TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Not a bad resort, food was repetitive. The drinks were good . It was a extremely large resort with a 10 minute shuttle ride to the beach!

There was something for everyone — the pools, the ocean, the restaurants, the buffet, the nightly entertainment, and plenty of places to either lay back or explore.

This hotel is located in a beautiful corner of Mexico, in the Riviera Maya. It is 100 km from the airport and due to heavy traffic on the roads and the distribution of fellow travelers to the hotels, the journey takes over an hour. Since it is part of the Bahia resort, which has other hotels in the neighborhood, it is possible to use the services and facilities of all the resorts. The resort has a golf train that has its own routes and stops and will take you anywhere in the resort. It also includes the Hacienda Doña Isabel market. The entire resort is connected by paths between the hotels and individual blocks. Between the blocks and paths is a beautiful garden with beautiful grass, where shrubs bloom and various types of palm trees grow. All the greenery is maintained daily, watered and the leaves are raked. We traveled with a travel agency, but we still got a beautiful room in block 43, which was located near the quiet pool and a short walk from the main buffet restaurant. We bought a Junior Suite room (by the main pool), but at the reception they offered us a free Junior Suite superior premium (away from the main hustle and bustle) on the 1st floor. The staff is there only for you, they are very nice and friendly, basically whatever they can do for you, they will do it. Room: Our room was large, clean, the equipment was renovated. Absolutely sufficient room size, double beds, clean, daily cleaning. Every day they changed our sheets and blankets, towels according to our wishes. We were on the 1st floor, the room had a balcony, TV, fridge, coffee maker and a daily replenished bar (soft drinks and beer). The 1st floor is important because there are proboscis monkeys, Mexican raccoons and iguanas roaming freely around the complex and their “unannounced” visit can be unpleasant on the ground floor. The rooms are wonderfully located in a palm garden and there is a path between the blocks. In the morning, at sunrise, you feel like you are in paradise - birds are singing, the sea is roaring, the lawns are watering, and even though the hotel was full, there were few guests. And proboscis monkeys everywhere ?? Beach and pool: The beach is absolutely exceptional, beautiful sand, you can walk for kilometers along the beautiful beach on either side. We were there during big waves that brought a lot of algae. Nature, they did what they could to clean it up. Every morning from 6 am they cleaned the beach from algae, a bunch of workers manually with wheels and rakes and a tractor. We really appreciate it, amigos! It was endless work that we admired, the workers worked very hard and the next day they could start again. You can go along the beach to the end of the resort and get something to eat or drink anywhere. At one end of the beach was a beautiful bay of the last of the hotels and at the other a rocky lagoon (a favorite place of the locals), where the waves break beautifully and we saw a stingray there. The sea is crystal clear, as if you were entering a clean pool. The water is warm, during our stay it was 26 degrees. C. Beautiful waves and clear sea. The only shade was algae. There were a lot of people walking along the beach, but there were always places on the sun loungers by the sea available, we never had a problem finding free sun loungers anywhere during the day - by the pool and by the sea. There are 3 pools, the largest is quieter and with entertainment. There is one quieter one at the edge, not very busy. All were clean, maintained daily, the water purity is checked. There were always free places at the edge pools and plenty of beach towels. Weather: For our entire stay (the last 14 days of March), rain was in the forecast. Fortunately, the forecast did not come true, it rained the first day and only for a few hours on the second. The morning was beautiful, fresh air, dry and warm. When the clouds appeared, they quickly swept away and went inland. The beach was beautiful. The wind blows a lot here (around 20 m/s), but it is rather pleasant, it is not that hot and it is warm. Food and restaurants: The food here is absolutely amazing and on every corner and you can basically eat at any time of the day. The main buffet restaurant Yukatan was absolutely sufficient for us, where they had everything, we chose what we wanted and most importantly we could go there at any time of the day. Everything is cooked here, from breakfast to lunch and dinner. Sufficient selection, times, an abundance of types of dishes every day focused on a different culinary area. You can't help but choose. The restaurant has chefs who prepare fresh food right in front of you. You just choose the type of meat or side dishes and the chef will prepare the food for you. I don't understand how anyone can complain about bad food? We visited two restaurants, an Indian one (Thali restaurant) and an experience one (Don Pablo). Both were excellent. The only problem is ordering them during your stay, but you can order them in advance via the app, or check availability, it changes daily. Bars: All bars had almost every drink you can imagine. Soft drinks, alcohol, beer, champagne, Aperol, rum, whiskey. And all local and foreign. The only weakness (at least for me as a Pilsner fan ??) was beer. The local beer was better for thirst than Coca-Cola, when it was well chilled, but it didn't tempt you to have another drink ?? Entertainment: There's something going on all day long. Either a foam party at the pool, various types of aerobics, etc. or in the theater Tips: Although every review talks about tips, we didn't get the impression that anyone required them. On the contrary, we were served equally well whether we didn't or didn't give them. Just tip if you're happy, they still have a common tip box and then share them. They're certainly happy for it, but that doesn't mean they always require it. Internet: After registering at the hotel, you'll receive a WiFi access code, enter your email, and from then on you'll have perfect WiFi reception throughout the entire Bahia area, and there's also very good reception on the beach along the entire length of the resort. Animals: Coyotes, iguanas, and Mexican raccoons roam freely around the hotel; they're completely harmless, they even move around the buffet restaurant and eat leftovers. Coyotes can even get into a closed suitcase where you have a fragrant snack, which I can personally confirm! There were no mosquitoes here at all during our stay. We happened to meet 3 ?? We had a vaporizer repellent running constantly in our room. Electricity: The voltage is there without any problems, there is no need for a reduction in the sockets (at least in our room), our plugs (EU) fit without a grounding pin. Be careful with repellents in the socket, the pins in the hotel socket are one below the other, you have to take a swivel one so that it doesn't leak. Sellers and providers: There are none at all, only on the trip, but that is standard at every excursion site. Excursions: The tour offers a large number of excursions, we were interested in a trip to one of the modern wonders of the world Chichén Itzá, a Mayan city with an iconic pyramid. We managed to visit on 21.3., when you can watch the "descent of the serpent". It is a fascinating light phenomenon on the Kukulkan pyramid. This phenomenon only happens during the spring (around March 21) and autumn (around September 21) equinoxes and the day after and lasts only 2 hours. At sunset, the edge of the pyramid casts shadows on the balustrade of the staircase, creating the illusion of a snake (the god Kukulkan) crawling down to the carved snake head. A wonderful experience. The trip also included a visit to a tequileria with a tasting, a visit to the town of Valladolid and a swim in the 40m deep cenote Saamal. It was a wonderful 2 weeks spent in beautiful nature. One of the reasons was of course the great weather, but also the friendliness of the staff and the high quality of service at this hotel (at that time it was owned by the Bahia Principe resort - now Hyatt). It was our first time in Mexico and it may not be the last. We would definitely like to return to this hotel based on our experience from this vacation. Date of stay: March 2026 Bahia Principe Explore Tulum, now

The service is terrible. This is NOT a 5 star resort. We were sat at an à la cart restaurant at 6 pm, didn’t get food till 8pm. We are a wedding party of 70+ and the price per person wasn’t cheap. The air conditioning in my room didn’t work. I asked the concierge to fix it, nobody came. I’ve asked 3 days in a row and still no help. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY AT THIS RESORT. This is at best a 3 star resort

We stayed at Grand Bahia Principe in Playa del Carmen in March 2026 as a family of four (kids 8 and 4) in a two-bedroom family room. While the property is marketed as a family-friendly all-inclusive resort, our 4-night stay fell significantly short of expectations and felt overpriced for the quality delivered. Check-in & Service The experience started poorly with a slow and disorganized check-in. There was no information provided about the resort app or helpful guidance, and staff initially struggled to locate our reservation. Even checking out was inconvenient, requiring us to wait for a checkout ticket just to leave the property. While most staff members were friendly—particularly Karyme, who made genuine efforts to help—it was clear they had limited ability to resolve ongoing issues. Requests (such as fixing the in-room safe) went unaddressed for the duration of our stay despite repeated follow-ups. Property & Maintenance The resort is large and spread out, but transportation is unreliable. Shuttle carts were only available about 30% of the time, and “private” club carts would pass by without picking up guests, even when empty. Maintenance across the property is a major concern. Many things were broken, from lobby equipment to bar taps. In our room, the issues were extensive: • Safe was disassembled and on arrival and never fixed upon repeated requests • Ceiling debris fell into the bathroom overnight due to an apparent upstairs leak • Patio door had a large gap in glass, letting in mosquitoes and heat. We jammed towels into the jam • Shower door leaked across the floor when shower was on in second bedroom • Internal doors didn’t function properly (pocket door) • Visible wear including chipped paint, rotting wood, and misaligned fixtures (toilet, sink) • Mini fridge was in extreme need of a defrost • Toiletries were limited and appears shampoo, conditioner and body gel were not checked for replenishment as 4/6 bottles were empty in our room. No hair dryer and towels were very low quality. Overall, the room felt outdated, poorly maintained, and in need of significant refurbishment. Cleanliness & Comfort Cleanliness in the room was inconsistent at best. We arrived to dirt and hair in the shower and grime on surfaces, and daily housekeeping felt superficial. Doors were sometimes left open during servicing, leading to mosquitoes in the room. Basic amenities were lacking—no hair dryer, limited toiletries, and empty or nonfunctional toiletry dispensers. Storage space was also minimal, and early morning landscaping added noise outside the room. Food & Beverage Dining was one of the most frustrating aspects of the stay. Restaurant reservations were extremely difficult to secure, with limited availability and a restrictive system (limited to one à la carte reservation every three nights). The app was always fully booked, forcing guests to wait in long lines for “emergency” reservations. If you couldn’t get a reservation, the only option was the buffet—which was consistently underwhelming. Food quality was below expectations, with many stations empty (often around 30%) and not restocked. Protein options were scarce, while lower-cost items like bread and pasta were plentiful. Even basics like fruit, salsa, or proper guacamole were often missing and not restocked. For a Mexican hotel, there was little Mexican food to be had. The buffet lines were crowded making us feel like cattle moving through the room with one choke point leading into the dining room. For the size of the dining room the actual buffet was underwhelming and presented as a cafeteria. Alternative options like the burger bar and food truck were limited and slow (30+ minute waits), and food safety practices were questionable. At the pool, there was no wait service, long bar lines (10–15 minutes), and very limited drink options. Beer was often warm, liquor selection was minimal and low quality, and drinks were served in small plastic cups (8-10 oz very warm cups). The ice cream machine was broken throughout our stay. Chip trays were not restocked, and we never saw one that didn’t have anything but a bit of crumbs. One dinner at the Tequila restaurant was better than the buffet, but still restrictive—limited to one appetizer, entrée, and dessert per person, ordered through a glitchy QR system. Despite the restaurant being half empty, reservations were unavailable, and the experience felt rushed. Note only 1 dinner is allowed per three days of a stay. If you stay four nights you could get maximum of two dinners. Pool, Beach & Logistics The pools themselves were adequate for kids, however they were not allowed to jump into the pool. The overall experience was lacking. There were not enough loungers, and many were “held” with towels all day without enforcement. Finding towels was also a challenge. There was no poolside service, and wildlife such as raccoons and seagulls would approach unattended food. The beach was unusable during our stay due to constant red flag conditions (not a protected cove), and the resort’s location—about an hour from Cancun airport—adds to the inconvenience. Staff and entertainment The entertainment at the pool met expectations. Some organized games and competitions. We saw one night of entertainment which was an all-female mariachi band that was great. Overall, the staff were polite and tried to help but it felt that requests went unanswered. We tipped throughout our stay but saw most tables never left a tip for the service and would estimate less than 25% of patrons tipped when ordering a beverage from the bar. The staff from the adventure companies and travel services were eager to help when problems arose with transport or other questions on the hotel (as the staff at check-in or concierge were well backed up). Overall Experience Despite some friendly staff, the overall experience was disappointing due to poor maintenance, inconsistent cleanliness, limited dining options, and lack of service expected from an all-inclusive resort. Compared to similar-priced stays at other resorts (Dreams, Breathless, etc.), this property falls well short in quality and execution. We ultimately chose to leave a day early due to the ongoing issues. This was one of the worst hotel experiences we’ve had, and we would not recommend it—especially for families expecting a clean, reliable, well stocked, and well-managed all-inclusive vacation.