Luxury Residences by Villa del Palmar Cancun

Currently here- exceptional service. The grounds are stunning, the food is fantastic always fresh. Everything is super clean. Only disappointing factor is the staff will not put the inflatable obstacle into the water and a lot of families with kids are upset

First time we've ever traveled non all inclusive. Upon arrival, we took the time to review the menus at the restaurants before we booked reservations. Prices were a bit high but thats to be expected on a resort. We dined on the resort the first few evenings and left good cash tips for the waiters. On the third night, the waiter told me the total price (didn't bring a copy of the bill) and I was caught off guard with a 3300 pesos ($195usd) bill. I asked for a copy of the bill and there was an awkward pause from the waiter. He came back with a copy of the bill then conveniently explained that the resort added a 400 pesos ($25 usd) tip and said that any additional tip I leave would go to him. We didn't leave any further tip and went directly to the front desk for a copy of our room charges. Sure enough, we were charged a gratuity every night without ever being advised. We complained to the front desk about the gratuity and also that they charged 300 pesos ($18 usd) for 2 cups of brewed American coffee after dinner. The hotel rep said their policy is to charge gratuity at every restaurant and we should've looked at the menu to check the price of the coffee. I told him that coffee wasn't listed on the menu, we just ordered it. He said that this resort is 5 star and 4 diamonds, that's why they charge that much and that he's seen other places charge that much for coffee. I told him that their brewed coffee is more expensive than Starbucks cappuccino. Another guest at the counter overheard the conversation and came over to advise that she has all sorts of extra charges to her account as well and we should write a review online. The hotel rep heard her concerns as well and couldn't have cared less about any of our concerns or the risk of a bad review. He just sat there, all smug, and said we're more than welcome to go to the restaurant to complain and he won'tmake any changes to our bill. We do not recommend this resort to anyone. Had we been advised of the automatic gratuity upon our arrival (or prior to booking), we would have planned accordingly. Aside from this, most staff have not been pleasant and the resort just doesn't give any sort of good vibe that you'd expect on vacation. We went to the Ventas Ha Puerto Morelos last year and had a fantastic experience. I've never written a review online (good or bad) but the smug look and smirk on that hotel rep's face just pushed me over the limit.

We were sent to this resort due to a flight cancellation and got to spend two wonderful nights here. The food here was sooooo good, the staff are amazing, the rooms wow, wow, wow. The beach was so beautiful. Pools are awesome different temps for all your preferences. There is never a wait for anything they clearly have their process nailed down. Highly recommend ... (only downfall is lack of night life which we weren't there for that so for us 10 out of 10). We can't thank Westjet enough for sending us here.

The positives: it's what you would expect from a large all inclusive. It's a well maintained property with great pools and beach. The food is surprisingly really good for resort food. We were there at peak period over New Year but it never feels too crowded, and it is extremely family friendly. I am not normally into these kinds of vacations but it is hard not to enjoy it here. Where the hotel can improve: - In order to get sun beds you either need to go down at 6 in the morning or bribe the pool staff who reserve 90% of them. It's a nice income for those staff but it is a racket. - You need to book the specialty restaurants weeks before you arrive. When you get there, they are often half empty but still won't seat you and even if you have a reservation they will order you to go and sit down and wait. The main restaurant at dinner isn't great. - The hotel staff generally are delightful, friendly and attentive. The exception is the front desk where some of the staff seem to have contempt for their customers. The default answer to any request is no. If you ask again, speak to the manager etc., the answer is always yes but it is exhausting. Not the hotel's fault but arriving at Cancun airport is awful. Expect to have 100 people descend on you offering taxi services, which are massively overpriced, you can negotiate. They will tell you Uber doesn't work at the airport which is a lie, it does it is just quite hard to find where to meet them. Leaving Cancun we had no problems and no lines, but friends had 2-3 hour lines to check in and get through security and passport control.

My family and I hosted a family reunion for my mother's 80th birthday and all stayed together at the Villa Palmar. There was 15 of us total ranging from age 10 through 86 with a number of teens/young adults. Overall, our experience was great. The 2 bedroom rooms were HUGE and incredibly spacious and really enabled comfortable sleep for our family of 4. Having a washer dryer in the room was terrific and we utilized room service a few times. It does take extra time to arrive but helpful to have. There is daily housekeeping plus turn down service when you request. The beds were incredibly comfortable and we all slept great. The rooms are not modern/new persay but the size and set up were so comfortable and had everything you need to be comfortable so that was great. We experienced no issue with noise level. We overall had a very positive experience with pre-arrival planning. My sister, through alot of effort, was able to prebook dinners for our large size and I was able to pre-order a delicious chocolate cake for my mom's bday party (which we hosted in our spacious room) and book spa visits at a discount. The food overall was a B+ for an all inclusive. We have stayed at a few all inclusives in Mexico and typically do not expect much from the food, but at Villa Palmar, we actually really enjoyed our meals at the Italian place, Mexican place, and the sports pub. We did not enjoy the steak house. The daily breakfast is solid. I am vegan and I experienced all the chefs to be very helpful in making adjustments and the breakfast chef made me a tofu scramble or avocado toast by request several times. We have alot of food allergies in our family and we experienced all the restaurants to be very good about managing this. The one issue we faced was the arrival transportation. It was booked/paid for as part of our package and the company they hotel uses never showed up despite calls and confirmations and we had to pay $160 out of pocket to reach the hotel at night. Moreover, on the outbound they booked us a pre-paid taxi but the van they secured was incredibly old (driver was very nice) and not comfortable. I hope they find a new transfer company. It was nice to be next to the Garza Blanca and walk around their property. We have stayed at GB in the past and do feel like the Villa Palmar was more family friendly and more of our speed. Getting pool loungers is not easy so most people drop their stuff off early in the morning to claim beds. One stand out item was how good the service was. All the wait and service staff are very hard working and work hard for their tips which we did provide at every meal/drink service as tips are not included for that. The spa was fine. It is nothing stand out but solid. The younger kids enjoyed the pool and all the kids/teens enjoyed the free paddleboarding and inflatable gym they have on the water. The ocean is easy to swim in and the beach/ocean are right outside the hotel. We left the property a few times for outings including a few fun aftns of tennis and pickleball at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center (15 min uber) and a day of snorkeling around and at Playa Mujeres (highly recommend) Net net, highly recommend this hotel for families. Give the age of our parents and wanting to keep an eye on tweens/teens, the resort size is perfect. Lots of areas to walk but super easy to meet up or find people.