TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Sorry - not much more than average relative to other Palace properties. Food and restaurants OK - wait-staff very good - pool folks GOOD - Diamond Concierge knocked himself out working for our vacay experience. Diamond level room so-so - clean and comfy but not special. Beach horrible - not even attempts to clean it. Lobby disaster !!!! Prices at Gift Shop 3-4 times what was very easily available in town 10 minute walk - RIP OFF- RIP OFF -- SHAME ON THEM!! OVER-ALL AVERGE -- NOT A BAD STAY BUT OVERALL DISAPPOINTING.

Our original plans were to stay at Cozumel Palace but our stay changed when Hurricane Beryl was forecasted to hit the Yucatán Peninsula. Once we arrived at Playacar, the entire staff made our stay welcoming. They were all so nice and helped us with all our needs. They did a fantastic job with juggling the issues related to the hurricane and kept the hotel guests informed with all weather related issues. Definitely worth the stay!

I will start with the positive. The staff was the friendliest, most helpful of all the Palace resorts we've stayed at. In the restaurants Rigoberto and Antonio (sommelier) gave us a great wine tasting class, and Antonio the head waiter came by pretty much every night no matter which restaurant we were in to make sure we were happy. In fact every server we dealt with couldn't have been more friendly. Even the omelette maker, whose name I don't remember, gave fast and tasty omelettes with a smile and no special request was too much for her. And the food was fantastic in all the restaurants. At the pool the entertainment staff, Rodrigo,Ana, Gerson, Erik, Daniel, did a great job of getting people involved - whether playing volleyball, daily "challenges", stretching and even a mixology class. They also gave us a fairly short bike tour of phase 1 playacar which we really enjoyed. In the Spa, Paulina gave me the best massage I've ever had, applying just the right amount of pressure and working more on tighter areas. Also Hector and Arturo were very attentive during my hydrotherapy sessions. The rooms were very clean and well maintained and someone came by daily to make sure the bar was stocked and we had enough towels. Now the negative..we were there during a span where it rained very hard pretty much every day we were there, and the building leaked all over the place - there were buckets collecting water in bathrooms, in the gym, in the restaurants. Other than in the restaurants, the rest of the resort is open to the elements - including the lobby bar. As a result, all the corridors were extremely wet with "Careful, slippery floor" signs every few feet. At a resort in this price range, you shouldn't be risking harm just walking to your room. In fact one of our group slipped on their way to their room and was injured so badly they needed a wheelchair to get around. That the lobby bar was open to the elements meant there was no place to gather that was not hot and humid. It was heartbreaking at the end of our stay when staff members would give us a hug, say goodbye and we'll see you when you come back while we knew we never would.

This was my second trip to Playacar. The first trip was with a number of other families/kids in April and this time was just with my wife in February. Due to the currents, the ocean was un-useable in April however in February we were able to enjoy swimming in the ocean. We are more of pool people so the ocean really isn't an issue for us but just be aware of the time of year will effect when you can swim in the ocean if that is important to you. We have stayed or visited all of the Palace Resorts and this is one of our favorites. We enjoy spending time at the resort during the day and walking around town at night for shopping and nightlife. We also like taking the ferry over to Cozumel and visiting the Cozumel Palace where snorkeling is available. The service is Playacar really is spectacular. Dalia, our diamond concierge is so very helpful and resourceful. Ignacio & Aaron are our favorite pool concierges of all the palace resorts. Silvia is still on of the best pool waitresses and the crew at the pool bar (Benito, Carmen, Jaiver, Mervin, Rodrigo, Daniela, Manuel, Juan, Carmelino) are fun, hard working and really make the pool area go. I can't wait to return!

In the last 18 months, my family and I have traveled to a Palace resort in Mexico 8 times. At this point, we consider ourselves pretty well acquainted with the way Palace does things. Our go-to resort has become Playacar Palace. This is where we spent our most recent family trip, spending a week in June. Below I share the good, the bad, and the ugly of Playacar Palace and Palace resorts as a whole. The Good We have a lot to say about the membership program boasted by Palace (see the ugly), but there are some wonderful people that come with it. Dalia has been our Diamond concierge twice now, and she is a joy to work with. She goes above and beyond in any way that she can. She is prompt in responding to requests. She is always wearing a smile. She’s become one of our favorite familiar faces at Playacar Palace. She and Eder worked very hard to help us with our membership booking issues. I cannot say enough good things about the playroom at Playacar Palace. All of the staff are incredible, but a specific shout out has to go to Dana. She is just such a kind, patient soul. Our 7-year-old adores her. Our 9-year old, very tenderhearted, son even dares to venture out to the playroom since the staff is so welcoming and fun. Dana helped our daughter throw a surprise birthday party for our other daughter on the day she turned 4 and could officially be left without a parent. Our son frequently requests face painting, and the staff is always happy to oblige. Poolside service couldn’t be better than in the hands of Ignacio & Aaron. They remembered what chairs we liked from previous trips. They are prompt and attentive. This trip was not as busy poolside, but our service quality has always been at this level. This trip we were lucky enough to regularly see Silvia as well. Again, she was frequently seen with a smile and interacted with our kids with the gentleness of a well-loved aunt. While we missed seeing Manager Daniel in the restaurants this trip, we enjoyed the opportunity to engage with Olivia. She immediately recognized my husband when he entered the buffet and had the wine list ready. She gave excellent recommendations that aligned with our preferences. The fine wine of Playacar Palace is well managed by Daniel & Olivia. The Bad The only bad thing to note on this trip was the weather, and this really isn’t in the control of Palace resorts. Although it rained daily, we were still able to enjoy the pool and appreciated the cooler temperatures. We aren’t ones to partake in the daily activities, but the schedule seemed well adjusted for the weather. The Ugly Do not be fooled by the membership presentation. Palace does not care about providing lifelong memories or securing patron loyalty. Palace’s goal is to benefit Palace. We negotiated our contract last July, when our youngest was 3-years-old. We were told our family of five would be able to enjoy the full extent of our benefits even after our youngest turned four. This is the age when a child goes from the infant category to a child, and is counted in the total travelers. We recently tried using an imperial week (free week) to book our next trip. As the youngest is now four, the system was requiring that we pay for her. This was disputed at length, and I was told multiple times that a manager was working on it and would be calling me. That call never came, so I requested assistance while on site at the resort. We were told our contract doesn’t explicitly say that our benefits include three children and therefore we would need to pay for the third child. The explanation was that our contract simply allowed us to surpass the maximum occupancy of 4, but it did not exempt us from paying for her. With the amount we pay every month for our membership, this should not be an issue. Moral of the story is, don’t trust Palace. If you even consider a membership, get EVERYTHING in writing. Think of the next twenty years and any life changes that could occur. If it could happen, assume it will, and get your benefits clearly spelled out in writing.