Fairmont Mayakoba

Food was fantastic and our server Cesar was attentive and gave us great suggestions on food choices. Will definitely be back soon!!!

Our family spent the second week of our Mexico trip here. Overall, the resort feels relaxing, luxurious, and high-end—and being inside the mangroves is totally unique!

The Grounds & Amenities- The property is spacious, and you can easily get around by riding bikes or catching a ride on a golf buggy. The gym is excellent and packed with great equipment. The beach is absolutely beautiful and stands out compared to nearby resorts because it doesn't suffer from the usual seaweed issue. The pools are also very nice, though the sunbeds by the sea get snapped up very quickly on a first-come, first-served basis. The Rooms & Staff - Our room was amazing and truly luxurious— everything you need, beautiful. The brochures are completely spot on. What really makes this place special, though, is the staff. The waiters are incredibly attentive (they rely heavily on tips, so do look after them), and the butlers consistently went out of their way to help us with any queries. They do a lot behind the scenes from what we found out, and they are well worth it!

Food & Restaurants - The restaurants all offer a great atmosphere. They turn dining into a relaxed, shared experience rather than the usual "shovel-it-in" buffet style—even if our children found the slower pace a bit inconvenient! The steakhouse was our favorite for food, but the Mexican restaurant was the most picturesque, as it is surrounded by water, turtles, and fish. (Supposedly there are crocodiles too, though our kids never managed to spot one). Fuego, the beachside BBQ spot, was also beautiful. That said, to be completely honest, while the menus were unique, the execution fell a bit short as a lot of the food was quite overcooked.

Operational Letdowns & Hidden Fees - So, why only 4 stars? The "new" management seems determined to nickel-and-dime you. Despite how much you already pay to stay here, they charge a steep $300 for a three-hour late checkout room. To make matters worse, they cut our internet access off an hour before we left. This happened during a mini-family emergency when we needed to split up, which made the departure incredibly stressful and entirely unnecessary. Because we were in a rush to leave, we asked what was on the final bill. They mentioned the checkout room and a room service charge for extra teabags, but failed to mention a whopping £600 in daily charges that had never been brought up before. They had already taken a £1,500 credit card authorization two days into the holiday (which was a bit of a shock), so we didn't notice it immediately at checkout and waited for the credit card bill. Four weeks later, we are still waiting for management to explain these charges in what they refer to. It left a really sour taste as we departed.

Good to Know Before You Book GO All-Inclusive: It is ridiculous what they charge for food if you don't, and it’s not representative at all. We compared notes with guests who didn't book the package, and they definitely overspent by comparison. It is very expensive for the all-inclusive option, but we didn't want to feel like we were watching our money the whole time.

Tipping Guide: Tip about a dollar a drink as a guide. We did £10 a day for the bar staff and £10 a day for the butlers. They are all on minimum wage, which—given the prestige of the place—is eye-opening.

Water Slide Restrictions: The water slide was unavailable to our 11-year-old because he was just over the 1.5-meter height limit (he is 1.6m but very skinny), which was disappointing.

Vibe: The hotel is child-friendly, though we were surprised by how many babies were there during the summer holidays. Weather: We visited during the off-season and expected hot, humid weather. We thought we were taking a risk, but it actually worked out perfectly for us. They have tennis and padel and have people to make up the numbers if you are short for a game

Outside the hotel: 5th Avenue is a shopping experience i would not recommend - it takes me back to days of Tenerife, everyone harassing to get you on their tours, in their shops or restaurants offering shots etc it is safe with lots of police but yet remarkable uncomfortable.

To sum up: It is a beautiful property, but management really needs to communicate fees better and stop squeezing guests at checkout. It was fantastic in every other way.

Carlos was awesome! We very much enjoyed our boat tour with him!