Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya

Firstly I really don't understand the handful of bad reviews on here for Secrets Akumal! My husband and I thought it was fantastic! However, not everywhere will suit everyone. I think if you like: - a blend between a relaxed holiday, with the option to get involved in activities if you want to, - a 'village' style feel - eating in nice restaurants, - fun friendly staff who will chat to you and get to know you (and ask if you'd like to get involved in the activities, but don't pester you to do so), - nice rooms with nice amenities, - lying by nice pools, - great cocktails, - theme nights and entertainment, - a place that has everything you need, with no need to leave the resort, - the option to buy extras like wine, spa treatments, excursions if you want them, - (and if you don't mind seeing groups of people around you having a fun time/getting in the mood with the cocktails)... ...then you'll like it here! I'm a person with pretty high standards and I loved everything about this resort! I will touch on a few of the negative things I've seen in reviews, that I feel I can comment on, as I feel some people have been a bit unfair in their reviews. 1. Some people have complained about the wine - we don't drink wine so this wasn't an issue for us. There are unlimited spirits and delicious cocktails, along with non alcoholic cocktails, and soft drinks so there are plenty of other things to drink! 2. You will be asked to go to a presentation breakfast about Unlimited Vacation Club, which is a time share I believe. We were asked once if we would like to go to a breakfast presentation, where we would be given some free stuff in return - we immediately could sense they were tying to sell us something. We said no politely and that was that. So just say no, and move on, you don't have to go. I assume that the employees here are just doing their jobs and trying to make a living. They are probably required to ask a certain number of guests. But just say no and they will accept that. I should mention that this was brought up to us when we visited the VIP services desk of our own accord to chat to them, it wasn't asked of us automatically. 3. Yes there are some larger groups of people there, and I think there was one company convention, but they were just having a good time, and everyone was very respectful and well mannered whether they were in a group, or in a couple. None of the groups were super loud, and didn't bother me as I can still relax and enjoy myself whilst watching people who are a bit higher energy. I'd much prefer to see people laughing and drinking, and having a great time, rather than sitting subdued/looking miserable! On to all of the positive things about our trip... We felt we arrived right into luxury, as the hotel lobby is beautiful and lit so nicely at night (when we got there), we were met buy icy cold minty towels, and champagne. The staff member who checked us in was super sweet and welcoming. There were bellboys to take your luggage to your room so you didn't have to struggle with it. The AC in the room was AMAZING. As it is very humid and muggy - this was our first time in Mexico so we didn't know what the climate was like. We really appreciated the AC! All of the staff here are fantastic, we did not have any bad experiences with ANY of the staff. They are all so sweet and friendly, and want to make sure you're looked after and having the best time. Each building has its own concierge, and ours (Alondra in building 7), was so wonderful. She wanted to do everything possible to make sure we had the best honeymoon. She helped us arrange the 'Romantic Dinner' on the beach which was an extra cost, but we thought it was worth it seeing as we were on our honeymoon. We brought this up ourselves, as this was something we decided we wanted to do before we even arrived. Not once were we asked by any staff whether we wanted to do any of the things that had the extra costs. I don't understand the negative comments on here about the food, because our eyes popped out of our heads when we saw the breakfast in the Market Cafe! There is an extensive range, and it was all pretty good quality. We've been to a lot of hotels and breakfast buffets, but this one really exceeded my expectations. There are the choices of fresh fruits and veg, cheeses, breads, Mexican dishes cooked to order, an omelette station (cooked to order), juice/smoothie station (made to order,) Bloody Mary and Mimosa station (made to order). There are heaps of guacamole and salsas (the guac was so creamy)! meats and sashimis, and then English/American style eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, pancakes, crepes, waffles. Loads of pastries and a donut wall! The waiters are so sweet, and kind, asking if you want more drinks, but are not invasive. They clear plates away quickly so you're not sat with them in front of you for ages. The staff greeting you on the door and checking you in as arriving were always smiling and asking how you were, whether everything was ok. You can wear your swimming gear to breakfast as long as you have some sort of coverups on, and men can wear shorts here. We did the teppanyaki table at Himitsu which was great fun! There was no extra charge for this, but you just need to book in advance (which our concierge handled for us). It was really tasty too as well as being a good show. My husband said it was the best egg fried rice he's ever had. We went to Portofino and the food there was great. It was a nice atmosphere and they had a pianist play a few songs. Yes, men need to wear long trousers in the a la carte restaurants, but they have AC so it's not a major issue. Oceana was probably our favourite. It is outside so men can wear shorts. All of the managers in the restaurants were great, but especially in Oceana and Himitsu. I have a shellfish allergy and they were so reassuring with letting me know they had told all of the chefs and that they would be using separate equipment and taking safety into account even more so than normal. I was really confident because of this. Our concierge helped us to amend the menu for the Romantic Dinner to remove the shellfish elements for my dishes. And at the Romantic Dinner and Himitsu they brought us special deserts saying 'Happy Honeymoon.' All of the food in the a la carte restaurants is very much 'fine food', and portions are on the smaller side. But I think this is good because we tended to take advantage of the Market Cafe, Coco Cafe and the pool and beach grills in the day, so weren't wanting huge portions. There's unlimited access and you can order whatever you want, including multiple plates! We didn't have to wait to be seated in any of the a la carte restaurants. I loved Coco Cafe so much, Maria was so sweet, and made great iced coffees and iced teas. There were beautiful patisseries and cakes there each day, as well as sandwiches and warm pretzels. Oh, and ice cream. Because everything is all inclusive, you can eat as much or as little as you like. There was an outdoor pizza/wood fired oven every day making fresh pizzas to order, so we did that on some days for lunch. We didn't try El Patio or Bordeaux because we did outdoor Mexican buffets on the other nights. So onto the entertainment (and the outdoor buffets) - We were really pleasantly surprised as we didn't know there would be so much going on. There are about 8-10 activities you can get involved in each day, ranging from cocktail making contests, to paddle boarding and kayaking in the sea, to archery, aqua classes, and stretching classes on the beach. These are all included and aren't charged as extra. In the evenings they have silent discos, karaoke, live musicians and art activities. There are also shows in the theatre. When we were there we went to a cabaret/acrobatics show, and a rock show. There are also outdoor dinner buffets and shows. Akumart is a Mexican street food style buffet with music and performing artists. Local artists come in with their creations for you to buy as mementos. There was a fire show (does what it says on the tin), and a Mariachi show with, again, a Mexican style buffet). There are three pools to choose from, one which is super chilled and relaxed, the main pool which is slightly more lively, with activities like guacamole making classes and special cocktails. And the infinity pool with the swim up cocktail bar and lots of activities like pool volleyball, paddle board exercises and water biking. That one was a lot more lively. The pool waiters are great and very attentive, the pool concierges come round to check you're ok and let you know what activities are happening each day. There are staff members who come round with ice creams, fruit on sticks, and icy towels. The sand on the beach was white, and the sea, clear! If you stood still or sat still in the sea you'd get lots of little fish swimming around you. There was a bit of a seaweed issue, but there are lots of members of staff constantly clearing it so it doesn't spoil your experience of the beach. The beach waiters make sure to look after you too, asking you regularly if you'd like more drinks. I did pay to go on the staff guided snorkel tour, but you can also rent out the equipment for free for an hour and the pool concierges will point you in the direction of where to swim out to, to possibly see some turtles. It was my first time so I chose to pay the $49 dollars and it was absolutely worth it. The staff take you to see the coral reef - you'll see fish, sting rays, and turtles too! Oh, and you don't need to bring your own towels with you, there are unlimited towels for you to use by the pools and on the beach. The gardens and flora and fauna were so pretty, and very well maintained. We also thought it was cool how there were lots of creatures roaming around, huge iguanas, lizards, birds etc. None of the iguanas bothered us, they seem very tame and used to humans being around. I will lastly add that we did tip quite a lot. Whether this affected how good our service was - I simply can't answer as we don't have anything to compare it to! Tipping is 100% not expected, but you can see it's very much appreciated. I noticed that the majority of people did not tip, and they didn't appear to be getting any less/worse of a service than us. I have read some other reviews on here that say you'll be treated differently if you tip, however we did it to show our appreciation of the hard work that all of the staff put in, and in recognition that tips probably help them a lot. We loved all of the options that the resort gave us, and whilst we didn't do everything, we did a nice mix of activities and chilling out by the pools and on the beach by ourselves. I would definitely go back to this resort in the future as I personally thought it was perfect! If you like the sound of the above, then I would encourage you to go! Read less

One of the best resorts we have ever been too. The food is 5 star, the resort is 5 star, and the people are above 5 star. Big shout out to Benjamin with the entertainment team. He has great energy, good vibes, and really makes sure you are having a good time. Mi Hermano. Also shout out to Dani with the entertainment team. She was very enthusiastic, always positive, and you a pretty great volleyball player! Read less

My husband and I stayed at Secrets Akumal from December 27th to January 3rd, 2024. This is our second Secrets resort. Besides the weather being a little cool on some days, everything else was perfect. The beach is a beautiful golden sand beach with clear waters. There is some seaweed patches here and there, but nothing too bad. There is a snorkeling tour right next door where hundreds of people come everyday to swim with giant turtles hence why it’s called Playa Tortugas. The tour companies can only swim in certain dedicated sections, making the Secrets Akumal beach is less crowded than near tour companies. The beach is public, so do expect to see a lot of tourists and locals, especially on weekends. Security is walking along Secret’s property to ensure no visitors or guests come onto the beach chairs. Also beach chairs were in abundance! Sunrise on the beach is a must. It rises perfectly along the beach and makes for a memorable experience with pelicans flying overhead. The food was exquisite. Multiple restaurants to choose from, Mexican, Italian, French, Seafood, Grill and Asian. The Italian and Grill were the best. Reservations were easily made, and late evenings around 830pm, you could get in without a reservation easily. The buffet was open only breakfast and lunch, it was well air conditioned and never over crowded. The buffet was plentiful with an array of options every day, you couldn’t pick what to eat because there was too much to choose from. Definitely impressed by their variety of foods, drinks, and selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. Everyday there were activities throughout the resort and available on the HYATT app on your smartphone, which is very convenient. From fresh tuna cutting and tasting, to make your own bracelets, to a guacamole cooking lesson, to CrossFit classes on the beach, to cocktail mixing (mixology) classes, there was always something to do that definitely stood out in terms of originality and creativity. The room was large, with lots of storage space. A giant bathtub in the room. A large walk-in shower with good water pressure and two shower heads to choose from. The bathroom had robes, a scale, hair dryer, as well as incense to burn and set the vibe. The bed was comfortable. Lighting was dim, but fits the bohemian vibe. The balcony was large with a table, chairs and a lounger. There was unlimited room service that you could order from the tablet in your room. Service arrives within 30-45 minutes. A secret box allows you to put stuff in and lets staff take it out without distributing you if DND light in your room - pretty cool. The resort was not a complicated layout. Everything is easily accessible and set up with pathways surrounded by greenery and lush tropical plants every where. I was seriously impressed with the landscape and the natural vibe that Secrets Akumal has kept within their grounds. Wildlife is very present and it’s definitely a vibe. Our room was in building 9, which was pretty far from the beach and the center of everything but it was calm and peaceful building and made for a nice walk along the pathways. There was also a calm pool, near building 7, where no loud music or talking is allowed - it’s the Zen area and adds a certain vibe to those seeking to relax. Also, throughout the resort there were BOSE sound system speakers in the ground, playing music setting the vibe all day. The gym was fully equipped, with cardio machines, free weights, weight machines, washrooms to change, televisions, air conditioning and cleaning staff always present. However, my only complaint would be that Secrets signature fragrance, which is intoxicating, should not be in the gym. When working out, we need more clean oxygen, not more chemical fragrances in the air. The same goes for the fragrance on the toilet paper (it does not belong there) and in all public washrooms: please consider toning it down just a little bit, the fragrance smell is overwhelmingly strong especially for sensitive guests (like myself). Also, we were there for New Year’s Eve and I must say that the entertainment staff worked very hard to set up the evening party and went above and beyond to make sure that it was a successful celebration. Fireworks are no longer allowed in Akumal due to the proximity of the turtles nesting grounds and home environment in the sea grass near the ocean’s shore. Finally, Secrets Akumal sets up two art galleries throughout the week, one with cuisine from locals and souvenirs/ art to buy, and one in the middle Plaza with some of the same souvenirs/ art to buy in case you missed out on the first evening. Overall, I would recommend Secrets Akumal and would return without thinking about it. The beach was amazing, the food was great, the room was comfortable and the resort has a natural tropical bohemian vibe. What more could you ask for! PS. We stayed at Secrets the Vine, Cancun for New Years in 2023 and we must say there is no comparison, Secrets Akumal is by far the superior resort in all aspects. Do not hesitate: book Akumal! Read less

Our son was married at Secrets Akumal on May 11, 2024 and our entire trip, along with 85 attendees, couldn't have been better. The rooms were large and clean, the staff was very friendly, and the food and drink throughout the resort was exceptional! The wedding coordinator, Elsa, ensured that every detail was accounted for and the wedding and reception exceeded our expectations! All of the guests made comments about everything was amazing and the best wedding ever! Well done! Read less