Occidental At Xcaret Destination

We had a large group and initially we were all placed in different buildings. Took a long time to check in. Had to make reservations every day you wanted to eat at a restaurant. Lots of walking between pool(s) and beach area. Very large resort. A lot of wildlife which was very nice. [Details]

The Hotel and grounds were fantastic. If you called the front desk or guest serves no one ever answered. Selena who served drinks on the beach was expectational. Russel at the Asian restaurant gave exceptional service. [Details]

We paid for the Deluxe Concierge Unlimited Xcaret Xperience-AI but only received the Welcome bottle of wine and Mezcal and 4 apples. We didn't get our bathrobes and slippers, nor did we get the daily concierge service. The bathroom tap was leaking when we arrived and it took 3 requests before something was done about it. We slipped twice on the wet tiles, but thankfully, there were no injuries. The plumber who replaced the tap didn't clean up the water and it took another request to get that done. After a rocky start to the holiday, we decided that it wasn't going to ruin our fun and enjoyed the rest of the trip. [Details]

This is a beautiful resort with breath taking views. [Details]

I know this is going to be a long write up but if you're like me and you want to ensure you've done your research like I have. These are my thoughts on this place.

I'd like to start by saying I've been to lots of all inclusive resorts around Mexico. And this one by far has been the best and everything you want within it. It has luxurious, sandy beaches. A private beach area in a rocky area though but it has a saltwater pool and then to the side, a fantastic bay for snorkelling in. there is a bar down on the beach as well as many lounge chairs to sit in, and daily activities done on the beach.

Occidental is a very large resort and you can get easily lost. However, the adventure is in walking around and seeing the multitude of animals from iguana; deer; flamingos; the wild/large/guinea pigs (that's what I call them); lemur raccoons(again that's what I call them) and a variety of birds. There are amenities at Occidental for booking different activities, such as excursions outside the resort. It also has a coffee bar (not included with all-inclusive/you must pay for this one ). It also has various shops throughout the main lobby area. At 7 PM they have a 10 minute show with the Mayans blessing the resort as well as the weather. There is a river that runs through the main building and goes to the park Xcaret. It is about a five minute gondola ride or you can walk alongside the river.

The buffets at the resort are very well stocked. They have various theme nights throughout the week. We found the food really good and no complaints. For breakfast, they have areas where you can get your eggs cooked the way you like. But they have the standard scrambled out as well as the potatoes; bacon and sausage. Lots of fruit and other fixtures. We visited each à la cart they had, their oriental was great as they had a variety of Asian food. Their Italian restaurant was really good. Their mushroom risotto was to die for. They had a seafood restaurant which was further away from the main building and set in an outdoor snack area during the day, but served a variety of different fish dishes. They had a Mexican themed restaurant. Unfortunately the service there was very slow. The food that was served at the time was cold and after 40 minutes we just went down to the Buffet. We were told it wasn't the greatest place by other guests but we had to check it out for ourselves. However, the other four were phenomenal places to dine at. You will need to book these on the morning you want to dine, between 7 AM to 11 AM. I would advise getting there early as seats go fast. Also, please be advised for men, you HAVE to wear pants or no entry. So I would recommend bringing a very light pair of trousers as a temperatures during our time were well within the 30° range. Inside the restaurants are air condition though. From 9 PM till 6 AM they have a taco bar and a pizza bar upstairs. Both served food that was quite satisfactory. The evening shows at Occidental were great. They started at 9:30 and only went for about an hour. There are various bars located around the resort. They do ask what kind of beverage you would like. For instance, if you wish rum, they would ask you if you like dark gold or white rum. If you like a certain type of vodka, they will ask you. But nevertheless, they try their hardest to please you.

Each one of the main buildings has their own concierge service. A fantastic place to get any information they require about the resort or surrounding areas. The room service was phenomenal. Our room was made every day with fresh sheets (even after stating service every other day) our cleaner Carmen was amazing very adamant about making sure “her floor” was very clean. The mini bar was fully stocked with a max of six bottles of water of which four were in the fridge staying cold. There was no threat of any missing jewellery or personal items. We had a jungle view balcony where we could see spider monkeys, and the usual Mexican woodland creatures and birds. Our room was on the backside of the resort, so it was very quiet. There was plenty of hot water in the bathroom Was clean and the rooms were fairly up-to-date. They did have TV and a few English stations in case you need to take that one night off in an air-conditioned room.

Our package included the theme park next-door called Xcarete. This park is absolutely phenomenal because it is attached to Occidental with two entrances. This allowed us to come in and out of the park during our entire 14 days stay. The food inside the park is extremely expensive. Just for instance $21 USD for a beer and $100 USD for a souvenir towel. While having a bracelet that allowed us to leave the park and get something to drink at the resort and eat and then head back in to the park. The park offered multiple things to see in not only the Mexican culture but the Mayans culture as well. It went from ruins, bird and butterfly sanctuary, multiple animal enclosures from monkeys to jaguars. Also has a snorkelling area and a picnic area down along the beach. Has an activity centre where you can go on a high speed, boat, ride, snorkeling, adventure, diving adventure, and parasailing. Obviously not part of the package, but pay for what you wish. The shows at the park were beyond my expectations. Really gave me a sense of the Mayen people. The evening show at 7 PM at the main amphitheatre had the story from the Mayen era and the growth Mexico is today.

If you are looking for a one stop shop for an all inclusive resort from swimming, snorkeling, multitude of activities, great food, great people, and fantastic service and never being bored; I would have to say this is a 10 on my scale.

The resort is located about an hour and 15 minutes from the airport. Coming back from the resort to the airport takes a little longer as there is construction, just outside Cancun. Our company; Best Day, took us to and from the airport ensuring that we left early by one hour in case of traffic and any other problems. We made it without any situation, and only took us an hour and a half from the hotel to the airport, including pick ups and construction. The resort is only 15 minutes from Playa Del Carmen and max 15 USD each way. The Mexican government has kicked out of the airport the timeshare companies along with any excursion groups. I guess we could thank Covid for that, but the Mexican government frowned upon it because it's not exactly the thing you wish to see, or hear of upon arriving to your relaxing destinations so the government kick them out. When you get outside of the airport, there are multiple taxi agencies willing to take you to your resort, but if you already have a provider, just thank them anyway, and proceed onto your provider who will be on the main ramp to take you to your destination.

I would like to thank the following people that made our stay absolutely incredible, so if you see them or see their names, please say hi, because they will bend over backwards to help you;

Our lovely concierge lady Laura Abaunza for helping us with many of our questions and always with a smile. Our room cleaning lady Carmen Canulnoh who did a fantastic job every day to make our place pleasurable. Maria & Manuel at our pool bar Plamercos (outside building #21) whose service never let us down at any time. Check out the daily specials. Julio Valdez who was our server at the beach buffet and knew what we wanted in our coffees as well as our Mimosas every day we came. Absolutely friendly, absolutely enjoyable. [Details]

Loved this place [Details]

We enjoyed all the walking and proximity to the jungle. Staff were very friendly and amenities were everything we needed. [Details]

The hotel grounds and pools are absolutely gorgeous. Rooms are spacious, clean, and well-appointed. Staff are friendly, but the front desk is understaffed and slow. Activities and shows are hit and miss depending on your tastes. Easy access to Xcaret is a huge selling feature. Beach is small but marvelous. Food is mediocre, but wide ranging and plentiful (except bacon and raisin bran!) Building and path signage is lacking. [Details]

Good stuff: The grounds are gorgeous, with lots of shaded walking paths and plenty of plant life. Loads of creatures to enjoy, and though small, the beach is sheltered and is great for swimming and snorkeling. The adult pool is amazing. The bars and staff are fast and the drinks are good. There is always lots of room in the dining areas (sometimes a short wait for popular a la carte restaurants). The shops have lots of souvenirs for all tastes and a convenience/ sundry shop for forgotten items. The pools are huge, fairly warm, and beautifully designed. Activities are hit and miss, depending on the crowd on hand. Super to be close to XCaret Park next door. If staying a week or more, buying the unlimited pass is recommended. Nightly shows are a gamble: some nights are great, and some are awful, depending on your tastes. Either way, it will be very loud. Mayan Ruins on site are a bonus!

Bad stuff: Check-In desk are understaffed and very slow. There is a lack of signs on bldgs and paths, so it is easy to get lost. The maps are not very good. The food is ok. There is plenty to eat at the buffets, but the quality is just average. Better signs indicating what food IS and how spicy it is would help. A desperate lack of bacon at breakfast! Staff are keen on tips and service will reflect it. There are not many on-site activities, but Xcaret is right next door. [Details]

A super nice and clean place. The staff are all very nice and helpful. [Details]

Wildlife such as monkees, fish, birds was fantastic. Maids, waiters, activities staff were all great. Ricardo goes out of his way to get people involved in sports activities. My son and I enjoyed his enthusiasm. Great job Ricardo! Some of the front desk staff seem like they don't want to be there. The waiters and waitresses were all great. [Details]

All was very good food room staff were excellent Mexico is such a clean country [Details]

Occidental Xcaret Destination Resort - November 17, 2019 to November 26, 2019
This resort is nothing short of amazing, and completely exceeded our expectations from the start to the finish. The décor of the complex, rooms and restaurants is amazingly designed and detailed, and immaculately looked after. We have never stayed in a place that was kept that clean and tidy, absolutely every spot that you looked at. All the staff were friendly and accommodating with the exception of one bartender at the beach bar. Our concierge staff were amazing…that would be Oswaldo, Roderick and Carmela. The best bartender hands down that we dealt with at the pool closest to our building (#22) was Alberto Diaz. He played the best music, and made the best drinks…Miami Vice, Palomas, Mango Tangos, and his twist on a Mango Marguerite. The housekeeping staff for our room was impeccable. Our room was always extremely clean and restocked daily without fail. The food at the restaurants was unending and huge in variety, there is no reason that you couldn't find something to satisfy your hunger or appetite, our favorites being the dragon rolls at the Oriental a la carte, and the 2 hour baked tomato soup at the Italian a la carte. The restaurant staff whether at the a la carte restaurants or the buffets were always there to clear away your plates, ask how things were, if you needed anything or ready to bring another drink at the drop of a hat. There was always something do to if you wished or nothing at all if you wished….mini golf, tennis courts, basketball courts, night club, entertainment theatre, party pool activities like foam parties, dance competitions, dance lessons, cooking lessons, jumbo chess set, ping pong, musicians nightly at the lobby bar, and the list goes on and on. If you feel like walking, there is plenty of that, and if you don't feel like walking, there will always be a trolley around within 10 minutes. It's proximity to the Xcaret Park is another perk to the resort, just a short boat ride or walk from the lobby or the beach. The entire vacation was amazing, and I can't wait to go back again. It was truly being in a luxury resort in the middle of the jungle bordering the Caribbean Ocean, without the huge cost to go with it. You couldn't go five minutes without crossing paths with a monkey, agouti, coati, deer, baby deer, iguana, turkey buzzard, or schools of fish at the beach. I felt like I was in an extremely high-end tree house the entire time. [Details]

My wife and I loved our stay at the Occidental Xcaret Destination. The scenery was amazing lots of native animals ( monkeys Lemurs, Grouti) beautiful pools and a stunning beach. The staff were so very friendly and helpful. The food was great the rooms were great. We had so much fun and will definitely return. [Details]

My family and I traveled to this resort for a wedding. We have traveled a lot and to a variety of resorts. I can say with confidence that we were extremely disappointed with our stay at this resort. Upon arrival, our room was not ready. We had to wait for an hour and a half before we could get our room. Normally, this wouldn't bother me too much but we were traveling with our 9 month old son who was in desperate need of some rest. When trying to get answers from hotel staff regarding the delay we were passed on from person to person. The staff were rude, unhelpful and lacked customer service skills. In addition, the day of the wedding our room had no water. I could not shower or wash my son's dirty bum before the wedding. When I reached out to the front desk, they told me they would get back to me in 15 min, but never did. We were without water for 24hrs. The water was yellow, poor water pressure and stunk of gasoline our entire stay. The resort does not have wifi. We opted to pay for it for one day, but it was a complete waste of money. The network is unsecure and had a very poor connection. Overall, the food was mediocre and the staff were not very friendly. Another disappoint, we often had to wait for 10 min before someone brought us a high chair for my son. In my opinion, this is not a 4.5 star resort and I will not be recommending this resort to anyone. We were also disappointed with the beach. It had a strong smell of sewage, so we were unable to sit there with our son. [Details]

The four of us overall enjoyed our stay,but food is at the top of our list and comfort,we all agreed the mattress was very comfortable.Room was kept clean.You do not get a discount for the xcaret park.It would be nice if you could do the day at the park one day and evening show the next day because it should not be missed.Its a full 12 hour day,you are just next door. [Details]

The reason for our trip to Occidental Xcaret was not only for a family vacation but also to check out the grounds for my wedding happening in June 2019 at the resort! We were overall very pleased with the resort! I was able to sit down and talk to wedding coordinators who were lovely and accommodating. The grounds and scenery is absolutely breath-taking. The animals around make it entertaining for young and old. It's a destination resort very unique and unlike anywhere I've been too! We are definitely looking forward to coming back in June with our family and friends to celebrate our wedding! [Details]

Mostly as I remember it from 2014 but they've brought in more sand for a larger beach. The grounds are the same as are the rooms. [Details]

Staff are fun, complimentary and very diligent. This resort is very over whelmingly huge upon arrival, you really need to take some time to get the lay of the land, so to speak, but breath taking beautiful. There are shuttles/Carts to help with transport between beach and lobby. We were right in the middle, so walking was definately part of our everyday. Unfortunately the little beach area was out of comish while we were there, did open up but was very swampy (smell). Salt water pool area is really nice, you will see pelicans flying over regularly and little brightly coloured fish as this pool is fed by the ocean. Food is hit or miss, keeping in mind they are feeding mass quantities, there is plenty of food available all day long, buffets were ok, by far the best restaurant was the oriental, followed by the mexican... dont waste your time on the seafood, we waited over an hour for our meal that was AWFUL. Rooms were very clean and looked forward to after a busy day, watching the lemurs and other nature on the grounds.
So, the million dollar question, would I recommend this resort...Well, my first response would be with a question. What do you want for your holiday? If you dont mind walking, if you prefer pool to beach and love nature, then I would give it a 5 star. , [Details]

This trip was a dream come true! The Occidental at Xcaret Destination is one that will have us returning to Mexico again and again. On this trip, my husband and I experienced the wonders of the Riviera Maya all within the property of this hotel and adjacent eco-park Xcaret! This hotel is run like a well oiled machine with happy and welcoming staff that work tirelessly to ensure the visitors stay is the best that it can be. The destination is a perfect blend of nature; luxury; adventure; and relaxation. There is plenty to do right at the resort; but it is also conveniently located so that any offsite excursion travel is relatively close (45 minutes from Cancun). [Details]

The best all-inclusive we've stayed at yet! Great food, really, really great food! Sonora Grill and Los Olivos were standouts. Unlimited a la carte dining and no reservations required, we actually went back for favourite dishes multiple times. Lots of bars, top shelf brands and great service. The room was well appointed, with loads of closet space, a fantastic mattress and really good pillows. The pools are beautiful and the washrooms were always spotless. The only drawback is that this resort is not located on a large stretch of beach, so you can't beach walk for miles. They have a lagoon that was being restored after an earlier storm. Just north of the entrance, there is a small natural beach, maybe a hundred feet wide, with soft white sand and crystal clear water. The resort grounds were lush and beautiful, with nature trails and ruins to explore right on the property. We stayed 10 days but could easily do 2 weeks next time, never said that before! [Details]

Occidental is a fantastic Resort! I would highly recomend it for everyone. The staff is fantastic and very helpful. They have daily sporting events like beach volleyball, water pollo, aqua aerobics, ect. Mario Perez (Staff member) was great. He lead a lot of the sporting events and got everyone involved. Thanks again for everything! [Details]

We have been to the Occidental 6 times now, have brought family and friends to enjoy the resort, and have enjoyed the experience each and every time. Access to Xcaret Park makes for a full, rewarding experience; however, on our last visit, we relaxed at the resort and enjoyed the entertainment and snorkeling in the lagoon, interacting with the monkeys. Friendly, helpful staff - our experience here has resulted in a move to the Riviera Maya. [Details]

Food is above average especially if u go to the resturant to order off the menu other than the buffet. Wifi is terrible, only one hour free at lower level,signal is weak and it doesn't mattter if u only use 20mins at 10am, ur time ends off at 11am, it doesn't accumulate. Easy access to Xcaret park. Fishes are seen at the beach since it's a coral reef location. I don't recemend this hotel to family with kids since them seems not much for them to do at night. There is a manmade river with ocean water in the hotel, a big water fountain at the lower lobby in front of the lobby bar. It is very dark at night, the lights are dull, so one night I fell to the water fountain, ( the floor is wet due to the humidify,) the water is up to my chest so I wasn't drawn but my iPhone 6 plus is totally dead, since it is sea water inside. I talked to the manager 2 days later since there is nothing done to prevent future incident and I am worried if small kids fall into it. It is dangerous. But he sounded like it is my own fault and I should take full responsibility. I should say It is 70% my own fault since I walked to the corner because there were live singer and people are dancing on the floor so I try to not get into their ways. However, I am trying to help the hotel to do better, if they could just move the sofa closer to the corner so that no one would ever walk down there so no one would fall into the water. He gave me a 25mins massage at the spa but I am not trying to ask for anything, what upsets me is that there is no action after the incident and not even a Caution sign! It happened my second night at the resort and because of the poor wifi I didn't even have a chance to upload my photos to iCloud, it ruins my vacation and now I need to buy a new phone. [Details]

We've been 3-rd time at Occidental at X- caret Riviera Maya. As always- perfect vacation! Stunning place, fantastic food, very clean facility, lots of entertainment, very friendly stuff, amazing nature... Love it and we eill come back again! [Details]

Very nice hotel, great variety of restaurants, friendly staff in a gorgeous rainforest with stunning wildlife with no bugs except over the water in the wifi area. The only bad things were the wifi, the beach was small and the selling tactics of timeshares. [Details]

Positive: The views were out of this world, the rooms were cleaned every day, most of the staff would bend over backwards to serve you. Lots of activities to keep you busy all day and all night, you will never be bored. Food was plenty and tasty and you can always find shade. so much to do if you want to do stuff and plenty of places to rest or relax. Negative:The pasta lady would roll her eye with an attitude at you if you ask a question and the store guy would rather watch tv then serve you. We had no water in our room for a day. The day it rained and we really wanted a warm shower to dress for dinner. The air smelled like sewer and other areas smelled like fish. Could not swim at the beach for it smelled so bad. We swam in the ocean at the man made beach and we smelled of this on our clothes that even smelled up our room! Two days before we left the smell got more and more worse. Could not wait to get home! Would not go back because of the sewer smell but it was a shame because it is so beautiful! The pool was not cleaned everyday, it had lots of leaves in it. [Details]

Before leaving on holidays I had read quite a few reviews some good some not so good. But still decided to go to this hotel. I must say that from the time we arrived to when we left and were impressed with the cleanliness of the hotel, from the main entrance to our room and the restaurants, pool area there was always someone there to ensure things were to your satisfaction. The food was in abundance, the choices were multiple from the breakfast to the snacks in the late evening. Could not ask more of the people at the hotel, always making sure you were satisfied and that things were up to par. All in all we only have good things to say and would recommend this hotel in a heart beat. [Details]

This was a wonderful hotel but a lot of walking and stairs so need to be able to get around, the grounds were beautiful but was really disappointed with the beach , wild animals were cool to see, would go back for sure [Details]

Occidental at Xcaret [Details]