Ocean Maya Royale

This was my first time doing an all-inclusive experience and I wasn't sure what to expect. The purpose of this trip was to relax and have a true vacation. When I travel I usually save very little time for relaxation but I've been craving something relaxing and pleasurable and this is exactly what I got here. As a resort Ocean Maya Royale is gorgeous and a lovely respite from the cold. From the second we walked in we were greeted with smiles and EVERYONE who worked there was super nice and friendly. The man at the front desk upgraded us to a honeymoon suite (for free) which I am not sure why but I'll take it - and it was amazing. The room was beautiful with roses on the bed and a bottle of wine ready for our consumption. They definitely try to cultivate the "party"/vacation atmosphere with the pool foam parties and people dancing. If you want something more chill they have another pool area and beach. Was the all-inclusive a good deal? I think it is if you are just planning on staying at the resort most of the time. We stayed at the resort most of the time but took a day trip to Tulum and explored Playa Del Carmen for an afternoon/evening - both of these cities are charming and beautiful so it was worth it. We rented a car for two days and they had a very accessible parking lot. Some people complained about the beach - the beach does smell and there is a lot of seaweed but it's still beautiful and it's part of nature. I still loved it and had a lovely stroll at the beach. They also have nightly entertainment - it was pretty corny and I felt like it appealed to older people (50 and up) but it was still amusing to watch. If you're looking for something cool and exciting - go to Tulum. If you're looking for something relaxing and easy, this is perfect. Pros: - Clean and relaxing room - ours had a hot tub that was magical. - Friendly staff - 24/7 bar - Restaurants had lunch till 4-5pm for us late risers. - Multiple bar options - Fresh guacamole, delicious salsa, fish, and ceviche at every restaurant - The front desk staff spoke great English making it easier if your Spanish is bad and you are an English speaker. - El Charro had decent food - really delicious ceviche - If you need a taxi, they have them on standby there so it's pretty fast to get one (but it will be a bit more expensive) - The fruit flavored water everywhere was sooo refreshing! - Mike's Coffee Shop - great espresso and the barista who worked there was awesome - They accept tips/payments in US dollars which was really nice. - ADULTS only - no noisy kids - Travelers from all over the world were here not just annoying Americans (I am American and was pleased with how much French and Spanish I heard from the guests). - Soy milk options! Cons: - It's about a 25 minute drive from Playa Del Carmen so I wouldn't stay here if you want to go there most nights. - Weak drinks that were too sweet - The food was bland at La Dolce - but their fresh Parmesan cheese/caper dip was phenomenal- the pizza at every buffet I went to looked gross and the sushi was rough. - Limited options if you're a vegetarian for eating but decent options if you're a pescatarian - Thin walls - we could hear our crazy neighbors above us doing random stuff at 5:30am and it was painful. - The housekeeping was wonderful with keeping our room clean but every morning they were pretty noisy outside talking so if you're a light sleeper (and I wear ear plugs) you might want to bring some white noise thing because you will get woken up when they start. - People constantly trying to sell you stuff - the second we walked in - we had to "meet" with a representative of the hotel company - he was not super pushy and overall chill but at the end he tried to push us to go to a breakfast (probably time share stuff) and we had to firmly tell him no a few times. - They will also try to sell you a bunch of vacation tours - I don't like itineraries and would rather do my own thing so just don't go to any of those meetings. - Certain services here are pretty overpriced (massage and car rental) so I would do these in Playa Del Carmen - For some reason the bathroom part didn't have a full door so if you're trying to have a "romantic" vacation, be prepared for your SO to hear you pee or use one of the other bathrooms at the resort for when it's more intense. Getting around: - We used Amstar shuttle to get from the Cancun Airport to the hotel. They have a very good system and they are very easy to spot at the Cancun Airport. The shuttle ride does take about 1-1.5 hours though (the resort is about 40 minutes from the airport) so be prepared to be in the van for awhile. When we arrived at our hotel, they kept saying that we had to have a "welcome meeting" to find out about their packages/validate the return shuttle. We didn't go to the "welcome meeting" because we didn't want to purchase any tours - we just went to the Amstar rep at the very end of our time at the resort to validate the return shuttle and fortunately didn't have to hear about their tours since it was the end of our trip. - We rented a car for 2 days and went to Playa Del Carmen to pick up the car rental because it is much cheaper than doing it at the resort. Just be warned that the police might try to extort you for money. They pull you over, demand about $260 payment or jail time and if you are willing to go to their jail - then they will let you go - just tell them that you have a few days left on your trip so that way they won't take advantage of you rushing to get back to airport. It is completely heinous and terrifying.

Room was nice, when the A/C was functional...I know things happen and they repaired it as soon as they could. Food was very good, If you have a late flight like we did and arrive at 4, don’t expect to eat till 6:30 when the restaurants open. We were really looking forward to the breakfast buffet bacon, but were not used to the huge clump of over cooked as well as undercooked bacon. I myself had to open 3 champagne bottles for the mimosas since they were always empty. Staff was very friendly and wanted to take whatever time they could to talk to us about becoming future loyalty members. When we weren’t aware of our pick up time for our excursion, a courtesy call to our room would have been appreciated so we wouldn’t have had to pay(and be overcharged) for a cab. Also when I lost my hat the first night of Dining, protocol was not followed and my hat was not turned into lost and found, but was put into the reception table. So guest services had no record of it, luckily we asked more than twice to get it back. Also don’t expect breakfast in bed since room service isnt available until 11:00 am. And don’t leave any food in room or it will be covered in really tiny bugs.

Me and my best friend had a good time at this hotel. The food was decent specially the mexican restaurant (called el chamo?) The pool bar was great the bartender (Eber) was very attentive and very friendly. Overall the service was great as everybody was very nice. The only thing that I would change is the nightlife. The lobby bar is 24/7 but is missing some kind of music to set a little bit of a lively scene. I also wish the beach was cleaned of leaves and algae.

I loved everything except the "garden view" room I had. It was way at the back and it wasn't a garden view, it was dead grass and very old trees. Lots of rotten coconuts left on the ground the whole time we were there. Was surprised they don't have a "turn-down" option during the evening and the towels are not exchanged in the evening. This is the only resort that I've stayed out that doesn't do that. Otherwise, staff is fabulous, entertainment is good and pool bar staff can't be outdone. Their staff makes sure everyone is laughing. If you want quiet time, there is a second pool to just relax. Will definitely be going back.