Fairmont Mayakoba

I have stayed at Fairmont Mayakoba a number of times over the last few years. I return time and again for many reasons: the beautiful beach, the great pools, the incredible dining, and the stellar service. There has been a lot of online talk about the sargassum levels from Cancun to Tulum. Rest assured, Mayakoba has taken extraordinary steps to keep the beach clean. The barriers they installed In the water years ago really work. The sargassum is pretty much non-existent on the beach and very little in the water. I've been very fortunate to have the same butler for the last few years. Monica continues to make every visit special. This was the first time I brought my young adult son and Monica went above and beyond to make it a special visit for him. I am so grateful to Monica and her team for always going above and beyond!

We recently returned from a week-long family stay at the Fairmont Mayakoba, and it was truly the most exceptional resort experience we have ever had. The highlight of our trip was the impeccable, above-and-beyond service provided by our personal butlers, Santiago and Joyce. From the moment we arrived, they anticipated our every need and made our vacation completely seamless. They coordinated all transportation within the resort, arranged childcare so we could enjoy some adult time, secured every dining and activity reservation we wanted, and even organized a beautiful birthday celebration complete with thoughtful surprises. They kept our kids entertained with beach toys and special touches that made them feel as valued as the adults. Our kids loved all of the activities at the Kids Club and the ladies there were so loving and caring (Esmeralda, Vanessa, Jessica, and the whole team). Every interaction with Santiago and Joyce felt genuinely personalized—they remembered our preferences, checked in often without ever being intrusive, and always went the extra mile to make us feel cared for. They treated us like family, making every moment feel warm, comfortable, and special. Their warmth, professionalism, and attention to detail elevated our stay far beyond the already high expectations of a five-star resort. We also want to give a special thanks to Israel Glez, who kept our room spotless despite having two messy kids. He went above and beyond to ensure we always had extra waters and kept everything meticulously organized, making our time in the room just as enjoyable as the rest of the resort. We’ve been fortunate to stay at many luxury properties, but the combination of the Fairmont Mayakoba’s stunning setting and the extraordinary service from Santiago, Joyce, and Israel made this our best resort experience ever. We can’t wait to return!

We had a fantastic holiday at the Fairmont Mayakoba, travelling as a family of 5 including three grown up kids. The facilities are outstanding and the setting is fabulous. We stayed in garden view rooms which are really spacious, well equipped and maintained to a high standard. The rooms are in blocks of 4 and nestled into the jungle surroundings, so have a great feel to them. The hotel is a large site with the beach being about half a mile from the main centre. The hotel provides bikes to use or there is a golf cart buggy service running all the time. We actually loved this part of it and getting around on the bikes was great fun. The buggies can get quite full but the staff are very good about radioing to call another one. The beach is great but does have an issue with seaweed. On some days it’s not an issue at all but on others it can be quite bad. There are barriers in the sea to try to keep it away. That said, the staff work SO hard to clear it away so massive thanks for them. The food and drinks were outstanding. We booked the all inclusive package and we’re glad that we did. Pretty much everything is covered by the package apart from the really large steaks at Tauro and champagne. But, unlike some other reviewers have suggested, you can get steaks on the package and that includes good quality fillet steaks. A special mention to Edy at Las Iguanas who was really very friendly and knowledgable to explain the Mexican dishes. We tried all of the restaurants, apart from the seafood one, and they were all great. Breakfast is also very good with so many options. It can get quite busy around 9 o’clock but even then the wait is only about 10 - 15 minutes. The food at the beach (Brissas) and the main pool (Las Olas) were fantastic and the service (no need to move from your sunbed if you don’t want to!) from the staff was out of this world. In terms of activities, we used the paddle boards and kayaks at the beach and took the free boat tour around the site (shout out to Oscar for the great, informative trip). The onsite Cenote, butterfly sanctuary and El Peublito village are worth a look; only a few minutes on a golf cart from reception. I’m not sure on the guides name, but he was very knowledgeable. We also paid for the longer catamaran trip with reef snorkelling ($59pp) which was great fun with Daniel. There is also a free shorter trip but without the snorkelling. The main pool is a lovely setting and we didn’t struggle to get sun beds at all, regardless of the time of day. A huge thanks to Rodolpho who really looked after us. He made sure we had towels, sorted out parasol and even anticipated what we’d want by moving them to keep the shade. He was also a really lovely guy to talk to and gave us a few tips for our stay, so big thanks to him. I guess it’s to be expected given the location, but we did have a lot of issues with mosquitoes during our stay. There’s nothing the hotel can do about that clearly, but just make sure you bring repellant with you. We took a trip out one evening to Playa del Carmen and had a morning at Cenote Azul. We used taxis to get to them both. The Cenote does get quite busy so I’d recommend getting there before 10 if you can. The concierge team were very helpful in booking things onsite and also recommending places to go outside the resort, so thank you to them. Overall the resort exceeded our expectations and we had a fantastic time in the safe, luxurious surroundings of Mayakoba. As most other reviewers have suggested, it’s the staff that make the hotel what it is. They are all so friendly and really do go out of their way to make sure you have a great, relaxing time. I’ve mentioned a few above, but they really all do deserve a mention because they work so hard and are so welcoming.

We had an incredible time at the Mayakoba, largely due to the efforts of our Balam guides Daniel and Alejandro. They created the perfect itinerary for us, anticipated our needs while traveling with a 4yr old and were able to make last minute accommodations for us when requested. These guys truly went above and beyond to make sure our stay at Mayakoba was nothing short of amazing. We will be back.

Fairmont Mayakoba is a gorgeous property with lush, jungle-like grounds and plenty of natural beauty. We enjoyed spotting birds, turtles, fish, and even crocodiles during the boat tour through the canals—such a unique experience. The grounds are truly spectacular and pristine. We had a Castia on the canal and it was wonderful. Service was friendly and helpful overall, and we truly appreciated the peaceful, relaxing atmosphere throughout the resort. The beach was clean and well-maintained, and we never had an issue with the golf cart shuttles to the beach—they came frequently and were very convenient. Our family especially enjoyed meals at Tauro, which we would rate 10/10. The food overall was very good, and we felt safe and well cared for during our stay. The shuttle service between resort areas and the town square was also a convenient touch. Kids also enjoyed the onsite cenote and the turtles and picturesque setting at La Laguna. The coffee and pastries at the coffee shop were great and a convenient way to start the day. That said, we did run into a few challenges. One night, our room was overrun with ants, and we had to be moved at 8 PM—disruptive and stressful with two kids in the middle of our trip. My husband also had a bout of severe food poisoning, and while we can't say for certain, we suspect the shrimp ceviche may have been the cause. We were also disappointed to find that some restaurants were unexpectedly closed, and this wasn’t reflected in the resort app. We had multiple reservations cancelled without notice, including our final night at Fuego, which we had really been looking forward to. Fortunately, management handled the situation well and addressed our concerns with care. Our 8-year-old had fun playing soccer and flag football on the beach, and the waterslide at the main pool was a hit with the kids. We didn’t use the kids’ club, but there seemed to be a nice range of family-friendly activities. Despite the hiccups, Fairmont Mayakoba is a beautiful, luxury resort where we were able to unwind and enjoy quality family time. With some improvements to communication and consistency, it could easily be a 5-star experience.