Akumal Beach Resort review by Don and Renee from Victoria, B.C.: "The best kept secret in the Mayan Riviera!"
My husband and I, ages 44 and 39, have traveled to the Mayan Riviera for the past three years. This year we wanted try a different resort again; but, wanted to keep to the 'smaller size' resort. We couldn't believe how many 'repeat' clientele the Akumal Beach Resort had. As well, all reviews were so positive that we 'went for it' and booked 2 weeks.
The only thing that I should say first is, if you are a 'fancy pants', then this is not the place for you. To us, that was quite obvious in booking as the price was less expensive than say the 'Barcelo' - but hey, if you want to take a 'tram' every time you want to go to the beach or 'hoof it' for 15 min there and back - but you have lobster in the buffet, then that's ok . To us, other things mattered more, such as:
* Great Snorkeling - Believe me we are not 'pro' snorkelers by any means, but hey, when you can finish your drink, get up off your lounger, strap on your fins and goggles, walk 10 feet to the shore - dive into the water and within 10 seconds experience 'aquarium like' snorkeling - it's the greatest feeling ever! Within 30 - 60 feet out - and only 10 feet deep - we experienced a 'large' barracuda following a massive school of fish, a 20 lb Grouper. The most amazing experience of all was happening upon a family of turtles - grazing on the seabed on the bottom of the ocean. The turtles were approx. 3 - 4 ft across the shell. They grazed so peacefully, would look around and then swim up to the top of the ocean - poke their heads out - look around - take a breath and then dive back down to continue grazing.
* Amazing Resort - Rather than most Resorts that have a 'small' beach, but reach far into the jungle, the Akumal Beach Resort is situated entirely along the beach. This means that the main buffet restaurant is just steps from the ocean. Enjoy each morning having your coffee gazing at the most amazing ocean and beautiful beach - we never tired from that view.
* Food - The food was delicious, ample and fresh but, not over the top i.e. lobster etc. But hey, we didn't pay for that nor did we expect it. The breakfasts were awesome and consisted of fresh fruit, bacon (sometimes..hey, it's Mexico .. no rhyme or reason), sausages, hashbrowns, toast, buns, pancakes, french toast, fresh squeezed OJ, omelets made to order - dynamite -scrambled eggs, quesadillas, cereal. Dinner was delicious as well - every night they offered pastas, buns, meats, fish, steak, chicken, rice, and potatoes - usually a slightly different theme. Hell, one night was a turkey dinner.
If you need lobster (and we did) there is the 'on site' restaurant that you can 'sign up' for and pay separately - bill to your room. We got the 'surf and turf' lobster and steak and it was spectacular!!! It was a nice change - romantic, quiet compared to the buffet.
* Snack Bar - Ok, we pigged out everyday at the snack bar. We loved the burgers, hot dogs, pizza, fresh guacamole, French fries, cheese sauce, and of course, the soft serve ice cream - with kaluha drizzled over top - (Yes, we gained many pounds..but that's included too.. ha ha)
* Alcohol - Not a complaint in the house! We drank as much as we could from beer to paralizers to chi chi's and black russians and on and on. One thing that we noticed here compared to last year at the Club Maeva - the bartenders free poured as much as you asked for - no hesitation - and, without a doubt, the bartenders at the ABR were the most happy, social, fun guys that you could ask for - 'they' are the personality of the resort!
* Rooms - Well, we were in the old section. We chose not to pay for 'superior' rooms and that was ok. They met our needs, had a balcony and views of the ocean. Air conditioner worked great. We were happy! (We really loved coming to our room to find a 'swan' with flowers on our bed - our first time in the Mayan - and our Maid always had a smile.)
* Resort Location - Close to the 'Tulum Ruins' - only 10 min away and the best part of all - just a stroll down the beach to the 'Little town of Akumal'. My goodness, we had so much fun.
After a day on the beach, we would leave our snorkel gear on our loungers, and stroll down the beach to the Town of Akumal - wonder around in the 'Super Chomak' grocery store. This is the best little store - browse around at the vast supply of jewerly and tshirts and souvineers and then top it off with a couple of ice cold coronas ($1.40 us each) and then walk down to "Lucy's Tacos' for the most amazing shrimp tacos. Trust us, we tried them everywhere. As well, the homemade ice cream in a waffle cup was 'to die for'.
Finishing up our vacation, we dined at the "La Hola" restaurant (not the bar portion). We sat outside and dined on the most amazing prime rib, lobster, shrimp and finished off with the most spectacular 'banana cheesecake' and 'spanish coffee'. All for about the price of a 'Keg Meal' back home.
Ok, so to wrap this review up... we enjoyed ourself so much and absolutely amazed by the beautiful beach, awesome snorkeling, the simplicity of this small resort and most of all felt so safe - (security on the beach at all times) that we came back home and immediately booked our vacation for our 'blended' family of 5 children - ages 11 to 16 - for February 2008, as well as our Parents (ages 76 and 79). So, as you can see there will be 9 of us in total and various ages and the resort will suite them all. Our children are thrilled and can hardly wait!
Akumal Beach Resort review VVG from Pennsylvania: "Wonderful stay in Akumal"
By far our favorite place to stay now. We had previously stayed at the Barcelo, Occidental Xcaret, Iberostar Tucan, and Secrets Capri, but we loved Akumal. Yes the others are fancier, but there is so much heart at this place. If you come here expecting the Ritz, you'll be dissapointed. As others have stated its a 3 star hotel on a 5 star beach.
Best beach in the Riviera Maya for snorkeling and swimming. It's not often that there is a great beach that has both. Xpu-ha and Tulum are beautiful but not great for snorkeling. Calm waters and a nice sandy entrance for a majority of the beach line. Easy access to the reefs where there is tons of life and lots of turtles.
Rooms are laid out along the ocean. Instead of the property going deep toward the road, its laid out so that the superior rooms are ocean front, garden rooms are just steps from the beach. Easy walk to all areas of this resort. Note: Garden/Standard rooms are worn and in need of updating. If you can, pay the extra few dollars to upgrade. Superior rooms are basic, but comfortable. We had plenty of hot water and our superior room was very clean. Never had to ask for fresh towels. We had a great view of the ocean from our balcony.
Staff - We found the staff to be great here. They were attentive, friendly, remembered your name and helped us in many ways. They went out of their way on many occasions. Entertainment staff works hard. You can choose to be a part of the festivities, or just sit back and relax.
Affordability - At other areas this price might just get you a room. At this price we didn't feel guilty when we decided to eat out a night our two outside of the resort.
Location - We didn't feel we were in a compound. A short walk and we were in the small beach town of Akumal where there were restaurants, bars, scuba shops and a few stores. 30 Minutes or so to Playa De Carmen and the same distance to Tulum. It was a great jumping point to explore.
Food - We were worried that the food would be just okay, but were pleasantly surprized. We were always able to find something we liked at the buffet. Fresh fish was available every night. Not as upscale as the other resorts, but at this price we didn't expect it to be. We did get tired of the buffet, but the same happened at other resorts.
Drinks - you won't recognize any of the brands they used. This is one thing we really wished we could upgrade or pay extra for premium drinks, but drinks were plentyful.
For our wedding the staff went above and beyond for us and the wedding exceeded my expectations. We had 90 guests and everyone enjoyed their stay. They told us we were the largest wedding they've ever had but they did an outstanding job. Other than a small delay in some guest's dinners the reception was wonderful. We saw weddings at other resorts during our stay and even though Akumal Beach Resort is a modest resort, the weddings were more beautiful here than at 5 star hotels.
All in all a wonderful trip.
Akumal Beach Resort review by rowberry of Cornwall:
Akumal Beach Resort review by Scubalifelover:Excellent beach and reef offering unforgettable snorkerling and diving. Fabulous natural setting.
Speciality dining offered some variety with service to the normal dining.
We would certainly recommend this resort but please don't wear reef shoes. Continuous wear on the reef, i.e., coral will certainly damage this spectacular natural resource and the creatures it supports. We swam with turtles, rays and numerous fish. Let's hope and pray it remains for many many years.
Felt like a big happy family...very warm & friendly, wonderful staff. Tasty food. Easy access to all facilities. Very clean.
The old saying, first impression is the lasting impression holds very true! As quickly as I could get off the bus, the bellman had retrieved my baggage and brought them up the ramp to reception. Immediately the Guest Relations person offered me a welcome cocktail and oversaw my check in. The reception area is open air with thatch roof and star shaped chandeliers that twinkle magically. The reception area has lovely teak wood floor - I was to later learn that wood flooring is extremely rare in Mexico - and is said to be a sign of wealth. They have nice clusters of couches and arm chairs so it is a nice place to relax or await the tour departures. Self Serve coffee and tea are available 24hours a day at a counter just off from the main desk. Total check in was less than 5 minutes and they were apologetic that my key would be "just a minute". I thought it strange at this hour that the key would not be available, only to be told they had just gone to my room to leave a "light meal" and cold bottled water. Indeed a very nice gesture given we had only had the "Box Lunch" on the flight.
Unlike most Caribbean resorts, the ABR is built parallel to the ocean on a long stretch of beach. As such, nothing is very far from the ocean.
The main buffet at this resort was indeed a pleasant surprise. I am typically a fussy eater and always find that the second week of a vacation becomes a problem and I resort to little more than crackers & fries. Of the 40 meals I had at the resort, there were only 2 lunches where I ate only fruits and 1 dinner where I was not fussy on the selection! Particularly noteworthy were the variety and presentation of the food. Each day was a theme in the Buffet and the food prepared in that manner. The food was beautifully decorated - including carved watermelons, pastry swans, etc. Absolutely NO CONCERN with the quality of the buffet selection here..tasty chicken & pork, wonderful fruits and the best breakfast pancakes in the world! Plates are cleared very quick (on odd occasion, just a bit too fast as we had not set our cutlery down!) The only a la carte I visited was the Italian. While the food was very tasty, the portion was very small (needed to return to the Buffet after).
The snack bar offers tasty homemade pizza, hamburgers, fries and nachos during the day. It is also the hidden location of the soft serve ice cream machine! Drinking was not the focus of my trip as I was there primarily for Scuba Diving. However I did find the "Sex on The Beach" cocktails addictive. The Swing Bar (it has rope swings instead of chairs) at the far end of the resort was grossly underused and if you wanted a private place for an afternoon drink, you often had it all to yourself. Most people collected in the "Piano Bar" beside the buffet. Here 3 times a night there was live music & singing. Definitely request an Elton John song - he does it justice!
While the animation staff will circulate on the beach to announce the activities, they do not harass and understand if you'd rather just lay in the sun. They are a great group of 20-30 year olds who will quickly do whatever they can to make your trip a success. They often join you for meals in the Buffet area, so you get a chance to know them firsthand. Given it is a smaller resort, they know your name and quickly address you by first name. I had the fortune to celebrate my birthday at the resort and celebrated with a watermelon and piñata supplied by a special staff member. I had no concern in recommending this resort based on the staff. I had extremely positive dealings with the Animation staff, the front desk and especially the waiters in the buffet area. All were very friendly and attentive to my needs.
Relative to the prices of other Mayan resorts, I think Akumal Beach Resort provides good value for the money, provided you are not seeking fancy pools or grounds. It has a warm & friendly atmosphere which in itself played a large factor in the success of this trip. When asked if I would return - yes, I enjoyed the resort and yes, the diving was good.
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