The Reef Playacar All Inclusive Beach Resort

Amazing hotel design around tropical creek. Lovely villas 12 rooms each over 3 floors. Ground floor rooms facing the creek have musty and damp smell, but as the gardens, pools and the beach are very attractive time spent in the room is minimal. Rooms facing Riu Palace are quite noisy due to numerous service trolleys being carted back and forth on hard wheels on the concrete service path running alongside the buildings for both Riu Palace and the Creek from 6 am to 11.00pm. The simple solution would be to use rubber wheels - suggestion for the management.. Our room on the top floor was comfortable, newly painted but the bathroom was very dated with bath tub painted inside, rusty shower and taps.Both the grounds and the accommodation was spotlessly clean and well cared for through our stay. Beach 4 poster beds have seen better days. Every day some were taken off for repairs but they really require refurbishment. Beach sun loungers and umbrellas vibrant blue and comfortable, great beach with sports facilities . Buffet meals tasty, plentiful and varied, although meat pieces could be larger in various diced dishes. Staff efficient, friendly and polite without exception. Reading some reviews about time share sales I must say that not once were we approached for this reason. Excellent location - 15 min walk alongside palm lined avenue to Playa del Carmen and 10 min walk in opposite direction to very nice touristy, colorful shopping center. All in all a great holidays!

What a great place to vacation. It was more than we were expecting. Well maintained with a super friendly staff. Beautiful beach and plenty of staff around to take care of all your needs. Drinks and food were plentiful. Ate in the Italian restaurant and the buffet. The pool area was lively and there was also a quiet spot where we played cards and just relaxed in the afternoon. If we had any suggestions it would be to be clearer about all the amenities offered. We were given a site map that could have been much easier to figure out.

We’ve been visiting this resort for twenty years. We love the location-closest Playacar hotel to Playa Del Carmen. Easy walking distance to town. The hotel service is very good, unless you’re trying to access their Wi-Fi (fee charged). The guest rooms have been updated since we last stayed, a pleasant surprise and a big improvement. At check-in, they direct you to another staff member who ends up trying to sell you a time share. It’s not what you want to hear after traveling all day, but it’s not high pressure. This is not a top tier resort for dining. The buffet is only so-so. There is an Italian restaurant that is unremarkable. A third restaurant charges a small per person fee unless you are a premier level guest. Nothing special on the menu. You can pay more at other resorts and probably have a five star vacation. But we love the quaintness of The Reef and it’s value.

After a bad experience next door we went here. Great little place. People are beyond nice and they upgraded us for free due to construction next door. Can't beat the beach location or the friendliness of the resort.

The food was ok, but not great. It was an older hotel that seemed to be in desperate need of an upgrade. I was lucky to get an upgrade in my room and that changed my experience to a more positive one. I think if you're looking for an older all inclusive hotel this would be be the one.