Catalonia Riviera Maya - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

2985 reviews

• 

  Amazing time with family.

  A great little resort. Not too big not too small. Food was great! We were able to get into every a La cart by getting on the site early. It says 8am but some we were able to get into by 7:40 so keep trying. Pool/entertainment staff were great! Always having fun with people. Lupita, Lesley, Marlin, and Kevin were all so fun to be with! Arturo was a great waiter in Las Brisa buffet. It was our second time going here. Resort is super clean and workers are friendly. Would highly recommend! If people complain about food, they can’t be pleased cause there is something for everyone here!

  Feb 21, 2025
• 

  Wonderful Time!

  We recently got back from the Catalonia and had the best time! We were a group of 11, seniors, adults and children, all stayed in priviledge suites. We arrived at 10:30 pm after a 3 hour delay in YYC; check in was quick and luggage delivery was swift. Our suite had a few minor issues but after a call everything was fixed, it was amazing as we had ample room space. Our room was cleaned every morning by 9:30 and our attendant did a great job! Over the next 9 days we enjoyed the resort, the pools, the grounds were beautiful and the staff was always working to keep the resort clean. The drinks were top notch, the food was amazing and we had an al la carte reservation every night and never ate at the buffet. Yes the reservation system is difficult but our group would all log on every morning and secured reservations. Then in the evening, the restaurant would set all of us together, it was perfect. We loved the Grill, the Japanese, the Italian and Bloved restaurants. We didn’t enjoy the burger place as the food was sloppy and our waiter kept flirting with another table so we were not attended to. We had fun feeding and snorkeling with the fish, the beach was a highlight for the kids and we even pulled off a 10th year vow renewal on the beach, it was fabulous. After 11 days we returned to -30 temps in Alberta, now wishing we were back at the CRM!!

  Feb 20, 2025
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  amazing resort

  What an amazing holiday at the Catalonia in Riviera Maya. Hubby and I had not been in Mexico before and were pleasantly surprised. The staff made us feel welcome and we had astounding time. The beach was not the best we had been to, but the resort and staff more than made up for it. A big shout out to Jose, Kevin, Alex and Oscar. You were fantastic entertainers. We will never forget you, you made our holiday exceptional. Special thanks to Oscar for opening up the Sports Bar for us to watch the Cda/ Usa hockey game . You all went above and beyond. We will definitely be back. Thank you Catalonia for a great vacation. Rick/ Pauline

  Feb 20, 2025
• 

  Family-friendly and a grand resort

  This was a great resort and fun, with lots to do. There is a variety of restaurants, and they book up fast. Make those reservations as soon as you arrive to get the dinners you want, as they rotate throughout the week of availability. There is a great snorkeling area in the adult part of the pool: Family-friendly and a grand resort.

  Feb 19, 2025
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  Will definitely try to get back here soon!

  This was our 12th trip to the Carribean for an all-inclusive trip and I have to say it was one of the best. We certainly had our share of issues during our trip, but this was not due to the Catalonia resort. That said, how they handled our issues showed us how great they really are and how much I’d like to go back for another stay. I’ll start off with the basics. We arrived at the hotel on the 16th of January at around 9pm. Check-in staff was friendly and helpful, bell man was happy to take all our bags to our room, and the first impressions of the resort were fantastic. We were all tired and hungry, so we were happy to hear that the buffet was open until 10pm. We stayed in a Premium Deluxe room in building A. You could tell that the rooms were recently refreshed with new décor, flat screen TV, comfortable beds, and a nice rain shower. There was a mini-fridge stocked with beer and soft drinks, plus three large, glass bottles of water. All drinks were restocked daily without ever having to ask. There was some shelving and a small area to hang up some clothes, but no drawers to speak of. Not a big deal, but we usually like to fully unpack. Overall, the room was clean and comfortable. The resort is small and cozy, which we greatly appreciate. Two main buildings flank the lobby area with most of the rooms, and there are smaller buildings with suites that line the paths down to the pool, beach, and restaurants. Everything is nearby and you won’t find it to be a major hassle if you forget something in the room. Almost all the staff spoke fluent English and were almost always smiling and saying hello. The overall ambiance of this place was amazing. A lot of other reviews will call out the beach as lacking, but I think it depends on what you’re looking for. The main area where we sat was man-made with sand on top of an artificial surface and a boardwalk that would lead you to stairs down to the natural beach. You may not be able to dig in here for a sandcastle, but it was quite picturesque and relaxing. Besides, my daughter and I found a perfectly good spot for playing in the sand a short distance away. When entering the water, there are rocks and reef to be careful of, so make sure to bring some water shoes or sandals you don’t mind getting wet. Once you get past that part though, there are lots of sandy areas to stand. Expect quite a few fish, especially if you bring some bread down from the buffet to attract them! We saw lots of striped, tropical fish, several barracuda, and I swear we saw a baby shark… Some of the best parts of this trip were snorkeling around the fish with my daughters while my wife dropped breadcrumbs. To book your a la carte restaurants, you have to use a website for the hotel and you must book the day of the meal, no booking in advance. Bookings open at 8am and fill up fast… but it’s a small resort with small restaurants, so it’s too be expected. I was able to get my family into the Grill two different nights, and one of those nights, the staff helped to seat 8 of us together to celebrate my two daughters’ upcoming birthdays. Ivan and his manager [I think it was Saul] helped to seat us all together, brought my girls napkin hats, deserts with sparklers, and they sang happy birthday with big smiles on their faces. It was a great evening and showed us once again how great the staff are at this resort. At La Brisas buffet, the food was generally hot and fresh, although you would occasionally find a thing or two that was starting to get cold or might not be to your taste. There was always a couple of chefs, cooking up chicken, fish [tilapia and mahi mahi], or pork chops at night, and of course fresh eggs and omelets in the mornings. The servers worked very hard in this restaurant, as it’s big and always busy. But we had great service from Mayoli, Angel, and Isidra. Always a smile, fresh coffee or cold beers, and Mayoli always greeted us with a smile and wave, even if we weren’t sitting in her section. She made my day 😊. The food truck and creperie at the Yucatan next door were so-so, great to have a hot dog on the beach, but not always cooked enough. The poor guy in that truck always looked very over-heated and unhappy, felt kinda bad for him… The snack bar was also a good spot to grab a quick hamburger in the afternoon. Entertainment staff works hard to keep everyone around the pool active and involved. One in particular, Guadalupe, always engaged with us and was super friendly. She played Taylor Swift for my girls during Catalonia Radio and she helped my team win the football throwing game in the pool. Some of the equipment was showing wear, but they were quick to pivot if something went wrong. Sorry again for breaking your basketball net! The shows at night were mixed though… the first night, was a Diva show you could say was so bad, it was good [we laughed a lot]. A couple of nights later though, they premiered their Greatest Showman show and it was phenomenal. Live band and singers, arial hoop and trapeze, and they told the story very well. Super impressed! Now comes the tricky part which turned our trip upside down. During an excursion to see Tulum, my wife stepped on a worn stone and broke her ankle. Our guide, Fernando of Ocean Tours, was amazing. He immediately jumped into action, contacting medics and tried to make her comfortable. All other Ocean Tour guides that were coming through with their own groups also stopped and helped in any way they could. While my wife was taken to medics right away, the rest of our group continued and were escorted by another Ocean Tour guide. They encouraged her to head to the hospital for X-Rays, provided her crutches when she refused, and offered multiple times to take her back to the resort, but she did not want to disappoint the girls. During the second part of our tour, snorkling with sea turtles, Fernando made sure that my wife had a comfortable place to rest on the beach while I took my daughters for the swim. At the end of the afternoon, we arrived at a cenote. He convinced her to get in the water and he pulled her through the caves using a floatation device. Although it was a very hard day for us, he was absolutely amazing. Returning to the resort, I went to front desk to ask for a bandage to re-wrap her ankle. They immediately sent a life guard to the room to triage before doing anything else. He again advised her to go to the hospital, but when she refused, he wrapped her ankle and gave her advice on how best to care for it. Customer Service was able to help me rent a cane from a local medical supply shop and they talked to the manager at La Brisas to allow me to have plates of food that I picked out sent to my wife in our room. Some nights, I felt like I was racing them back because they took it to her right away! This was a trip that was tragically hindered by an accident, but we are already dreaming about coming back to Catalonia Riviera Maya. Thanks to all the staff and I hope to see you soon!

  Feb 19, 2025