Overview
We are back in Canada after another great visit to Akumal Bay Beach & Wellness Resort. While this our 7th time at the property, this time was very special as we traveled to Akumal Bay for our son's wedding along with 21 other people in the wedding party.
We are a part of the Fidelity club and received service that was second to none. Special Thank you to Jesus Catzin !
Before outlining our visit, we would like to mention that Akumal Bay is about the people for us. The property is amazing however in finding and maintaining staff that truly care about the experience of a guest is a testament to the management's commitment to the Akumal Bay experience and the dedication of everyone who create a special place to decompress from our normal day to day lives.
The wedding party stayed for one week with ourselves and the Bride and Groom staying an additional week.
For context, both of us contributed our perspective in this review with one of us working in the Hotel industry for over 10 years in our past.
Arrival
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the staff as per usual with smiles, warm welcomes and a Margarita. Special Thank you to the night manager for sorting out a small issue Alengero (not sure of the spelling)
The reception and bell staff really understand how a welcome makes you feel after hours of travel on an airplane and an airport transfer.
Our luggage was promptly taken to our room and any questions we had were answered about the resort and the current services offered.
Room
We arrived in 3319 where we stayed for the two week duration. This room has a great panoramic view of the ocean (as all of the rooms we have stayed in do) and is located just south of the main buffet. It was a penthouse where the upper level gives you the spectacular ocean view by day and the extensive night sky in the relaxing jacuzzi tub. The area has minimal light at night which highlights the night sky and moon over the ocean transporting you back to the natural beauty of the Mayan Riviera.
The state and cleanliness of the room was impeccable and was maintained this way every day by Jose Luis.
Facilities
The common area facilities are always kept clean and the continual maintenance and upgrades do not go unnoticed. The resort feels fresh and new with attention to cleanliness and detail at the forefront.
Food and Beverages
First off, a big thank you to the food and beverage manager Martin for arranging a special night for the entire wedding party. With the fantastic service of Clemente and Pepe we had a night to remember. This was truly above and beyond and indeed very much enjoyed by all of Us.
The food at the restaurants and the buffet is continually improving each year with constantly fantastic service at all of the restaurants. We really noticed the menu changes in the French and Fusion restaurants with high quality food choices, and excellent service.
Holi, the manager of Brazilian Steak Restaurant, fed the entire wedding party with perfect service providing special food requests for individuals with allergies. The meat is truly amazing and the service / entertainment is a reflection of the staffs commitment to service.
Thank you Aurora for the omelets that you made for me every morning.
Jesus Catzin in the main buffet provided perfect Fidelity service every day. He remembered our preferences and morning routine providing a very special service along with making our reservations and helping in any way he could. Jesus is truly talented in personal interaction and his customer service skills are indeed incredible. With the support of Otilio, Ricardo, Fenando, Araceli and Marco the entire buffet staff makes each meal a great experience.
Alfonso at the Snack bar provided the best Sparkling water with lime in the morning or a great coffee.
Conception and the staff at the Mexican restaurant provided excellent individual attention
We wanted to mention the really great evening mixologist Carlos Reza who will make you a special, your drinks we exceptional !
Oscar at the pool bar is always happy to see you and we had the best conversations in conjunction with great service.
The lobby bar staff gave us great personable service every day with fine attention to detail. Thank you Marbella, Omero, Wilber, Patricia and Filipe for your service.
Alvaro, Ricardo, Filiberto and Suzy were always ready to provide great service and we really appreciate this. Thank you.
Beach
In addition to the clean beach area (the chairs are cleaned and the beach is groomed every night from what we witnessed) the staff who service the beach area take care of you and are so personable.
From the beach, snorkeling provides a unique view of the Turtles and varios reef marine life just in front of the resort.
Thank you to German the Beach Manager for setting us up on the beach and helping with anything we needed and also making reservation/special request.
Location, location, location
The resort is located just south of the town of Akumal. The convenience of a short walk to the various restaurants and vendors is a great aspect of the resort and really makes for a diverse vacation when you want to venture out of the resort. In addition you are close to the Tulum ruins along with incalculable centotoes, zip lines or any other activity that suits your fancy.
To infinity pools and beyond
The main pool is the place to meet other travelers along with various activities provided by the entertainment staff.
Our favorite pools are the smaller infinity pools located in front of each building. These are just a great place to relax and look at the ocean while enjoying a beverage.
Entertainment
The entertainment crew and the musicians that played every night in the main bar were great. Akumal Bay provides great choices for every taste with the selection and talent.
As always we had a great time dancing in the evening along with the drinking version of the Jenga Game.
The Spa
We did a day at the Spa. This included the water circuit which consists of the sauna, the steam room and a massage. Yes, a sauna but the juxtaposition of the heat mixed with the cool whirlpool is very cleansing.
We choose the Akumal Massage. It was an 80 minute journey with a special Myan ceremony that was unique and truly moving in a spiritual sense. With the inclusion of aromatherapy in conjunction with Myan prayers and a full body massage, the overall result was a rejuvenating day that needs to be experienced in the Mayan Riviera to be believed. Both of Us felt incredible and ready for a day of adventure afterwards.
The Big Day
As you know, the day of a wedding can be stressful and a bit chaotic as there are so many moving parts. With the staff at Akumal Bay, things went smoothly and all of the attention to detail made this a very special day indeed!
The Wedding area of the resort is only understood if you experience the location. The ceremony is of course an ocean view with the drinks an initial reception in a secluded forested area that is unbelievably perfect for such an event. The reception area was set up for comfort with service that is second to none from our experience.
We had Clemente as our main bar tender and all of the staff made dinner, drinks and the reception party on the beach a special day for the Bride and Groom and the entire wedding party. This is no small task and did not go unnoticed by everyone.
Falcon Awesome
Carlos the falconer was out with Luka keeping the pest birds away from the pool and restaurant areas. We have been to other resorts where the birds are continually on the tables and waiting for food at the outside food areas.
His friendly and professional demeanor is reflective of the resort and he always answers questions that people have about Luka, his role at Akumal Bay and the local area. He is truly a wonderful Man with a big heart giving a special meaning to Akumal Bay for Us.
Scuba duba doo
Our favorite activity at the resort is diving and this year we were able to fit in multiple reef dives along with 2 Cenote dives. Aramis took us to the “El Pit” Cenote for the unique experience of a cavern dive. If you have not seen this, check it out on youtube or better yet, get certified and experience a fresh water cavern dive with professional dive guides.
Reef dives with Turtles, lobsters, barracuda, sunfish, groupers, parrotfish, snappers and every other Caribbean marine species is always a treat.
One of our reef dives with the talented and professional Helder became a very special occasion as a huge (from what we can tell in the video) Loggerhead turtle drifted by to greet our arrival to the depths.
Aramis runs a great dive center and the team provides customer focused service to Snorkelers and Divers in line with the great service the hotel staff provides.
The good, the bad and the ugly
The entire experience was good, in fact good is not the word. It was incredible! We do not say this lightly as there is a lot of time, money and trust invested when choosing a vacation location and We take this into consideration in writing this review. For Us the latter is the most important as it relates to the overall relationship between the customer and the resort when choosing a resort especially with the overall travel experience these days.
The bad……as with vacation there are always things that do not go to plan, especially with a wedding and the different wants and needs of all involved. At Akumal Bay, all of these are always addressed promptly and professionally.
The ugly, there is none, only friendship and beauty in the people and their desire to make the experience the best that we have ever seen.
Conclusion
Yet another wonderful vacation where all of our wants and needs were taken care of.
Specifically with this being a wedding vacation where staff is going above and beyond to make the stay wonderful, we suggest the resort to everyone we know and after talking to all involved it seems the sentiment is shared by the entire group.
While this is only our opinion and experience, We have never been so welcomed with every conceivable accommodation to our needs met at any facility with such friendly staff.
Thank you to the management Juan DIrector Résidente, Martin Food and Beverages Manager, Emanuele Customer Service Manager, Alejandro Fidelity Club Manager, Beach Charmed Wedding and ALL of the employees for making this vacation one to remember by creating a place to really relax and fulfilling all of our expectations.
Lise and Brad
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.