TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We arrived home after spending 9 days at Sian Ka’an. Our stay was from December 1-10/25. We have stayed here multiple times and we were able to show family members the warm and loving staff members that keep us coming back. Guest services: Armando, Roberto, Enrique, Eldrik are some of the awesome people on this crew. Armando made our trip for the entire family so enjoyable (we can’t thank him enough!). Buffet staff: Mirian, Daniel, Antonio, Alina, and several others were outstanding once again. Bartending staff: Carlos (Charly) is always number 1 for us. Giovanny, Carlos (Calvin), Deysi, Melissa, Lucero, Gabby, Zeidy, Lorena, Jennifer and a few others that I know I have missed, made sure we were all taken care of during our stay. Entertainment staff: Shout out to Alexander and Diana! Both are great at their job. Notable others that kept us active and entertained- James and Josh. Thanks for everything. We had a junior suite superior garden view room close to the activity pool, which was a great location for us. Air conditioning worked great, room was cleaned daily quite well- no issues. The entire family enjoyed all the a la cartes and buffet food without any kind of issue. We were a group of 8 people for the first 7 days of the vacation, and the staff was very accommodating in the buffet and a la cartes. Major thanks to Armando for assisting with the bookings! There are likely a few people that I had forgot to mention, but we never encountered any unhappy staff members. Overall- great resort with a good price point for an adults only resort. We will return to see all of our friends that work at this resort again in 2026.

This was our second visit to SK. We travel a lot and have never stayed at the same resort twice until now. We love that SK is a small resort. The staff make a point to remember your favorite drink, or that you like Baileys in your coffee in the morning (thank you Ramos!). We also love the lush tropical jungle that surrounds it. There is a pool for every mood from lively to quiet. It’s easy to get to the other BP resorts by trolley- you might have to wait 15 mins at most. And we love the private beach with its fantastic bar and swings. Snorkeling off the beach is pretty good too. Housekeeping is great. If you are young (18-35), this is probably not the hotel for you. We are in our 50’s, so it was great. The rooms need updating. Suggest bringing back the buffet at the Cenote Bar and yoga at the pool

Bahia Principe privilege sales group Im writing a separate review for my experience of the sales group for the privilege package. I was interested in exploring my options and getting information on it as a friend booked me an experience. I a solo travelling woman this trip decided I would check it out as I want to travel more and enjoyed this experience. It started off well with Diego a lovely sales associate who took my info and initial questions when Noah suddenly shows up. His attitude and behavior towards me a solo woman and making comments like "you left your partner at home" or " you jus travel alone" were sexist it was clear he just wanted something signed and was not invested in giving a customer experience. Many men are here on their own and my friend also has a package. This is a treat for myself for turning 45 and it was made like I was selfish. I had to put my foot down because I was not being given the info I wanted or time to speak with inquiry. I will not purchase anything without full information which was hard to get. It was just here's the amount. It was implied I couldn't afford it and payment plans offered. I still did not get full information. I do not spend without consulting my partner as we do this together. I advised the manager who stepped in I felt extremely disrespected and comments were inappropriate towards me. I don't believe anything will be done to adjust this behavior It was shocking to say the least. Only issue I've had in my trip so far.

We had a 5 night stay booked. We left on the 3rd day Our room had no hot water for our entire stay. We requested service everyday. A maintenance man came every time we called. Probably waited less than 20 minutes for maintenance to arrive, very fast. However, hot water still never worked. We asked to be moved to another room but were denied. After speaking to other guests it seemed all the buildings had no hot water. Loungers at the pool were under supplied. I am not interested to go to the pool at 7 am to secure a lounger. The cocktails all utilized aspartame. I am not a fan. The restaurant reservations are done on their app. You need a room number to make the reservation. All the restaurants were fully booked throughout our stay on the app. The breakfast buffet is fine Friday seafood buffet was average. The desserts on the buffet were fantastic! Saturday night buffet was their Mexican night. It was horrible. I can only guess Management has no idea what Mexican cuisine entails. So do not expect Pozole, Huevos Rancheros, Chilaquiles, Burritos, Enchilada, Empanadas, Quesadillas, etc. Taco Bell would have been a 100% improvement vs what they claim to be Mexican. Shuttles did offer frequent service. All staff we encountered were friendly, happy and very attentive. This resort property should be rated at a 3 Star at best

My Wife and I just returned from a 14-day vacation at the Grand Bahia Principe Sian Kaan with our travel dates being 24 November 2025 through 08 December 2025 inclusive. We traveled from Calgary, Alberta to Cancun aboard Westjet Vacations and the flight took 4 hours and 45 minutes. Upon arrival at the Cancun Airport, we discovered that many of the arrival procedures had changed and had since been streamlined and were significantly more efficient. In the past, arriving passengers were required to complete a series of forms which included a Mexican Tourist Card and a couple of other documents. That is no longer a requirement as we merely presented our passports to the Customs Officer who stamped our documents and we were on our way through to baggage claim. Historically, after retrieving bags, people were required to go through some additional screening which included an x-ray of belongings and a trip through horticultural screening, however that is no longer the case (I believe this is unique to Terminal 4 as there are different procedures within different terminals). On this trip, we retrieved our bags and walked past a security checkpoint, which was staffed by National Guard soldiers (sounds intimidating, but it was far from intimidating) and they randomly selected arriving passengers for a bag search. The National Guard person stopped us, asked if we had any tobacco products and waved us through. Having traveled to this area many times, we had always taken the transportation that was included in our travel package and that has historically involved many people getting on large busses and driving from resort to resort which had resulted in very long transfers from the airport to the various hotels. Knowing that the Grand Bahia Principe Sian Kaan was a significant distance from Cancun; almost to the town of Tulum and in the past, that journey had taken us well over 2 hours. This trip, we decided to incur the extra expense and booked a private transfer from the Cancun Airport to the Sian Kaan and that was money very well spent. We had pre-booked a private transfer through a company called Canada Transfers and the cost was very reasonable; $180.00 (Canadian dollars) which included the journey to our resort and a cooler full of ice-cold adult beverages. The private transfer took 1 hour and 15 minutes, This was our 12th trip to this specific resort and to say it felt like a homecoming would have been an understatement. The check-in process was a breeze as we had previously checked in on-line 10 days before our departure and we would highly recommend that people do that. The on-line check in also allows guests to pre-book dinner reservations which again, we would highly recommend. Download the APP before you travel and things will be much simpler. Upon arrival, we discovered there were some restaurants that we were not able to book on line and we went to Guest Services and encountered a gent named Armando who worked his magic and got us all of the reservations that we wanted and at all the right dining times. He was a champion. For people that have not visited this resort before, this complex is made up of five separate resorts with the Sian Kaan (Adults only) being located across the highway (non beachfront, rather proximal to the golf course) from the other four sister properties. The Tulum, Coba and Akumal are mostly beachfront, are “family friendly” and located on the ocean side of the highway. There is a newly opened property on the beach side of the property called the Tequila (Adults only) which opened in December of 2025. We had requested a room in a building close to the lobby (Buildings 2 through 8 were our preference) and to our delight, the hotel had placed us in building 3 (Room 40303). During our stay, the occupancy of the resort varied from 80% through to 100% occupancy. The resort is so large and has the capacity to hold big numbers so the influx of people did not impact our experience at all. In the interests of providing helpful information to people reading this review, we will offer thoughts about what we really liked about this resort and also the areas we felt they could improve upon. It needs to be said that the staff are amazing. We acknowledge that so many of the people that review resorts in Mexico say that same thing and having heard it over and over again, we wanted to reinforce that point. The people working at the Sian Kaan are highly committed to making the guest experience amazing and memorable. Sian Kaan Restaurants The staff at the Yal Ku Buffet (breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet) are folks that have been working there for many years and have become great friends of ours. They have consistently delivered amazing service and great quality of food and the awesomeness starts at the top with the Day Manager, Daniel. He sets the tone as being the kindest, most attentive and dedicated person on the property. The wait staff including Eglaydi, Miriam, Miseal, Luis, Ramon, Adrianna and the hostess Ana as well as a cast of others that greeted us each day with a smile and kindness. On this trip, we were celebrating my Wife’s birthday and during lunch at the Yal Ku, (on her big day) the servers provided a beautiful birthday cake and a delightful rendition of “happy birthday” which was truly appreciated. The Night Manager at the Yal Ku, a gent named Pastor was also top notch as was his staff. While we mostly ate breakfast and lunch at the Yal Ku, we did eat dinner there one evening as they had advertised an offering of an “American Barbeque” which we assumed would involve pulled pork, ribs etc. Instead, we had a meal which featured a very large prime rib roast as the signature dish. As we were lining up for a serving from the carvery, we noticed the prime rib roast was almost completely raw. Many people were being served slices of meat, then taking them over to the nearby grill and asking the chef to cook the meat more thoroughly. That was a bit of a disappointment as we were expecting more from the “American Barbeque” evening. Besides the buffet at the Sian Kaan, there are also two a la carte restaurants on the property; the Alux (a gourmet style restaurant) and the Makado (Japanese cuisine). That being said, guests of the Sian Kaan are allowed to visit any or all of the restaurants at the other four sister properties (Tulum, Akumal, Coba and newly opened Tequila). Our experience with the Alux in the past has been nothing short of delightful. Historically, the food has been top shelf and the service the same. During our stay, we dined there three times and found the food to be exceptional with the staff making the dining experience over the top. Gabrial the Captain, along with the hostess Neily and servers Roque, Silverstro and other Roque made the dinner a 5-star experience. On our first dinner there, we were celebrating our anniversary and the staff had decorated our table with rose petals and some delightful decorations, which was truly appreciated. During our second visit to the Alux, we were celebrating my Wife’s birthday and we were greeted by the same decorated table and exceptional service. As mentioned above, the other a la carte restaurant at the Sian Kaan is the Makado and once again, we found the food to be wonderful and the service exceeding our expectations. Server Edgar has been a longstanding favorite of ours and he didn’t disappoint when he delivered amazing service along with very high-quality food. The other place to eat at the Sian Kaan is the Cenote Grill which is a 24-hour restaurant and bar which is a very nice option for anytime dining. This grill is staffed by some amazing people that include servers Constantino, Juanita, Jesus and Alina, all of whom took great care of us. While the menu is a bit limited, it is of high quality and the fact they are open 24 hours a day is a very nice feature. Room service is also a part of the all-inclusive offering however we did not take advantage of that feature so we are not in a position to comment on the quality of the food. Sian Kaan Bars There are many bars located on the Sian Kaan side of this complex, with the biggest being the Lobby Bar. There is also a bar located in the Cenote Snack bar which is open 24 hours a day. An additional bar is located near the Sushi Pool and has historically been staffed by bar staff, however during this stay, we discovered that they no longer offer full bar service. Instead, they have now installed a large self serve bar station with a large cooler offering beer and soft drinks. There is also a bar located near the activities pool and there is also pool side service during the day which is a very efficient way of getting drinks if a person does not want to leave their pool chair. Gabriela kept us well hydrated. Restaurants at the Akumal, Coba, Tulum and Tequila properties Dinner at the Katok (Akumal) with Captain Gladys and server Carlos provided excellent food and a great dining experience. We also had lunch there one afternoon and found the food and service to be outstanding. Historically, our favorite restaurant to eat (off the Sian Kaan property) had been the Le Gourmet (Coba) and we dined there twice during our most recent stay. This place is a “must do” and during both of our evenings there, the service was exceptional and the food was the very best. They served rack of lamb, which my Wife ordered both nights and it was prepared and seasoned perfectly. One evening, we dined at the Dolce Vita (Akumal) and encountered a terrible dining experience. Not only was the meal awful, but the service could best be described as “indifferent” with the server disengaged and disinterested. We appreciate that anybody can have a “off night” and that may account for the demeanour of our server. The food could only be characterized as terrible as I ordered the chicken parmesan which was a very thin piece of chicken breast, very, very heavily breaded and deep fried, I spoke with the Captain and expressed my concerns and an offer was made for an alternative meal, however we declined. My Wife ordered tortellini which was luke warm but satisfactory. Dinner one night consisted of a trip to the newly opened Smoke Restaurant which is located within the Tequila property. This is a traditional western barbeque theme and the food and service did not disappoint; the servers Luis and Juan provided a perfect dining experience. On a different night, we dined at the Don Pablo (Tulum) restaurant which used to be a “must attend” as the setting has always been amazing, the service great and the food first class, however during this visit, the food was not up to standard. Given the fact their steak offerings were very small, I asked the server for two portions, both prepared medium rare. When the meal arrived, I cut them both in half and noticed that one was very well done while the other one was blue rare. They didn’t get either of them even close to correct. The other hiccup we encountered at the Don Pablo was the fact that I asked for a rum and cola during dinner and they advised me that they did not have any rum and suggested that I order a vodka instead. Really? Another curious experience we had occurred while visiting the Akumal during the day. We decided to go for lunch at the snack bar located near the beach and upon entering, we were a bit surprised to see that this lunch facility closely resembled a high school cafeteria. Guests were invited to choose very basic selections from the very limited buffet, however if a person wanted to order a hot meal, they were required to line up at a series of iPad tablets and submit their orders that way. When an order was ready, a number came up on a video screen notifying the guest that their meal was ready. This process at a resort with the term “luxury” in the title? The resort entertainment The Entertainment Team is a group of high energy, fun and dedicated people that are on the resort from early in the morning until late at night. Their efforts were sincerely appreciated and they should be commended for all they do for the guests. In terms of night activities at the Sian Kaan, the silent Disco was loads of fun; great to sit back and watch and even more fun to participate in. We also attended both the Abba show as well as the Back to the 1980’s show at the Sian Kaan and found both to be of exceptional quality and highly entertaining. One night at the Sian Kaan, the entertainment was a mariachi band which was absolutely terrible. Very loud and not entertaining at all which caused many of the people to get up and leave. One evening we took the trolley to the Hacienda which is a large shopping/dining/ entertainment area a few minutes away from the Sian Kaan. We went that night as we had heard that the magic show was supposed to be highly entertaining. We were not disappointed as the magician and his crew put on a magnificent show and one that was well worth attending. Sian Kaan Beach The Sian Kaan also offers its own beach which is located beside the Akumal beach. Guests of the Sian Kaan and adult guests of the Akumal are the only people that are permitted to use the Sian Kaan beach. There was a bar there which was staffed with some amazing people including Carlos (Charlie) and Jorge, both of whom will keep you entertained and ensured that we are constantly “hydrated”. The one piece of feedback I would offer in relation to the Sian Kaan beach bar was the volume of the music they played there each day. It was extremely loud which precluded people from having conversations. I would invite them to consider lowering the volume of the music, which (in my opinion) would have enhanced the beach experience. Trolleys The Sian Kaan (as mentioned before) is not located on the beach, rather across the highway near the golf course and the resort offers a fleet of very efficient trolleys that run with amazing frequency from one side of the resort to the other. There was not a time at which we waited for more than a few minutes for a trolley to arrive as they were regular and efficient. In Room Mini Bar One of the other features of this resort was the mini-bar located in every guest room. Each day, someone would come around and refresh the mini bar which carried three small bags of potato chips, four beers (Dos Equis), water and three kinds of soda. A very nice touch. Smoking One of the things we most appreciated about staying at the Sian Kaan was the way in which smoking is so very carefully moderated. There are signs up all around the property asking people not so smoke and there are also designated places in which people are permitted to smoke. Being strident non-smokers ourselves, we truly appreciate the policy. That said, there were still some idiots at the resort who felt the rules did not apply to them and they smoked whenever and wherever they wanted but it is difficult to educate people like that. This and that… One of the improvements that was very evident to us was the focus on the “Guest Experience” that has become a hallmark of this resort. While we are not sure why this has become a focus for the resort, they have hired a number of highly skilled people and strategically staged them throughout the resort to assist guests with whatever issues the guests may be encountering during their stay at the Sian Kaan. This team of folks were roaming the property (sometimes at the breakfast buffet, sometimes at the various pools and most often in the lobby), engaging guests and offering assistance or just a friendly chat. They would assist guests in making reservations for dinner, addressing issues with rooms, food and anything else. This was a very nice addition and a tribute to the resort. We also wanted to give a big shout out to two of the hardest working employees on the property. A gent named Antonio and lady named Ishael (Bar Managers) were on the property from early morning until late at night making sure thigs were going smoothly. Both of these employees deserve a big shout out as their tireless efforts made our vacation something very positive. One other positive feature of the resort was the initiative involving snack service around the pools. Several times a day, staff would come around with trays of mini hamburger and other snacks which we found to be a very nice touch. Be forewarned that, while the front desk will provide change (small denomination pesos in exchange for larger bills) they were not able to provide any 20-peso bills which many people favor for tipping. We were told that the government was phasing put the 20-peso note and were instead going to replace them with a 20-peso coin. We have not been able to confirm that information, but please be forewarned that you may want to bring some smaller denominations if you plan on tipping the staff (And please do as they work very hard to make the guest experience as positive as possible). Guests should be aware of a couple of additional taxes that they may be required to pay when visiting this area. There has been loads of talk recently about a tax that is in the works for visitors to the Quintana Roo area, that being the Visitax. It is a small amount ($20 or $25 I believe but please don’t take my word for it) that can be paid in advance using their website. Please use caution when paying this tax on-line as there are many websites that claim to represent the Government, and some of these are a scam. While there is significant mixed information about the requirement to pay this tax, we have always paid it in advance of travel however this trip, we were never asked if we paid the tax or not. There is also a tax called the Eco Tax which was imposed / charged at the resort which amounted to $35.00 USD per room per visit. That was paid at the time of check in and is not a voluntary tax. One area that could be improved upon was the hot water/shower situation in the rooms. It was our experience that the hot water was sporadic at best with the water being unbearably hot or very cold as many days there was not happy medium. On a completely different note, be forewarned of the presence of insects at some places within the resort so bringing bug spray is highly recommended. Our bottom line In conclusion, we would absolutely return to this resort and in fact, this was our 12th visit to the Sian Kaan. Please don’t let the location of the resort (non beach front) discourage you from staying there. The location is right in the jungle and the grounds are impeccable. In many of the reviews that we have seen, people characterize this property as “old and tired and in need of a refresh” and while that may be true, it is still a gem. Indeed it is in need of some TLC, perhaps some paint and upkeep but the location, grounds, access to the other resorts and especially the staff, make this property entirely desirable. Thanks Sian Kaan for an incredibly memorable vacation, again.