Platinum Yucatan Princess

Overall Ratings

• Value: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
• Service: ★★★½☆ (3.5/5)
• Food: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
• Rooms: ★½☆☆☆ (1.5/5)
• Location: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
• Amenities: ★★★★★ (5/5)

I came into this trip expecting a true five-star resort, but after my stay, I would honestly rate it closer to a three-star property.

The location isn’t bad. It’s about a 20-minute drive to Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen and roughly 30–40 minutes from Cancun Airport. One nice perk is that you’re surrounded by the other Princess resorts, and guests can access many of their restaurants as long as reservations are made in advance.

Service

Service was inconsistent throughout our stay.

Upon arrival, no one brought our luggage to our room—I eventually had to retrieve it myself. Room service was also disappointing. We requested bottled water on three separate occasions, and it never arrived. We also ordered a pizza and a club sandwich through room service, and both arrived soggy and underwhelming.

Housekeeping also threw away my hair tie that had been left on the table, which was frustrating. Even worse, we found a cockroach in the bathroom that I had to kill myself, and it remained there until housekeeping came the following day.

The reason I’m giving service a 3.5/5 instead of lower is because there were some outstanding employees. Karen and German at the Yucatán Buffet provided exceptional service every single day. They were warm, attentive, and genuinely made us feel welcome. The rest of the buffet staff worked incredibly hard, and the bartenders throughout the resort were also fantastic.

Food

The food was average—not terrible, but certainly not memorable.

The biggest disappointment was Rodeo Restaurant. Being in Mexico, I expected excellent Mexican cuisine, but it ended up being surprisingly poor. The restaurant itself is beautiful and aesthetically designed, but unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to its appearance.

The buffet was actually one of the better dining options, and we found ourselves eating breakfast and lunch there regularly. One issue we noticed was that each evening only two restaurants were open while the others remained closed, which significantly limited dining choices.

Another frustrating policy was the dress code. It was over 90°F during our stay, and like many travelers, we packed mostly shorts. Unfortunately, men are required to wear long pants at the specialty restaurants. If you only have shorts, you’re limited to eating at the buffet. For a tropical beach resort, this rule felt outdated and unnecessary.

Desserts were another letdown. Nearly every cake and pastry looked appealing but tasted bland and mediocre. We tried several throughout the trip, and none were worth going back for.

Pools & Beach

The pools were excellent and one of the highlights of the resort. They were clean, spacious, and plenty of activities were offered throughout the day.

Unfortunately, the beach was another story. During our visit, there was a significant amount of sargassum seaweed washed ashore. The water was essentially unusable, and the decomposing seaweed created a strong rotten egg smell. I understand this is a natural issue affecting much of the Caribbean and not something the resort can control, but it’s something travelers should be aware of before booking if spending time in the ocean is important to them.

Rooms

The room was by far the biggest disappointment.

We originally booked a Deluxe Junior Suite but were upgraded to a Platinum Deluxe Room overlooking the trees. While the upgrade sounded nice on paper, the condition of the room was far below what I’d expect from a five-star resort.

The sheets had visible stains, the floors felt dirty, the bathtub wasn’t properly cleaned, and the shower fixtures were rusted. Overall, the room looked tired and poorly maintained. This was one of the main reasons I simply can’t consider this a luxury five-star property.

Amenities & Entertainment

This is where the resort truly shines.

The nightly entertainment was fantastic. The theater shows were professional and enjoyable, and the outdoor fire show at Plaza Bar was one of the highlights of the trip.

There were also plenty of activities for guests, including:

• Tennis courts
• Pickleball courts
• Basketball and soccer
• Archery
• Rifle shooting
• Batting cages
• Paddleboarding
• Yoga
• Golf
• Daily games and activities
• Foam parties

The complimentary shuttle service between all the Princess resorts was very convenient, and they also offered transportation into town for $5 per person, which was a great value.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I left disappointed.

The amenities and entertainment were excellent, and several staff members truly went above and beyond. However, the poor room condition, inconsistent service, disappointing food, and limited dining options outweighed the positives.

This was my first stay at a Princess resort, and unfortunately, it didn’t meet the expectations of a five-star experience. For the price, I don’t feel the value was there. Personally, I wouldn’t return, nor would I recommend it unless significant improvements are made.

1st super big shoutout's to Maximilliano (Concierge) who was on point with everything from having our scooters ready when we got there to decorating our room for my birthday, and then some. (Bell Hops) Enrique, Javier, and Israel for greeting us again when we got there. Super nice guys. The entire entertainment staff from, Rhamses, Jonathan, Luna, Malu, and Betto for keeping us entertained, and amused. The manager at buffet Ersain Cabrera for having my Tomahawk steak for me on my birthday, and Carols the chef for making it just like mine, and our personal waiter Abelino. (waiters) Eliana, Carlos, Fernanda, and by far the best Armando. The entire dance group for putting on some amazing shows, and performances. Bartenders Ediberto, and super star David. House keeping was great. Our rooms were cleaned everyday with fresh towels. Foam party was the best. Buffet was good. Something for everybody, Rodeo steak house was amazing, Italian was amazing, and the Habachi was good with a little show from the chef. Plenty of pools through out the resort. Only downfall was the beach. The seaweed is out of control, but that's mother nature for ya. Those are all the reasons we went back because everyone on this list I mentioned are super nice, and the resort is beautiful. PYP all I ask is that you take care of that entire staff because those are the 1st faces everyone see's when they get there. Bellhops, front desk, Concierge, entertainment staff, and bartenders great you with a smile. If you lose them you lose a lot of customers because they love the staff. We will be back for a 3rd visit for that reason. Thanks again for a great time.