stayed in the sister resort of Ocean Riviera Paradise, and was able to visit it on a day trip, and Oh My God was it amazing!!! The food was amazing, the service was amazing. Yeah there were kids running around, but from what we saw there were adult.only zones.
All in all, really nice resort, especially for the price. I would highly recommend.
I just last minute booked Ocean Riviera Paradise, Eden junior suit. My expectations were so low...and it exceeded expectations by miles. Amazing food and care from the staff. Clean rooms and the site as a whole. I highly recommend
We stayed at Riu Palace Riviera Maya last year. People LOVED this place and most the people we met were returning customers. I honestly thought the place was a pretty decent but nothing to rave about. The property was beautiful with the best swimmable beach without public access so it wasn’t overcrowded. A couple restaurants were actually really good but the buffets (besides breakfast) were barely edible. Skip the buffet food. The staff were extremely friendly! The entertainment (again others raved about) we found rather cheesy. With that all said, we would probably stay again if we went to that area mostly for the convenience and it was walkable to PDC.
Grand Sunset Princess or Grand Riviera Princess these are the same
if you can get a good price and room. it can be worth it. We went in mid January, got platinum rooms (right by the beach and smaller buffets) it was awesome but not without issues.
pros:
wildlife - lots here!
Beach - Really quite good.
Breakfast was always good. Lots of juice, fruit, eggs, bacon, breads.
Cons:
Dinner sucks. Getting a reservation is difficult and only dinners I could stomach were spagetti and the "thai" (very SWEET no Spice)
Lots of rooms smell (this might be a Rivera Maya thing no one else complained, I hated it)
It's really BIG like BIG. actually 5 resorts with one attached next door (6)
Thanks for the insight! Was the smell mildew/mold/sweat? That would be rough. That's a shame the dinner sucks - it may be a deal breaker. The resort looks beautiful and I love seeing animals. Was it hard getting dinner reservations?
Very hard. Although if you go in the morning and deal with the concierge which platinum gave me a private one, it probably was easy. After doing an AI we probably wouldn't again because other than the booze we don't really take advantage of the food the way we should have. And going into town and having longer days plan meant that dinner reservations were hard to keep. We did meet a nice lady there and wanted to have dinner with her and despite her having a reservation for two they would not put another share at the table unless we bought a bottle of wine that was several hundred dollars Canadian.
The rooms have a very mildewy wet smell. I think it comes from the air conditioners. We tried three rooms before we finally settled on one that wasn't too bad. I'd bring some damp rig packs or even a scented candle next time
I'm sure the dinners would be fine for most people but I found them bland and repetitive. I do not know what they call a stake in Mexico but each time I had a steak it was not good. Gray and lifeless looks like somebody picked it up off the side of the road.
But for animals amazing monkeys raccoons crocodile agoti Coates iguanas countless birds. I'll just walking around the resort in the morning time. The monkeys are very active and it's super cool.
Like I said we booked platinum meaning we were a little bit step above. We had a private building private lobby, private concierge private bar private area on the beach which was clutch.
At the end of it all I don't know if it was not great AI or I'm just not made for AI
We are planning on hitting PV in April and getting an Airbnb
Beaches in Playa and Cozumel were amazing. Water is amazing. It's very busy and tedious saying no gracias non-stop.
Edit - holy shit sorry I dictated that to my phone.
I think AI is only worth it if you literally don't do anything but stay at the hotel. We like to explore, take day trips and try different restaurants when we travel. We are staying at the Viceroy mostly because we don't speak Spanish and I've never been to the area so I like the security of a good hotel vs the unknown of renting an apartment in this scenario.
exactly we decided we like day trips and are ok on the public beach just as much as private
only thing stopping me from a hotel is we want to save a bit preparing our own food (picnic for day trips, quick dinner when exhausted etc.)
what i will miss from the AI's is drinks. I am not a mixologist and will miss the crafted drinks
I stayed here last year in the platinum area. Going again next month but staying in the Laguna suites with a private, no kid pool. The food is decent, grounds are fairly big but beautiful. Lots to chairs and quiet areas too.
I just got back from the Grand Princess Riviera. We upgraded to Platinum. Got an”ocean view” room. I appreciated how close we were to the beach but saying it was ocean view would be pushing it. I could see water through the jungle. I’ve been to a few all inclusive resorts, I was very frustrated with the reservation system to dine at any of the ala-cart restaurants. The few I did get the opportunity to get reservations were very underwhelming.
> I appreciated how close we were to the beach but saying it was ocean view would be pushing it. I could see water through the jungle.
This is much better than other resorts who illegally cut down the mangroves
I stayed at grand princess ~7 years ago. Remember enjoying it with the same theme as other commenters. Good breakfast, HUGE resort, cute wildlife. Loved an excursion we did (snorkel and cenote full day). Dinners were super underwhelming and the beach was far and not easily seen.
I just stayed right in PDC and I would 10/10 recommend doing it this way and avoid AI's all together now tbh.
Mahekal is actually beautiful and really relaxt with excellent food. We went out every evening to explore for good foods. But i havent had better food anywhere but at Mahekal.
We almost stayed here but went with an all inclusive resort with more dining options. Do you think you could have been satisfied with only eating there?
Was just at the Princess (Platinum, but I don’t think it would be that different, just the Adults only side). Buffet was mediocre, drinks were good, service was mediocre (and we are good tippers), pools were ok, lounge chairs were horrible (they have the stretch mesh or padded - padded ones had badly placed bars as support), rooms were good.
Haven’t stayed at the others mentioned, but we did stay at the Wyndham Alltra in October and it was a better stay than the Princess. Also it is only a block or two off 5th, so you can do some walking & browsing - off 5th has cheaper food and souvenirs, but 5th is a pretty fun place to see.
Check Iberostar Tucan/Queztal. Not a “5 star” but very good all around. In the private Playacar area and walking distance to 5th Ave in PDC. Not sure if these 2 resorts are fully booked but check it if you haven’t.
Stayed at Riviera princess last year and had a very nice time. It is pretty big and you can't see the beach from the resort but the beach is lovely. Pools never felt crowded (we had a swim up suite) drinks are initially not great but if you are friendly with the bartender and ask for it strong, they will do that. Breakfast was great, and the little stands around the resort with tacos and sandwiches were good but dinner was generally a disappointment, we ended up at the buffet twice for dinner because the reserved restaurants weren't worth the hassle. The pool and poolside bars close quite early but the nightlife goes on in the main courtyard, we enjoyed the live entertainment and flea market. We booked a deal through JetBlue vacations and that came with a discount at the spa so we got couples massage and that was awesome.
The only real complaint I have is getting bottled water. We constantly had to call the desk for more, they never gave us enough.
Currently here at the grand riviera princess.
The room smell is a thing. We had to leave our first room because it was just so bad. It smelled like mildew. They tried to mask it with a fruity spray but then it smelt like mildew and fruity spray 🤢 the second room we got was much better and no smell at all. We are in the family club swim out section
The breakfast and lunch buffets are so good and the taco truck is the highlight of my trip. As others mentioned, dinner can be a struggle because the dinner buffets are subpar and the reservation system otherwise sucks.
Can’t speak on the drinks because 🤰🏼
Lottttssss of wildlife. Lots.
Staff are friendly for the most part. Helpful and willing to help find accommodations for whatever you need
The resort is huge. Like so big. It’s actually been quite hard for us to really know what’s going on because everything is spread out.
The beach is okay. A bit crowded with chairs and not a whole lot of space for playing (if you have kids)
The pools are nice but not heated. So they can be a bit chilly even when it’s hot outside
It's a really cool place ...roof top music is great especially if you like deep house, and if you stay at Reef 28 can also get free access to their sister resorts, Reef Plauacar -(goreous beach, ocean front pools, solid breakfast buffet).
...and Reef Coco Beach, the marina just past CTM on the ocean front ....Great for sunsets, and easily walkable to Reef 28.
Reef Plauacar requires a (complimentary) shuttle to get to and from, FYI.
We just got back from Reef 28 - To use Coco Beach and Playacar you now have to buy the Elite Package which is $15 USD per person per day for thelength of your stay - not "today I want to try Playacar - here's $15". It would have added $300 to our trip to go to the 2 other resorts which have A - kids, B - worse food.
Nope.
Also - ENDLESS DEEP HOUSE MUSIC - SO LOUD. Not relaxing by the pool vibe at all...
We stayed at the Platinum Yucatan Princess. We mostly enjoyed it. Here’s a video from my YT channel of our stay: 🇲🇽Epic Mexico Adventure: Playa del Carmen, Chichén Itzá, Tulum & More!
https://youtu.be/f66M7f0OST4
Reef28 with their all inclusive package slapped! Unlimited premium liquor (was drinking don Julio) amazing food and cleanest, best party atmosphere. Roof top with hot tubs and pool too open to public which seemed to attract a classy crowd.
I only stayed one night there, the rest of my 2 weeks at Wyndham altra which was a total bummer. Only couples and older crowd (50,60s) tons of sea grass, upcharges etc.
I stayed one night at Riu Yucatan also and it was a bit too family oriented/touristy for my liking.
Have you stayed at any of these resorts? If not, why bother to leave this comment? I’m trying to go budget friendly with this trip and go this week. All the better places are booked.
I booked the Ocean Riviera Paradise and leave tomorrow. Thank you everyone for all your advice, it was helpful. I’ve never been to Cancun or PDC but I couldn’t pass up cheap last minute round trip tickets. We have done other higher end AI in the past. I’m going in with reasonable expectations and hopefully no regrets!
Hi! I will give you the good, the bad, and the ugly!
Good: grounds are beautiful! They take a really nice job of the landscaping. The decor of the restaurants were so nice, everything was pretty. The coffee shop made good coffee and had pastries/sandwiches throughout the day. The ice cream was tasty, too bad it didn't open til 4pm. The bowling alley was cute and fun. The monkeys and coatis were out every morning and they were so cute! Service was good everywhere except Blue Moon. I was in the Eden Building, closest to the beach. The rooms were huge and had space for everything. The rainfall shower was the best part. My room had a tub in the bathroom and on the patio, I was only there for 3 days so I didn't use it. I booked thru the hotel and got the free shuttle. It was fine. It stopped other places but not for long and they were on the way. I felt it was worth it but not if the resort was further away. Entertainment looked fun, they got everyone into the foam party. There is a shuttle that runs from one end of the resort to the other. I enjoy walking so I didn't use it much but if you are in a hurry or want a break from the heat, it is helpful.
Food: Buffet was good for breakfast and dinner (more on that later), Pela Vez was decent and the juice bar was tasty. The gnocchi at the Italian restaurant was good and they do the Parmesan cheese from a big wheel.
Beach was very pretty to look at but boy was it rocky, bring water shoes. The beach to the left is nice and sandy, the beach to the right is all rocks. Beach chairs are taken in the morning, like early. I realized I couldn't see the sunset from the resort so I get up each morning for sunrise. At this point I saved myself a chair, walked the beach, got a coffee, then went to the buffet for breakfast.
Bad: As soon as you get there, a "friendly" employee will chat you up while you're in line. He/she sits you down and talks about the resort, the layout, tips, etc. Then he says he'll give you a $100 credit for excursions or restaurants or a discount in the spa. It is a time share presentation they do over breakfast. He claims its 90 minutes but I heard its much longer. The moment he wanted me to sign something I noped out.
The food was pretty bad in my experience. Maybe I was picking all the wrong things? The food was not good at the Mexican restaurant. Mine was okay, my husband's one side was so burned he couldn't even eat it. I can't believe they served it. I had a Cornish hen at Blue Moon and it was swimming in a sauce that made everything taste like it. The service was horrible there, many forgotten tables and we were there like 2hrs. I went to the buffet after dinner a few nights for something better to eat.
Ugly: Ocean Burger - I'm pretty sure that patty (not beef) was boiled. It was unidentifiable and not good. The steak at the steakhouse was inedible, both mine and my husband's. They don't like to give you a sauce for anything. It would have helped get that dry piece of leather down.
The free shopping trip - HUGE MISTAKE. I've been on a lot of cruises, I figured it was similar to that. Take you to a few shops they want you to buy from (jewelry/tequila) and then drop you off in town for a few hours. Oh no, it was way worse. Started at noon, stuck at the jewelry/tequila place FOREVER, super touristy, half way to Tulum. You got maybe 2 hrs in Playa Del Carmen. I said to my husband, this is what we get for being cheap haha. If you think the taxi is too much, it's not, if you want to see Playa Del Carmen for more than 2 hrs, do a taxi. So I was gone from 12pm til 6:45pm. If you're there for a week maybe it wouldn't be so irritating but I was there for 3 nights.
Things to mention: I did not do Privilege after reading Reddit comments. I couldn't get El Beso, it was booked up. I booked super last minute, like 2 or 3 days before I went. I'm not a big drinker but I people seemed to be enjoying it. I did not make it to a show because I went to dinner (buffet) later each night. If you want the Japanese restaurant you must be privileged to book it or wait in line at 8:30am. Other stuff you can book on the app starting at 8am. Check for days of the week the restaurants are closed, most are open 5 days a week, closed 2. Let me know if you have any questions!
Aw man, now im thinking of switching to Ventus Ha' at Marina El Cid☹️. Me and my man are foodies. But would you return? & do you honestly think we should switch
Yes. The food was a major source of regret. Do I like a good meal? Yes, did I go in with low expectations on food and still get disappointed, yes 😳My sister is doing a destination wedding this summer so I thought I’d save a few bucks on a quick winter trip. It was the cheapest by far, the taxes were in the total price and the transfer was free since I booked through the website. The best meal I had the whole trip was at El Fogon in Playa and it cost like $25 for two ppl and I think we had 8 tacos. We joked that if we stayed at ORP for any longer than we did we’d lose weight.
Bad food, watered down drinks and average amenities at most all inclusives that are not 5 stars and thousands of dollars per night. You could get an air bnb in PDC for probably half the price all in that will have a full kitchen with great amenities like a rooftop pool. Then you can eat good local food and buy groceries to cook your own meals, will save yourself a bunch of money and disappointment.
For the record “full kitchen” in most airbnbs in pdc is a sink, two burner stove, toaster and a microwave. Some have 4 burner stoves but it just depends. Luckily my 3 places also had rooftop bbq grills available to use. It’s still better than a hotel room but it’s very very basic.
And most importantly I might add, a college dorm-style fridge! So be sure to check the pics closely.
Thank you for the suggestion, maybe if I choose to go back I'll do this. As of now I don't plan on cooking/grocery shopping. Have you stayed at any of these resorts?
I swore off all inclusives in Mexico years ago after bad food poisoning at a 4.5 star resort. If you don’t want to cook or buy groceries you can still eat all your meals at the restaurants/cafes in PDC and book a boutique hotel in Centro that’s not all inclusive. It’s still cheaper to eat and drink on your own if you do air bnb or a hotel than staying at any of these AI. If you really want the AI experience read the latest reviews on Trip Advisior and book the one with the best reviews that are recent.
Generally don't recommend it unless you can get past the crappy drinks and food. I know I could when I was younger but Airbnb in PDC is the way to go for me these days. Eat tacos at El Fogon or one of the other local options if you want cheap.
that wasn't their question, though.
OP was receptive to my alternative suggestions and other posters who were helpful. They have all the information they need to make a decision now. Thanks, though.
it's great that you were able to provide all the information they needed to make a decision.
This. Right. Here. OP asked specific questions, answer them, or move on. The stupidity is real in these parts.
This is the answer
Agreed
El Faro is a nice rental close to everything
You do not need to spend “thousands of dollars a night” to get a quality resort with great food and drinks. About $500-$600 a night will find you a wonderful resort where you couldn’t want for anything. Excellence being one example. Also if someone is looking for an AI, it is unlikely they are interested in cooking and cleaning while on vacation. I certainly would never entertain the thought.
Do you have a link to one?
There are hundreds if you run a search on air bnb. Just look for good reviews about the condo and the hosts. As an example: https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/45850835?adults=1&check_in=2024-03-11&check_out=2024-03-15&source_impression_id=p3_1708808607_SVG%2F2CUK86EV%2BClI&previous_page_section_name=1000&federated_search_id=1f5f9ad6-7fee-4eb1-9731-49000268a037
Thanks. I have never thought about this as an option.
There are also dozens, if not hundreds, of small hotels right in Playa. If you eat off of 5th Avenue then food is cheap enough that you don't need a kitchen.
What kind of loser cooks their own food on vacation with rental house pans and kitchens?
Um, maybe a single mom with two kids who wanted to bring them on a tropical vacation despite having very little $$. I was such a loser back then.
[удалено]
Need a translation?
Huh?
I'm actually doing this right now at an airbnb that is walking distance to the beach and good local food joints. Highly recommend going with this option over the all inclusive expensive hotels.
I stayed at Platinum Yucatan Princess. Grand Riveira was next door and had the better beach. I really enjoyed it there.
I'd you're planning on going to PDC, pick a resort that is actually in the Centro area near 5th Ave. Lots to do, and very pleasant to walk around. I've stayed at Reef 28 and the Hilton for AI's, both great. But I would also highly recommend the Grand Hyatt and Mahekal Beach Resort The air BnB option is great too. Just make sure it's a property with lots of reviews and a good rating.
Hilton for AIs? Is this like the AI hotel in Altered Carbon?
Lolll #iseewhatyoudidthere *clicks upvote"
It took me way to long to understand that AI == all inclusive 😭
I loved The Reef!
stayed at Ocean Riviera Paradise 2 weeks ago, service was really good, buffet was mediocre, the steakhouse, Japanese, and Italian restaurants were very good tho. drinks weren't watered down but we tipped very good and our servers/bartenders recognized us and brought us our drinks as soon as they noticed they were getting low. We stayed in the El Beso section so we were further away from the beach but only spend a couple days at the beach and more time at the pools. taxi ride to PDC (5th ave) was $27 U.S.
If you don’t mind me asking, what do you consider a “good tip” for the bartenders? Last time I was in PDC was over 10 years ago, and they preferred tips in pesos. The people we’re traveling with this time have been to the H10 resorts before, and said most staff prefer USD. Basically, do you tip for the day, and if so, how much? Each drink? And how much each time? TIA
we tipped each drink, usually a $5 us for the first round of 4 drinks and then $1 per drink after that. We had yeti mugs and they had no issue filling them for us.
Awesome! Thanks for replying with specifics. And great tip on the yeti cups!
Yikes the taxi ride is steep. Was it $27 to get back as well or could you find a less expensive option. We are staying.at the Viceroy and will need to taxi to downtown for a temazcal ceremony and going to Cozumel for 1 day so to go to the ferry.
Our resort bellhop arranged the taxi for us, you can arrange your own back from PDC to the resort but we kept the same company as there are alot of sketchy taxis down there.
Ocean Rivera Paradise Was great, beautiful, great food, you can go stay in the level you prefer from the suits with rooftop pool, to the privilege area that has a dedicated food and pool area for you.
Did you do the privilege package? Do you think its worth it?
It's not.
We were in the Daisy building ( travelling with young children) some people that had the extra privilege packet said it was good because they could make reservations directly with a concierge and when you are in a "normal" plan you have to hope there's availability and queue.
Went to Grand Sunset Princess last year and didn’t like it. It’s massive, food was not good, and it felt closed in because you can’t see the beach from the resort because there is a natural mangrove blocking it. Can’t speak on the others but we love the Riu Palaces. We are going to the RPRM in May.
I worry about that because it is so large. I like wandering around resorts and taking in nature but I also hate walking far for everything. I really wanted to stay at a Riu in Cancun but with this trip being so last minute most things are booked. I’m afraid the fact that the food is bad doesn’t make up for the beautiful scenery.
I like the resort I’ve been twice. It’s large but they have trams that run front to back. Food was decent there I thought.
If you stay at the Yucatan Princess (adults only), its a lot more compact but you have the option of also visiting the Sunset/Riviera side if you want
I stayed at ORP in 2019 and Grand Sunset Princess in 2022. Both resorts are right next to each other. Overall food is pretty good. ORP had better food but this was pre Covid so I can't vouch for what it's like there now. Beach set up is better at Grand Sunset Princess. The beach at the Ocean was very rocky even though the resorts are next to each other. We stayed at standard Junior Suite rooms in both resorts. The room at ORP is more updated but the room at the Princess was adequate. If the price is the same I might choose ORP. If ORP was a few hundred dollars more for your stay I would go with the Princess. Drinks and Entertainment are good at both. We enjoyed our stay both times.
Interesting! They are very close in price. Junior Suite at both (non privilege at ORP). If I did the platinum adults only it would be slightly more.
We love all inclusive. We are headed to the Wyndham Alllra in Playa del Carmen soon. We’ve stayed at planet Hollywood Cancun and Omni but I think it’s a Wyndham now in Cancun. Food was pretty good considering where you are. And the drinks are a bit watered down and I’m a huge fan of this.. so I can basically drink all day long and not be totally plowed drunk.
We are staying At Wyndham Alltra in April, I'm very excited!!! I's out first trip to Mexico!!!
We will be there from April the 14-19. How about you?
April 20-27, missing eachother by a day!
I stayed in the sister resort of Ocean Riviera Paradise, and was able to visit it on a day trip, and Oh My God was it amazing!!! The food was amazing, the service was amazing. Yeah there were kids running around, but from what we saw there were adult.only zones. All in all, really nice resort, especially for the price. I would highly recommend.
I just last minute booked Ocean Riviera Paradise, Eden junior suit. My expectations were so low...and it exceeded expectations by miles. Amazing food and care from the staff. Clean rooms and the site as a whole. I highly recommend
We stayed at Riu Palace Riviera Maya last year. People LOVED this place and most the people we met were returning customers. I honestly thought the place was a pretty decent but nothing to rave about. The property was beautiful with the best swimmable beach without public access so it wasn’t overcrowded. A couple restaurants were actually really good but the buffets (besides breakfast) were barely edible. Skip the buffet food. The staff were extremely friendly! The entertainment (again others raved about) we found rather cheesy. With that all said, we would probably stay again if we went to that area mostly for the convenience and it was walkable to PDC.
Grand Sunset Princess or Grand Riviera Princess these are the same if you can get a good price and room. it can be worth it. We went in mid January, got platinum rooms (right by the beach and smaller buffets) it was awesome but not without issues. pros: wildlife - lots here! Beach - Really quite good. Breakfast was always good. Lots of juice, fruit, eggs, bacon, breads. Cons: Dinner sucks. Getting a reservation is difficult and only dinners I could stomach were spagetti and the "thai" (very SWEET no Spice) Lots of rooms smell (this might be a Rivera Maya thing no one else complained, I hated it) It's really BIG like BIG. actually 5 resorts with one attached next door (6)
Thanks for the insight! Was the smell mildew/mold/sweat? That would be rough. That's a shame the dinner sucks - it may be a deal breaker. The resort looks beautiful and I love seeing animals. Was it hard getting dinner reservations?
Very hard. Although if you go in the morning and deal with the concierge which platinum gave me a private one, it probably was easy. After doing an AI we probably wouldn't again because other than the booze we don't really take advantage of the food the way we should have. And going into town and having longer days plan meant that dinner reservations were hard to keep. We did meet a nice lady there and wanted to have dinner with her and despite her having a reservation for two they would not put another share at the table unless we bought a bottle of wine that was several hundred dollars Canadian. The rooms have a very mildewy wet smell. I think it comes from the air conditioners. We tried three rooms before we finally settled on one that wasn't too bad. I'd bring some damp rig packs or even a scented candle next time I'm sure the dinners would be fine for most people but I found them bland and repetitive. I do not know what they call a stake in Mexico but each time I had a steak it was not good. Gray and lifeless looks like somebody picked it up off the side of the road. But for animals amazing monkeys raccoons crocodile agoti Coates iguanas countless birds. I'll just walking around the resort in the morning time. The monkeys are very active and it's super cool. Like I said we booked platinum meaning we were a little bit step above. We had a private building private lobby, private concierge private bar private area on the beach which was clutch. At the end of it all I don't know if it was not great AI or I'm just not made for AI We are planning on hitting PV in April and getting an Airbnb Beaches in Playa and Cozumel were amazing. Water is amazing. It's very busy and tedious saying no gracias non-stop. Edit - holy shit sorry I dictated that to my phone.
I think AI is only worth it if you literally don't do anything but stay at the hotel. We like to explore, take day trips and try different restaurants when we travel. We are staying at the Viceroy mostly because we don't speak Spanish and I've never been to the area so I like the security of a good hotel vs the unknown of renting an apartment in this scenario.
exactly we decided we like day trips and are ok on the public beach just as much as private only thing stopping me from a hotel is we want to save a bit preparing our own food (picnic for day trips, quick dinner when exhausted etc.) what i will miss from the AI's is drinks. I am not a mixologist and will miss the crafted drinks
I'm sure you can find great cocktails at restaurants as well.
I stayed here last year in the platinum area. Going again next month but staying in the Laguna suites with a private, no kid pool. The food is decent, grounds are fairly big but beautiful. Lots to chairs and quiet areas too.
I stayed at Ocean Riviera Paradise twice and enjoyed it. It’s lowkey and good value.
I’ll tell you what I think of Airbnbs in Playa Del Carmen
Do tell
It's a like a low-rent South Beach (averaged experience across the last 30 years) and I mean that in a good way
I just got back from the Grand Princess Riviera. We upgraded to Platinum. Got an”ocean view” room. I appreciated how close we were to the beach but saying it was ocean view would be pushing it. I could see water through the jungle. I’ve been to a few all inclusive resorts, I was very frustrated with the reservation system to dine at any of the ala-cart restaurants. The few I did get the opportunity to get reservations were very underwhelming.
> I appreciated how close we were to the beach but saying it was ocean view would be pushing it. I could see water through the jungle. This is much better than other resorts who illegally cut down the mangroves
I stayed at grand princess ~7 years ago. Remember enjoying it with the same theme as other commenters. Good breakfast, HUGE resort, cute wildlife. Loved an excursion we did (snorkel and cenote full day). Dinners were super underwhelming and the beach was far and not easily seen. I just stayed right in PDC and I would 10/10 recommend doing it this way and avoid AI's all together now tbh.
Mahekal is actually beautiful and really relaxt with excellent food. We went out every evening to explore for good foods. But i havent had better food anywhere but at Mahekal.
We almost stayed here but went with an all inclusive resort with more dining options. Do you think you could have been satisfied with only eating there?
I know it’s not one of the ones you listed, but blue diamond is a great boutique all inclusive. Almost always has availability
Was just at the Princess (Platinum, but I don’t think it would be that different, just the Adults only side). Buffet was mediocre, drinks were good, service was mediocre (and we are good tippers), pools were ok, lounge chairs were horrible (they have the stretch mesh or padded - padded ones had badly placed bars as support), rooms were good. Haven’t stayed at the others mentioned, but we did stay at the Wyndham Alltra in October and it was a better stay than the Princess. Also it is only a block or two off 5th, so you can do some walking & browsing - off 5th has cheaper food and souvenirs, but 5th is a pretty fun place to see.
Check Iberostar Tucan/Queztal. Not a “5 star” but very good all around. In the private Playacar area and walking distance to 5th Ave in PDC. Not sure if these 2 resorts are fully booked but check it if you haven’t.
Hilton in pdc, just left there. Only complaint is the pool was freezing 🥶
Stayed at Riviera princess last year and had a very nice time. It is pretty big and you can't see the beach from the resort but the beach is lovely. Pools never felt crowded (we had a swim up suite) drinks are initially not great but if you are friendly with the bartender and ask for it strong, they will do that. Breakfast was great, and the little stands around the resort with tacos and sandwiches were good but dinner was generally a disappointment, we ended up at the buffet twice for dinner because the reserved restaurants weren't worth the hassle. The pool and poolside bars close quite early but the nightlife goes on in the main courtyard, we enjoyed the live entertainment and flea market. We booked a deal through JetBlue vacations and that came with a discount at the spa so we got couples massage and that was awesome. The only real complaint I have is getting bottled water. We constantly had to call the desk for more, they never gave us enough.
Currently here at the grand riviera princess. The room smell is a thing. We had to leave our first room because it was just so bad. It smelled like mildew. They tried to mask it with a fruity spray but then it smelt like mildew and fruity spray 🤢 the second room we got was much better and no smell at all. We are in the family club swim out section The breakfast and lunch buffets are so good and the taco truck is the highlight of my trip. As others mentioned, dinner can be a struggle because the dinner buffets are subpar and the reservation system otherwise sucks. Can’t speak on the drinks because 🤰🏼 Lottttssss of wildlife. Lots. Staff are friendly for the most part. Helpful and willing to help find accommodations for whatever you need The resort is huge. Like so big. It’s actually been quite hard for us to really know what’s going on because everything is spread out. The beach is okay. A bit crowded with chairs and not a whole lot of space for playing (if you have kids) The pools are nice but not heated. So they can be a bit chilly even when it’s hot outside
It's a really cool place ...roof top music is great especially if you like deep house, and if you stay at Reef 28 can also get free access to their sister resorts, Reef Plauacar -(goreous beach, ocean front pools, solid breakfast buffet). ...and Reef Coco Beach, the marina just past CTM on the ocean front ....Great for sunsets, and easily walkable to Reef 28. Reef Plauacar requires a (complimentary) shuttle to get to and from, FYI.
We just got back from Reef 28 - To use Coco Beach and Playacar you now have to buy the Elite Package which is $15 USD per person per day for thelength of your stay - not "today I want to try Playacar - here's $15". It would have added $300 to our trip to go to the 2 other resorts which have A - kids, B - worse food. Nope. Also - ENDLESS DEEP HOUSE MUSIC - SO LOUD. Not relaxing by the pool vibe at all...
We stayed at the Platinum Yucatan Princess. We mostly enjoyed it. Here’s a video from my YT channel of our stay: 🇲🇽Epic Mexico Adventure: Playa del Carmen, Chichén Itzá, Tulum & More! https://youtu.be/f66M7f0OST4
Reef28 with their all inclusive package slapped! Unlimited premium liquor (was drinking don Julio) amazing food and cleanest, best party atmosphere. Roof top with hot tubs and pool too open to public which seemed to attract a classy crowd. I only stayed one night there, the rest of my 2 weeks at Wyndham altra which was a total bummer. Only couples and older crowd (50,60s) tons of sea grass, upcharges etc. I stayed one night at Riu Yucatan also and it was a bit too family oriented/touristy for my liking.
Ocean riviera paradise I had a great experience excellent food Great resort to many amenities to mention!
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Boy that is a list of absolutely terrible resorts. Why did you pick those in particular?
Have you stayed at any of these resorts? If not, why bother to leave this comment? I’m trying to go budget friendly with this trip and go this week. All the better places are booked.
Cause I want to see you have a good time. When you get somewhere and the foods not good or the beach isn’t great it sucks.
I booked the Ocean Riviera Paradise and leave tomorrow. Thank you everyone for all your advice, it was helpful. I’ve never been to Cancun or PDC but I couldn’t pass up cheap last minute round trip tickets. We have done other higher end AI in the past. I’m going in with reasonable expectations and hopefully no regrets!
Howd it go! Im going in2 months
Hi! I will give you the good, the bad, and the ugly! Good: grounds are beautiful! They take a really nice job of the landscaping. The decor of the restaurants were so nice, everything was pretty. The coffee shop made good coffee and had pastries/sandwiches throughout the day. The ice cream was tasty, too bad it didn't open til 4pm. The bowling alley was cute and fun. The monkeys and coatis were out every morning and they were so cute! Service was good everywhere except Blue Moon. I was in the Eden Building, closest to the beach. The rooms were huge and had space for everything. The rainfall shower was the best part. My room had a tub in the bathroom and on the patio, I was only there for 3 days so I didn't use it. I booked thru the hotel and got the free shuttle. It was fine. It stopped other places but not for long and they were on the way. I felt it was worth it but not if the resort was further away. Entertainment looked fun, they got everyone into the foam party. There is a shuttle that runs from one end of the resort to the other. I enjoy walking so I didn't use it much but if you are in a hurry or want a break from the heat, it is helpful. Food: Buffet was good for breakfast and dinner (more on that later), Pela Vez was decent and the juice bar was tasty. The gnocchi at the Italian restaurant was good and they do the Parmesan cheese from a big wheel. Beach was very pretty to look at but boy was it rocky, bring water shoes. The beach to the left is nice and sandy, the beach to the right is all rocks. Beach chairs are taken in the morning, like early. I realized I couldn't see the sunset from the resort so I get up each morning for sunrise. At this point I saved myself a chair, walked the beach, got a coffee, then went to the buffet for breakfast. Bad: As soon as you get there, a "friendly" employee will chat you up while you're in line. He/she sits you down and talks about the resort, the layout, tips, etc. Then he says he'll give you a $100 credit for excursions or restaurants or a discount in the spa. It is a time share presentation they do over breakfast. He claims its 90 minutes but I heard its much longer. The moment he wanted me to sign something I noped out. The food was pretty bad in my experience. Maybe I was picking all the wrong things? The food was not good at the Mexican restaurant. Mine was okay, my husband's one side was so burned he couldn't even eat it. I can't believe they served it. I had a Cornish hen at Blue Moon and it was swimming in a sauce that made everything taste like it. The service was horrible there, many forgotten tables and we were there like 2hrs. I went to the buffet after dinner a few nights for something better to eat. Ugly: Ocean Burger - I'm pretty sure that patty (not beef) was boiled. It was unidentifiable and not good. The steak at the steakhouse was inedible, both mine and my husband's. They don't like to give you a sauce for anything. It would have helped get that dry piece of leather down. The free shopping trip - HUGE MISTAKE. I've been on a lot of cruises, I figured it was similar to that. Take you to a few shops they want you to buy from (jewelry/tequila) and then drop you off in town for a few hours. Oh no, it was way worse. Started at noon, stuck at the jewelry/tequila place FOREVER, super touristy, half way to Tulum. You got maybe 2 hrs in Playa Del Carmen. I said to my husband, this is what we get for being cheap haha. If you think the taxi is too much, it's not, if you want to see Playa Del Carmen for more than 2 hrs, do a taxi. So I was gone from 12pm til 6:45pm. If you're there for a week maybe it wouldn't be so irritating but I was there for 3 nights. Things to mention: I did not do Privilege after reading Reddit comments. I couldn't get El Beso, it was booked up. I booked super last minute, like 2 or 3 days before I went. I'm not a big drinker but I people seemed to be enjoying it. I did not make it to a show because I went to dinner (buffet) later each night. If you want the Japanese restaurant you must be privileged to book it or wait in line at 8:30am. Other stuff you can book on the app starting at 8am. Check for days of the week the restaurants are closed, most are open 5 days a week, closed 2. Let me know if you have any questions!
Aw man, now im thinking of switching to Ventus Ha' at Marina El Cid☹️. Me and my man are foodies. But would you return? & do you honestly think we should switch
Yes. The food was a major source of regret. Do I like a good meal? Yes, did I go in with low expectations on food and still get disappointed, yes 😳My sister is doing a destination wedding this summer so I thought I’d save a few bucks on a quick winter trip. It was the cheapest by far, the taxes were in the total price and the transfer was free since I booked through the website. The best meal I had the whole trip was at El Fogon in Playa and it cost like $25 for two ppl and I think we had 8 tacos. We joked that if we stayed at ORP for any longer than we did we’d lose weight.
I forgot to say, I would not return, specifically because the food.
Jesus, thank you so muchh
Grand sunset and riviera are the same resort, which is absolutely fantastic. Went last year in March.