The Reef Playacar Beach Resort & Spa — Hotel in Playa del Carmen

I have nothing positive to say about this place as this is the worst resort I have ever visited! If you are Black/African-American, DO NOT COME HERE! If you appreciate the normal customer service you would get at most hotels, DO NOT COME HERE!

We arrived and was immediately greeted by someone named Herminio. He asked if they could give a sales presentation and in exchange they would provide a lobster dinner whether or not we purchased what is basically a timeshare. After listening to their entire pitch, we respectfully said no thanks. The person who made the pitch (Silvia) was initially pleasant… until we said no. Afterwards, her whole demeanor completely changed. Suddenly, she was abrupt and disinterested in customer service.

We went about our day until it was time for our dinner reservation. We arrived at the time requested and somehow they couldn’t find our reservation. We went to the front desk and they said it was possible that Herminio forgot to tell anyone about the reservation. She called his cell phone multiple times, yet conveniently he didn’t answer. The front desk said that they would call the restaurant and would arrange the reservation, but then we were told again that there was no reservation. The staff said it was no problem if we stayed, but then after waiting over 30 minutes, another person walked up and asked again if we had a reservation. We pulled out the paperwork we were given as proof we were offered a lobster dinner, but still continued to wait. After another 40 minutes passed, the waiter returns and tells us that kitchen has no lobsters thawed out except for one… and that lobster was for someone who made reservations (here we go again!). He said they could only offer us steak. We didn’t eat until well over an hour and a half after we were seated. I can’t prove that color (we are Black) had anything to do with it, and I usually stray away from using race as a reason for bad service… but it did seem strange that no one else had these issues (we were the only Black family dining).

Unfortunately, it didn’t end there. When we finally checked out, they attempted to charge us for the lobster dinner we NEVER received!

The next day, we went swimming in the pool and used our towel cards. We made reservations for dinner at another location because it was my birthday and we wanted to have a great time. We were rushing to catch a taxi, so we brought our towels to the front desk to turn them in. I waited patiently as there was a couple in front of me, but then we were being called for the taxi. I politely tried to get the concierge’s attention (Mario) and all he had to do was give me the three towel cards for the three towels I brought to the desk… something that at the most would take seconds. Instead, he ignored me. The taxi was calling again and the concierge still ignored me. Finally, I left the towels on the desk. He nodded, but would not give me my towel cards back.

There were other issues as well. We found a roach (still alive) in one of the drawers. The child of a guest took one of our towels and used it. When I went to his parents to complain, they tried to give me the now wet towel and did not offer to replace it with a fresh one.

Several of the other staff members were pretty rude as well. Of course, not all… but too many. Conveniently, when one doesn’t want to provide basic customer service… the first thing they claim is “No speak English” or simply walk past you.

We had visited the hotel’s sister location (Reef 28) months ago and enjoyed our stay very much, so we were completely caught off-guard by this location’s staff and service… or lack thereof. I would also suggest that you do NOT come here during the summer as there was a ridiculous amount of seaweed in the water. The water is usually a clear blue color, but it was now burgundy/brown as a result. When we went to another location for a few hours (Reef Coco Beach), the other resort had nets to keep the seaweed away from the swimming area.

I strongly recommend going to any resort...

We stayed here for 14 nights 3/21. We enjoyed the resort grounds, they are very well kept and beautiful. The rooms are clean and new.

The beach is okay but not the best in the area. The beach chairs and beds were scarce in comparison to the volume of guests. It was difficult to find a place to sit on the beach and by the pools. They play LOUD club music on repeat all day, every day. One playlist of about 12 songs. We now know them all by heart.

We booked on their website and decided to do "all inclusive+airfare". I selected and payed for "economy plus" seats but was informed "the airline" had changed the flight details. We tried to contact the travel agency but never got a response and never got reimbursed for the price difference in airfare. Payed for the upgrade but got basic economy seats. Called the airline, they said to call the travel agency, called the resort they said to call the airline. No response from the travel agency still.

The food was utterly horrid, inedible. I mean absolutely, not even a little bit good. Severely disappointed. Paid for all inclusive, but ended up eating off the property every day for the 14 days we were there. They didn't even have real coca cola at the bars. All of the cups at the bar were 8oz. They had no real orange juice for breakfast. No real meat either. So, so bad.

The amenities listed on the website were very confusing in terms of what was included or not included. We went with all inclusive, but it really wasn't. We really disliked the "leading vacation club" presence. They literally forced is into going to their time share presentation. They would not leave us alone about visiting the sister resort. The woman we sat with upon arrival told us not to cancel because she wouldn't get paid if we did. They called our room and left notes on the door. It was terrible to have to deal with that as the "welcoming" to the resort. They hold your luggage hostage until you sign up. The presentation we attended was pathetic, and predatory, not a good deal at all. Really disappointing. They tell you it's not a time share gimmick but they work with RCI. Lol. I'm not stupid.

They send you to the other resort in a taxi, then if you don't buy into their club for $40k+ (literally) they give you pesos to get a taxi back, but don't even arrange the taxi for you. Read my review about the garza blanca Cancun. Same kind of thing. Wasted a whole half day of vacation with this. NEVER GO TO A PRESENTATION IN MEXICO!

Having to pay extra for coffee at the lobby bar when it was the only place to get coffee at that time of day was just lame. The coffee was not even that great, and the cost was exorbitant for the serving size. If you don't have the upgraded bracelet they treat you like they are doing you a favor. We don't drink alcohol, so upgrading would have been a waste for us, but clearly (maybe), upgrading would have come with better service and treatment. We felt as though we were second or third class guests even though we were technically "all inclusive".

I want to stress again that the food was absolutely horrific. The food and service in Mexico is so good, so it's even worse that it was so bad here. Our first night in playa is always spent eating an awesome meal. We were shocked at the buffet that first night. Set the vibe for the rest of the stay.

This resort could be really awesome, but falls short when it comes to the food and service. Even while tipping generously, the service was mediocre.

I realize that it isn't a very expensive resort, but we ended up spending several thousand more dollars for food, drinks, and service away from the resort. When we factor that in, it really wasn't a good deal. It's too bad because it really is a lovely location and layout. However, to consider spending more to upgrade for slightly better service here doesn't make sense. There are many other options in the area for accomodations.

Hopefully someone will read this and it will make some...

Location Playacar is an upscale neighborhood with expensive houses resorts. Playacar is adjacent to the city center of PDC. It's a 17 minute walk. Cabs are $8-$20.

Airfare Experience We booked airfare and rooms through the website. This was a big reason we chose them.

Getting to the Resort We paid $100 for the upgrade to have a private shuttle to and from the airport for our party of 6. Our reservation got lost. We ended up taking a cab van for $157.

The Lobby It was great getting greeted with drinks.

Your “concierge” is salesman who worked relentlessly to get us to take an hour-long ride to sit in on a 90 minute sales pitch for something in order to give us all sorts of “free” things. By day 3 we realized the lobby staff was only there to make as much money as possible for the resort.

The Beach Come early to claim chairs. There are not enough. There are close bars but if part of your vision is having someone bring you drinks on the beach, this is not the place. People on the beach are constantly trying to sell everything. They're friendly enough but everywhere you go someone is trying to take your money.

The Food The food is adequate. Every meal offers nondescript meat and several veggie dishes. There is a lot of variety of food which sounds like it should be nice but it is all pretty average. In 6 days of eating, we didn't once say “this was great, you need to try it” to anyone in our party. Christmas Eve dinner was pretty good, though.

We tried the Mexican and the Italian restaurants. Avoid the QR on questionable wifi and look up the menu in your room before you go. I tried the Mahi dish which I was a little bit suspect of because it listed “Mahi Mahi loins.” Fish don't have loins. You can go to the buffet after dinner if you're still hungry. The Italian restaurant had nice ambiance but sub-par Italian food.

The breakfasts were the best. They'll do made-to-order omelets. The pancakes are adequate. The French toast is OK. The coffee is OK. It's not above average but it's not bad.

If you're looking for authentic Mexico, if you're looking for easy-to-identify buffet plates from which to choose, if you're looking for familiar favorites, if you want variety this is not the resort for you.

The Liquor They serve their red wine chilled. . .the free wine included with the all access pass is a Spanish tempranillo which I will appreciate and remember as my flavor for the trip. It would have been nice to have a drink menu available. I didn't leave wishing I had any of the recipes.

The Service At no point did I feel there was any sort of personal connection between any of the staff and our party. None of the staff seemed happy to be there. The mood of the whole resort was downtrodden and depressed. Service was the obligatory minimum.

Antonio and the hostess in the buffet are the only exceptions we met. They were both pleasant and talked a little bit to us. I got a handful of holas as we walked the paths but absolutely nothing else. I left The Reef feeling like I was an impersonal number.

The Rooms My wife and I ended up in a room with two full beds. There were no other rooms available even though we booked 4 months in advance. The beds are hard which is my wife's biggest factor in how comfortable she feels a place is. We could hear people all night. The room was no refuge from the constant exposure to people everywhere but it was clean.

Overall Conclusions The depressed feel, average food, average drinks, average rooms are enough to make me not go to The Reef again. Add to it the feeling that every turn is an attempt to squeeze more money. I find myself reflecting on how much over the fair price I paid for anything I bought.

It's really nice for a budget resort and not nice for a luxury resort. It's safe. If you get the right price and know what to expect and you may have a great time. It's low end luxury. It is one of the cheapest in the...