Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun

We chose Secrets Maroma Beach for one of the most important trips of our lives—my 30th birthday and our babymoon while I was 32 weeks pregnant. We specifically selected this resort because of its reputation as a luxury AAA Diamond property. Unfortunately, our experience from the moment we arrived was incredibly disappointing. Months before our stay, my husband called the resort twice to explain the purpose of our trip and to request two simple accommodations: an earlier room if possible since we would be arriving early, and a room closer to the beach due to my pregnancy. We were repeatedly assured that this would not be a problem and that everything would be taken care of. When we arrived—despite being 2.5 hours later than originally expected—our room was still not ready. Instead of offering solutions, the front desk agent told us that we had been “misled” by resort staff. Being told that the resort’s own employees gave us incorrect information was frustrating enough, but then we were informed that if we wanted a room closer to the beach, it would cost over $2,000 extra. Apparently, the promises made before our arrival meant absolutely nothing. After traveling all day while heavily pregnant, I was exhausted and accepted the room we were assigned. That’s when things got even worse. The room had been prepared for completely different guests. There was a “Happy Anniversary” display addressed to another last name, along with champagne and fruit. Not only was the room clearly not intended for us, but the amenity they left was champagne for a pregnant guest on a babymoon. My husband immediately raised these concerns with Concierge Manager Aldo, hoping management would recognize the seriousness of the situation and make an effort to correct it. Nothing happened. No sincere apology. No attempt to make things right. No gesture of goodwill. No acknowledgment that they had failed to deliver on multiple promises for what was supposed to be a very special occasion. What disappointed us most was not the room issue itself—it was the complete lack of customer service and accountability. Mistakes happen. Luxury resorts distinguish themselves by how they handle those mistakes. Secrets Maroma failed at every opportunity to recover the situation. The result was that the excitement and anticipation we had for my milestone birthday and babymoon were ruined on the very first day. We travel frequently and have stayed at many resorts around the world, and we have never experienced such poor communication, indifference, and lack of care from a property that advertises itself as a luxury destination. For a resort that charges premium prices and promotes exceptional service, this experience was unacceptable and far below expectations.

My wife and I visited the Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun resort for our honeymoon. Our stay was only for 5 days, but we would have stayed much, much longer if we could have! This place makes every moment feel like home, while also immersing you in paradise. One might be worried about the fellow guests at the resort, but even they created an awesome sense of community and everyone shared the same relaxing vibes. The best part of the whole experience is the staff. Every single one of them are incredibly accommodating and kind. I have to mention a few of the staff by name just because of how much they contributed to our experience in such a positive way. First, our amazing concierges, Hector and Guillermo: the best in the business. Every day we received an event itinerary for the day along with a good morning text, and they would go out of their way just to speak to us and ask how we were enjoying our stay. Now I must mention a staff member who is truly not only the best in his position, but also a great friend and personality to interact with: Angel the bartender. He is family to my wife and I now. He truly cares for his job and he will tell you that all he cares about is that the guest is happy. What better reason is there? If you stay here, spend as much time with Angel as you can. He’s a gem. Overall, the stay was something my wife and I will carry with us always, and we hope to be back many times!!!

From the moment we entered the resort everything was taken care of. The staff was the best, anticipating what we were looking for before we even asked it. Hector was our concierge in Building 14 and he is an absolute superstar. Our family pet recently passed away, so Hector made arrangements for everyone to meet the dog who chases the “wildlife” away during one of her “breaks.” I don’t know who enjoyed being spoiled more, but we are still talking about meeting Dasha today. Freddy’s impromptu Spanish lessons at the World Cafe were always enjoyable and funny. All of their service was beyond compare. Am looking forward to our next, “welcome home!” as soon as possible.

Vacationed here for the second year in a row because we loved it so much the first time. And even more the second time! The updates made over the past year to the facilities are great and we can't say enough good things about Roberto C who was our building concierge. He was so helpful and kind in providing information and helping to book group dinners. There are so many cool excursions off-site that are through the hotel, but there's also plenty of fun activities onsite. They are different every day which makes a weeklong stay very unique. We love this resort and it is so worth it to get a room with a swim out pool and to join the preferred members club. A great physical location to do things in either cancun proper or playa del carmen. Five stars and more!!

I’m writing the review that I wish I would’ve read before I went. That being said, I am so glad we decided to go because the service was truly second to none, and it was very good for me to experience this so I know more of what I’m looking for, as well as what I’m not looking for. The resort is very beautiful, the food was better than expected, the spaces were lovely. From arrival until the moment we left, it was a very seamless experience. I will start with my favorite things about the resort. Basically, I echo whatever everybody else says: the staff is so unbelievable that it makes the experience truly worth it. Every single person we encountered was spectacular. We stayed in the preferred area in a swim out room. Personally, I highly recommend the preferred area as there are various quiet spaces you can go to, and I really loved the preferred lounge in the evenings. Additionally, I don’t know what we would’ve done if we hadn’t had a swim out room… The pools fill up so quickly and many people were unable to find good seating next to a pool. We were pretty early risers, and would reserve two chairs next to the quieter pool by about 8:15 AM, and already the best seating would be gone at that point. People used little clips to mark or reserve their chairs, and then would leave and come back hours later… I did see the wonderful pool staff helping people try to find seating, but definitely the more preferred seating would go quickly. The majority of the time from 10am on I actually don’t know if people could find seating by a pool together. If you want a quiet place to swim, you absolutely must get a swim out room. It was probably our favorite space of anywhere, although there are several beautiful areas throughout the resort. We loved the wildlife, the birds, the butterflies, and were lucky enough to get to see spider monkeys. We also used the spa one day, and it was very nice. The hydrotherapy that was included with the Massage was lovely, and the spa is as nice as they get; very beautiful. Each restaurant we went to was nice, and the food was very good for an all-inclusive. A few things were absolutely delicious! Our favorite places to eat were the Seaside Grill, the Italian restaurant, and as I mentioned, we loved the preferred lounge in the evenings for a quiet elevated bar experience. As far as people wondering if the preferred rooms are worth it, for us it definitely was. We loved the location of the rooms, quieter dining options, and the little 25 minute massage that’s included was a nice touch as well. Regarding the overall vibe of the resort, that was where I was a little surprised. I felt I should title my review “ it’s not you, it’s me” because I think clearly what they are doing works well for most of the people there… It’s just not necessarily our scene … it’s giving: spring break energy. When I go to a beach, I really like to embrace the culture of wherever I am… Whether it’s the Caribbean, Mexico, Jamaica, Spain, etc.… we like to eat the traditional food, enjoy more traditional music, and celebrate the local culture… This resort definitely is catering to a very “milk toast” kind of audience. When I’m at a beach, I want to listen to reggae, Latin music, etc.… However, here by the pool it was covers of like... top 40 songs from the last 20 years. The energy, and again people seem to love it, is… carnival cruise. I think this resort is probably the perfect resort for people who love to go on cruises (don’t get me wrong I love a cruise on occasion). And maybe they don’t even like to get off the boat. It’s definitely not celebrating or highlighting Mexican culture, which we personally absolutely love. We love the food, the people, the music, the art, everything about it… This feels more like it’s for tourists who don’t really want that side of Mexico. The biggest concern we had, was definitely the state of the beach… We had been warned about the sargassum last summer when we had been in Isla Holbox but never encountered it. The beach, the entire time we were there, was infested with so much sargasso that we were unable to lay by the beach or swim in the water and snorkel, which is what we normally love to do while at a beach. The staff work tirelessly to try to clear it out, but it’s impossible. With warming ocean waters and pollution, sargasso will evidently continue to be an issue… I truly don’t know what the solution is, but if you want to go to a beach and be on a beach, this is not your place. Please research this carefully if you are looking for a beach vacation. I couldn’t even sit by the beach because the smell was so strong. I felt so sorry for workers because they try so hard to clear it but it’s just an exercise in futility. The staff of the resort made this experience worth it it in every way! I can sum this up for you if you need help deciding because I truly think they have a great thing going that works well for a certain type of traveler: Do you love Cancun spring break party shots by the pool vibes? Do you like a beautiful resort and a lively pool scene? Do you like covers of top 40 songs remixed and playing loudly from the pool speakers? Do you love amazing service? This is your place! Do you love the beach? Quiet elevated beach energy? Snorkeling or swimming in the ocean? Local culture? Local music? Crystal clear water? This is not the place for you. One last thought… there’s every age here having fun… you see folks from teenagers to many retired people and so don’t think it’s just for any specific age group.