TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We were a group of 8 traveling together. Our stay was wonderful. The staff at the Akumal is what makes this resort. Starting with Eddy at guest service: if I was giving him a rating from 1-10 he would be a 12. Eddy went above and beyond to make our stay memorable. The daytime team of entertainment RAMON, RICARDO , ALEX AND SO MANY MORE 10/10……security and safety 10/10 The buffet in the mornings, OLIVIA, made us feel like VIP. The KATOK WAS 100% from the manager to the wait staff, on par with any top restaurant in Montreal. Bahia Principe Akumal 10/10. Would definitely return and recommend

I have been a loyal Bahia Principe guest for over 10 years, and unfortunately, my most recent stay at Bahia Principe Tequila in Riviera Maya was a huge disappointment. My first experience with Bahia Principe was in 2015 at Sian Ka’an, and we absolutely loved it. Since then, my family and I have traveled throughout the Caribbean at least twice a year and stayed at many mid-range resorts. Time after time, we compared our experiences and always came to the same conclusion: considering the price paid versus the value received, Bahia Principe was one of the best resort brands in the Caribbean. Over the years, we have stayed at Sian Ka’an, Akumal, and most recently Tequila in Mexico. We have also visited Bahia Principe Esmeralda and Ambar in the Dominican Republic, as well as Bahia Principe in Jamaica. What kept bringing us back was the excellent service, friendly staff, beautiful à la carte restaurants, quality food, entertainment, and the ability to easily reserve restaurants and enjoy a wide variety of shows and activities. Sadly, our recent stay at Tequila was completely different. The first disappointment came when we learned that we no longer had access to some of the neighboring resorts that we previously enjoyed visiting freely. We were told that we would now have to pay extra for access. After expressing our disappointment, the staff eventually provided us with complimentary yellow wristbands that restored access, but this was not a good first impression. The next issue was the check-in process. We always complete online check-in before arrival and usually make our restaurant reservations in advance. This time, however, the process was confusing due to Bahia’s transition to Hyatt management. We were sent multiple links and experienced several technical difficulties before finally completing the check-in. The biggest problem was restaurant reservations. Every restaurant showed as fully booked before our arrival. This seemed very unusual because we traveled during a traditionally slower season. When we arrived and asked for assistance, we were simply told that everything was fully booked. However, after visiting several restaurants ourselves, we discovered that many were operating at only 20-30% of their capacity. Large sections were closed off and hidden behind decorative plants and partitions. The menus were significantly reduced, and many dining areas sat empty. We also heard from staff that many employees had been sent home as part of the new management changes. This situation affected much more than the restaurants. Overall service levels felt reduced, availability was limited, and the resort atmosphere no longer reflected the high standards that made Bahia Principe special for us over the past decade. We have traveled during April-May and September-October for many years, so we are familiar with what to expect during these periods. The consistency that once made Bahia Principe stand out appears to have disappeared. It genuinely saddens me to write this review because Bahia Principe has given my family many wonderful memories. We recommended these resorts to friends and family for years. But based on our recent experience, Bahia Principe Tequila no longer offers the value, service, and experience that once made it exceptional. The Bahia Principe paradise we knew and loved seems to be gone. I sincerely hope management takes guest feedback seriously and restores the quality and hospitality that built the Bahia Principe reputation in the first place.

We recently stayed at the Bahia Principe Riviera Maya and unfortunately did not feel the experience matched either the price point or the “5-star all-inclusive” branding. To be fair, some issues may have been seasonal or outside the resort’s control, but overall the stay felt far below expectations for the cost. The biggest issue upon arrival was that a large portion of the resort was under construction. While we understand renovations are sometimes necessary, it significantly impacted the atmosphere. Instead of a relaxing pool environment, we spent most of our time listening to construction noise throughout the day. The weather was extremely hot during our stay, which is obviously not the resort’s fault, but the pools were also unusually warm — warmer than the outside air at times — making them difficult to enjoy. What surprised us most was the complete lack of poolside service. No drink service, no food service, and no attendants circulating at the pools, which is something we’ve consistently experienced even at mid-range all-inclusive resorts. The towel situation was honestly frustrating. The towels were very thin and heavily worn, and the resort strictly enforced a one-towel-per-person rule. Even requesting an additional towel was repeatedly denied with “those are the rules.” We understand limits are necessary, but at a resort marketed as luxury, this felt excessive and inconvenient. The beach was essentially unusable during our stay due to an enormous amount of seaweed buildup. While seaweed itself is unavoidable in this region at times, the shoreline was also extremely rocky, making ocean access difficult even beyond the seaweed issue. Dining was another disappointment. The resort pre-booked our dinner reservations around 8:00 PM nightly, and attempting to change them to earlier times was nearly impossible because the system consistently showed no availability. Once seated, the portions at the restaurants were extremely small, and staff would not allow additional entrees or larger portions to be ordered. We often left dinner still hungry and had to go to the buffet afterward. The drinks were honestly some of the worst we’ve experienced at an all-inclusive. Most cocktails tasted artificial or poorly mixed, and the liquor quality was extremely low. There were no meaningful top-shelf options included. We ultimately ended up purchasing our own tequila from the gift shop because the included alcohol was nearly undrinkable. The bottles were approximately $100 USD each for a standard 750ml bottle, and over the course of the trip we spent nearly $300 USD just to have decent alcohol available. The room accommodations were also disappointing. The beds were extremely firm and uncomfortable to the point that both my back and hips hurt throughout the trip. The minibar was minimally stocked and included only a few basic items. Staff repeatedly refused requests to restock additional beverages, even in a double-occupancy room. We ordered room service once and found the food nearly inedible aside from the fresh fruit. Another thing guests should be aware of is the amount of walking required. The resort is enormous, and depending on room location, expect very long walks to the pools, restaurants, buffet, and other amenities. I’m an active person and generally don’t mind walking, but it became excessive very quickly in the heat. The buffet was average at best. Some items were decent — the ceviche and boiled eggs were reliable options — but much of the food felt like generic buffet fare. The coffee was also extremely poor unless ordering espresso drinks specifically. One of the most frustrating parts of the experience was the constant upselling. We were approached repeatedly about massages, spa services, and upgrading to “Privilege” wristbands for access to supposedly better drinks and bars - which were another distance to walk to - top shelf liquors were NOT available at the regular bars. While the massage itself was pleasant, the persistent sales pressure throughout the trip became exhausting and took away from the ability to truly relax. Most concerning, several members of our travel group — including my husband — became seriously ill during the trip and were later diagnosed with E. coli infections after returning home. Obviously we cannot definitively determine the exact source, but it added another very negative layer to an already disappointing experience. Overall, we left feeling that this resort focuses far more on upselling and restrictions than on guest comfort or hospitality. We did not feel cared for, pampered, or relaxed, which is exactly what most people are looking for in a luxury all-inclusive vacation. Unfortunately, we would not return and would not recommend this resort to travelers looking for a true 5-star relaxing experience.

Fantastic, could not hope for better. Rooms were clean , food was great, staff excellent. My wife has diatiary restrictions and the chef's actually came out to show her the dishes she could eat.

We booked this holiday via TUI and booked our wedding ceremony direct with the resort. I had some concerns before going regarding renovations and restaurants - ALL of these concerns basically melted away as soon as we arrived. 10 days before arrival I managed to book 8 al a carte restaurants for our 10 days before arrival stay. Once logged in the app is easy to use and full of great information, useful before and during your stay. On arrival at the resort we recieved the loveliest welcome and were given a swim up room in block 54 just two minutes from reception and sports bar. We loved our room, so clean and modern, massive bed. Having the swim up pool was fantastic especially after a long day trip. Air con was brilliant, and we managed to stream movie apps from my phone onto to the TV with ease. Mini fridge was restocked daily. The grounds of the resort are absolutely gorgeous and it’s lovely to see the wildlife so safe and happy. The maintenance and ground staff work round the clock and are doing a magnificent job of keeping it beautiful even with ongoing building works. The little carts are easy to use to explore the connecting resorts and get to dinner reservations, the drivers are so friendly! Our favourite Al a carte was the Tequila restaurant at Tulum - the food was excellent, cocktails were delicious and the overall vibe was great! We also really enjoyed Katok and La Gran Tortuga. The buffet was open in the evenings for dinner so we actually cancelled a couple of bookings to eat there when we wanted to see a show or eat earlier after a day trip - excellent range of choice and everything I tried was very tasty! The buffet staff were excellent and offer table service for drinks, including cocktails . The breakfast buffet was one of the highlights of my day! Always a great choice, very fresh - I especially like the range of egg types and Mexican corner. The fresh guacamole was always delicious!! The coffee shop in the lobby is a fantastic facility, the iced drinks are lovely. The drinks options throughout all of the resorts were great - I tried quite a few cocktails to be adventurous but I’m not a big fan of most alcohol so ended up sticking to pina colada and frozen strawberry daiquiri which were delicious and refreshing. We treated ourselves to a couple of bottles of wine throughout the week at extra cost whilst eating , the wine menu is very good and I found the price very reasonable. We booked the Origen show at Tulúm theatre one evening and I highly recommend this to anyone it is very much worth the small ticket price!!! The crew are incredibly talented. Special shout out to Ramon in the entertainment team who always had time to chat and laugh with us, he is a real asset to the resort. The beach area for Akumal for great - lots of sealife to be seen. Clear of seaweed at this part due to the protection from the rocks. Plenty of sunbeds and always a bar nearby. Lifeguards on duty in the daytime also. Onto our wedding…. What an incredible day we had!!! We cannot fault a thing. We travelled alone to be married but the resort staff absolutely spoilt us and made us feel so special. Everything on the day ran like clockwork, Noemi was a fantastic co-ordinator and the rest of the wedding team were so helpful. I used the Akumal spa for my hair where Angela worked her magic on my very thick long hair. We had a beach dinner after the ceremony which was a fantastic way to wind down together, and again the food was delicious. Our wedding cake was lovely too and decorated with flowers that matched my bouquet. We are so happy we chose Bahia Principe as our wedding venue and it will always be such a special place for us. In our today stay we didn’t even manage to visit each resort area - it really is huge! There’s different entertainment across all of the resorts each day, something for everyone whether you like to stay active or spend your day relaxing. We saw a great variety of live music across our stay in the terrace area. Often followed up by a DJ or karaoke. My partner booked a golf trip in the lobby over at the PGA Riviera Maya and said that the golf course was stunning and very much worth the price - golf cart and refreshments provided. We booked two day trips online with Destino Rivieria - picked up from the hotel on time. We visited the Tulum ruins and a cenote in the jungle on one day, and the Sian Kaan biosphere on another. We have sooo many more things that we want to see in Mexico and loved our stay at Bahia Principe so much that we have already booked to return next year. We can’t wait to be back and see the lovely friendly faces of the incredible staff again.