TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We spent a week at Mahekal over the Thanksgiving holiday. This was our seventh stay at the resort over the past 5 years. As always, it was excellent. We enjoy the beautifully kept grounds, quiet rooms, and relaxed vibe of the property, along with the ability to walk into Playa Del Carmen in the evening. Fifth Avenue is only steps away, and we have few places (e.g., Off the Vine) that we frequent whenever we're in town. The best thing about Mahekal, however, is the dedicated staff. Enrique and Manual treat us like family and consistently go the extra mile to make sure we have everything we need. This is true of many of the staff members--they all do a wonderful job. The one negative is that Mahekal has suffered noticeable beach erosion over time. While this is obviously not the resort's fault, it has limited the space along the beach. Many of the palapas are gone, and more and more of the nicer loungers are being moved to interior parts of the resort. As a result, we ended up sitting by one of the pools this year, rather than sitting along the beach. This worked out fine; it was just a change from our normal routine. All in all, this is a special place that we truly value. Finally, did anyone else notice the Mahekal reference in Apple+'s Dark Matter?

My husband and I just spent a week at Mahekal it and could not have had a better experience. We are not “resort people” but this place felt more like a peaceful, rustic bohemian retreat from another time, unlike all those soulless big box all inclusive places nearby. (Yet everything was super modern and working perfectly!) We loved our comfortable palapa king room which was ideally located close to beautiful pools and greenery, steps from the beach and totally peaceful and secluded. Palapa rooms are so much nicer than the downstairs rooms, they have better views, much more privacy and also more windows, not to mention those dramatic ceilings. We opted for “not beachfront” and away from the road to avoid loud party noises and constant foot traffic. (Good choice!) The result was a very private palapa with a lovely terrace overlooking lush tropical gardens. The only sounds we heard all week were from birds, and the nearby ocean waves. We chose the “room only” option as opposed to anything inclusive, which left us free to eat wherever we wanted all over town. (Another good choice!) We did eat at Mahekal’s Restaurante Fuego a couple of times which we highly recommend. All staff were super friendly and helpful. Checkin and checkout was perfect. This was just great!

This hotel looks really nice in the pictures, but it’s extremely noisy and lacks many of the amenities they claim they have. They have private parties in one of their restaurants right in the middle of the property with amplified music that runs well until midnight It’s very difficult to sleep and noise complaints to the staff are always ignored . Plya Del Carmen is worth visiting but you can definitely find a much nicer place. Don’t be fooled by the nice pictures.

We arrived with confirmed reservations for two specific room types (Oasis King and Oasis 2 Queens). During a long check-in, we were told the Oasis King was unavailable despite being confirmed and partially paid. We were placed in Unit 196, which staff labeled an “upgrade” to an Oasis Palapa King. The hotel’s own website describes that category as an upper-floor palapa room; Unit 196 is ground floor and does not match any published room description. Before receiving keys, we were asked to sign an “upgrade letter.” We edited it to state that no rate change had been discussed, that we did not consider this an upgrade, and that we still wanted our originally reserved rooms. Staff accepted the modified document. This added approximately 15–20 minutes with multiple employees involved. An alternative room was offered but would have separated our family, which was not workable. At one point we offered to accept a lower-category room if charged at its publicly listed lower rate; this option was rescinded when we requested the published pricing. We were ultimately charged the full rate for the original Oasis King while staying in a room that did not match the booked category or the claimed upgrade description. All of this was documented to management; there was no response to outreach nor to the subsequent follow-up. The setting is pleasant, but the reservation handling, documentation practices, billing accuracy, and lack of accountability are unacceptable.

The Mahekal Beach Resort itself is a very quiet resort. There is not much going on at night. No watersports included. Rooms are OK. I would not classify this as a luxury resort at all. Only 2 of the three restaurants were open. Fuego was a good choice for a restaurant. Buffet had little selection but was OK. One can rent paddleboards just down the beach. Our first room #25 was unacceptable. There was a strong sewer smell. The latch to the patio was broken and there were ladders just below us. We asked to be moved and were then in a much better room by a quiet pool. That sewer smell was also noticeable on that side of the beach and in the water all week. Service of staff was excellent. They were always friendly and grounds are beautiful. We enjoyed being able to open windows at night as they all had screens. The hammocks on the porch was also a great place to relax. 5th Ave is a short walk with many stores and restaurants to choose from.