Aventura Spa Palace Hotel

We loved this resort! A few problems though...Should we tip? Questionable...we did receive better service when we tipped, but the server got chewed out for accepting the tip. The towels were shaped into different characters every time (inside the room)...very cool! The poolside food was very good. The drinks needed to be doubled up on the liquor, but they were happy to oblige. We rented Scuba equipment through Aqua World on the resort...face mask broke immediately and they made me pay $10.00 for the band....the worst part was that they made me feel like I didn't know how to put on a mask..I wasn't even in the water a****... Highly Recommend!

The Aventura is an excellent resort by any standards with sparkling, new, clean facilities that are impressive. The food was varied and good with numerous choices and excellent service. The outdoor pools were awesome: exercise (lap) pool, diving pool and huge "lounging" pools with adjacent bars and restaurants. The crowd is more of a "couples" or large group crowd and not much of a "singles" environment. It is an adult resort so just about anything goes on the pool-side dress code from bikinis to micro thongs to topless to one-pieces as big as a tent. The Spa also has two indoor hot tubs where topless, thongs and one-pieces were equally mixed. The service is generally excellent. Avoid the timeshare pressure at all costs. Just say no.If you desire sand and beach, travel 5 minutes away to Xpu Ha ($5 cab ride). This is a sister resort where your drinks and meals are also covered. This is not an adults only resort, but it has an AWESOME beach with the same mix of dress codes--albeit more families. Xpu Ha also has some great snorkling options in the Cenotes or in the natural confluence of the the Cenotes and the ocean. Xpu Ha is pretty spread out but the staff takes you from place to place on paved paths in electric carts. Best: Pools, service, food and general "do whatever you want" environment.Worst: The King sized bed was as firm as cement and pillows were flat as pancakes. Most Surprising: The beauty and cleanliness of the facilities.You simply can't go wrong at this resort--it either has it all, or you can go to nearby Playa Del Carmen, Xpu Ha and others.Recommend at least 4 days per stay to really see it all.

Just returned from a week at the Spa Palace. Prior to going, my wife and I read reviews,comments on this board and were somewhat apprehensive regarding the food as it received mixed reviews from prior visitors. We now wonder what resort some of those people were visiting. Everything was first class and wonderful including the food and service. I have traveled all over the world and never had better service. The hotel itself is spectacular, recommend the Spa side and go to the Ventura side for activity at night if that is your interest. Yes, there is no "beach" but the man made lagoon is a beautiful area with some coral and fish, a great place for kayaking. A very romantic place with some of the friendliest and accomodating staff anywhere. A great destination for that special trip. Highly recommended, would return in a second.

Not our first time in the Cancun area, but first time at Aventura. Resort itself was beautiful, but the service and attention from the staff was far below our expectations - especially when compared to other Palace Resorts. Upon arrival was hard to find the much promised welcome glass of champagne, and after meeting with our Palace representative it was basically the last time we saw/heard from him even after being told to contact him with any requests, concerns, etc. Wound up handling a couple of items ourselves after the lack of action/follow-up from the representative. Food in the restaurants was good, but the service was slow and very unattentive. The same applied to the service around the pool area. According to a manager in one of the restaurants (who took the time to talk with us at length after being ignored by his staff for almost 20 minutes) staffing levels are still down since 9-11, and it's hard to get staff into the Maya Riviera area - they prefer to stay in the Cancun hotle zone where it's easier to make money. Chaza Travel's handling of the trips was mass confusion. Gathering in the lobby you were told to stand in one line, when you made it to the front you were told it was the wrong line & re-directed to another only to be told the same thing. On one trip our bus never showed, after a lengthy wait (and many trips through many lines) we were put on another charter that dropped us off on their way toa different detsination. But when it came time to go back to the resort no bus came, we were told to take a taxi back. Still waiting for reimbursement. We almost missed our flight home after Chaza's staff dragged their feet at the resort, left almost one hour later than the scheduled time. Staff showed an obvious sign of "we don't care" when asked to get things moving or a flight would be missed, even tried talking us into putting our luggage into a different van leaving before ours. Thank goodness we were smart enough not to do that, who knows where it would of ended up! It's a beautiful resort, but we will be heading back to either Cancun -or- Sun Palace next year. Hopefully the superior customer service that we experienced at these resorts is still the norm.

Stayed at the Spa Palace March 2003. The resort itself is beautiful and the rooms are nice but the food was very disappointing. We ate at several different restaurants and while the Oriental one was the best out of the ones we tried,I would call it just tolerable. We were surprised at the lack of fresh seafood , usually a given in Mexican seaside resorts. One of the taxi drivers told us that all of the fresh stuff goes to Cancun proper and there is no real availability of fresh seafood in the restaurants on the Riviera Maya or in nearby Playa Del Carmen even though it does come into port at Puerto Aventuras. That explains things but it doesn't help. Cancun is too far to go just for food. This was a freebie trip for us since it was rewards vacation. Had I paid my own money for this kind of food I would have been pretty upset. The other thing that this place lacks is an actual beach. There are two lagoons but it is standing water and not too appealing so stick to the pool areas which are plentiful and very nice. The beach at Playa Del Carmen is nice but you have to pay the $12 taxi fare there and back, shopping at Playa Del Carmen is also fun. Overall the hotel services were very good, the staff is very nice and the place really is visually impressive. They need to upgrade the food quality and it would make it a much better experience. We went to the ruins at Tulum. They are only a short distance from the hotel and are very interesting. I highly recommend that to anyone. It was too windy for some of the boating and snorkeling activities so I'll save them for next time.Overall I would still recommend this hotel but be forwarned about the inconsistent food quality and stay far away from the timeshare pitch person's desks in the lobby unless you want to buy one!

Wonderful place... just stay longer than 5 nights in order to rest, relax and take in the tours. We were just there in Feb. 2003, no complaints, just not long enough. Service was outstanding everywhere, especially in the International Restaurant and at the poolside bar... Loved everything about it. One of the most organized places I have ever been for check-in and departure...

four of us came to aventura palace last year {2002} and it was the best holiday ever. the place was amazing, the hotel, the people, the food, the pool and beach it was all perfect. i've never wanted to go back anywhere twice but i cant wait till i can come back here.

We vacationed here for Valentines Day. It was not the first time I went to mexico but the first time I have visited athe Cancun area. The Water is Beautiful--especially in playa del carmen--where you will also see many topless beachgoers. Aventura, however, lacks a natural beach, and you are instead presented with a stagnant manmade lagoon. One would be wise to stick with the hotel pools, as there are plenty to choose from. Just watch out for empty plastic cups and other assorted trash laying around the pool area and don't hold your breath for pool service to bring you a drink. If you like drinking, you will love the A.S. Palace because the drinks are always strong and free. The lobby bar at Aventura palace had some really fun bartenders who were eager to make us tasty and flaming drinks. This is an adult-only resort, which is great for everyone. It's also heavily 'couple' populated, not a good place to pick up men/women/ It seemed like everyone drank all day at the pool, cleaned up to eat at night, then went to bed to prepare for the next day of laying around. Which translates into a terrible nightlife scene. After 10:00 the bars are dead. The disco was very cold and sparsely occupied. This was our main compliant. The food was mostly hit or miss. THe chinese resturant had THE best desserts hands down--the sushi left me feelling a little queasy. The Italian buffet was by far our least favorite place. El Greco lunch/breakfast buffet was absolutely great. The view was beautiful and there was a cool ocean breeze. Upon your arrival, you will go talk to 'guest services' a cheerful euphemism for ruthless timeshare salesmen. They will schedule your complimentary day excursion, and they'll also try to convince you what a great oppurtunity a 90 minute 'tour' will be for you. I don't think a five star resort should have to pimp themselves out in such a dreadful manner. It was very tacky. The fitness facilities were nice, but the pool bar is far more enticing. Another complaint of ours was the middle of nowhere location of the resort. A cab ride one way to cancun would set you back $45 USD and the nearest town, playa del carmen, was a $12 ride one way. On not-to-miss excursion was Xcaret park. THe entrance fee was $50 and the park was really beautiful. However, it was very large and maze-like, so make sure to give yourself enough time. We did the $85 dolphin/swim program. You got ALOT of interaction for the money. It was very well worth it.THe rooms were nice, be sure not to use the whole bottle of bubble bath in the jacuzzi--you will wish you hadn't. Bathroom was kind of cramped but the shower was very spacious. The TV channel selection was awful. Other random comments:-THe piano player at the lobby bar kept playing the same song over and over-They had Karaoke on friday night, which was fun, but it only lasted for one hour-THe gift shops were overpriced-The pools close at 8:00 (early!!)-Service in the buffet restuarants are often substandard-Toiletries in the room were good!-Room service was efficient-Shuttle bus in lobby was VERY disorganized Overall, if this is your first big vacation--you will absolutely love it, but if you have traveled a lot before, you will not be so impressed.

Just back from a fabulous week at Aventura Spa Palace, adults only resort. So sad to return home to cold and snow. This truly is a palace. The place is georgous. There are fountains and cool blue pools everywhere. We stayed on the Spa side and recommend this highly. This is the quiet side where people just relax and hang out at the pool, the beach, or at the piano bar. If you want excitement and activities, go to the Aventura side. This is where the party atmosphere is and where all the nightly shows take place. You can walk, but there is a continuous shuttle between lobbies that is very convenient. We liked that we could go to the Aventura side when we wanted to, but return to peace and quiet when we had enough of social activities (they have ping pong, billiards, a large screen tv with sports, a nightly band, disco, nightly show-different each night, a giant chess board that you can walk on, drinking games at the pool, etc, etc). Also, please be careful, the floors everywhere are all tile and when wet (from rain or pool water) are very slippery. We saw several people fall. The all-inclusive concept is the best! Any time you want food or drink you just walk up and get it. You can eat as much as you want and drink whatever you want. All activities included. It was so nice not to have to carry a purse or money around. The service was great and the people very friendly. We enjoyed them very much. The food itself is average. Nothing to write home about, but there is such a variety (2 buffet breakfasts and 2 buffet lunches, 6 restaurants for dinner) that you will definitely find something to your taste. I thought the breads, desserts, and guacomole with homemade chips were great. At the buffets, there is also a grill with several choices of made-to-order food. The only time you need money is if you want to buy something in one of the shops, use spa services, or venture outside the resort into one of the towns for other excursions or shopping. The Spa is a dream. I didn't want to leave. The first day I met with the reception area and put together a package (and got a 15% discount as well). They charged it to my room. I spread them out on different days throughout my stay. The aromatherapy massage was fantastic. I also had a facial, back massage, riviera hand treatment and manicure. The hydrotherapy areas are included in the spa services. There is a water foot massage, sauna, steamroom, water massage showers, hot tub, cool tub, drinks, places to sit and relax, full bathrooms, lockers. There is a men's side with the same amenities. There are excursion packages included with your stay (how many depends on how many nights you are staying). We took the Tulum-Xpu Ha excursion. This was snorkeling at Xpu Ha Palace and Tulum ruins. We went to Xpu Ha first. This is the exact opposite of the Aventura Spa Palace. It is set in an ecopark- you literally live in huts in the jungle. Inside they are luxurious, but outside there are wildlife everywhere. The few hours we were there, we saw 3 iguana cross our path and my boyfriend saw a giant grey spider the size of a drink coaster. The snorkeling was fun-my new favorite activity-and the beach was beautiful. Still, too primitive for me. I managed to get too much sun there, so we did not continue on to Tulum. We took the $7 taxi back to our resort so I could recover with a nap and cool water. Taxis take you everywhere. There is a price list at the entrance. We went to Playa Del Carmen twice. It is a $12 taxi ride(about 15minutes). Tell them you want to go shopping in Playa Del Carmen and the driver will know where to drop you off. They have great shopping there. They take american money, but don't always give it back as change. So, if you don't want to change to pesos, be as close to the price as possible to eliminate the possibility of ending up with too many pesos as change. Many stores there also take credit cards. However, as our Apple Rep told us, Discover card has not yet been discovered in Mexico, so don't bring it. Visa, Mastercard are you best bets. This town also has a great beach. Our resort has a man-made beach and lagoon that is nice for snorkeling, but pretty pitiful if you want an ocean beach. Go visit another resort like Xpu Ha for the beach or go to Playa Del Carmen. We recommend this. It is beautiful and fun. This is also where you catch the ferry to Cozumel. We did not do this, but heard there is great snorkeling and shopping there as well. The room was great. King-size bed, two-person jacuzzi, shower big enough for 2. Also had a mini frig stocked with water, soda, beer. Above that was a cabinet with 5 different liquors (tequila, whiskey, brandy, vodka, and one other) all set and ready to pour. Every day the maid left us with a nice little artistic animal design made out of towels and decorated with flowers. We left her a couple of dollars each day as well. Each evening when we came back, our bed was turned down and we had little chocolates. It was so sweet to feel pampered. Some advice if you go--It is my opinion that the very few people I met who complained of a bad time were not prepared and had too much alcohol. Do your homework before you go-do a little research so you know what to expect. Also Pay Attention! Listen carefully to everything you are told from the time you get your trip paperwork on. If you do these 2 things, you should be ok. Try not to drink too much. If you spend your whole day in the hot sun drinking alcohol and go out at night and drink alcohol, you are left with a hangover and sunburn. Both of these can considerably lessen your enjoyment and comprehension. I saw this firsthand with people who couldn't remember what they did the night before, but complained that their room wasn't up to par. Mexican time in general is relative. If the buffet is to open at 12:15, expect it to be closer to 12:30. A few minutes is nothing to them--except the transportation and excursion tour guides--they Will leave without you! Relax, remember you are on vacation and nothing is that important to get worked up about. Go with the flow! Hang out and enjoy the hot, humid sun while all your friends are digging their cars out of snowbanks! Adios!

My boyfriend and I stayed here in 2002 and it was absolutely wonderful, we had a blast. They served us like we were rock stars. There was a serenity in the air absent of children. I loved the buffet and the restaureant overlooking the ocean. I enjoyed the variety of the 3 different restaurant selections. The resort is outside so when you exit your room you feel the warmth and freshness of the ocean front. The mini-fridge comes in handy, fully stocked at all times. The jacuzzi in the room wasn't bad either. I would definately go back in a second, I dream od the place daily!