Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres

Our TUI flight from the UK was the usual 10.5Hr endurance. Cancun airport is now much improved and easier/quicker to navigate. The one hour plus private transfer through the downtown Cancun rush-hour traffic was an interesting experience. We had some rain and plenty of sun, and the mosquitos had a good time at our expense (despite copious applications of bug spray). We booked Preferred and, for us, this was a really good option; the bar, the service and quite(er) pool made it the break we were looking for. Overall, we had a wonderful, relaxing week here. Discrete checks around the Preferred Club bar and pool meant that it was always possible to get somewhere to sit though, if you want to sit in a specific spot – better get there early. This next bit is a review of our dining experience, in some detail, and reading it back it sounds like it was a disaster (!) but it really wasn’t and, thanks to Antonio and Raul our butlers, they really did do their best to turn it around. Nothing really was too much trouble for them; they really would do whatever they could to ensure that we had the best vacation. In most cases it was the staff that made the dinners a great experience, many were natural communicators and considerate, attentive servers (some tried too hard, but that’s ok). Here goes… Himitsu. We ate here twice and this was the best restaurant in our opinion. Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. This was our favourite place to eat; the setting, the style, the staff and the food, all were spot-on. Bordeaux. Ate here twice. The onion soup was delicious as was the short rib. However, the lamb ossobuco was actually a lamb shank, very nice but not ossobuco. Our last evening was spent here (the Himitsu was closed) and everything was going well until the waiter missed my wife’s glass and poured red wine down the outside and over the tablecloth. He mumbled something and disappeared, never to return. We had to use a napkin to clean the glass and then managed to eventually attract the attention of another waiter to get it replaced. We ate the rest of our meal watching the red wine slowly absorb into the tablecloth. Well, at least it’s a memory to take away. TIP: Ask for the cheese trolley, it’s not on the menu; there’s a good selection with fruits etc. but no biscuits/bread. Oceana. We ordered the Philadelphia Sandwich for lunch, when it arrived the waiter knocked over a glass of water onto the plate but made nothing of this. The chips (fries) and bread roll were now cold and soggy but we had to tell the waiter to replace the meal! We shared my meal while we waited for the replacement food. 15mins later he returned with the same plate, same soggy, cold food!! That was the last lunch we had there. We had one dinner here; this wasn’t a success either. We had the Beef rib steak; this was meant to be cooked medium but came blue and the chips (fries) were cold! Diana the waitress was really professional and apologetic and took it away immediately. I ate my main course alone again while we waited for steak No2. The chef eventually brought out a perfectly cooked steak and hot chips, so it shows that it could be done. Portofino. We had one dinner here. My wife ordered the Rack of lamb – it took three attempts to get it right. The first two, the outside was seared, the inside was raw – not edible pink but completely raw. The third time it was delicious. Our waiter Jordi was brilliant; professional and charming. Seaside grill. We had several lunches here and they were really good – I can highly recommend the fish taco and the shrimp taco, just make sure you order it first because if it sits on the pass for any length of time it’ll go soft (yes, this did happen to us). The evening steak selection was really good. Look out for the manager Fecundo, a real gem. Barefoot grill. We had a light lunch here twice. The first time the wings and pizza were fresh and hot, with the pizza served after the wings – delicious. We enjoyed it so much we thought we’d give it a second go. Big mistake. Wings were barely warm and the pizza was congealing and limp. I ordered a Hot dog as an alternative and got a sausage on a dry roll, no sauces, no onion, nothing, and guess what – cold chips! Coco café. We stopped here for coffee every morning before walking the beach at sunrise. We were always met with a smile and a happy greeting. Although the coffee was only Nespresso pods, it was hot and fresh. You can also get light bites, shakes and ice cream (and shots for your coffee if that’s your thing) Market café. We had breakfast here every day except one. Mainly because we are early risers and wouldn’t wait for the Seaside grill to open at 08:00. The Mexican options were awesome, I can’t vouch for the authenticity, but it was delicious and really good to have local options available. Mistakes happen but surely a resort that probably cooks dozens of steaks a day should know how to get the requested level of doneness. Chips (fries) just can’t be cold, never, nowhere. Watching the staff around the restaurants it looked like there was often little coordination between the chefs and the servers at times so things could sit on the pass for too long. There was also a lack of consistency; hot water for tea would arrive in a teapot or a mug (!), milk would arrive in a small jug or a drinking glass, teapots would arrive with a lid or a saucer. My biggest issue was that these failures meant that we didn’t eat together and had to wait/watch the other eat their main course. Not the way to connect over a shared, romantic meal. Reading lots of the other TA reviews, there are only a few that mention the food quality so I guess we must have been just very unlucky. Each restaurant has its own theme, right down to the glassware and cutlery. It is clear that significant time, effort and money have been invested in getting the ambience just right. It works; eating in the airconditioned restaurants was a great experience. Most evenings we didn’t have to wait to be seated, on only a couple of occasions did we have to sit for a few minutes. Notwithstanding the above, the majority of the food, the meals and the presentation was first class and when it was right, it was delicious. Things to try: Indio beer Fish/shrimp taco at the Seaside grill Sit on the beach at sunrise Shrimp aguachile at the Seaside grill A Negroni at Preferred club bar The entertainment around the Social pool didn’t stop all day and there was always something to engage in at almost any time of the day or night, equally, if you just needed to relax and destress there was always somewhere quieter to escape to. The beach was endless in both directions, and we enjoyed seeing how far we could go each morning, we were not alone; there were like-minded folk at all times of the day. There was a little seaweed, though most days there was hardly any which made swimming a delight. If you get Fredy, Elias or Victor around the PC pool, look after them and they will most certainly look after you – they were exemplary staff. TIP: - Use the Hyatt app it really is the easiest way to find and navigate what is available. If you don’t have it, get WhatsApp – it’s the easiest way to work with your butler/concierge. It did take a day or so to get orientated and learn where to find things. There are no straight paths so it’s easy to get confused but also there is more than one way to any destination, and the exploration is often rewarding. In a week we undoubtedly only scratched the surface of what was available in the resort, this was fine as we were there to chill and we certainly did this (it also gives us an excuse to return). I’m still in awe of the quality and thought that has clearly gone into the detail, fit, and finish of the hotel. The next Secrets we visit, if it’s not this, will surely be measured against Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres.

Pretty lame for the price. Nice property but not many activities beyond the basic pool. The buffet is excellent, the other restaurants were below average and for the price really poor. The resort is isolated so no markets etc. nearby.

This is the most incredible hotel! It has it all. It is a beautiful hotel with not one bad view. The rooms are amazing and so big, we had a swim out room which was great. The food was exceptional (including the 24 hour room service). Each building had its own concierge which was super helpful - ours was Belen who was great and she sent us a WhatsApp each day re the activities for the day. The cocktails and service were also the best we’ve ever had! You don’t have to lift a finger. All of the staff were the kindest people. We absolutely loved Mexico and would return in a heartbeat. Definitely book this hotel, you will not regret it! It’s slightly further from the airport - about an hour in traffic but you are aware from the hustle and bustle of Cancun so it is worth it. Pure luxury!

Stayed preferred club master swimout...great experience all around. Great staff from butlers Rafa and Eddy through cleaning staff and all food and service folks. Did not have a single bad or even average experience with staff. All pleasant courteous and attentive. We liked it so much we joined Hyatt UVC!!!

I had originally booked this holiday as a present for my partners 26th birthday, but to our pleasant surprise we found out we were expecting a baby! We decided to do our gender reveal on the beach and had the hotels photographer capture the moment. It was honestly so special and the pictures were amazing. Our concierge Belen was the absolute best! She made our stay extra special and went above and beyond for us. She was the highlight of our stay.