Secrets Aura Cozumel

We had high hopes for Secrets Aura Cozumel, but the stay fell short of what we expected from a resort in this category. The grounds are beautiful and the staff were friendly, yet the problems with service and food safety made a big impact on our visit. Our seafood and shellfish allergy was reported to staff, but there were several incidents of cross-contamination and neglect. It became a medical issue, and we had to get treatment and a cortisone shot, paying out of pocket for the reaction caused by how the resort handled food. Birds also kept landing on buffet items, which was both off-putting and unhygienic. Food quality was poor at the buffet and most restaurants. The reserved hibachi dinner was excellent, but on several nights we waited 1.5 to 2 hours just to be seated or served, which was incredibly frustrating. The first night was stressful too: a maintenance problem caused the shower to overflow and flood the bathroom. We were standing in about an inch of water while getting ready, and it took over an hour and a half for someone to respond and fix it. With better attention to operations and detail, the property could be much better.

Wendy kept the daytime fun going with activities, and I really enjoyed coming back for a second visit. Most of the places to eat have ocean views, which I love. The rooms were clean, though sometimes there was a washcloth and sometimes there wasn't, lol. We'll be back again.

The people here made our stay feel special. We spent most meals at Oceana, where Rosana, Cristel and their team, Ricardo, Omar, Luis, Gabriel, Elizabeth and Yonatan, were welcoming and served delicious food. I make a lot of special requests, and Cristel remembered my usual decaf with warm milk and enchiladas without onions, with extra sauce. For my husband's birthday on our last day, Rosana arranged a pancake birthday cake with a huge sparkler. It was a hoot, and he felt so special. We also had a great time with the poolside entertainment. Artemio, Wendy and Luz kept us laughing during name that tune, the movie game and bingo. The room was clean, comfortable and spacious, and both the beach and pools were gorgeous. My husband and I came to Secrets Aura in Cozumel to escape winter in the Northeast. The resort was lovely, and we hope to come back.

The Hibachi is the best dinner spot, with excellent presentation and a rooftop view. We also found plenty of beautiful fish and sea life snorkeling around the resort's sunken areas. Dona Chellys just outside the resort was 10000% better than the resort food, which is a bit outdated and fairly bland to suit different palets. It was well worth going there multiple times. The staff were incredible, especially the entertainment groups led by Wendy and Elouise.