I wouldn't trust a single thing CDC says about COVID. Remember, they said masks are not effective.

My biggest concern in Mexico right now (apart from crime, which is always an issue) would be what happens if you get sick.

IMJ you would have to stay isolate in your suite ,Use room service and burn it out with a good bottle of Mescal or Tiquilla ,some limes and really good hot Chile’s.

IMJ you would have to stay isolate in your suite ,Use room service and burn it out with a good bottle of Mescal or Tiquilla ,some limes and really good hot Chile’s.

Unless you develop more severe symptoms and need to be hospitalized.

I'm en-route to this property, paid stay + TSU into a Beach Suite. I hope it's upgraded further to a bi-level suite since capacity is pretty low.

You should expect to pay for a further upgrade.

Are they offering open kitchen “upgrades” pre / on arrival these days?

They don’t typically upgrade beyond the beach suite for free. How was your experience?

I’ve stayed here numerous times and never received anything beyond an ocean front suite, which is the same suite with a better view. Always gotten a suite though, with and without a TSU.

The standard suites are great, among the best especially in NA.

The only downside to the ocean view suites is that they’re so far away from the “main” complex with the main pools, spa, gym, breakfast restaurant and casa Amate.

it’s not an issue at all if you’re willing to hop on a bike (and I kinda like the regular bike rides) but if you’re dependent on a cart then it can be a little inconvenient to go back and forth.

Having said that, if you’re planning on spending most of your time by the beach or in the beach pool then the ocean front rooms / suites are perfect!

Either way it’s a great place to stay.

Agreed. Depends on your preference. We enjoy the ocean view more since you are at a beach resort, but the lagoon area is much more convenient. It feels a little bit like a different resort.

The check in process was terrible, we did not get offered a welcome drink or anything. I saw others being checked in who received the "Andaz Coconut" drink so we're off to a poor start.

After we checked in and took us to our room I realized that we did not receive an upgrade beyond the beach suite. I went back down and inquired about an Ocean View suite because my wife preferred an Ocean View. We were ready to pay for it, but then they then had no issues upgrading us to the Ocean Front Suite after some internal discussions. I'd say this data point is skewed since they did not originally upgrade us beyond the Beach Suite. The entire Lagoon area(lobby, pool, restaurants etc...) is closed due to covid and capacity limits. Check in and all dining options are down at the beach area. They told me they are at about 20% capacity. Its empty, I feel like they should have upgraded a globalists to a premium suite.

On an unrelated note, we went to the Banyan Tree for dinner. Takes quite a bit of time to go from golf cart +SUV to that property(20 mins). Cello their Italian restaurant was not very good, and service was terribly slow. I'm not judging based on costs, if it was 75% less I still wouldn't return. Hope this helps.

That's a real shame - I really like the lagoon pool area and the gym was decent too (plus a great spa). Even the lobby was nice to experience on first arrival.

Is Casa Amate open (I assume not, since it's by the lagoon area)? That was by far my favourite place for dinner there. Is breakfast being done a la carte in one of the pool restaurants (previously it was a - very good - buffet by the pool)?

Yeah, breakfast is currently being done a la carte by the pool. The other pool restaurant has been converted into a gym and Vegan Bar(juices and smoothies etc...)

Did they give any indication on when the Lagoon area would be reopening? It sounds like they're shutting for the long haul if tthey've created a make shift gym...

I suspect they won't reopen the Lagoon area and bring back staff until the Government allows more than 30% occupancy.

Answering my own question.... yes. $117.90 per person per night including tax and service charge for adults.

with only 2 restaurants open i don’t see the value here. Especially since breakfast is included for most of the rates.

Agreed - not really worth it until the other restaurants are open. Although, if you're having 5-6+ cocktails every day and eating in the resort for lunch and dinner then you would probably be better off with the all inclusive plan.

Occupancy rate
 

For anyone there now, how crowded is the place? Back when the whole resort was open, it never felt crowds because the resort was so large.

but with the gov mandated 30% occupancy, is it a ghost town?

or does it feel MORE crowded because everyone is corralled into the beach rooms?

thanks.

Occupancy rate
 

For anyone there now, how crowded is the place? Back when the whole resort was open, it never felt crowds because the resort was so large.

but with the gov mandated 30% occupancy, is it a ghost town?

or does it feel MORE crowded because everyone is corralled into the beach rooms?

thanks.

It would be worth it if room service was included.

I was there August 17-23 and it was very very quiet, <25% Occupancy most nights. There was no competition for pool or beach chairs (unless you REALLY want the front row, then go save a spot before 1030 or tip the beach attendant the night before). The place definitely felt empty even though all of the guests and facilities were beach-side.

The only night it felt crowded was Saturday the 22nd, when they closed Sotavento due to weather, and many folks ate at Tinto for Dinner. On that note, Sotavento did fill up most nights, so I would recommend a reservation for that.

A few other notes that I've been meaning to post.

1) Al Fresco dining at the Rosewood was excellent. Highly recommended. Also did their beach tacos for lunch one day and it was good but pricey
2) Beach drink menu was b-o-r-i-n-g. Seriously nothing on there other than standard margaritas, pina colada's, etc. Highly disappointing. I'm glad I just brought my own bottle of tequila and a few mixers (supplemented with take-away juices from breakfast) and just brought my own drinks down to the beach in a yeti.
3) Disappointing that this is the ONLY resort in Mayakoba that doesn't have sailing cats for guests to use. We tipped the guy at the rosewood 800MXN to use theirs.
4) Saffron at the Bayan Tree was absolutely not worth it. Way way way way too expensive. The hotel lobby is quite impressive however, so I would maybe just go there and get a beverage.
5) We were unimpressed with the yoga (15USD pp). The hotel is empty but they basically had us do it on top of guests eating lunch on the patio of the Vegan Bar.
6) I find it odd that they are dedicating an entire restaurant to Vegan Food. I like the idea of eating healthy but it doesn't need to be Vegan to be healthy. How about adding poke bowls, for example?
7) We booked a beach area suite using a TSU and I did not get a further upgrade. Assigned room 2531 and was disappointed at first, but it was actually awesome. Super-private, great sunsets over the jungle from the balcony, and steps from everything. I would now even prefer it over an ocean/beach front.
8) While I understand the necessity, the artificial reef is quite ugly and not having real waves on the beach was very disappointing. Especially after spending a few days down on the Tulum beach which did not have this issue. This does impact all of the Mayakoba properties FYI.
9) Breakfast at Tinto was awesome. Great variety on the menu and super high quality. One of the better Hyatt breakfasts I've had in quite a while.
10) They were moving check-in/check-out to the main lobby on our last day. Super minor, but figured I would note.

Let me know if any other questions.

@roder - thanks for the update! Where did they put the Vegan bar? Where the other bar next to Tinto used to be? I wonder what the plan is for opening the rest of the restaurants on property in the coming month....

Yes, the other building (previously the bar) has been turned into a combination Vegan Bar, Fitness Center, and Shop/Boutique.

I don't think they are going to open the other restaurant until the gov allows them to open above 30% occupancy. All resorts are subject to the same restriction and each in Mayakoba has several dining outlets closed.

what is the breakfast setting like? Is there outdoor seating available?

Do you know if room service breakfast qualifies for free breakfast?

are people still aloud to ride bikes?

are the boat tours still going on?

Breakfast is in Tinta del Pulpo. Most seating is indoors, but the building is quite airy with large windows that are open so air is circulating pretty well. There are also three tables for two on the back patio, and some high-top/bar seating in the front.

That was not offered as an option to us, and I would be highly surprised if it would be included.

Yes

Yes, they need to be booked 24 hours in advance and are private.

We are here now in a suite overlooking the jungle and love it. We stayed at the few places in Yucatan but this is our favourite especially price/quality ratio!

The breakfast quality is absolutely great, everything cooked to order etc...

Beach empty though the reef is ugly

Private boat tours etc all good!

We have cycled all around and there is quite a bit to explore.

one disappointment has been Sotavento, we tried the shrimps octopus and clams. Octopus was very nice and soft, Clams were grilled with garlic were ok but nothing spectacular. The shrimps were very disappointing, because they definitely didn’t taste fresh and the way you were peeling them must have come from some long icy storage facility. There were medium to jumbo size and one of those jumbos wasn’t cooked through.
we liked the Mexican restaurant though and will dine there again tomorrow.
vegan bar we are staying clear as we are strict carnivores

Currently booked here for Christmas. Will be a points stay.

The cost per night for a standard room at $749 or 25k points. GH PDC is like 250 or $25k. Don't know how Andaz is justifying 3x the charge.

Does anyone think a couple in their early 30's would get bored here for a 5 night stay? We are probably going to have 1 day dedicated to XCARRET.

It's a totally isolated resort with a large, private beach vs a "downtown" hotel on a smaller semi-private beach with other hotels/day-clubs situated directly adjacent. Neither is bad/wrong, but you typically pay for seclusion and that is why the Andaz charges more than the GH. I will note that, if you don't want to eat on-property at the Andaz or other Mayakoba hotels, then you may be better off in PDC.

The Andaz is a laid-back/chill beach resort. Not a lot of activities but perfect if you want to rest and relax by the pool or lounge at the beach. If you need to be constantly entertained, or planning on frequently going off property, then it's not the place.

It's also a beautiful property situated on 590 acres, with lagoons, multiple pools, and of course the private beach. Hard product is among the nicest I've ever seen. I'd pay 2x over the GH to stay there.

In for a night. Would a visit to the Rosewood or Banyan or Fairmont for a drink be worth the trek on the beach?

Will probably never get to stay in any of them.

The Fairmont and Banyan tree beach areas are not that impressive. The Rosewood is beautiful but nicer during the day. That being said, I love the Rosewood beach restaurants and if I had one meal to eat in Mayakoba that's what i would choose. Its only a 5 min walk too.

The Banyan tree lobby is impressive and where I would go if you wanted to venture somewhere just for a drink. But, I would reccomend getting a ride from the Andaz in their free SUV.

Rosewood lobby is pretty, too. Fairmont is not worth the trek.

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banyan lobby is nice.

rosewood is very close,

i wouldn't leave Andaz just for a drink, but i always have a dinner at Saffron (Banyan Tree) which is very much worth the effort

Thanks all for the input.

Big fan of gin and tonics and Rosewood hotels usually have great ones. Will check out the options at the Banyan Tree.

fairmont a dump

Any feedback on the "premium wifi" here? Looking to book the WTH package and will actually be working, so will need decent speeds for zoom and VPN.

I was there in late July and did some work from the Beach Suites. I didn't conduct any speed tests but had no issues with video conferencing and day trading(TOS). I'm fairly confident you'll be fine. To be safe, perhaps bring your own hotspot?