TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This resort is so beautiful, I would highly recommend. We had no issues with our room and the food was great with lots of variety. There are tons of animals around the property and many activities. I would highly recommend participating in the activities with the entertainment crew. We met so many kind people this way and it was amazing to make friends on vacation. Special shout-out to Axel S. And Eyder as they always made a point to come say hi and let us know what was happening around the resort. Truly the people is what made this trip so nice, we will miss you! Really really great job guys, you made our stay so incredible and we really hope to be back soon!

Just returned from a 6-day/5-night stay at Occidental at Xcaret, traveling with my adult daughter. Here are my observations: The hotel is a few decades old, and its age shows in places, but overall it’s quite lovely, and the grounds are very well kept. The location is what makes Occidental at Xcaret unique: Essentially it is located in a jungle along the coast… wonderfully tropical and lush. As you stroll the grounds you’ll come across wild animals including monkeys climbing in the tree tops, deer grazing in the grass, flamingos by the pool, and iguanas (some BIG!) all over the place. There’s also macaws in the hotel lobby, and even more wildlife can be found in the adjacent Xcaret Park, an eco park that is a “must see” for nature lovers. This is a family-friendly resort, and very suitable for couples, friends, families, and groups. There are activities and entertainment for all ages (including a Kids Club); people were having fun, but it’s not a big party scene compared to some other Cancun resorts. We got a “steal of a deal” booking a vacation package through American Airlines Vacations (purchased about 1 month prior). The package included airfare, transfers, and the hotel stay (we only had to pay a nominal tourism tax when checking in at the hotel) I’m glad I watched a few YouTube videos of the Cancun airport so I’d know what to expect upon arrival. One key takeaway is that after claiming your bags you’ll want to head outside to get your transfers (don’t make eye contact with the many official looking folks near the exits who are really there to sell time shares, just proceed outside and find your transfer company) It’s about a 45 minute drive from the Cancun airport to the hotel (in good traffic conditions) Check-in at the hotel was a bit slow, but the staff are friendly. We got a room in Building 11 (same building as the lobby/checkin). The location was convenient, but contrary to the Deluxe room description on the website, our room (#11215) had neither a balcony nor a terrace, just a window with not much of a view. We stayed without complaint, but it was a little disappointing. Otherwise the room itself was fine – spacious, clean, and comfortable. The resort has a “vacation club”, and we saw plenty of people being escorted on tours in hopes of enrolling them into the club, but we were not pressured in any way to take the tour (just a passing remark to “stop by and get your gifts”, which we politely declined). We didn’t have any issues with the water pressure, temperature, and color. We were careful not to drink the tap water (using bottled water for toothbrushing etc.), and we avoided Montezuma’s Revenge! Most of the TV stations broadcast shows in Spanish (we are in Mexico after all). It was funny to see familiar favorites like Shrek and Harry Potter movies with an all new voice cast. The Occidental at Xcaret resort is massive, you should expect to do a lot of walking. There are some provisions for folks with mobility issues (elevators and ramps). It takes a while to get the lay of the land. I think it would have been helpful if the folks at check-in went over a few basics of navigating the resort, like how to get to the restaurants, pools, and beach. We figured it out eventually, and there are maps posted, but it wasn’t until about Day 3 that I felt confident about getting around. The indoor buffet (Le Buffet) and all of the specialty restaurants are in the same area (over to the right of the lobby); the late-night taco and pizza shops are in that area as well. In addition, there’s an indoor/outdoor buffet that is open for breakfast and lunch called the Beach Club which overlooks the lagoon and beach (far right of the resort), and a snack bar and swim-up bar in the main pool area (far left of the resort). The Royal level has additional options. There’s a large “quiet pool” (take the main exit off the lobby, and make a right), and a HUGE and more lively pool to the left of the main thoroughfare. Both pools are excellent! There are plenty of lounge chairs at both (with more shade at the quiet pool). There's also a "Royal Only" pool, but I didn't see it in person. Look for towel huts to get your towels (this can be a challenge at times). If you plan to go to Excaret Park for any water activities, take a hotel towel with you. The number of specialty dinner reservations you may make depends on the length of your stay (we could make 3). To make reservations you have to go to Guest Services (available in 2 buildings, including Building 11 off the main lobby). They open at 7 am, and reservations are first come, first served. I opted not to set an alarm, just headed over whenever I woke up and it worked out fine. (You can only make reservations for the given day, not in advance) We ate at Los Olivos (Italian restaurant), the Sorrento Steak House, and La Hacienda Mexican restaurant. For me, I thought my best meal was at the steak house, but the nicest ambience and best service were at La Hacienda (and their desserts were AWESOME!). Los Olivos was just OK in my book. I thought the buffets were fine – sure some of the food looked sketchy, but I was always able to fill my plate with food that I liked. The biggest downfall is true of any buffet, in that you tend to “eat in shifts” – with one of us “watching our stuff” while the other gets their food, then vice versa. Some of the best buffet food was at the “made to order” stations – freshly made custom omelets at breakfast, a pasta bar at lunch, and stir-fry at dinner. It’s worth visiting Xcaret Park (you can take a gondola or simply walk over). It’s about a 5-minute walk from the lobby area (walk on the right side of the waterway where the gondolas sail, the sidewalk on the left side ends before you get to the park) Xcaret Park is HUGE. I’d recommend watching some videos on YouTube to get an idea of the attractions of most interest to you so you can plan your visits strategically. Our favorites were swimming in the underground rivers, seeing the animals that live in the park, and watching the Xcaret Mexico Espectacular show – it really was spectacular!

I ordered and paid for a deluxe plus room. When we arrived at our room, it did not have any of the deluxe plus amenities. When I asked the people at the "concierge" (i.e., sales) desk to assist, they told me the bar and other “gifts” would arrive tomorrow. I had to go to the lobby and speak to 3 different people before I was directed to the correct person. The guest services employee told me that even though I paid for the deluxe service for 4 nights, the hotel only provided those amenities on the second day. I had to argue for a full 45 minutes before the employee reluctantly agreed to have the hotel staff bring the items to the room that day, 4 hours after our arrival. The employee made me feel as if I was irrational and making unreasonable requests. The experience was exhausting. I would have left the hotel immediately if it wasn’t prepaid and nonrefundable. The customer service is terrible. The hotel is clearly running some cheap bait and switch operation.

This was an excellent location for going to the Xcaret Park. There are 2 entrances that you can walk into from the hotel. After reading all the reviews about the bad food, I was really nervous. It was not the worst, but it also wasn't the best. Mostly quantity, not quality. The pools and beaches at the hotel were all really nice. The sand beach is awesome. Making reservations for the specialty restaurants is inconvenient and you can only make them the day of. Their technology for checking in & checking out need improvement. Lots of waiting in lines. Overall this is a very nice ressort.

We got E.coli. The water to wash your hangs smells like sewer. Front desk did nothing but hang up on me. I honestly feel like I need a refund at this port. Por sanitation at the pool bar used a bucket to wash cups and never changed the water for a good 1.5 hours. But they say it was “clean not to worry”