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Hiccups–The rooms, while clean, were an odd shape and lacked adequate storage. There was a jacuzzi bathtub in the middle of the living space that eats up square footage. The overall feel was a little cramped for a family of 4. We booked a swim up room, which ended up being more of a walk up. The pool was 19 feet from the end of our porch. Other resorts we have stayed at, the swim ups were much closer. We didn’t spend much time in this pool, and overall probably wasn’t worth the upgrade for us.

The resort is well cared for, but the layout reminds me of a labyrinth–no direct routes, lots of winding paths and dead ends. Additionally, this is wholly a personal preference so may not apply to you, but when I’m travelling somewhere tropical, I want the design to reflect that. The design here is attractive, but feels more like a casino than tropical paradise–think dark woods, lots of gold, and no natural light in lobby. I don’t want to spend my time inside when I came somewhere to be outside, so it was miss for me in this regard.

Hassles–The only real hassle was during check out, and it definitely left a sour taste in my mouth outside of an otherwise enjoyable experience. After doing the actual check out, the employee managing it told us we had to head over the staff in the white shirts to “finish the check out process.” Sure, no problem. It was a sales pitch to buy a return voucher–$299 for a discount on a future stay. I tried to politely decline several times. I was still assessing the trip and wasn’t ready to make a decision about returning in that moment. It wasn’t a grand slam, but would I be open to coming back to a Palace Resort? Eventually…probably… But don’t force it on me. My husband ultimately had to intervene and tell the representative no. After that, they let us go, or we thought. Another representative followed us down the escalator and pitched us again! I was completely turned off by the process, and despite all the positives of the trip, it makes me less likely to return to or recommend Palace Resorts.

Heroes–The food was good at most of the restaurants and buffets, the only real miss was the Mexican a la carte, Los Corporales at Nizuc. There is a Fogo de Chao style steakhouse at Nizuc, Carveo, that my family and travel group absolutely loved. As a pescatarian myself, there was plenty for me to eat despite not partaking in the tableside service. I never know what drinks to order when I’m traveling, that being said, the couple of specialty drinks I tried at the restaurants were great (be sure to try the Rosemarinus at Gondola). I also tried a Mexican Candy Shot that our waitress at the pool brought by, that was delicious.

Staff is friendly and attentive. The grounds are extremely well cared for and they limit lounger saving, so there is plenty of seating available at the pools. The sailing lesson was really cool–definitely recommend! Also, the free arcade was a really nice touch. We spent a fair amount of time in the evenings playing air hockey and having having basketball shoot outs–a big hit for kids and adults alike!

Despite the check out fiasco, all in all a pretty good stay. That being said, for a more detailed review, check out my blog post in the Road Report.

Hiccups–The hotel provided toiletries are not great, so definitely bring your own. The shampoo in the shower was mostly water (the showerhead dripped right into the container). Speaking of showerheads, the water pressure was on the low side–my youngest loved it, but I prefer a more robust stream.

Hassles–We didn’t rent a car, but the $25/day parking fee seemed high. I haven’t stayed at other hotels in the area, but parking is abundant. For a resort that positions itself as a cost effective option for Disney, it seems like a miss.

Heroes–The included breakfast and evening “Kick-back” were great. We were staying here for a soccer tournament with a club team. Not only was it cost effective, but it allowed the team to stay connected during the trip. This is a great option for group travel. The food, albeit not outstanding, was decent for the price point. There’s not a ton of options at dinner, but we managed to find something every night. We really enjoyed the soups. The evening kick back also comes with 3 free alcoholic drinks every night for adults in the room. That being said, those drinks often led to hanging out at the hotel bar after dinner and indulging in some not so complimentary drinks–which can quickly run up your hotel bill. They also have a happy hour that includes deserts–we loved the lava cakes and cookie with ice cream. Between 5-7p every night they are only $5, definitely worth it!

For a more detailed breakdown of our stay, check out my blog post.

Hiccups–Food was decent, nothing spectacular. Not a whole lot of options at some of the restaurants for a pescatarian/vegetarian. The booking system for dinner was also a little wonky–you need to line up for reservations at like 7a. Mixed drinks were not my favorite, stuck to beer most of the trip. Also, the timeshare people were a little pushy at times.

Hassles–Nothing significant happened that I would flag as a big deal. Overall, this was a great value for the price point.

Heroes–The proximity to Xcaret was amazing. We bought the unlimited pass and would walk over at least once a day to explore. The lagoon at the resort was nice and seats were always available. We also appreciated the ruins on the resort property and generally the atmosphere. There was tons of wildlife–deer, monkeys, and even flamingos! Some of the shows were fun, they had a kids show that was the highlight for our group. The resort is also a quick cab ride from Playa del Carmen, which allowed us to go exploring locally and we really enjoyed that. I would say this would be a plan to return for us.

Hiccups–Food was meh. It was a short trip, so we didn’t really get to experience all of the resort offerings, but what we did left us unimpressed. This was our first time at an adults only resort, and it just wasn’t our vibe.

Hassles–Our flight out was cancelled. We tried multiple times to call the resort and its customer service to notify them, and possibly shift our dates. It was super short trip to begin with 4 days/3 nights, which ultimately was reduced to 3 days/2 nights. The customer service was absolutely abhorrent. No one was able to help us. They only respond to customer issues through email and additionally, the staff on site does not have the authority to make any changes or accommodations. This hotel requires that you pay at the time of booking, so we had already paid in full. We did not get a resolution until we returned home–a refund for the night we missed as a result of the flight cancellation, with a scolding note about being a no call no show. Color me unimpressed.

Heroes–The resort is beautiful and the rooms, absolutely fantastic. The mixed drinks were outstanding–they had a great tamarind margarita that I enjoyed thoroughly.

Hiccups–There were a couple of snafus with the app and information about activities and availability. Some of that was user error, but also I don’t think it was entirely clear that some activities needed to be registered for in advance. Also worth noting, we went in December, but in September there was a fire that affected the Lobby and a couple of restaurants, so during our trip we were limited to 2 restaurants. There was no accommodation made by Club Med to address the inconvenience. Additionally, at other all-inclusives we’ve stayed at, the room has a mini-fridge stocked with soft drinks and typically a selection of beer. In this case, the mini-fridge was empty. We assumed it was an oversight, and called the front desk. Their response was, “We don’t provide that at YOUR level,” which felt a little rude. There were nicer ways to say that. Mind you, we booked two rooms and this was the most we’d spent on an all-inclusive. Service at the restaurants was spotty and sometimes slow, but that could have been because they were leveraging two restaurants to serve the whole resort. Also, if you like exploring off the resort, there’s not much to do.

Hassles–We had also paid for an unlimited photo package before arriving. There was no record of it anywhere in their system and it felt like staff was implying we were lying about it. It took us 3 days and multiple trips to the front desk and photo shop to clear it up. Apparently the systems don’t communicate? We did not book in the recently renovated rooms, so we didn’t expect perfection or super modern, but the day we arrived the shower head fell off the wall in one of our rooms and the the other room, only had cold water. Plaster was coming off the walls, and there was mold around the mini-fridge. That being said, we did have a decent view from our balcony (only partially obstructed), so there was that.

Heroes–The trapeze was amazing–very cool activity. The drinks were outstanding and food was pretty good. Outside of the blips we had with the front desk staff/photo staff, generally, the staff was very friendly and responsive. You can tell they definitely drink the Kool-Aid. While talking with other visitors, it seems like there are “Club Med” people just like there are “Disney” people, who return time and time again. While we had a nice time, I can’t say they converted me. I might try another Club Med eventually, but it’s not top of my list.

Hiccups–This was our first stay at a traditional all-inclusive. We booked the trip before it was absorbed by the Marriott group, so we got a much better deal than was available following the acquisition. It was right after Covid, so staffing levels were still lower and there was a fair amount of updating happening at the property. Outside of that, hiccups were largely us just adjusting to the all-inclusive model.

Hassles–I can’t say that there were any dealbreakers. Mixed drinks were mediocre at best, we stuck to beer most of the trip as result. Once in the main buffet we were seated in an area that smelled very strongly of sewage. We requested to move tables, and it was fine.

Heroes–The wait staff was amazing–very responsive and helpful. Our room was really cool–we booked a family suite and it was two floors. The main floor the bathroom and sleeping areas, and the second floor a rooftop balcony with a jet tub. Probably, although it’s not the most we’ve spent, the nicest room we’ve had across our travels. The onsite photographers were also great–I didn’t take many pictures at the time, but they bailed me out.

Hiccups-As a hotel in Rockford, IL, this was honestly my best stay in the area to date. The turn in was a little hard to find, and the decor a bit dated, but overall, very happy with the hotel. The pool is much smaller than the online pictures present, but I’ve found that to be the case with a lot of hotels in the Rockford area.

Hassles-None, this was a hassles free trip outside of the cancelled soccer tournament (No fault of the Residence Inn!).

Heroes-The cookies at check in were a big hit for my kids. The continental breakfast was better than most at comparable hotels. Would definitely stay here again.