Catalonia Privileged Maroma - All Inclusive - Playa del Carmen

The beach and water itself is lovely, but by lining up a myriad of old and uncomfortable lounge chairs, and then allowing everyone to reserve the shaded ones early in the AM (as well as the pool lounges), despite the signs; they ruin the experience. Though the service staff means well and is very nice, the food is deplorable and it's tough to find anything […] that doesn't look disgusting, even among simple foods like hot dogs. The room we received after paying for an elevated, or "Privileged" status, had a balcony wall 6 feet high, so it had the feel of a small prison. The guests they have here are largely European (French mostly, some Spanish), and perhaps they don't mind the circus atmosphere or lack of good food, though I really didn't see any of the French folks at dinner. Perhaps they spend the $22 taxi fare each way to downtown Playa Del Carmen for a decent meal they had to pay for, but actually enjoy. Overall, I would never recommend that anyone stay here, ever. It looks like a good deal, but not worth the hassle for the money, since once you arrive, the management and people in charge of cuisine have made it clear they really don't care if you ever want to come back. I really wish I had stayed at one of the Mayakoba resorts, even if I had to pay more for a non-inclusive and get better meals. Will make the best of this trip, but this hotel basically ruined it for me. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We booked this hotel for our honeymoon. My wife is fluent in Spanish. I speak a little, and we both speak very good English. Neither of these are attributes that get you good service at this hotel. If you speak French or sunbathe in the nude, you're in like flint. We were consistently ignored by wait staff and bartenders while European guests were shown […] the most preferential treatment. We booked the hotel for 5 nights, but left after 4. Our room was cleaned only twice. We made our own bed. We waited on ourselves at the restaurants. After waiting 2 hours, we were brought the wrong meal at one of the restaurants. The European guests were belligerently rude towards us. The mini was a tiny Fridgidaire stocked with a few water bottles. When it was brought up that this was no "bar" I was handed 2 cans of beer. When we brought our complaints to guest services, the best accommodation they could offer was to clean our room and leave a surprise, which turned out to be flower petals sprinkled on our bed. This in no way compensated for our frustrations. This was our honeymoon, and we expected better. When we checked out early, the front desk staff was rude and would not accept our pesos or dollars for additional charges, as was promised upon check in. Being that my wife is from this area of Mexico, we are planning many more trips to the area, but we will not be staying here. If you're European, this is the place for you. If you're Western, move on down the road. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Resort is gorgeous, well maintained and food is great. Frustration wi th photos, they don't open on schedule and lines get long. But that was only complaint. Bartenders do NOT short the booze. Yes lots of Europeans ...they are allowed to vacation too. We were with friends this time but have stayed here as a couple and had no problem. We go for the relaxing […] on the beach. The beach...the reason to go. Will be going back. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We vacationed in August, which the hotel was very European focused and not much American. We stayed in the "Privileged" accommodations, which the rooms were basic. The view was of the interior area and not much to see. This was our honeymoon, and a bottle of champaign was delivered to our room. A plate of fruit was delivered, but the next morning lots […] of ants were feasting. Make sure you do NOT bring food into the room. The food was very good and the portions appeared small, the amount was perfect. And since it is an all inclusive, you could order more. The beach was FANTASTIC! The area was very clean (and was cleaned up each morning). The sand did not feel hot compared to other resorts we've stayed. There were NO rocks when entering into the water. The entertainment team was always engaging the guests in Italian, French or Spanish. The employees respond well when tipped. You'll receive better service all the way around. I would recommend visiting for the food and beach area as well as pool area. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Nice beach. Friendly staff. Good food and 4 restaurants.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Mostly European visitors so if your American/English prepare to partial understand Spanish or one of the five languages that the hotel staff know and speak. The staff is friendly and accomodating. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Definitely catered to Europeans which is not a problem except most of them smoke. There were very few non-smoking areas. The lobby/bar area could use some improvements; there is absolutely no circulation inside. The main eating area (buffet) was also stifling hot. More than one front desk person was very unhelpful. Those are the negatives. All the other […] areas of the resort were beautiful and clean. The pool area was excellent; there was never a problem finding a spot. The beach area was also a great alternative with plenty of lounge chairs in the shade or the sun. The staff overall was friendly and helpful. The room was comfortable and clean. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

(me and my boyfriend vacatione here) The hotel was beautiful but was disappointed that there was no swim up bar. We checked in and had no TV remote. It took them until the 3rd day to replace it. The staff was extremely friendly and went out of their way to say hello. However the other guest were a little rude. They snubbed us when we said hello and […] walked us off of the pathways. We wernt going to let it ruin our trip but of youre one that wants to socialize with others then this isn't your place. We spent most of our time on the beach because the pool was wayyy too warm and overcrowded with kids. Plus the beach was absolutely beautiful. We were a little confused though on the package. We bought and all inclusive but had to wear wristbands and there were a few restaurants we wernt allowed to eat at without an extra charge. That didn't seem very "all-inclusive" to me. It was a nice place but not wonderful enough for us to return. It's worth checking out but next time we'll go to an adults only resort and with a group of friends. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The location is excellent but this hotel is very European, the food is terrible and the drinks are not good. The staff is not very attentive and it seems like most hate working there. I really tried to keep an open mind even thoughI read a lot of bad things on trip advisor but this place really disappointed me. I do have to say that this beach is the […] best beach but I would never stay here or recommend it to anyone. And just a little tip, this hotel does not take American money like most resorts in the area. So if you want to buy anything at the gift shop you have to exchange currency. They do take euros, Canadian money and francs.. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This was our second stay at this hotel, and we will not go back again. Several things have changed for the worse: Negatives: restaurant service. For the ten days that we were there, we never had timely service when we sat down to eat at any of their "fine-dining" restaurants. Numerous times we waited over an hour to get our food. Be ready to wait!! […] Not fun! On several occasions we saw numerous couples leave the restaurant upset because their food never came. We had to get two rooms. We ended up with a privileged room and a standard room. The standard room is horrible. It's your basic rundown motel 6 room. I also read some reviews that guests noted hotel staff would come into the rooms in the evening to drop off towels. We experienced this as well. The staff just knocks and walks in; almost as if they want to catch you in the act. Not cool. I also saw a male staff member look in the girls restroom in the lobby right after some ladies had walked in. Not cool either! stores are sometimes closed during "open hours" for inventory. I had to beg the clerk to let me in so I could buy benadryl for my son. She was very hesistant due to "las politicas del hotel." Bad business model to close during open hours! Positives: Beach is awesome. That's the one thing that hasn't changed! Tips: if you're looking for a nightlife, definitely don't stay here. Get a hotel in Cancun. Don't be fooled with their disco. Nobody dances there. We will never return to this resort Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Excellent beaches, food is okay, rooms are recently renovated and very cozy. Entertainment is not up to par.

Genuine Expedia guest review

We started our visit with a welcome drink in the lobby. We were then taken to the Privileged office for check in. Went very smooth. I had asked that all three of our rooms be close by or at least in the the same building. They did better than that. We had three beautiful rooms that had a beautiful view of the ocean and pool. The staff goes above and […] beyond to make your stay a great one. We arrived and were starving. We went for a walk and a came upon the beach bar. We must have looked lost because a wonderful waiter, Juan helped us and took us upstairs for a meal. As a Privileged member we could eat at the Tapas restaurant during lunch anytime. From that day till the very last Juan made sure we had everything we needed. He deserves a raise as do all the employees. They all work so hard and always have a smile on. The activity staff also does a terrific job of seeing if you want to participate and if not they do not pester you. My only wish was that they offered one area that had air conditioning. But would not trade our beautiful time for anything. The food is okay. What everyone says about the buffet is true. Great selection and very tasty desserts. The other restaurants were just okay. The Mexican and Tapas far exceeded the other two. We also very much enjoyed the coatis. We are thinking very much of going back again next year. Third trip to Mexico and this place was the most peaceful and relaxing. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The location of resort was away from playa so it required transportation for everything. The road to the resort very bad. The walk from lobby to rooms very long walk. The rooms set up not pleasant the beds not comfortable headboards and beds not joined. Poor lighting, the tv blurry, the drains in sink were slow, shower was dirty, the water had a nasty […] smell. The coupon situation with the meals was very stupid. What was the point of all inclusive if I needed coupons. The restaurants took for ever. The buffet and lunch were always the same. The food was not tasty and the drinks were no good. The pools set up was all confusing. Everything was timed no food available late. No room service. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We enjoyed our stay at the Catalonia Privileged Beach. If you upgrade to "Privileged" you apparently get a better room and more dining options. If that is the case I would go with the upgrade. Our room was nice - but the air did not work well. There was no air in the common areas either. This added to the experience - but I did miss my a/c. I enjoyed […] the food and drinks. I thought it was lame you needed a ticket to eat dinner - but oh well. I loved the pool and the beach. There were lots of chairs at both with shade. Walk south past Secrets and look for a couple that give beach side massages at an abandoned hotel. They were great - only $40 for an hour massage! We went with several couples - adults only trip. There were not that many kids at this hotel - that made us happy for this trip. There were a lot of Europeans - but we came with our own group of folks so it didn't make a difference to us to meet new people. If you want to meet new people - do not come to this hotel. No one is overly rude - but at the same time no one was interested in socializing. Don't come here if you don't like walking. The hotel is spread out and the lobby is a long walk to the beach and pool. I enjoyed my stay very much. I might try out another hotel next time though. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The food is okay. Nothing was great. You'll get full but nothing was delicious. The best part is the beach. Gorgeous!!! Lots of Europeans, mainly French and Italian . They were overall not polite. Many times they would cut in line or walk right into the two of us when they were in large groups. Not a family friendly place with many topless ladies (mostly […] older ones!) Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

As a disclaimer this was our first experience at an all-inclusive and our first stay on the "Riviera Maya." The beach was gorgeous--beautiful, clear, sandy, no rocks whatsoever--fun to swim in. The staff was very friendly although very few spoke good english. There were a lot of european visitors--many different nationalities. Some smoking. Some topless […] sunbathing. We didn't take part in the activities or go to the theater. Our priviledged room in Bldg. 6 was very nice. The bed was a little hard and I would have appreciated more light near the mirror in the bathroom. But these were pretty minor. The buffet food was fine--better for breakfast than dinner. We tried 3 restaurants and all had excellent service and good-enough food. The buildings are spread out and the paths through the jungle foilage are nice. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This is an amazing hotel. It is right on the beach. The room was big, clean, with great service. The walk through jungle to the dining hall was fun, we saw monkeys and lizards. The guests were mostly European. The food was excellent.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Overall, it's a very nice resort with lots of guests from Europe. Felt like I was truly abroad. The stuff was very nice and polite. The landscaping was beautiful, it's just nice to walk around the resort. But the best part was the beach. Spectacular!!! The food was very good, no complaints here whatsoever. Lots of variety, everything was fresh. I […] would definitely go back! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We stayed at this hotel for one week and had the priviliged package. This hotel is pleasing and comfortable. We stayed in a priviliged room, it was nicely decorated and good size. The hotel property is spacious, everything is nicely layed out, clean, and there is plenty of space for everyone by the pool and on the beach. The ala carte restaurants and […] tapas restaurant are nice and the food is pretty good. We were allowed to have 3 dinners at the ala carte and 1 dinner at tapas. The creperie by the pool serves sweet and savory crepres and ice cream deserts and is a very nice touch. Couple times lunch was also served on the beach; paella and grilled fresh fish. Priviliged guests can also eat ala cart lunch at the tapas restaurant. While the menu is rather limited, the service and comfort make up for it. The snack room and the buffet were dissapointing. The snack room needs a major renovation and gave me a very bad first impression. The buffet is open-air, which could be miserable in the summer, and the food selection is much more limited than I've seen in similary ranked resorts in Mexico. Overall, we had a pleasent stay. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Very good experience! We were a family with two little children and our main preoccupation was the quality and suitability of food available at resort's restaurants, as our experience of other "all inclusive" resorts in the past was disappointing from this point of view. We were pleased to find a good variety of foods suitable also for our young children. […] The resort is spacious, well set within local vegetation and does not spoil the natural landscape. The beach is fantastic. There is the towel game to get the best places on the beach or on the pool side, and you need to go pretty early in the morning to succeed, between 6 and 7 AM. Personnel is good and serviceable. Mini-market is not well stocked, so if you need anything particular, beyond suncream and basic amenties, you better get these things before reaching the hotel. A good experience indeed. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We had the most exquisite time in this charming hotel

Genuine Expedia guest review

Although the hotel was as expected as far as rooms, cleanliness, beach, etc. The management was unable to grasp the fact that I was alone, yet traveling with a group of nine. When I finally got my room it was on a different floor and the other side of the building from all of my friends. It took until 3:30 the next day to give me a better located room. […] There is no pricing available for a single person- I paid for 2! In addition, they were unable to seat a group of 9 at the specialty restaurants. We ended up eating at the buffet in order to sit together. For a VIP hotel, this inability to fix what should have been minor issues means we will NOT be back. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Loved the place , we were sooo sad to leave . Beautiful beach , sand is like cotton, absolutely gorgeous place. Food: Loved buffet better than any other restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You always had plenty of choice and very tasty dishes. Tapas restaurant was piece of art took pictures of every single dish. They not only looked good, tasted […] good too. Staff: was very nice we from the beginning were in privileged area building # 6 which was close to the pool, beach few restaurants and bar. Staff was so attentive , always left room spotless , beach were clean, not to full so spot were guaranteed . Entertainment: was nice but we did not care participating in any of the games. Night shows were good comparing to many other resort we stayed. p.s. Don't be greedy , tip your staff and they will treat you as Gods, we did so and we are sooooo happy with the service of this hotel we definitely coming back to Catalonia Playa Maroma & Privileged Beach Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

I have stayed in Mexico, many different resorts always with a group of 12, this time we were 9. The hotel knew how many of us were arriving and should have been accomadating to us as far as making sure they had tables available at the main restaurants for us. First time we were seated 4 and 5 far away from one another. Next time, we tried the Steak […] house and told they could not do the table for 9 or even 5. We could try and come back at 9:15pm, mind you we got there at 6:30. Also, a table was made up in both restaurants for a large group. The men that worked at the bars & buffet were and nice and accomadating to us, we also tipped them. The women always seemed annoyed or had an attitude when asked them for anything. The beach is beautiful and so is the pool. People rush for chairs at 5am and one time we got to the pool by 8 and one French women tried to throw our towels and belongings off the chairs so her group could sit where we were. Thanks to a very nice Canadian man, he told her that the seats were ours and she left in a huff. During our stay, we were a handful that spoke English, mostly French was spoken but thanks to the bartendars and Jhonny, they always made us feel welcome. We came back from an excursion and other people on our bus from various hotels and they were laughing as we entered the road to our complex as it is not paved and many potholes. That should be fixed, not a good first impression, also get bar stools. Don't plan on going back or recommending. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We loved our stay at the Catalonia. IT WAS AMAZING - the beach was incredible. The service was attentive and nice. The only issues with our stay were that the Mexican restaurant and everything associated with it were spectacularly bad (we had lunch and dinner at that place the first day, and got really depressed. The rest of the food was MUUUCH better). […] Also, we didn't understand all of the events at the resort or the "perks" of our Privileged reservation until part way through our trip. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Really enjoyed our stay the Catalonia Playa Maroma (we booked privilege) its good to know the full name to the hotel, as the taxi service at airport can't get you there! Beach was fantastic, service was wonderful, I thought it was worth what we spent and the privileged was a bonus. The rooms were great, restraunts were okay, Italian was fantastic, Terrace […] was great, Mexican yummy, and the buffet was actually very well done. Location is a little far from Play del Carmen, about $25 each way for taxi, and when you get picked up for excurstions most are pretty far away, so it takes awhile to get there. Overall I really enjoyed it, take advantage of the activities, its just hard to find out about them. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

It rained almost continuously while we were there, it was still an ok and relaxing vacation, we swam between the cloudbursts. The ocean was closed, but it looked nice. The food was mostly good, the buffet had theme nights, we only got one dinner at a premium restaurant in our package. The basic rooms only get showers, all the pictures on the website […] are from the suites. It is quite a healthy walk from one end of the resort to the other, from the buffet to the beach. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Catalonia Privileged Beach All Inclusive was fabulous! From the moment we got there until the second we left the customer service was amazing! All of the hotel staff was very helpful and attentive. They all spoke English, Spanish and many other languages so there was not too much of a language barrier. The hotel itself was perfectly maintained. I would […] reccomend this hotel to everyone! The food was wonderful as well. We were there in October so it was during thier slow season so there was NO wait or reservations needed at any of the restaurants or bars. The only downside was the bumpy, dirt road leading to the hotel. But once you arrived at that beautiful beach it was WELL worth the ride! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This resort is like a place that's trying to be high-end but the service is SO awkward. My husband and I felt like we never got a chnace to be alone here, the service people were always in your face. I would say that they had no joke, 3 times too many workers there. Even at night, there were tons of workers everywhere checking on you, no privacy or […] relaxation here at all. The atmosphere is kind of dirty, not a honeymoon place to be or even a genuinely romantic place to be. Even for partiers - it was pretty boring. I would recommend staying in a higher end hotel or a resort thats right in PLAYA. This was on the outskirts of Playa del Carmen. Next time, I would pick a resort that is a chain or name brand, don't pick the cheapest one (and most local one) like we did!!! (bad mistake) Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The beach was beautiful and the food was very good. There was only one pool which was very warm, that's my only complaint

Genuine Expedia guest review

We chose this hotel after reading the reviews on here. When we arrived at the front gate of our hotel we had no idea we'd have to travel 10 minutes on a very bumpy, rutted dirt road. The front desk wasn't the nicest to us, btw, we are a very relaxed traveling couple not looking to complain about every little thing. We upgraded to a honeymoon room which […] was great, it had a hot tub on the patio and was always clean. The mini bar had 2 beers in it, that's it. The beach is absolutely beautiful, and the wait service is great out there, as it is in all the restaurants. The food however really isn't the great and doesn't change too much day to day. It was fairly bland except the breakfast was decent. Please don't pass up the chance to go to Chitzen Itza! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Catalonia Maroma/Privileged Beach was a very nice place. The beach was beautiful and very clean. The rooms were nicely updated, well appointed, and comfortable although most do not have any ocean view. The balcony was a nice feature, the pool very large and pretty. The staff was all very friendly and attentive. We never had any issues getting drinks […] or food and rarely had to wait if ever. The food at the ala carte restaurants was good and the presentation impressive. The buffet was not bad, not great, but not bad either. The selection was not huge especially for main dishes, but they usually had some tasty pastas, rices and vegetables. The creperie was a neat feature. The bars will use top shelf liquors if you ask for them. The road leading to the hotel is ridiculously bumpy and pretty long, which I definitely think the hotel should fix, but nonetheless worth the trip down the bumpy road to relax at this hotel. This is our 4th Caribbean vacation, so I feel like I have a fairly good grasp of what to expect. All in all this was a nice place and I would not hesitate to go back. People who are complaining about this place probably spend their lives complaining about everything all of the time. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

I am amazed by this hotel and the staff. I can't speak more highly of it. They keep the place immaculately clean and the beach had smooth sand with no rocks or coral. The room was nice and modern and stayed nice and cool. The bartenders are not stingy about pouring you a good stiff drink actually I never was served a drink that was watered down. The […] buffet is awesome. So many choices and the food is all delicious! Everyone is so friendly and they care if u are having a good time. I can't wait to go back next year. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

the hotel is well maintaned,very good service.the intertaiment staff works very hard from morning till midnight, but the is noch of the food to select. There are no fruits sometimes, only one kind of meat,no paper napkings.the aircondition works onlly in one restourant.

Genuine Expedia guest review

We booked this trip 9 months prior to taking the trip after lots of research and reading fantastic reviews. Everything good that we heard was definitely true, beautiful beach and exceptional top notch service by the staff. Everything about our stay was perfect even with our 17 month old baby along. The staff are beyond kind and go out of their way to […] make your vacation the best. And the beach....I would go back just for the beautiful beach. I would recommend this resort to anyone and we already have! We just got back and are already hoping to return next year. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This was our second time to Catalonia Playa Maroma April 30 - May 7 2011. This time was even better then the last. Food was good, we had a privileged room and it was clean and nice. Entertainment staff was energetic and fun. If you are looking for an English speaking crowd there are some but it seemed mostly French. All of the staff was very helpful […] and very nice. If you are looking for a relaxing hotel this is the one. Roberto the concierge is wonderful and goes out of his way to help. Some children, The beach is gorgeous and like powder. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

THIS PLACE IS NOT ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE STAYED AT. BAD XPERIENCE HERE BUT WE MADE THE BEST OF IT. ITS FUNNY EVERYTHING IS PRICED IN US DOLLARS, BUT THEY DONT TAKE DOLLARS???MOST STAFF HAS NO CLUE OF WHAT YOU ARE SAYING WHEN YOU ASK FOR SOMETHING, VERY FRUSTRATING, THEY CATER MOSTLY TO THE EUROPEANS AND MEXICANS THEIR. NOT TO FRIENDLY TO ENGLISH SPEAKING […] GUESTS. WILL NOT GO BACK HERE AND WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TO PEOPLE. THE BEACH IS GREAT , FOOD IS OK, BUT WE MET OTHER ENGLISH SPEAKING COUPLES AND MADE THE BEST OF OUR TRIP. THEIR IS NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO WHEN YOUR STUCK DOWN THEIR. I WILL SAY THAT COCO BONGO IS A MUST IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN....THE ENTERTAINMENT STAFF AT THIS HOTEL ROCKED, AND THEY REALLY WORKED HARD. THE FRONT DESK AND MANAGERS NEED TO GO.... CESAR AND ANTONIO THE BARTENDERS REALLY MADE OUR TRIP ALOT BETTER WITH THERE DRINKS AND KINDNESS, THEY NEED A RAISE! ALL IN ALL I WOULD NOT STAY HERE AGAIN, I HOPE THEY CHANGE ALOT OF THINGS....ALSO WHO WANTS TO GO ON VACATION AND SLEEP IN TWO DOUBLE BEDS, WE BOOKED A KING, AND GOT TWO DOUBLES, WAS NOT HAPPY AND HOTEL SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING....WAY TO GO EXPEDIA, AND THE HOTEL DROPS THE BALL!!! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Our first time to PDC and did not know what to expect. The property is well maintained and very clean. Staff is polite and friendly. The privileged rooms are decent, however do be aware of ant problems. Food is average (to be expected for all-inclusive resorts) avoid the steakhouse (Tortuga), Tapas lounge is good (Terrace) as is the Italian restaurant […] and the Creperie is wonderful for an afternoon snack. Caters mainly to European clientele and family friendly. Gorgeous beach with angel fish swimming in the shallows. Decent resort for the price. If you are looking for luxury stay in Mayakoba. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

amazing beach very well maintained. staff was friendly and attentive, Spanish language skills and tipping really open things up. food was good for an all inclusive. room was nice and bed was great, however air conditioning kept the room just cool enough. actually saw a worker spraying the grounds for inects and it seemed to work as we had no problems […] with bites. not a good place for nightlife Playa del Carmen has plenty of bars and is $20 cab ride. pesos work better than dollars, best to get them from an atm, this hotel does not accept dollars at any of the gift shops. overall a great place for a laid back vacation, true value for such a low price. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Me and my family had a wonderful time ai catalonia playa Excellent food friendly staff Fantastic beach overall one of the best holidays we ever had Special thanks to all the animation team especially laura, paco and hector We will return

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Everything about this resort was pretty great! We loved being on the white, powdery beach, eating a snack at the creperie, and deciding where to go for dinner each night. We had our family of four and it was really great to be able to use the Kids' Club for a couple of hours a day so we could enjoy some time alone! The event staff at this resort were […] very talented. They were friendly, athletic and lead so many classes. Our favorite discovery was going to the shows the staff performed at the theatre. They were pretty amazing! Overall, we had a wonderful trip. The only negative I have to tell is that our room key wouldn't work at different times and we would be locked out of our room and it took the hotel a long time to get it fixed. That is never good when your child is in need of a nap! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

perfect vacation

Genuine Expedia guest review

We had a great relaxing vacation. The Catalonia Playa Maroma is a great resort. J The room was fairly large and had a great bath/vanity set up. The food was good, but we have had better options at other resorts (Italian restaurant was the best). The staff, especially the entertainment staff, were very friendly and helpful. And the best part of this […] resort is the beach!! White sand and great water!! Beverage service and shady areas are also a plus. All in all, great time had by all! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The beach was beautiful - just not much to see in the water (fishes/reefs). The place was clean and they took good care of you. The food was average (for an all-inclusive or cruise set-up) - although the portions at the dining rooms could use a little boost. We were one of maybe 4 couples that actually spoke English at the hotel so be prepared for serious […] language barriers throughout the resort. Europeans seems to be their main clientele - so it goes from Spanish to French, Italian, German, and then maybe English. Setting up a taxi into Playa del Carmen was easy - the shuttle only ran twice per day (10:00 a.m. until 5:00 pm. and then 6:00 p.m. until 11:00). I didn't want an entire day of shopping so that was a little too long - they need to increase that to several trips per day. Perfect place for a lazy vacation where someone else waits on you constantly. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The hotel room in the resort was excellent. The staff were really courteous and accommodating. Wonderful wonderful people. Beautiful beach, one of the best and the food at most restaurants were nice, except the mexican one.

Genuine Expedia guest review

The privelaged check-in was great. Once arriving at the resort, our bags were taken to the air conditioned privelaged office, where check took about 10 minutes. How the restaurants, bars, entertainment all function were explained to us, and we were in our room before we knew it. We had a wonderful stay at the resort. The room was nice and clean, with […] the only part lacking was the bathroom needed updating. The restaurants were good, and the buffet was excellent one night, then not so good another night. Depends on what them of food they have. The wait staff and bartenders were all very friendly, and there was never a long wait. The privelaged access gets you tickets for the all the restaurants, and even the tapas restaurant, which was good, but a new experience for us. The beach was fantastic. There was a good amount of seaweed the first 3 days, but then disappeared the rest of the stay. We never had a problem getting loungers, no matter when we arrived at the beach, and the pool was very nice as well with walk in entry sections. The walk from the main lobby to the beach is about 5 min, which is not bad. Our room was close to the beach and near all of the restaurants. Overall, I would recommend this resort. The resort is making improvements, and should be a solid 4 star resort soon. For the price, beach, food, and accomodations, this is the best deal in Riviera Maya. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

I booked this hotel trip six months prior to the actual vacation and I had no interaction with the staff until check-in. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had been upgraded to a private suite away from the majority of the other visitors. I had a very nice suite that was completed with all of the expected amenities that you would expect for private […] suites. When this resort states "all inclusive", they truly mean everything is included. We were given an expensive bottle of champagne upon check-in, our mini bar stayed stocked, free secured high speed internet and our personal concierge made sure we had everything we needed without being intrusive. This retreat was a pleasant surprise because according to other reviewers, this resort may not as "exclusive" as other resorts in the area, but the Catalonia is a great value for the money. We were given more benefits from our appointed concierge than other guests that we spoke with--speaks to great service. As far as facility staff, every one was extremely friendly and helpful; almost overkill, if that is possible! Room service respected my privacy and provided me with every request within minutes. The only downside to the Catalonia is that this resort is family friendly, so their were children allowed but I was in a private suite with a private beach, so this was not an issue. The bathroom and shower was a bit dated and the air conditioner seemed to struggle during the mid-day heat. I would recommend this resort. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

From check-in, to check-out - an amazing family vacation!!! We have been to this area in Mexico on numerous occasions, but this was by far our best experience. Wonderful hotel, good food, friendly staff but for us, traveling with a child - the beach was by far the best part! Beautiful white sands and swimming with the fish - a holiday that we will never […] forget and can't wait to return! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Our stay at Catalonia Playa Maroma was wonderful and relaxing as we hoped it would be. The room was clean and the service was prompt whenever requested. The air conditioning worked very well. The beach was one of the best I have ever enjoyed. The sand feels like you are walking on powder. My wife and I were there in July and the sand did not get hot […] and was very comfortable to walk on during the day. The was is clear and beautiful. We enjoyed many hours in the water and also enjoyed relaxing under the shaded areas on the lounge chairs they provided. The service and food at the buffet and other restaurants was very good. All of the employees went out of their way to take care of our needs. I have not compliments - only praise for our 10 day stay there at the Catalonia Playa Maroma. I will definitely go back again!!! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review