Honest Ocean Maya Royale Reviews | Mexico, Riviera Maya

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Located on the coast of the Riveria Maya and the cusp of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Ocean Maya Royale – Adults Only Hotel is a popular all-inclusive resort. But is it all that it seems, or should you continue your hotel search? Read on for honest Ocean Maya Royale reviews; the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Ocean Maya Royale Reviews | Content

This post provides honest Ocean Maya Royale Reviews based on my experiences and are in way sponsored by the hotel. However, there may be some affiliate links throughout this post which mean that I may earn a commission if you purchase through these links.

Where is the Ocean Maya Royale Resort? 

Set back from the main highway into Playa Del Carmen and Cancun, Ocean Maya Royale – Adults Only Hotel is set on a beautiful white beach. As you’re in between two major places, getting around is easy enough. Sometimes this middle-ground location goes in your favor when you’re getting hotel pick-ups for tours. Other times you will be the first one on and the last one-off.

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Accommodation at the Ocean May Royale

There are two main classes of accommodation: standard villas and privilege, which come with an additional charge. We had a standard king-size villa.

Privilege access grants you a bigger room, but most of them are in the row next to the lobby. Great for the evening entertainment but a bit of a walk to the pool or beach area. The villas, on the other hand, are scattered throughout the complex. If you prefer to be near the beach, specify the lower numbers when you book, i.e., 11, 10, etc. This area is also where you will find rooms with ocean views. 

The rooms are clean, modern, and well equipped, albeit a bit basic, although you have an ironing board, hairdryer, and toiletries. You also have a minibar with some free soft drinks, water, two beers, and a safe. There is also a balcony or patio.

Tips: if you specify double when you book, you will receive a twin room with two double beds. Make sure to request a king.

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Restaurants at the Ocean Maya Royale

There are four al a carte restaurants at the Ocean Maya Royale; two Italians, a Mexican, and a Japanese restaurant (although this wasn’t open during my visit with no prior warning). There is also a buffet restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the Mexican restaurant also serves a buffet for lunchtime.

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As a vegetarian, there was a good selection of food, and you can make special requests. Both Italian restaurants were excellent, with a lovely atmosphere and décor. The Mexican restaurant, however, was disappointing. Considering this is the country’s food, all we had was vegetable fajitas which were terrible – we didn’t go back. 

Additionally, there was also an ice cream stall in the pool area that was sometimes open. It seemed to open as and when it wanted to, but the ice cream was good.

There is also snack food served in the sports bar after 4 pm until late if you get peckish, and there are cakes in the coffee shop. You can also order room service.

Pool and Beachside Facilities at the Ocean Maya Royale

There are two outdoor pools and a private beach area for you to relax around during the day. You also receive a token for a fresh towel that you can exchange every day.

If you want to be close to the action, then grab a sun lounger at the smaller pool, as this is where the music and entertainment will be. On the other hand, if you prefer a quieter, more relaxing atmosphere, then chill out on the beach or around the larger pool. Privilege members have day beds and specific spots on the private beach. 

There are also some quirky features, such as the giant ‘MEXICO’ letters, a beach swing seat, and hammocks to enjoy. The beach is beautiful, and they maintain it as best they can; however, there is a lot of seaweed in the area. We usually snorkel but didn’t bother her as the sea was murky and altogether uninviting.

The area is clean and well maintained. However, when it gets busy, there are not enough sun loungers for all the guests. While the rules specify not to reserve sun loungers, everyone does, and if you don’t get one early in the morning, you will be left lounging on the sand in the afternoon.

There is also a water sports activity center that organizes excursions and tours. The jet ski and snorkeling tour was terrific fun, and I highly recommend it. 

There are many other trips to choose from, such as Tulum or the Cenotes. However, we booked these outside the hotel as the deals were cheaper. 

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Entertainment at the Ocean Maya Royale

the Ocean Maya Royale Adults Only hotel reviews for entertainment is split into two parts; daytime and evening.

Day: around the smaller pool, many fun activities vary day by day. Try your hand at making friendship bracelets or tie-dye t-shirts, or go wild at the foam party. Play a game of beach volleyball, or if you don’t want to get sandy, play it in the pool.

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Evening: every evening there was a different show or performance, and some of these were high quality, for example, the fire show was the best I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot!). There were also good dancers, singers, and musicians on the other evenings. However, entertainment usually starts around 9 pm and lasts for an hour, with the entertainment staff then filling in the rest of the time.

I don’t know if it was because we had terrible weather, but the lobby area is used a lot for entertainment, and it frankly isn’t geared up for it. Once the main acts finished, the evenings were boring, and the setup of the evening areas didn’t lend themselves particularly well to socialization (at least when it’s raining). Definitely head to Coco Bongo’s in Playa del Carmen one evening to add some liveliness to your night.

Ocean Maya Royale Bars

There is a pool bar with a swim-up area which was good. It opens from 9 am – 6 pm and the staff are friendly and make a good selection of drinks.

The lobby bar is accessible 24/7. It has comfortable seating and is probably the best bar to socialize at (aside from the swim-up bar, of course).

The sports bar is only open from 6 pm, but it does play sports during its opening hours. It is also open until the early hours, so it makes an excellent place to drop by if you’re returning from a night in Playa del Carmen.

Note: Privilege members have the option of premium spirits across all bars.

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Other Facilities at the Ocean Maya Royale – Adults Only Hotel

There is a spa on-site, but we found the cost of this expensive ($100 + for a massage), so we didn’t visit it. You can also enjoy the fitness center, but this is also something I didn’t use, although it seemed well-equipped. 

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The grounds are beautiful, and you will undoubtedly be entertained by the wildlife around. 

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Ocean Maya Royale Adults Only Hotel Reviews in Summary

Despite some of the negatives I’ve listed, we genuinely enjoyed our stay here. The friendly staff was all great, we met some wonderful people, and we weren’t disappointed with our choice of hotel. However, we’d try somewhere else next time. If the evening entertainment and resulting atmosphere improve then this could tempt us back.

We met several other people during excursions who rated their nearby hotels highly. Check the links below so you can see other resorts in the area and take an informed view of where to stay.

• Hacienda Tres Rios Resort Spa & Nature Park – All Inclusive – an eco-friendly hotel but stunning natural rivers.
• Grand Riviera Princess – All Inclusive – a great hotel closer to the centre of Playa del Carmen.
• Ocean Maya Royale – Adults Only – if you like what you see in this review, check out the latest deals.

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