Occidental at Xcaret Destination

My husband and I stayed 9 days at Occidental by Xcaret. The property and grounds are extremely beautiful. The rooms and certain areas of the hotel can use an upgrade but overall it’s beautiful. For being walking distance to Xcaret and having a jungle view, and all inclusive the price was good. The resort was kept clean with the exception of certain areas that need upgrades throughout. The resort is huge so you don’t find it noisy and are able to have privacy and find quiet areas. As for amenities they could improve, the shows are fun and entertaining but they schedule them pretty late and they should try to have shows earlier throughout the day as well. The one thing that I did not like was the way they schedule reservations for the specialty restaurants, you cannot get reservations the same day although every restaurant we went to the restaurant are empty. They would not make any exception. I have strict dietary restrictions and I asked if I could switch the restaurant and they were firm with no. Even after I explained that the restaurant I had booked explained they did not have many options for me to eat. They need to be more accommodating and have flexibility especially for those with dietary restrictions and restaurants being empty. After being there 9 days we spent enough time to see how things are ran and met many staff members. After the amount of staff we met only a few were absolutely beyond amazing and deserve a great shout out and hope the resort reads this and complements them on their outstanding job. I would like to thank The morning shirt buffet captain Emilia. She was the ONLY person from all the restaurants we ate at that went out of her way to accommodate my strict gluten free diet. She went out of her way to get me desserts and make sure I was able to eat foods . The moment she saw me she was on it. I gratefully thank her because nobody else from dinner buffet to specialty restaurants did that for me. She was very busy but never bothered for having to go further to help me. She was very sweet. Then bartender Ismael was so cool and fun to talk too. I was not feeling good one day and he took personal interest and made me a drink that bounced me right back up and my stomach felt better. He made the drinks the best out of every bars and had the measurements exactly right. He needs to be recognized for his excellent bartending skills. We also had an excellent waiter in the morning buffet named Apolinar he was so attentive and always asked and made sure we had everything we needed and always did it with a smile on his face. He was so sweet. There was also a cook making omelets by the name of Luis. He was so sweet and very patient with the crowds and made the food absolutely delicious and fast. He is so hard working and so nice every morning he greeted us when he saw us. Last Andrea & Israel from concierge building 21 they both were very helpful and Andrea running around making sure everyone was happy and making reservations and helpful throughout our stay. Israel always greeted us with a smile had conversations with us and helpful as well. Out of ALL the staff we met the 9 days those 5 employees beyond exceeded and went above and beyond. No other employee were as sweet and helpful as them. I hope they get recognition for their excellence work! My husband and I would go back to Occidental just to visit them again. Good job to them!

We have stayed at Occidental many times over the years we consider it our Mexican home.We arrived tired late in the evening but was happy to be told that our room request had been honoured and that it had been freshly decorated since our last visit. There were a couple of maintenance issues but both were dealt with quickly. Our room was kept spotless by the hard working cleaner (sorry I didn’t get his name Rm 19108) It was so nice to be reunited with our good friend Minerva Lozano and although she was very busy in her new role she always made time to see us each day. We had no trouble getting beds at the main pool each day in the shade, the staff work hard to clear the leaves but you have to accept this is a jungle environment so there will be some leaves in the pool and iguanas having a swim or on a couple of occasions falling out of a tree. I just wish the badly behaved children would leave them alone. Brisa the lady that delivered drinks around the pools was lovely and always smiling. We always had lunch in the restaurant above the swim up bar, it was nice to see Roman again, all the staff there are friendly and a special thank you to Andrick the chef for the special French onion soup that he made for my husband. We usually went to the beach in the afternoon because the entertainment games at the pool were very repetitive ,noisy and went on a bit too long ok if you like that kind of thing I suppose ,again at the beach there was no problem getting either a bed or cabana which I’m pleased to say you could use without having to book or pay extra for. The buffet at the beach is lovely with a cooling breeze. Both the buffets are ok we could usually find something for fussy and vegetarians to eat. Our favourite evening restaurant was the Steakhouse, Aliandro and his staff are wonderful they made us feel very welcome and the food was delicious. We didn’t have trouble booking restaurants at the concierge desk later in the mornings as long as we booked a day or so in advance. There aren’t many negatives for us , the shops are expensive because they have a captive audience as are the spa treatments and although thankfully there weren’t too many of them the people who think that the no smoking rule doesn’t apply to them need to be pulled up. We love our time at Occidental with our friends , the jungle environment and the wildlife we hope to return again soon.

Our family just wrapped up our 4th visit to the Occidental at Xcaret Destination since 2018, and this stay completely solidified why we keep coming back. While the resort itself is always beautiful, it is the staff at the Royal Level that makes it truly special.

Right at check-in, our family was facing a very difficult and unexpected family crisis. The Royal Level Manager, Cynthia Vega, stepped in and showed a level of empathy, compassion, and professionalism that I have rarely encountered anywhere else. She listened to our situation, took immediate action, and handled our complicated issues swiftly, efficiently, and with the utmost grace. She completely removed the stress from our shoulders so we could focus on our family.

Cynthia is the absolute epitome of world-class customer support. Beyond her incredible efficiency, she is simply a wonderful, warm, and deeply caring human being. By the end of our trip, we felt like we were saying goodbye to a true friend.

The entire Royal Level team was equally attentive, making sure every single detail of our stay was perfect. We are deeply grateful for the care we received, and we will absolutely return in the future—hopefully with our extended family next time. Five stars are not enough for Cynthia and her team!