Meliá Casa Maya - Cancun - All Inclusive

“We are long time guests at Meliá properties in Mexico & have had great experiences to date, which is why we trusted the Meliá name and selected the Casa Maya resort for a family spring break trip—but we were sadly disappointed. This resort was listed as a 4-star but I’d rate it 3 stars *at best*. Our first interaction was to inquire about the free shuttle, which is listed on their site as an amenity, but because (they say) it wasn’t offered at the time we booked, they wouldn’t honor it, so a day before our arrival we had to secure alternative transportation. Upon arrival, we were taken to the 5th floor for private checkin for “The Level” guests, which is supposed to offer upgraded access, which was nice because checkin downstairs was a zoo. There were snacks but no beverages offered to us. Our room wasn’t ready but we could use the facilities. On the positive, the one pool is very conveniently located next to beach for easy access to a beautiful beach. The water park was also great and had the best poolside food of the whole resort. But the pool area was very crammed, very busy. There were daily activities for the kids. BUT the buffet was pitiful and there was never guacamole or ice cream, like they kept telling us they “ran out”. And when it was available, it was hidden in the back & it had to be requested, only served when they wanted to serve it. Felt very understaffed & hard to get service, and much of the service was unfriendly. Many days we’d stand at the grill waiting to be served & no one would be there (during lunch time) until someone asked. No one manned the omelette station in the morning. For my family of 5, these are staple items 1) guacamole & chips, 2) ice cream, and 3) omelettes for breakfast—seems like very low hanging fruit for a resort of that size, and what we’ve come to expect from other Meliá properties but this one fell short. The rooms were nice and large, beds comfortable & rooms cool. Very happy with the rooms. Room service was available (for free for Level guests) but they were very rude when my soon ordered twice in one day & told him it was the last time. Also, as part of booking “The Level” we had access to a concierge who basically did nothing for us. She didn’t make reservations for us the first day, was “off” with no backup the 2nd day, didn’t respond til after 4pm on the 3rd day when there werent any reservations left before 9:30pm, and was just not what it should’ve been. The family Italian restaurant was the best of the 3 available, staff friendly & cocktails good. Buffet was not good & hot. The nightly entertainment by the pool was nice, good for kids. Overall, the resort was fine. The rooms could use some mending, the outside amenities could use some cleaning, and the service needs an upgrade—no one made us feel welcome, it felt like everything was a burden, when we paid for the highest level room and “The Level” service, we just didn’t feel comfortable there. Perhaps our expectations were too high given our prior experiences, we won’t be returning to this resort.”