Occidental at Xcaret Destination - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

26334 reviews

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  A poor all-inclusive experience

  This was the most expensive all-inclusive resort I've ever stayed at but it was nowhere near the best I've experienced. The service was mostly impersonal, the buffet food was not kept warm enough and there was a lack of variation, the WiFi in the room was mid, the evening entertainment was very poor, the only good coffee on site was at a coffee bar that you have to pay for in addition to the all-inclusive, all soft drinks had artificial sweeteners in them, the location is excellent for going into Xcaret Park but it's terrible for transport anywhere else as only taxis are available and you're hit with an incredibly overcharged tourist tax to use those (the lobby bellhops will quote you 500 mxn for a taxi to Playa del Carmen, a rides hare app will do it for 200/250), the development is very clean and well kept with beautiful landscaping and vegetation. I would not return, I've experienced far better in Europe.

  Feb 02, 2026
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  Second time here

  This was mine and my husband's second time staying at this resort and it was just as much fun as the first. The staff is always friendly and helpful, and the property grounds are beautiful.

  Feb 02, 2026
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  Buyer Beware for couples and people who care about food.

  My wife and I went to this resort in mid-January. And there’s a couple of things I want to make sure people know about before they book because of the experience we had. This is definitely NOT a 5 star resort. Having been to Mexico quite a few times at various price points, I would put it at 3.5 to 4 stars at best. We happened to be staying in the Royal section, which was the only thing that saved our trip from being one where we would have considered moving to another resort. If you have a chance to upgrade for a decent price, DO IT. The positives are the staff for sure. We never encountered any staff members that were impolite or not willing to help. Some staff had trouble with English but if you’re in Mexico, you shouldn’t expect people to be fluent in another language. The Royal area was also amazing. Our room was huge, and the restaurant was excellent there, which was a bit confusing considering what we dealt with at other restaurants. But there is a decent list of cons, and there they are with some possible solutions. 1) This is very definitely a family resort. If you’re two adults who want a romantic vacation or quiet, this place is definitely not for you. Tons of kids and big groups, which is fine if that’s what you are looking for. Just wanted people to know that if they are considering this place for a couples retreat, because they shouldn’t. The beach is noisy as a result, which you should expect with a family place. 2) The food at the a la cartes was poor. Very poor. Like made my wife sick one night poor, and even at the steakhouse we had a steak that was 75% gristle and ribs that were inedible. Every restaurant has a salad bar, which just screams cheap to me. If it was the buffet, no problem. But it shouldn’t be hard to prepare a salad in a kitchen rather than make guests pick through terrible looking vegetables. We ate at the Mexican – and I have no idea how you make bland Mexican food in Mexico, but they managed – the Italian (where my wife got sick from one bite of spoiled fish) and the “steak” house. The beach buffet was basically dry burgers and French fries. Apparently the best places to eat are the taco stands and the pizza joint, neither of which we tried. Thank god we had access to another restaurant. What made no sense to me about that was our restaurant at the Royal area was excellent, well cooked, lots of variety (even things that weren’t on the menu) and everything was made to order. Why they can’t do that at the other restaurants, I have no idea. 3) The beach had all the chairs reserved by 9am. This is normal at most resorts, and there is a separate seating area for adults only and the Royal guests. However, the adults only section is a barren rock with a circular small pool and a couple of palapas, and the Royal section was up on an open area where you have a lovely view of a desolate plain. I would move the Royal area to at least the side of the cliff overlooking the cove that the beach was on and give it a LOT more shaded areas. The adults only was just an afterthought. 4) If you wanted to go to Xcaret park, you either had to sit through a timeshare presentation for 90 minutes – and even then, it was 50% off – or pay $130 per person USD for one day. That’s more expensive than Disney. But of course, the weekly pass is only $500 for two people so a lot of families do that. I just found the prices completely ridiculous. I was also bothered that my “welcome gift” was a cheap picture frame and an appointment to go look at timeshare condos if I wanted to attend the park for less than $250. 5) The Royal area was supposed to be private, but all week there were people wandering past a very clear sign saying that and coming in anyway. Like packs of them, and then they would come into the restaurant or interrupt our meals and be rude to the staff. Some of them even hung out in the palapas and chairs, oblivious to the fact they weren’t paying for the privacy. It would be a good idea to have a security person or not make it so easy for people to just wander in. 6) They made a point of asking about allergies. My wife is allergic to avocado, which is a common thing in Mexico, and we were promised this would be relayed to the restaurants. But, it was totally ignored and never addressed. Anyone with serious allergies, be extremely careful. We even told our server about her allergy at one restaurant directly and then got served a massive plate of nachos with avocado on it. To sum up, as a couple, we would not return to this resort. And if we hadn’t been in the Royal section, we would have seriously considered just leaving. It is not anywhere close to a high level resort, but I’m sure it is fantastic for family travelers on a budget. Buyer beware and lesson learned. I hope this review helps any future travelers.

  Feb 01, 2026
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  Happy vacation

  Love our stay the entire time. Room, food , premises. Never feel dull any moment. Will love to come back with our family union here.

  Jan 31, 2026
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  Amazing vacation!

  Incredible hotel, full of green jungle wild life all amazing! Shout out to Michelle from the VC excelent service, when you go ask for her

  Jan 31, 2026