Our Sanctuary - Fairmont Mayakoba
This was our 10th visit to Fairmont Mayakoba over many years.
Our last visit was in 2020 and we were excited to be back after covid travel restrictions and the extensive resort renovations. Our wait was rewarded as the renovated rooms and facilities truly elevate an already wonderful and unique destination. I felt compelled to write this review to recognize the Fairmont for exceeding our expectations. My wife and I have travelled extensively, and we keep coming back to this vacation spot for the lush setting, great food, and above all, exceptional service!
We’ve always felt safe and welcomed here. It’s in a gated complex with controlled entry.
While the Fairmont is the biggest of the resorts at Mayakoba, there are plenty of pools, and spaces to spread out. The resort never feels crowded and feels more like a boutique resort despite its size. We’ve visited both in peak and off-peak seasons.
This is not a beachfront, high rise “all inclusive party” resort and we appreciate that it provides a quieter more intimate experience.
We spent most of our time between the beach and adult pool. Kids at the resort aren’t a problem with spaces for those that prefer to avoid families.
We appreciated the new restaurant options (the new music/entertainment at the restaurants are a nice touch),and renovations to Hix at the lobby, Laguna, and especially the new Maykana Beach Club.
Simply Wow! The new Beach Club, is a dramatic, more inviting, and open space; better connected to the beach with great seating options to grab a bite or a cocktail and enjoy the views. The roof top bar, Cielo, at sunset is a must.
The Fairmont has the best beach of the resorts in Mayakoba and is a big reason we keep coming back. There are ample padded beach chairs and palapas, and plenty of chairs around the pools. This is not a resort where you have to scope out seating early in the morning to reserve a space. The complex has made the best of a challenging situation with sargassum, and while the new barriers aren’t the prettiest, they do help keep the beach clear. There was very little sargassum present during our visit and crews are always hard at work clearing the beach to ensure the best possible guest experience. There is a wide variety of beach activities, paddleboards, kayaks etc.
The staff at Fairmont are fantastic and it is the main reason we return. From the beach waiters, to cleaning staff, shuttle cart drivers, virtually all staff greeted us with a smile and Hola! We met some new people and were glad to see many familiar friends and faces.
The resort is very clean with beautifully kept grounds. Housekeeping is excellent and common areas are very well maintained.
Tips/Observations:
I’d like to take a moment to add some thoughts and address some comments we’ve seen about the resort as I believe some are unfair. The people work hard here to deliver a memorable guest experience.
-Do some homework. The Fairmont and Mayakoba websites have plenty of images, resort maps and virtual views to familiarize yourself with the resort and the complex in advance. There are plenty of room classes to find the experience that suits your budget, from beach front villas, casitas with water or garden views, to tower rooms. Some rooms are farther from the beach, but shuttles are frequent, and we’ve rarely waited more than a few minutes for a ride. Bikes are available too, although they can be scarce at times. We’ve stayed in most room types over the years and prefer the casitas with golf course or canal views. (700’s and 600s). They’re a good value.
-Yes, there are silly fees that should be included in the pricing, and taxes of course, but all resorts have them, and they are outlined in the reservation process. They should not be a surprise at check out.
-This is not an inexpensive resort, but all travel is expensive these days and we feel that the Fairmont offers the best value of the Mayakoba resorts; and it’s a great value compared to other Caribbean resorts in its class. We’ve been to many.
-The resort is in a mangrove forest. The flora and fauna are wonderful to see and a big part of what makes a visit to Mayakoba a unique experience. There can be mosquitos at times. It is a natural environment. The resort provides repellent. There’s no need for an alarm clock as we instead enjoy waking up to the abundant birds in the morning.
-There are plenty of restaurant options to keep meals from feeling repetitive. Fairmont restaurants were all very good and the meals are prepared to a high standard. Portions are generous. Alcohol at the bars includes top shelf brands with ample variety. Tamarind Mescalitas are wonderful! Try them with different mescals. We did miss some of the local craft beer selections offered during previous visits. We enjoyed beach front dinners at Fuego to have our feet in the sand; Tauro and Gaia were both exceptional. We prefer to opt out of the meal plan for half of our stay to allow us to explore Playa del Carmen in the evening, or restaurants in neighboring Mayakoba resorts. Our favorites were Saffron at Banyan Tree (the boat ride back after dinner at night was lovely), Al Fresco at Rosewood, and Casa Amate at Andaz. The dinner bill at neighboring restaurants can be transferred to the Fairmont. All wonderful experiences.
-As others have said, don’t miss the boat tour. Juan Carlos was our guide. He was engaging and informative. We were left feeling he enjoys his work and took pride in explaining the environment at Mayakoba.
-Plenty of water is provided in the room and water stations. Bring an insulated bottle.
-All the servers speak English well. Language has never been an issue during any of our visits.
We’d like to recognize several staff members that stood out during this visit. I hope I have their correct names and spelling:
- Emilio and Mariana at Hix lobby bar. Emilio provided great service and a familiar smile when we arrived, and Mariana was very patient in mixing a specific martini for me. Each request was gladly met with ‘why not’!
-Oasis and Marcos at the Maykana pool were available if we needed anything without being intrusive.
-Gabriella at Cantina/Laguna made us feel welcome at lunch and was engaging. She happily customized drinks for us.
-Rudolpho (used to be at the beach) at the Adult Pool was a familiar face and took good care of us.
-Enrique and Leonardo at Gaia teamed up to deliver a memorable evening. The seafood was exceptional. The venue is first class.
-Fuego at the beach was a pleasant surprise. It’s a new restaurant at Maykana and we enjoyed the wood grilled food and beach atmosphere so much we had dinner there twice. Carlos, Samuel, and Frankie were attentive and pleasant.
-David at Tauro was especially engaging and provided great service. He turned around an initial bad impression as the hostess seemed miffed when we asked for a table with a view. The restaurant was not busy during our visit. The steak dinner was very good and sharing one was plenty for us.
-the beach servers work hard, and we never waited long to be offered drinks or food. Ceviche for a light lunch on a hot day is wonderful. Filiberto and Jimmy stood out for us.
-and finally, a word of recognition for Oscar. We’ve known him for many years and he’s a credit to the resort. We first bumped into him on his last day at Brisas, and he greeted us with his big smile. He’s done more to thank us for coming back and recognize our repeat business over the years than the hotel itself. He takes pride in his work and makes us feel like his ‘familia’ when we visit. We were also pleased to be among his first customers back on the beach!
We were sad to leave as always, but we are already planning ahead for our next visit.