We traveled to the Fairmount Mayakoba for a medical conference with our 8 month old son, we're big Four Seasons fans and the Fairmount Mayakoba came very close to meeting these high standards.

First off, this is a BIG property that caters to conferences, there are also a fair number of young families with smaller children (mainly babies)...so not a great choice for younger singles.

The main issue that keeps this property from getting a "Five Star" rating in my opinion is that when a large group or conference hits the property, the service falls apart a little. We attended right after the PGA Tour had left, the resort was relatively empty and the service was just phenomenal, however, halfway through our stay a number of large corporate conferences arrived and the service suffered. I got the impression (though I have no proof) that the resort supplements it's staff when busy with "temporary" workers that just aren't well trained in service....

We stayed at a Signiture Casita, near, but not on the beach. It came with a personal butler, who was a FANTASTIC help when it came to arranging for a crib by the pool or on the beach for our son, washing baby bottles, etc. however, others were less thrilled with the service provided by other butlers...

The rooms are very nice, beautiful bathrooms with natural light, however, virtually all rooms overlook the mangrove marsh, only the most expensive rooms have ocean views.

The beach is great, the pools are great (one caveat, the pools are not heated...and they really need to be for a February stay) aparantly there are plans to install poool heaters in the near future.

The food is typical "high end hotel food" not bad, but nothing spectacular. There are three restaurants, one casual, one mid end, and one high end. Kids are not particularly welcome at the high end restaurant, but they're not expressly banned, and during our stay we did see a few baby strollers in the high end restaurant. We ate at the high end restaurant later during our stay, and the system had collapsed a bit, the service was lacking...food was OK, again not great.

Since the property is SO large (a fair amount is Mangrove preserve) transportation to the beach and to the lobby and restaurants is via golf cart. The service is usually pretty prompt, but on a few occasions we did have a 5-10 minute wait...

In closing, we loved this place, I felt this was the perfect vacation for a couple with young children, however older kids might be bored. The staff was great, the grounds are beautiful, the rooms were very nice. Frankly, the service was better than at the Four Seasons in Nevis. If you're Ok seeing small children (babies) on
vacation, and don't mind sharing the resort with a corporate meeting or medical meeting, then it's difficult to imagine a nicer vacation.

We were at Fairmont Mayakoba from April 1-6, 2008. The hotel is full of "dollar vultures" and crooks. Do not trust anyone at the hotel. We were charged for things that we did not use -- valet parking. Our hotel room was fully paid for via Apple Tours but they still levied charges adding up to hundreds of dollars in resort fees, etc. We rented a car for a day from the hotel premises (Carlos -- he is the guy who sits in the travel agency in the hotel) and we were asked to pay in US dollars in cash and then our credit card was also charged for $86.75. He refused to give us any receipt for the cash payment and then took an imprint of our credit card to boot. He then used the credit card imprint to charge us again. He realized this when we returned to the US.

FULL OF CROOKS. DO NOT GO TO THIS HOTEL. The rooms are nothing to write home about. We were in room 609 it was far from everything. The food in the restaurants are way, way overpriced $$$$$$$$$!!! This is extortion at best. We felt like captive victims in the premises with our US dollars there for the taking by the folks who run this place. You are better off staying at a different hotel and taking the cab to downtown Playa for meals etc.

Clutch your wallet tight if you dare to stay here and DO NOT TRUST THE CAR RENTAL GUY named CARLOS and BUYER BEWARE IN GENERAL.

We are a married couple who belong to the Fairmont frequent guest program, but we paid for our room at Mayakoba. We stayed in a casita suite (Room 802) with a private rooftop pool and butler. Mauricio was the most wonderful, intuitive and gracious assistant! You must ask for him! Every idea we had was immediately arranged by him. He seemed genuinely concerned with making our stay as perfect as possible. Nothing was beyond his ability to please. He is a true gentleman.

Our rooftop pool overlooked the beachfront pool, so we had a wonderful view but lots of privacy, too. We never saw or heard any of the other guests in their rooftop pools. The other side of our casita overlooked the lagoon, so we could watch the sunset.

Yes, it is a long way from the main lobby to the beach. Yes, the resort is huge and a little difficult to navigate on foot (and especially at night) but we never waited for a golf cart. When we were ready to leave we would pick up the phone and a golf cart would be at our door within in 10 minutes. We took a 10 minute, $20 taxi into Playa Del Carmen for a couple of evenings just to walk around and see the crowds. It's easy and safe.

Some tips:
Beachfront casitas with private pools are very luxurious, too, but had little outside privacy.
There is no need to rush to the pool and "claim" your chairs early in the morning - there are plenty of pools and chairs.
The palapas on the beach were very large and kept us comfortably in the shade.
All of the staff are eager to assist you in any way they can. Don't be afraid to ask if you need something.

Special mention: Nicolas who is in charge of the Front Desk is a very special person - a throwback to the days of GRAND HOTLELS and the men who managed them. He is wise beyond his years, and a very gracious host. He juggled special requests with speed, agility and a smile on his face, always.

While we were there a large group had their Presidents Club meeting, but we did not feel neglected by the staff at the restaurants. Las Brisas Terrace does serve the best burger and fish sandwiches I've ever tasted. El Puerto served very elegant and delicious fresh food. We ate an a la carte breakfast at la Laguna which was also very good.

We saw mostly couples at the resort, although there seemed to be a few families with young children and they seemed to enjoy themselves.

I would highly recommend this resort. I only regret that we didn't use the spa facilites.

Our experience was really great. The Mayakoba was amazing for a family with kids! I definitely think the accommodation we had --Signature Casita's with the Royal Service (private butler) in the Playa area--are worth it and the way to go. Mariana--our butler--followed us around and made reservations for all meals and tours. She was excellent. It was really convenient. We arrived with no plans and she really helped us. Also, the accommodation we had was perfect for us as a family. We had privacy--the master suite has doors-- and the sleeper sofa in the living room was fine for the girls (ages 10 and 6); they had ample space and their own bath and closet space. Also, the private plunge pool on the roof that this accommodation comes with was fun and decadent. The decks outside our casita were beautiful with views of the Mangroves and on the roof (in the pool) a sea view. You feel like you are in your own little house.

The hotel's beach was great and the pools were really nice. The service was friendly and there was no bad attitude. Overall, the service was really good for the Caribbean or for anywhere. They couldn't bring you enough fresh towels and the beach food service, drinks, etc. was plentiful and quick. The help did not stand around always waiting for a tip and were grateful when they received one. Everyone was happy and smiling, eager to talk to you. We had a babysitter two nights named Natalia--who was outstanding. The girls asked for her the 2nd night. The kids club was pretty nice and had some good programs, although the girls only used it one morning. Although at capacity the resort did not seem crowded. No competition for chairs, etc.

The food was good overall (not outstanding), but we are so spoiled in this regard by NYC restaurants. The breakfasts were excellent. Dinners at El Puerto were the best. The dinner buffets at La Laguna were just good/ok. The food was not hot enough for me (temperature-wise). Beach/pool food was very good. The only negative thing is that the resort is dead at night. They should do a cocktail party or entertainment once a week or something.

We ate at Playa del Carmen one night at Negrosol, which was upscale in a Euro sort of way. Otherwise, Playa was colorful and fun but had a very young, crowded, spring-break vibe. Two highlights of our trip were the excursions. We went to Chichen Itza by private tour with a certified guide who also took us to a cenote called Ik-Ikel (I think?). It was an amazing day and really worth the trip. We left at 6:30 am and returned at 8:00 pm. We also really enjoyed a full day at Excaret eco-park: the underground river was an experience and the Mayan/Mexican night show was spectacular.