Catalonia Riviera Maya - All Inclusive

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

3030 reviews

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  The magic of Mexico

  On arrival I found this hotel underwhelming and lacking the wow factor. After a few days I was grateful for the fact everything is so compact and it’s not far to walk between pools and bars. The restaurants were all excellent the food was amazing we only got 4 bookings though for the 11 nights we were here so I would recommend looking at the upgrade to premium for the beloved restaurant if you get fed up of the general buffet style restaurants. The staff are all so friendly they made the holiday special all really helpful. The entertainment in the theatre was fantastic we throughly enjoyed the shows. Bring your water shoes for the sea and your mosquito spray and plenty of small notes for tips. Don’t mind all the wildlife round the hotel. We had a taxi to playa del carmen for shopping but it was so expensive and I hate haggling so wouldn’t recommend it really just for shopping. We loved our boat trip but cancan was a long bus journey if you want lots of trips you want be better staying down that way. Mexico is a fabulous place to visit we will be back again in the future.

  Sep 10, 2025
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  Too much inconsistency & unprofessionalism - Research before you visit

  Site technical glitches & staff lack of knowledge over their own room layouts caused much confusion upon check-in. Schedule inconsistencies w/ dining halls(e.g. differed from posted time on website, increasingly early closing times, closed on some nights), constant reception & guest service troubleshooting for basic issues(e.g. Excursion info not updated) and dining staff were sometimes unprofessional, passive aggressive, or even hostile(ignoring guest orders, directly taking food from guests, confrontation w/ guests). Room amenities themselves were really well maintained & Privilege room was beautiful. Room service food was average. Juice bar was impressive. Food was hit/miss but most places used sugar substitutes for beverages, which I wasn’t aware & am not used to. Entertainment staff were professional-level, had great music at the nightclub, and this place’s saving grace. One star is for them, other is for the room. If you’re looking for a low-key place to vibe out & be left alone w/ minimal staff interaction w/o being catered or even addressed this is the place for you; otherwise be prepared to be treated very poorly, b/c Catalonia just does not have the capability to rise to the occasion above the bare minimum. Never met my travel representative (Amstar, overseen by Travel Impressions) until the final day upon checkout, where I had to locate & for help, which I immediately regretted. The interaction left such a stain on my experience, I reached out to Catalonia & Travel Impressions afterward. Can’t ever see myself returning.

  Sep 07, 2025
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  respect the gym opening hours

  I’ve been a loyal client for a long time, but lately the gym has not been opening on time. On two consecutive mornings the doors were still closed at 6:49 and only opened at 7:00, leaving several members waiting outside. Unfortunately, the trainer in charge, Yael, did not handle the situation professionally and offered no apology. For the cost of membership, clients deserve better reliability and respect. Management could easily resolve this by ensuring staff are punctual, opening at the advertised time, and handling complaints in a courteous and professional manner.

  Sep 03, 2025
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  Wonderful Staff and Spa, but Overall Experience Fell Short

  We stayed at Catalonia Riviera Maya for 7 days and 6 nights. Overall, there were definitely some highlights, but also some frustrations that left us deciding not to return. The Good: The support staff was amazing. Waiters, housekeepers, and bartenders were consistently kind, welcoming, and professional. The food was good with eclectic menus, and the restaurant staff really made the dining experience enjoyable. The pool areas were well-maintained with plenty of seating. Our room was beautiful, spacious, and very clean. We upgraded to Privileged status, which allowed us to enjoy the private pool and beach areas daily. BLoved was excellent on most visits, with the exception of our first night. The hydro spa and massage at the spa were incredible. The spa staff was amazing, and the overall experience was relaxing, rejuvenating, and one of the best parts of our stay. The Not So Good: Upon arrival, after nearly 16 hours of travel, we were exhausted. Unfortunately, check-in was overshadowed by a salesman who essentially hijacked the process to push a "breakfast invitation" tied to their Travelers Club presentation. Because of this, the front desk rushed us through, gave us our bands, and provided zero information about restaurants, pools, towel cards, or even our room number. We had to go back to ask. We were told by the salesman that we had been “chosen” for this presentation because our profile matched what they felt would be a good fit for their exclusive Travelers Club. That was disheartening—especially since we paid for the Privileged upgrade—because instead of relaxing, we felt targeted for a sales pitch. It’s not a good business practice when you’ve chosen to spend your vacation time and money to simply enjoy yourself. Drinks throughout the resort were disappointing—generally weak and inconsistent. At checkout, we were charged $30 USD each for two missing towel cards, for a total of $60. We were never advised that towel cards needed to be returned to the front desk upon checkout, and this felt like an unfair surprise fee. Not a great way to end a vacation—it left us leaving the resort disgruntled and unhappy. Our first experience at BLoved was negative, as the waitress seemed irritated we were there, did not offer dessert, and ignored drink refills. I’m usually laid back and go-with-the-flow, but between the pushy sales tactics, lack of clear communication, and frustrating charges, I don’t see myself returning to a Catalonia resort. There are plenty of other resorts in Mexico where guest experience comes first, and that’s where I’ll spend my vacations moving forward.

  Aug 26, 2025
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  Fantastic all inclusive

  We stopped at this hotel at the end of July 2025 for 2 weeks. We had upgraded to privilege as there was an offer from Tui to do so. The staff were all so helpful and welcoming. The only one we did try to avoid was the guy trying to push the Exclusive package. I can’t remember his name but apparently it translates to ‘lettuce’ in English! He was the only one we disliked, all other staff members were friendly and helpful. Having a family of ridiculously picky eaters, this was one concern. However, the buffet was fantastic and my daughter and husband would choose that over a restaurant! The food started for breakfast and didn’t stop until about 10pm! In the day, as well as the buffet, there was also the steak house where you could get tacos, burgers, chips etc, or the toastie place and the crepe place was amazing (my daughter had about 6 crepes a day)! I would definitely recommend the steak house for an evening meal- the steak was amazing! Pools and rooms were all spotless and drinks plentiful - from the smoothie bar to any alcohol you could wanted. Great hotel and would absolutely recommend!

  Aug 22, 2025