Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya

The resort is enjoyable, but right when you register, they book you for a UVC sales meeting - they say it is just to make sure you understand how to use your membership, but it is to sell you a new higher priced membership. If you cancel the contract within the allotted time, UVC refuses to return you to your original contract. My personal cell phone number was shared and now I get spam emails. While we had free days to use with UVC, we couldn't use them at the hotel, even though the occupancy was only at 81% - we had to pay at the UVC rate. Nice hotel, nice service, but watch out for UVC sales pitches. Walk out and don't even agree to attend a meeting.

This was the third Secrets resort we'd been to and we were super impressed! Great service, very fun vibe, and great food/drinks! If you're thinking about going, don't forget to check out the daily events and the spa! They really enhance the experience

Secrets Akumal was lovely. We went for a friends 50th birthday. We previously stayed at Secrets Moxche the year prior for a 40th birthday/10 yr anniversary trip with the same friends & did preferred club. However, we decided not to do preferred at Akumal and wish we would have because the rooms probably wouldn't have been so far back and the beach loungers were for club only. Akumal was a very laid back vibe, but still was up beat. The swim up bar pool was mainly used and the bartenders were amazing. The sports bar area was ok. The beach was amazing! The food was amazing as well, we tried a different spot for dinner the 5 nights we stayed and we were not disappointed. We stayed in 9A building on the 1st floor and the only complaint was you could hear mostly everything in the room above. Staying in bed to relax in the morning wasn't enjoyable as the people above were loud walkers. We had a swim out room and our friends were next to us, we did enjoy that we could hang out by our rooms. The pools were a little cooler than liked but after a few drinks, it wasn't noticeable! The girls did go to the spa which is highly recommended and the guys planned a golf day that they said went great. Ricardo was our concierge and made sure our stay was going great and they send out the activities every day which was very convenient.

WE ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!! We genuinely don’t want to leave. If you’re considering Secrets Akumal for your vacation or honeymoon, just book it. You won’t regret it! We booked a Junior Suite with Partial Ocean View, and it was absolutely the way to go. Honestly, we didn’t miss any of the Preferred Club perks. We had everything we needed for an incredible stay without spending extra on upgrades. Here’s a breakdown of our experience! 🌴 Arrival & Check-In From the moment we arrived, everything was so easy! The staff took our bags while our room was being prepared and had everything delivered as soon as it was ready. In the meantime, they immediately guided us to a restaurant so we could relax, grab something to eat, and enjoy ourselves while waiting. Since we’re celebrating our honeymoon, they also surprised us with a congratulatory banner on our door and a bottle of chilled champagne in the room. Such a sweet touch! It made us feel so special. 🛏️ The Room Our room was SO spacious and comfortable! We absolutely loved the decor, and the bed was incredibly comfy. They also provide pretty much everything you could possibly need: * Toiletries (which smell AMAZING!) * Steamer * Hair dryer * Coffee machine * Two reusable water bottles for use throughout your stay (you can purchase them for $6 each if you’d like to take them home). * Fully stocked mini fridge, completely included! You also get a building concierge who helps ensure maintenance requests, room service, and any other needs are taken care of quickly. They can also help with special activity or restaurant reservations, although honestly, most things can easily be managed through the app. PRO TIP: Download the resort app before or as soon as you arrive! It will be your BFF throughout your stay. You can order room service, reserve activities, check restaurant hours, explore the entertainment schedule, and so much more. It makes everything incredibly convenient. 🎨 Activities & Entertainment There are SO many activities to choose from! I ended up participating in the macramé class, turtle ceramic painting, and wine tasting, and all three were incredible. A special shout-out to the wonderful staff who made these experiences so much fun: * Wine Tasting: Melina, Alberto, and Lisbeth * Macramé: Erick * Turtle Painting: Itzel and Ari They were all fantastic! So welcoming, sweet, and genuinely enthusiastic about what they do. They made each activity feel special, and we really appreciated their kindness and energy. There were so many other things we didn’t get a chance to try, including yoga by the pool, kayaking, snorkeling (including opportunities to see sea turtles!), and plenty more. The best part? Most activities are included in your stay. Only a handful have an additional cost. We stuck with the complimentary activities and had an absolute blast. You definitely don’t need to spend extra to have a great time! 🏊‍♀️ The Pools The pools are amazing, and they each have their own vibe. We were in a more relaxed mood, so we spent most of our time at the quiet pool. Alonso, our pool concierge, was SO sweet and attentive! He made sure we had everything we needed so we could just sit back, relax, and enjoy ourselves. He was fantastic and really made our pool days that much better! The pool wasn’t crowded at all, and we never had trouble finding a great spot. The other two pools looked busier and more upbeat. I can definitely see us enjoying those if we were traveling with a group or looking for a more social atmosphere. One even has a swim-up bar, which looked pretty cool! I loved that there were different options depending on what kind of vacation you’re looking for. 🍽️ THE FOOD! (One of the Biggest Reasons We Chose This Resort) Okay, let’s talk about the food. AMAZING!!! This was actually one of the biggest reasons we chose Secrets Akumal for our honeymoon, and it more than lived up to our expectations. In fact, it completely made up for some of the less-than-stellar reviews we had read before booking. The resort has 9 dining options, including six à la carte restaurants, a buffet, a café, and a grill. During our stay, we had dinner at the Italian, French, and Japanese restaurants, and all three were phenomenal! We also really enjoyed the Seaside Grill for lunch, along with the pop-up lunch options around the resort. My recommendation: Don’t skip the casual lunch spots! Those ended up being some of our favorite meals of the entire trip. Sometimes the best food experiences happen when you least expect them! We were genuinely impressed with the quality and variety of the food. For an all-inclusive resort, that’s a HUGE win. ❤️ Final Thoughts All in all, a 1000/10 experience. We would absolutely come back! The service was superb, the resort itself is gorgeous, the staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, and the food is to die for. One thing I really want to emphasize is that you don’t need to pay for all the additional upgrades and experiences to have an incredible vacation here. If you’re working within a budget, a regular Junior Suite is more than enough. We were completely happy without Preferred Club, and there are so many included activities and amenities to enjoy. Of course, I can see the appeal of splurging on some of the extras if that’s what you’re looking for, but don’t feel like you need them to get the full experience. We came here for our honeymoon, and Secrets Akumal made it incredibly special. From the little champagne surprise in our room to the wonderful people who took care of us every day, we felt welcomed, relaxed, and genuinely spoiled. We are already talking about when we can come back. Highly, HIGHLY recommend! ❤️

We stayed here for our honeymoon after staying at Secrets The Vine. It was recommended highly by staff and we LOVED it!! The staff are exceptional and are what really make this place so great. Any need you have they fulfill. A few guests that highlighted our experience were: David from Portofino: provided allergen alternatives without even having to ask. Coordinated with chef to provide dessert options. Very friendly. Sandra & Victor from coffee shop: VERY friendly. Victor created the best gluten free, egg free chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted!! Sandra provided me a special allergen plate every day! She was so friendly and happy. Efrain from the beach bar: what a goofball! Funny and created us a drink with the orange blossom gin. Very friendly and remembered us each day. Leydi from Bldg 8 concierge: created us a day trip to Cozumel in minutes via taxi and ferry. Provided costs and simple instructions to follow. Surprised us with a romantic bath in our room. Antonio from activities pool concierge: this man is busy! He always made sure chairs were perfectly placed and needs were being met. Friendly and remembered us each day. Adjusted our umbrella and was informative. Ricardo from activities pool: very friendly, remembered us each day. Funny with his jokes. Very quick, efficient and anticipated needs. Ana and Ruben from Bali beds: friendly, helpful, and would provide us new clean towels every time we came back from the pool or beach. Kept the sand off our Bali bed we drug in. All the guests we interacted with were enjoyable. We were originally in room 8101 which is right next to the lobby. The lobby plays music until 11pm each night. On night 3 we asked if we could move to a quieter room and within an hour we were moved to building 7. For our “inconvenience” they provided us a beach Bali bed on our last day which was very appreciated and unexpected. We wouldn’t book a swim out pool again because they don’t get that much sun so are colder. We’d prefer a balcony room next time. The snorkeling right from the beach is incredible. We’ll be back!