Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club — Restaurant in Quintana Roo

While we were a bit hesitant about the hotel due to some of the early reviews, I’m happy to say that we had a wonderful stay and the hotel is beautiful. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars, if possible.

The hotel is still being worked on in some areas, but this didn’t affect us at all, and the overall design is stately and elegant, with lots of high ceilings, greenery, and stonework. My only recommendation would be to add some signage about where the CoCo Cafe is, as we had to ask for directions - it was the only thing we couldn’t find on our own.

The food was delicious, with Olio and Bluewater Grill being our favorite restaurants. Antonio at the Bluewater Grill provided amazing service, and so did Raul during the Pandora show. The show had a cost, but it was a very cool experience, so I do recommend it. The special event dinners, such as for Valentine’s Day and Mexican Night also had good food. The Market Cafe had a great breakfast, and Adriana the hostess there was very helpful. However, the lunch was somewhat underwhelming, but had good variety.

The drinks were good, but the quality did vary between bars - the drinks at the restaurants and the Preferred Club pool were lovely, but the mix was slightly off at some of the other bars. Zareth’s assistance at the Preferred Pool was very appreciated, and so was Patricia’s at the main pool by Veranda. Both offered amazing poolside concierge service, such as setting up our towels, chairs, and umbrellas, and making sure we were well taken care of throughout the day.

The spa is quite charming, with a hydrotherapy area and multiple levels, and the service was impeccable. The spa receptionists David, Lizet, & Jennifer were very helpful. Our massage therapists, Daniel and Vernice provided very relaxing services. The fitness center is also well equipped and maintained.

The performers were all around amazing - we loved the fire and acrobatic performances; we looked forward to them each time. I especially loved the Mayan-themed ceremonies and performances, and I really enjoyed the use of face and body-paint during the Pandora show. They even offered face painting to us, which we happily accepted. A very neat touch that helped us feel immersed in the experience.

I also want to applaud the live music they had, which was an amazing touch. From a guitarist at Rendezvous in the evening to a saxophonist by the pool to an incredible singer/violinist at the Market Cafe in the morning, it was so lovely to have live music.

The Beach Club does require a shuttle, but it runa every 30 minutes on the hour and half-hour, and it takes about 15-20 minutes between the hotel and the beach. While the club is small, the staff there were very attentive and helpful, with Carla and Yuliana on the Entertainment Team standing out especially. Carla sat with us and showed us how to make beaded lizards, which was really fun and a very personal touch. Thank you, Carla!

However, we did encounter two snafus - on our last day we ordered lunch at Veranda and waited for over 45 minutes. When we asked about our food, it had apparently been given to another table. They were very apologetic and remade our order and brought it out, but it was definitely not their best moment. We also had set up some light breakfast to be delivered to the room at 5am on the day of departure, as our transfer back to the airport was at 5:45am, and no breakfast was available anywhere due to the early hour. I set it up with Jonathan at the Preferred Club, but when 5am rolled around and no room service was delivered, I called to inquire and found that it had never been scheduled. Stephen was properly apologetic, but it was not his fault. Thankfully we had thought ahead and save some pastries from CoCo Key and there’s an espresso machine and orange juice in the room, so we made do. It wasn’t a great way to end the stay, but I know things happen and I appreciate the honesty and the apology.

If you’ve made it this far, then I applaud you. Overall our stay was amazing, and I hope you give the resort a chance, as it is...

My wife and I are regular Hyatt Hotels customers for many years. We have experienced many of their hotels, from Hyatt itself to Secrets, Dreams and Breathless. While we enjoyed our 3-night stayed, we feel like this resort needs some fine tuning to get things up to Secrets standards.

Check-In: Upon arriving we were greeted by their friendly staff. However, there was a big overlook by reception. Our room was in the preferred level, which has its own separate check-in section. Instead, we were checked-in by the general reception without a proper tour and explanation of what’s included with in the preferred level. We had to find out throughout our stay where was the members lounge, preferred restaurants, bars and pool.

Timeshare / Vacation Club: After checking in, a VIP employee will offer you “resort money” that can be used for discounts at the spa, dinners and more. This in exchange of a 2 hour breakfast presentation at their sister resort. The problem is that they’re very persistent and can become annoying. This is the last thing I want to do in a vacation.

Food & Drinks: We found the food and drinks to be good overall and up to Secrets standards, although this resort can use another restaurant for dinner. The only options available are Olio (Mediterranean), Jasmine (Asian/Peruvian) and Bluewater Grill (steakhouse). This can get repetitive if you stay for more than 3 nights.

Entertainment: As usual for a Secrets, this is more of a relaxed and chill resort vibe. While it’s located at heart of Tulum, it is not considered a party hotel. However, there are some activities planned throughout the week like pool parties, salsa classes, silent disco and more.

Beach Club: We liked that the beach club provided a different ambiance. The hotel had a relaxed “in the middle of the jungle” vibe, while the beach club was more upbeat. The resort provides a free shuttle that runs every 30 minutes until 4:00PM. The last shuttle coming back to the hotel at 5:00 PM was one of the highlights of our trip. It was mixture of a safari and a party bus that takes a shortcut through the jungle. The entertainment guys at the shuttle kept everyone entertained with great party music selection.

Customer Service: The service was good but inconsistent. In addition to the issues we found with the check-in process and the pool entertainment team, some employees throughout the resort were not up the 5 star customer service standard we are used to from Secrets. Some restaurants felt understaffed and the service was rushed. I’m guessing since this resort is new, the staff is still being trained and its operations are still being optimized.

A critique I would like to provide is regarding the lack of professionalism from the head of the entertainment team in charge of the pool party at the Edgewater pool, which was also the MC (picture attached). He refused to play any Latin music stating that anything other than their House music mix and Hip Hop was prohibited by Hyatt. This was surprise to me as I have heard Latin music at the beach club shuttle bus and other Secrets resorts. His argument was that they need to play “international” music. If this is true, Hyatt should be more inclusive and incorporate Latin music in their pool party playlist. Not only is this Resort in a Latin country, but many of their guests were Latinos. I’m also sure others who aren’t Latinos and travel to Mexico for vacation would appreciate just some Latin music incorporated in the playlist.

Something else I would like to address is regarding a security concern around the resort. As this property is not on a resort strip or complex, it sits right next to a public road. I noticed a short wooden fence divides portions of the resort and the public road. I’m sure they’re cameras around there. However, it just felt a bit unsafe for comfort. Perhaps the resort can consider a better fence and/or security method.

Despite these issues, we kept in mind that this resort is new and had a good time. We look forward to Secrets improving and fine tuning their...

First off, my wife and I had an awesome experience at this resort. You can find my full review on Tripadvisor.ca, as the whole thing wouldnt fit here.

The resort has immaculate vibes. The soft chill house playing around the resort is a nice touch along with the essential oils burning. I noticed that alot. The rooms are large, modern, clean and well appointed. We loved the fixtures, mirrors and the beds/bedding was very comfortable. There is clean, soft sand at the pools and lobby area, cool touch. Our fridge was well stocked and we used the room service twice which was good. The bathtub on the balcony overlooking the resort was so peaceful and relaxing at night. The AC took a minute to figure out, but all good. We were close to the lobby, so we had a fair bit of foot traffic past our room. This is fine during the day, but as a light sleeper, noisy late night hallway guests were annoying. That is at no fault of the resort. More just younger people enjoying their vacation.

The Beach Club. Wow. We loved going there everyday. 15 min shuttle and a nice little cruise through a Tulum road with shops, clubs and bars to look around at on the shuttle.

Side note - some reviews are bitching about the shuttle and the fact that the resort is not on the beach? Did you even look at a map before booking or read the resort description? Give your head a shake. The resort is clearly in the jungle, like much of Tulum, and the transport is quick and free. Give me a break and how rude it is to leave a poor review based on that. Do your research before booking.

Anyways. Walking into the beach club is super cool, right through the jungle then BOOM! Restaraunt, pools, day beds, loungers, bar, fire grill in the fenced area. Beyond that is the oceanfront with a good 40-50 loungers. Too hot for me. We stayed put on a day bed most. The tacos here were the best weve had to date, same with the skewers. I probably had 20 mojitos there. 'Skinny Mojito' as Leisy says LOL! The servers Leisy, Cristian and the others were very attentive. The entertainment crew, Jonny, got me out for my first beach volleyball game and he caught me a lizard! What a beauty! He was a lot of fun, i dont know where he gets the energy. The real stand outs of the beach club were Isreal at the bar, great smile and vibes. Alejandro the head Chef came out to meet us after our praise of the cooking, very nice. Adan and Mike are the managers. You need towels, a bed, a seat, shade, sun, drink, food - whatever. These guys made certain we had a great time every day and we really enjoyed the service the offered us and everyone around us. Great team members all around at the beach.

The food was great. We enjoyed the Market for breakfast every morning. Yitziah really went above and beyond and was very nice and happy. Great smile, very genuine. The servers were all professional, quick and happy to help. The dinners were 5 star. The Jasmine was where the Mrs wanted to go, so we did, alot. So many options and fun things to try that may not make it to your plate back home. The Matcha Lava Cake dessert was deadly good. Fernando, Sanitago, Miguel all made sure we had what we needed. Wonderful experience at all the dining. One night we went mid-later evening, so it was a bit busier than the 6-8pm slot.

The front end staff were beyond friendly, I don't think we met anyone that was not in a good mood and happy to see us or help in any way. The guys at the front work so hard and truly made us feel very welcome. A big shout out to my amigos - Luis, Edel, Ricardo, William, Vladamir, and Samuel. These guys were a big highlight for me, always high fiving and saying whatsup. I skipped the front desk and just went to these guys when i needed something. Questions on the resort, directions, cab, baggage, these guys have it covered. Thanks guys again for all the laughs and good times, we had alot of fun hanging out. The front end staff are the first and last people you see when you arrive and depart, these guys were outstanding and will leave a lasting...