Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres — Hotel in Quintana Roo

This was my 20th and final vacation in Mexico and have previously visited palace hotels such as the Moon Palace The Beloved The Finest TRS Coral and Excellence Playa Mujeres so I have several good points of reference. So I thought I’d have a change and I had never been to a Secrets resort before and it offered good value for money at the time of Booking through On the Beach in the UK. |Flight was with TUI Dreamliner direct from Manchester to Cancun and it was the quickest I recall passing effortlessly through immigration and helped also as the luggage came of the conveyor first being Premium flights. Transfers were good to the hotel and as you arrive you are greeted in the usual Mexican way with a cool face cloth and a glass of Cava. Check in was smooth in an air conditioned room just of the main lobby. We paid extra for the Preferred Club section and had an ocean view room on the top floor of building 3 overlooking the preferred pool below. The bell boy was as usual informative detailing the hotels facilities and restaurants etc. On arrival at our room I was impressed with the size of the room , its contemporary design and views out to sea. On the first full day we did try the social pool but realised it’s not for me as it was a little ‘too social’ and for the rest of the 14 day stay we stayed by the Preferred pool each day which was much more serene. There are as usual a wide variety of restaurants catering to different cuisines Italian Seafood Asian French etc. All had air conditioning inside with the exception of the outdoor grilles. Our favourite was Portofino the Italian themed one. They have great fillet steaks , lasagne , Etc. The must try dish at the French themed Bordeaux is the lamb Ossobuco with an amazing sauce. I tried the Rokkefeller Oysters with blue cheese and hollandaise topping but the blue cheese just ruined it and is a poor pairing in my opinion . Himitsu was ok and we managed to get booked into a Tappenyaki cooking show which was good. General advice is arrive before 7pm at the more popular restaurants to avoid a wait with the dreaded pager type devices. Breakfast and occasional lunches were had at the Market Cafe which was delightful and air conditioned . I would compare it to sat and Excellence similar buffet in terms of quality and variety and often guests are entertained by a harpist etc. Oceana Seaside and Barefoot grilled are not air conditioned and the menu was ok but I think could be changed for the better. Pool service around the preferred pool was very good starting at 10am as per Mexican law. You can order food to your subbed which I think comes from the Barefoot grille. The beach is lovely and tends to get less Sargasso Sea grass than in general Cancun area but is not immune to it. I noticed at last four sea turtle nests near the beach each being marked off with a barrier. If you are luck then you maybe invited to see them as they hatch. The butlers in our building were Demi and Belen and they could do enough for us and are to be commended for their service. In general the staff at Secrets Playa Bianca are very good indeed. The resort is well planned and immaculately planted with incredible contemporary design everywhere. However the elegant in the room for me is the fact that there is only ONE air conditioned bar in the firm|Of Desires Sports bar but unless you are really into American sports of which I am not, then you are left with the rest of the bars being exposed to ambient outside temperatures which are easily 25 degree centigrade 77 Fahrenheit. Guests from say the more southern US states may be more accustomed to these temperatures but for me and I know it’s my own silly fault for not researching the resort enough is a dealbreaker . I like to dress well and as the nicer restaurants demand shirt and trousers then it’s a hot and sweaty evening out. If it had at least one like for example the main lobby bar at Excellence Playa Mujeres then I would have given it a five star rating. Overall however it’s a great hotel great staff great location and for some im sure it would be perfect just not for me. The staff are what make your stay so good and in my lifetimes experience ,the Mexican people are the kindest most welcoming of all in the world. For me , after coming to Mexico for 20 years with incredible experiences I now realise getting older that there is more to see much closer to Europe and I bid you farewell Mexico| Salud mi amigo. Employee’s if special mention are Belen Demi Jordi at Portofino...

We’ve been to several Secrets resorts, and I have to say, this last trip was one of the nicest hotels, but the worst experience from the constant intrusions by workers trying to “upsell” us.

We arrived at 3:30 (after the check-in time). We were told our room wasn’t ready, but we could pay extra for a swim up (200+ a night). We said we didn’t want to upgrade, so he ignored us and told us we could get into their but we could get into the Preferred section…and then quoted some astronomical (300+ a night) upgrade cost. OK, we’ve done the preferred club once and it was nice to have the extra little bar/lounge and extra restaurant and a quiet pool, but it’s NOT worth that difference in price. When we rejected that, he said “well, your room isn’t ready, but we can get you into ANOTHER room in building 9 to get showers and hang out in the room..they would call us when the room was ready and move us to building another building.

So after the check in, before heading to the first room, they of course had us meet with the woman about their timeshare. I told her, “no thank you. We’ve sat through it once before. Just get us to our room.” She didn’t take no as an answer and kept going on and on about the free things we would get if we just sat through their presentation (which is incredibly aggressive and annoying). Finally, I had to just look at the view and ignore her before she got the hint. Then we were taken to our room.

We got there, got showered, and I called to see if they had an estimate on the room, and he said “we will call you in a couple of hours..just relax, get room service, and enjoy the view.” I said forget it, our view was good. He tried to talk me into moving rooms — still have no idea why.

At this point, it was already dinner time, so we went out for a very nice meal at the French Restaurant (I will say, the food was pretty good). The next day, the hard sales tactics started again. Someone tried to help us pick out lounge chairs…then tell us about the vacation club. We got harassed by spa employees every time we turned around trying to sell their services.

I did go to check on excursions at the front desk, and the woman there was very kind and didn’t try pushing anything on us. She did mention that the hotel did a “Free” shopping trip. So we took them up on that offer the next day. BIG mistake. They take you to the “international jewelry store” in the hotel district, and they lube you up with a free tequila tasting, then you have a sales person who follows you everywhere and points out all of the merchandise… you can’t just look alone in peace and quiet. Then he got angry when all I bought was a souvenir or two. The tour operator seemed to get annoyed, as well (turns out they get a kick-back from these places). Then they took us to another restaurant/souvenir shop, where another sales person followed us around and pointed at everything to explain it…I asked if we could shop alone and he just hovered a few feet nearby and his manager came over to try to pressure us, when we said we were just looking, he started yelling to the other employee “they’re JUST LOOKING… They aren’t buying anything… then he said a few choice words in Spanish.” I went and found our “tour guide” and said we were ready to go and that we didn’t want to bother with going to the shopping mall…just take us back to the resort. Since we were the only ones from our resort, he put us on a bus and sent us back to the hotel — very angrily, he told us that we would ride with the driver alone since we didn’t buy anything at “his store”. So that ruined a few hours of one day.

The rest of the trip was just marred by these aggressive sales tactics and I just wanted to relax. If they wouldn’t have been so annoying, I would recommend the hell out of the place. It’s beautiful, there’s lots of places to hangout in the expansive grounds, food was pretty good, they had decent shows most nights (except there were 3 weddings that week, which then means you don’t get a theater show those nights) , and the entertainment crew was very...

I’d like to take a moment to share my experience at this wonderful hotel. This was a surprise trip for my wife—she had no idea where we were going until we arrived. I was looking for a resort that offered top-level service, but I never imagined just how exceptional that service would be.

From the moment we arrived, the hospitality was outstanding. We were welcomed with cold towels to refresh and a glass of champagne. Then we were escorted to the most breathtaking lobby, perched high with panoramic views of the entire resort and the ocean in the background. From there, we were taken to a private check-in area, where everything about the hotel was explained to us in detail. The process was seamless and very professional—we truly felt like VIPs.

A VIP concierge then offered us a $200 credit to use throughout the resort for things like wine, spa treatments, or a romantic dinner. The only downside is that the credit is split across services and can’t be used all at once. Additionally, the concierge did try to persuade us to attend a Vacation Club presentation. While this felt a bit pushy, I politely declined and there was no pressure afterward—which I appreciated.

After check-in, the bellboy Jesus took us to our room. He was very helpful and knowledgeable, taking time to explain both the hotel amenities and room features. At checkout, despite a busy lobby, Jesus recognized us, retrieved our luggage, and brought around our valet vehicle. Excellent service from start to finish.

Room: We had a beautiful ocean-view room with a Jacuzzi, styled in a chic boho theme. The minibar was included and restocked daily. While it was technically ocean-view, the ocean was a bit far; we later found out that there are true oceanfront rooms available, which are directly on the beach. Merary, our housekeeper, did an amazing job tidying the room twice daily—once in the morning and once in the evening for turndown service. Thank you, Merary!

Pools: There are four pools on the property: a quiet pool near the lobby, an activity pool, an infinity pool, and a Preferred Guests pool. We spent most of our time at the activity pool—it’s close to the ocean and had a great vibe. Special thanks to our pool waiter Manuel, pool concierges Victor and Benny, and Celeste from the activity team. Their service truly made us feel like VIPs.

The infinity pool was quiet, with a stunning ocean view and an in-pool bar. The Preferred pool was also calm and tailored to Preferred Guests. The quiet pool near the lobby was peaceful and surrounded by lush greenery, though it did feel a bit crowded at times due to its smaller size.

Bars: There are bars throughout the resort, but we were slightly disappointed with the drinks—they were quite watered down, more like juice than cocktails. Given the price point of the resort, we expected higher-quality beverages. Perhaps this is intentional to avoid intoxicated guests, but it was noticeable. That said, kudos to the female afternoon server at Rendezvous Bar (I didn’t catch her name)—she took excellent care of us and even made a custom drink for my wife that wasn’t on the menu. This bar is a great place to relax before dinner, as it’s centrally located near the restaurants and features live music and activities in a beautifully designed space.

Restaurants: There’s an excellent variety of à la carte options: Italian, French, Asian, Mexican, seafood, and steakhouse. All were excellent. In addition, there’s a buffet, a snack bar serving burgers and wings, and a 24/7 coffee shop.

Beach: The beach is stunning—white sand with clear views of Isla Mujeres and two beachside bars. The only minor downside was the presence of sargassum, but the staff works hard to keep the beach clean and enjoyable.

Overall: This hotel is truly beautiful and relaxing, with impeccable service. The staff is welcoming and attentive, offering a warm and professional atmosphere. With a wide range of daily activities and plenty of serene spots to unwind, it’s perfect whether you're looking for excitement or peaceful...