Occidental at Xcaret Destination reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

4.0 Very Good

  • Cleanliness 4.4
  • Location 4.4
  • Rooms 4.1
  • Service 4.2
  • Value 4.0

25522 TripAdvisor reviews

TripAdvisor users rated this property 1 out of 5

Extremely disapointing - dated rooms, horrible customer service, mediocre food!

BeachesVancouver (Vancouver) on May 10, 2025

I have travelled to over 30 countries and stayed in a wide range of accomodations including several all inclusives and unfortunately this hotel ranks amongst the worst in terms of value for money! At aprox... $650 CAD/night we expected a way better experience. Upon arrival, we were given a dark, dated room with rusty old furtniture, and amenities not stocked on arrival ( such as towels for our family of 4)! On top of that, there was some sticky substance smeared all over the walls of our balcony. The room was incredibly disapointing! Despite calling housekeeping 5 times for towels and being told someone was on their way, no one ever showed up. Eventually I found a maid in the hallway and tipped her just to get the missing towels. Later that nght when we returned from dinner, our room keys didn't work. When we went to the front desk, we were shocked to learn that we had been locked out of our room because they over charged my credit card by $1000 at check in!! Unfortunately after a 12 hour travel day and with the charge made in pesos, I didn't catch the error. Instead of contacting us to resolve the issue, the staff decided to lock us out of our room!! It took 45 stressful minutes of back and forth trying to sort out the overcharge with the front desk staff and two exhausted kids in tow at 10 pm! And to make things worse, it took a an entire month to get my refund despite multiple follow ups to management!! It wasn't until I threatened a charge back with my credit card company that I finally received a response!! Unbelievable!! The next morning we were woken up at 8 am ( 6 am our time as we live on the west coast) by concierge- not for anything urgent but to call us repeatedly until we picked up to offer us a "welcome gift" which was clearly a set up as "bait" to pitch their vacation club presentation! Food quality was disapointing overall and the reservation system was frustrating! If you want to get a reservation for dinner you have to line up at the lobby concierge desk at 7 am which is ridiculous!! The buffets were mediocre at best. We found the made to order stations ok but still average. Tacos Pacos was decent but the pizza was very undercooked. This property is in desperate need of a rennovation and overhaul. Many of the pool and beach chairs were broken and there were hardly any umbrellas at the pool and beach to provide shade- pretty important under the hot Mexican sun. The only highlight for us was the beautiful lush landcaping and jungle surroundings. Even though the location is convenient being next to Xcaret park, in the future we will stay elsewhere and taxi to the parks instead. I truly regret not taking the negative reviews more seriously. If you're considereing staying here, just don't! If room quality, food and a decent level of customer service matters to you, I highly recommend picking another resort. While we understand it was high season ( spring break) and prices are higher, what we received and experienced was absolutely not worth the cost of our stay!

TripAdvisor users rated this property 5 out of 5

An Unforgettable Stay in the Heart of Nature – Perfect for Families!

rustemandolga (Vancouver, Washington) on May 09, 2025

Our stay at Occidental at Xcaret was truly unforgettable and exceeded our expectations in so many ways. The lush jungle surroundings created a magical atmosphere where nature and comfort coexist beautifull...y. Every day we were delighted to see agoutis, coatis, monkeys, deer, tropical birds, and butterflies roaming freely around the resort — a dream come true for nature lovers! The view from our room overlooking the jungle allowed us to quietly observe animal life right from our window — peaceful, fascinating, and truly unique. The resort grounds are impeccably clean, well-maintained, and thoughtfully designed. It felt like we were living in a nature reserve, but with all the luxury and convenience of a high-end hotel. The foyer is breathtaking, with lush greenery and water canals where you can even take a boat ride through the property — a magical experience! For families with kids, this place is a gem. Everything is child-friendly and easily accessible. The warm, saltwater pools, live music, and friendly parrots around the grounds brought constant joy. One of the highlights was the unlimited access to Xcaret Park, which is an incredible bonus to the already rich program the hotel offers (for extra pay about $250 per person). Our room was stylish, spacious, and spotlessly clean, with a large bathroom and everything we needed. The on-site pharmacy and convenience shops were a thoughtful touch — perfect for picking up anything you forgot to pack. Special mention to the concierge service in each building — incredibly convenient and helpful. And the staff overall were fantastic: always polite and attentive, never asking for tips, and consistently providing excellent service. A few small downsides: The fan was quite loud for those who have trouble sleeping. During cleaning hours, the sound of furniture being dragged in nearby rooms was very noticeable. While the restaurants were convenient, the food quality (except at the Japanese restaurant) could be improved. Main buffet is the best choice overall. Also, be aware that spa and laundry services are not included and can be more expensive than in the U.S. Still, these are minor points compared to everything we loved. Occidental at Xcaret is now our ideal vacation spot, and we would absolutely love to return — next time with our relatives, so they can experience this paradise too. The cheapest tickets are obtained through MyBarcello.com

TripAdvisor users rated this property 5 out of 5

Chris W

chriswilson2025 (Cincinnati, Ohio) on May 08, 2025

Service was incredible and everyone was friendly and extremely helpful. Everywhere we went the staff was very on top of it and found it impossible to be empty handed anywhere we went. ...

TripAdvisor users rated this property 2 out of 5

Place is nice, check in process and food not good

jlopeze (El Paso, Texas) on May 07, 2025

Check in took more than an hour. The room we reserved online was not what we got, false advertisement. The food at the buffets or the a la carte not good variety and not good flavor. ...

TripAdvisor users rated this property 3 out of 5

Our Stay

juarezmaria115 (Kansas City, Kansas) on May 07, 2025

The resort is beyond beautiful. The staff and service need to improve. Check in process was horrible.

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