El Taj Oceanfront & Beachside Condo Hotel

The layout at El Taj Oceanfront & Beachside Condos is lovely, and the staff were polite, but the sargassum and its smell took over our vacation. We paid premium oceanfront prices hoping to enjoy the beach, yet the amount of seaweed and the odor of decaying organic matter were overwhelming. The sulfur-like smell was so strong we couldn't sit on the balcony or relax by the water. Even walking down to the ocean felt like a health hazard. I know seaweed arrivals are natural and largely outside the property's control. Still, the area was clearly in a dire state. Nearby hotels were dropping rates to as little as $5 a night just to attract guests. It was incredibly disappointing to feel stuck indoors escaping the stench, unable to use the main amenity we had traveled for. I hope the property will invest more in daily, aggressive beach clearing or coordinate more effectively with the local municipality. Guests choose a premium resort expecting it to mitigate these conditions as much as possible. We left feeling we got nowhere near the value we paid for. I hope this feedback helps improve the experience for future guests during periods of heavy sargassum.

The penthouse suite was fantastic, with a private hot tub and a great ocean view, and the whole place looks beautiful. My daughter especially loved saying hello to the turtle in the fish pond. The staff were very accommodating, too. When the AC fan gave us trouble, they came and fixed it right away. The beach is small and rocky, so it isn't for swimming, and there are boats moored there. Even so, the beach club has a good atmosphere, and 5th Ave is an easy walk away. We'd definitely stay again.

The staff made our 30th wedding anniversary feel special, with a card and a lovely bottle of wine waiting when we checked in. They were professional, helpful, and friendly throughout. We had a wonderful time at El Taj and won't forget the stay. Our room was beautiful, the bed was comfortable, and there was plenty of hot water for showers. The kitchen was well equipped, though we cooked only a couple of meals and ate out most of the time. The living room couch cushions sit on a cement base, which made them a little hard to sit on. The hotel and grounds are lovely, with two pools and amenities we enjoyed, all in a peaceful, central location. It's beachfront, but the beach is very small and fishing boats are docked along it, so swimming isn't possible there. Luckily, some great beaches are within walking distance.

The beach normally looks beautiful, I could tell, but during our visit there was awful sargassum all along Playa del Carmen and Cancun. We couldn't go in the ocean, and the beaches looked and smelled bad. That's not really something the hotel could control. We used the very nice pool a lot instead, and at least our toddler could play in the sand on the beach. We felt well looked after on our first trip with our toddler. There was purified water on tap in the room, a full kitchen with useful shared tools like a blender, and the bedroom was set up with a playpen, sheets, and blankets. They even had a white noise machine in the bedroom, plus beach toys and sunscreen in the lobby. It felt like they'd thought of everything. For all that was provided, I also thought the price was very good.