Had a great time in Acapulco Mex. The mayan Palace was a very nice place to stay. Staff was helpful as could possibly be, management did little to enhance the experiance.

If you do not happen to be an owner at the resort, you get treated just a tad differently. This is evidenced by the different colored wristbands issued at checkin.

We were promised ocean view, but had no luck with the front desk. We were promised an upgrade if one became available.
On Monday, after what seemed like a mass exodus from the resort, it was very apparent that there were some vacancies, as the place was virtually empty. Still no consideration.

I did enjoy myself, things all considered. We were lucky enough to be snatched up by a very accomodating cab driver/tour guide named Ricardo Alvarez. 044-74-41-38-37-43 cell #. This fellow was knowledgeable about the whole scene in Acapulco. Any destination, dining, shopping etc., he is the man. Enjoy.

Stayed at the Mayan Palace Acapulco for one week (April 26 - May 3, 2008). I was joined by a guest. Originally there were to be four or five of us, but the unit, which was secured through a timeshare exchange, was supposedly comfortable to sleep five. Plain and simple, five would have been uncomfortable. Four would be the max. Second, and this is the most important point: You are greeted with lush landscapes, breathtaking views, marble floors, a "Mayan" theme and a pool and beach that does not disappoint. However, if you are staying at the Mayan Palace, I'm a little perplexed about the other reviewers on this posting board. Coming from a timeshare home resort that was a "prime" location, with a "prime" week, to be placed in the Mayan Palace (not to be confused with the Grand Mayan, which also shares the same property), it was nothing short of resembling a cheap motel. It was old and dated, the furniture (sofa, chairs, coffee table, etc.) showed wear and tear and were dingy. Never mind that depending on your unit location, if you looked out your door you were looking at the workers/cleaning area gathering spot, and if you looked out the sliding glass doors leading to the "not wide enough to stand on" balcony, you were looking into an enormous dirt pit complete with bulldozers, dump trucks and noise from sun up. When you walk into the grand lobby area, you're greeted with awe, marble, an infinity pool, lounging areas, with soothing winds, the Mayan puts on a "good show", but if you are staying at the Mayan Palace, off you go to some no-man's land adjacent and overlooking a construction site--that, I might add, you get to walking over a makeshift walkway. Not exactly what you might expect, especially if you take a short walk in the opposite direction to the Grand Mayan and you see a stark contrast--a much newer and fresher set of accommodations, Euro-style fixtures and furniture (whether you like them or not), balconies that you can actually stand on and want to stand on. Things, ladies and gentlemen, are not always as they seem. (The sickly fat rat that was suffering underneath the lounge chair on the marbled floor around the infinity pool should have been a sign of things to come. I had to take a photo.) Again, the Mayan Resorts puts on a "good show" but turn right and you're in a completely different world, especially as a timeshare owner of a "prime" resort and week and you would be appalled. Don't bother contacting anyone at the resort to assist you -- they won't return your call. I guess the blessing is, the lush landscapes and the pool. As a side note, you pay for everything possible at this resort, which is supposedly one of the best in Acapulco, from the Internet Cafe to the Aqua Park. If you have more than one child, forget it. It all adds up because the cost is per day per child and adult. They actually have a DJ that spins tunes at night, but either it wasn’t the right time of year for the younger set to be busting a groove or perhaps the Mayan does a poor job of reminding guests that this is something they have to offer. Well, if they don’t want people taking part, then that’s fine, but it’s such a waste. If you really want to go clubbing, hook up with one of the taxi drivers that know all about the hot spots and make arrangements. As for taxi drivers, we enlisted the help and services of one, Edel Genchi. He was pleasant and willing to drive us around, and even tailored a full-day tour for our needs at a fraction of the cost of what the Mayan was offering, not to mention to be available to make trips to the Walmart (they also have a Costco, although we didn't go). So what do they have at the resort other than the extra long pool, and sandy beach that stretches for miles? They have several eating places on site, an open air bar (The Bar), they have a Spa with the usual offerings. We only ate at the resort twice. We found a great family-owned shack about 15 minutes down the beach to the left beyond the last resort, and the food was delicious and affordable. Yes, we took a chance, but we didn’t get sick. Edel also took us to a great restaurant and we were disappointed that we didn’t go to more instead of both times at the resort. The local food is so much better. Finally, a word to the wise: When you’re checking out, check your bill carefully. Although it may be minor, because this is a "cash-less" resort, meaning, they keep your credit card on file and while you stay at the resort your expenses get charged to your room via your room card, read it line for line. They tried to charge me for the resort-provided bottled water. Again, it may be minor, but how many times do we really check our hotel check-out bills carefully and how many times have Mayan Resorts charged guests for things that they didn't use or they simply didn't pertain to them? It all adds up and you may think it's just a simple mistake, but I thought it was calculated and it was insinuated that somehow I was "trying to pull a fast one." (I had a photo of the bottle still sitting where it did when we checked in. Plus, what in the world would we need their water for when it seems the entire resort knows the Walmart is a stone's throw away with items at 1/2 the price?) Just, a bit of advice: You have to look at the whole picture, not just the beauty that the resort may want you to walk away with when you leave. I didn't expect to be looking at a construction pit everyday, and even without that, the Mayan Palace has seen better days. It may not be there in another few years, as it will be demolished to make way for newer digs, but it's not what you would expect when you see the Grand Mayan in all the promotional pictures coming out of the Mayan Resorts seemingly trying to make it seem like that's what the Mayan Palace looks like. It doesn't. The photos are the Grand Mayan. Don't be taken!

The Acapulco location is away from the city on Revolcadero Beach and not on the bay itself. This was ideal for us as we don't like to be in a crowded area. The hotel grounds were beautiful and well kept and the staff friendly. The pool was nice and there were plenty of chairs and shade if you prefer. The three main restaurants served breakfast buffets, lunch, and dinner. The food was OK but pricey at Bakal and Cafe del Lago. We liked the Italian restaurant at the Sea Garden, also a Mayan property about a mile away by shuttle, that served delicious pasta and pizza, and we found it more reasonably priced. The resort's adult beverages were $4.60 for a beer. Wine and mixed drinks $7-$8 each. You can buy a weeks worth of breakfast buffet coupons at a discount from the concierge if you ask and these can be used at the snack bars on the grounds if you wish. The hotel sits on a secluded beach with some good size waves and a lifeguard station. There are shaded palapas on the beach, ATVs are available for rent and horseback riding also on the beach. The air quality was hazy and we were told the inland farmers were burning off their fields to get ready for the planting/rainy season which starts in June. There is construction going on at the Mayan Palace section where we stayed. The Grand Mayan was further away so they did not experience the noise we did. Fifty yards from our building (the Uxmal building) was a huge bulldozer sized jackhammer pounding away at the rocky ground where they are building the new Mayan Palace buildings. They have left one standing, the one we stayed in, while they rebuild the two they have torn down. On arrival, our room was on the first floor, and our view was of a brick wall. We asked to be moved higher in the building and they did move us two days later to the sixth floor. While still on the first floor, our card key would not work one day to get back into the room, nor would the staff's master key. It took them an hour to get into the room with drills, hammers, and screwdrivers. It was then that we were moved to the 6th floor. Mysteriously, we were about the only people on that wing. Soon we discovered why. Directly next door, we heard drilling and hammering. The front desk told us they were doing maintenance on this floor. When we asked if they could stop the work next door for the two day remainder of our stay, they refused. But the next day we didn't hear any more next door, just elsewhere on the floor. Also, there are daytime activities going on by the pool, with loud disco music, and staff members whooping it up on a microphone...not pleasant when you want to take a nap or read in your room. The Uxmal building does not have balconies, just a sliding glass door. The BEST part of our tirp was hiring Quino Bravo as our driver! He works with Angel Flores (noted elsewhere in previous reviews). His prices are reasonable and he WAITS for you at your destination! He arranged two dinners for us, one at the beautiful Su Casa, up in the hills overlooking the bay at night, and another one on the beach with our toes in the sand at Esmirna del Mar...fantastic seafood at sunset! He was also waiting for us at the airport on arrival and took us back when it was time to go home. One more mention...we visited the Sea Garden property down the way, also a Mayan property. The grounds and pool are smaller, and not directly on the beach, but the rooms are the same as in the Uxmal building, one and two bedroom suites/kitchenettes. A pleasant property and less expensive I think.

Mayan Palace - Acapulco
Our Wonderful Trip to the “Mayan Palace” - Acapulco
Dean & Rubina
Ontario, Canada
Vacationed on April 19 to 26, 2008
Dean and I returned from a trip to Acapulco recently. Arrangements were made by RCI to stay at the Mayan Palace. The grounds, beach and pool were absolutely beautiful. Hopefully, the old Mayan atmosphere and style stays with the grounds, as we are aware that the buildings are being renovated for a new look.
Much of our time was spent on the beach and pool -swimming, relaxing and taking the in the beautiful sun... The pool staffs are great and take advantage of the Happy Hours. The food is excellent at all the sites.
Our trip was made comfortable knowing that our tour guide, and cab driver, Angel Flores was just a telephone call away. When our trip was planned out, Dean became concern with our trip from airport to the resort, so I did some researching on the internet and found two highly recommended individuals for guides. I emailed both of these persons and chose Angel, and made arrangements for him to meet us at the airport.
As reliable as ever, Angel was waiting for us and our adventure began; the first stop was Wal-Mart, to load up on refreshments and goodies. At the same time, we made arrangements for Angel to take us on guided city tour later in the week. He highly recommends watching the cliff divers. We saw a history of Acapulco that was also equally amazing.
On another evening, he made arrangements for us to go a Mexican restaurant, La Tortuga, Tortas, and we were entertained by Alberto! The meal was excellent, and the desert is what topped it all off, Gurfino, the best! Thanks to Angel for being so punctual for all his appointments, and making back up reservations for our dinner. His partner picked us and was just as excellent as Angel.
The only mistake we did was not bringing our digital camera on our evening out, but rather we unfortunately brought along a disposable camera.
Angel has a great sense of humor, very popular and in demand.
We can highly recommend Angel without any reservations, he is exceptionally fluent in English. He can be reached by Email at, angel_enacapulco@yahoo.com.mx.