The Reef Playacar Hotel

Stayed there last week for three nights and I won't come back! Quality of service basically depends on who you are dealing with! A few staff members were nice and many others very rude. Buffet food had nothing great and the Italian restaurant was very disappointing and didn't even have Olive oil. The first day I waited two hours before being able to get beach towels, our room was smelling humidity. Entertainment was also very lame.

We had never stayed at an all inclusive so we wanted to try the Reef Club for starters. As it turns out, we felt we should've stayed there our entire stay. We liked the general atmosphere (relaxed and casual). Also, I'm not keen on buffet food but the Reef Club buffets were great and lots of flexibility in serving hours if you are out late on tours. The staff was also very friendly and right on top of things! Plus I thought the all inclusive and prices of the Reef Club were well worth it. Lots of free activities for all. We would highly recommend it to others and hope to return next year.

We only stayed here for one night but it was wonderful after stay at the riu hotel down the road. The staff were friendly, communication with staff was easier for English speakers. the atmosphere was wonderful with the treehouse like hideaways of the rooms and the music playing from rocks. Being a smaller hotel even after one day we got to know quite a few of the other guests with was nice. the pools were great, the gym needs a little updating the beach was nice and quiet with bigger waves at this end of the beach, great fun on the boogie boards. although we don't have children yet, one due in May, we will be taking our future children there, the facilities for children are excellent, much more enjoyable looking than that of the Riu hotels.plus an added bonus is free bicycle hire, an excellet way to get to town and get a tan at the same time. a lovely hotel for a quiet relaxed holiday with a pinch of excitement.

My husband and daughter and I have stayed at the Reef Club three years in a row. We absolutely love it. In reading some of the reviews posted, I get the feeling that some people are just too picky. The rooms at the Reef Club are larger than the average Holiday Inn in the US, the bathrooms certainly are bigger, the service staff is excellent, and the place is spotless. It is almost impossible to find a gum wrapper or cigarette butt on the grounds, with the exception of the beach. The entertainment staff goes out of their way to keep you entertained with aerobics, water aerobics, volleyball, games by the pool, games in the pool, merangue lessons, the Reef Club Dance, and the nightly shows. The drinks are maybe a little watered down, but that depends on your bartender. If you treat them well, they treat you well. The food in the buffet restaurant is very good with a nice selection for every meal and the presentation is nice. Some one in one of the reviews complained about the plastic lawn chairs....oh geez think about it! You are in a tropical, very humid climate. Plastic doesn't warp, rot, need refinishing, get too hot and generally look nasty after months of tourist butts sitting on it like wood does. If you want more luxury, then go somewhere else and pay high dollar for that, but if you want a great vacation for a reasonable price, then go to the Reef Club. The kids club is also a fun place for your kids to hang out while you lounge around the pool. The Reef Club is within walking distance to town and there is a shopping mall down the street with some really nice shops. The beach is beautiful and the water is warm. what more could you ask for?? This place is paradise.

This was the first time my wife and I traveled inside Mexico. We had a great time. I tried to keep my expectations reasonable, and was pleased with everything about our vacation. The room was great, the food was great, the beach was wonderful, the activities were great, and the price was reasonable. All was not perfect, the sailboats and other beach equipment seemed a few years old, but still servicable; there was a little damage due to the recent hurricanes; the A/C units in the room were a bit noisy; and they charged for bottled water, but these were not major problems. We will definitely be back with our kids in a year or two! You have to go to Xel-ha on a day-trip, and spend an afternoon in the market at Playa Del Carmen. - Thanks FUNJET and REEF CLUB PLAYACAR for a great vacation!

My wife and I just came from a wonderfull vacation, and stayed at the Reef, and it was Incredible !! we had a lot of fun, the food is GREAT, the beach is GREAT, the HOTEL is like in the middle of the Jungle, I fully recommend this hotel, we had so much fun that we just made reservations again!! cpierce

I loved stying there. The food was WONDERFUL! I must admit i fell in love with Goerge on the entertainment staff. HE was such a hottie. They hotel was spotless and we had a fairly large room.

The Reef Club Playacar at the 'Mayan Riviera' is not to be confused with the Carribean Reef Club south of Cancun. The latter is an adult clothing optional resort. I stayed at the Reef Club Playacar for 3 nights, 4 days and overall is was a great experience. I travelled alone and this was my 2nd visit to the region (Cancun being the first 4 yrs ago). When I checked it I told the desk clerk I wanted a "good room." He smiled and mumbled something about a tip, then he carried my bag and took me to this great room with 2 double beds with balcony overlooking the pool area next to the beach. I gave him $5 U.S. and he seemed happy. I love buffet restaurants because I work out a lot and am constanly hungry so I enjoyed the eat all you can all-inclusive buffet and drink setup at this resort. There was beef, chicken, fish, other seafood, and pork daily for lunch and dinner fixed in different ways. I don't know what the fish was but it sure was fresh and delicious. There was a good selection of fruit juices and fruit. Breakfast was great too. Even though alcoholic drinks were included in the all-inclusive plan here, the heat made such drinks impractical. I was constantly asking for iced water or iced tea. I did have a couple of beers though. This hotel is right on the beach and so you pull your beach chair right onto the white sandy beach next to crystal clear blue waters with the island of Cozumel on the distant backgroud. At this time of the year the ocean was very calm. I think Cancun area beach sand is some of the best in the world. The sand never heats up and is not hot to walk on unlike some tropical beaches in the world. That is because the 'sand' at the Cancun area is a combination of tiny grains of limestone and pulverized coral. That accounts for the white, soft, light sand that never seems to absorb any heat. I've walked on tropical beaches where the sun made barefoot walking on the beach a very hot painful experience. Not so in Playacar/Cancun. I really have nothing negative to say about Reef Club Playar. Overall it was a very pleasant relaxing experience with everything close by. The golf course is across the street about 300 yards. The bird jungle aviary is on the other side also about 300 yards. Playa Del Carmen is about 25 mins walk away and I visited the famous 5th avenue shopping area twice. Playa Del Carmen is also where you can hop on a 45 min ferry to the Island of Cozumel. I have nothing to gripe about the Reef Club Playacar. It seemed like a safe family oriented resort. One thing I noticed was that I was one of the very few Americans there. The vast majority of people were from Europe as evidenced from their spoken language or english accents. I recommend this resort. If you look around you can find deals to the Reef Club Playacar that includes everything (air, transfers, hotel, food/drink). Good luck.

My family and I stayed at the reef club 4 nights and it was the worst 4 nights of our holiday. the room was small and dark , the aircon didnt work and the bathroom was very smelly.The food WAS very basic chicken every night.I HAVE never stayed in a 4 star hotel that serves you drinks in a polystrene cup. Thank god WE moved to a better hotel.

First of all, I must post a disclaimer: This review was written by a seasoned traveller who is gracious in other countries and does not expect others to cater to my "Americanisms". Beware, there are many arrogant Americans lurking in every country, so we discovered. On to the review...The Reef Club was a great moderately priced resort. The beaches were spectacular and the housekeeping services were excellent. If you are expecting a 5 Star resort with egyptian cotton sheets, then please do not book at the Reef Club, but if you are looking for an affordable VERY clean room and wonderful service then start dialing. Now lets talk about food...The buffet was mediocre however, I gained 6 lbs, so it couldn't have been that bad. Try to make reservations at Boticelli, the Italian restaurant. This must be done in the morning at Breakfast. The food at this restaurant was definitely better than the buffet, but not excellent by any means (although my travel mates liked it a lot). Think...a Mexican restaurant in Rome...It just doesn't fit. On to the bees! There is this strange phenomenon in Playacar. The outside bar areas are infested with honey bees and the staff works around them as if they were house flies. This amazed me. Forget about an icecream stand...they are everywhere! Please take enough money and make enough time to visit Xel-Ha (Shell-Haw). This excursion costs around $75 a person and is fabulous if you enjoy snorkeling. Very beautiful, but stay away from the icecream stand...remember the bees. All in all, we had a wonderful trip except the occasional bickering between the Drill Sargent, Spaz-Monster, and Mr. Sensitive...but you'll have that (joke to travel buddies). No reflection on the resort of course. I would definitely return to the Reef Club, so if anyone needs traveling companions and has expedible cash I'm your girl. Happy Travels!