Mayan Palace

The hotel grounds were nice, and a lot of the staff were extremely pleasant, but our vacation experience was horrible. We didn’t get the bed setup we’d booked, even though it was on the confirmation. I asked the manager how he’d feel traveling with his wife and getting two double beds instead of the queen bed he’d paid for. He admitted he wouldn’t like it, but his solution was to push the beds together. That left us without a nightstand or outlet. The room was very outdated too. We’ve just got home and found our luggage had been opened at the Cancun airport and all our fine jewelry stolen. In the cities, people will try to sell you illicit drugs. The whole experience left me saying to stay away from Mexico, where their main goal is to rip you off. I’m glad I live in the United States of America, and there are plenty of other nice places to visit.

The resort itself was great: pools, a clean room, flamingos, crocodiles, the beach, and staff who kept the area impressively tidy despite thousands of people around. The hard-working staff deserve credit. But food prices were ridiculously high, like airport or Hawaii prices, which I find hard to understand in Mexico. That cost really brought down the stay. If you don’t have money to throw away, you could buy groceries in playa del Carmen to get by without breaking the bank, then enjoy the facilities. Food prices are a major area for improvement.

The wait staff and service were great, but the concierge acted like I was just a problem. The rooms need updating and the bed was dirty. Only four restaurants were open at a time, sometimes just two. There were no reservations available, and they wanted an extra 200 dollars to make reservations.

I’m writing this because the stay affected my child’s health. When we checked in on December 23, our room had a strong, persistent mold or mildew smell. We went straight back to the lobby and asked for a room in the bliss building, where we’d originally booked. The manager said nothing was available and that someone else had checked into the room we were meant to have, so we were assigned rooms in Mayan palace. Soon after, my child developed a constant cough, occasional loss of her voice, and a headache while in the room. Clearing her throat helped a little, but the symptoms kept coming back as long as we were there. She had no symptoms outside the room, at the pools, restaurants, or elsewhere in Mexico, which strongly suggests the room’s air was contributing to her condition. I repeatedly asked the manager who was there at check-in to move us and showed all her medical documents from the USA, but was refused. It got so upsetting that we couldn’t remain in the room and waited in the lobby until 1:00 a.m. A kind, understanding employee eventually moved us to a second-floor room where we could open the sliding doors and lessen the smell. I’m very grateful to her. The problem continued, though. We slept there only with the doors open and spent our days outside to avoid symptoms. Bugs came in through the open doors and bit us in several places. I asked for a room change every day and was turned down every day. On the third day, they even asked me to prove my daughter had allergies by getting an allergy test in Mexico. I did so by emailing the management her medical documents, but they still did nothing. After three days I stopped asking, since it was clear no help was coming. With Christmas and no rooms available elsewhere, we had no option to move resorts. This was extremely upsetting and frustrating during what should have been a relaxing family holiday. My child’s health is my priority, and it should be every parent’s. I have evidence of mold in the room, which poses serious risks, especially to people with asthma, lung conditions, or allergies. I’m deeply disappointed that a legitimate health and safety concern was handled this way. I respectfully ask that the issue be investigated and corrective action taken so future guests don’t suffer as we did. All they do is spray bleach on the mold and paint over it. I posted pictures showing when they were taken. Our vacation was ruined because my daughter became sick every day. Thank you for your attention to this serious issue. I look forward to a prompt response.