Ocean Maya Royale

Having waited many years for a trip to Mexico we were very excited for our anniversary visit, and having read the reviews we’re sure we had made a good choice, unfortunately we were very disappointed. Positive’s Nice room, but could have done with more storage space, cleaned well daily and no bug issues. Lay out of the hotel was very nice, lots of plants and wildlife and nice not to be in a big block. Meant there was less noise, so very peaceful. Staff were incredible and we felt very welcome. Negatives. The smell from the sargassum was horrible, and left us with sore eyes and throat, worse when the wind was blowing inland, and nowhere in the hotel was smell free, worse by the pool. Beach and a sea swim was out of the question, the main reason for a Mexico visit. Whilst one area was trying to be cleared other areas were untouched the whole 12 day we were there. Food was our biggest issue, with regular closures of the main buffet in the evening and with that shut, the other restaurants were very busy and we were unable to eat on a couple of the evening, as we were out on trips and you can only reserve at certain times, Italian was next to beach, so smelt awful, Japanese fully booked most of the time, sports bar, food wasn’t great and not a nice relaxing atmosphere for eating with the football on. As we paid for all inclusive that’s what we expected. Buffet food was good, just not open most nights. Spoke to TUI rep and the hotel, but it fell on deaf ears.. For this reason we won’t be recommending or returning.

We had a wonderful time at this resort. The staff were always polite and efficient. Our room was great! Loved the 2 pools, a party one and a quiet one, gave great options depending how you are feeling. The resort was less than 40% capacity, so we never had issues with seats around pool or restaurants. The only downside was the smell from the seaweed, which is in no one’s control. There were people cleaning the beach from 6am on doing their absolute best. The food was very good, we loved the Japanese restaurant and the Blue Moon. The Mexican by the pool had delicious lunches. Overall we had a wonderful experience and we will definitely go back.

My husband and I spent a fantastic two weeks at this hotel in June 2026. We booked the privilege package which we found great value for money. On arrival, check in with Melissa was quick and smooth. Leidy showed us to our room, checked in with us throughout our stay and responded to WhatsApp messages and requests very quickly. The room was clean and comfortable and housekeeping maintained this and topped up our mini bar throughout our stay. We used the app to booked dinner reservations and did not have any issue choosing our preferred venue/time to eat as we booked earlier in the day and didn’t leave it to the last minute. The gardens are beautiful and well looked after and we loved seeing the wildlife on our daily walks. Having done our research, we were aware the resort may be affected by sargassum. As a natural phenomenon, we appreciate the hotel has zero control over it. However, what they did have control over was the number of staff who worked tirelessly every day trying to remove it. We spent much of our time relaxing by the quiet pool where Jesus and Rusbel looked after us with a warm welcome, cold drinks and a huge smile! The buffet was fantastic with a wide selection to suit everyone - the ladies on the egg station made an amazing omelette and Sandi, Angel and Gabriella were very welcoming and friendly. Mikes coffee shop serves lovely coffee and pastries too. We had room service a couple of times and the cheese toasties are to die for! Our favourite was the privilege restaurant, made even more special because Sophia and Ilsa looked after us so well. They were chatty, friendly, helpful and always remembered our favourite food and drinks, not to mention a side of habanero salsa for my husband. Thank you so much girls! Staff in the sports bar were always helpful and friendly. El Charro food was great and again, the staff couldn’t do enough for us - Hilda, Raffael and Peter to name just a few. My husband hired a jet ski and arranged a diving trip through Margarita, who always stopped to chat when she saw us. My husband loved his dive at Puerto Morellos and the company of Ivan from the dive centre. Thank you to everyone at the Ocean Maya Royale for a wonderful experience - we’ll definitely be back !

I’m afraid this simply hasn’t been a good value for money holiday. I’ll start with the positive, the staff were amazing and couldn’t do enough for you. However the rest of the holiday wasn’t great and we will not be returning. There is still a huge algae problem here which means the beach is unusable, with a disclaimer having to be signed to not take issues further. If you smoke/vape you are almost treated like a criminal with one smoking area in the entire hotel. The situation with the restaurants is strange. They’re not always open and you have to pre book which on the face of it seems fine but there’s another class which you can pay even more for called privilege which gives them first dibs at booking. Baring in mind we paid a small fortune for this holiday we certainly didn’t want to spend another £800. Also unless you get to breakfast early you won’t get the full range of whats on offer as some items aren’t topped up. The swim up bar pool is literally falling apart with many people picking up loose tiles and the elastoplast that was here on our first day was still there on our last day. My final thoughts are that in my opinion the hotel is trying to cut corners in many areas i guess to save money.

Overall, we had a lovely holiday at Ocean Maya Royale, but there are definitely a few areas where improvements could be made. Rooms: The rooms were spacious, clean, and the air conditioning was excellent (sometimes almost too good!). The balconies could do with some improvements – there’s nowhere to dry clothes, and they offer very little privacy. We were on the ground floor and our curtains and blinds didn’t close properly, so we were woken very early by the sunlight and felt we had less privacy than we’d have liked. They also cater for different plugs in the rooms which was infuriating as we only packed a certain adaptor which didn’t fit the sockets near the bed. Beach: We’re not huge beach people, so this wasn’t a major issue for us, but it’s important to say that the beach wasn’t accessible at all during our stay due to the sheer amount of seaweed. It completely covered the shoreline, making it impossible to walk along or enjoy the water. The smell was also extremely strong and unpleasant. While you may become slightly accustomed to it over time, it never really goes away and significantly impacts the overall experience. I will add that they were trying hard to clear it each day, but they were fighting a losing battle. There is a lovely little lagoon about a 15minute walk away which is about as close as you’ll get for a nice Beach experience. Pool: The pool itself was lovely, although it could probably do with a bit of a refresh as it’s starting to look a little tired. There are quite a few hidden steps in the pool, so it’s worth being careful—we saw several people trip or fall. The biggest frustration was the number of sun loungers reserved with towels early in the morning, only for people not to appear until the afternoon. if you want a good spot, you’ll need to get there early. One thing to be aware of is that, despite there being designated smoking areas, people did smoke and vape around the pool and in some communal areas, and this didn’t seem to be enforced. It didn’t bother us personally, but if you’re sensitive to smoke, it’s worth keeping in mind. Also lots of ants and flies around the pool which could be the seaweed. Wildlife: One of the highlights of the hotel was the amazing wildlife. We regularly saw coatis, lizards, raccoons and even a deer wandering around the grounds, which really added to the experience. Just a tip—don’t leave food in your bag or on your sunbed around the pool, as the coatis are very clever and will happily help themselves if they get the chance! Entertainment: The entertainment could definitely be improved. Activities weren’t very well advertised and often felt rushed, making it difficult to get involved. The standout member of the entertainment team was Virdiana, who genuinely made the effort to chat with guests and create a welcoming atmosphere, whereas the rest didn’t appear to care. Evenings also lacked much atmosphere unless you’re a sports fan—in that case, the sports bar is a great place to spend the night. Restaurants: The food across all the restaurants was very good, but the booking system could be frustrating as each restaurant only opens on certain days and seating is first come, first served. The service was a little inconsistent, and although we tipped throughout our stay, we didn’t notice much difference. A couple of waiters really stood out, but overall service could be more attentive. A tip for the Blue Moon restaurant: if you like your steak medium or well done, ask for it more cooked than you actually want, as ours arrived much rarer than expected. Lunch was also a little disappointing because some dining options remained closed as the hotel said it wasn’t at full capacity. This felt odd considering it was difficult to find a sunbed most days. Drinks were exactly what you’d expect from an all-inclusive resort—perfectly enjoyable but nothing particularly special. There is also no dress code enforced at evening meals, so anything goes, which may or may not suit your preference. The hotel shop staff can also be quite temperamental with pricing and seem to make up their own rules at times, which is frustrating, especially as the hotel isn’t near anywhere else so you don’t really have alternative options. Overall: We had a really enjoyable stay and the staff were always willing to help where they could. While I personally wouldn’t rate it as a true 5-star resort, it’s still a lovely hotel.