We stayed at this all-inclusive hotel for 7 days. Though it was wonderful in the beginning-unlimited drinks, pools, plenty of restaurants, music-the novelty wore off after two days. We felt more enclosed than relaxed here. The beach was only okay, but naturally, it was a little murky from the hurricanes. Great place to stay if you're not interested in adventure type vacations.

Like many of you reading this, I definitely did my research before planning our trip to Secrets Capri. Rest, relaxation, and romance were at the top of our list, and that is exactly what we got… and much more.

Accommodations:
Pristine. Elegant. Understated. Open and airy main building. The relaxing sound of trickling water in the lobby. The scent of fresh lilies in the air. Lovely. Our room was simple, but very nice – an ocean view junior suite on the first floor. We were both steps away from the beach and the pool. Perfect location. Easy access to everything - particularly the beach bar. I had read complaints about privacy in the bathroom. To be honest, I can see how this could be an issue if you were traveling with friends, however – this was not an issue for us, nor can I imagine it would be for any married couple. In fact, the shutters made it easier for us to carry on a conversation while my husband relaxed on the bed as I got ready at the vanity. We loved the convenience of the in room safe and felt very confident in its reliability. We especially loved being on the first floor. I was concerned about noise after reading previous reviews. Our room was right next to a door leading directly from our wing down to the beach, and I fully expected to hear people coming and going. But – I rarely if ever heard people in the hall or walking the path outside our room. Occasional squeaks from the furniture or heels on the second floor, but nothing bothersome in the least. The bed was indeed firm, but very comfortable. Crisp linens. Down pillows upon my request. Very clean. Not a speck of dust or sand left behind.

Food and Drink:
Very good. Excellent sea bass. My advice is to eat dinner in courses. This ensures you get to try a bit of everything and you will certainly have enough to eat. Some of the sauces are very rich, however most of the desserts are very light. It was an excellent balance. Every morning room service has a Chef’s special – which was always incredibly good. Breakfast crepes, eggs benedict, breakfast quesadillas – just to name a few. The buffet lunch at Riviera was one of my favorite meals - so many wonderful choices. You can eat as heavy or as light as you choose. Beautiful salads and fresh fruits. Fresh baked breads and pastries. Seafood seems to be the specialty. The Mexican dishes on the breakfast buffet were terrific. Room service was quick. We waited (for about 10 minutes) only once for a table at dinner. We loved our experience at Oceana – the wind blowing, the sound of the waves in the background, a gentleman playing saxophone at the edge of the beach. Try the Himitsu Special Sushi. Sushi in Mexico? Absolutely! As for drinks…the house wines were actually very good. The beer was very cold. The top shelf liquor selection was endless. My melon coco locos seemed bottomless. We couldn’t have asked for better.

The Beach:
The beach and pool were gorgeous. The ocean water was a beautiful color. I have read reviews about the murky water, and this does happen in the afternoons when the weather changes because the water gets choppy and the waves wash up some of the shore. There is about a three foot line of rocks and corral that you must cross over to get deeper than your ankles. As I had read, it is sharp and a bit tricky. Swim shoes are an easy solution. Once in deep enough, it was crystal clear. I didn’t see many fish, but the ones that did swim by were so clear it was startling! The service on the beach was fantastic. We had fresh drinks on the way before we could finish our old ones. We ate shrimp cocktail and guacamole as we lounged under our palapas. It was dreamy! We’re beach people, so to be honest, we didn’t do the whole pool and swim up bar thing. But we did watch the water aerobics as we ate lunch one afternoon at the Seaside Grill. Looked like everyone was having a lot of fun. The beach was always pretty quiet, while the pool seemed to be a little louder and more lively. As I mentioned, we were looking for romance, so making new friends wasn’t a priority for us – yet we met many interesting and kind couples. Loads of honeymooners, many celebrating anniversaries (like us), all ages, a few friends traveling without a significant other. They all seemed to be enjoying the resort, although I have to warn you that Secrets is very much geared toward couples. I heard some complaints about lack of nightlife. Not a problem for us – but true that things wind down around midnight. Big screen football on the beach was pretty cool. Absolutely loved the Friday night star gazing and rock concert on the beach – music from every generation, including a few current hits. Very talented young musicians.

What else??
Take advantage of the spa services. I had a magnificent massage in the privacy of my room - which I highly reccomend. We went into Playa del Carmen and spent the day shopping up and down 5th Avenue. We loved it. Bought a few little souvenirs and drank cold beer at a couple of fun bars along the way – including the famous Carlos ‘n Charlie’s where they have a great balcony for people watching. One of the highlights of our vacation was the day we spent with Bonnie from Edventure Tours. She was our private guide for the day – so she picked us up at the resort and drove us to do basically anything we wanted. She brought along snorkeling gear in our sizes and we snorkled one of the cenotes, then we met a family in the jungle and took pictures with spider monkeys, then we drove to Akumal where we snorkled a fabulous lagoon then ate the best fish tacos ever on the beach at La Buena Vida (the good life). She even drove us back into Play del Carmen to help us find a cigar shop we’d searched for and missed. Bonnie was a fantastic guide, and she and her husband Eduardo are very interesting and entertaining people – not to mention reliable. When we go back, we’ll definitely plan to see them again.

And finally…
I’ve practically written a novel, but I soooooo enjoyed my trip and wanted to share my experience with all of you who have not yet had the privilege of enjoying Secrets Capri. I feel sad for those whose reviews reflect a somewhat negative experience there – or at least not the overwhelmingly fabulous experience we had. I can only say that from my experience, if you smile and treat the staff respectfully, you will be rewarded with an invaluable vacation.

This is a long one but I think worth the read....

My wife had originally booked the trip based upon a recommendation of a friend of ours - having never been to Mexico or read anything about it I was hesitant. I have been to Aruba, Cayman Islands, St. John, Royal Carribean Cruises so it was up against some tough competition - it excelled!!!

The flight from Philadelphia was about 3h 20m. Cancun airport can be a little bit daunting - two words you want to look for - Immagracion and Salida (Exit). The airport handled the crowds pretty well but on to the good stuff....We arrived around 11:30 and were greeted with moist scented towels and a glass of champagne and most important , a bottle of water. My wife thinks two steps ahead and packed flip-flops and bathing suits in our bag so we could change in the spa and be poolside while our room was being prepared. Our original room would have been available but we decided to upgrade at the last minute and were fortunate enough to get a 5th floor, pool/oceanview room (muchos gracias Alejandro y Octavio). The facilities are incredible - great pool, great people, great food and drink.

We were immediately befriended by Juan, the bartender at the pool swimup bar, who makes a mean "West Coast" - no idea what is in it but it has red, white and blue (can't be all bad). It's like a pina colada with a shot of blue curacao and grenadine. After absorbing some rays and refreshments we were able to get into our room. We had dreaded the previous reports regarding the shutters between the bathroom and the bedroom and the glass door on the WC area. The shutters are a nice touch when you want to open them and get a more "open" feeling in the rooms. The walls are SOLID - not the "paper-thin" ones referred to in previous reviews. The mini-bar is well stocked - Coca-Cola, Coronita, water and 7-up (glass bottles for the soda so use caution but the flavor is divine :) )

That night was the Mexican fiesta night - great performances by the dancers and musicians alike. We ran into a couple that was on our tour bus from the airport to the resort and made instant friends. The resort is nice in that respect - it can provide solitude or you can be a social butterfly. We spent the next couple days just relaxing pool side, walks on the beach - there is construction further to the south for another resort that is going up but it is technically a "hike" to this resort and not right on the heels of Secrets. The food quality and drinks are very good - service is excellent - another reviewer had mentioned about the servers replying with "It is my pleasure" and we also found this to be true.

The event staff is excellent at letting everyone know what is going on when during the day and trying to involve everyone - I think they began to expect our response by the third day "Well right now I am working on a drink and a tan so I am a little preoccupied".

As for the restaurants, we were thrilled with Himitsu (Japanese hibachi style). Jose the teppanyaki chef has a great laugh and really likes it when you cheer him on with a "!Mas fuego!" when he gets the fire going.

Portofino (Italian) was an excellent night out for our newfound and old friends to convene for dinner - very intimate setting and good food - nice wine list for an All-Inclusive.

Oceana (Seafood) has a good selection of seafood if that is on your mind. The balcony seats can sometimes be a wait as there are only a few of them but it does provide a nice intimate setting. There is always a breeze blowing so even if you get an inside seat, the doors are open and you still get a fair taste of the outdoors.

We concluded our final night with a candlelight dinner at the Riviera restaurant - very nice and made for a great "wrap-up" to a great time.

What we learned...
1. If you like your drink with a specific alcohol - specify it when you order. "Tanqueray and tonic" or "Captain and coke"
2. You are IN Mexico, your adventure is so much richer if you learn about their culture - visit the ruins (Tulum (aka Sama) is about 40 minutes and Chichen Itza is 3 hours). Learn the language - at least enough to get around. The people seem to really respond positively to your enthusiasm.
3. Make friends - you are on vacation for once put aside socioeconomic classes, ranks, PhDs, PE, CPA, MBA, ABCs blah blah blah and be part of the human race - we met some awesome people there. For the time you are there it makes it feel like the resort is just for you and these people. Joe and Kirsten (Casper and Kiki), Bob and Beth (Roberto and Flor), Paul and Dom and their family from England.
4. Forget what day it is for a while (it's fun unless it's the day you are leaving)
5. Tan recipe: Use SPF 30 on the first day and then drop to SPF 8 for the rest of the trip for that deep "roast" color (Stick with SPF 50 on the face everyday after the first)
6. Know upfront that IT WILL rain/thunderstorm every night you are there (well at least it did when we were there). A place this lush can not stay lush without agua. We had one day where it rained in the morning which made for a great excuse to go shopping. During the day the sun would be out in force - temperatures usually around 92-95 degrees F.
7. If you are shopping take your passport for identification.
8. If you want to go on the ATV adventure - bring goggles and/or a bandana or prepare for a backwoods teeth sandblast service.
9. Know your tequila (they have a tequila course - !muchos gracias Mateo!)
10. Do not leave your door open for an appreciable amount of time without the screen door. While the bugs are by no means New Jerseyish - there are mosquitos. Bring insect repellent for going off the resort and hydro cortisone in case you do get a bite.

Secrets Capri muchos gracias

Mi amigos - con todo mi corazon (with all my heart)

~Don Tomas Bahama y Rosa (Marc and Jessie)

My husband and I just got married and went there for our honeymoon. We will not go back, that is for sure! I'm not sure where to start. We stayed there 10/23-10/27. The hotel itself was impressive at first, but then you see and smell the oldness or mustiness (sp?) of the building. The pool was awesome along with their beds; but everything else was nothing special. As the review prior mentioned, we also had cold water one day. No notice, no explanation.

The ocean was dirty the entire time and no one went in; everyone sat on their chairs and faced the dark murky waters. It seemed so odd there, no one really talked, everyone kept to themselves. The resort is pretty isolated from any markets, shops or towns in walking distance. So your only option really is to stay in your room, (in the comfy beds, which we did,) or sit in the pool.

This place is definitely not worth the $$ you spend. They all expect tips, which comes off snobbish to me.

Good luck if you decide to go here, but I would look elsewhere for a romantic getaway.