Catalonia Playa Maroma

The grounds were lovely and peaceful, with lots of greenery and animals like coatis, raccoons, and monkeys. The food was consistently good and well organized. We especially liked the crepes by the pool, plus the pizzeria and coffee shop, which made great lattes. The beach was excellent too, and staff cleared the seaweed quickly with equipment and dump trucks. It was the only clean beach nearby. The free daycare, which I believe ran from 10 a.m. to noon and 3 to 5 p.m., was a real help for parents. The staff there were kind and friendly. Our main disappointment was the entertainment schedule. The kids' events started too late at 8:30 p.m., and the main show at 9:30 meant ours were asleep after 15 minutes. At the Riu, where we stayed last year, entertainment began at 7, which worked much better. One day both listed events were cancelled, and reception didn't know why. Getting there was rough. The resort is about a 40-minute drive from Cancun’s airport, but it took three hours to drop off guests at other hotels before we arrived, after a five-hour flight and an hour waiting for luggage. On the return, we sat on the plane for another two hours while luggage was loaded and a tow truck came to pull the plane. It was our first time using Cancuns airport, and a terrible experience.

The resort is compact, so getting around on foot is easy, and there's a lovely forest between the lobby and the pool and beach. It's full of cute Coatis. The buffet was very good, the Mexican restaurant was bland, and the steakhouse was okay but nothing special. Drinks were well made in most areas. I came on January 15th, 2026. The rooms are dated and smell of mildew, though they were kept very clean. Nights are quiet, with the daily theatre show being about the only activity before people turn in. Playa del Carmen is nearby, but staff told us they don't provide transport to town unless you're going to coco bongo. Service didn't consistently go beyond the basics. At other high quality resorts, staff might check whether you want another drink or try to find you a spot on the beach. Here, we were told there was nothing they could do when no space was available. I understand that privilege members may get better rooms and service. Most online photos seem to show privilege accommodation, and some food and drinks on the menu are privilege-only, which felt strange. Alfonso from the hotel staff and Ianko, who got us to coco bongo, treated us better than the rest of the staff.

The beach and sea were the best part: beautiful, with little sargassum, and they cleaned it constantly. BLoved privilege restaurant was good too. But I wouldn't return. We had the privilege package, which I expected to be better than the regular experience, and its beach section did have nicer loungers and more of them. Still, there was hardly any beach service. To get a drink, you had to queue for 10-15 minutes at the only bar, and they would give you just one beach towel. I've never run into that before. You have to choose whether to lie on it or use it to dry off. The rooms were very dated, with thin walls. A small child in the room next door made nights a nightmare. Our bathroom door wouldn't close all the way, and the patio chairs were broken. Entertainment was minimal, food was mediocre, and service was almost nonexistent. The buffet food all smelled of chemicals, maybe dish soap or some oil, though I'm not sure. We couldn't get reservations at the Japanese, Italian, or steakhouse restaurants. It's a three-star resort on a nice beach. I didn't expect much since it wasn't very expensive, and I've stayed at plenty of four- and five-star resorts in Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

The restaurant staff were great, the food was good, and the property was very clean. The beautiful stretch of Maroma beach also deserves credit. Still, the checkout mess ruined what could have been a good vacation, aside from a hiccup booking a la carte dining. Checkout is at noon, and they won't let you extend it even if you're willing to pay. I asked reception three times and got three different answers about courtesy rooms. I was told to return the morning of checkout, so I showed up at 8 a.m. and then learned I had to come back at 9 to see if one was available. Nobody had mentioned the 9 a.m. time. There were other frustrating reception issues. They entered my phone number incorrectly and said they couldn't change it unless I brought my PASSPORT to the desk. I had to go there to book a la carte because my building was closest to the beach. They claimed almost no times were open except after 9 p.m. I couldn't use the reservation system until I worked out that Google sign in worked, and then I saw many slots available. The front desk was useless. I travel four times a year, but I won't stay at another Catalonia resort. Management seemed not to care about guests' last day. Next time I'll book with Secrets, next to this resort.