Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal

OlgaJacob wrote a review October 2025
Vancouver, British Columbia

Fantastic, absolutely loved it!

We had an absolutely wonderful stay. This is a beautiful hotel where everything is taken care of and where you can feel truly like on vacation. The food was terrific, really really good! Excellent choice, everything marked properly, great variety of vegetarian options as well, themed dinners - all superb quality!
The staff is very attentive and genuinely caring. Special thanks goes to the main buffet staff - Alejandra, Jesus, Merli, and of course dear Olga (bug hugs from Olga in Canada!) and Leonicio!! All these people made our stay special and made us feel good and welcome. What. wonderful experience.

Special thanks to the Kids Club staff - Eduardo and Valeria (I am sorry I didn't get to meet the 3rd team member properly on this visit). These people are so fun, caring, genuine and soulful in their work!! Kids absolutely loved them and so did we. You can really feel when people put heart into their work and this is exactly how Valeria and Eduardo operate. What a fantastic, welcoming and warm and fun space! Kids looooooved pizza party on the terrace and loooooooooooooved being in the Frozen show! You guys are phenomenal, really amazing and we are super thankful to you!!!!

Additional thanks to Cesar and Alex from entertainment staff for their great energy - I am sorry I don't know the names of the other members there.

Overall, 1000000 stars - 5 stars is simply not enough.

Big thanks, lots of joy and gratitude to everyone who made this vacation so enjoyable.

Olga

Date of Stay: October 2025

D492HKmarkh wrote a review October 2025
Dartford, Kent, England

First trip to Mexico and Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal

On arrival at the resort we were met by helpful concierge staff, then straight to reception without any queues. Ricardo and one of his colleagues dealt with us, both were faultless and so helpful. Check in was smooth, professional and benefited from a complimentary Prosecco whilst it was conducted. The concierge then waited patiently whilst my daughter and her grandfather ate in the buffet, then when ready transported us to our rooms without delay.

I booked direct with the resort but room selection wasn’t available in advance, so didn’t know what to expect. We were put in Villa 76 which initially I felt was too far from lobby, bars and food. In reality it’s a 10min walk and once understanding the cart system, it takes no time at all and gives quiet of a night being away from the lively areas, so perfect for us. The two rooms we had were amazing, as well as being spotlessly clean. Cleaning and fridge restock was daily, again with excellent service by staff.

I’ve been a Bahia Sunlight Tenerife visitor for years, but was unsure of what to expect on my first trip to their Akumal resort and Mexico generally. The complex of hotels is massive with Al La Carte restaurants dotted around, but easy to get to with the carts. Just make sure you give yourself sufficient time to make your restaurant bookings if you have any, as you may have to take more than one cart to get there. Although I had lead booking and the father in law added as an additional adult/room, there had been an issue selecting Al La Carte’s for the three of us, as it was defaulting to one person via the App when pre-booking before arrival. Thankfully Valentina the Guest Relations Manager came to the rescue, adjusting the bookings via their systems. Unfortunately some were unavailable for three guests at this point, but she went above and beyond to help and managed to secure most of our pre-booked choices.

In relation to the food and drink, we really had no complaints with the exception of a couple of meals in the sports bar. One was the nachos, but this was just personal preference on the style of beef used as I was expecting ground, rather than small chunks. The other was the burgers my daughter and I had one evening, both of which we realised when eating were only partly cooked. Staff were very apologetic offering to replace them, but we politely declined. From their response, I assumed that this type of situation was a rarity. Other than this, buffet food was varied and excellent, with their breakfast options being amazing I felt. The Al La Carte’s we visited were also superb with great service, although I especially liked the Tequila, Dolce Vita and Thali restaurants.

If you have never visited this complex previously, then be prepared as it is very big! We only managed to see a fraction of it during our stay, but probably due to sticking to areas we had become accustomed to.

The pools were busy, but we didn’t struggle to get sun loungers when we needed them. Area around pools was kept clean and tidy, with staff frequently there to ensure so. The beach area was great at Akumal, although very busy as you would expect, but again managed to obtain loungers. Amazing sea life in the swimming area too, so snorkel and goggles a must in my opinion. I would suggest the use of water/deck shoes too. I saw a variety of fish, including some small sting rays and on one occasion a young barracuda, all of which were amazing to see and not at all bothered by the guest’s presence in their habitat.

We did have a sunken jacuzzi area at the rear of our accommodation which the father in law wanted to use one day, but we couldn’t work out how to start it. I believe other guests did on another day, so probably just user error on our part.

Wildlife around the resort was amazing, with coatis, agoutis, iguanas and a variety of different birds to what I’m used to back home. We saw the odd raccoon raiding the communal bins, plus on one occasion when walking on a path area that was a little more rural towards the edge of the resort, an albino rattlesnake! It was half out from the underside of some paving and let me know it was there on approach. Fantastic to see, but needless to say I turned back the way I had come from and left it alone in its habitat. There are also warning signs for crocodiles along one of the shuttle/cart routes although we didn’t see any, one driver did show us a picture of one he had previously observed in that area though.

Weather was fantastic for the most part, although we did experience some periods of heavy rain. This is to be expected at the time of year we visited, but the umbrellas in the room were useful and came in handy when required. Just another nice touch/consideration for guests by the resort.

In relation to shops and amenities, there is a small shop in the hotel although not the cheapest with limited offerings. The is the hacienda though which has a small OXXO convenience store, plus various independently managed souvenir shops and stalls…..with the exception of the OXXO, don’t forget to haggle when purchasing in those!

Overall view of the resort…..we really couldn’t fault it, as from our experience we had an amazing holiday.

All staff were fantastic, but a special shout out to Ricardo (Reception) and Valentina (Guest Relations Manager) who were exceptional, going above and beyond to help.

Thanks also to Victoria (Customer relations), Roger, Antonio & Griselda (Sports bar), Marcos (Thali restaurant) & Alberto (Dolce Vita restaurant), who all went that little bit extra to make our stay more enjoyable.

Note, we visited October 2024, but it would not let me got back to this date when writing the review.

Would I go back to Akumal, absolutely without hesitation. In fact I have booked for this October again, so can’t wait!

Date of Stay: November 2024

Mobile614378 wrote a review October 2025

DISGUSTING HOTEL( Akumal )

HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE. I am absolutely devastated by the service provided at this resort. I travelled with my 2 kids and hubby for my sisters wedding. Unacceptable wedding service just disgraceful. The best part of my vacation was leaving. This hotel does not care about providing excellent to customers all they want is money. Not only were members of my family extorted we were treated like trash. If I could rate this place 0 I would. Worst vacation I’ve ever been on. My sister and brother in laws wedding did not meet expectations and standards. Policies and procedures were not followed accordingly. Rooms were full of mold. Staff are unprofessional, witnessed staff LAUGHING at my sisters wedding while vows were being read because of the lack of organization on Bahias part ABSOLUTELY disheartening. Please do not have your wedding at the Akumal hotel or vacation with them. Disgusting place.

Date of Stay: October 2025

tonycG8975FO wrote a review October 2025

Bahia Principe Akumal 2025

Whilst the Bahia Principe hotel in Mexico is going through a major refurbishment the standard of service, food and facilities remain first rate. All staff irrespective of their role are incredibly friendly and inviting and made the whole holiday experience enjoyable. The Bahia Principe hotels never fail to excel.

Date of Stay: October 2025

BR394 wrote a review October 2025

Luxury not the case.

Luxury is not the case. It use to be but now it is not. The rooms are clean. That’s about it. The food at breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet is disgusting. Some meats are raw. Who has pancakes and waffles but no syrup. When I asked the said Nope. The bathroom water turned brown. The shower kept falling apart. It may be getting remodeled but that does not help with quality. Suggest trying somewhere else. To many good places to chose from.

Date of Stay: October 2025

jennifertB1405EA wrote a review October 2025

I will definitely be referring my clieents here from Sun Leisure Travel

I had an excellent experience.My room was immaculent, and the trolley is right on time!

Food was also very good and a nice variety on the buffet.

Date of Stay: October 2025

OkRasv wrote a review October 2025
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Home away from home!

I lost count how many times we've been there 14-15. We stayed at different places as well , but keep coming back here. This time we stayed from October 18-25. I was worried about the weather ( hurricane season) but it was AMAZING! We were in adults only section ( not by choice) , hotel doing renovations, and all updated rooms cost extra $$$$, and not cheap, but one of the project managers Joselyn was kind enough to show us new rooms, and it's very nice and modern!
We weren't able to pre-book restaurants ( because we didn't booked directly through the hotel) , but upon arrival i was able to book 1 online and Tanya from guest services helped me to book another one for steakhouse ( thank you Tanya!) Later i found out that even if you travel through 3rd party you should be able to book restaurants ( they just need to send you another code)

Check-in was nice and easy, everyone at front desk were really nice and helpful.
Our room was next to infinity pool, even thou it was only build around 5 years ago, rooms are tired, and need good upgrade, but were kept clean. Our room had huge window into the bathroom, which was super weird, but we had good laugh about it. Balcony was missing blackout curtain, when we asked front desk if one can be installed, we were told that they don't have any extras lol . That's probably only negative comment that i have. We didn't like infinity pool- it was too quiet for us, we spend most of the day at the main pool.

Food: was great!!!! as always! i don't see why people complain in their reviews about food. There's always something to eat for everyone. Their soups are to die for! Asian night was soooo good! Seafood night- amazing! Deserts are the best compare to any resort that we've been to!
We had wonderful service at buffet- our morning and lunch server was Javier, very attentive, and in evening- Olga, nicest lady!
The only negative side- rude people, kids and adults in the buffet who touching food with their hands, i had to tell the kid not to touch it with hands, adults- just lack manners i guess, very inappropriate.

Entertainment team: fun bunch! they have yoga, zumba, bingo, kids club, silent disco ( which we love) Their team has so much energy, we love it!

Tours: we went on a tour through Amstar ( towel booth) , we did catamaran trip that was around 5 hours it includes snorkeling ( we saw lots of fish, barracuda and a SEA TURTLE!), drinks/food and then had free time ( paddle boat, snorkel) , and it was awesome! our driver was Sam17 and guide Ivan, great team! Absolutely recommend for people who don't want to spend all day on a tour.

Advice for everyone who travel there: 1. TIP your servers! 2. Bring water shoes 3. Bring your own mug ( if you drink beer) 4. Be nice to the staff, they will do anything to help you if you nice to them!
Thank you Grand Bahia Luxury Akumal! see you next year!

Date of Stay: October 2025

ariap136 wrote a review October 2025

The worst group experience we’ve ever had — deeply disappointing stay at Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal

The worst group experience we’ve ever had — deeply disappointing stay at Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal

We were a group of 20 adults and seniors (8 rooms in total). From the moment we arrived, everything went wrong.
• At check-in, they told us our phones couldn’t connect to the hotel Wi-Fi and made us wait on our feet for over three hours, only to say later that they had given us the wrong room numbers.
• Exhausted, we finally went to the rooms — only to find our parents’ room door wouldn’t open. We called several times for help, and they said, “someone will come in 30 minutes.” No one came for over two hours. Our elderly parents had to sit on the floor in the hallway until we found someone from another building to help us.
• Out of 7 rooms, 3 had serious plumbing issues — toilets leaking and bathrooms flooding. Around the pool, we saw other guests complaining that the washrooms didn’t work and that they had to use the bushes by the pool instead. Completely unacceptable for a “luxury” resort.
• For restaurant reservations, we had been in contact with a staff member named Neidy for over two months before arrival. She constantly ignored emails for weeks and every time I called, she said she was “not in front of a computer” and could not help. Her English was so limited that communication was almost impossible, and dealing with her was frustrating and unprofessional.
• When we finally arrived, one of our confirmed reservations (Nikkie restaurant) turned out to be closed for renovation, and instead of notifying us, they just switched it to a different place.
• On our last night, we had a dinner reservation for 9:00 PM for five rooms (9 people). We arrived on time, but they said they were still “cleaning tables.” By 9:30, they said the kitchen was closed and refused to serve us any food. A man named Bryan, who said he was a manager, told us “I could help, but I won’t.” Later, a woman named Victoria — introduced as the Akumal manager — spoke to us rudely and dismissively, saying “you have one option — go eat at the snack bar.” She and her friend were laughing while we stood there hungry and embarrassed.

We took photos of everything and will be filing a formal complaint.
This was by far the worst experience we’ve ever had at any resort. The lack of professionalism, basic courtesy, and responsibility from the staff completely ruined what was supposed to be a special group trip.

If you are traveling with seniors or a large group, avoid this place at all costs — the service is unreliable, the management is disrespectful, and nothing about this resort feels “luxury.”

Date of Stay: October 2025

Negin1984 wrote a review October 2025
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan

Extremely disappointing experience — rudeness and discrimination should have no place in hospitality

I have never experienced such rudeness and lack of care from hotel staff in my life. During our stay at Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal, customer satisfaction seemed like a joke to them. I sincerely hope I’m wrong, but at times the behavior felt discriminatory — either way, it was absolutely unacceptable.

We were a group of 15 people and simply wanted to sit together or at least close to each other during meals. The staff repeatedly refused, saying it was “not their policy” to join tables — while we could see other groups doing exactly that. One staff member even said, “I can help, but I don’t want to.”

When we asked to speak with a manager, it took almost 30 minutes for someone who introduced herself as Victoria to arrive. She smiled, told us, “This is what it is,” and added sarcastically, “Have a great night.” Even knowing that some of our group were seniors who hadn’t eaten and that the buffet was closed, she didn’t apologize or try to help.

Another staff member later tried to assist us by offering a shuttle to the snack bar — but it only had 9 seats for 15 people. When we finally reached there, we waited for over an hour and left without food. Once again, we were separated into two tables while other groups were freely joined together and served before us.

I’ve read reviews about cleanliness or facilities before — those things can happen anywhere — but disrespect and rudeness to guests is unforgivable. It ruined what should have been a relaxing vacation.

If you’re considering this resort, please be aware: unless you’re willing to tolerate this kind of treatment, I recommend looking elsewhere.

Date of Stay: October 2025

louisewildbore wrote a review October 2025
East Riding of Yorkshire, England

A fantastic family holiday

After seeing so many recent bad reviews, I was a little worried about our recent holiday. I could not disagree with the bad reviews more.
A large group of us stayed for 10 nights and had a great experience. All the staff are so friendly and accommodating. We dined at 3 resultants and all were lovely food. The breakfast at the buffet was my favourite.
The hotel is spotless, even the pool side toilets. We were in an old room which even though the re furbed would have been nicer, the old room was spotless. I found the app to use maintenance, room service and housekeeping was brilliant.
Our little girl visited kids club each day and Eduardo, Valeria and Cuauhtemoc were all so amazing. They made her feel very welcome and would send regular pictures to show what a fab time she had. Thank you!!

Date of Stay: October 2025

Strummer911 wrote a review October 2025
Toronto, Ontario

Fabulous first experience in Mexico

We just returned from a wonderful week at Akumal with our lovely friends from England. This was my first trip to Mexico. The food was amazing, the staff was superb, and the weather was perfect. We did the excursion to the ruins in Tulum (thank you Oliver!), visited a Mayan village, and swam in a cenote. Big thanks to Francisco at the front desk, and to Jesus, Elsy, Javier, and Angel in the buffet, to our bell boy/man Fernando, and to whoever was the wonderful man who brought our breakfast to the room at 4am as we were packing to leave. Special thanks to Milton who got the Jays game up on the TVs in the sports bar. We will be returning for sure.

Date of Stay: October 2025