Moon Palace Golf and Spa Resort All-Inclusive
Our Trip Was Simply Okay
- July 3, 2009
- Rated 2 of 5 by
adamhaviland from Rosemount, Minnesota
A few things to note...
There is no hot tub outside. Yes, you get a two person tub in your room but none in the public areas, which is hard to believe considering the number of pools. The warm water is nice under the stars but not possible at this resort. Don't be fooled by the advertised six Jacuzzis - they exactly the same as the pools, with a few more jets. This was especially depressing because our first day was gloomy and, believe it or not, surprisingly cold.
Clean your room hot tub before use. Yes, they do a good job of scrubbing the main parts but the bacteria and dirt really fly when you crank up the jets for the first time. We were shocked to see the buildup.
There's plenty of pool space but not much variety. Other resorts might throw in a waterfall, fountain, cave, etc for variety. The pools at the Moon Palace are exactly the same - same look and even the same depth (around 3ft deep).
Claim a seat by the "volleyball" pool. It's where all the action takes place. They do a great job of keeping the party going by introducing new activities. This pool is great for entertainment but not so great for reading.
Always eat dinner at the a la carte restaurants where you order off a menu. The food is MUCH better. As you can tell from other reviews, the buffet food tends to sit out for extended periods of time. Not bad for a light breakfast (muffins, bagels, etc) but beware of anything that could potentially spoil. My wife and I were sick on separate days. If you do visit the buffet, go to the made-to-order stations.
Bring a DVD player, an AV cable, and DVDs. The resort shows usually end early so a movie in the room is a nice way to cap the evening. Their flat screen TVs make it an easy connection and they have free popcorn in the SNACKS room of the lobby.
Be prepared to deal with high pressure sales tactics. This is fairly common at most resorts. However, I did notice that they are especially clever at the Moon Palace. They may leave messages requesting call-backs, enticing you with something free (ours was a fruit basket). Don't feel obligated to call them back and certainly don't hesitate to say NO. They may try to intrude on your vacation by setting up a meeting to chat about the excursion/adventure options or their bulk vacation packages. You can always say NO. Don't provide an excuse – they’ll be ready with a counter – simply say NO.
Would I go back? No, but not because I was disappointed; only because I wasn’t that impressed. I’m certain there are other resorts in this price band that cater better to my needs.
One of the best vacations we've ever had.
- June 14, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
Stayed June 10th through June 14th, 2009. The all-inclusive was great. Plenty of bars, good and great restaurants, fantastic pools, free mini-golf, free phone calls to the U.S. from your room, free internet and you don't need your computer as they have a business center with computers, fantastic landscaping and grounds. The resort has plenty of activities. It was probably only 30% occupied, but nothing was sacrificied. The staff, and I mean the entire staff, was exceptional. They were the friendliest, and most helpful staff we've ever seen. Gratuities are not required and they didn't seem to expect them. When we gave a gratuity they genuinely appreciated it. My wife, who doesn't normally like vacations, said that this was probably the nicest vacation she's ever had, and we do a lot of vacations. There were a few children there. Most people hung out at the pool during the day while drinking any type of drink you can think of. People seemed to be really enjoying themselves. They have a good golf course, free bicylcles, free kayaks, hobie cats, and sailfishes.
Just go now while the rates are low due to fears of the swine flu. We didn't see any problems with that.
Great Experience
- June 5, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
We just returned 6/1 from a great trip at the Moon Palace. The hotel had 25% occupancy. The service was wonderful. The Nizuc side has many buildings with great ocean views. The room was decorated nicely and very clean. The jacuzzi was something I enjoyed. My kids loved the option of 24 hour room service (they said it was usually good) The nightly turn down service was a nice touch too. This resort has improved over the years. The beach is wide with white sand. I'm not an ocean swimmer so the seagrass didn't bother me. Also, the poolside service excellent. The free excursions were a great deal. We did the ziplining and it was fun. The food was good especially at the golf course Italian restaurant. The excellent service stood out at the Moon Palace.
Palace Resorts
- May 23, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
The Moon Palace Resort was absolutely awesome. More than one could imagine. The service, cleanliness and accomodations were excellent.
Disappointing
- May 6, 2009
- Rated 2 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
We just got back from a trip to Moon Palace, Cancun for a wedding. We left just as the Swine Flu was breaking the news and I am sure that didn't help the situation but we were very disappointed with the Moon Palace. The beds were small (2 full beds, not queens). Very crammed for a family of four. The food was the most disappointing - it was cold and much of it didn't taste fresh. Service people were nice for the most part but there were times we waited 20-30 minutes or more to get a waitress at the pool (and we usually had to go find one). Our excursions were cancelled because of the flu outbreak and they wouldn't give us anything in exchange. We have stayed at the Casa Magna, Fiesta Americana and Sunscape Tulum (which is all inclusive) and all 3 were MUCH better. On a high note, the kids camp was fabulous - our kids had a spectacular time. The resort was super clean also. For the money though, I would highly suggest other all inclusives that are half the cost.