The Reef Playacar - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

8248 reviews

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  Great hotel choice

  We had a great stay at reef Playacar - wonderful setting with a lovely rustic charm. Loved the rainforest being an integral part of the hotel. So many activities on offer both within the hotel and on the beach which was great for two teenage kids. Moses did a fantastic job with running the entertainment and always made things fun and enjoyable. Great location too with easy access to city. The staff are all friendly, welcoming and work hard to look after the guests. The spa is fantastic, had the best massage I’ve had in a long time. Plenty of food choices on offer, but food could be better.

  Aug 21, 2025
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  Liar

  SCAMMERS AND LIARS as soon as we checked in we were approached by our "concierge" which is just a fancy way to call a greedy and lying promoter. our vacation plan did not include lunch, so we asked if there was a way for us to eat something (it was already 11:30 o'clock, we were staying there for a night, had little time and just wanted to relax), the liar said that options were the following: either pay for their buffet restaurant or, as the liar proposed, to go to another resort just beside ours and owned by the same company, attend a presentation about a new membership plan they offered and then have free lunch there+4 free massages, we were told that we could meet around 12, but we were told we had the possibility to leave at 12:30 as well. We accepted the offer and showed up at our reception at 12:30 but surprisingly everybody had already left, another concierge though said we could still go and a taxi came and picked us up. when we finally arrived after 20 minutes (it was on the other side of playa del Carmen and not beside us as we were told!!!) we discovered that we couldn't follow the presentation anymore cuz, apparently, we were late!!! (2 concierges told us the opposite beforehand!!!), our """"concierge"""" still provided us with a day pass (he said it included both lunch and access to the facilities of the new resort) as long as we took a look around, but couldn't grant the massages anymore though. when we arrived at the restaurant to finally eat we were informed that they wouldn't give us any food unless we paid an unfair amount of money. after 30 minutes of calls they decided that it was none of their business and left us there without any lunch at 13:30, we were furious and tired, we made them call a taxi and had to pay for our lunch, which is not a big deal, the big deal is literally scamming customers and make them waste their time to promote some kind of real estate. A BUNCH OF LIARS ARE WORKING AT THIS HOTEL, they could simply and directory tell us that the time was too late for us to go or that it was just better to go back cuz we had no lunch included but instead decided to SCAM us. Moreover, the pool was so hot we didnt evem cool off and was dirty, let alone the sargassum-filled brown beach (something we expected and were okay with)

  Aug 19, 2025
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  Not Worth It – Go to the Sister Resort Instead

  The resort is beautiful and small, which makes it easy to get around and return to your room if needed. I stayed in early August — unfortunately, the beach was unusable due to seaweed. Not the resort’s fault, and they did try to clean it. ⚠️ Beware of the VIP Upgrade – It’s not worth the money. All the supposed perks are at a sister resort that you need to take a shuttle to. No better rooms, no premium liquor, and the VIP beach chairs are in a worse location than the regular ones. You get access to The Reef 28 downtown, but the shuttle is unreliable, and the location isn’t walkable. 🍹 No Pool or Beach Service – Bars close at 7pm and are understaffed. After that, you have to walk to the main lobby for drinks. Expect long lines. 🍽️ Food – If you don’t book restaurant reservations in advance, you’re stuck with the buffet (which is good but repetitive). To-go snack place has pizza and burgers, but it closes at 7pm and only reopens 10–11pm for tacos. No room service. The Japanese restaurant is at the sister resort. Ice cream is only available from 4–6pm. In short, most amenities they advertise are not actually at this location. You’re better off just booking at the sister resort directly. I wouldn’t stay here again.

  Aug 11, 2025
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  Perfect resort for a relaxing getaway!

  Our trip was exactly what we needed, a relaxing getaway! The resort was beautiful with the lush tropical greenery, throughout. The grounds were clean, and well kept daily. Food was excellent, we really loved the variety of choices the buffet had to offer. Especially enjoyed Mexican night the best! They had Gluten Free options for my husband who is Celiac. The staff were excellent, the bar tenders were awesome ! Entertainment and daily activities were great! Upmost friendliest staff, always greeting us with a smile! We paid for the premium package and glad we did, our room had a perfect view of the walk way to the pool area, premium lounge chairs at the beach were so comfortable, lots of shaded areas. We took an afternoon trip with provided hotel transportation to The Reef Coco beach, and enjoyed their amenities. One of the best trips we had in a very long time!

  Jul 21, 2025
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  Overall OK but do not pay for Premium!

  Paid an extra 20% for Premium and we’re put in room 723 - we opened the curtains in the morning and were greeted by the horrible view of the unkempt back of the spa, overgrown greenery and disused dirty rooms. The smell was beyond belief as this stale section made the balcony unusable! We did get the room changed without too much problem but our couple of interactions with Jesus at reception made us feel like he was doing us a favour! PREMIUM Out of the hundred or so guests we saw, only 2 or 3 had gone Premium. The waiters just assume you are standard as everyone else so we just got on with it. We tried for 6 days to get into the Mexican but it was full but did manage to get in on our last night - it was very good. we also benefitted from the Japanese at ‘Coco beach’ which was good. FOOD This was ok with a reasonable selection. Much the same on most days. My husband requires Gluten Free and this was hard work. After 3 sittings we could not get anyone to help us despite waiting for so long - he gave up and just ate the basics all week to be safe! SERVICE Some better than others but generally good. Be careful with the Concierges were quite pushy. Calling your rooms daily and trying to get you to book tours at a better price so they could give you a detour and attend a sales pitch! Book elsewhere - there are places outside that you can go too along the road. CLEANLINESS Generally ok. Our room cleaner was excellent. Our minibar and coffee was not replenished each day which should happen as part of the upgrade.

  Jul 20, 2025