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Banyan Tree Mayakoba
Carretera Federal Chetumal-Puerto Juárez KM 298
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
77710
Nearest Airport: CUN
We had the absolute pleasure of working with Ivon Cedillo, the events manager, and our personal concierge Angel Escamilla during our wedding stay, and truly, the experience would not have been the same without them. Angel reached out to us after we arrived via Whatsapp, and anticipated our needs before we even had to ask. Every detail, big and small, was handled with care, professionalism, and genuine warmth. Whether it was coordinating last-minute group dinner reservation requests, signing us up for any services, ensuring our schedule flowed seamlessly, or simply checking in at the right moments, he made us feel completely taken care of. Ivon worked hand in hand with my wedding planner, and though she was not part of the team when we first booked our event, we are so happy she joined the Banyan Tree team and was a part of our experience. She was present and oversaw the welcome party as well as the wedding events and was always close by or a call away if my planner had any questions. Her attention to detail and leadership made everything feel very smooth and easy. The whole team at Banyan Tree created a sense of ease that allowed us to be fully present and actually enjoy our wedding experience, which is priceless. Their dedication, responsiveness, and kindness did not go unnoticed, not just by us, but by our guests as well. It’s rare to encounter people who combine efficiency with such a personal and thoughtful delivery. The spa therapists and front desk staff at the spa are world class and they were very accommodating with our busy schedule. All of our guests who had spa services raved about them. Do not miss out on the rainforest walk, always book it with your service! We are beyond grateful for everything they did to make our wedding stay unforgettable. There were so many special details to help us celebrate this once in a lifetime weekend, and we can’t wait to come back. If you have the opportunity to work with them, consider yourself very lucky.
312kimmyv - Chicago, Illinois
Our family of four (with two young children) stayed at Banyan Tree Mayakoba for 4 nights in late April 2026. We stayed in a one-bedroom villa with a living room. We had a wonderful time and we'd recommend it. The staff, including Fernanda (our personal concierge who checked in with us daily at breakfast), Jazmin (who brought our kids complimentary guacamole at check-in when she sensed they could use a snack), Veronica (the world-class yoga teacher in the spa), Marisol (the friendliest welcome you'll ever receive at breakfast) and Victor at the beach club made a big difference in personalizing service for us throughout our stay. The private pools are absolutely delightful, especially when you have kids. And, getting around by bike and golf cart is such a treat. Our 7-year old would mutter, "Best vacation ever" throughout the trip. Here are my notes and tips: first, the buffet breakfast at Oriente breakfast is unbelievable and easily the best breakfast spread we've ever eaten. We ate there for 4 days and didn't come close to trying all the delicious options. Second, the dinner restaurants are expensive, even by resort pricing. We typically ordered in-villa dining and were able to keep our dining costs to a reasonable level. Kids under five eat free, which is a great perk. Third, there are lovely complimentary activities, such as yoga and sound healing at the spa. Ask at check-in for information about programming while you're there. Fourth, the beach had some sargassum in late April, which was a bit smelly one day, but the staff did an excellent job cleaning it up and it wasn't an issue for the other 3 days. Kudos to the team at Banyan Tree: it's an amazing property!
Emily D - Chicago, Illinois
Amazing experience. Gamaliel was the best at Sands Beach.
Hannah B
Wow, an Excellent experience all around. I feel like a VIP the whole time! Thank you ! Special Thanks to ; Gamaliel Paco Ignacio Emma Angel Yesenia Francisco Silverio Víctor Neo Iris Jorge Luis Luis Raul Edwin Edmond I hope I did not miss anyone ! All were just Phenomenal and made my Birthday + our an entire stay so Special ! Muchísimas Gracias ! We will definitely be back !
Oscar H
Stayed for 4 nights in April 2026 with my cousin, and my tween and teen daughters. Our experience was mixed, and in summary did not live up to my expectations or the hype. It was not a 5 star resort based on the frequency of issues and lack of attentional to detail. It seemed more like a resort in its infancy, rather than one that's celebrating its 16th year in operation. Starting off with the good: Facilities and staff were great. Beautiful design and friendly people. Every staff member would greet us which was nice. Very nice nature trail that was fun to bike on. Snorkeling to the Reef adventure was very convenient from the Dive Center at the resort, and the guide, Octavio, was great! Saw a moray eel, sea turtles, sting ray and tons of fish. Went early in the morning and had the boat to ourselves. Best meal was at the Pueblito eating tacos and queso fundido at Cocina Corazon(?), the restaurant next to La Fondita. All of our servers were great. Maintenance crews working hard. I was on the bike trails at 630am and there were people blowing leaves off the trails at 7am. The bad to worse: Our front door to our villa was broken and didn't notice it until after we came back from dinner the first night. Called and it was fixed, but we didn't receive extra pillows and blankets for kids when asked. Waited for over an hour and just called it a night. I had to make request for (2) additional bicycles that arrived on Day 3 even though our concierge had noticed it on Day 1 and said he would have bicycles sent over to us. We also had a different concierge each day, so there was no continuity of service in that respect. Miscommunication was the theme of this trip at Banyan Tree Mayakoba. The reservation system was awful and really caused a lot of frustration. Many times restaurants did not have our reservation or had the wrong number of people listed. WhatsApp concierge on multiple occasions wrote to me as Mr. when I'm a Mrs. There was no way to make a reservation online. The hotel was not at capacity so it was a little strange that we needed a reservation at all. We didn't try going without a reservation because it would have been a hassle if they didn't accept us and we'd have to go through the exercise of trying to get a reservation. We came in April two weeks after Easter, and we saw very few people during the day. More families that I expected, but really just a handful. Sometimes I would call for a golf cart, was given a time estimate, and they wouldn't come. After waiting for the period they said it would take to arrive and then some, I needed to call again. It's only when some drivers would stop when they saw me waiting that they would call for a golf cart to come and get us. Other times, the golf cart went to the villa next door and we (me the guest, and the staff member driving the cart) were both waiting outside. This happened two or three times, and I legitimately do not know why they would go to the villa next door when I would always write down the villa number in the WhatsApp request. Breakfasts were included with our reservation and we went to Oriente. They didn't seem to know when to use a spoon vs tongs. One day the rice had tongs and I requested a spoon, and most days the stews had tongs instead of a spoon or ladle. They had rotating juices, enjoyed the green juice. Noticed that some of the juices were warm or just above room temperature. I'm not sure if the juice was made each morning, but I decided not to drink the juices that weren't cold. They tried to personalize our stay by leaving treats for us as we were celebrating some birthdays. It was a very kind gesture but the execution was not well thought out. On Day 3, they left more treats for us at some point during the day which I didn't see until late afternoon because we were out all day. I have no idea how long the food was there but I would typically want fruit to be in the fridge and not left out the whole day. In both instances, the food was covered in ants. A simple cover would have been a good solution. I had already told them the first time it happened that we had ants and kindly asked them to take it away. We often did not know if special events were happening unless we happened to be at the right place at the right time. In summary: 5 star prices for a 2 star experience. Disappointed with our stay based on quality and value. Some of the above issues wouldn't be so bad if they were isolated events, but we had issue after issue. I gave this feedback to the concierge when I checked out, and followed up with a manager. 2 managers have gotten back to me and have said that they are reviewing this information so it doesn't happen again.
Coastal60965091677 - Boston, Massachusetts
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