Secrets Aura Cozumel

Our experience at Secrets Cozumel was average and did not meet the standard we expected from the Secrets brand. We paid for the Preferred Club upgrade but saw little to no added value. The advertised “special concierge service” was particularly disappointing, as they were unable to assist with spa appointments, dining reservations, or support when our flight was canceled. The mini-bar in the upgraded suite was very limited, stocked only with beer and Bacardi rum. Room service options were minimal, and we were charged $35 USD for a bottle of wine. Several dining options were unavailable or uncomfortable. The Gohan Sushi Bar was closed for most of our stay, and the pizza restaurant at Dreams was extremely hot and uncomfortable. On a positive note, the hibachi restaurant was outstanding and easily the best meal of our trip. The most frustrating experience occurred on checkout day when our flight was canceled. When we asked to extend our stay, the front desk could not assist directly and required us to book online, return with a confirmation number, and pay $620 USD for a single additional night. Overall, the resort did not deliver the level of service or value we associate with the Secrets brand.

We arrived December 27th and stayed through January 5th. The resort is nice but definitely needs some updating and maintenance but the rooms and resort are clean and nice. But we made the best of it as we always do. It's all about your attitude! Here's what made our stay great - the staff! We can't say enough great things about the wait staff at Oceana (the preferred breakfast restaurant). Rosana, the hostess was fantastic! She was always smiling and did everything she could to brighten our mornings! And. . . . Sergio was the BEST waiter ever. We enjoyed talking with both of them and learning about their families and lives. The last few days, they had our "regular" table decorated ready with our mimosas and screwdrivers and shot glasses for our morning tequila! What a great way to start every day! Additionally, Vickie was our pool waitress most of the time and we loved getting to know her as well. Additionally, the entertainment crew was awesome! Full of energy, smiles and fun! Heydy, Wendy and Medalea worked so hard every day to make our experience enjoyable and fun! They went above and beyond, especially on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Don't expect 5 star accommodations, but do expect EXCELLENT service from all of the staff. They are fantastic!

We have been to Cozumel 10 times and always stay 7 to 10 days at a local resort. This time we tried Secrets and we were serisouly disappointed. From the very first moment I was hounded to do a time share talk and I could not shake the lady off of me for 3 days. The restaurants were a HUGE problem. No exaggeration here...they were not ever open! When the buffet happened to be open, it had the most awful choices and was cold. I tried EVERY single day to make a reservation at ANY of the restaurants and they were always booked. We ended up spending way more money than we had anticipated eating in town, because we simply could not find options at our All Inclusive Hotel. That is infuriating to me, because we spent good money to be there. I would NOT recommend this hotel to anyone who wants a nice easy going all inclusive experience. We tried to give Secrets a chance, but they failed miserably. We will be returning to Iberostar where we have always had a good stay.

First time to Secrets Aura. We paid to become Preferred guests with Unlimited Vacations Club after visiting a different resort last year so our expectations were elevated by the marketing. Check-in was speedy and there were snacks and drinks available during this short process. Yunnell took our luggage and escorted us to our room like a gentleman. The room we stayed in was comfortable and large with a great balcony and sea view. Isabel from housekeeping did a wonderful and efficient job. Sergio was our concierge and he was fantastic: prompt responses to all questions and concerns. At the front desk we were able to exchange some larger Mexican peso notes for smaller denominations for tips which the staff deserved daily. The food was very good at the buffet restaurant called Market Cafe. The staff there were tremendous: Kenja, Rene, Cetani, Miguel, Alberto and others. Get there closer to opening time to enjoy the dishes at their best. This place was on the beach with a direct view of the ocean. Another great place to eat was Oceana which is also faces the sea. Sergio and Miguel there were gentlemen with sharp senses of humour. The beach area was very pleasant. There is quite a bit of dead coral and rocks so look for the sandy areas to get into the water. Vicki looked after us most days we were there. She was amazing! There were some underwater structures (toppled concrete cylinders) further down the beach towards Dreams, about 150 m, that provided some good opportunity to snorkel and see fish. The entertainment was mostly live music which felt very authentic and we really enjoyed all the acts they had, especially Trio Jazz. They were fantastic! The vocalist and musicians were tremendous and delivered Bossa Nova rhythms that I could have listened to all day. Another act worth mention was Showtime. These guys went all out and their 80s covers were very enjoyable. The saxophone player was especially outstanding. Downsides: the resort suffers from the plague of overly entitled guests "reserving" beach chairs that were subsequently left unoccupied. Staff did tidy up unused chairs in the afternoon which was appreciated. The wine selection is limited to 2 white and 2 red house wines with Vivino ratings of 3.1 to 3.5. Guests could order from a wine menu but the 600 to 1000% markup was off-putting. Preferred guests have access to only house wines. This is inconsistent with how UVC marketed their membership to us and was disappointing. Additionally there was no Sambuca or Amaretto available even in the Preferred areas. They could not even make an Old Fashioned. Again, although we are not big drinkers, we were on vacation and would have liked to enjoy what we paid for.

This is my third stay at Secrets Aura. In the past I have rented a car and found it to be a good location to explore the island from. Beautiful beach with good snorkeling right from the resort. I felt safe and enjoyed that the nights were quiet here. Staff are very welcoming, helpful, and attentive. Only reason it loses a star this time is the limited food options- the buffet was closed for 2 nights which led to extended wait times at the one restaurant that was open. I ended up going to bed without dinner one night.