Playacar Palace

Chani Palace

After booking this resort, I’ll admit I was extremely nervous. I deep-dived into the reviews and got worried about the beach and some people’s negative experiences. But I have to say—the hotel truly exceeded our expectations. Yes, the beach directly by the hotel is very small, and the water comes right up to it. However, if you walk literally two minutes (if that), right across the way there’s a really nice small beach area where you can relax and play. It was perfect for our family’s needs and absolutely beautiful. I also loved that you could sit on a sun chair near the water without sitting directly in the sand—perfect for anyone who hates the sensory overload of sand. The rooms are on the smaller side, and the beds are quite small. Definitely do not expect a queen-size bed—it’s smaller than a full and not ideal for two people. Keep that in mind. That said, they brought in a rollaway bed for my son, which made a huge difference and worked out well for us. The staff was incredibly friendly, sweet, and accommodating. We have some dietary restrictions, and I emailed the hotel ahead of time. They were fully prepared for us upon arrival and were amazing about meeting our needs. The location of the hotel is fantastic—right by the main area. It was so nice to be able to step outside and really experience Mexico, feel the city vibe, and not feel isolated like you sometimes do at large luxury resorts. You truly get the best of both worlds: luxury inside, real Mexico just steps away. One thing I do want to mention is the entertainment. At least the Caribbean show was definitely not family-friendly. I genuinely felt like I had accidentally taken my son to a strip club, which made me hesitant to bring him to any of the other shows afterward. That’s something the hotel could absolutely improve. Overall, we had a beautiful time. My son loved the kids’ program, and despite a few drawbacks, we would definitely come back again.

Lauren Finn

Extremely disappointing customer service. The phone line is constantly "temporarily closed" and Palace have refused to refund us or move our booking, despite repeatedly saying since early May that the hotel would be opening "next week". We're now nearly in July and still have no certainty. We arrive in early July and genuinely don't know where we'll be staying. Instead of looking forward to an expensive holiday, we're dreading it. We understand that sargassum isn't Palace's fault, but when guests are paying 5-star resort prices, the overall customer experience matters. Reports of an unbearable smell around the pool and dining areas, together with concerns about the health effects of decomposing sargassum, make many guests understandably anxious about their holiday. We are returning Palace guests, but after this experience we will never stay at a Palace resort again. Once they have your money, it feels like they no longer care. Palace need to do the right thing: move all July/August 2026 Playacar Palace guests to other Palace resorts and give people at least a few weeks' notice. If they don't, they risk seriously damaging their reputation as more disappointed customers share their experiences in reviews.

Ajay Singh

Stayed for 6 nights and 7 days , the resort is really nice and small compared to Riu or Ibrostar but the smaller resort was not an issue for us as it made it easier to move around with kids. The beach is basically non existent (feel free to look at the pics ) Location is great with downtown PDC in walking distance. Massage prices are right down stupid I. $700 USD for couples massage. You can walk out the resort and get a couples massage for under $100 USD. You also cannot use the sauna or steam room without purchasing spa services. The resort credits are a joke and honestly because of this I did not purchase there time share which is not a time share. I honestly would have but because of the nuances with the resort credit lead me to believe the elite membership would have similar stipulations in the contract. The food at the restaurant is great but the buffet is mediocre. All of the restaurants have an upcharge of something could be wine or lobster or ribeye steak. I paid extra for the lobster and it was cooked really well... The staff was great. My kids loved the play area and we even hired an external nanny service for $18 USD / hour . The entertainment was better than most other all inclusive resorts.

Olivia Dasilva

Overall, this resort was okay and disappointing for the price. The pictures make it seem much nicer than it actually is. It’s a small resort with not much to do, limited activities, a small gym, loud pool music at times, and most of the good pool chairs are reserved early. The food was underwhelming overall, though dinner service was excellent and the staff was very attentive and kind. We loved Momo and the hibachi the best! Resort credits sounded great when we booked but very limited on what you could use them for and came with extra fees. The beach is more for the view than actual use. We also had issues with poor communication, especially around a golf outing on my birthday where transportation details were never communicated, yet it was treated as our fault. While they rebooked us, we were still very disappointed that no compensation was offered. The resort is very clean, and it’s conveniently located near the main shops and downtown, which was a plus. Our initial room had no ocean view at all which is what we had booked so they had to move us the next day. Room service was great and they did make our anniversary feel special. The staff was truly the highlight of our stay, but overall this was not a five-star experience and did not meet expectations for the cost.

Carla Martins de Melo

Our experience at Playacar Palace Resort was absolutely wonderful, from arrival to departure. Everything was perfect. The service from the entire hotel staff was exceptional — everyone was friendly, attentive, and very polite. The hotel itself is cozy, peaceful, and perfect for a family stay. The food is amazing (you can tell by the number of photos I added to this review 🤭). The hotel is also extremely clean. The restaurant staff were lovely, especially Elvia, who was always kind, friendly, and took the time to talk with us. The MoMo restaurant, with its oriental cuisine, is simply divine. Abner, who served us both times we dined there, was very pleasant, friendly, and extremely polite. At the pool area, all the staff were always attentive, making sure we were well taken care of. Juliana, who served us for two days, was also incredibly kind and courteous — actually, everyone was amazing. A truly wonderful hotel — 10/10. We will definitely be back!