TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Finance and I stayed for 11 nights between 22/11/2024 and 04/12/2024 and we had the most amazing time and were gutted to leave. After the reading the previous reviews we did not expect the hotel and its staff to live up to the high expectations that we had, however we were so wrong as we could not have asked for a better stay. We will be going back. The Staff: Whilst everything is amazing, a special shout out must be made to the amazing team that keep the hotel running. The level of care and personal attention they provide for each and every guest is just amazing, even to the small things like remembering your name (bearing in mind there must be c.800 guests at any one time!). They strike the perfect balance of providing an attentive personal service without being in your face every 5 minutes. We found ourselves posting up at which ever pool we know Antonio was going to be at! Whilst everyone was superb, the below people truly made our trip so special and are the reason we are coming back (excuse the poor spelling): Antonio (concierge) Alejandro (concierge) Ana (waitress) Erik (waiter) Felippe (waiter) Gabrial (activities) Renee (activities) Ricardo (bell boy) Sofia (building 5 concierge) Marco ( swim up bar tender) Salsi (bar tender) Mario (preferred club concierge). Room: The rooms were incredible and so so spacious. We booked initially for the most basic junior suite (albeit preferred, but not sure if there was any difference) and upgraded to a swim up suite for the last few days. In all honesty, on reflection we didn’t feel the swim up suite was necessary as the pools and beds were so comfortable and if you wanted some quieter time, the lagoon pool was a good option. Mini bar restocked daily with branded soft drinks and snacks as well as local beer. Daily house keeping and turndown service which is nice. Room service facility is really good with a great selection of food and drinks, all included as part of the room cost. We found ourselves a couple of morning just ordering breakfast to have on the balcony. Only recommendation is that there could be a bit better timing or coordination with turndown service as we were often still in the room when they came, however we would simply just say what time we would like it, so minor really. Food: Food overall was excellent, we tried every restaurant save for Oceana and enjoyed all of them. Particularly enjoyed the seaside grill for breakfast and lunch, however the market cafe (buffet) was second to none with cooked to order omelettes, steaks, seafood, shellfish, pasta every day as well the usual type of buffet food with options that allow you to try some different food I.e tamales. The special lunch options by the activity pool were really good but we were only interested in the BBQ day and the Seafood day, which were amazing really fresh cooked , well flavoured food with generous portions. Did not try the pizza station. Pool food from barracuda bar was really good and probably our favourite notably the pulled pork burger and short rib. We didn’t love the Mexican restaurant as much as we expected to as, in that the flavours didn’t agree with. We also didn’t love the Greek restaurant that much either. However I should note that these were our first two nights and we were extremely jet lagged so perhaps not giving them a fair shout. My personal favourite was Himitsu for both Tepenyaki and Al a carte. French and Italian also good (but see note below) and seaside grill was your “standard” option which again was very good. One thing I would recommend is that don’t have any expectations when you order from any of the “international” restaurants, as it will likely not be what you’re expecting. I.e I ordered the Neapolitan pizza from the Italian restaurant, which I would have expected to be a very thin light crust, whereas what I got closer resembled a deep dish pizza, still nice, just not what I expected. Wait times for popular restaurants can be long during peak times c.20:00, we waited I think 45 minutes for the French restaurant when we went. So be prepared. Perhaps they could introduce a booking system for the restaurants? Bars and drinks: All the bars and drinks are well stocked and bartenders make great cocktails that actually taste great unlike most places. There was I think about 5 different beer choices which is nice and there don’t make the drinks stupidly strong unlike most places but you do have the option to ask for a double. Really good quality of liquor available (especially in the preferred club) which is included within your stay, however make sure to specify which brand you want used in your drink as otherwise they’ll just use the “local” brands kept under the bar as opposed to the names brands at eye level. A bit cheeky but fair enough. Pools / Activities: All three pools were great, we sat around all of them throughout are trip and enjoyed them all equally. Only thing with the lagoon poo is that we did find ourselves going to the bar more as waiter service was not as frequent. Good amount of activities which are fun to do and watch. But not in your face nor take up the whole activity Poole when in use. 100% do the snorkelling tour, best part of the trip. Entertainment: We didn’t get to see much of the entertainment as it was typically on while we were eating, which I personally think is a little early for entertainment. Also it was never made clear that food is available at the entertainment evenings so it doesn’t need to be one or the other, I just think that could have been made clearer. We only saw the pirate show which was incredible, I won’t go into too much detail but make sure not to miss it. Preferred club: As mentioned, we did the preferred club. Which includes the following (perhaps more but I’m not sure): Separate check in Preferred lounge with premium liquor Slightly bigger room with outside plunge Pool Bottle of liquor for your stay Access to seaside grill for breakfast Greek restaurant for dinner Personally I think it was worth it and would do it again, but it’s down to the individual and definitely not crucial to have a nice time. Overall: Best place we have stayed, the 5* review is truly bone fide and we will be coming back the only other thing that would be useful is if the hotel could provide some advice on tipping expectations I know it’s completely subjective and not mandatory so it’s different each time, but being from the UK where tipping isn’t so standardised, we ended up doing $40 a day in the first few days on tips alone, so perhaps if the hotel could provide some guidance on who best to tip and suggest amounts either on a daily basis or advice if tips are shared etc as we kept trying to make sure everyone was included but ended up spending quite a lot on tips alone. Can’t wait to come back!

Fantastic experience from start to finish. Beach spotlessly clean and beautiful white sand. Snorkelled everyday and saw a whole host of different marine fish and turtles which was a great experience. Resort perfect size and easy to walk to anywhere you need to get to within 5 minutes max. Food and drink all excellent, we tried all the restaurants and were never disappointed. All of the staff were fantastic - nothing too much trouble and always happy to see you. Special shout outs to our Concierge in building 9c Sergio who went above and beyond, Daniel in Himitsu Asian restaurant, Sebastien in the Italian and Eduardo in Market Cafe. Whole resort is spotlessly clean and our Junior Suite Ocean view room was excellent. Did not opt for preferred and glad we did not. An extra $200 per night to have the privilege of an a la carte breakfast and separate area of sunbeds on the beach not worth the extra money. Only complaint would be allowing guests to reserve sunbeds at stupid o'clock in the morning and then not turning up until late morning, lunchtime or not at all. Highly recommend and will definitely return.

After a year of anticipation, my partner and I stayed at this resort for four night the weekend before Thanksgiving. Ay dios mio! It lived up to all the expectations we had after reading reviews and hearing people rave about it on the Facebook groups. Consider joining these Facebook groups if you want to hear more about it before booking or want to plan what to bring a couple weeks before. We flew into the Tulum Airport which was a lot less chaotic and looks to be closer to the resort than Cancun. The staff is the best thing about this resort because they make you feel welcomed and special from start to finish. I'm terrible with remembering names but the ones that I do that were excellent were Abraham, Carlitos, Jose, Gabrielle, and Eduardo. All of them delivered stellar service whether it be taking us on the free bike tour (make sure to get there at least 30 min early if you want join), making amazing drinks at the swim-up bar, or officiating beach volleyball. Food was also amazing, a solid 8/10 but honestly really good for all-inclusive resorts. Food was important for us when looking for a resort and this place delivered. We tried Oceana, Seaside, Hibachi at Himitsu, and Bordeux. Oceana was my personal favorite followed by the Hibachi which was amazing because they gave each person a variety of all proteins. Picanha steak at Seaside was also splendid. Room service food and the pizza near the pools were also delicious! But to be honest, the best food we ate at the resort was a grilled seafood pop-up near the pools on one of the days. This ultimate grilled seafood included lobster tails, octopus, prawns, a variety of fish, grilled meat skewers, and vegetables. We were so happy we didn't miss this and we were hoping it popped up again during our stay but that ended up being the only day it came. I believe it was on Saturday so if it's a weekly thing plan accordingly! The last thing I'll mention about this resort was the beach. We ended up choosing this resort because of how amazing people say the beach and we loved it. The sand was white and soft and the water was clear with minimal seaweed. You can snorkel right in front and if you're lucky you can see some turtles. I only saw one in front of the resort so I chose to do a private tour for $25 USD with a local offering it on the beach. I would highly recommend doing this as I saw close to 10 turtles on the tour and stunning reefers, fish, and rays. All in all, an amazing experience. Make sure to tip those going the extra mile a few dollars and drinks a ton of margaritas! - Lexi y Matt. Excellente!!

We just returned from an incredible stay at Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya and had an absolutely amazing time! The resort is beautifully tucked away in the jungle, offering stunning sunrises each morning. While the dining experiences and food were undoubtedly five-star quality, what truly made this trip unforgettable was the exceptional service from the staff. A special shoutout to Rafael, our building concierge, who kept in constant communication with us throughout our stay. He texted us daily updates on activities and was always available to assist with anything we needed, making sure we never missed a thing. His attentiveness and dedication added a personal touch that elevated our entire experience. If you're looking for a luxurious getaway with outstanding service and a personal connection, this is the perfect place to unwind and be pampered. ???

Beautiful resort with all the amenities and activities you need for a fun and relaxing trip. Rooms and facilities were clean and comfortable. The entertainment team was great - Gina, Carlos, and Gabriel felt like friends by the end of our trip! The food was fine - I was recommend sticking to the basics and not the international themed restaurants.