Secrets Aura Cozumel

Once again visited Secrets Aura and had a GREAT Trip. Room was great. No problems at all. People were outstanding from the check in to the check out. Extra gracious to Nelly Baas for everything she does not only for us but everyone she comes in contact with. Again Thanks for a great week and you will see us again.

Our return visit to Secrets Cozumel was unfortunately a significant disappointment compared with our previous stay. What makes this review difficult is that some of the individual staff members provided truly exceptional service, while the overall resort experience fell well below what we expected based on our prior visit and what we believed we were booking. One of our biggest concerns was the number of unavailable amenities. The swim-up bar at the back pool was closed for our entire visit. The two dining experiences we would consider the resort's specialty options—sushi and teppanyaki—were also closed. The buffet was available, but at times the variety and selection seemed noticeably more limited than during our previous visit. What made this especially frustrating was that we were given no warning during the booking process that so many amenities would be unavailable. When guests book an all-inclusive resort, the restaurants, bars, pools, and other amenities are a significant part of what they are purchasing. If multiple major amenities are going to be unavailable for an extended period, that information should be clearly communicated before a guest books and pays for the trip. When I voiced my concern about the closed swim-up bar, I was particularly disappointed by the response. Rather than acknowledging the concern, I was rudely told that the Preferred Club pool had a swim-up bar. That response only made the situation worse. Pointing a guest toward an amenity available to a higher-tier membership or room category is not an appropriate answer when an advertised amenity available to regular guests is closed. Communication about available options was also lacking. Five days into our stay, the person renting cars on the property happened to mention that we were allowed to use "some" of the restaurants at the adjoining resort. This was the first time anyone had explained this to us. If adjoining restaurants are intended to compensate for limited dining options at Secrets, that information should be communicated at check-in—not discovered accidentally five days into a vacation. The condition of some areas of the property was another disappointment. The staff working the pool near the beach were excellent, but the pool itself and the surrounding decking appeared poorly maintained. The quality of the physical property simply did not match the quality of service being provided by the employees working there. Another significant negative was the aggressive effort to sell additional products, particularly the timeshare or membership presentation during the check-in period. After traveling and arriving at an all-inclusive resort, guests should be welcomed, checked in, and allowed to begin their vacation. Being subjected almost immediately to a hard sales push is extremely off-putting. Based on conversations and comments we heard during our stay, we were clearly not the only guests who felt this way. A luxury vacation should not begin by making guests feel as though they have entered a sales presentation. Unfortunately, the cumulative effect of these issues was noticeable throughout the resort. One evening in particular, it appeared that several guests were experiencing their first night at Secrets. The overall atmosphere was unusually negative because numerous guests were openly expressing frustration about the limited amenities and their expectations not matching what they found after arriving. I actually felt bad for the wait staff. These employees had no control over restaurant closures, unavailable amenities, maintenance issues, or what guests had been told before arriving, yet they were the people on the front line dealing with everyone's disappointment. Despite that, they remained professional, friendly, and attentive and consistently made us feel important. Moises, Delores, and Clara deserve special recognition, as do the employees serving the pool area near the beach. Temo was also fantastic at getting guests involved in activities around the pool and bringing some much-needed energy and fun to the experience. Moises, in particular, provided one of the best examples of hospitality we experienced during our stay. One afternoon at lunch, I asked for a green juice. He politely explained that it was not offered during lunch, which was completely understandable. I certainly didn't expect anything further. To my surprise, Moises went to another restaurant to get one for me. It was pouring rain at the time, and he even took care to cover the glass so the rain would not get into it. That alone would have been exceptional service. What impressed us even more was that every morning afterward, Moises remembered my wife and me and brought us green juice without either of us having to ask. That is the type of personal attention that makes someone feel genuinely valued as a guest. These employees demonstrated the hospitality and level of service that we remembered from our previous visit to Secrets Cozumel. In fact, their efforts are probably the primary reason we would consider returning in the future. That is also what makes this experience so disappointing. Secrets Cozumel has employees who clearly understand hospitality and genuinely care about the guest experience. They should not have to compensate for unavailable amenities, poor communication, maintenance issues, or frustrated guests who arrived expecting a different experience. We understand that restaurants or amenities occasionally need to close. The issue is the combination of so many things being unavailable at once, the lack of transparency before booking, poor communication after arrival, and the response guests receive when they raise legitimate concerns. We returned because of the experience we had previously. Unfortunately, this visit did not feel like the same resort experience. The employees were the shining stars of our stay. The resort itself needs to do a better job of giving those employees a property, amenities, communication, and overall guest experience that match the exceptional level of service they are trying so hard to provide. This was our Honeymoon trip :(

Great resort if everything had been open or available while. There was construction happening that made some things unavailable during my stay that was a bit upsetting as well as attention to pool cleanings. The two I used needed some TLC. Overall it was a good experience but it didn’t take my breath away or give me warm fuzzy feelings. The view from building 2 in the preferred location was beautiful. The second floor is perfect because you have a roof to cover during rain showers. I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. Most of the staff was amazing, only an occasional one who didn’t seem to be in the mood to work.

We are hoping that they remodel this hotel soon. We love the location, but having no clue about the construction that was going on during our stay really put a hamper on our experience.

Manatee swim up bar - closed all week. Sky bar - closed all week. Desire bar - closed all week. Very limited (typically no) pool side service at back pool. Of the 4 specialty restaurants - typically only 1 open per day for dinner. No Gym on-site. Most all-inclusive resorts that I have been to have snorkel equipment, sail boats, kayaks, and other water activities. Didn't see anything here. Overpriced dated resort ready for a re-fresh. Most of the staff was friendly great service (except Glendy at front desk). Oceana and Barefoot grill are right next to each other and share the same kitchen, yet have different menus. I wanted the fish tacos from Oceana and chips and salsa from Barefoot. They said no. I had to order from 1, then move 10 feet to order the other.