My husband and I stayed at Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya last week for our anniversary, and I wanted to share our experience in case it helps others who are considering a stay there.
We booked a Preferred Club room with a pool and ocean view on the 4th floor. The room itself was beautiful - spacious, well decorated, and had both an indoor jacuzzi tub and a large soaking tub on the balcony.
One thing that probably shaped my perspective: I’m a health-conscious woman who prioritizes sleep and wellness, so I don’t drink alcohol. I realize many people choose all-inclusives for the all you can drink experience, but I was personally hoping for more thoughtful non-alcoholic options and elevated mocktails.
Arrival day was probably the most disappointing part of the experience for me. After 12 hours of travel and little sleep the night before, we were greeted warmly but immediately escorted from the lobby down to a bar to select welcome drinks before even checking in. I know many guests probably enjoy this level of service, but I felt put on the spot trying to figure out what non-alcoholic drinks were available while our staff escort patiently and politely observed.
From arrival to reaching our room, there were multiple staff handoffs, which felt a little overwhelming and confusing rather than seamless. (Person A will take your bags, Person B will take you to get your drink, other Person C take you to the lounge, Person D will greet you in the lounge, and so on).
Once we made it to the Preferred lounge, we were brought champagne (ummm no thank you) and introduced (again, via multiple staff) to additional upgrades, vacation club information, and service offerings. My first thought was "Why are we being held hostage here?" None of the staff were rude, everyone was courteous and professional, but after a long travel day, the extended sales-oriented conversations felt exhausting and ill-timed. I think 5 people told us "welcome home!" in our first 30 minutes onsite and that felty a bit cheesy. My patience was wearing thin by then.
Once we got settled, many parts of the trip were excellent. The pools were beautiful and relaxing, the food was consistently good, and restaurant service was wonderful overall (minus one awkward dinner where a new server basically forgot about our table).
We rented a Bali bed our first full day and thought it was worth it. We were shaded, had easy access to the ocean, and great service throughout the day. There was an obscene amount of sargassum on the beach, but I don't fault the resort for that. They were trying their best to remove it. Can't win against mother nature!
The spa ended up being the highlight of the trip for me. The facilities are stunning as are the surrounding grounds. We did a couples massage plus the hydrotherapy circuit, and both were fantastic. We even returned the next day for a sound healing session with the resort’s spiritual healer. The relaxation room was so peaceful that I could have spent an entire day there.
One recurring theme throughout the resort, though, was that almost every interaction with concierge staff seemed to evolve into some sort of sales conversation. For example, we stopped by the main lobby one afternoon simply to orient ourselves and ask where the spa was located, and concierge staff required that we take a seat, then asked us a bunch of questions about the nature of our trip and our room number. He left, and we waited about 5 minutes for him to return with a printed map (something we should have received at check-in), then had to hear his suggestions to add on additional services and another vacation club pitch. Similarly, a quick question at the spa desk about our appointment turned into an upsell conversation. To be fair, that one worked in our favor. We received upgraded 80-minute massages (from 50 minutes) and a complimentary cranial-sacral add-on for the same price. But, the conversation depleted me and just felt gross.
Overall, we did enjoy our stay and would return again. If we came back, I would set firmer boundaries during check-in and refuse the introductory sales presentations so we could settle in more quickly. I’d also love to see the resort expand its alcohol-free beverage menu with more creative, wellness-oriented mocktails that feel more elevated.
Hopefully this helps someone else know what to expect!