BLUF; this resort is phenomenal and I can't imagine being disappointed with anything here.
I write this as citizen of the United States and part of the dying "middle class" which I think is important here because if you're like me, money and value for a romantic getaway is highly important these days! You could easily get lost in the negative reviews or one-off experiences of those who might do these trips all the time, and think maybe it's not worth the cost...but as always the age-old adage, "you get what you pay for" applys!
Our priorities were, in order:
1. Beach
2. Food
3. Relaxed atmosphere
4. Oceanfront Room
5. Premium feel (drinks, treatment, service, etc.)
1. Beach...I'm torn here. I'm still giving it a 5/5, but know going in that if you come between MAR-AUG, there is a very high chance you will have sargassum. This stuff is a beach-vibe murderer and it struck us HARD. It smells like absolute sewage and doesn't look much better...now, that said, the resort has ZERO control over this and worked every. single. day. from sunup to sundowns to battle this and did an unbelievable job so even though this was a massive letdown, you have to realize s#&! happens and the fact that the resort went to such lengths to fix the issue spoke volumes! Snorkeling opportunities are amazing here as well, but the private turtle-tour folks will hassle you if you go beyond the first buoys...they say its a protected area, but it seems like a money grab. Availability af beach lounges were never an issue, BUT...sargassum...ugh. most folks just stayed at the pool. Both beach and pool service was crazy good. (Shout out to my man Ricardo!) We mostly stayed on the right side which was preferred access (included for us with our room), but the normal beach had all the same service and lounge availability. The Bali beds are an upcharge, but might be worth it to avoid almost constant beach vendors trying to sell cigars, vapes, cigarettes, cover ups, hats, and other various items. Seems like beds were anywhere from $100-250 USD per day, but depending on levels it might include bottle service as well and dedicated service staff, so fwiw I guess.
2. Food...for an AI, the best I've ever had. 5/5 here easily. I am not a frequent all-inclusive person, but have been to a few more budget friendly ones in the past and although there was almost always LOTS of food and variety, very rarely was it excellent. Secrets Akumal delivers here! Maybe if you are a food snob or critic, you could critique things here and there, but I was impressed almost daily by one dish or another. The pool area always had lunch "pop-ups" that were amazing and all the dinner choices were solid tbh. If I had to critique anything, it would be the desserts which didn't really blow me away but I'm also not a big dessert guy. If anything, they might try a little too hard on the presentation of dinner which seemed to cause longer wait-times for some, but that didn't bother us...I'm in no hurry to do anything here! Lol
Must-try: guacamole, pizza, chicken wings, guacamole, quesadillas, chilaquiles, tamales, chorizo sausages, guacamole, grilled octopus (wife hated it lol), meats from the pool cook-out...pro-tip: have the guy carve a hunk of pork belly, skin and all, and indulge! Had like 6 people ask where the hell I got that omw back to my seat :), ice cream cone from the cart (listen for the bicycle horn!)
3. Relaxed atmosphere...solid 4/5. I was honestly surprised by how there are always noisy events going on, but you could always find a quiet area if you wanted. There are 3 pools; main (party), middle (vibe), and quiet (meh). Everything centers around the main pool, so there really is no avoiding the over-stimulation this area can be. I love a party-vibe, but I did get a little tired of the music blasting while ambient music was also being played from noon-2ish. That said, we just moved to the beach where it was quiet, breezy, beautiful, and perfect!...or at least it would have been (See above; sargassum). I guess I'd sum it up by saying you don't have to look far here to find peace and quiet...but you do have to look!
4. Oceanfront Room...3.5/5 We had a 3rd floor preferred oceanfront room. I intentionally splurged here since it was our 20th wedding anniversary and the beach was our priority. While it was directly facing the beach, I will say if this is your top priority, you might want to seek another resort. I won't get into the sob-story of how we accidentally ended up at Akumal (suffice it to say a travel agent forgot about us and Secrets maroma cancelled our reservation for their oceanfront room), but there is not what I would consider a direct oceanfront room option here. Closest you can get is a "private" swim-out, and you would still have to swim right back in to your room as you cannot access the private swim out any other way. This means you cannot physically "swim-out" to access the beach or any other part of the resort.
Don't get me wrong, our room was incredible! I just want people to know that although the view is killer, and we did have a nice stone bathtub on the balcony that we used more than we thought we would, we were a bit disappointed at the oceanfront wording.
5. Premium Feel...4.5/5. With the "oceanfront" suite, we also got access to the executive lounge and beach loungers. I really only would want this to get access to premium spirits as there were always plenty of loungers on the beach...I will say that the smell and sargassum probably had a lot to do with that, so take that for what it's worth. Service was always amazing. I can't think of one single instance where we felt unwelcome or even slighted by anyone. Our concierge was top-notch and went out of her way to make our stay special with happy anniversary banners, fresh flowers, desserts delivered to our room, etc...(Thank you so much Leidy!🥰). The room itself felt very upscale and the rainshower, outdoor tub, and whirlpool were all in perfect working order. The fridge was always restocked with beer, soda, and water. They encouraged you to use the included refillable insulated cups which were a great touch. They were free to use and only cost $6 each to take when you depart and we still use them even now as they are perfect for to-go beverages and stay cold for a long time! Servers were always attentive, clean-up crews were always hard at work, and managers were always checking on you to make sure everything was going well. This part may have been a bit much, but I also get why they do it so it doesn't bother me. On that note, I read a lot of complaints about loungers being taken when people leave, but they are VERY clear that if you leave, you forfeit your seat! I personally really like this as we never had an issue finding a spot anywhere. ( I think this is why the managers are always checking on people to make sure they are still there and no one from outside the resort is squatting since there are no wristbands...which I also liked a lot!)
Overall, this place is amazing and that is saying a lot since the biggest part of the trip was essentially ruined by nature. I can't wait to return and we aren't the type to visit the same place twice! I hope this review helps and wish you all a safe and happy trip!
