I have stayed at many, many hotels from rock bottom to ultra spiffy. Mahekal is not spiffy by any means but it is charming, lovely and has many plusses. First, the staff are wonderful. Everyone is friendly and they were very responsive to our requests. The setting is great. We had an upstairs ocean view room which was private and the view was beautiful. The rooms are simple but adequate and the beds (or at least our bed) are very comfortable. The grounds are well maintained and very clean. I did not miss having a tv or phone at all because my idea of vacation is really getting away from the world. The beach is great and is right there. Our only quibble here is that Wifi throughout the complex, as opposed to the bar and the lobby, would be great. The location is good ... far enough away from 5th Avenue to get away from the crowds but close enough to be able to walk there easily. Breakfast and lunch are good. Unfortunately, the two times we had dinner, the food was abysmal. The entrees included in the "free" meal are very limited. You have to pay extra for premium choices. Don't waste your money! The food at dinner was not worth it. However, lunches were fresh and delicious. My husband and I both had massages which were wonderful. The bar was a lot of fun. The bar staff was very friendly and efficient. As nice as it was, I would definitely not stay here during the rainy season. The palapa roofs are not waterproof!

I was disappointed with the town, especially 5th Avenue which is one long, often tacky, tourist strip. The restaurants on the Avenue are mediocre and way overpriced. Do not bother buying any basics, such as wine, beer, tequila, etc. there as they probably cost half at the grocery store or Wallmart. There are some places to note however. The restaurant directly across the street (Origines) is very good and they had great live music at dinner. The monkey joint up the street is also very good and nicely funky. And there is a nice place at the corner of 38th and 5th to get coffee.

If you are looking for upscale luxury, glitz and lots of action, don't waste your time at Mahekal. If you want a laid back and relaxing experience, give it a try. I would definitely come back to the resort. Playa del Carmen I am not so sure about as I prefer to have authentic experiences.

My husband and I hadn't been away without kids for 10 years. Mahekal was the perfect choice for us. We had breakfast and lunch at the hotel and we were able to explore the great dining options in Playa at night. The restaurant directly across the street, Origenes, was superb! One of the highlights of our trip. The snorkeling excursions from the hotel were very good. If your walk down the beach right past where the boats are and swim out to where the last one is, there is a fantastic reef right there. We've snorkeled in a lot of places and this was right up there with the best of them.

Breakfast was good, with limited options. Same with lunch. We ate dinner there one night and were unimpressed. Anything that we liked on the menu was "extra.".

Can't say enough about the people who work there. EVERYONE was nice. We had an ocean view room and we were glad we chose that instead of ocean front. The ocean front rooms were literally ON the beach, which is cool, but there are people laying out and walking past all day. Not much privacy. The rooms are simple, but comfortable. Would recommend this resort for adults more than kids.

This resort is by no means a 4 star resort. I would say 2 1/2 at best. Secrets is a 4 star resort with 5 award winning restaurants! This is not even close.

Some things were good, not great:
*Comfy bed, great mattress
*Location on beach was pretty good, however, the resort is smack dab in the middle of a public beach access. Guess what, you get the overflow of families parking themsevles right in front of you blocking your beautiful view with their umbrellas. On the other hand, it is a short walk to the center of town and much better food.
*Staff was overall friendly and helpful. Did get the feeling that front desk was very full of themselves and not very accommadating or friendly.

NOT SO GOOD STUFF:
*ROOMS-yuck, A/C didnt work properly, porch ceiling leaked and you could see the buildup of mold, no fridge, no tv, no phone (they dont want you to bother them), no iron, NO INTERNET SERVICE except in lobby and bar area! OMG this is 2012. Get full service internet!

*The first room, 2P we had was small, no drawer space, with tiny bathroom and deck area looked right out into public access! We then took over our friends room when they left early, 1P, same price but their room had large bathroom, large living space, drawers, larger deck overlooking ocean.

*Rooms themselves were in need of upgrading. Original workmanship was crappy. Tiles didn't match, tiles were not even or level. I could have done a better tiling job after watching youtube!

*HAPPY HOUR bar-SUCKED! where do I begin. Not enough staff, not enough seating, lasted from 5-6. Too early for normal people. NO MUSIC, one TV, 80's style furnishings, inefficient staffing, bartender actually has to write down your drink order, give it to guy at computer to make receipt, make drink, give you receipt and wait for you to sign! In a word the MOST BORING HAPPY HOUR I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED. YAWN FACTOR WAS A 10. ARE YOU ALIVE PEOPLE?

*POOL, in need of repair and updating or at least a coat of paint. Hot tube was being used as kiddie pool! Not enough chairs at either pool. Pool not heated.

*FOOD-It was at best OK. Breakfast was same everyday! Small buffet with fruit and cereal. You could order eggs any way you want them. Nothing else. Nothing special. Felt like I was home. Lunch was passable with more options. We only did dinner once as it was so bad. I would suggest going into town for dinner. Much more exciting.

* People at this resort are so boring. You need to take a pulse. Think they were asleep by 9!

Basically don't expect to be living in luxury or pampered in any way. If you want a drink while on the beach, go to Walmart and stock up. It will be faster. Then you have to keep going to bar and ask for ice, but still better deal and service if you BYOB!

Also, they nickle and dime you at ever turn. Nothing is free and there are no perks of a true 4 star hotel. you are better off staying at a nice boutique hotel in town for between $80-100 USD and eating your meals on 5th ave.

If you want a taste of the simple life in luxurious settings, this is the place to go! If you want to experience nature in all its beauty, this is also the place for it. Our experience at Mahekal was unique in many ways. We didn't know what to expect, but chose it simply based on customer reviews and background information, and loved it! Our conventional acception of what a holiday should be was pleasantly altered. Days begin early at around 7 am or even earlier, and the sun sets at about 5.30pm. The resort offers special thatched roof houses called "cabanas" or "palapas", with all comforts included, and nice mosaic designs on the tiled floor and in the bathroom. Food is great and the views are fantastic, no matter which angle you look from. The sand is white, the sea is right on your porch, the staff is friendly, and the sun burns even when it's cloudy or windy. Time flies too quickly though, quicker than in mainland or at home. Forget about watching TV or talking on the phone or checking your emails, you'll soon ask yourself why they were ever invented. As someone travelling to Central America from Europe for the first time, we couldn't have made a better choice~ thanks to everyone at the hotel and do book all your trips with the hotel's travel agency, they are very helpful and have some of the best offers.