Banyan Tree Mayakoba

Just returning from Banyan Tree Mayakoba. We have been going to this property for the past 10 years and have visited 5 times during that time. So, clearly we are fans. The draw here is you have a private villa versus a typical hotel room. We substantial indoor and outdoor living space, your own private full size pool and a large soaking tub all surrounded by tall walls and a fairly thick jungle. The design is heavily influenced by Asian culture and reminds you of the villas of SE Asia. The vast majority of the staff are incredibly friendly and smiling. This is real luxury. 5 Star, 5 Diamond. The main property is fairly far away from the ocean, but, they do have a Sands Beach club with a restaurant and bar, swimming pool and beach area. The villas come in many different configurations. The basic or Bliss villa has always been where we have stayed. They have spa villas, they have larger one bedroom villas with a living room. Ocean villas with roof top pools and multi bedroom villas. The entire property exists within the larger Mayakoba development that includes a Fairmont, Rosewood and Hyatt property plus an immaculate PGA golf course. They have many food options from Italian, Thai. Beach Seafood , Traditional Mexican and a Steakhouse. Recently, they have opened a Kosher restaurant as well. The highlight, food wise, for us has always been the breakfast buffet, one of the best in the world, terrific job every time, mixture of traditional Mexican, seafood, Asian and Italian, in house baked goods, salads and Mimosas. The Positives- Hard to beat the Villas, they are quiet, luxurious and expansive. This is a very protected property and is extremely safe. The Spa features therapists from Asia that are incredible. The amenities and furnishings have a mixture of Asian and Latin aspects. Depending upon when you book, this property can be less than $500 a night or more than $1,500 a night for the same villa. They also will run specials if you watch that will include the breakfast, which is a huge value The Negatives- The prices of the food, as have been mentioned in other reviews are indeed crazy high. Their clear strategy is to be positioned less than the other 5 Star properties on the room rate and therefore, they price the food at the restaurants to make up for it. To illustrate, during our stay we paid around $550 a night for the villa, the Rosewood was nearly $1,000 for their basic hotel room. While the food was less at the Rosewood , on balance, even with the crazy prices you come out better at Mayakoba. But, paying $34 for a basic cheeseburger and $40+ for a plate of Bolognese is still a little painful. The "non breakfast" overall food quality is good to really good. Not fantastic as you would expect when you pay $300 for a steak. But, nothing we have ever had was "bad" that I can remember. Tips- 1. Book when Breakfast is included and enjoy that. 2. Book the massage they offer you when you are booking, it is a discount from normal rates and a good deal 3. Dont be afraid to visit other properties to enjoy meals. We regularly go over to the Rosewood, the food is excellent and the prices are cheaper. 4. Book an independent Airport transfer- The hotel overcharges for this and you can get an excellent independent for less. 5. The rooms have a Nespresso (original) we always bring an extra sleeve 6. The sunset boat ride around the Mayakoba propert is fun and really nice with a good bottle of champagne. 7. Because of the villas, this property can attract a lot of children, with a private villa that doesn't matter, but, especially at breakfast, it can get a bit chaotic. 8. Bring your bluetooth speaker, 9. Use the big soaking tub for 2, the hotel supplies some bath salts and bath foam, we brought a bit extra as well. 10. Don't leave anything outside at night, this is a jungle, animals will visit you looking for anything edible left out. 11. Visit El Pueblito, use your bicycle and walk the nature trail 12. Be sure and keep that privacy light lit when it needs to be lit (wink) 13. Lastly, dont let the crazy food prices spoil it, Remember you would be paying $400-$500 more a night for the room somewhere else for a property this level.

The Banyan was a beautiful five star experience. From start to finish we were treated amazing. Thank you to Angel and Albert from Concierge! They were amazing!! The villa we stayed in was very private. Beach is beautiful too. Bikes were fun three. We hope to be back!

Our stay at The Banyan Tree Mayakoba was by far the most incredible experience for my fiance and I. It was our first time at this resort and we were entirely blown away by the unparalleled customer service, hospitality, and overall quality of the facilities/amenities. The staff were some of the loveliest, most incredible people. The attention to detail in all aspects of our stay were nothing short of first class. A few notable staff members who we had the pleasure of meeting included: Marco, Cesar, Samuel, Daniel, Ana Pao, and Rene. Although the resort is large and there are countless visitors, they were able to greet us, personally, and by name, every single day. Their pride in their work did not go unnoticed, and they spent time sharing stories and conversing with us which creating such an incredible sense of community/family. As a business owner of multiple companies - the way we were treated as honored guests, and the way they made us feel "at home" was a life changing experience and only set the bar that much higher for our future travel. Not only did they have an immense impact on our experience at the resort, they truly had a lasting impact on us. We will absolutely be returning to The Banyan Tree as soon as our schedules allow. They have exceeded every expectation we could have possibly had. We will be loyal visitors for life, without a doubt!

First of all, I want to thank Angel and Alberto, our personal concierges. They took care of our every need from the moment we arrived until the moment we left (and still helped us out after we returned home). It was truly a five-star experience. The privacy of our villa by the lagoon, complete with our own private pool, was total luxury. The dining options are exceptional, from cocktails at La Copa, Italian cuisine at Cello, lunches at the beach at the Sands Beach Club, an incredible breakfast buffet at Oriente and a delicious Thai dinner on the lagoon at Saffron. After dining at Saffron, we decided to try a Thai cooking class at Saffron. We had the pleasure and privilege of being taught by Chef de Partie, Oscar Campos. He taught us how to make a fantastic salmon salad, thai soup and green curry with chicken. We are preparing those dishes and showcasing our new skills at a dinner party with our friends next weekend. That cooking class and meal was one of the highlights of our vacation. Service was exceptional. Everything was spotless and the amenities, including the spa, were fantastic. We loved riding our bikes around and through the natural environment. We can't wait to return. Gracias a todos.

We had an amazing vacation at Banyan Tree, staying in the Serenity Pool Villa with Living Room—it was peaceful, private, and beautifully maintained. The private pool and spa were set perfectly for us, and we loved spotting local wildlife throughout the property. Service at the resort is outstanding. A heartfelt thank you to Juan, our incredible concierge, who was always available and took care of every request with care and speed. When a storm affected our room, he and his manager Gena quickly moved us to a new villa and provided thoughtful extras. Their care, kindness and professionalism made a big impression. Thanks to their efforts, what could have been a hiccup turned into another reason to praise the hotel. We are incredibly grateful to both Juan and Gena for ensuring our experience remained exceptional. We enjoyed the main pool, private beach, and the beachside and lobby bar restaurants—both served delicious Mexican food. The free golf cart rides to nearby resorts were also a great perk and allowed us to get a change of scene. The spa was exceptional—our massages were top-tier, and the Rainforest Indulgence was a unique experience. We missed the canal boat ride this time, but it’s on our list for next time 😊 Beware: dinner events like the beach BBQ or Haab can be canceled due to weather or low sign-ups, so have a backup plan. Overall, Banyan Tree is a perfect luxury getaway where you’ll be pampered from start to finish. Highly recommend!