Cancun - BlueBay Grand Esmeralda

most of the staff was not kind or friendly in the lobby at the checkin or check out! also apple told us one thing n they kept telling us another.... our room was always short on towels n when we wouldcall to get some it would be 3 hours later............ the people at the spa were rude as well.... .. More>

most of the staff was not kind or friendly in the lobby at the checkin or check out! also apple told us one thing n they kept telling us another.... our room was always short on towels n when we wouldcall to get some it would be 3 hours later............ the people at the spa were rude as well.... not to mention the prices at the spa were very very high, which would all be good if u provided the kinda of service that comes with prices like that! and not higher people who are nothing but rude! but i must say all of the pool staff was wonderful! the beach was nastyy the most dirtiest water i have ever seen!!! i am 100000% sure that i would never return to this resort

First, i'll start with the positives. The gardens are beautiful. Everything is lush and green. Our room was clean and was actually nicer than they appeared in the photos. We didn't have a problem with mosquitos in our room because as soon as we arrived, i put a wet washcloth over the drain in the b .. More>

First, i'll start with the positives. The gardens are beautiful. Everything is lush and green. Our room was clean and was actually nicer than they appeared in the photos. We didn't have a problem with mosquitos in our room because as soon as we arrived, i put a wet washcloth over the drain in the bathroom (a trip-advisor suggestion). Check-in and check-out were super easy and fast. The food at the specialty restraunts was beautifully presented and about equal to chain restraunts in the usa. We ate at the seafood, italian, mexican, and french restraunts. We had good experiences with all of them with the noted exception below. Our room was promptly cleaned everyday and our mini-bar was always restocked. Everyday we had towel art on our beds (elephant, hearts, swan, etc). I was prepared to be forced awake by the sound of cart wheels on tile floor every morning. That never happened. The bed was super comfy and i slept well every night. We were in building 1 (tulum) and had breakfast at the buffet in the seafood resturant every morning. The food there was fresh but average. The waiters and waitresses were all friendly and worked hard. Our room didn't require us to use the doorcard to make the ac run. Our room was always cool. Also, we booked via apple vacations and got wristbands that prevented the timeshare people from even approaching us. Initially, we asked some of the waitstaff what the bands were for and no one seemed to know (since no one else had them) but it did seem like we were served more quickly than others so i can only assume they thought they meant we were some low-level vip. We went to the "Broadway" dinner theater. The dancers didn't really interest me but the acrobats were really fun....think cirque du soleil-lite. The main dinner was steak and my son and i are vegi. We asked for anything to substitute for the meat and were given pasta and vegies which was fine. I really appreciated them making a substitution for us. Now for some "issues." The mosquitos around the grounds were intense and breed in the mangroves. I kept bugspay on during my entire vacation. This alone wouldn't be cause for me to downgrade my rating of the hotel. I knew to expect mosquitos and you should too. The bathtub was poorly designed. It was deep enough that you'd think it would have jets but it was just a tub. The ledge of the tub was above knee height (i'm 5'8") and there was no step. There is a handicap bar and you better hold on to it! The spa services were more expensive than in the US. For example, a massage was $120 and up. We got massages in playa del carmen at a small spa for $25 (which is with tip was the same price of getting to use the sauna and hot & cold dip pools in the resort's spa). We had to make dinner reservations with the concierge and it always seemed a bit unnecessary. She would act like it was a huge hardship to make a reservation for a group of 4 and offer us dinner times of 9:30pm which is just too late for me. So, basically, we accepted any reservation that was available between 6-7:30. She never had a printer to print our receipts and one day she didn't even have a phone. It just seemed like an unncessary step because i never saw any of the specialty restraunts more than a quarter full. But, the dinner buffet was always crowded. My family and i had booked all our tours on the internet prior to arrival since it's the best way to get the best price. Unless you book via the hotel, they won't allow your tour transportation to pick you up at the lobby. They make you walk to the security check point (no...the shuttle won't take you there) which is probably a half mile from the lobby. This wouldn't be so awful if they had a sidewalk (which they don't). So, you're walking in the road as tour buses and vans speed by you. Once you make it to the security check point, there's no place to sit and no shade. Despite those negatives to self-booking, as a group we saved almost $500 booking our tours ourselves. For example, my mom booked a "swim with the whale shark tour" online for $120, the hotel offered the same tour for $220. I talked with one of the tour drivers about him not being permitted to pick-up at the lobby and he said there are only 2 hotels in all of the riviera maya who "punish" their guests for booking online: bluebay grand esmerelda and mayan palace. This lack of concern for the safety and comfort of guests is probably the number 1 reason i would not consider staying here again. Another "issue" i had was with their "members" area. They had spaced out rows of cabanas where there were NO people and 2 bartenders to serve NO people. The general beach area for guests was crowded with rows and rows of loungers, just a few (maybe 6) palapas, 3 bartenders, and just a few waitresses to serve a lot of people. My son and i walked to the lagoon at Tres Rios (thanks to other trip advisor reviews) and set up in the cabana closest to the service road after we walked back. A guy came up to me after we'd been there about 20 mins and asked, "Are you private members?" When i told him i didn't think so, he said, "You MUST move. This is for private members." I said, "It doesn't appear there are ANY private members." Please see the photo i snapped just so you get a feel for how rediculous this was. So, off we went to the general beach area. They do open the vip beach to the proletariat after 5pm and that's where i would go to enjoy a before dinner cocktail. It far surpassed the "sports bar" for a quiet drink with a view. It also felt like the main pool area was too loud. There was perpetually someone yelling into the microphone in spanish. We tried going to the "quiet" pool and the same thing was happening there. Other resorts where i have stayed have had a kid-free, quiet pool for adults but this wasn't the case here. There are a lot of activities for children and as such, i would NOT recomend this resort for a honeymoon or couples vacation. Neither would i recommend this resort for a desination wedding. The beach is too thin and provides NO privacy. I saw a newly married couple sitting in their wedding attire outside the seafood restraunt. Their wedding gazebo was made out of bamboo, looked a bit rickity, and had silk ivy (no sure why when tropical flowers are everywhere) on it, and was only about 25 feet away from the door to the resturant. Lastly, my son got very sick after eating at the mexican restraunt. At 4am, he woke up vomiting everywhere (sorry Antonio {our housekeeper}). Since they only leave 2 towels per room each day, i was very limited with what i could do to clean up the bathroom. I tried to call the main desk to get more towels and no one ever answered the phone. This was the morning of our check-out and when i told the concierge about my son getting sick, she said it wasn't from the food that he was probably sick already. She did ask me to write down what he ate but i don't know if anyone else was sick or not. I'm a RN and am fairly certain he had food poisioning. He felt better after 12 hours and was back to normal by 24 hours. All around the resort, they have hand sanitizer dispensers and almost no one uses them despite the fact a lot of the food being served is buffet style. I was actually surprised only 1 member of our group became sick. Overall, i have very mixed feelings about this resort. I gave it an "average" rating because the room was clean & comfy, the service was very good, the food was average (except for the Mexican that made my son sick), the landscaping was lovely, and i only paid $800/pp for 5 nights with air (from my small local airport), r/t between cancun & hotel, and taxes. If i had paid any more than that, i would probably rate it much lower. Prior to booking, i knew they permit smoking but i had no idea how many smokers we would encounter. In the future i will only book at "no smoking permitted" resorts.

For the price paid, it was a great vacation. The resort is very large and the the trams don't come as often as they should, so get your walking shoes ready. The resort is very clean and the food was great. The beach is a wreck, stick to the pool. No swim up bar or adults only pool. .. More>

For the price paid, it was a great vacation. The resort is very large and the the trams don't come as often as they should, so get your walking shoes ready. The resort is very clean and the food was great. The beach is a wreck, stick to the pool. No swim up bar or adults only pool.

The entertainment was cut down due to the weather, but the staff did an excellent job of keeping our room from getting wet due to heavy rains and wind! Everyone was nice and the nature was Great!. We came to relax and we did! .. More>

The entertainment was cut down due to the weather, but the staff did an excellent job of keeping our room from getting wet due to heavy rains and wind! Everyone was nice and the nature was Great!. We came to relax and we did!

This resort was perfect! I could not think of one thing this resort lacking. Anyone that goes here would be sure to have a great time in paradise! .. More>

This resort was perfect! I could not think of one thing this resort lacking. Anyone that goes here would be sure to have a great time in paradise!

Excurisons was a bit pricey but over all nice .. More>

Excurisons was a bit pricey but over all nice

We were amazed at the quality of the staff at Blue Bay. All staff that we interacted with spoke English pretty well and were eager to help. Two in particular come to mind. Felipe, who works at the Jial Hal (sp?) restaurant near the pool, was a trip. He had jokes at the ready and knew how we liked .. More>

We were amazed at the quality of the staff at Blue Bay. All staff that we interacted with spoke English pretty well and were eager to help. Two in particular come to mind. Felipe, who works at the Jial Hal (sp?) restaurant near the pool, was a trip. He had jokes at the ready and knew how we liked our coffee on the second day. Margarite, one of the poolside servers, showed great anticipation skills in knowing when I was about to run out of whatever it was I was drinking at the time. The entire staff was friendly and attentive. These two obviously made an impression because they helped abuse my stomach and liver. :)

I found the friendlyness of all the staff was great. The only problem we encountered was the Elevator not working in our building.The conciere was not short on excuises why the problem did not get fixed for 6 days while we stayed there,I offerd to fix the elevator.In my opinoin,it took way to long .. More>

I found the friendlyness of all the staff was great. The only problem we encountered was the Elevator not working in our building.The conciere was not short on excuises why the problem did not get fixed for 6 days while we stayed there,I offerd to fix the elevator.In my opinoin,it took way to long for this problem to be solved.

My girlfriend and I made a trip to the BBGE in June of this year and were extremely happy with many aspects of the hotel. The spa was fantastic and the hotel rooms and amenities were great and very clean. The showers are beautiful and fantastic as well. The weather was less than fantastic, as it .. More>

My girlfriend and I made a trip to the BBGE in June of this year and were extremely happy with many aspects of the hotel. The spa was fantastic and the hotel rooms and amenities were great and very clean. The showers are beautiful and fantastic as well. The weather was less than fantastic, as it rained 3 days of our trip but we tried to make the best of it. There was a lack of things to do on the rainy days but when it was sunny it was very entertaining and lively at the BBGE. We tried not to let the spirits get down but overall the trip was decent. The staff is extremely friendly and seemed to have a genuinely good time with the guests.

The staff and hotel accommodations were very good overall. However, I was very disappointed in the beach, the variety of food and the smell from the mangrove. I never stayed at a hotel that had mangroves well if they did I didn't smell them. Also our fan in the room didn't work most of the time .. More>

The staff and hotel accommodations were very good overall. However, I was very disappointed in the beach, the variety of food and the smell from the mangrove. I never stayed at a hotel that had mangroves well if they did I didn't smell them. Also our fan in the room didn't work most of the time and we called maintenance to inform them that there was a short in the switch. However, when they came to inspect it we could not conveye the issue because of the language barrier so the fan never got fixed. Also we updated our room to a deluxe room because we received 2 $40 vouchers for a spa treatment. Well when we tried to use the vouchers they told us they can only be used towards packages and not a single service like a massage that was $69.00 so the vouchers were no use to us because we did not want spend that much. I did however, eventhough I did not get to use my voucher purchased a message for $69.00. This should have been explained to us when we purchased the deluxe room. I'm sorry I keep complaining but we also purchase an excurtion that was a little disappointing. First we paid $192 for the trip, then when we got to our destination we had to pay a dock fee which we were not informed about. Also we were told that we have a place to shower and change before we ate and shopped. However, the place we ate at had no running water. Then we were told once we get to the town to shop there would be plenty of drinks and water. Well we were taken to a small 10x10 store that served us water and drinks from behind the register. I have taken many apple vacations and excurtions and this was the most disappointing by far.

Had a great family (one child plus in-laws) vacation. We stayed in building 4. It was awesome. We were steps from the kiddy/main pool and close to the beach. Like other reviews the beach is not the "Caribbean" blue you get in Cancun. For the price we had a great time. Yes, the housekeeping carts ar .. More>

Had a great family (one child plus in-laws) vacation. We stayed in building 4. It was awesome. We were steps from the kiddy/main pool and close to the beach. Like other reviews the beach is not the "Caribbean" blue you get in Cancun. For the price we had a great time. Yes, the housekeeping carts are noisy but we have a child and were up by 7am so it didn't bother us. We had a small problem when we checked-in. We had reserved a room with two double beds and got one king. With a child (6 yr old) we needed two double beds. Same thing happened with my in-laws. After a little moving we both got a room with two double beds. Not a big deal but we were just weary from traveling. The staff was very nice and tried really hard. We didn't get the "hard" time-share sales pitch. We just told them we were not interested and they left us alone. Everyone was very nice. Can't say this enough. I do suggest you make reservations for dinner early in the morning as the early dining times fill up fast. Our building concierge (the one who makes the reservation) didn't come until 9am but building 8's came to work at 7am. They allow children in the nice restaurants and have kids menus. Our favorite was the Mexican dinner. If traveling with children bring your own inflatable pool toys. The toys sold at the resort are expensive. The pool is huge and we had a blast. We ended up spending most of our time in the pool. I also brought water shoes for my daughter. I did this based on other reviews about the beach being rocky but she used them in the pool to keep from getting "pool toe". Another child got a cut on his foot from something in the pool. Althought, we didn't have any problems. This is a no-brainer but bring lots and lots of sunscreen (it's very expensive at the resort). I even brought a long sleeve sun shirt (with SPF 50 built in) for my daughter and was so glad I did. We did experience some of the smell (like marsh mud) near our building but it was only for a brief period while we walked by. They also use gray water to water the lawns but it was not a big deal. We were at the pool or beach, not playing in the grass. We tried the kids camp. It was OK. It seemed clean but low-key. She had more fun making friends in the pool and hanging out with us. Yes the resort is big. We caught the tram when it came by but we also walked a lot. We used the bus from the resort to go into Playa. It was $5 per person. Go to the lobby and ask for the times of the bus. You can take the public bus (outside the resort on the street) but it is a long walk to the front of the resort especially if your coming from the beach area. We loved it and had a great vacation.

The hotel and its staff were great! Food was decent. Only complaint was the resort was so spread out. If you book I recommend paying the extra amount for an ocean side room or plan on walking alot! .. More>

The hotel and its staff were great! Food was decent. Only complaint was the resort was so spread out. If you book I recommend paying the extra amount for an ocean side room or plan on walking alot!

Our experience was great! Apple reps were wonderful, all of them. The beach at this resort wasn't swimmable but we knew that going into it. Overall, we really got our money's worth and plan to use Apple again in the future. .. More>

Our experience was great! Apple reps were wonderful, all of them. The beach at this resort wasn't swimmable but we knew that going into it. Overall, we really got our money's worth and plan to use Apple again in the future.

Our stay was great except for the noise in our hallway every morning. The housekeeping carts and the carts to refill refreshment kept the hallway so noisy. They either need to change the cart wheels or start refilling them after 10am when everyone is out and about. The food was average and the beac .. More>

Our stay was great except for the noise in our hallway every morning. The housekeeping carts and the carts to refill refreshment kept the hallway so noisy. They either need to change the cart wheels or start refilling them after 10am when everyone is out and about. The food was average and the beach is shallow and lots of seaweeds.

Overall , great service, great time .. More>

Overall , great service, great time

- Luggage lost for 3 days, took a lot of visits to Apple rep to get the luggage. - Arrived before 11am and had to wait until 3pm to check in. - Room smelled moldy, the shower drain was clogged, TV remote was broken, telephone cord was loose; the shower drain and TV remote issues were resolved. - Be .. More>

- Luggage lost for 3 days, took a lot of visits to Apple rep to get the luggage. - Arrived before 11am and had to wait until 3pm to check in. - Room smelled moldy, the shower drain was clogged, TV remote was broken, telephone cord was loose; the shower drain and TV remote issues were resolved. - Beach water was brownish and full of algae/seaweed. - Hotel is rated 5 apples--it probably should be 3-4 apples. - What redeemed this vacation for us was the courteous hotel staff, excellent food, and the well-organized Mayan Adventure snorkeling tour we took one day.

the resort we stayed at was beautiful, the staff treated us with respect and made us feel like royalty. we will definitely go back. .. More>

the resort we stayed at was beautiful, the staff treated us with respect and made us feel like royalty. we will definitely go back.

I would have liked to have seen the golf cart transports on a schedule so that you know when you are able to get a ride somewhere. Have them set to be at a location on a ten minute schedule or something like that. .. More>

I would have liked to have seen the golf cart transports on a schedule so that you know when you are able to get a ride somewhere. Have them set to be at a location on a ten minute schedule or something like that.

especially in the restuarant called the breakfast bar called Fiesta and also the carts that take to from lobby to ur room or sports bar or beach the carts would take very long as well the cart never took us to lobby when we were leaving to airport we walked to lobby and almost missed our transporta .. More>

especially in the restuarant called the breakfast bar called Fiesta and also the carts that take to from lobby to ur room or sports bar or beach the carts would take very long as well the cart never took us to lobby when we were leaving to airport we walked to lobby and almost missed our transportation very discussted

the crew staff for activities variation were excelent but staff from front desk lobby and staff that were suppose to be transport from lobby to the pool or restaurants not very friendly or accuracte info:( .. More>

the crew staff for activities variation were excelent but staff from front desk lobby and staff that were suppose to be transport from lobby to the pool or restaurants not very friendly or accuracte info:(

We have been to Cancun and the Riviera Maya area about 20 times. The overall experience at this hotel was FANTASTIC. Those who have major complaints are the type of people who will complain that the sun is too hot when tanning. Yes, the beach was the least beautiful in all my stays, but I knew th .. More>

We have been to Cancun and the Riviera Maya area about 20 times. The overall experience at this hotel was FANTASTIC. Those who have major complaints are the type of people who will complain that the sun is too hot when tanning. Yes, the beach was the least beautiful in all my stays, but I knew that going in and I just look at the ocean so it was no big deal to me. The hotel staff was amazing. The water pressure in the shower was great. The bed was very comfortable. The ac worked great. The food was probably the best we ever had at a resort. The beach bars actually stayed open until 1:00 am. The entertainment was as usual but the Michael Jackson show was fantastic. The hotel was clean, but it was not brand new so a few minor problemsnlike cracked tiles were evident. The pools were big and accommadated all the guests. Plenty of chairs and palapas on the beach. We were in building 1 and it was nicely located. This resort is a good size. Not as big as some that you never quite master your location and not too small to get bored. Wow, I would go back in a minute so if I get another fantastic deal like we did this time I will return very soon. The Apple vacation extras made this all the more enjoyable.

The hotel was ok, but the first room we had had a bathtub & not a shower, so I did ask to move rooms. The room was clean & the room we moved to had a nice shower with a great view of the ocean. The buffets were pretty good, but I may be glad they weren't "great" because it meant I didn't .. More>

The hotel was ok, but the first room we had had a bathtub & not a shower, so I did ask to move rooms. The room was clean & the room we moved to had a nice shower with a great view of the ocean. The buffets were pretty good, but I may be glad they weren't "great" because it meant I didn't come home weighing 20 pounds more, lol. The bars were a lot of fun & it was nice that there was top shelf liquor. The restaurants for dinner were wonderful & it was nice to not be limited to how many times one could make reservations at each. The pool was very nice & clean, but it was the first resort I've stayed where there was not a pool bar; with that said, they had great servers who were very attentive at the pool & beach to take orders. The beach had plenty of chairs, but that was the only perk. There was not much of a beach depth between the chairs & the water & the beach was not white sand & debris free as most I've stayed at. I would recommend this resort to anyone not looking to eat fabulous food all day @ a crystal clear beach - but all in all it was a wonderful stay!

5/14 NO ONE speaks English Informed room service would be a $10.00 charge for delivery Called several times for mosquitoes in the room Safety deposit box wouldn’t open. This took 3 calls…to fix ours, brother had to wait two more days Reservations 24 hours in advance- one day at a time only then if .. More>

5/14 NO ONE speaks English Informed room service would be a $10.00 charge for delivery Called several times for mosquitoes in the room Safety deposit box wouldn’t open. This took 3 calls…to fix ours, brother had to wait two more days Reservations 24 hours in advance- one day at a time only then if you call 24 hours in advance you cannot get reservations because they are all filled up ,you actually have to call at 7:00 A.M. if you want to be able to eat at the restaurant that you want Ordered room service, salmon with rice due to language barrier they thought that we wanted salmon supreme, stated numerous times salmon with rice. When they showed up they had me sign a bill for room service which I have done in the past showing amount for the room service not realizing that they were actually charging 600 pesos to my room bill I was under the assumption the only charge was for the room service fee 10.00 Couldn’t use garden tub, it was broken and had no stopper Bathing suit line in bathroom broken…3rd time swim suits blew off rail just laid them on the patio floor 5/15 Went to tt Apple Rep. Explained all concerns regarding hotel and wanted to be moved to Dreams hotel we had stayed at last yr thru apple. He explained to us he would call on it and we explained we would be back. We came back and he explained that the cost would be $542 for us and 149. For brother. We explained this was unacceptable. He told us we needed to go talk to the hotel manager, we informed him he was our apple rep and we paid apple not blue bay. We asked him about all the concerns that we already had with the hotel - he informed us we had been sent an email stating the terms to the room service had been changed. we informed him we had to call to get our itinerary a week before leaving let a lone an email with hotel accommodation changes. We asked for the phone number of the apple rep he spoke to. He informed us to call apple in the states. We then made an international phone call to apple…it is closed on Sundays. So we gain called our rep and asked for the phone number of the person he talked to so we could be this settled and leave this hotel. He informed Julie that he had left a message with the states to call us and had sent a fax. Got message that we would be leaving and needed to confirm our new flight date (brother also got same call). DONT GO HERE

We enjoyed our stay however compared to other resorts we have stayed at in the Mayan Riviera and the DR this was not as nice. The rooms, service and food were not as good as other places we have visited. I will say that this was cheaper then the other places and when that is factored in I would c .. More>

We enjoyed our stay however compared to other resorts we have stayed at in the Mayan Riviera and the DR this was not as nice. The rooms, service and food were not as good as other places we have visited. I will say that this was cheaper then the other places and when that is factored in I would consider it a good value.

My husband and I stayed 5 nights at BBGE. The service really is the best we have ever had at any resort, Mexico or otherwise. I will say that the beach does leave a little to be desired with lots of rocks, and seaweed galore, but we only dip into the water occassionaly to stay cool, so it didn't .. More>

My husband and I stayed 5 nights at BBGE. The service really is the best we have ever had at any resort, Mexico or otherwise. I will say that the beach does leave a little to be desired with lots of rocks, and seaweed galore, but we only dip into the water occassionaly to stay cool, so it didn't bother us that much. If you are a snorkler, you will probably want to book an excursion, as the swimming area is extremely murky. We didn't try, but I doubt you can see anything. The food is good for resort food. We far preferred the buffets to the a la carte dinners we had, but we had no problem attaining reservations for the a la cartes when we wanted them. The rooms are nice - contemporary, so no garish, tropical patterns that you find in most resorts, but the linen quality is poor. Either it's only 150 thread count, or they don't know what fabric softener is. Still, it wasn't the end of the world for us. Something very convenient is your personal concierge for your buiding. I'm not sure how many rooms are located in each building, but it's a large resort, and having somebody waiting to assist you as you come and go is well thought out. I would have hated to trudge all the way back to the lobby to make reservations, etc. each day. The pool area is nice, though we stayed on the beach whenever we were out, so I don't feel I should elaborate on that. Playa del Carmen is a $20 cab ride, or you can work with the hotel shuttle schedule for $10. Just ask for the 5th Avenue area...it's a large attraction, and every cab driver knows it. If you haven't been before, it's shopping, eating & drinking, more shopping - you'll enjoy it. The minute we got back, we told all of our friends and family that we highly recommend BBGE. The service is unbelievable, and we can't wait to get back!

For My child, the pool was great!!! We all had a good time because of that. .. More>

For My child, the pool was great!!! We all had a good time because of that.

Commode backed up numerous times. Resolving issue done quickly three times. Upon 3rd visit, I requested problem be resolved or I wanted another room. No problem after that. .. More>

Commode backed up numerous times. Resolving issue done quickly three times. Upon 3rd visit, I requested problem be resolved or I wanted another room. No problem after that.

I cannot say enough about how wonderful the service is at this resort. Hotel staff is friendly and accomodating. Everyone on the staff seems to know their job, and they do it quickly and well. They work very hard to please: constant drink refils and orders, clearing away empty cups and dishes, remi .. More>

I cannot say enough about how wonderful the service is at this resort. Hotel staff is friendly and accomodating. Everyone on the staff seems to know their job, and they do it quickly and well. They work very hard to please: constant drink refils and orders, clearing away empty cups and dishes, reminding you that if there is anything you need at all, they will do it. This is one of the cleanest resorts I've ever been to. There was not a piece of garbage or spec of dirty to be found anywhere. Someone was constantly cleaning the pool tiles. The restaurants and buffets had designated bus boys. Absolutely imaculate! The beach was just okay. There was an odd drop off between the chairs and the ocean. There were many rocks in front of the resort. While certainly swimable, it wasn't amazing. The pool was big, but the pool deck area was very crowded. There were more than enough chairs to go around between the beach and the pool, however finding shade could be a problem. Food was wonderful - always the perfect temperature: hot food was hot, cold food was cold (a true rarity at a buffet!). Beds were comfortable, rooms were clean, however the room could have used a comfortable chair or couch for seating. The walk to and from the beach/large pool and the buildings there to the lobby area was quite a hike, but shuttles ran frequently. This resort IS handicap accessible. All of the common buildings, and, at least our building, had access ramps. The resort has a beach wheelchair. There is not a lot of nightlife here, and really because of the distance between the beach and lobby, there isn't a lot to do during the day if you don't feel like walking a lot. It can get a little boring, but the resort does have a shuttle that runs to Playa Del Carmen. This resort is perfect if you just want to get away for 3 or 4 nights and relax on the beach with a book.

There were strange animals that looked like a cross between an anteater and a monkey that came out early morning and late evening. At one point I counted 28 of them. Big turnoff. The beach was great but the water was not clear, looked churned up from the waves. Food and room were excellent and .. More>

There were strange animals that looked like a cross between an anteater and a monkey that came out early morning and late evening. At one point I counted 28 of them. Big turnoff. The beach was great but the water was not clear, looked churned up from the waves. Food and room were excellent and the staff was very friendly.

We mistakenly thought we had been booked into a luxury beachside resort. Wrong. This is party town for those much younger than we with an inclusive rate that means you can drink non-stop 24 hrs a day... More>

We mistakenly thought we had been booked into a luxury beachside resort. Wrong. This is party town for those much younger than we with an inclusive rate that means you can drink non-stop 24 hrs a day and eat yourself entirely stupid should you be entirely stupid. Luckily excess wasn't too apparent perhaps because those that had over-indulged were mostly still in bed until after lunch. The rooms were just okay but looked totally abused by the hordes of holiday makers that flood through this place. Rooms are in blocks which seem to stretch as far as the eye can see and "is this what it's like to be in prison?" thought bubbles through my brain - but it is definitely not that bad. There's a great restaurant by the central pool which was fabulous for breakfast and the food was pretty good. Other restaurants apart from the bistro are by reservation and good luck with that as they are very heavily subscribed. The hotel doesn't seem to be near anywhere but Playa del Carmen can't be far away. I'm sure my son and daughter would think they had died and gone to heaven but me, I thought I had just died. Is that the taxi to take us away to Cancun - oh marvellous.

My wife and I went for six nights from 7/4 to 7/10. We have visited this area over 25 times, first time at this resort. We were assigned to building eight, but when we told them that was too far from... More>

My wife and I went for six nights from 7/4 to 7/10. We have visited this area over 25 times, first time at this resort. We were assigned to building eight, but when we told them that was too far from the beach they assigned us building one. This is the farthest building from the main dining and bar. We did a lot of walking, which was good, as we ate way too much. The room was nice and always cleaned well. The food was above average, with a good variety of choices. We ate at the buffet every night. The liquor selection was decent for a 4 star resort. As like most resorts, you have to ask for better quality, plus a few times when we ordered from the waitress we got the cheap liquor. We stated going to the bar so we could watch them. Life's to short for cheap liquor. The beach was okay, you could walk a long way out in the ocean. The beach was cleaned every day of seaweed. Volleyball court on beach was good. Played every day, even in the rain. Only drawback was the children playing. Some were only around 10 years old. This is a family resort and children are everywhere. I agree the kids should play, but if you like good games beware. I still had fun, just went with the flow. The worst drawback of this resort are the mosquitoes. This resort is in the middle of a swamp. Standing water is everywhere that a building or path is not. We are used to the little buggers around dusk, as all resorts get them then, but here they are constant. Only time they are not biting is in the heat of the day. Hallways, shade, clouds- they are out. Bug spray is a must at this resort. We do not like to use bug spray, so this is a big minus in our opinion. We rated it a four star, as everything was nice, but because of the mosquitoes and all the children everywhere, we doubt if we would go back.

We stayed, as a couple, for 7 days in July. The goal of our trip was complete relaxation and we definitely accomplished that. There's nothing better than the breeze coming off the ocean keeping you... More>

We stayed, as a couple, for 7 days in July. The goal of our trip was complete relaxation and we definitely accomplished that. There's nothing better than the breeze coming off the ocean keeping you cool as you read a good book. As far as the resort goes...the reviews on TA are pretty accurate. 1. The staff is amazing, friendly, and helpful...Building 5 concierge Ana, beach/pool waitress Maria, and so many others. They all work extremely hard and it shows. 2. The food was okay overall, sometimes better than others. I'm definitely not a food snob but I do have a bit of a sensitive stomach. We ate at the Seafood, Steak, Italian, and French restaurants in that order. Actually turned out to be a great progression from okay to excellent...we really enjoyed the French. The Festival is hit or miss depending on your tastes. There is a lot of variety from day to day so if you don't like something one night, don't be afraid to return a different night. 3. Our room was pretty nice. Stayed frigidly cool no matter what we set the AC at. Had your typical musty scent and a few mosquitos...but it IS Mexico. Fridge was stocked with water, etc daily which was nice. Cleaning does happen a little later that your typical US hotel but no biggie. Shower wasn't always immediately hot but it eventually got there. 4. The beach was as expected. Nice sand but iffy water. There were definitely some clear areas and it changed daily. We were typically out by 9am to claim a cabana, then went to breakfast. This worked great for us and no one ever messed with our things. Just a towel and a book or bottle of water to claim your chairs works great! Definitely recommend walking north (left if you're looking at the ocean) to Tres Rios. It is very pretty and a cool phenomenon...cold flowing fresh water meeting the warm ocean. I did end up with sand fleas (my husband didn't). We walked on the beach after dinner the second night we were there and I guess that's when they attacked! Awful itching and looks gross. Really glad to have Benadryl, aloe, and cortisone cream or they would have driven me nuts! Now home, I read that Vasoline coved with a Bandaid will draw out the larvae in a day...going to try that tonight! Overall, it was a great trip. Good value just remember you didn't pay for 5 stars. If you expect perfection you could be disappointed but if you're a casual vacationer just looking for some fun and sun, this is a good place for it. Tips: a) take bug spray, Pepto, Benadryl, etc; b) eat at the French restaurant; c) walk to Tres Rios; d) claim some shade before 9am; e) be kind to the staff and appreciate how hard they work

I stayed for 5 days. We have a wonderful time. The service was great. More>

I stayed for 5 days. We have a wonderful time. The service was great.

We had a great time at the BlueBay. The staff was incredible - they were friendly and service was fast. Pools are lovely and there is never any shortage of chairs either in the sun or the shade which... More>

We had a great time at the BlueBay. The staff was incredible - they were friendly and service was fast. Pools are lovely and there is never any shortage of chairs either in the sun or the shade which was great (i've been to resorts where shaded chairs are difficult to get). The small pool is great for lower key day, and there is a restaurant and bar a few steps away. The big pool area always has stuff going on, but is big enough that you can go to the other end if you don't want to be involved in the games. As the other reviewed said, the beach isn't fabulous here. There is white sand and its great to lay out, but not the crystal blue ocean some other places have. Still, we swam every day and had a great time, water was beautiful. you can always walk to the left 10 mins and there is a crystal clear lagoon that is great for swimming. The entertainment was okay, but we didn't often make it as we tended to stay outside until sunset then make reservations for dinner around 8:30pm. The beach bar is great at night, you can sit on the ocean with your feet in the sand and see the stars and far off lights of Cozumel. The food was incredible, probably the best of any resort I've been to. The buffets always mix things up so you aren't bored and the a la carte restaurants were fabulous - we tried every one and were never disappointed. Highly recommend the mexican and french. Rooms are beautiful. A fabulous trip - the food and high quality of the hotel have convinced us that Mexico is our new spot over some other popular places like Cuba or Dominican. Also highly recommend renting a car for a day. Its cheap and there is really only one main road (so you can't get lost and very easy to drive) that will take you to Playa del Carmen and Tulum. In a day you can do shops in playa, tulum ruins, and go snorkeling. Check out playa maya if you want a day of white sand with clear blue ocean. A fabulous resort!!!!