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Located beachfront in Playa Mujeres, the 4-Star Villa del Palmar is a new all-inclusive luxury resort and spa with plenty of activities to keep the entire family entertained. Approximately 35 minutes from Cancuns International Airport and about 25 minutes north of Cancun`s hotel zone, the area is also home to the Playa Mujeres Golf Club, with a course designed by Greg Norman.Welcome to the all-new exotic and luxurious Villa Del Palmar Cancun, where Mexican hospitality meets classic Caribbean relaxation. Offering luxury accommodations, Villa del Palmar Cancun beautiful settings invite you to visit but your senses will beg you to stay. This resort aims to please by offering personalized distinct services targeting honeymooners and families. So visit Villa del Palmar Cancun, Where Paradise is the Routine. Read More About Villa del Palmar Cancun - All-Inclusive
Personalized service and a luxuriating lifestyle define the newly opened Villa del Palmar Cancun Mujeres Beach Resort, where a pool butler will be happy to service your every need. And that is just the beginning.
Located in one of Mexicos most coveted locations, this property aims to please by offering personalized distinct services targeting honeymooners and families. It is all here - from setting out to sea for a glass-bottom boat tour to nibbling on culinary delights from a beachside perch to going on a whirlwind shopping excursion, to soaking in your own Jacuzzi tub. This fast-growing stretch of Cancun offers a bit of everything, from shopping and nightlife within easy access to downtown to empty crowd-free strands of beach to the utmost in opulent relaxation.
Properties Amenities
Villa del Palmar Cancun is an ocean front resort featuring Mexican and International Cuisine at La Casona and Zama Restaurants; it also features an al fresco lounge bar, the Palmita Market, a Tiki Beach bar and a poolside bar.
Wired high-speed Internet access is available at surcharge. Villa del Palmar features 4 outdoor swimming pools, 4 outdoor jetted tubs and a fitness room. This Playa Mujeres resort also features two massage treatment cabanas at the beach and a concierge desk. Business services and currency exchange can be provided. Onsite parking is complimentary.
- Convenience store
- 24 hour room service
- Non motorized water Sports
- 4 outdoor swimming pools and four outdoor jetted tubs
- Fitness centre
- Concierge desk
- Internet access ($)
- Babysitting or child care ($)
- Currency exchange
- Dry cleaning/Laundry
- Front desk 24 hours
- On - call medical assistance available ($)
- Parking
- Pool Butler
- Travel Agency
- Nightly live entertainment and theme nights
- Daytime beach and pool activities
- Shuttle 6 times daily (check schedules with concierge as times may vary)
- Wedding coordinator on site
- Multilingual staff
- Porter/bellhop
Accommodations
Villa del Palmar Cancun offers 415 guestrooms. Rooms feature balconies with Garden or Ocean Views. Flat-panel televisions come with premium cable channels and pay-per-view movies. Wired high-speed Internet access is available for a surcharge; phones and in-room safes are also provided. One and Two Bedroom Suites have fully equipped kitchens with full-sized refrigerators/freezers, stovetops, microwaves and cookware/dishes/utensils. Bathrooms include separate bathtubs, showers and double sinks. Separate living room area with murphy bed, dinning area and a balcony or terrace, coffee/tea makers and air conditioning are also included. Cribs (infant beds) and roll-away beds are also available. Rooms are accessible via exterior corridors. Housekeeping is provided.
Restaurants and Bars
Mouth-watering delights - many of which are caught fresh from the shore - await you at the resorts many restaurants. In the mood for fine dining and a dash of romance? No problem. Or prefer to simply lounge poolside with a burger? The resort have that too!
- La Casona Restaurant: Featuring international cuisine with Buffet and A la carte service.
- Zama Restaurant: Featuring Mexican and international cuisine with A la carte service. Lobster available at additional charge.
- Hiroshi Restaurant: Featuring sushi and oriental cuisine with a la carte service.
- Palmita Deli: Featuring delicious snacks and a Gelato shop.
- Tiki Beach Bar: Featuring delicious cocktails and snacks.
- Davino: Featuring Mediterranean cuisine with A la carte service.
- La Casona Bar, Zama Bar and Lobby Bar: Featuring premium brand liquors.
Dress Code Policy - Casual: Bermudas (long shorts or capri pants), sneakers/tennis shoes or sandals. No sleeveless shirts for men. Ladies must wear a bathing suit wrap or cover-up.
- Casual Elegance: Sneakers/tennis shoes or sandals, dress shirts with sleeves. No sleeveless shirts or flip-flops and long pants required for men.
Activities and Adventures
When your life consists of errands, never-ending traffic, carpools or simply everyday stress, it's time to head to Mexico where exotic lush rain forests, crystal clear waters and breathtaking sunsets calm your soul and soothe your psyche. Whether you love diving, cruising, golfing, ecotourism, family getaways, foodie adventures, honeymoons or hosting a wedding in an exotic locale, Mexico is your be-all, offer-it-all destination with activities galore. Choose from land based options like horseback riding, ATV rentals, hiking, bird-watching, biking, tennis, golf or lounging beachside or opt for bungee jumping, snorkeling, surfing, kayaking, wind-surfing and whale watching. And that's just for starters. The Villa Group Resorts in Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Loreto, Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta offer a wealth of adventures beyond the usual sunning and swimming.
Recreational
Villa del Palmar Cancun features 4 outdoor swimming pools, 4 outdoor jetted tubs and a fitness room. The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing
- Surfing/boogie boarding
- Swimming on site
- Kayaking on site
- Sailing
- Boat launch
- Whale-watching
- Aerobics on site
- Volleyball
- Running track/path
- Bicycle rentals
- Hiking/biking trails
- Parasailing
- Horse riding/rental
- Fishing
- Eco-tours
- Golf lessons available
Activities available nearby
KIDS HEAVEN
Featuring a playground, kid’s pool and the latest Xbox entertainment, activities and movies area
SPA
Immerge on a tropical ambience with treatments that include massages, body wraps, exfoliations, and facials, massage cabins & hydrotherapy circuit. This Playa Mujeres resort also offers two massage treatment cabanas at the beach (extra fees apply).
Approximate driving time is 35 minutes and distance is 22.2km (13.8 miles.)
Driving directions from Cancun International Airport:Exit airport and take a right towards Hwy 307/Hotel Zone. Turn onto Hwy 307 heading north towards city of Cancun and Tulum Avenue. Proced into Av. Tulum North and Take exit for Playa Mujeres sign (straight) and proceed north for approximately 10 Km. Watch for Villa del Palmar sign.
Where is located the Villa del Palmar Cancun?Playa Mujeres, Q.Roo. Mexico: This area is home to the Playa Mujeres resort complex, including the Greg Norman designed golf course. It is located 25 minutes north of Cancun’s hotel zone and 35 minutes from the airport. It is part of the Isla Mujeres municipality.
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Lillian from Rancho Cucamonga, Ca
"Our experience at this resort was interesting to say the least. The resort is beautiful with all their surrounding palm trees and wonderful view of the ocean. However, the entire rooms at the resort were without water for 2 days! We were inconvenienced by the fact that we were not able to bathe and dress to enjoy their dining facilities and entertainment. We were celebrating our 25th Anniversary so we expected to have a wonderful vacation, instead we were frustrated by the lack of concern and no apologies. They projected the feeling of not wanting to be inconvenienced by their guests. Well, we are members, shame on Villa Del Palmar, Cancun!"
Posted: Mon, Apr 29, 2013- Overall Experience:
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Claudecir Pagnussatto from Toronto, Ontario
"The hotel is great, food is delicius and staff are vere very fruendly"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Dalit from Williamstown, Ma
"The whole family had a great time! Rooms, pools, grounds are all very beautiful! Great family destination."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Jon from Lexington, Massachusetts
"The trip to Villa Del Palmar was extraordinary. The food and service was terrific. If you are looking for a go crazy and wild resort this is not the place for you. The atmosphere is calming, relaxing, and peaceful. Never had a problem finding beach chairs or waited longer than 5 minutes for a person to assist us. I would recommend making reservations for the restaurants the first day you arrive as the peak hour times fill up quickly. Also if you reserved a taxi through the hotel make sure you get a confirmation the day before to make sure you have one when you leave. We are already planning on returning next year. I would highly recommend Villa Del Palmar."
Posted: Mon, Apr 22, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Jan from Carlsbad, Ca
"Our first experience with an all inclusive resort was GREAT! We feel very fortunate to have found something we like BETTER than a good cruise! Avoid the timeshare ordeal; our vacation time is worth more than the discounts offered. Book your own restaurant resrvations ASAP, not difficult. Good food and excellent service at all restaurants, especially Davino and STK. As sushi lovers, not so great at Hiroshi. Gym is good, music and entertainment poolside is fun. The spa and staff ~ lovely!! Excellent family resort-something for everyone. Only problem was getting ice to our room. oh well."
Posted: Fri, Apr 19, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Ryan
"Had a great time. Most of the staff was wonderful and quick getting your orders. The food options were limited but me being a very picky eater I was still able to find something to eat everyday. I was never bothered with doing the tour or buying a timeshare. Only downside is there isn't much of a nightlife at all. The bars were all closing around 11pm. I would recommend this resort to others but if I go back to cancun I will try another place."
Posted: Thu, Apr 18, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Adam from Chattanooga, Tn
"The front desk at Villa del Palmar was extremely arrogant and unhelpful, even threatening. You will be almost forced to go through a two hour time share pitch. The 'all inclusive' is extremely restrictive. Our first two hotel rooms were either taken or the hotel couldn't even get in the door. The water stopped working on our last night, so we could not shower or get ready for our long trip home."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Kedric Greenawalt from Mundelein, Il
"My new fiance and I had a tremendous experience at Villa del Palmar. The food was excellent and the service even better. I would highly recommend it to any friends/family."
Posted: Tue, Apr 09, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler
"Villa del Palmar surpassed my expectations. The place was beautiful, our room was great, and I thoroughly enjoyed the cuisine and amenities. Get there early to get a cabana on the beach! (though the music is pretty obnoxious in that area). Surprisingly breezy and cool for the time of year that we went (late March). Paddle boarding and beach volleyball were excellent. Most of the staff were great. Hiroshi (one of the restaurants) was pretty poor service and disappointing if you don't like sushi. Highly recommend Davino for breakfast, Zama for lunch, and La Casona for dinner. The excursion to Chichen Itza that we booked through the resort was exceptional. Really enjoyed myself."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Alvaro from Bucaramanga, Colombia
"Excelente!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Beth from Overland Park, Ks
"This was our first experience with an all inclusive after being on many cruises. We were welcomed to a BEAUTIFUL resort and put with a concierge that immediately told us we had nowhere to eat because we hadn't made reservations for dinner at the restaurants! An all inclusive and we ended up, our first dinner, bad pizza and undercooked pasta at the 'snack bar'. Then the concierge told us she would be our 'best friend until we leave, whatever you need, I will take care of' until we declined the selling tour to buy into the place...never heard from the woman again. Our rooms was AMAZING, beautiful, spacious, the balcony with hammock was the best...but, our mini-fridge that was to be re-stocked everyday didn't get restocked unless we called and when we requested regular water instead of sparkling, it was ignored.
With regards to the staff, they couldn't care less about you. They are at an all inclusive, where gratuity is included (unless you'd like to tip more, which they notice!), so they have no reason to hurry with your order. If you drink, you have to order a double or even triple if you want to even taste the liquor at all...the bottom shelf liquor that is. My husband is a beer drinker and the only thing he could get was Corona Light, sometimes a Pacifico, but that was it!
There is ZERO nightlife, no sports bar (we were there during March Madness and didn't see ONE game!), the one fun bar we found (one with swings, cute!) closed very early each day!! NO SWIM UP BAR!! and simply nothing to do outside of laying by the pool/beach during the day and having dinner IF you have made a reservations. The food is nothing to cheer about either.
It was VERY disappointing and I would NEVER go back, much less buy into this place like many people got talked into!!"
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Melinda Odom from Jonesboro, Arkansas
"So much about this resort was wonderful. But the fact that most of the people there were there for time-share presentations was annoying. Most of them talked about how cheap there trip was because they went to a presentation. I found that a little strange. Food was good but wish there would have been a lunch buffet. staff was awesome! friendliest waiters in Cancun in my opinion and I have been to Cancun 8 times! Only problem with beach was too much seaweed in water."
Posted: Mon, Mar 25, 2013- Overall Experience:
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Ben N from Dallas, Tx
"3 OR 3.5 STAR RESORT AT BEST, BELIEVE ALL THE BAD REVIEWS ,
stayed here for 5 nights , overall did not enjoy ourselves here, felt very unwelcomed and the food quality & drink service was a joke. very rude staff , trust me there's many better resorts that will treat you much better
CHECK IN - we arrived to the hotel , nobody greeted us , sit in line to check in and the staff was very slow and in no hurry to take care of anybody. took 45 minutes just to check in. They proceeded to tell us that our room would not be ready until 4:00 PM so we proceeded to go and have a bite to eat. THEY TOLD THE WILL BE INCIDENTAL FEE HOLD FEE OF 200.00 AND WE SAW THEY CHARGED 5,000.00 PESOS WHICH COMES OUT TO 397.00 USD, we were surprised by this charge this amount they change from guest to guest and we were told they were going to return this hold and now even 6 days after they told the hold would be reversed it still has not been and we may have to dispute it with our CC company.
FIRST IMPRESSION & MEAL - waiting for our room to be ready we went and had a lunch which was HORRIBLE , we know all inclusive food is not great anywhere but this place takes it to whole other level of bad. Every dinner meal you have to make reservations which you can only do during 10am-5pm (which nobody told us about)
GROUNDS- the grounds are pretty clean and well manicured but it does not make up for the shitty service and ridiculously disgusting food they serve. 4 or 5 nice pools , hotel lobby is messy and stains on all the couches & rugs, JUST NOT A PLACE YOU WANT TO SPEND 2,200.00 US FOR 4 NIGHTS 5 DAYS
SERVICE - front desk is a joke, there understaffed , under trained and no nothing about Hotel professionalism and attention to detail. the concierge ladies wear a fake smile and treat you OK until you turn around and walk away.
ROOMS- rooms are big and failry clean for the most part, the SHEETS ONLY GET CHANGED IF YOU HANG A SIGN THAT PURPOSELY HIDE FROM PLAIN SIGHT ON THE DOOR OF YOUR BATHROOM, same with the towels. the rooms are pretty big and seem luxurious if you dont know any better
FOOD - dont get be started on the food , CHEWY CHICKEN , DISGUSTING STEAK & BEEF , and no matter which of the 5 restaurants your eating at the all are literally the same tasting crap . breakfast buffet is the only Edible food of the day
ATTENTION TO DETAIL - NONE! , we are on our belated honeymoon NOT ONE TIME , did anybody acknowledge that. the only clean areas that are common areas
ACTIVITIES OR THINGS TO DO ON THE RESORT - NONE ! , you spend a lot of time in boredom trying to get a signal on there BS WIFI that only partially works in the lobby.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE - we felt ripped off, should have picked somerwhere else , we read all the reeviews and we thought we were going to have a better experience and we were wrong . from the 1st step you take into the resort it feels like any average hotel, with no attention to details. THEY WILL MAKE A NUMBER OF WHAT TO CHARGE ON WHAT THEY CALL A 'INCIDENTAL CHARGE' which they told was going to be for 200.00 USD and after we check our bank statement online we noticed they charged us 397.00 US or 5,000 PESOS. they charged the person next to us 100.00 us and they make up a random amount from guest to guest. Hotel grounds were beautiful that did not make up for the horrible service and the horrendous food & watered down drinks. JUST GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, I DONT GET ALL THE GOOD REVIEWS THIS PLACE HAS, MAYBE MANY OF THE SATISFIED GUEST JUST DONT KNOW ANY BETTER OR HAVE BEEN TO NICE RESORT IN MEXICO, STAY ANYWHERE BUT HERE"
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Arianna from Mi
"Water pressure was poor. It was difficult to wash the soap off. The staff were friendly, but very slow. Room service took forever. The food was mediocre at best at most restaurants, except for Hiroshi, which was phenomenal! Being there at low season, I was surprised at the difficulty at getting in for dinner at the various restaurants! What will happen during high season!?nnThe rooms and the resort grounds were beautiful! I would have liked things to stay open later, however, the pools, restaurants, etc. Overall, the value with the all-inclusive deal was well worth it!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Fred Sawyer from Savoy, Ma
"Upon my arrival I had to wait 45 min. to check-in and I was fourth in line. Perhaps there was a language barrier between staff and registree because I had encountered this same problem when I reached the front desk . I had booked 2 rms. on-line but my friends were placed on a different floor than me and I could not seem to convey my wishes to the staff to have them change this. Their response was a blank look so I gave up.
The dinner reservation set-up for the 4 restaurants is a NIGHTMARE. I started calling the restaurant at the appropriate time 10 am. but the line was constantly busy. After 35 min. I finally got thru and the next available seating time was 9 pm. Much too late for me to be eating a 4 course meal.
On day having tried for 45 mn I asked the front desk to alll to make a reservation - Blank Look. So I gave up.
That night I walked into the restaurant, explained I had no reservation Blah,Blah, and the hostess said I might have a 30 min. wait. So I decided to wait and true to her word I was able to get in in 30 min. time. The fook was very good.
The food at the other restaurants that we ate during the day was excellent also.
To eliminate this dinner reservation NIGHTMARE I suggest that upon your arrival when you see the concierge have them make your reservationat the restaurant of your chose for the time and no. of days of your stay. i.e. 6 pm. at Davino for 5 nights. Otherwise my hotel room was immaculate. The hotel grounds were beautiful, The pools very inviting and the beach area spacious with plenty of cabana's, lounge chairs and towels available.
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Fred Sawyer from Savoy, Ma
"Upon our arrival we had to wait 45 min. to check-in - there was only four people ahead of us. I have no idea why it took so long to check everyone in when there was three employees behind the check-in counter. Perhaps there was a language problem because every time I asked a question they would give me a blank look. And that is why the other couple that with us ( because I booked two separate rooms together in the on- line process) were put on a separate floor because the staff just could not understand what I was saying - so I just gave up.
The resort was very clean and beautiful. The landscaping gourgeous. The pools very inviting . The beach area was spacious and had plenty of cabana's and lounge chairs to sit at. Our room was huge and immaculate. The balcony had a fantastic view of the gardens which were well kept and a view of the beautiful ocean.
In order to have a nice dinner at night in one of the 4 restaurants you have to make a reservation. GOOD LUCK THERE! I called at the appropriate time which started at 10 a.m. and all I kept gettting was a busy signal. I tried to go thru the front desk but they could not help me - blank look. After a half hour of trying I finally got thru and the next available sittingtime was 9 pm which is way too late for me to be eating a 4 course meal. One day I just gave up after trying for 45 min to get thru to the restaurant. Hey - I want to be batheing on the BEACH at the BEACH RESORT not sitting in my room trying to make dinner reservations.
We were able to eat at one of the restaurants one night because we just walk in and told the hostess that we had no reservations blah blah blah and she stated that it might be a 30 minute wait so we opt to wait and true to her word we were sitted in 30 min. And the food was excellent ! And the food in all the other places was very good.
The dining reservation scenario needs a major overhaul - I would recommend that when you visit with the conceirge upon your arrival you have her make your dinner reservations for the time you require for the amount of days you will be staying - i.e. 6 p.m. for 5 days at the Davino restaurant for 2 or 4 people. A DONE DEAL !!"
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Cheryl from Tinton Falls, Nj
"Visually a beautiful resort both inside and out. The restaurants were beautiful as well with food beautifully presented. Unfortunately, the food was not as tasty as I would have liked with breakfast being the best tasting of all. The snack bar food was also quite good. Getting a reservation was a chore as they could only be made between 10am and 4 pm. Phones were consistently busy and it was difficult to get a reservation for dinner earlier than 9 or 10PM. Surprisingly, the restaurants looked empty most of the time, so this was strange.
The concierge was put there mainly to make reservations to sell time shares for the resort complex. The only reason we went on the tour was to get deep discounts on excursions and services. The tour which was supposed to last 90 minutes went on much longer and I admit I lost patience. After 2 hours, I advised them we were not interested and were passed to 2 other people before we were able to leave. The last person was quite rude.
The staff was friendly and accommodating, but many times we felt that we got different answers to the same questions from different staff members giving us the impression that they did not know what was going on. This left us feeling insecure about the answers we were getting. For example, I purchased round trip transfers and I was told I'd have to pay $50.00 for a cab to the airport. The person who was supposed to correct this was only available at 12pm or 3pm, or maybe 4pm. I was not going to spend my last day running back and forth to find this representative. The concierge was no help. eventually I spoke with someone who told me they'd handle it. They did, but I must have checked and rechecked 3 times in my insecurity about this.
I was told we'd have a bottle of wine sent to our room and it never arrived. Towels are changed every 3 days in the bathrooms. Resort was quiet and family oriented without much nightlife. The shows were poorly attended.
I suggest getting the all inclusive package, especially if you intend to have cocktails. Breakfast ran $35.00, Lunch, $50.00 and dinner $100.00 without liquor (as we drank at the bar). Avoid the Mexican restaurant for dinner. Very disappointing as we had hoped that would be the obvious highlight.
Book some excursions: Isla Mujar was great fun. We rented and shared a Moped and toured ourselves. Food was reasonable there. Stay away from shops near the ferry as they are a rip off. Visit the ruins at Chichanitsa (Sp) a long day, but fascinating. Swim in the Sidona. If you don't book excursions, you will become bored after 1 or 2 days. There is only so much you can do in this part of Cancun. You need to go to the hotel area for Nitelife."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Amy from Ayr, Ontario
"Fabulous brand spanking new resort! We were so impressed from the time we arrived until the time we checked out. Our experience was amazing and we would definitely return. 5 star dining in all the restaurants, amazing taste and presentation. The rooms were absolutely spotless and beautiful. Most comfortable bed I have EVER slept on. Room service included in the all inclusive plan. Tons of lounge chairs for everyone.
The only thing I would recommend would be if you are leaving tips by cash, stroke out the tip area on the bills. Every meal you get a bill, even if you are all inclusive. You have the option to add a tip or pay one with cash. We gave cash tips the whole week and upon checkout we found out a staff member at one restaurant had written in the tip! The issue was promptly dealt with by Sergio Cruz, the front desk manager. We did not have to pay the tip on that bill. Honestly, best vacation I have ever been on!! GO THERE!!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Re Wells from Grove City, Ohio
"My wife and I have vacationed here since the resort opened and we just competed our 4th trip in three years. It is a wondeful resort and we will be retunring again the end of October. We love the staff and the area is very laid back and relaxing.
The only negative thing to say is the the Wi-Fi and Internet service is TERRIBLE! If you are a business owner and need to stay connected this is not a good option for vacation. They will tell you that they have the service and that they are working on upgrades to the system but in fact it is just not an option for a professional business person who has to stay connected to his/her business.
Other than that, WE LOVE IT!."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Margarita Sia from Mississauga, Ontario
"Villa del Palmar is a very nice resort. The rooms are clean and kept neat. However, the only request I want to make is for the owners to spend some money to clean the beach so it is inviting to the guests. There were a lot of seaweeds and rocks."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Maike Miller from Owensboro, Kentucky
"Just returned from our stay at Villa del Palmar. Staff was very nice and hotel is beautiful. The restaurants serve amazing food. Loved Davinos (italian and greek). The beach is beautiful and there is always something going on. We stayed here because it wasn't in the heart of Cancun with all the clubs, etc. After 11pm it is nice and quite. We will definetly be back.
But if they try to sell you to go to the sales tour (they will offer free tickets to tours or big discounts) do not take it. Sales tour was supposed to be 90mins but ended up being more than 2hours. A few free tickets was not worth it."
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Kim
"This resort is absolutely gorgeous. The rooms were spectacular, without a bad view anywhere, the beach beautiful, plenty of pools. There was plenty of restaurant variety and amenities.
We had purchased the 'All Inclusive' Package - the problem, however, is that it is not an all inclusive RESORT. So when we arrived, we received a list of 'rules' of where and when we could eat, what was/wasn't included - it was not the all inclusive I was expecting where you can enjoy your vacation without carrying around cash, credit, or worrying about how well you were going to be served based on tip.
The resort also seemed to be understaffed. While the staff seemed to be working their butts off, there were waits often for food, drinks, check in and out, etc. There were also not enough chairs - the last day we were there I had to walk around the entire resort just to find a place to sit by the pool.
Overall I would definitely recommend this resort to others, but not the all inclusive package - the rooms have kitchenettes and are such that eating on your own private balcony is just as enjoyable as in the restaurants, and you don't feel like your getting shistered for more tips."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Margaret from Beach Park, Il
"checking in was a breeze; we even got a higher view as we asked for; the timeshare people only asked once and we told them that we were not interested so they left us alone;there were only three concerns; it took too long to get service at the restaurants, wait was even longer for you to sign the bills and the prices are outragiuos; we stayed all inclusive so it did not matter to us; overall the stay was great and we would most definitely recommend and we can't say that about other all inclusive that we stayed at in Cancun and this was our six visit to Cancun."
Posted: Fri, Mar 01, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Cindy from Marysville, Oh
"I would second almost all the comments here. The food was extremely good for an all-inclusive (we have been to others). The rooms were really luxurious, spacious, clean and comfortable. The pools were varied, including a cute kiddy pool, and an infinity pool that overlooked the ocean. We spent one day sitting on the beach instead of by the pool and noticed the seaweed but there was a crew raking it up for quite a while. The seaweed must be just a result of where the place is located on the ocean and they seem to try and stay on top of it.
The only negative I would say is the service which is slow. Pool side, it takes an hour to get your drink or snack order and in the restaurants, if there's a lot of tables full, takes a long time too. Also the wait for a table is long if you wait until after 6 p.m. to eat. The Japanese restaurant has only 14 tables so you have to line up by 5:15 or so to get in on the first wave of people. After they are full, you wait at least an hour, or more. Eat a light lunch and go to dinner early here.
Although we were approached by the consierge at check in about the membership/time share-like meeting for a discount card, we said no thanks and no one bothered us again. The consierge also gave us a lot of good information about the place, how to get around to places of interest, and the restaurants so it was worth talking to her.
All the staff was very nice. However, you get a different answer to any question you may ask 2 staff members. Check with at least 2 people if you have an important question like 'will the shuttle stop at the bus station.' You will get different answers."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kristen from Jamestown, Ny
"The hotel was very nice. It was clean and well maintained.
HOWEVER... The service at this resort needs a LOT of improvement. The restaurants are very good but be prepared to WAIT. The most irritating issue was signing for everything you ordered... Especially since we were on the all inclusive. They issue bracelets, and NEVER use them. The staff spends more time asking for room numbers and signing the check then serving the guests. Very annoying. We found that the best way to get your check was to walk away.... They come running after you (literally) to sign!!
Do not pay for Internet!! It's worthless anywhere on the property. We only wanted it to call home (Skype) but it NEVER worked. Any calls to room service needed to be followed up at least twice. It also took 2 days and 6 calls to have the 'included' mini-bar stocked for the first time.
A few highlights were the bar staff.
My advice is to try somewhere else first. This place needs to improve the service before we return. Stop wasting my time signing for everything I eat and drink. I paid for an ALL inclusive.. deal with the accounting on your end, not mine!!
...it's a time share....so beware of the sales pitch. It can be pushy,
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Jim Rackley from Warsaw, Indiana
"I found that the hotel itself was in very well maintained and clean. The beach was nice and never had an issue finding a place to sit by pool or on beach. The food was very good by all inclusive standards (menu driven not buffets).
The restaurants are way undersized in terms of seating. There is a constant wait for dinner everynight unless you want to eat at 10:00 pm. Service at the restaurants and bars is very slow. You will constantly have to grab waiters for service which is very annoying considering the cost of the stay. Service deteriorated as the week went on. In addition, you have to sign for everything which is a deliberate hassel to the customer.
The timeshare pitch is the most important item on the hotels agenda. Fortunately, we read reviews and were alerted to decline talking to the conceierge.
Generally speaking, the staff was very nice and extremely overworked. They are required to cover too much ground which leads to poor customer service. What you have read in the reviews is a very common theme and accurate. In closing, if you don't mind slow service and weak alcoholic drinks this is not a bad place to stay.
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Allen Fuller from Edmonton, Ab
"Our first 7 days were arranged with the resort for a 2 bedroom suite and for the price we paid we expected a first class experience. The only thing first class was the appearance of the amenities from a distance and the food presentation. I rated this stay as poor.
Not much changed on the last 3 days. But we were paying $200/day for room and all inclusive instead of an outrageous price for the room only.
The room and beach were still dirty. The food was still poor to good with exception of the Davino restaurant which raised the rating of this place 1 point in all categories. Housekeeping and front desk staff still didn't know their jobs. We still had to fight to get charges for items included in the all inclusive reversed. We still had to wait to eat.
But the palm trees still made sitting by the pools enjoyable and the hot tubs were a joy to sit in. We were in the Cancun area with warm weather, sun and sea.
If you don't mind dirt, mediocre food and service, isolation from town and the hotel zone and can get this place for $100 per person per night room and all inclusive go for it."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Lee Adams from Austin, Texas
"Restaurant and snack bar seating capacity is inadequate. Common snack bar wait time was 5-8 minutes. Restaurant waiting time was worse. Longest wait time was 1.5 hours. One time we finally gave up and left. They don't take reservations at restaurants, which combined with inadequate seating, resulted in long wait times.
The worst problem is that wearing a resort all inclusive bracelet is not enough to get food or a beverage. A check also has to be signed each time food or beverage is received. This resulted in sometimes long delays waiting for initial service or to get the check. This was especially true at the bars. Bar tenders were already hard pressed to just fill drink orders, let alone to stop and prepare checks. We have never encountered such a ridiculous requirement at an all inclusive resort. Several times we got tired waiting and left. We also overheard other guests complain about this unnecessary policy.
Some other concerns:
No swim-up poor bar, which every other resort has where we have stayed.
Roving waiter services for the pool lounge areas were rare to non-existdent, which meant we had to leave to get snacks or drinks.
Coffee, cream and sugar supplies are provided in the room only once upon check-in. If you want more, you have to buy them at the nearby store. How cheap!
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Cherie from Alpharetta, Ga
"We just got back and we thought it was a wonderful vacation. We went to relax, and that is what we did. But I did get to enjoy the water aerobics and Zumba that was offered along with the gym facility! The activity staff were great! The room was beautiful, and the food was good! Can't wait to go back."
Posted: Tue, Feb 26, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Julissa from Senoia, Ga
"Great facilities ! Everything is well with the resort ,until , u get trap by the timeshare sales MAFIA, and you were leave with the sour taste in your mouth , which undermine the effort of the rest of the staff in making you feel comfortable and secure .
What to expect when you coming ? They are going to trick you into attending, what it will turn to be into a sales pitch by their sales team Mafia ,by offering discounts on some their spa, and excursions services .
Take it from us is better to pay full price,and avoid wasting 2 hours of your precious vacation time .If you ever have attended to such pressure sales meeting ,you know that it will begin with the phrase 'DON'T worry it will no pressure to BUY ' ,of course, as an educated consumer we know that the opposites will occurred , expect to be made feel inadequate and unworthy of being in there presents and in their property.
P.S. when desk request 20 dollars from you to be return to you , upon attending their sales meeting, well kiss your money good bye ! I guess your money will lay inside pocket."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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A Recent Traveler from Senoia, Ga
"My husband and I ,took this first trip to Cancun and bought our all inclusive package from online(fair price ) the pictures and video are very accurate for what are you going to see there , in other words the place is really pretty . Be cautious , the day of the check in they are going to book you for a 90 min, tour ,offering you a VIP card for a xtra discounts of services around the resort like a massage and tours, well , My husband and I realized I the tour was a time share presentation , so we just don't show up to the invitation , the concierge call us , an told us the he will reschedule us, we decided to go after our 4 th day we were there , at the beggining they told us there is not any commitment, so we went our tour guys, He was very sarcastic ,how ever , went we sitdown, after the whole tour and after his explanation about their product , he asked us , from the scale 1 to 10 , 1 being no , and 10 being ,signing up, We said we are a 2 , so hat means NO , maybe something we consider on the future, He call a second man , and the whole meeting went completed wrong , this man ,don't remember his name , he basically ,was rude , not happy with our decision, he asked us if we have a credit card with 99,999 dollars open credit , we said I don't have to give u that info , then we just desided to go up and leave , they let us talk to the owner representative , so we could rated their tour and our experience , I personally thing the Real owner needs to becaful who he hired to represent him , this man was not nice at all , we expressed our frustration , we where there to enjoy our vacation , not to be buy anything we don't want, he responses ,was This is not Hotel , That very confused us a lot , so , why they put their packages in Travel website . look , if they don't improve their time share program presentation , tourism just don't going to come back to this place , We think , this presentations shuold be voluntary from the guest , if I want to buy something I go and look for that , no one can make a pressure .
Well , this incident changed all the experience we did had so far , NOT COMING BACK .
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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A Recent Traveler
"It took over 6 hours to get our room and it was not clean with bugs all over bathroom and kitchen. They were very under staffed and it took too long to get a drink or get into any restaurant. We had maid service once and that was after I complained. Had to track down clean towels every morning. We booked an excursion for the following day with the travel agency and when we arrived the following day we had to pay for everything again. No refund resort credit at an all inclusive? Our least favorite place"
Posted: Thu, Feb 21, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Kim T from Boston, Ma
"Extremely nice resort. Everything is as beautiful as the pictures look. Gratuities are included, but it's still good to tip the waiters; they're so friendly and accommodating. The theme nights aren't well attended and the resort is pretty far from the main downtown Cancun area, so if you're trying to party and go crazy, this might not be the place for you. But if you're trying to eat well, sit by the pool or hot tub while someone brings you cocktails (ask for a double!), then it's pretty perfect. Oh, and someone may pressure you into attending a time share presentation, but you can say no. You should really say no."
Posted: Fri, Jan 18, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler
"We paid $99 per night per person.And I think it was reasonable.
I just say everyone who will stay this hotel.
''BE CAREFUL ABOUT MEMBERSHIP SALES.''
When you check in, they invite all of you a next morning breakfast and 90min. special tour .Be careful That's just a sales of membership.
We didn't know the detail,so we took part in the tour,just a sales of their membership program.We immedeiately foud it was just a sale.
So we reject politely that we dond have intend to have membership first. But the sales man didnt agree with stopping that tour.We have a baby and he became bad mood because the tour(90min.)is too long for small one.
We said many time to stop his disgusting tour and invitation. But he never stopped.impossible!!!!terrible.
Finally we left there ourselves.But he invited us another room and let us met another men.It was so disugusting...
Hotel is nice and staffs are friendly.so I recomend you never take part in ther tour!
I dont want to recommend this hotel.So bad memory"
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Butch Davis from Seminole, Fl
"So sorry this took so long but with the Holidays and all we finally got around to telling you just how GREAT You all made my Birthday. We can not say enough for the BEST STAFF that we have ever had. From the moment we arrived to to our last goodbye it was by far the very best. Thank you to all the 'Boys' at the beach bar oh so much fun they are the best. We had so much fun. The food was absolutely incredible. I do believe if we would have tried your restaurant first we would not have gone any where else. The fish presentation was out of this world.
I do believe you will remember us from the fun we had after visiting the ladies room Wow what an experience. We have been trying to book another vacation with you so I am sure you will see us again.
Best regards"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Laura Campbell from Atlanta, Ga
"The Villa del Palmar is is a very nice resort. The rooms are comfortable and nicely decorated. The ocean view from the balcony is fantastic, the food outstanding. One of my favorite things about this resort is the landscape and how it complements the sea shore back drop. This resort has a nice ambiance.
One of the things I found to be different at this resort was that they asked us to complete a survey of our experience less than 24 hours after our arrival and not at the end of our stay. I realized later during our time there that I had scored the the service higher than I would have if I did the survey at the end of our trip.
The things I didn't like about the Villa del Palmar was the inconsistency of the customer service. They always seemed understaffed. The concierges didn't practice good follow through on requests. It was difficult getting through to room service. Food service was very slow at 4 of the 5 restaurants. The exception is the breakfast buffet, the service and food selection is always wonderful. Booking activities could be challenging. Some of the staff were uninformed about some of the special promotions the resort was running at the spa and on excursions which created tension between some guest and staff members. Although it's a beautiful resort, I wouldn't return or recommend the Villa del Palmar. There are too many other resorts in Cancun that offer both beautiful surroundings and excellent customer service. One last thing. It's a time share. They will try pressure you into taking one of their tours."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Marcus Van from San Jose, CA
"The Hotel was very nice, Staff friendly. However the restaurants services was very slow. Lunch/Dinner waiting time and finish time was done in 3-4hrs time frame.
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Rebekah Fincher from Conway, AR
"the time share aspect of this place is bothersome. they do not take no for an answer, as far as attending the presentation. however, we were prepared for that and are super laid back on vacation, so we were fine with it--but several people were not. the beach by the hotel is not nice at all. there is trash, seaweed and lots of underwater construction and debree going on. Highly recommend taking the ferry to isla mujeres for a beautiful beach."
Posted: Mon, Aug 06, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler
"Love it!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Donesha Grant from Owings Mills, Maryland
"I have to first say I was a little apprehensive about booking this trip due to all of the bad reviews, but after experiencing the resort for myself I have to say it was BY FAR the BEST experience of my life. My boyfriend and I stayed at the resort for four days we never left and we had the best time. The food was AMAZING especially from ZAMA, and the TikiBar. I love the room service, they were always prompt and was extremely friendly. Our room was upgraded upon arrival from a Garden View to a Ocean View and it was the most spectacular view, we could see the entire resort below and out to the ocean. I will honestly go back tomorrow if I could, but we will be booking another trip back to the resort in the next year or so. "
Posted: Wed, Aug 01, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Ralph Patterson from Maryville, Tenn
"Very beautiful resort. Staff and waiters were very friendly and helpful. Great swimming pools with plenty of chairs, umbrellas and thatched umbrellas on beach.The beach does have seaweed but they are working hard to keep it clean.24 hour room service is great with all food being really good.Loved all the restaurants. Great view with balcony for every room."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Elena Nazarova from Aurora, CO
"The hotel was nice and new. We received up-grade from deluxe room to one-bedroom condo at check-in. The first day was very stressful for us. I was lucky that I was with 3 kids and without my husband and concierge did not force me to listen 2 hours' time-share presentation, because I was very tired and hungry after long day trip. We were tired from the trip and did not eat all day, because we had an early morning flight from Denver, but could not get any food till late evening, because one snack bar was already on the process of closing and did not wated to give us any food, but all other restaurants are going to be opened only after 6-6.30pm and we had to make reservation for 2 them of 4 one day before. They have to have some kind of overlap of time from daily snack bar to evening restaurants, because new people are coming every day and I am afraid that they would have the same bad experience, especially when you have 3 hungry kids with you. The staff was very helpful and friendly. The food was always fresh and good. The all-inclusive is definitely the way to go. We liked the Mediterranean restaurant and fresh fish -'catch of the day'. I recommend this restaurant, because you don't need to make reservation for this restaurant and another reason that for example my son could wear the shorts when 2 other restaurants: Sushi restaurant and Steak House required shirts, pants and closed shoes for men, but my 13-years son did not bring pants to Mexico. Also the food at Mediterranean restaurant was delicious. On the last dinner, when we mentioned to server that we are leaving next day, we received very testy desert on the plate with sign:'Have a nice trip'. It was very nice to do and looks like chief-cook manages this restaurant very good. The hotel would be great for families with kids. It has a lot of nice pools: kids' pool, family pool, and 3 other pools for adults with great view to ocean. The beach had a white sand, but the water was full of seaweed. It was unusable for the most part. We were flying so far way from mountains to enjoy the ocean, but it was not pleasant at all."
Posted: Mon, Jul 23, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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TMaige from GA
"You will not be disappointed! This is a beautiful resort with a great staff!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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June from Summerville, SC
"The great things:
Beautiful resort, great rooms and suites, friendly workers, wonderful pools (especially good for those with children), nice theme nights, fun to paint bowls and decorations (and then have a real artist finish them so you are proud of them), pool-side food and room service food (especially the chocolate delirium), and the band Santa Fee was great.
The so-so things:
Restaurant food, Having to take a taxi or other public transport to get anywhere,.
The disappointing things:
We got there early when the rooms were not ready and we were not offered a chair, drinks, or any comforts. We were told four different times when our room would be ready and three of those times it was not ready. Later in the week we were pressured to go on a 90 Min. sales pitch. We would have been willing that first day when our rooms were not ready.
My husband had looked forward to a fishing trip. The resort did not offer one and the concierge seemed unable to arrange anything 'in town' even though we saw lots of fishing boats.
Many of the workers were not aware of what was included in the All-inclusive program and what was not. So we missed some things we would have enjoyed if we had known they were included.
The service at all of the restaurants was extremely slow. One time our appetizer was delivered to the table after the main course. Our orders were consistently confused--giving us incorrect food or missing part of the order.
The beach was awful--full of seaweed both in the water and at the tide line.
This resort could be top-notch with a little more work, but we will not return unless we hear specifically these things have been improved."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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David Colon from Miami, Florida
"NO Nightly live entertainment theme nights 0000000"
Posted: Tue, Jul 10, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Tim Clark from Dallas, Texas
"This hotel is a racket! After greeting you with a cold fruity beverage, the front desk informs you that they are just finishing getting your room ready and ushers you to the concierge while you wait. The concierge then gives you their spiel about the hotel and invites you to a "special breakfast... to learn how you can save money on future trips. Then they get mad and become rude when you don't want to spend 90 minutes listening to a sales pitch. I spent some time in the lobby and watched this process repeat itself whenever fresh meat walked in the door.
We stayed here for seven days, and only tipped one guy....not because we are cheap, but because he's the only one that wasn't rude or had an attitude. Overall service was lousy, and the quality of food was just so-so. The pools are great, but their private beach front is small and ridden with seaweed. Rooms are very spacious but smell of mold from all the condensation."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Nate Wright from Greensboro, North Carolina
"The resort was very nice. Overall the staff was very friendly but there were a few that were not enthusiastic about their job, which is to be expected. The major issue we had with the resort was the food. Not enough variety. I like Mexican but it got very old after the 3rd day. La Clausana (Exclusive Restaurant) was not worth the time or money. I understand the dining experience it tried to provide but they missed the mark. The dining experience was too long, the food was not that good and though a very exclusive menu, it was not that exciting.
We did enjoy the sushi restaurant. The shack bar just did not have enough variety.
I loved my room and the grounds but because of the above, I do not see myself coming back. "
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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B Miller from Hamburg, Pa
"This was a great trip for our family, the Villa del Palmar was excellant. All the food, room, and staff were great, Beach is not cleaned up but they are working on this. I was told the government has to do this, and it should be finished in a couple of months. The pools make up for this, they are cleah and beautiful."
Posted: Wed, Jun 27, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Cynthia
"I will not return. The Villa del Palmar Cancun was a beautiful resort. Howevever, although new, it's not ready for prime time. 1) They don't have enough staff to accommodate your needs; 2) the rooms are damp and have an odor; 3) the beach is not for swimming (a lot of seaweed, etc. on shore); 4) construction is on-going. While at pool you smell fumes from trucks; 5) make sure you do not visit during 'marketing week'. They are aggressively selling time-share and have time-share prospects there while your trying to enjoy your stay; 6) we agreed to listen to a time-share presentation for 2 free spa treatments and they only gave us one. Further, as a paying customer, they had no consideration of my time as there presentation went over, eating into my vacation time; 7) some restaurant staff made me feel rushed when ordering my food. I was there to relax, but felt pressured.
I felt the resort was full of 'smoke and mirrors'. I won't be back nor will I recommend Villa del Palmar Cancun to anyone."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Sean from Ludlow, MA
"it took me a while to write this review but I am headed back to the Cancun area again in a few days. I was at the Villa back in February during school break. Got to say this is the new up and coming Hotel/Resort. The place is beautiful and it is only the first building. You have to understand that it is newer and they are just starting to work the kinks out as far as staff efficiency goes. At times service was slow but you know what, who cares its vacation, relax. The place is clean, new and amazing. We did have to deal with a little construction but it wasn't that bad. We were on the side of the new building that is going up. My understanding is that there will be 3 towers. I recommend it if you have a little patience and just want to relax. It is out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the hotel district, it's quiet and peaceful. Go and enjoy! I'm sure it is that much better."
Posted: Thu, Jun 21, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler
"Traveled here on a time-share promo. After a week and a half being home, I was charged additional money. ($360 to be exact - and guess what?) The beach was dirty. There was a ton of seaweed everywhere. So much so that the water appears to be brown. They say that they are friendly, but they're not. The mosquitoes were horrible! A lizard resided in our room. The drinks had very little alcohol in them. The food was bland and there is nothing to do if it rains. I will not go here again."
Posted: Fri, Jun 15, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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A Recent Traveler
"Overall the experience was horrible, and I would not recommend this resort. We were harassed into purchasing a time share and ultimately said no, however the staff were rude. They did not tell us they would be conducting a presentation on the purchase of the resort villas. They have an aggressive marketing approach, and we just wanted to enjoy our vacation."
Posted: Thu, Jun 14, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Mayes from La Grange, TX
"The suite was beautiful, food was good,staff very efficient as long as you gave a tip!
Beach was terrible! full of seaweed and dirty no one swam in the ocean.
We hated having to sign for food & beverages as you felt like you had to tip all the time even though it was all inclusive."
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Anatoliy Nazarenko from Colorado Springs, Colorado
"The building is nice. The food is good, but there is no any pristine beaches at all and no places to walk. if it is a matter for you to be sitting in the pools and consume alcohol than this place is for you, but if you know how real Cancun beaches look like forget this place and never go again. Time share guys are very annoying and capable to spoil all your vacation and there are a lot of them. nNever saw in my life the beach as dirty as Villa del Palmar beach one and it was smelling really bad plus the tractor was going back and force all the time collecting weeds. Nobody were going to the beach at all. nYour company misrepresented this new still under construction hotel. Will never rely on your information again. Very unhonest job"
Posted: Thu, Jun 07, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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A Recent Traveler from Orlando, FL
"Resort and pools were really nice.rnBeach was terrible. Couldn't swim in it because it was so dirty. rnEven though it's 'all-inclusive' you still had a bill at each meal (even though you only pay tip) which is different from other all-inclusive places. The whole appeal of all-inclusive is not to worry about money when you're there, and this place makes you worry about it.rnBars are ok. not open too many hours though. rnFood was pretty good.rnOverall the nice building and pools are really the only thing they've got going for them."
Posted: Wed, Jun 06, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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LINDA from WASHINGTON, DC
"THIS IS INFORM ANYONE ABOUT THE VILLA DEL PALMAR RESORT THE RESORT IS BEAUTIFUL. THE FOOD IS NOT THAT GREAT ONLY THREE PLACES TO EAT. NO DAILY ENTERTAINMENT ON THE RESORT NOTHING TO DO.THE BEACH HAS ALOT OF SEA WEEDS. AND THE LAST THING DONT TRUST THE CLEANING STAFF HAD ITEMS STOLEN WITH BAGGAGE. ALSO USE THE SAFE FOR ALL VALUABLES. I THINL WHEN YOU GO EAT AND YOU GIVE YOUR ROOM NUMBER THEY GO AND SEARCH YOUR ROOM BEWARE."
Posted: Sun, Jun 03, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Dick from St.petersburg, Fl
"just returned from villa del palmar do not beleve the bad reveiws food was good staff was pleasant pols were verry good and the drinks were cold and plentfullon 5/22-5/27 they wrew about 40% full so only one buffet all food was served in a medertran style restraunt 2 snack bars 4 bars the time share was about 3 hr long not bad for 6 nite vacation food and brinks"
Posted: Tue, May 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kent Elam from Melbourne, Ky
"Seven of my family stayed for 6 days to celebrate my youngest daughters 21 st everything about the week was excellent from food beverages and service . And the villa was beautiful"
Posted: Tue, May 01, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Chelsea from Lexington, KY
"The resort is beautiful, clean, and very nice. The waitstaff and bartenders were friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful- they are one the the greatest assets of this resort (and that's saying a lot- this place is gorgeous). The food was yummy with lots of options for every meal. Free paddle boarding and kayaking were fun and the activities people were happy to do whatever we wanted."
Posted: Mon, Apr 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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The Rackley Family from Indianapolis, IN
"We just read the comments from another family, and felt as though we could have written the exact same review. This was our first all-inclusive stay and our first trip to Cancun so we had nothing to compare it to but left feeling somewhat disappointed. Our experience with the concierge upon arrival, made us feel as though we had made a mistake booking our stay there, along with other concerns with transportation from the airport. The hotel and grounds were very clean and most of the employees were trying their best to be helpful. The beach was not worth sitting on and that is usually our favorite part of a vacation. As we heard many, many guest say, this resort had a long way to go to be considered a five-star resort."
Posted: Sun, Apr 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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The Kelley Family from Carmel, IN
"Upon returning from our stay, I had some time to reflect upon the trip, our stay, and the Mexican culture from a more general sense. The resort in my opinion is a resort in the midst of an identity crisis. They desperately want to be and be acknowledged as a 5 star resort as they are ambitiously expanding their property, aggressively promoting and actively trying to up-sell any tourist that walks through their doors. All together, a point of subtle yet forceful antagonism meets you when you arrive at the resort. And unfortunately the one focus they are truly missing is the focus on their guests. The detail that goes into truly pampering a guest and developing a bond that will bring us back time-and time again. They are really a solid 2.5 star resort for a few very critical reasons. On the positive side, the rooms are quite nice and the grounds (pools, and beach) are very well maintained and quite lovely from an aesthetic quality. The negatives do out weigh the positives' starting with the food being buffet style is below average, although plenty of it, the quality and variety are lacking. The staff can be gracious for the most part, but slow, not attentive and really seem to care more about their individual tasks rather than the guests that actually keep the resort open. And the "concierge... is the largest negative. They really should simply be called "sales people.... They are not there to help you in any way, and have nothing to do with service to the customer, in fact quite the opposite. Their one purpose is to up sell you. From timeshare to excursions they are aggressively "on you... from the moment you enter the facilities. To me, that may have been the worst part of the resort, and when I asked why these people would not leave you alone, I was told somewhat hostilely, "They are just doing their job.... So what is their job? Well, to sell you and I more than we have already purchased. Astounding. Then there are the activities. Never variations, always the same drill and event, all very overtly controlled in a somewhat childlike way. It seemed I never stopped waiting in lines for some absurd thing or another. The tipping point is the archaic reservations system they devised for two of the three restaurants offered, you literally have to get up at 7 AM and head down to the one area, stand in line (again) while one person takes the exact same information they took just the day before and hand writes it into a tiny log to which she then delivers to the restaurants. If you miss this, you eat at the buffet, again. If that were not bad enough, they don't even offer you the time you may want, they tell you when you can eat according to their scheduling at only specific times between 6 and 8:15 PM. Again, the system is childlike, clumsy and so slow, instead of being relaxed, you are simply annoyed. It seems that all the things a 5 star resort would have worked out in a much more efficient and guest focused manner, are overly prevalent at this resort. So, if you are looking for a bargain (the price is good) and are willing to put up with archaic service, a strange requirement to stand in lines like children that follow the resort's own inadequate and over simplified processes, the endless sameness of the "buffet... style food/drink, and overly aggressive sales people disguised as the "concierge..., you should enjoy your stay. Sadly, the resort could be wonderful, but they really don't understand the concept of the customer comes first and are in desperate need of management that understands the resort business. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this resort to the more discriminating traveler, as you will more than likely be disappointed."
Posted: Mon, Apr 23, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Nancy from Phoenix, AZ
"The staff was by far the nicest part. The hotel was nice and new, although my room had a foul oder of mildew. The all inclusive is definately the way to go. However, don't bother doing the 'membership/time share' 90 minute thing. It's really 3-4 hours and my time is worth more than a few dollar off things the HARD sell you have to sit through. For the most part those discounts are offered elsewhere. The beach was white sand, but the water was full of rocks and seaweed. It was unusable for the most part. It was also red flagged for 6 of our 7 days. We had to travel to Isla Mujeres to North Beach across the island for blue tropical beaches. This hotel would be great for families with kids who want to not be in the mix of drunk spring breakers. It has lots of nice pools. However, there is nothing to do at the hotel in the evenings. The food was OK and tasty and while it was the only place I ate, I still got the back door trots mid week and again when returning home. I also heard other guest got sick on the food too. It's still new and they are trying to work out the bugs. During the day and night, the grounds music was playing and it was very nice. But then they had the Cuban band roaming the gounds and you hear both at equal volume. At night they had a disco guy play boom, boom music that no one listen to or payed much attention to. But when all three music sounds were going all night, it was just a lot of noise. NOT pleasant at all. The hotel didn't know enough to stop one piece of the music so people could hear them individually. The bank/exchange gal never had enough change unless you got there at 7 am. The maid service was very nice, but the hotel only gives you clean towels 1 every 3 days. Well OK, we had to hang our towels outside to dry and when we returned to our rooms, 1 or both were always missing. No wash cloths, only 1 towel, no bath matt, etc. We had to call nearly every day. It got so bad we started hiding our towels. I have long hair and I need more than 1 towel every 3 days. We had a suite and the dishes were put away and already dirty..lipstick on the cup, etc. I'm, guessing the maid just assumed if they were put away that someone actually washed them. The SPA was VERY pricy at $80 and up for each thing. If you go to the island there are very nice places to get a massage for $20 right on the beach. This hotel is very far from the shopping and taxi's are expensive. The hotel does offer a van service, but the times are very limited and restrictive."
Posted: Sat, Apr 21, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Randolph Ellis from Edmond, Oklahoma
"Very negative experience at this all-inclusive resort. We have stayed at many all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and other countries. This resort is beautiful, the beds are very comfortable and the food service and activities staff tried to provide good service. They seem to have a great deal of pressure on them to follow procedure. The big goal was to sell timeshares not customer service. We have to sign ticket after ticket for food and drinks even though we have bought all inclusive. Minibar was included but only one day's coffee packet. Very weird. No one covered the rules with us. We found out on the third day conceirges did not make dinner reservations. We have to go to the towel hut at 7 am to make sitdown dinner reservations. Buffet food temperature was cold. Poor quality except fish was wonderful. Even the transportation was more interested in sell trips that booking a return time back to the airport. Only two restaurants and one buffet not 5 restaurants. Entertainment was lousy. The resort is beautiful and has wonderful potentila just poorly run."
Posted: Wed, Apr 11, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Randy & Shirley Ellis from Edmond, OK
"My husband and I have traveled to Mexico many times and believe in all-inclusives. We are so disappointed in this resort. It is beautiful ,great ambiance comfortable bed, magnifcant location but that is where it ends!!! So much potential but so badly managed. We had a wrist band but they drove us nuts with signing tickets with large amounts of money shown in pesos and US $. We were not charged extra but it caused a great sense of anxiety. I do not think we got our $50 credit on the lobster. We could tell the staff was doing what they had been trained to do. The beach is tiny no where near what the pictures suggest. The $100 credit could not be used all at one time but in $50 increments another micro-management issue. Very limited selection on the menu and or buffet. Food was never hot on the buffet. We worried about getting sick. You get one day of coffee packet in the room then have to buy more from the store even though it is all inclusive including the bar. We had to keep asking for water for the room to drink and brush our teeth with. There is very little to do and the entertainment is not worth even attending. There are not 5 restaurants but really only two plus the buffet. Seafood was good but beef was terrrible. We paid way to much for this resort it is not a 4.5 but maybe a 2. We need a refund for at least half of the cost. Villas owners had nothing good to say about this resort but raved about the Cabo and Peurto Vallarta locations. We were not met and transported but had to wait 20 minutes to be transported to the resort in a dirty van. The return to the airport went fine. They goal was to sell you excursions when you tried to find someone to schedule your return to the airport. They resorts main focus is to sell timeshares. They are right in your face when you get there attempting to book a two hour overview but really to sell villas. No one wants that when you first arrive. You are tired and just need to relax. They did not even have water, beer or a cocktail available. The activities are limited but the yoga, water aerobics and stretching instructors were good. Do not take kids because the pool is about it. The conceiegesr do not book the restaurants. You have to be in line at 7 am at the towel booth by the pool who had no phone to call to arrange that day's seating for dinner or you are stuck with the cold food on the buffet. It took us 3 days to figure out all the processes to follow. There is no value from the concierges but the front desk help was wonderful!!! We are going to write a letter requesting a partial refund because they did not provide the amenities and services as promised. The location will fall into ruin unless many changes are made. The first one should be making guest service their number one priority. Nothing else will happen until that occurs."
Posted: Tue, Apr 10, 2012- Overall Experience:
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A Recent Traveler
"Excellent hotel with excellent food. Very clean. Nice rooms and pools. Great experience!"
Posted: Tue, Apr 10, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Christopher Pierret from Rochester, MN
"Why we chose this hotel: Honestly, we were looking for price and value. I booked during Black Friday/Cyber Monday and got a tremendous deal. At the time the reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Other peoples reviews: Just before we left, we noticed that there were quite a few new (and quite negative) reviews. We prepared ourselves for a potentially bad experience. In Cancun: Our flight went well and we were greeted immediately upon exiting the terminal. We were at the hotel within 20 minutes of touchdown. Our driver was fantastic (and fast). At the hotel, we were upgraded to a one bedroom suite ocean view from a deluxe ocean view at no additional cost. Our room was on the top floor and included a jacuzzi, dining room, living room, kitchen, laundry, two baths and a fantastic bedroom. The deck had a large table and chairs, lounger, and a hammock. The view was tremendous. We were greeted by the concierge (who was very helpful), but had no additional need for her, as we had booked our activities already. It turns out, that may have been partially responsible for the great time we had. Others have mentioned the time-share sales pitch and pushy concierges. We had no pitch, no pushiness. The housekeeping, wait-staff, and all others were very helpful and courteous. You have to be prepared to make reservations for the non-buffet dining. This is done at the activities desk starting at 7 each morning. If you handle this, the dinners are quite good and include very good service. I highly recommend the sushi menu (made at Zama during our trip, but soon to open at Hiroshi). The nightly shows were fun and entertaining. Favorite was the Circ-de-Soleil style show. We saw some people who did not seem to feel they were having good service. In all cases, from our perspective, the fault was with the complainer, not the hotel. The low prices of the vacation offers (like mine) seemed to draw out a mix of travelers that may have had unrealistic expectations. Favorite was the tour of Chichen Itza. The guides were great. It is a long, hot day and the sinkhole is not that cool (think tourist soup), but the cultural component was fantastic. We also enjoyed a day trip to Isla Mujeres, which was great fun (and included North Beach, a very nice stop). Overall: If you are looking to be where the spring breakers aren't, the grounds and staff were great!"
Posted: Mon, Apr 09, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Lori from LeMars, Iowa
"When you finally arrive at the hotel, you think you might be in paradise, and much of it is. They really push the time share thing, would not have gone there if we would have known about that. Beautiful setting, very clean and most of the staff is very friendly. But, you cna't get a reservation to the restaurants that require them, and the food at the buffet is cold and alwayss empty. The last night we had to wait for about 15 minutes just to get a plate and silverware. The entertainment was ok. Really hard to get a towel for the pool and beach area. If you are laid back, you will be fine, but if you are not, this is not the place for you. And by the way, what is the deal with the wrist bands. You have to give your room number and sign for everything anyway. Not enough staff around the pools serving drinks. The great side of this is that you are far from the Hotel Zone of Cancun, so, much more peaceful."
Posted: Sun, Apr 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Anthony&valerie from Coram, New York
"i dont understand people the grounds and room are unreal the staff and food was awesome we were treated so good the restraunts to drinks to food everythnig couldnt have been better beach and the pools and grounds and hotel is awesome and the service at the pool drinks all day and food from the pool served to us non stop the service was unreal and it was so good eve nthough we were all inclusive we tipped everyday cant wait to go back again or try another place of theres this is our 4 th yr in row in mexico love it period!"
Posted: Sat, Apr 07, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Shana from Dallas, Tx
"The room was nice, the beach was nice. The customer service was not. Not happy with being hounded about the time share. Also not happy with being left at the mall. When I spoke to the concierge about it, no apologies, just told it was my fault and my watch must have been wrong and I was late meeting the shuttle (even though the shuttle was late picking us up at the resort). Was told they would talk to the manager and call us to clear it up in 30 minutes, never got a phone call. So, if they really believe word of mouth will get people to the resort (as the lady who kept trying to sign us up for the time share meeting stated) they will only get bad word of mouth from me. We even ordered room service and were told it would be there in 45 minutes, 2 hours later, we got our order. Worst trip to Mexico, yet. I guess if you don't want to hear their time share spiel, they don't care about you. The other staff was nice. Management and front desk area seemed to be lacking in customer service."
Posted: Sat, Apr 07, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Linda Winter from Shoreham, New York
"Our experience at the hotel in Cancun was outstanding in most every way. The resort is very luxurious and our rooms were very large and well equipped. The food was very good and the service attentive. The beach was very nice, although the water was full of seaweed. It was not inviting for swimming, needless to say. Some complaints were that it was a bit rocky for the first ten feet or so upon entering. If you are a real beach nut, and enjoy the water, this might not be the place for you. The pools were luxurious, however, and we did enjoy the pool. There is no swim-up bar, but the waiters were available to take your beverage orders and bring them pool or beachside. I would recommend this resort."
Posted: Fri, Apr 06, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Stephanie from Minneapolis, MN
"I am writing this review after I have had a few days to reflect on my vacation. I stayed at this hotel with my husband, 16 year old, another couple and their 17 year old. I have traveled to Cancun before but had never done an All Inclusive. The other couple had stayed at a different resort last year and did the All Inclusive and loved it so we decided to try it. We choose this location based on recommendation and the priced seemed amazing for a quoted 5 star resort.. I typically would spend more money no matter where I am staying or how long I am staying in a hotel for a nicer room. My idea of a 5 star is first rate everything. Service, rooms, guest accommodations, drinks, food, etc. This hotel in my opinion is a long way away from being a 5 star. We paid over $2,000 for a 6 day 5 night stay for three people. Airfare on top of that. I did not have the option of choosing to do a timeshare tour to cut the cost, nor would I have chosen to go this route, no matter how much money I would have saved. The time at those things is not worth it when on vacation in my opinion. However most of the people we spoke with had gotten some deal that they paid for their airfare spent $299 for 6 days 5 nights had to do a tour that was supposed to take 90 minutes, ended up high pressured and took over 3 hours, but that seemed the route a majority of people went. We had arranged transportation ahead of time. We were told that there would be someone waiting for us with a sign when we arrived at the airport in Cancun; however this was not the case. I had to ask around and eventually found our guy. We ended up waiting about 20 minutes, but the gentleman was so nice so the wait it didn’t bother us at all. Once we arrived at the hotel, it was pretty chaotic. They only had 3 people working the front desk, no one explained how everything works at check in, and we were told the concierge would do this. I sent the rest of the gang up to the room and waited in line for the concierge. It was seriously the biggest cluster. For the most part the ladies working at the concierge desk had very little manners, were extremely pushy and seemed to only want to sell me packages and timeshares. One of the ladies told me she would not give me any maps, schedules or anything else related to the resort unless I went up to the room and got my husband and the other couple to listen to her sales pitch. I got to the point that I ended up getting upset and said to the lady all I want is a map and a schedule and the head concierge lady finally realized how annoyed I was and gave me my information. However I did not get any insight into where anything was located, what was all included in our All Inclusive, how the food in the rooms worked etc. I realized throughout the trip that the Concierge was nothing like what you would consider a concierge to be at another hotel. They barely spoke English, didnt know answers to most of our questions, and overall were impolite. The rooms are beautiful. I would say 5 star! Plenty of room and very comfortable, we had the 1 bedroom suite. However my daughter slept on the Murphy Bed and after seeing how uncomfortable it was, I would have definitely gotten another room with a bed for her. The staff that ran the activities did a nice job trying to get people involved. The food was horrible everywhere but the pool bar restaurant. Good bar food! We were told that there were 5 restaurants on campus, when in reality there were only 2 restaurants, 1 buffet and the pool bar restaurant. The only place where good food was served was the pool bar and room service. Room service took at least 45 minutes for breakfast and 1.5 hours for anything else! You must make reservations in the morning, dont know where or how, I was told you had to wait until after 3:00 to do so but the two days I did this, they were booked. I never understood this theory as there were always open, dirty, tables. Every other spot the food was terrible!!!! Cold dishes at the buffet, warm fruit, warm juice, cold food. We only went to the buffet once for dinner and the food was either freezing cold or nonexistent and they were not quick to replace. The deserts were all the same, chocolate sponge cake, strawberry sponge cake, etc. not 5 star quality by any means. The sit down restaurants plan on sitting for 2.5 hours, because service is horrible. Alcohol is weak; the wine choices are terrible, even the options for additional money are bad. I would compare the wine to Two buck chuck, but worse. It seemed in most spots that we were bothering the wait staff. The only good service was at the pool and these people were overworked. Only a few waiters working for a large group of people. Typically took a long time to get drinks. We tipped extra and that seemed to speed up the process. You must get out the pool early in the morning and put your towels on the chairs if you want a spot by the pool. 2 times while we were there I went down at 9:00 and they didnt have towels. Kind of annoying but after waiting 20 minutes we got freshly cleaned towels. The staff at the activity area was not very friendly. They seemed to be more interested in talking to each other or the men hitting on young women versus doing their job. One staff employee was really the only person that stood out. She was very helpful and sweet. Even here activities were screwed up. I signed three of us up for Paddle boarding at a certain day and time and when we arrived for the reservation nothing was correct. She did fix it, but she was flustered too. The service from the room was horrible. Just know that when booking this hotel, no matter how many people are in your room, you only get 2 Coronas, 2 Pacificos, 2 Sprites, 2 Coca Cola Lites, 2 waters, 1 chip, 1 candy bar and 1 cookie at check in, well actually our fridge was empty at check in, once I inquired about this, that is when they filled the refrigerator. This DOES NOT get refilled this way!!!!! Never did we have a day where it was exactly like this. I called to request that they put 3 of everything since we had 3 people in the room and they said they could not do that. That seems really strange to me that we are paying for 3 people but they could only give us 2, I complained but they never fixed it. I had to call every single day to request the refrigerator be restocked and they never fully restocked it. So annoying and misrepresented from the All Inclusive plan. I was assuming there would be many options in the room to drink. Our phone stopped working 2 times when we were there, our safe stopped working and we couldnt get into it, our air conditioner in one room stopped working and after calling numerous times, these items finally got fixed. I was so annoyed by the horrible service that I went down to speak to the manager and I saw her speaking with someone else, stood there for 20 minutes and finally wrote a note with my name and room number and asked one of the front desk people to give it to her and I never heard anything from her. I found in talking to people these same problems occurred for them as well. Most of the people we spoke with that seemed to travel a lot felt the exact same way we did regarding the food and service. Everyone we talked to loved the rooms, pools etc. The workout center was great. Fully equipped, nice equipment, good atmosphere, overall really impressive. The spa was beautiful. I had a massage and the spa was peaceful and different than any other spa I had been to. They did a fantastic job with this! Be aware that if they say that you get a resort credit you only get to use $50 a day and this is only good for additional items on the menu such as steak or lobster, or services at the spa. My massage was $125 and they took $50 off, only after I got our bill at checkout and reminded them of the credit. The hotel is so far away from anything to do, the beach is not good, very small and a ton of weeds. There is nothing to do at night. The final four was on and there were only two spots to watch and have drinks. The outdoor pool bars were nice; there was one at the beach with swings that you sat on. This was pretty cool. Overall we made the best out of it. I would say that the hotel itself from the esthetics, rooms, pools these were all 4-5. The restaurants looked nice, but food I would give a 1.5. The service at the pool I would say overworked but a 3, 4 depending on the person and day and the service throughout the resort a 2. Overall I would rate this a 2.5-3 star experience. They have a lot of work to do to attain that 5 star rating. I would never recommend at this point that anyone would spend their money to stay at this resort. At this point I would never return to this resort. Had the staff been more curtsey and helpful I could have overlooked some of the items, but when you are spending money anywhere you shouldnt have to ask (beg basically) for things to be taken care of every single day!"
Posted: Fri, Apr 06, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Denise Brown from Friendswood, Tx
"I really liked this hotel. It was in a quiet area and secluded from all the craziness of the 'zone'. There could have been more activites within the resort and some of them were quite expensive when compared with my trip last year. The hotel was beautiful except for some construction on the new addition to the hotel. We didn't have too much noise but it was ugly. The rooms were beautiful and very comfortable. The only problem was that if we closed the sliding doors to the balcony the room would smell foul...not ocean musty...like sour milk smell. Even the a/c didn't help so fortunately we were able to leave the doors open with the 80 degree temps outdoors. It was a bit noisey at night however. The food got tiring at times and we made certain to eat on the Isle and also at a local place called Flamingos one day. It helped with the manotony. I thought most of the food was good. Nothing really fancy and sometimes a bit overcooked. We purchased the all inclusive plan and it was worth it for the drinks as they all didn't seem to have too much alcohol in them and when I purchased one on checkout it was $7.00. Overall it was a wonderful experience but I think I enjoyed my trip last year more. Cancun is very expensive and very touristy. I probably wouldn't go back to Cancun but if I did, I would try here again. It was worth the special price we had."
Posted: Tue, Apr 03, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Randy from Castle Rock, CO
"Resort was nice, food was good, not exceptional and breakfast was the same every day, although room service was good. Had a great time only snag was new construction above our floor starting at 7:15 AM, we complained and were given a free upgrade to an exceptional room, staff was great although they are severely understaffed."
Posted: Tue, Apr 03, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Lorie Ochoa from Ridgecrest, CA
"Beautiful accomodations, clean and very safe. Isolated from other things but not a problem. Beautiful facilities. Food is fair although buffet was uaually cold but the snack bar is fantastic as is the beach service and pool service. Would recommend to friends and hope to go back again someday."
Posted: Mon, Apr 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Anthony & Valerie Paduano from Coram, New York
"My wife and i had the most wonderfull time from the room to the food to the staff treated us so good from march 24-31 the place is absolutely beautifull cant wait till they add the other 2 places next door def goin back again, all the grounds and pools and restraunts and beach are absolutely amazing and service was top notch nothing we could complain about at all def a 10"
Posted: Sun, Apr 01, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Shana from Garland, Tx
"The room was nice, the beach was nice. The customer service was not. Not happy with being hounded about the time share. Also not happy with being left at the mall. When I spoke to the concierge about it, no apologies, just told it was my fault and my watch must have been wrong and I was late meeting the shuttle (even though the shuttle was late picking us up at the resort). Was told they would talk to the manager and call us to clear it up in 30 minutes, never got a phone call. So, if they really believe word of mouth will get people to the resort (as the lady who kept trying to sign us up for the time share meeting stated) they will only get bad word of mouth from me. We even ordered room service and were told it would be there in 45 minutes, 2 hours later, we got our order. Worst trip to Mexico, yet. I guess if you don't want to hear their time share spiel, they don't care about you. The other staff was nice. Management and front desk area seemed to be lacking in customer service."
Posted: Sat, Mar 31, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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A Recent Traveler from New York, 3/25/2012
"I stayed at this beautiful resort for five days and enjoyed the upgrade to a one bedroom suite upon our arrival. I was very impressed with the size of this resort. I was told that the resort was opened in 2010 and is still expanding. They have the most amazing pools, one of it being an infinity pool. The beach was cleaned every morning which was also very impressive. However, they always ran out of towels and we had to wait for them for about 20 minutes. The food at the restaurants were ok but wasn't impressed with the overall service and selection. They also had themed events from 7pm to 10pm. Afterward, guests either stayed at one of the open bars. The bar with the swings closed at 11pm and some people went to the other bar that was still open until 1am. Some may have even gone to downtown Cancun or retreated to their room. I wish they had more fun activities at night. Overall, I liked the resort and will recommend it as a family destination."
Posted: Sat, Mar 31, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Camelia from NY
"I just came back from this resort yesterday. While the resort is brand new and still in development (there's still construction going on, if you're fortunate to get a room on opposite site, it won't bother you) the only thing I can strongly recommend is the spa. We had an amazing and very relaxing experience. The Zama restaurant is also pretty good (try the apple pirouette and fried ice cream. also try fish of the day) and the 'snack' restaurant (which offers burgers, fries, tacos, guacamole and a lot of more variety of food). Everything else is progressively cold and no variety. Same thing over and over again. We booked a couple of excursions outside the resort and we called room service to get early bkfast....WOOOOW. First morning we had to wait almost an hour to get 2 omlettes and 2 coffees. Next day we waited an hour for 2 coffees only. The day we left we actually and purposely got up at 4.15am to make sure they have enough time to prepare and deliver our bkfast - - which over 1.5hr and multiple calls later, we ended up leaving to the airport with no bkfast. Not even an apology. Not even a coffee. We ended up getting cappuccinos and a croissant from a Starbucks for which I paid over 7 bucks. VERY DISAPPOINTING ! The day we checked in we've been told theres no construction going on at the time. Hmmm, turns out the heavy duty crane and drilling goes on at night. There's random construction during the day so pls expect to see workers in and out .... The bars are very limited. Not much variety nor quality in drinks either. We got the welcoming package a day before we left. if you purchase something on the resort (e.g. spa) you're being taxed doubled, but nobody tells you that. it just shows up on your check-out invoice. ....The beach, while it's true it's federal property is full of algae....On a different note, if you go outside the resort and you try to negotiate your purchases you'll find out the prices are inflated by 30-50% and even the currency exchange is inflated outside the resort, specially if you choose to pay in US dollars you're basically being ROBBED. Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. If you're still not happy w the price you get, say thank you and leave. They'll give in and sell it at you're price and not what they originally asked. Overall it's a very pricey town/surroundings. We ended up in some places paying more for food and drinks than we'd pay in a cute and hot place in NYC - - while again, the quality is not even close. Be careful with your money and how you spend it. Ask before hand of hidden taxes or fees, etc ... ohh, also the resort is far away from the city and among the last resorts on the beach line...if you want to party and go to clubs and the wild scene this is NOT the place. For any of that go some place downtown cancun. This resort is more family oriented. Dead at night. they have some shows at dinner time ... if you like ABBA. Bee Gees... etc you'll have daily therapy to your ears. Average age: 40 y/o-ish. Not much going on during the day either... they definitely need to invest more in entertainment and customer service, which is pivotal for a successful business. Good Luck !"
Posted: Sat, Mar 31, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Michael from Dallas, TX
"The property was good quality and excellent value. There were a few minor issues but overall we were happy with the experience and we would consider coming back again. We had the 1 bdrm (not the studio) which was very spacious, comfortable and was exactly like the pictures online. We really enjoyed our room and the huge patio. We were on the 9th floor and the view was amazing. We had a memory foam bed which was nice, and the fridge was stocked with bottled water, soda, and snacks. We paid about $290 USD per night for two people which included the all-inclusive plan. The hotel is a 30 minute drive from the airport and far from other hotels so it was quiet and far from the loud party scene in the Hotel Zone. It was a mixed crowd with a few young families and a few old people but mostly people in their late 30s to late 50s. About half were American and half were from other countries. It was a nice mixture of just normal, quiet people. The grounds are very nice and well maintained. The pools are not too crowded and it was not hard to find a chair. The pool further from the beach with the water bridge is less crowded. The beach in front of the hotel is not huge, but the hotel owns about 600 feet of undeveloped beachfront (for two future phases) and there are no other hotels around so at least it's quiet. We paid for wi-fi for one day ($10) and we were warned that it had bad coverage outside the pool areas. Around the pool it was okay and in our room it was very slow, but the access code worked for our entire stay and in the end they never charged us for it at all. The water smelled a little like sulfur and we ran the faucets, shower and tub for a few minutes when we first arrived just to clear out the water that was sitting there in the pipes. As with all water in Mexico, I would not drink it. You need to get in line at 6:30-6:45AM to be there at 7:00am when they start accepting dinner reservations for that night. The woman who takes dinner reservations is a little grumpy. Only two restaurants were open during our stay and even those were only half full despite the rush to make a reservation. I think they are limiting the number of people who can eat at the restaurants and funneling more people to the buffet (no reservation required), which is cheaper for the hotel when so many people are on the all-inclusive plan. The food was good. Not always what you get at an upscale restaurant but still very good for an all-inclusive package. Tips are included, but you sign for everything including poolside drinks and food and there's always a line for you to write in a tip. We tipped $5-$7 at most meals and ended up spending about $70 total on tips for our 5 night stay. We received a 30%-60% off 'VIP' card from the concierge at check-in. This is basically a way to get you to attend their sales promotion to buy a vacation ownership (aka 'timeshare). Decline the 'VIP' card and skip the presentation. They were not rude, but they were persistent and it look more like 2 1/2 hours, not the 1 1/2 hours they said. Their price was $70,000 USD for the 2 bdrm, $45,000 USD for the 1 bdrm and $30,000 USD for the studio. We said no and they brought the manager over who immediately dropped the price on the studio to $10,000 with $1,000 down! An immediate yes or no with high pressure tactics is no way to make a major financial decision."
Posted: Thu, Mar 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Sheila from Salt Spring Island, BC
"Our suite was amazing in that it was kept ultra clean, had a nice view, and came with great room service. The location was quite windy but warm on 9 out of the 10 days we were there in March. The location was right by the car ferry to the Isla Mujeres- a great place to shop, tour the island on golf carts, eat and swim. The local transit is good in the day but does not run at night-thus, the cabs are necessary and the hotel is remote. i felt quite safe taking the car ferry and local transit bus. The excursions to Xplor and Xel-ha by shuttles were well run and fun. The staff at the hotel were by the most part great and were but often were run off of their feet- it appeared they were not enough people to do the job. But they did take good care of us! The hotel was not at full capacity when we stayed there and if it was I am not sure how they would manage. The thing which bothered me the most was the conflict and undertones between the concierge and Best Day staff. The concierge did not want me to talk to the Best Day staff before they talked to me. I however,had come to the hotel in their care and found them very pleasant. I did comply when the concerierge wanted my husband and I to talk to them first. The counter staff after registering us directed us to them. However, I had tunnel vision as I needed to get my coupons for things I had previously booked with Best Day and my return ticket to the airport. I was then told by the Best Day staff person that the concierge were also time share people. When my partner and I chose not to hear their presentation -we were basically left alone. Besides that the concierge were available and helpful when asked direct questions. However, I witnessed this unprofessional attitude by the concierge several times during my stay towards BEST DAY staff. The other incidence that left a sour note with me was in regards to my leaving my sweater in the restaurant. It could have easily been returned as my waiter had my room number .The next day I went to the restaurant in the morning and was told it was not there, the front desk also told me it was not in the lost in found. I again returned to the restaurant that very evening and asked again for them to look and sure enough it was in the spot that the first person had told me it was not in. If I had not been persistant I would not have gotten it back. And finally I hated that in order to book a reservation for dinner you had to stand in a line at 7am and hope you get a reasonable time for a dinner reservation. If you weren't there that early you could face a 9:45pm dinner time. You also had to book it on the same day you wanted to go for dinner- and could not plan a few days ahead. Besides these few gripes the experience and food was on the most part okay."
Posted: Wed, Mar 28, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Sonny from Surrey, B.C Canada
"This place is very nice but out in the jungle nothing near you and cost a lot to leave and come back each time. Clean very nice rooms service is good. I would not come back to this resort till they get rid of half of the shotty staff. Overall we had a good time"
Posted: Sat, Mar 24, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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S Astran from Adamstown, Md
"The facility is beautiful. Thats the beginning and the end. we arrived and they upgraded our room which was great. A great view. The food was mediocre at best. and almost always cold. You had to make reservations for all restaurants except the buffet. Most of the staff had little or no correct information about anything. they kept making excuses that that had a hiring shortage. but they had been open for 1 1;2 yrs.?? they promised entertainment daily but never saw any until the last evening. We were there 6 nights. Also the staff tried to guide you away from excursions due to the manager had a preference, but the one we took which is the one they didnt want you to take was probably the best. Not geared toward children. The pools were beautiful and very quite place to relax. It is the usual timeshare sales pitch they get you into also or you pay top prices for everything"
Posted: Thu, Mar 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Kelly from Shawnee, Kansas
"Accommodations were beautiful and very clean. Definitely upgrade to the one bedroom suite, the extra space is worth it. Our chief complaint is that the service was very slow. The mini bar in the room was supposed to be refilled daily but we had to call several times and they didn't always come. Service was rather slow in the restaurants and they were very inflexible in accommodating large parties. The reservation system was also very cumbersome. You had to get up before 7 to line up for the reservation desk to make reservations for the restaurants. It was also an imposition to have to sign tickets for all food and drinks even though they were inclusive. There just seem to be a few kinks they need to work out such as running out of extra keys, pool towels and menus. They were doing construction outside our door and the door wasn't very soundproof. Aside from these issues we had a great time and it was a wonderful paradise. Recommend the spa. This resort is a very quiet and relaxing place."
Posted: Sun, Mar 18, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Paul Shinkar from Waterloo, ON
"Staff was wonderful - helpful and friendly. Food was good for the most part though there were only 2 a la carte restaurants open and we had to get down to the beach before 7 am, to book for that night - that was a pain. Main buffet was not open at lunch - though food was served at poolside. Entertainment staff was poor - no real spirit and I did not see one game - of anything - ever. Place was gorgeous but there is no meeting place - no place of any size to sit and chat in evening - no coffee bar or anything like that and we were really expecting that - not one working cappuccino machine - lobby was small and uncomfortable. Avoid the Time-share speech - its 3 hours, not 90 minutes. We refused to go but heard plenty of horror stories. Rooms were wonderful and spacious if you got the upgrade - we did. Entertainment at night was on beach - weather and wind permitting. Music at night on the beach went well after mid-night - and pounded the windows of our room. The beach is lovely but very short! I agree with others - it will get better but not again. Signing for every meal was slow and tedious at times but okay. No swim up bar though the poolside is beautiful. Too many little things missing that make is more community centered."
Posted: Sat, Mar 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Paul Shinkar from Waterloo, ON
"The staff was wonderful. The food was great but there were a few things that were really disappointing. No real beach to walk on - only the one in front of the hotel- it gets really rocky and difficult to walk on. No place to hang in the evening - no large meeting area and no bar for younger people - the music blasts from the beach until well past mid-night some nights and with the shape of the hotel - it just echoes off the windows of the rooms - really loud. Entertainment only if the weather is good and you have to sit in the buffet area. Only two a la carte restaurants for a huge place - the buffet is not open for lunch. Not one working Cappuccino machine - no place to just get a coffee and sit - no pastry shops or places like that. Again, staff was wonderful but hard sell on the time-share as well. Avoid the meeting unless you are seriously interested - its 3 hours not 90 minutes."
Posted: Sat, Mar 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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D Holman from Shawnee, Kansas
"This resort is beautiful, but being on the north side of Cancun it is too far away from many of the tourist attractions. We did not book the right room. Do not get the double bed room. The rooms with the murphy beds are truely amazing with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, and tons of room. Our room did not even have a table so we never could order room service. We wish we had been more familiar with this resort. We paid more for an ocean view which is floors 3 and up. We were on the third floor and could barely see the ocean over the restaurant roofs. The front desk was not accomodating when we asked for a better view. We also had poor maid service. We never got wash clothes and never had enough towels for the 3 of us in the room. We did find the staff quite nice unlike the reviews we had read. In fact we found the staff to be delightful! If you are the type to go to an all inclusive and do nothing else then this is the resort for you....just get a good room!"
Posted: Sat, Mar 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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John Keane from Darien, CT
"This place is very pretty and very well done for the room , but that is it the management of this place needs to be replaced . No towl service they keep running out of towls at pool side they adversitez that they had 4 resturants but only two were opened had to wake up at 7:00 am to make a reservation for dinner that night and at 7:15 everything was sold out so the lins were a 100 deep. every meal you had to wait on line to be fed they were to stock the rifirgerator every day they did not they said they had Americian beer they nver did they ran out of beer at least 3 days it takes more than a hour to chck in and check out the staff is unsure of their jobs the beach is full of seaweed and rocks"
Posted: Fri, Mar 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Kevin from Union City, Ga
"LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT"
Posted: Thu, Mar 15, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Janna Lafrance from Ajax, Ontario
"My husband and I loved this resort. The food was amazing, the staff were all super friendly, and our room was stunning. I couldn't have been more pleased. The outdoor tropical spa was wonderful, and the pools were all fantastic.The only thing I can't give a 'five star' to is the ocean swimming. Even though the beach was beautiful, there was a lot of 'sea grass' in the water. It wasn't mushy, but more like long slender sticks. I always prefer a nice hard sand bottom, but this was only a minor problem compared to how amazing everything else was!"
Posted: Tue, Mar 13, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Anthony D from Burnsville, MN
"The facilities were great here!! Beautiful rooms with balconies and I believe that all the rooms were equipped with Hammocks on the balcony. We thought the buffet was horrible but the resturaunts were above average nothing really special though. I would deffinitly recommend going with the all inclusive if you stay here. When you eat or drink you always have to sign bills and I would say the average meal for us while we were there (2 people) was around 40 dollars. So you will get your moneys worth with the all inclusive. There are no close places to go to if you plan on leaving the resort to eat somewhere authentic and cheap. Its at least a $6 dollar cab ride to the nearest food places and markets if you decide to eat outside the resort. Other then the slow service and buffet the grounds were awesome! We had a very relaxing week."
Posted: Mon, Mar 12, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Julie from Shelton, NE
"Just got back!!! Free upgrade to a one bedroom suite!! Very nice and house keeping was AWESOME, she even washed our dishes!! We were in the 3rd tower and on the 1st floor and we had ocean view. Balcony was GREAT, the hammock hit the floor when I sat in it, but if you tied a knot on one side it was perfect! I can't say enough great stuff about the rooms, the beds were comfy and the bathroom was huge and the living room was awesome to have along with the kitchen. We did have to call EVERYDAY multiple times to get the fridge restocked and 3 out of the 7 days no one came even after calling. The food was not good at all, I got really sick from something the 3rd day. We ate at the TWO nicer places, but was not impressed and I am not a picky eater! We did like the taco bar and the service over by that pool area was great, but at other pools the servers were rude, one even yelled at us for asking where our food was!! The room service is a great idea IF you have a couple hours to wait for it. We planned ahead and ordered it early. One night it was over 2 hours! The drinks were great We loved the blue hawaiian. You do have to sign for EVERYTHING, they will hunt you down, they will come to your room!! There was not a lot to do at night, the shows were ok but were over by 9. The fire show was the best one! They are very helpful with setting things up for us and telling us how to get places. We took the fast ferry over to the Isle, and that was my best day!! LOVED IT!!! We rented a golf cart and just drove around all day. The 'timeshare' presentation was not all that bad, they offer some great discounts if you just listen, we told them up front that we were not going to buy so 90 minutes and we were done!!"
Posted: Sun, Mar 11, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Kim Edgar from Garland, Texas
"My husband and I just returned from our vacation at Villa del Palmar; 3/2/12-3/8/12. We have gone to Cancun for the last couple of years during the same time span staying at different resorts each time. The room we were upgraded to at no charge without request was absolutly fantastic. The grounds at Villa del Palmar were beautiful. The staff was either 100% engaging and helpful or 100% not helpful, slow and uncaring. We took with us several hundred dollars in ones, fives, tens and twenties for tipping over and above purposes. In our past experiences we learned that tipping the servers at the pool (or anywhere) meant constant service. Not at Villa del Palmer, with the exception of two gentlemen. I think even without tipping over and above these two would have provided great service. All the others though were slow and only checked back every couple of hours. We ended up attending to our own needs. Visiting the bars was frustrating as well. The bar tenders would rather talk to each other and be busy stocking the bar than serve the customers. The dining experiences were dreadful. I almost hate even reporting it for fear that we will sound demanding, unappreciative and high maintance. the food presentation was beautiful but it was tasteless. During our stay we did eat at each resturant, 3 total plus a pool snack bar. One of the resturants which is buffet only is being remolded, but still open. They use the patio for the guest to dine at. With the wind and being right on the beach you can plan on food blowing off your plate and mixed with sand!! They really need to put up some kind of wind block. Hopefully you will not experience rain as we did. I cannot tell you how much fun eating dinner is with wind, sand and rain coming at you is. The Italian resturant is very hard to get into. Reservations fill up fast. We did tip to get into the resturant and that worked. The atmosphere was very nice. The food does fall into the same overall tasteless description made earlier. The Mexican food resturant, same; tasteless. The pool snack bar is hit and miss. If Villa del Palmar will work on the service and food I would highly recommend the resort. Many guests were complaining about the location of the resort, I thought that was a little undeserved. It clearly states how far out they are located. I for one loved being far away from everything. Special note; we had no problems checking in or out. Do be prepared to discuss Time Shares when you arrive. We were very upfront and told them we were not interested. They pushed a little but then stopped when they realized we were not kidding."
Posted: Fri, Mar 09, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Carin Glass from Voorhees, NJ
"The Resort was beautiful and layed out well Lots of space and room for all Guests Food very good too, however needs more a la Carte Restaurants only 2 were available and they need 2 more Beach was nice but ocean not easily accessible very Rocky Pools were Fabulous!! Conceirge Help could be better they focused more on selling their time share Over all was very relaxing and enjoyable and would recommend if people are looking for R&R"
Posted: Wed, Mar 07, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Mark Cymbaluk from Red Deer County, AB
"I've been to a lot of places and have a pretty good idea what I can expect. This is a newer resort and from what I can tell they have already corrected a lot of small issues that people seem to make big deals out of, we were not approached once by timeshare salespeople, the front desk and concierge were incredibly helpful. The rooms were very nice, we got the suite as it was a very cheap upgrade when we were booking, we didn't show up expecting a 'complimentary upgrade' come on people why would you ever think an upgrade should be complimentary, why not just be grateful when you do get bumped into a nicer room? The on site store had everything we needed, we forgot a couple of small things and they had a great selection of travellers necessities, yeah I had to pay for them but oh yeah, I forgot them! The bars were good, the food was very good, my wife has a very strict diet due to celiacs disease yet she did just fine. I had an experience where a guest was complaining severely about the price of a glass of wine even though it was included with her all inclusive vacation, she was going to give them a bad review for that, so if you are reading this please take negative reviews with a grain of salt. The swimming pools were great for the kids and adults as well, well separated, very nicely done. The location is very nice, yes it is half an hour out of Cancun but the location leaves you with the feeling that you are in Mexico, and there is privacy, and quiet, the beach is OK, as good as any resort beach in Cancun or the Riviera. The ferry to Isla Mujeres runs right next to the resort which makes that day trip easy too."
Posted: Wed, Mar 07, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Janis S from Lincoln, NE
"My husband and I arrived on a Thursday evening, and I had requested an Anniversary package. The did not mention it at check in, but instead upgraded us to a one bedroom, 2 bath suite. The room and view was gorgeous, very high quality finishes. The resort itself was very clean, staff was friendly overall. They had 5 pools, our favorite being the infinity pool which had a bar and food available next to it, and pool waiters so you never had to move. We did tip a little, but the couple we sat with at the pool for 3 days didn't, and they had same service as us. The other couple we sat with at the pool have been all over the world, and to Cancun several times, including this resort last year when it was only half done. They came back and really liked the laid back, quiet atmosphere of this resort. Our friends we met from Canada described it as a couple's resort with a few families. If you are looking to party and drink ALL night, head to the Hotel Zone or Playa...this resort is not party land. It's location was quite a ways from the Hotel Zone and shopping zone, which is good or bad depending on how you look at it. Some people we met at the bar went downtown, and it took around 45 minutes one way. We took the water shuttle to Isla Mujeres to shop and site see one day, that took about 25 min by boat and has BEAUTIFUL water. The ocean water at the resort is a bit dirty as it is surrounded by coral reefs which grow sea weed that washed up on shore, but the resort picks it up often and the reefs keep the water coming in calm. Our Michigan friends said in the Hotel Zone, the water coming in is very rough with rip tides and undercurrents, so our beach was very peaceful. We did not talk to the concierge, but would not have fallen for the time share trap like we did in Vegas one year. Overall, this vacation was VERY relaxing, the buffet food was OK as buffet food is, the Mexican & Italian restaurants were very good...just remember to make reservations first thing in the morning."
Posted: Tue, Mar 06, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Linda from Williamsville, NY
"A breathtaking experience. Everything was top notch, staff, food, grounds, activities, entertainment, etc. One complaint is do not dragged into their sales tour. I did agree to take the tour to get a VIP card for outside activities. I was told it was 90 minutes and I was ok with that. It did end up being 3 hours long and that was not fair. When you are on vacation your time is valuable. Besides that, I will chalk this one up to one of my best vacations."
Posted: Mon, Mar 05, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Amy from Reno, NV
"This was our first trip to the Villa Del Palmar in Cancun. Overall we found the trip to be relaxing. The resort wasn't crowded, we very easily found a lounger by the pool and the beach. We were very excited that there were very few spring breakers at the resort. The general atmosphere was calm and relaxing. I had stayed at the Villa Del Palmar in Los Cabos and the party music played all throughout the day with the whistle blowing for the various pool activities. At the Cancun resort the music was always at a low relaxing level. Even better, there were no beach stalkers of endless trinkets being sold on the beach. We were left alone the entire time while at the resort. We did follow the advise of one of the reviews and asked for a north tower room that was higher up. We were placed in the north tower on the eighth floor with an upgraded room at no additional cost. It was quiet, we heard no construction or screaming drunk people. Definitely take the ferry to the Isla Murejes. It was worth the five bucks for a boat ride and experience on the island. Downside....the beach was walkable only at a very short distance. If you're looking for the long romantic walk along the beach just outside the resort this isn't the place. The timeshare people were just as aggressive as always about the presentation. Upon the third time of saying no the supervisor got mad and somewhat confrontational. You also have to pay for wifi...it would have been nice to have free wifi in the lobby area. It's ten bucks a day. I would recommend this resort to friends and family."
Posted: Sat, Mar 03, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Marcia from La Salle, MB
"I had heard mixed reviews about this resort but it exceeded my expectations. My standards with vacations are very high and you never know when travelling to Mexico what you are going to be in for. The room was spectacular. We stayed in the Deluxe Ocean View 1 Bedroom unit. The kitchen was well equiped with standard fridge, stove, oven, microwave and dishwasher. There was a large glass table with 6 chairs for eating, a sitting room with couch, chairs and table as well as a murphy bed. There also was a guest bathroom with shower and a washer and drier. The bedroom had a king size bed, the ensuite had a whirlpool tub, a 2 sink vanity, shower and a large closet with a safe. The balcony was the width of the room with 2 sets of sliding doors leading out to an amazing view. The balcony was also equipped with a large patio table, a lounge chair as well as a hammock. The staff were very friendly and helpful. There is a quick meet and greet when you first arrive were they do talk a little about time share. There is absolutely NO pressure to attend the 90min meeting and I was never made to feel embarrassed or ashamed for not attending. The food although very delicious became boring by the 5th day as there are only 3 restaurants to choose from. This is only phase 1 of their project so hopefully they will incorporate more choices into their other 2 buildings. There are some stipulations with the all inclusive package but nothing we needed or couldn't go without absolutely having. The grounds as well as the rooms were very clean. The passanger ferry to Isla Mujeres is a 10min bus/taxi ride (6 pesos for the bus or $6USD for the taxi) from the resort and the ferry ride is 20min and leaves every half hour. The cost of the ferry was $12USD round trip, very affordable and the the island is lots of fun with great shopping and food. I would recommend it for married couples and familys as the cancun strip is about 60min away. The entertainment at night is alright but not enough for single people wanting to have a night life. I will certainy be returning!!"
Posted: Fri, Mar 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Mary from West Chester, PA
"Our 5 night stay in Cancun was a wonderful experience. The one bedroom ocean view suite was elegant. It had everything we needed and then some. We enjoyed the food in both the IItalian and Mexican restaurants. The pools were beautiful, the activities fun, and the hot stone massage at the spa was an exceptional experience. IEven though the resport is still under construction it did not in any way preclude us from completely enjoying our vacation. We wiill go again to this beautiful resort. The only negative comment we have is that the room had a musty odor."
Posted: Thu, Mar 01, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Heather from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
"Beautiful resort. Brand new. Very clean. Workers are extremely helpful and kind. Food is good,many options although only two a la cartes open at this time. This resort will only improve with time."
Posted: Wed, Feb 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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M. Parris from Auburn, GA
"PROS: The hotel is gorgeous. Our room was awesome. They actually had premium drinks included in the all-inclusive deal. Room service was quick and the food was very good. The ferry to Isla Mujeres is adjacent to the hotel property and you can walk to it via the beach. CONS: The wait staff was slow and for the most part, not very friendly. It was a pain to have to sign everytime you ordered anything (we were on the all-inclusive plan) and on top of that, it took a long time for them to bring the check so that you could sign. We had to actually get up and head towards the door so that someone would bring the check so we could get on with our vacation. Also, the beach and water are not nearly as nice as that on hotel zone."
Posted: Mon, Feb 27, 2012- Overall Experience:
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J & B Drouillard from McGregor Ontario, Canada
"We had read the comments and decided to check it out for ourselves, as everyone has different opinions. On the positive side The staff was great, the grounds were beautiful, the beach was nice, although you couldn't go too far down the beach for a walk as there was no place to go.The beds were comfy. But the rooms were very damp. Room service was awesome (HOT FOOD). The food in the restaurant by the pool came to you hot. The Zama restaurant food was hot for dinner. On the negative side. When we arrived we were no where near the other party in our group as was said we would be. There was no ppv movies or swim up pool as was said on the internet. We ate at the buffet for breakfast, lunch & dinner it was never hot, (always luke warm to cold) we even where there right at 7 for the dinner one when it opened up. The buffet's were outside so with the chaffing fuel underneath to keep things hot was never really on the steam pan due to the windk they tried to contain it with saran wrap which just melted, they they used tin foil didn't matter any. Even the cold bufftet although it was on ice was not cold. They did not have a good variety in the lunch buffet. The Latino meal was awful, the ambiance on the beach where they held it was very nice. The maid didn't always stock the bathroom properly we had to call twice for supplies. The staff who stocked the fridge did not do so daily. Whom ever was in the room last had not closed our door tightly twice, therfore anyone could have just pushed on the door and entered our room. When you go to make a reaservation you will eat late because they give members first choice of eating times. If you decide to try this resort anyway after the comments you read, try the buffet once or twice then go to room service. Sorry Guys but would not go back here or recomend this place."
Posted: Sun, Feb 26, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Erika Driedger from Seminole, TX
"Best trip EVER!!! This place is absolutely gorgeous!!! And the rooms are amazing :) We would go back in a heartbeat!! The food was fantastic and the love shows are great!! Such a romantic atmosphere!! LOVED IT!!!! The nicest and friendliest staff and so helpful!! Wonderful trip!!"
Posted: Fri, Feb 24, 2012- Overall Experience:
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LynAnn Bochniak from Farmington, MN
"I absolutely loved this resort! No need to really leave, the food was very good, the staff was awesome, beach was clean, activities, etc...wonderful! My only 'inconvenience' of the whole week was the fact that even though we were all inclusive and had a wrist band to show as such, we had to sign a ticket after every meal and after we left each bar or pool side if we consumed anything."
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"Let me start by saying........WOW.......What a great vacation, great place, great people, great food, great drinks!. This was our first 'All Inclusive' trip, we were nervous because we didn't know what to expect; specially when so many reviewers complained about either the food or the service in the hotel, well, they were all WRONG!
This is by far the best Hotel I have stayed in many years, it is clean and brand new, the rooms are super nice and all the staff ALL of them are super amicable and well spoken, not to mention HUMBLE!
Our room wasn't ready at our arrival but that didn't stop the hotel personnel of checking us in and invite us to start enjoying all the facilities right away, we were given the option of changing our clothes in a room specially designed for situations like ours, our luggage was well safeguarded by the bellboys and they gave us a tag that showed how many suitcases we had with us.
When we booked the hotel I chose a regular room, but because our room was not ready upon our arrival the hotel concierge upgraded us to a ocean view room for FREE! And allowed us to use the WIFI for free as well during our stay.
Now the food... Omg... The food... Being from Florida we have access to great restaurants and a variety of food that perhaps other states do not have, but let me be clear with something, the food that we got to eat at Villa del Palmar is by far one of the best cuisine that I have ever had, I do not understand how can somebody complaint about the food in this place (they might be a costumed to McDonalds crap)
The 'Zama' restaurant not only has great views but all the food is amazingly fresh, the Fish Tacos are the perfect item to have for lunch and their 'Pastel de Chocolate' (chocolate cake) is to die for.
Also, 'Davinos' Mediterranean Cuisine is top notch!
But the Cherry on top of the ice cream is 'La Casona Steak House' Mother of God.... We had the pleasure of having dinner there twice in a row, and I can honestly say that their steak comes very close to some of the best steak houses that I have visited and surpasses by miles and miles places such as 'Outback or Long Horns'
Every night the steak house has a great live band by the name 'Santa Fe' they are cubans and they will play any song that you requests
Now that I have made clear that the food is in another level, let me describe you the drinks!
All the bartenders and I mean all of them are super courteous and professional, they make the best Mojitos I have ever tasted, the Caipiriñas are perfect and I do not want to leave out all the rest of the drinks such Margaritas, Coronas, Shots, and everything else that you can think of, all of them Top Shelf Liquor.
Another great feature of this hotel is that it is Family Friendly, and even though we do not have kids nor the other couple that went with us, the hotel is so big that there is space for everyone, there are 5 pools all of them well oversized, the infinity pool makes you think that you are floating in the caribbean sea without getting into the ocean, the main pool has the shape of a flower and is located in the middle of the hotel...it is HUGE!
Now some advise, make sure that you have your dinner reservations ready either before you travel or by the day that you arrive, the restaurants are so good that they tend to fill quite quick (if you are a late eater like us, you wont have any issues finding a table) if you don't feel like fancy eating, you can still eat at the cafe that closes at midnight and all the food is as good as the restaurants.
Also, there is a guy ( he rents waverunners) by the beach they can take you into a Catamaran excursion for around $60.00 per passenger and includes snacks, drinks and snorkeling in the caribbean sea. (He is a very cool kid)
Overall, if you are considering a trip to Cancun, this is the hotel you should stay in...Believe me you WILL regret it if you don't, and if you do, you will thank me for the best vacation you will ever have.....
Don't forget to take pictures, because they will help you with your denial when you come back home...
Miguel
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"After reading all the previous reviews, I realized we went to a different place. It is impossible that we stayed at the horrible place described by these other people! I am an experienced traveller, and I know planning is the most important part of it. So I booked my trip 6 months in advanced and made sure to contact the resort and speak to one of their concierges: . I asked him about all the activities available and the prices to make a budget. He told me the resort had a presentation I could attend to and they would provide a discount card for my family for all tour and vehicle bookings. So I didn't book anything online, except for the airport transfer ( Next time I'm taking a cab). Upon arrival the same concierge was there to meet us at the check in point. We had 'Mango Tangos' waiting for us and refreshments for the kids. he sat with me and gave me all the information about dinner reservations, shuttle services, spa services, tips, etc. VERY IMPORTANT TO READ THESE! After that we went to our room, changed and went for dinner (also reserved by conceirge). That evening my son started complaining of a headache and later his ear was hurting. My worst nightmare! My husband (he is a physician) couldn't do much for him, so we decided to go to the nearest hospital. At the lobby another agent from the cocierge, along with the other, told my husband they would get a doctor for us. The doctor arrived in less than 20 minutes. My husband was very impressed with his english proficiency as well as his training. He had all he needed to treat our son, and prescribed the necessary medication. Best of all gave him something for pain right away so he could be comfortable until we were able to get the prescription. the conceirge took care of calling the drugstore, and the meds were delivered to the hotel. Total time from doctor to medication 1.5 hours. Total charge for doctor visit and medication $150 US. Beats any wait at an emergency room in Canada.
About the food and restaurant reservations: The conceirge made sure to tell me to call between 8am and 4pm (not 10am and 4pm) to make reservations. You can make reservations for up to three nights in advance. There are five restaurants: Zamá - Mexican themed, La Casona - Steak House, Hiroshi - Sushi, Davino - Greek, and the Bites bar - Fast Food.
At Zamá the staff made sure we had everything we needed, even foods that were not offered! They would bend over backwards to serve us. Their breakfast buffet is very complete, but you can also order omelettes from the kitchen. Lunch at Zamá is á la carte, and dinner is buffet, with a specialty station made on the spot (tacos, meat, etc).
At La Casona the staff made sure we felt welcome. The food was wonderful and the service was great. We tried their Kobe beef (not included in the meal plan), and is mouthwatering! Also they have a great selection of wines (not included in the meal plan) from all over the world. Included in the plan the NY steak was great, but highlight of my meals there was definitely the Tuna steak. It was just perfect. La Casona is only open for dinner.
At Hiroshi our server was fabulous! The food is exquisite, they also have items that are not included in the meal plan, but you get a discount if you have the meal plan. Their Tuna Sashimi is delicious as well as the Tuna toast. For rolls the Citrus roll was great as well as the chef and rainbow roll. They also have Sapporo beer which we were very happy to enjoy!
At Davino the staff made sure we were taken care of. It was the restaurant we visited the most since it opens early for breakfast. Breakfast is also buffet, with a 'Mexican Corner' (the most caring and nice mexican lady runs it!), and an omelette station. There is no lunch served there, and dinner is á la carte and fabulous!
The Bites Bar is the place to go without reservations. They have a menu from ceviche and salads to tacos, fajitas, burgers and pizza. All very tasty, made fresh and served by the pool or beach. The waiters are most friendly and helpful. The staff all made sure we were taken care of!
Tips are included with the all inclusive plan, however the service was so great we always gave an extra tip.
The spa services are remarkable. I got a facial and a couple of massages. The staff are respectful, well trained and very nice. A staff member made my bookings and another staff member hooked me up with a trial massage on the beach.
The travel agency is a very convenient service, offering all kinds of tours. They also arranged a car rental for us, all with discounts for members. The staffI took care of us very professionally.
The Palmita market was very convenient with comparable prices to Walmart and Mercado 28. The staff helped us there always with a smile!
The Shuttle service is a money saver! Use it! Cabs are incredibly pricey in Cancun, there are no meters, and drivers just charge depending on your look. The staff took us almost everywhere with a big smile on their faces and giving us advice on where to go and how much to pay.
The activities staff are incredible. They make sure nobody is bored, and they put together a show every night with costumes, dances, etc., they danced with us got us in the kayaks, played volleyball, did yoga, zumba, aerobics in the pool, you name it! There was always something for everyone. I am really looking forward to the other two buildings and the expansion of the activities to include tennis and other water sports in the future.
Bottom line we had a great time, with great people. I honestly think we got great service not only because we treated everyone nicely, and with respect, but also because they are great at their job. Definitely coming back!
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"I will keep this brief. The trip was a large group of friends that went and stayed at the resort. Each couple that went could/would probably sum the trip up as follows:
The food is very good. The place is great. The employees (for the overall most part) are great. The fact that you HAVE TO sign something each time you order something in an all inclusive resort is just really annoying.
Of the 14 people that went I would gather that 0 of us will return to this place unless this is changed. You cant relax when you have to sign for a Mango Tango each time you want one. There were several times employees would be runningto catch up to someone to get them to sign. I can not stress enough how annoying this event is when you have to do it 20x a day.
A few minor complaints.
1. They would run out of a certain liquor and not have any more for the rest of the day. VERY annoying.
2. The restocking of the minor bar in the room was hit or miss. Some days it would be restocked and some days it wouldnt.
3. A few unfriendly wait staff but for the most part they were very nice, friendly and spoke fluent English.
4. A few drunken young kids but this is Mexico and during spring break... to be expected.
A few compliments:
1. VERY clean. Rooms where always spotless. Very large as well.
2. Pool areas are great. Lots of areas to lay around.
3. Everything was right there... no walking 2 miles to get dinner like some of the larger resorts.
4. The pool waiters were great. Very friendly. Pretty quick on refills etc. Could have been a tad faster but that would be very nit-picky.
5. Food for the most part was very good to great.
In conclusion... If you dont mind signing things 20x a day then this place cant be beat.
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"The hotel was very nice. Beautiful rooms with very nice decorations. We paid additional for the jacuzzi in the room but it's not as nice as the pictures. It did not work and it took them two days to fix it. The shower and the jacuzzi tub had some mold around it. For being a five diamond hotel as they claim, moldy shower was not what I expected. The food was okay, except for the breakfast. Breakfast was outstanding. The restaurant were very small and the waiting seating time was up to three hours. The concierge staff will pressure you all day to the hotel tours for time shares, And they will treat you different once you don't buy... Although it's an all inclusive, you had to sign a bill every time you order drinks and food, and of course requesting tip when it's included in your package. (it's not about tipping because i did anyway, its about false advertisement when they sale the package) Besides all of the above, the staff were very friendly and always smiling."
Posted: Mon, Mar 04, 2013- Overall Experience:
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"It was a very nice vacation with friendly and efficient staff. The concierge staff was a little pushy getting us to take the time share tour, which was very high pressured. The ammenities say there are radio alarm clocks in each room. Ours had none.
I have read and heard complaints about having to sign every time after using a restaurant. This is a GOOD thing because someone else had signed their name twice using our room #. After comparing signatures, we were off the hook for paying for food we did not order.
Overall, we had a very relaxing vacation, hardly having to lift a finger to do anything :)"
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"We stayed at the Villa del Palmar Cancun January 10-15, 2013 for my birthday celebration. 2 other couples came with us and we booked the villa del palmar because of the price and photos.nNot the best all inclusive I've stayed in. n We had to sign a check after every.single.order. Many times we were stuck waiting at the bar to sign that stupid check even though we were wearing the all inclusive bracelet. The wait staff stands over you as you sign to see if you will leave a tip, and they don't let you take a copy of your receipt to see if the tip they charged matches what you actually left. Villa del palmar claims the tips are included in the all-inclusive package but I think management forgot to tell the staff. nThe resort is very clean, and the food is good not great. I spent much of the trip worrying about how much extra $$$ we were spending on tips (ended up about $150 in tips for 5 days). I wish we would have gone back to Dreams Resort, they don't allow you to tip and I didn't worry about anything when I stayed there.nAll in all I will not be visiting this resort again."
Posted: Thu, Jan 17, 2013- Overall Experience:
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"I am neutral at my stay at Villa del Palmar. The staff were awesome and nice. However, the hotel room was okay. It was clean, but you can tell it was built really fast with popcorn walls that had dirt and ceiling fans that was dusty. The food was decent for a resort. There were things that were bad and good, but the Japanese restaurant was the worst.
The worst part of the resort was the timeshare. They wasted our precious 4-5 hours with the timeshare. Initially, I didn't think it was bad because I wanted to check out the other rooms, but they would not take NO for an answer. We sat for 2 hours saying NO. These people are vicious. The worst was when we had to do an exit review and a man yelled at us for not answering the questions the way he wanted and then got defensive. I don't know where they got their training done but it was inappropriate and horrible. Totally ruin our trip and will NEVER recommend anyone to go to Villa Palmar for that reason. "
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"Pros-
1) Most the food and wait staff were exceptional. The waiters and hostesses greeted us by name each day.
2) Grounds are new, immaculate, and articulately laid out.
3) Appreciated the contemporary relaxed upscale feel without everyone
hoarding the buffet & bar areas.
4) The rooms are clean and maid service good albeit we had to ask for wash
cloths the first few days.
5) Reservations for dinner were easy going compared to other all-inclusives. Ie; only required an hour or so notice compared to having to stand in line the day before during certain hours at other hotels.
Cons-
1) Ck in desk person not friendly and forgot wrist band and towel card
2) The big sales pitch wasn't called 'time share' but 'vacation time'. Same thing. Said would take 90 mins but took 3 hours with 3 people working you, each getting more obstinate. low pressure sale but believe me, it's not. Hint: If you decide 3-4 hours of your day is worth it, negotiate by saying no until they give you freebies. We got free ferry ride to/from Isla Mujeres and free golf cart rental on the island. Had we known it would take 3 hours away from our vacation we would have held out for an hour massage for us both.
3) Concierge promised to set up free shuttle to catch ferry to island in advance, but did not follow thru. Plus they only gave us one way shuttle to the ferry landing. We had to pay $13 to return to hotel. We were under impression it was round trip. Concierge also told us at first she was our go to person all week/all day but we could hardly ever reach her. We noticed a decline in her willingness to help us after we declined to buy 'vacation time'/time share.
4) Even paying for 'all inclusive' we couldn't get regular coffee for the in room coffee maker after the first day. At first they said they were out of it. When we asked the concierge about it she said we were only supposed to get in room coffee maker coffee packets the first day, even paying all inclusive. We were told to use room service. We had to ask for bottled water to be replenished all week for the minibar.
5) You have to sign a bill for all meals, snacks, and drinks, even bottled water. Only breakfast is buffet. Everything else is order from menu, which is fine but being a mix of all inclusive and not all inclusive I felt guilty not leaving tip for wait staff even tho its included in all inclusive package. I think that's intensional so you'll pay more tips. It didn't feel like a normal all inclusive package, which I love and use a couple times a year.
6) If you're looking for good authentic Mexican food, forget it. The Mexican restaurant on property doesn't serve it. It's more like a sea food restaurant.
7) Make sure you bolt your door as housekeeping & minibar personnel like to
come through without knocking.
I've experienced all inclusive hotels in Cancun and elsewhere about 20 times. Unless it was a very good deal we wouldn't return."
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"Villa Del Palmar Cancun is a beautiful new resort facility. If you want to eat, enjoy the pool and read a book...you have chosen the correct place. However, the beach is awful!! It is slimey and it smells. No one was in the water or on the beach the entire time we were there.
The rooms are new and clean and very nice. The staff is hit or miss. We had a few good servers...we had to tip for everything. We spend $400 in tips in 5 days which should not be required in an all inclusive. Concierge is only focused on getting you to a time share presentation which we need not do.
Would not go back to Villa Del Plamer for a beach vacation."
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"My best friend of 20 years and I decided to make our first girls trip to Cancun. The grounds of the hotel and decor were beautiful (pools/landscaping). The spa/massage was very nice and professional. The room was comfortable although the condensation problem was an issue. We had to be careful not to fall on the tile floor in our room. The restaruarnts and service were very okay. We were unable to get a TACO!!! The WIFI was horrible in the rooms but okay poolside. We were taken aback by the sell of the 'Timeshare'. With the breakfast they promised for attending, it took 3-1/2 hours of our time! They became very rude when we insisted we were not buying. The beach was dirty, too much seaweed not like the pictures we had seen. My friend cut her foot while in the dirty water. We ended up going to the beach at the Hardrock Hotel instead. There was clear blue water over there! Don't know when we will travel back to Cancun, but next time we will choose another resort. For the overall experince of Villla Del Palmar Cancun I would rate a 5."
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"We had a wonderful relaxing vacation!! The hospitality was excellent and one of the reasons we will go back!! It was beautiful and we were treated with such respect and care.
We cannot wait to go back.
Just one small issue there are working hard to clean up the seaweed issue on the beach... and they are expanding can't wait to see the other changes they make.
It was quiet and away from all the downtown area which was what we wanted. we were able to disconnect and relax....
Highly recommended ...."
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"The resort is still under construction, so keep that in mind. I have now been to 4 all invlusives, and this probably ranks 3rd. It was clean. Very clean. The staff are extremely nice and accomadating. But, after the cleanliness, and staff, the resort falls short. The sushi place was closed when we were there. At least 2 of the 4 advertised bars were also closed. The food was pretty good, but a limited selection of places to eat. The pools were nice, but didn't compare to some other places. The beach was poor. The sand was great, maybe an 8/10. But the environment was a 5/10 and the water was a 2/10 (mangroves etc etc). The spa was excellent. Overall this is a 3, maybe 4 star resort. It is not a 5 star resort at all. Also, they're so pushy about their time shares etc etc that it was annoying. A good value, but overall I'd recommend looking elsewhere."
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"We have traveled to many resorts, some of them I think to myself, I got to come back here again and some once is enough. Staying here falls under the second category, once is enough! I did not not know this is a timeshare establishment, upon our arrival they were insisting to book us for a 2-3 hours presentation, they were not familiar with 'no Thanks, not interested'. Their advertisement of water activity is not totally accurate, they had 4-5 canoes and sail board which were always reserved and not available. Food was OK, Mexican cuisine but nothing special. Alcohol drinks were all inclusive but they were so watered down you needed to drink 9-10 drinks to get a small buzz. There were not enough staff to take care of you in a timely manner by the pools. As far as snorkeling and stuff like that, let's say it is not Hawaii if you have had that experience. For us it was a relaxing vacation, lay down by the pool and just relax and enjoy the sun. Don't expect too much before you get there and don't compare it to your Hawaii experience so you won't be disappointed once you get there. I won't go back and will advice my friends with the comments I have written here. "
Posted: Mon, Apr 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"NO !!! NO !!! NO !!! I still very angry and fill so stupid !!!!! NEVER , NEVER , NEVER AGAIN I WILL BE THERE . HORRIBLE ! HORRIBLE !!!! HORRIBLE !!!!!! HORRIBLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Posted : san. 04/15/2012"
Posted: Sun, Apr 15, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"Everything it's great the beach and the water is not worth the trip"
Posted: Sun, Apr 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"Well, where should I begin?? I have traveled to many all inclusive resorts in the past and never experience such bad service!!! The hotel/resort was beautiful and very clean, but the staff on the other hand was not so fabulous. Let me elaborate. We had asked to have a set of extra towels for the 4 days that we were staying, we never received them and matter of fact, the one day we never even received towels at all!! The room was always cleaned and very beautiful. I had the most wonderful relaxing spa experience/massage, but the young girl at the desk could not speak an ounce english. It was so bad that I had to walk back to the front desk in my robe and ask someone to help her! Now for my beach and pool experience. We had three great waiters, always bringing drinks and food on a timely matter!! They were very pleasant, fun and hard working, but the pool was always out of pool towels and we constantly had to wait for them to be launderd. The restaruant staff was terrible. Very, very slow and the dinner food was below average. A few times the restaruants were even out of bottled water!! We also thought it was very annoying to be constantly flagged down to sign for the bills. Isn't that why we were wearing all inclusive wrist bands?? So if you would ask me if I would go back to your resort --NO. Not because it wasn't clean and beautiful, but because the staff was not proficient!! Sorry!!"
Posted: Wed, Apr 04, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"The Villa De Palmar is a beautiful resort but it has some issues. The beach is always full of seaweed and there is a lot of rocks in the beach. Very difficult to try to swim or stand in the Ocean there, you need rubber shoes. One very good restruant Devon and the rest are fair. The pool side bar servers food that is very good and they do come around often to serve you. The room was very nice and they did stock some drinds but very few snacks and not enough water......you cannot drink the tapwater......the staff says so. The Wi Fi that you have to pay for does not work in the room, only in restraunts and by the pool.. we did get it sometimes on the patio of the room. I would not go back, I would stay on the hotel strip."
Posted: Mon, Mar 26, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"First, the resort is far away from everything. If you want to go away from the resort, you have to SIGN UP for a shuttle. But beware that usually means THE NEXT DAY, since there are only 14 spots in the shuttle. If you can't get on the shuttle, you pay $20 for a taxi. There is public transportation but not advised for 'safety' reasons. The resort is beautiful. We were upgraded (no charge and without requesting) to a one bedroom suite. It was great with full kitchen, granite counters, stainless steel applicances, nice decor, comfortable king bed, big bathroom with jacuzzi tub and separate shower. The balcony was double size with a hammock on one side and table and chairs on the other. The view from our 2nd floor suite was of the beautiful gardens and pool area. The upper floors will provide a view of the ocean. The food was poor quality and the drinks were watered down. You can't drink the water so you have to constantly ask for water bottles. If you don't care for good food and are content with buffet meals then you will be fine. The resort offers a limited restaurant situation. There is one restaurant that is closed/not opened yet or being renovated. So, you had the choice of a buffet (breakfast, lunch, dinner), the bar grill (yuck!) or one of the two reservation required restaurants. NOTE: there is an extra charge for steaks, lamb or lobster. The service was very slow; they need more staff. The restaurant waiters had to do everything themselves (bus the tables, set the next table, take the orders, and deliver the drinks and food all by himself). Although, he was moving as fast as he could, he was slow to serve us and sweating. They need more people. The limited staff causes long waits for tables and few reservation spots. We had to make our restaurant reservations the day before and still did not get a time until 9:00 pm both nights. The beach was a disappointment. There was white sand and plenty of chairs, but did not have the expected beautiful clear water we had heard about for Cancun. The water is unappealing and unwelcoming at this beach. There are signs that suggested you wear water shoes due to the water's rough bottom. Finally, I have to say that the pressure to attend a sales pitch for buying a timeshare was awful. Upon check-in, we had to sit with the concierge and listen to her begging us to attend a sales session. We continually refused since we have done those things before and will never again. They say it will only be 90 mins but good luck getting away from the sales people in less than 2-3 hours. We came to Cancun for relaxation and fun, not to be hounded to buy a timeshare. Bottom line: beautiful buildings and gardens; disappointing beach, mediocre food, slow service, heavy sales pitch, and far away from everything."
Posted: Wed, Feb 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"The Villa del Palmar is having its grand opening next month. When we checked in they didn't have the Garden Studio available so we were upgraded to a 1 Bedroom deluxe FREE. The room was spacious & nice but the ligting in the bathrooms are poor & had shadows. My husband found it hard to shave. Althought the room was clean; the air was musty which bothered both my husband & I. We were offered a drink while waiting for concierge to explain the way the all inclusive works. We recieved free tickets & transportation to Chichen Itza for a tour. Our room was on the beach with 2 full service restataunts, a snack bar, a buffet, and 4 other bars and free 24-hour room service. Many of the wait staff were in training and a some very slow, but Mexico is a slower pace anyway. It bothered me most that we couldn't get another cup of coffee quite freequently. Overall our entire experience was very good. We would go back. ."
Posted: Thu, Feb 23, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"My boyfriend and I spent 4 nights at the Villa Del Palmar along with 2 other couples. We had a great experience. The hotel property is gorgeous and the staff is very helpful and friendly. Our only complaint is the staff is very slow. When we went to dinner it would take 2 hours every time! We had to wait forever to get our food. And even sitting by the pool, or around the snack bar, the wait staff was very slow...sometimes we would have to ask 3 times before receiving our drink. The beach wasnt very clean either, lots of seaweed. But as far as the overall hotel it was very clean and very comfortable!"
Posted: Wed, Feb 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"My husband and I just returned from the Villa Del Palmar (2-9 thru 2-13). Let me start by saying we are no strangers to Cancun. This was our 8th trip; staying at different resorts in cancun each time. We can not say 'one' negative thing about this resort. Our room was fabulous! We were upgraded, no charge, to an ocean view suite! Fully equipped kitchen, 2 bath, living room, etc. Request high floor for ocean view; we stayed on 7th floor and the view was unbelieveable! Food and service was 1st class. Weather was perfect and beach was beautiful. We have recommended the Villa Del Palmar to all our friends and family. This resort is awesome and I am sure you will enjoy it as well!"
Posted: Thu, Feb 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"The facility is absolutely gorgeous. The rooms are amazing, the food is excellent, but the service is slow. They need to either hire more staff or train them better."
Posted: Wed, Feb 15, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"Overall, our 5 nite stay was enjoyable. The pros: adequate food and alchholic beverages. waiters and bartenders were fabulous! studio room was comfortable. amenities were satisfactory. beach was wonderful!
Cons; request for a complimentaryroom upgrade was denied. The 1 bedroom suite right next to ours was empty the whole time during our stay. TOOO MUCH TIME spent trying to sell us!!! Timeshare tour, excursions, shuttles, taxis,etc. We had to sit through the concierge's sales pitch. We spent good money to stay at this all inclusive resort, and it took almost an hour upon arrival before we could even get into our room! WASTE OF OUR TIME!!!!! Bars close too early. Forgot my toothbrush, so I went to the front desk to ask for one. was denied and told I had to buy one at the market next store. front desk receptionist was not helpful at all!!!"
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"FIRST THE GOOD THINGS.ROOMS WERE LARGE AND BEAUTIFUL.BEDS WERE TOP OF THE LINE.STAFF WAS EXCELLENT AND SPOKE GREAT ENGLISH.GROUNDS WERE A TROPICAL PARADISE.FOOD QUALITY WAS VERY GOOD.POOLS WERE BEAUTIFUL AND HEATED. ALL BARTENDERS WERE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE.THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW IS HOTEL IS VERY UNDER STAFFED.FIRST 6DAYS WEREN'T BAD BUT 7TH DAY 2 WEDDING PARTYS OF 90 PEOPLE CAN IN AND EVERY ONE ELSE MIGHT AS WELL NOT HAVE BEEN THERE.ROOM SERVICE WAS NEVER THERE IN LESS THEN 1 HOUR,BUT WHEN THEY GOT THERE 2HOUR WAIT.COULD NOT GET DINNER RESERVATIONS,BUFFET FOOD RAN OUT CONSTANTLY,MINI BAR SERVICE SUFFERED,AND LONG WAITS AT BARS.YOU NEED TO KNOW ALSO EVEN THOUGH TIPS WERE INCLUDED,STAFF EXPECTED TO BE TIPPED.SERVICE WAS BETTER WHEN YOU TIPPED.WE STAYED LAST YEAR AT DREAMS CANCUN,AND NEVER HAD ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS.UNLIKE OTHER HOTELS,WHEN YOU CHECK OUT AT 12:00PM AND HAVE TO WAIT FOR SHUTTLE,YOU FEEL LIKE A HOMELESS PERSON.THEY CUT YOU'RE WRIST BANDS AND YOU BECAME INVISABLE.WE HAVE EVEN STAYED AT THE KRYSTAL,WHICH IS A EUROPEAN ALL INCLUSIVE AND I WOULD NOT RECOMMED,BUT EVEN THERE YOU KEPT YOU'RE WRIST BANDS UNTIL YOU LEAVE AND COULD ENJOY LUNCH OR DRINKS.ALSO BE PROPARED FOR VERY HIGH PRESSER TIME SHARE PEOPLE.90MINUTE WE WERE TOLD WAS HALF ADAY WITH A VERY STRONGE ARM ON BUYING.ALSO WERE EVER YOU GO YOU HAVE TO SIGN FOR EVERYTHING.IF YOU FORGET THEY CHASE YOU DOWN.THEY ONLY HAD TWO RESTURANT.WHICH IF YOU COULD GET IN BEFORE 8:30 IN WAS GOOD.THERE WAS A SUSHI RESTURANT BUT IT WAS NEVER OPEN IN 9DAYS.THE POOL SIDE GRILL WAS OPEN TO 6:00PM AND WAS VERY GOOD.MAYBE WHEN THEY GET NEW MANAGMENT OR FINISH BUILDING IT COULD BE A 5 STAR RESORT.RIGHT NOW I WOULD SAY 3 STAR."
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"My wife and I had a wonderful time at the Villa del Palmer in Cancun. Words can't describe the beauty of the Villa and lush tropical grounds. When the two remaining restaurants are completed the Villa del Palmer will be a true five star resort."
Posted: Sun, Feb 12, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"Go and have a great time! I want to go back and we just got home! Had beautiful rooms and the grounds are stunning. The food was amazing - make dinner reservations at Zamas and Davino's - you won't be disappointed! Make sure to have the Molcojete at Zama's - a stone crock of yummy cheese, meat and veggies - it was still boiling for the last bite :) The workers are all so gracious and polite - return the favor! Tips are appreciated and the service was awesome! They work so hard, show them some appreciation. Have a Mango Colada, it was awesome!"
Posted: Mon, Jan 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"We had a fabulous visit to Villa del Palmar Cancun. We can honestly say without reservation that we found this to be an extraordinary full service facility with top flight attention, amenities, etc. The spa was a special treat - clean, organized, professional and truly tranquil. The food is by far the best than what we have sampled in any all inclusive we have visited to date. Kudos to the staff, management and those who helped make our vacation five star! Right now, I am really missing a frozen sombrero made to perfection by our favorite bartender!
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"the resort facilities and our room was totally top notch in every way.
Every thing was very luxurious, spacious very clean, and the whole place very well run, everyone was very friendly and provided excellent service. The only drawback is that the food is quite mediocre and the actual beach not as nice as others in the area.
The location is a bit removed from Cancun and the hotel zone area so is best for visitors that wish to spend most of therir time enjoying the resort. We rented a car so ended up spending most our our time exploring different towns and islands around Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Cozumel and Tullim, in the end we never ended up spending much time on site but that would have been a pleasure if we stayed a few more days."
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"we went with my family of 5 and loved this hotel
some glitches they have to work out were how to serve the guests at the pool, ocean and room service while serving the restaurant guests all from the same kitchen. lots of friendly staff. great aactivities all day long beautiful clean rooms and balconies. terrific management couldnt do enough for us. just fabulous.."
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"The resort is beautiful. High end construction finishes thru-out...really so comfortable and luxurious. We had the 1 bedroom, 2 Bath oceanview suite with full kitchen, washer /dryer, double terrace with hammock, etc. Our room was dead center on floor 7 facing the ocean. AMAZING. Go for one of these suites, 1 BR or 2 BR and you will be very pleased.However, the food and service were BEYOND terrible. A quick trip into Cancun for groceries would have solved the problem, but we paid for All Inclusive and kept hoping the food would get better. We were there for 6 nights with no luck. Arived Christmas Eve. The good news is you are 45 minutes away from Isla Mujeres via the ferry pier located right next to the Resort and you can hop over there for great chow all day long. That's what we did. We also traveled into Cancun. on a scale of 1-10 I would rate the accomodations a 10 . The food @ a 1. The BEST restaurant is La CASONA Dining Room for Dinner. The menu is decent and the presentation is lovely if not mainstream.Book it every single night! The Buffets on the Casona terrace are just awful. The breakfast Omelet Station with 'YENI' is the best thing going. She does a fantastic job!!! The Service was about a 3. VERY short on Cocktail servers for all the pools. Just get up and walk to a bar for quicker service. The internet was spotty thru-out the week and they finally got that upgraded on Thursday...our 6 th day there. Good luck!!!"
Posted: Mon, Jan 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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"Place was nice, but the service and food was very bad. We had to make reservations for everything and for 3 days in a roll, they lost or never took the reservations so we had no food. New year s party was a joke, we finally got a table and my dad and some friends sat together, we suppossed to get steak and lobster for dinner, first the steak wasnt cook enough and they gave us JUST THE SHELL, no meat for the lobster....all they do is say im sorry, look that they are used to complains and they dont do anything about...i will take them from your site, since is a bad reputation for you too...we will never go back there..."
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"Visit date 12/25/11 - 12/30/11 Food tolerable. Must make reservations for all restaurants except the buffets (no menu for restaurants). Buffets breakfasts consists of fruits and omeletes made to order, (long lines), vegetables, and mostly lunch items. Forget about authentic mexican food lunches and dinners (i.e. tacos, burrittos, enchiladas etc). 1 of the restaurants served italian (not good) Watered down juices and diluted mixed drink alcoholic beverages. They also want a signed receipt for each time you eat. (no cost , not sure why....maybe to tip staff?) Room service blows. 3 times the wait room service quote... if they come at all. No ice machines...must get from room service or bars. You must make all restaurant reservations through a concierge. WHY? Who knows. After you get a reservation....good luck getting setted anywhere close to reservation time and plan a couple hours to eat. Absolutely beautiful hotel, our room had a missing sliding door lock and had to be put on by maintenance. We overheard another family talking and their room and their sliding door lock missing as well but also had no refrigerator, microwave, hot water, shower head. This hotel is away from alot of attractions so you must either take the bus (cheap), a $30 cab (1 way), or the free hotel shuttle that runs only twice a day (must make reservations again). For some reason they log everywhere you go at the security front gate. Dont plan on internet connections... paid for ethernet connection in the room ($10 a day) but there was no connection. Free wifi is available around the main lobby but that didnt work either. Our room had a musty smell and we could see mildew/mold on furniture and fixtures. Did not get bothered about buying a timechair fortunately. Maybe they will get the service better down the road"
Posted: Sat, Dec 31, 2011- Overall Experience:
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"Excellent accommodations ... the best staff I have ever encountered. They are exceptionally attentive and pleasant. Even though there was construction on new facilities the noise never bothered us either in our room or on the beach. We had a wonderful relaxing vacation and will return. This was our second time at Villa del Palmar this year!"
Posted: Mon, Dec 05, 2011- Overall Experience:
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"This is probably one of the nicest places we been to so far. Will be going back next year..."
Posted: Thu, Oct 27, 2011- Overall Experience:
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"This is an amazing property and the number one plus for this resort is the staff."
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"Hot=wromg time of year in Sept. Lots of construction noise. Not many guests or activities. Enjoyed all inclusive with premium liquor brands, and excellent food. "
Posted: Thu, Oct 06, 2011- Overall Experience:
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"I read mixed reviews about this Resort due to the construction. But I am the type that gets very boored sitting around and in the pool. It was fun to watch the construction staff work on the building. They very never rude, they got a lot done in the 7 days we were there and they were very effocient, ( kind of hard to find this in the United States). The service was exceptional from the bartenders to the room service staff. The Sushi was great as well as all of the other restaurants. I look forward to another trip this November. Great place to relax!"
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"This resort is spectacular! Not completed yet, but this will be the place to go!! If you are looking for family vacation, this is it!! I will return! The service was amazing!!! 5 stars!!"
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- Luxury Accommodations
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner a la carte or buffet
- All Snacks
- Room service (24 hours)
- All Beverages including International Premium Brand Liquors
- 4 Restaurants offering Buffet and A la Carte. Sushi Menu Service during the night at the beach front main terrace
- 4 Bars including one pool and one beach bar
- Nightly live entertainment theme nights
- Non-Motorized Water sports
- Daytime Beach activities
- Pool activities
- Use of the Fitness Room
- 5 outdoor swimming pools, includes 1 for adults-only and 1 kid`s pool
- 4 outdoor jetted tubs
- WiFi ($)
- All Gratuities
- HONEYMOONERS AND ANNIVERSARY FREE ADDED VALUES: Chocolates, Sparkling wine and Flowers upon arrival. Please request your free package at time of booking. Wedding certificate of proof of marriage could be requested at time of check in.
- - Luxury Accommodations
- - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner a la carte or buffet
- - All Snacks
- - Room service (24 hours)
- - All Beverages including International Premium Brand Liquors
Reg
BONUS: FREE $100 Flight Credit!
- Book Hotel + Flight SAVE MORE!
- Luxury Room Accommodations!
- All Meals and Drinks Included
- 24-Hour All Inclusive Resort
- Great Guest Reviews
- Hurry, Limited Rooms Available!
Reg
BONUS: FREE $100 Flight Credit!
- Book Hotel + Flight SAVE MORE!
- Luxury Room Accommodations!
- All Meals and Drinks Included
- 24-Hour All Inclusive Resort
- Great Guest Reviews
- Hurry, Limited Rooms Available!
All Inclusive Package:
- All Meals including a la carte Restaurants
- Snacks
- 24 Hours Room Service
- All Beverages including International Premium Brand Liquors
- Nightly live entertainment theme nights
- Shuttle to Plaza Las Americas Mall 6 times daily (check schedules with concierge as times may vary)
- Non-Motorized Water sports
- Daytime Beach activities
- Pool activities
- Use of the Fitness Room
- All Gratuities Included
Amenities: Deluxe Ocean View Room offers 2 Queen Beds with all modern amenities. Room also offers Alarm clock, Balcony / Terrace, Bathroom amenities, Separate bathtub and shower, Cable / Satellite TV, Ceiling fan, Color TV, Hairdryer, Heating, Internet access, Iron / Ironing board, Kitchenette, Microwave oven, Mini bar, Modem / data port connection, Pay TV, Pay-per-view movies, Radio, Safe in room, Tea and coffee , Telephone, Toaster, Voicemail
Amenities: Deluxe Ocean View Room offers 2 Queen Beds with all modern amenities. Room also offers Alarm clock, Balcony / Terrace, Bathroom amenities, Separate bathtub and shower, Cable / Satellite TV, Ceiling fan, Color TV, Hairdryer, Heating, Internet access, Iron / Ironing board, Kitchenette, Microwave oven, Mini bar, Modem / data port connection, Pay TV, Pay-per-view movies, Radio, Safe in room, Tea and coffee , Telephone, Toaster, Voicemail
All Inclusive Package:
- All Meals including a la carte Restaurants
- Snacks
- 24 Hours Room Service
- All Beverages including International Premium Brand Liquors
- Nightly live entertainment theme nights
- Shuttle to Plaza Las Americas Mall 6 times daily (check schedules with concierge as times may vary)
- Non-Motorized Water sports
- Daytime Beach activities
- Pool activities
- Use of the Fitness Room
- All Gratuities Included
Amenities: 2 Queen Beds with all the modern amenities you might expect. Room also offers: Alarm Clock, Balcony/Terrace, Bathroom Amenities, Separate Bathtub and Shower, Cable/Satellite TV, Ceiling Fan, Color TV, Hairdryer, Heating, Internet Access, Iron and Ironing Board, Kitchenette, Microwave Oven, Mini Bar, Modem/Data Port Connection, Pay TV, Pay-per-view Movies, Radio, In-room Safe, Tea and coffee, Telephone, Toaster, Voice Mail.
All Inclusive Package:
- All Meals including a la carte Restaurants
- Snacks
- 24 Hours Room Service
- All Beverages including International Premium Brand Liquors
- Nightly live entertainment theme nights
- Shuttle to Plaza Las Americas Mall 6 times daily (check schedules with concierge as times may vary)
- Non-Motorized Water sports
- Daytime Beach activities
- Pool activities
- Use of the Fitness Room
- All Gratuities Included
Amenities: 1 King Bed on master bedroom, 1 King or 2 Queen Beds on second bedroom and 1 murphy bed on living room, Cotton Sheets, Access via exterior corridors, Balcony with Ocean view. Living Room, In-room safe, Wired high-speed Internet access (surcharge). Flat-panel television, Cable television service, Premium television channel(s), Pay movies, Phone, Voice mail, Clock radio. Fully equipped kitchen with Stovetop, Microwave, Full-sized Refrigerator/Freezer, Coffee/tea maker, Cookware, Dishware, toaster, blender and utensils. Master bathroom with shower rand tub, second bathroom with shower, double sink. Air conditioning.
All Inclusive Package:
- All Meals including a la carte Restaurants
- Snacks
- 24 Hours Room Service
- All Beverages including International Premium Brand Liquors
- Nightly live entertainment theme nights
- Shuttle to Plaza Las Americas Mall 6 times daily (check schedules with concierge as times may vary)
- Non-Motorized Water sports
- Daytime Beach activities
- Pool activities
- Use of the Fitness Room
- All Gratuities Included
Amenities: 1 King Size Bed, 1 Murphy, Cotton Sheets, Access via exterior corridors, Balcony with Ocean view. In-room safe, Wired high-speed Internet access (surcharge). Flat-panel television, Cable television service, Premium television channel(s), Pay movies, Phone, Voice mail, Clock radio. Fully equipped kitchen with Stovetop, Microwave, Full-sized Refrigerator/Freezer, Coffee/tea maker, Cookware, Dishware, toaster, blender and utensils. Full bathroom with bathtub and shower. Double sink. Air conditioning.
All Inclusive Package:
- All Meals including a la carte Restaurants
- Snacks
- 24 Hours Room Service
- All Beverages including International Premium Brand Liquors
- Nightly live entertainment theme nights
- Shuttle to Plaza Las Americas Mall 6 times daily (check schedules with concierge as times may vary)
- Non-Motorized Water sports
- Daytime Beach activities
- Pool activities
- Use of the Fitness Room
- All Gratuities Included
Amenities: 1 King Size Bed, 1 Murphy, Cotton Sheets, Access via exterior corridors and Balcony. In-room safe, Wired high-speed Internet access (surcharge). Flat-panel television, Cable television service, Premium television channel(s), Pay movies, Phone, Voice mail, Clock radio. Fully equipped kitchen with Stovetop, Microwave, Full-sized Refrigerator/Freezer, Coffee/tea maker, Cookware, Dishware, toaster, blender and utensils. Full bathroom with bathtub and shower. Double sink. Air conditioning.
- 24 Hour Room Service
- 24 Hour Security
- 24-Hour Front Desk
- ATM Machine
- All-Inclusive
- Babysitting (+)
- Banquet Facility (+)
- Beach Front
- Beach Service
- Beauty Shop/Salon
- Business Services (+)
- Car Rental Desk (+)
- Children's Play Area
- Children's Program
- Coffee Shop
- Complimentary Use of Bathrobe and Slippers
- Concierge Desk
- Currency Exchange
- Dry Cleaning Service (+)
- Elevator / Lift
- Exterior Corridors
- FREE Area Shuttle
- FREE Parking
- Fine Dining
- Fishing (nearby) (+)
- Fitness Facility
- Gift Shop on Property (+)
- Golf (nearby) (+)
- Guest Activity Desk
- Honeymoon Amenities
- Ice Machine
- Jacuzzi/Hot Tub
- Kiddie Pool
- Kids Club
- Lounge/Bar
- Massage Therapist (+)
- Medical Services (+)
- Multilingual Staff
- Multiple Swimming Pools
- Non-Motorized Water Sports
- On-Site Convenience Store (+)
- On-Site Entertainment
- On-Site Travel Agency (+)
- Outdoor Pool
- Parking
- Pool Area Bar
- Properties with Word of Mouth Testimonials
- Public Internet Access (+)
- Room Service Included
- Security Guard
- Spa Services (+)
- Sun Deck
- VIP Rooms
- Valet Parking
- Wake-Up Service
- Water Sports (nearby) (+)
- Wedding Services (+)
- Wireless Internet Access (+)
(+) = Additional fees may apply for the use of these amenities.
(*) = Free, some restrictions may apply.

