Secrets Aura Cozumel

Long review :) Pros: check in was fairly quick (except the "sales pitch) to set up a "tour of facility" - which might not have been a bad idea as the resort is pretty large, but learned our way around without it. Quiet beach, lovely room (preferred superior 4th floor- great view) pools were clean, food was better than I'd expected. Boudreax was great, and Jury (female waitstaff was amazing, though only open 2 nights, but it was off season. Gohan was very good also. Oceana - fish tacos were very good - no inside seating and the mosquitos were the worst I've ever seen anywhere ever! Market cafe had a very good breakfast buffet. Lunch at World cafe (at Dreams - was our favorite lunch place). Drinks were good, but very different from bar to bar on the resort. Tried using the names for drinks listed on their app and staff had no idea what I was talking about. Had one small issue with the faucet flying off the soaking tub, but was fixed the next day . The rain head shower allowed water to run everywhere, so used towels to stop it. The other sprayer was odd and not sure of it's purpose. Showers need a place for women to step a leg up or grab ahold to shave legs :) The staff, not including the liar liar pants on fire (even she was nice though while lying through her teeth) were so kind, everyone said hi and went above and beyond to ensure a wonderful visit. This is a great time to visit - it's slower, quieter, but you chance the weather and fewer restaurants. The weather was perfect! Our original plan was Myrtle Beach, but with a hurricane on the way, decided to go back to Cozumel. We truly enjoyed our anniversary and birthday and would be planning a return trip EXCEPT for THE LIES. I booked this trip on Friday night for a Sunday departure with Expedia, then cancelled it, with intention of rebooking directly with AA and Secrets. Cancelled with Expedia's "bot" so no human. Hotel non refundable, so I called Expedia and they told me same story, but still would not let me rebook using same funds. (this was totally my mistake - no blame lies elsewhere) I rebooked directly with Secrets, thinking I'd handle the issue once there. Expedia said they could only issue the refund, if Secrets approved - and they couldn't reach them, nor could I reach the appropriate person - they all said to allow 72 hours - but I was leaving in less than 48 hours. At the preferred lobby, I ask for a manager on duty and Karina Vasquez (f that's even her real name) came and visited, telling me she would visit with her off site liaison and get back to me. She called me in my room the following day to come visit. She advised me, in front of the desk clerk Martin, that they had agreed to have Expedia give me a full refund of the money paid to them. BUT, she noticed, I had not paid for this reservation (the one directly with hotel) and they couldn't give the ok to refund until I paid that. So like an idiot, I paid. (My reservation showed "pay at hotel" so I assumed since I wasn't charged online, I'd be charged upon arrival, and wasn't then thought maybe they will apply the other funds or charge at checkout.) Once I paid, I never saw or heard from Karina again. The email she said I'd get did not come, when I emailed her, no reply. I emailed her, her liaison, secrets reservations and copied Expedia MANY times. Each time Expedia replied advising to keep them in the loop and they would issue the refund once they got the ok from Secrets. I just wanted to made whole, and the resort not be paid 2 times for 1 vacation. The direct booking was about $500 more than the Expedia one (due to upgrades and no air discount) While I would not have been happy, I would have taken my lumps, if Secrets told me No, no refund or told me a credit for future use only. But no, they lied, they out and out lied. We are semi retired and travel internationally 3- 4 times per year for a week at a time. At least once a year, we bring 2 of our grandchildren, and occasionally another couple comes along. Apparently they do no care that they will miss out on future business from us and that I will tell everyone that ask and leave a review on every place imaginable about the lies. I understand the rules and am not mad about that, only the LIES, LIES, LIES!

Food quality was really awful. This isn’t my first or 2nd time or even 3rd time staying at a secrets. It’s falling apart. Even spoke with 3 other people that said they have been to this resort many times and they won’t be retuning as it’s gone downhill with food and activities. Beach is still nice. But Secrets you are gonna close up shop continuing with this. Lost a 10 year customer with this resort.

Love this resort remember it is old and a bit outdated but the location and the staff keep me coming back. Food is ok but the beach and pools are amazing. Remember this resort is not a 5 Star Secrets but it is a wonderful resort to spend a week at!

DO NOT BOOK! I was extremely disappointed with our entire experience. Upon arrival, we were immediately pressured into attending a breakfast presentation intended to persuade us to extend our stay or book at the sister property. The conversation was pushy, lasted over 30 minutes, and took place when all we wanted was to settle in after a long day of travel. The first room we were assigned was unacceptable everything felt damp, including the sheets, towels, and even the toilet paper. The room smelled musty, the tub didn’t hold water, the jets didn’t work, and there was rust on all the drains. We even found hair in the tub. When we requested to be moved, we were told there were no other rooms available, even though the resort appeared far from full. To make matters worse, we were awakened at 4 a.m. by water pouring from the ceiling into our bathroom, which we had to clean up ourselves. On top of that, nightly entertainment took place directly outside our door, making it impossible to relax or even hear the television from 9 p.m. onward. The dining options were also very disappointing. The restaurants frequently ran out of food, offered extremely limited menus, and were not open daily as advertised. It seemed as though the restaurants and staff rotated operation days. On one occasion, I even found unidentified items in my food. Room service was the best option daily. Additionally, there were roaches in the public restrooms. We had booked a spa treatment hoping to unwind, but instead we were subjected to the constant noise of nearby construction, drilling and backup sirens, which made relaxation impossible. We chose this resort for our honeymoon, expecting a relaxing and romantic experience, but it turned out to be one of the most stressful trips we’ve ever had. I ultimately had to insist on speaking with management and demand, beg, and plead to be moved to another room. Otherwise, we were prepared to change our flights and leave less than 24 hours after arriving. I will be contacting Hyatt directly regarding this experience, as we have photos to document everything. This was meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but it ended up being anything but memorable for the right reasons.

This is a resort that is NOT above a 2.5 star rating. If you are a foodie, stay away. Food quality and flavor is not there. They claim 8 restaurants but only have 2 at a time open with menus that are the same things. The Sushi place does not have fresh raw fish, only Lox for salmon and a spicey tuna. California roll is cream cheese and rice wrapped in seaweed. They have a lot of very nice people working there, like Rosanna at the buffet. The buffet looks like it is running out of food so they stretch out the items by placing them on big plates to fill up space. The ham is a processed paste, looks like a pink bologna. They have a whole lot of cream cheese all over the place. Was a big disappointment for our 48th wedding anniversary. The beach was beautiful but rocky to get into the water, you need enter and then once you can lay down just float out and enjoy the water. Pools are needing a good cleaning, black algae. The water slides do not have enough water flow for you to slide down, you have to scoot down all the way. The pool that has the iguanas that are 2-4 feet long poop like dogs and they don't do much clean up, they just scoop and smear. We have memories but just the wrong ones.