Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya

My daughter and I went to an archery class during the day. Max was an amazing leader and teacher. There must have been 20 people there and Max both entertained us and taught us how to improve our archery skills (most of us were beginners). Max was engaging and a perfect person to lead this class. If you make it to Secrets in Akumal, make sure to ask for Max in the entertainment group, and give archery a try!! Read less

My wife and I have traveled to this Area of Mexico, Cancun/Riviera Maya area frequently. I would estimate 40 times over many years. Of all the resorts we have stayed in I would rate the Secrets Akumal at the top of the list. The resort is impressively clean, maintained on a daily basis. The most impressive staff I’ve ever seen. People who are actually happy to see you, remember your names, and checked on us regularly to see if anything was needed. A special thanks to Nadia at the Oceana restaurant, Yitsyah, and Michelle at the Cafe Market buffet, who always greeted us so kindly each morning. Juan in the lobby. And Gabriela our Apple rep. Who kept an eye out for our important travel information. And Leidy our building concierge who checked on us daily. The wildlife and vegetation were beautiful to see, including stingrays, eels, octopus, iguanas, coati, and multiple birds. Read less

My boyfriend and I visited Secrets Akumal for 6 nights in December of 2024. We are in our early 30s and were celebrating my birthday. We had an incredible experience and both agreed it was our best vacation yet! This was our first trip to a Secrets resort and are looking forward to both returning to Akumal in the future and trying other resorts in the Secrets Brand. Check In/UVC: Check in was easy and we were welcomed with refreshing drinks and a cool towel. We were handed off directly to someone working for UVC (Secret's Vacation Club/Time Share program). While the woman we spoke with was very friendly she was also very persistent about us scheduling an appointment with her to "learn more about the resort". My boyfriend and I both agreed that it would enhance the check in experience to not be handed off to a UVC representative. Room, Preferred Club: We booked a partial-ocean view non-preferred room. We knew from previous reviews not to expect much of an ocean view due to the beautiful foliage obscuring the view. We could barely see a sliver of the ocean very far in the distance. We mostly booked this room category in hopes of being high up and having a nice view of the resort which we certainly did. We were in building 9B which is the group of buildings furthest from the beach and main pool. Even with signage the resort is difficult to navigate your first 1-2 days until you get the hang of it. I walked around 8-12k steps per day on the resort between heading to the beach, pools, restaurants, bars, and our room. I didn't mind the walking but if you have mobility challenges I would consider booking the preferred club to be closer to the beach. Speaking of preferred club, my boyfriend and I are glad we didn't spend the extra money to upgrade. The perks of upgrading just didn't appeal to us and the service was excellent without the upgrade. We would rather spend our money upgrading our seats on the flight, doing another excursion, or enjoying the spa. Of course, upgrading is a personal decision but we feel certain you'll enjoy your experience with or without the upgrade. Demographics: Initially we were a little worried that we would be "too young" for this resort as I had read that things can get a little boring. However, we had an incredible time and were not bored for a single second!! I think if you are a group of 18-22 year olds looking to party then you may not enjoy yourselves; however, I think any adult of any age will very easily find themselves happily entertained. I do have to say that we only stayed up late enough for two shows and never made it to the club so I can't speak to the late night "party vibe". We made friends with other couples our age and older. Food: We enjoyed most of the restaurants! Overall, this was the best all inclusive food we have ever had. HOWEVER, it is still an all inclusive resort and some food was good while some was just okay (one dish was pretty bad). If your expectations are realistic then I don't think you'll be disappointed. If this is your first all inclusive resort then set your expectations at like Applebees level food and you'll be good, haha. -Market Cafe (breakfast only): 8/10 Loved the fresh breakfast food! There was a nice blend of "American" breakfast staples and some Mexican options as well. I think most would be happy with these options. One very small suggestion, at other all inclusive resorts there is someone making fresh crepes to order. I prefer the fresh ones as opposed to the pre-made ones available at Market Cafe. -Himitsu: 5/10 Our least favorite restaurant. We didn't care for the drinks or the food. Service was great though! We didn't get a chance to try the Hibachi so maybe that is the better options as opposed to the regular menu. -Portofino: 9/10 Our favorite restaurant! We loved the service and the ambiance so much that we went twice! They had a live pianist playing during dinner and it really set the mood. We had most of our favorite dishes here! They were able to customize some of the items to our preference which we really appreciated. We also had our least favorite dishes here. The sea food calzone was actually awful and inedible. There was sharp grit in it that made me think the sea food had sand in it? Not sure what caused the grittiness but my boyfriend and I both could not swallow it. Without the calzone issue, it would have been a 10/10 for us. -CoCo Cafe: 7/10 Stopped by for ice cream, a sandwich and a pretzel. Loved that it was 24/7. -El Patio: 8/10 My favorite dish of the entire stay was the bacon wrapped shrimp with cream cheese that sat on a bed of mashed plantain and came with a coffee sauce. It was INCREDIBLE!!! I would happily pay to eat that again and again at any American restaurant. -Seaside: 7/10 We enjoyed lunch at Seaside a few days of our stay. I think most people would enjoy the salmon risotto, alfredo (add shrimp), and the shrimp tacos. -Pool Side Pizza: 7/10 We loved the option of fresh fire roast pizza for a quick lunch. There is a small menu but they employees are happy to make custom pizzas upon request. -Pool/beach side lunch: 7/10 Lots of options from the servers who come around with menus around lunch time. My favorite was the burritos. They are fried and so delicious! -Pool side grill: 10/10 Extremely cool and varied grill buffet. We enjoyed the sea food grill and the BBQ grill. Delicious food and an incredible display! -Drinks: Overall, we felt the drinks were a 7/10. They are typical all inclusive resort drinks. Don't expect artistic craft cocktails. Make sure you call your alcohol and you should be happy. -Cute Extras: 10/10! We love that there is an ice cream man and a fruit cart man who come around in the afternoon to serve treats. We also thought the tuna class/demonstration was a MUST SEE!! They bring in a massive 120+lbs whole tune and carve it live while serving parts of the tuna and giving interesting information. Make sure you check the Hyatt Inclusive app as certain restaurants are closed throughout the week. Pools: We enjoyed weather in the high 70s-low 80s with a few showers and partly cloudy days. I found the pools to the comfortable (sightly chilly in the early morning) but we come from Minnesota and are used to cold temperatures. We spent time at each of the three pools: -Pool 1/Activity Pool/Infinity Pool: Live music in the afternoons (would love more of this-The Moonlight band was my favorite), fun with the entertainment team, water aerobics, and a great swim up bar. Our favorite pool! -Pool 2/Main Pool: Quieter than pool 1 but still close enough to the swim up bar to be able to jump back and forth as it suits you. Also very close to the delicious pool side grills they serve for lunch. -Pool 3/Quiet pool: So peaceful. This pool was very close to building 9B so we would enjoy a peaceful hour there before returning to our room in the evenings. I think the service was best at the quiet pool. There were free floats available at this pool too. Loved our late afternoons here! Beach: Some people may find the beach a little busier than others because it attracts tour groups who are searching for turtles. However, we found it to be very relaxing and peaceful. I loved spending time snorkeling and was able to find turtles, 100s of fish, rays, octopus, sea urchins, and lobsters on my own. If you enjoy snorkeling I recommend you bring your own snorkel gear that way you aren't restricted in the hours/length of time you can rent/borrow gear from the resort. The water was warm, clear, and I loved my time in the ocean. We also did a turtle tour with a group on the beach not associated with the resort for $30/person. If you choose to do this you should be a decent swimmer as the guide moves quickly. I also think the tour is a good option if you don't particularly enjoy snorkeling/spending hours in the water as you are able to see a ton of marine life (including the turtles) in an hour span. When we go back we won't do a tour again as it was more enjoyable to go at our own pace and it was easy to find turtles with a little patience. In the water to the right of the resort and near the roped off section you'll find coral. While the coral is not very vibrant in color it is still home to many beautiful fish and other marine creatures. To the left of the resort you'll find the turtles. They enjoy munching on the shorter grass so look for that and be patient. If you're willing to spend some time in the water you'll definitely find some turtles on our own. Go early in the morning before crowds for the best experience! I also found that the entry into the water was less rocky near the non-preferred area so consider entering there for a smoother walk. BRING WATER SHOES if you plan to spend time in the ocean! There are lots of rocks and some sea urchins. You don't want to cut your foot in Mexico and ruin your vacation! Overall, I loved the beach. We were able to find shaded areas, had great drink service, and loved the soft sand. Service: We were very pleased with the quality of service received. While we didn't have a single negative customer service encounter we did want to highlight a few of the people we met who made us feel so at home! Oto: Market Cafe. He was our first server and set the tone for the trip. He was so charismatic and very good at his job! Max: Entertainment team. Max shines bright as one of the stars of the entertainment team. People are naturally drawn to him and he excels at bringing guests together and getting people involved. He does an amazing job with the pool side crazy games and we had so much fun playing pool blackjack with him as well. My boyfriend and I enjoyed getting to know him a little bit and he is a wonderful young man with so much potential. If you see this comment, Max, we'd love to host you in Minnesota if you ever make your way that far north. Remember to keep you chin up :) Luis: Quiet pool. I enjoyed ending my days at the quiet pool and spending time there winding down before heading back to the room. Luis was also quick to set me up with a chair and towels. He also made great recommendations for what restaurants/activities to try that night. I felt so at ease and comfortable with Luis looking after me! Daniel, Santos, Moses: Swim up bar. My boyfriend and I spent a lot of time at the swim up bar and these three gentlemen took great care of us! They were even willing to learn/make new drinks for us. Thanks guys!! Ruben: Pool concierge. Ruben is a gem!! He takes his job as concierge very seriously and you can tell that he genuinely cares about the guest experience. He proactively looks for ways to make the guest more comfortable. For example, he noticed that I was chilly one morning and approached with an extra towel to help keep me warm. My boyfriend and I enjoyed spending time talking with him and I could tell other guests did as well. We hope to see you next time, Ruben!! Josaline-Portofino Hostess and Eddy-Portofino Waiter: Portofino was our favorite restaurant and on our second trip there we were even more impressed than the first. Our hostess, Josaline, was so warm and thoughtful and remembered us and how to pronounce my difficult last name correctly. Eddy was our favorite waiter of the trip. He was so friendly and eager to please. My boyfriend mentioned it was my birthday earlier in the trip and Eddy offered me a very warm "happy birthday". My boyfriend and I decided to leave the restaurant a little early/kind of abruptly as we were tired from the day and Eddy sprung into action with Josaline's help to quickly surprise me with a happy birthday cake, sparkle candle, and song before we could leave. I thought this was such a nice touch and greatly appreciated! This was the only restaurant that celebrated/acknowledged my birthday and they did so in a way that made me feel special! Thank you Eddy and Josaline for your thoughtfulness! Francisco and Efren: Pool waiters. We very much appreciated the timely and excellent service from these two pool waiters throughout the week. We were so spoiled by these two! Giovanni: Server at the tuna experience and Market Cafe for breakfast. Giovanni took amazing care of us! Drinks were always flowing and he was so easy to talk to. We loves requesting to sit in his section in the morning and could always count on excellent service. Saul: Server at Seaside. Saul served us lunch a few of our days on the resort. He was professional, timely, and accommodated all of our special requests with grace. Wenceslao: Bartender at sports bar. Fast and great service even as the sports bar got quite busy during a big game on Saturday. Billie: Building Concierge. Billie was attentive and responsive via whats app. She was able to provide information about special tequila and sent us a fan upon request. She also called to set up help with our luggage for our departure which was appreciated. However, the bellboy never came to college our luggage and we took to the lobby ourselves. We didn't get a chance to thank Billie as we left early in the morning but we did appreciate her kindness and helpfulness! Evening Entertainment: We enjoyed gathering with other couples for drinks and socializing in the lobby bar before/after dinner. We only made it to the Pirate Show which was unfortunately hosted inside due to rain. The performers were very talented. We also enjoyed going to Akumart which is a bit like a street fair hosted on the resort. There's delicious foods to try and fun items available to purchase. Be careful though as some items are advertised as hand made but they can be seen at various gift shops throughout the region and are probably made in China. Overall, it is worth attending Akumart for the music, food, shopping and vibe. We were in bed too early to enjoy the nightclub but it looked beautiful! Excursion: We chose to do an excursion with Fernando Cat (not associated with the resort). We highly recommend him for a private and fairly priced experience. We went to a beautiful cave cenote and an open cenote. Check out the "Secrets Akumal Fans" Facebook page to read about him (and get a lot of helpful information about the resort in general). I could write even more about how much I loved this trip but I'll stop now. No vacation is completely perfect but this resort will make most people very happy. I have no reservations recommending it to my friends, family, and you! Thank you Secrets Akumal for the best vacation yet! Read less

What can we say! This is our 2nd trip in two years to this amazing resort. We stayed in room 4404 ocean view room (highly recommend) amazing views and perfect location recommend highly! We started our day at the Seaside grill for breakfast and it was amazing! The service is out of this world from our hostess to our servers to the manager (patròn) they were all amazing we can’t say enough good things about the crew and the food we also had lunch everyday and it never disappointed with service and food always hot a fresh! We mainly hung out at the beach (amazing) I went snorkeling every day (right out front) and it’s good seen lots for fish & turtles, plenty of loungers for the preferred club and non-members, we rented a Bali bed for the day and let’s just say it’s not our thing and move on from there. We always had lunch at the Seaside Grill because of the AMAZING SERVICE and food quality! We never had the buffet and we don’t even know where it is (lol). There's is waiter service at the beach for dinks and light grill lunch options. There is always something going on in the way of food at the beach whether it’s a fresh made pizza, tacos, burgers chicken bbq and chino (Chinese) food and it was quite good ! Speciality drinks etc. We stayed during Mexico's Real Independence Day 09/16 and let’s just say it didn’t disappoint with atop notch show with a special outside dinner drinks/ with amazing singers and dancers, food . There’s alway entertainment going on at night singers, fire show, performers always a theme of some sort, disco etc Dinner was always amazing ! No shortage of restaurants being indoors our outdoors we had dinner at the French, Italian, Mexican and did not disappoint in food quality or service . The restaurants are equivalent to us going out to a nice restaurant on Long Island always great in presentation and flavors & service. Read less