This place is great. At first I was a little skeptical after reading some of the reviews on here, but we are so glad we went. This place caters to all of your vacation needs. We got in, there was a banner on our door that said honeymoon, inside our room there was towel arts with rose petals on the bed. We had the swim out suite and that was so ideal, you could jump in the water at anytime there was a bar you could swim up to, but the staff would walk around the pool and ask if you wanted anything to drink, I dont drink but they kept the virgen pinacoladas, waters, and diaquiris flowing.:O) Most resorts have mini bars in the rooms but if you take anything you have to pay extra at this place EVERYTHING is included. We ate at almost all the restaurants except the Mexican and the lobster house--we didnt have time. But the food was so good. Not to mention that you can order room service at anytime in the day and is all included. We had dinner on the beach, and went to the SPA on site, which was absolutely amazing.... that ended with chocolate covered strawberries and champgne, they also had a romantic dinner for us at the rest. of our choice. Let me wrap this up. I would highly recommend this resort, if you are looking for 1. Romantic Time, 2. Relaxing time.

We stayed at EPM from 26/6 to 4/7

Rooms – fantastic and exactly as they appear on EPM website and all other photos. We were in #8302 (standard room) and I was over the moon with the room location. A direct view over to the Café Kafe bar and so felt like I was always part of the action. Many evenings I would lie out on the balcony and listen to the live entertainment. At night I could also see through to the stage in the Star Bar so could stay on the balcony and enjoy that as well. This might not be ideal for some people as entertainment could be clearly heard in room but I loved it.
To the left I could see over to the beach and the sea. As I said I was overjoyed with the room and felt that, for a standard room, the view could not have been better.
I was impressed with the quality of the toiletries and in hindsight wouldn’t have bought my own as the ones provided were really quite good (other than shampoo which wasn't very conditioning).
I have a real thing about musty smells/rooms on holiday but realise that this is common with many hot humid places and I was a little worried about this. I have real problems when the sheets feel slightly damp, sticky or smell too musty and have been known tosleep on towels on previous holidays (don’t ask)!!! However these were ok – I could smell a slight musty smell on the bedding but it wasn’t so bad that it caused me a problem. If we had been there for longer I may have asked for them to change the sheets but didn’t bother as it really wasn’t a huge problem. I always bring along some sort of air freshener/fabric spray but it wasn't bad enough for me to use either. Returned home yesterday and realised that my clothes do smell a bit of the same smell but hey, they would have needed to be washed anyway!.
Housekeeping was very quick and thorough although our room was not cleaned until 4.30 – 5pm most days. One day it was cleaned at 5pm and then the turn down service came 1 hour later! I know that this had been mentioned in a few other posts so it didn’t come as a surprise and didn’t spoil our enjoyment – we just went with the flow.
I’ve read many comments about the toilet and it wasn’t a problem for us at all. No issues with any smells (think the fan is a good one)!! If it was a problem for some, once the door is closed you can’t see anything through the frosting anyway (unless you were trying really hard)!
Food & Drink – what can I say? All top notch, I was really impressed with the standard and quantity. There has been mention of portion sizes being a bit small but I thought they were just right for my husband and I (and he has a good appetite). I cannot add anything to all the comments about breakfasts in Barcelona other than WOW – my husband’s favourite meal and I actually can’t thing of anything they didn’t have! We didn’t try Agave or the Grill and did go to Chez Izabelle twice. We were both really impressed with the bbq by the beach – the steak was the best I’ve ever tasted. Food was lovely everywhere we ate and we always had one of the house wines which were good. A couple of times, we did think about trying one of the wines for purchase but realised we were happy with the standard ones. I was very impressed with the spirits available and by far, this was the best range I’ve seen at any all inclusive resort. All of the top drinks were there – my husband drinks brandy and is quite particular about the ones he’ll drink. He was very impressed that Hennessey and Remy Martin came as standard. I did a very good job of trying all of the martinis on offer and would recommend every single one! I didn’t see any cocktail menus (other than at the Martini Bar) so I do wish that I had made a note of all of the different cocktails I wanted to try beforehand. Having said that, the bar staff were very good and knew their stuff and made recommendations when asked. In the end, I just listened to what other guests were ordering and found new ones that way!
Spa – my husband had 2 treatments (massage and pedicure) as a treat on his birthday and said both were great. We also did the circuit together which was a lot of fun. This involves going through a series of different jets/jacuzzis, sauna/steam room and different temperatures of water. It ends with relaxing on heated beds with a nice cool towel over your head. The whole thing was really lovely.
Service – I found this one of the outstanding things on the resort. I’ve read a review recently of someone who was there at the same time as us who had issues with the service; also at the same time we were there we spoke to a couple who weren’t happy with the service and I found it hard to believe we were at the same place. Not sure if it’s an issue of expectations or they were unlucky and someone was having a bad day. The service we received was the best we’ve had at any place we’ve stayed. The staff could not do enough to help and everyone you see gives a smile and a ‘hola’. I have read a few negative comments about service at reception and to me; this was where the excellent service started. We were greeted by name at our car door with the cool towel and then with our glass of sparkling wine as the main doors swung open. Although I was expecting this (from other reviews), when it actually happens, you can't help but be impressed. Check-in staff were funny, friendly and made us feel at ease straight away.
By the pool we never had to wait more than 20 mins before someone came round asking if we wanted a drink (in fact I saw some people who didn’t leave the pool at all and had drinks and food brought to them all day)! It's very easy to get lazy!
As a glass was finished, someone would be there to clear it and ask if you want another drink. Even when my husband had nearly finished his beer, a new one was brought over because “that must be getting warm now”! The service was particularly good at breakfast. The waiting staff would often take my plate and glass away from me and carry it back to the table, whilst another member of staff would be pulling out my chair for me to sit down! Even though a help yourself buffet, they would ofen go and get anything you'd forgotten or just go and get you another juice
Pools – we spent most of our time at the lazy river by the Excellence Lounge as this was closest to our room. The hammocks and floats were good fun. We never had any problem getting a float (80% occupancy) and I did not see any of the infamous float huggers! One day we did not go down to the pool until 3pm and could not find a chair in our usual spot so ended up at the beach instead where there were still ample beds. We did not go down to the main pool until 2 days into our holiday and were surprised at how busy it was. The other pools are much quieter and quite tranquil; the main pool felt like it was actually a different resort. Loud music and quite a few people who I think were trying to drink the bar dry! It was quite entertaining to watch during lunch at the Lobster House but it was nice to get back to our quiet pool. The good thing is that the noise from this area didn’t interfere with the quiet everywhere else so you can choose which is right for you.
My husband and I played a game throughout the week which was ‘How could we improve this holiday? We came up with nothing! We were only at the resort for 7 days and didn’t leave the resort from the time we arrived until we left – I really didn’t want to. I would recommend this hotel to anyone who appreciates the good things in life. I returned yesterday morning and have already been online getting prices for a return visit next year for our wedding anniversary!!

My husband and I just got back from Excellence Playa Mujeres, and we are so sad we had to leave. We had a PERFECT sixth wedding anniversary, spending a week at this hotel. This hotel is absolutely perfect!!!

Where to begin? Lobby: impressive. Big wooden doors open dramatically to let you inside a very chic and luxurious lobby. You are greeted with champange and fresh scented towels. Attention to the customer in this hotel was fabulous!!! Rooms: The cleanest rooms ever, very spacious. Marble floors, a very comfortable king sized bed with luxury linens, a flat screen TV, an L-shaped sofa, and a jacuzzi. His and hers vanity. Glass doors were not that bad, and actually made things more intimate :) We had a patio outside the jacuzzi with lounger and table, and we upgraded to the rooftop and it was so worth it!!! The rooftop included an outise pool with jets, and THREE most comfrtable loungers to soak in the sun right along your pool. Spending a few hours in the hot afternoon in our rooftop was increible! The towels in the bedroom are fluffy and very white, and they smell of vanilla. We tipped the housekeepers and had almost daily towl art with flowers. Upon check-in, we showed our wedding certificate and received a bottle of chmpange, flowers, jacuzzi service in the bedroom (candle, rose petals and incense), a free anniversary dinner, 15% off at the Spa, and a champagne in-room breakfast. Not bad!!!

Housekeeping service was amazing. Also our concierge Elena was a pleasure. Actually, ALL service was amazing. We noticed that any request we had, or we heard others had, was always met with either a "Yes, of course," or an alternate solution. They never said No. Compared to other experiences we had in Cancun hotels before, this was truly remarkable. The bars are awesome. Top shelf alcohol, and like another reviewer said, they are not shy to put some alcohol in our drinks!!! The lobby bar at night lights up and is so Chic!!! We felt we were in Vegas, only much better :)

The outside of the hotel....simply put, it is a work of art. Absolutely everywhere you turn, your eyes meet something beautiful, whether it is full daytime or at night. If it is not a beautiful statue, it is a fountain, it is a flower arrangement., the lighting, or the amazing and beautiful gardening. The grounds are absolutely impeccable, groomed and watered constantly. Flowers and trees everywhere. This hotel so impressively clean!!! And so beautiful. everywhere you gaze has something to offer. The architecture is quite impressive. The pools were amazing as well. Very clean even though many people entered the pool right out of the beach without showering sand off first. My favorite was the lazy river, the pool that goes around the Spa, and you can grab a floaty (there are plenty at all times) and just let the river push you away...The floaties were amazing. I adored the hammocks that were on three or four different pool corners, so you can lounge in the hammock while half your body is inside the pool...ahh...just writing this makes me want to be back there...also, if you get too much sun (it happens!!), they have these beds with curtains that are completely in the shade, by the pool as well as outside on the beach. The loungers on the beach were amazing. They have these beds, but made for the beach, and i cannot tell you how many times i fell asleep in those because they are SOOO comfortable!!! Seek out the shade to prevent burning...you will have no trouble doing this, since there are so many palapas, that we NEVER had a problem finding shade on the beach, at any time of day. The beach is lovely. Yes, the beaches in the hotel zone are more impressive (they are also fake). This beach is natural, it has some seaweed, but this beach is truly natural and beautiful. On a calm day, it is like a very large, lukewarm, salt-water swimming pool :) and the color is lovely. We saw many fish swimming around our feet one day when the currents were very strong! Thye have this tractor cleaning the seaweed from the beach every day. And the bar service on the beach is also awesome and so fast!!! Luis was the best and Abelardo was also nice. While tipping is optional and always appreciated, you get treated equally well whteher you tip or not (we observed this form other couples who were not tipping)...of course, we do tip, always, it is part of going to these resorts!!!

The resturants are incredible. They are themed and the decorations are amazing!!! The Spice is the asian resturant and the decor and architecture of that place was amazing. The food was good too. The French was one of our favorites. Excellent cuisine and service, and a live piano concert :) Anniversary dinner here was quite romantic. We ate here twice. The mexican, Agave, was my personal favorite, and they have a Trio playing Romanticas all night, table by table. The food was exceptional on this one. And our very favorite (as a couple) was the Italian, Toscana. We also ate here twice. The decor was impeccable, service with Arturo was amazing, and the food was heavenly. Lunch at the Lobster house with Lorenzo was very good and it is fun to eat hearing Huapangos and watching people swim by. This morning, I am already missing the breakfast buffet...mimosas, chilaquiles and pan dulce were my favorite choices, but so much to choose from!!!...it was spectacular!!!

My most favorite thing to do at night was to visit the x-Lounge. On the first four nights, they had this place all dark except for a few lamps that gave away a very romantic light. It is a deck with three beach beds, and some loungers, overlooking the ocean. They have this very sexy jazzy music going on the background, and a server who can bring you champange or any drink. You can gaze at the stars, listening to the ocean and the music, with your significant other...so very romantic!!!!! The last night they were fixing the lights so it was noisy and there was a large party of about five people being very loud. I think this place is more of a romantic hangout with your partner, than a place to go chat with your friends.


My husband and I have no complaints about this resort. It all was perfect. We are only very sad that we had to leave, and already planning to go back as soon as we can. I highly recommend it!!! Hopefully, this secluded half-residential area of cancun (Playa Mujeres) will remain secluded and not get filled by hotels and more condos. According to our cab driver, they are heavily restricting construction sites in this area for conservation purposes, and also to keep it very safe (it is a gated area where out hotel is, and next to some very expensive private condos and beach houses). If this were to hold true. then this hotel will remain to be secluded and compeltely safe and free of beach bums trying to sell you things while you are trying to relax. This hotel is a PERFECT site for couples wishing to spend a very romantic and very luxurious week. If you go, you will not regret it a bit!!!

Well, let me say that I am a person who is fairly well traveled and have been to many different countries and hotels. I went with my longtime boyfriend-- we are 33 and 34 yrs old. I am a Virgo, so let that do the speaking, for those of you who follow astrology. For those of you who don't, Virgos are notoriously nitpicking and critical and have very high standards--perfectionists. I admit it. I like what I like and I always like things my way. Some would probably call me a pain in the [--], but I have also been in the service industry myself, waiting tables 10 yrs through school, so its not like I'm not aware of the hard work (and have done it myself) that goes on behind the scenes. My standards have probably been raised too high by staying at the Reynolds Plantation Ritz (for business), which to me, is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in. I adored it, if only I could pick it up and transport it to a beach somewhere. I also have been mostly impressed with the Intercontinental in Atlanta where I have also stayed for business. Since this vacation was on my dime, I couldn't afford the Ritz plus all the eating out and drinking, so the all inclusive seemed the way to go. I was initially going to book with Karisma, but then pictures of the non-existent beaches/sandbags, caused me to look elsewhere. I would say that overall, I liked the resort, but there were many things about it that made me think that it had been overhyped on these boards, or perhaps people don't have the same expectations as I did? I don't know. It seemed to me that they take a lot of shortcuts and do what they need to do to get by and are extremely inconsistent. I hate that. That is a slacker mentality. WARNING, this is gonna be long and sorry if I annoy EPM devotees, but this is the review I wish I had read prior to booking.

ARRIVAL -- we arranged for Best Day travel service from the airport. It was chaos in their "area" when we arrived. The people working there spoke poor English and it was completely unorganized. From their employees standing around aimlessly to one harried woman who was supposed to be the "organizer". Drivers just stood waiting outside their vehicles, completely not taking any initiative to find their customers. Finally after 15 mins of standing around waiting for our name to be called, we found out our driver had been standing in front of us leaning on his car-- doing nothing. We were the only ones on the van to EPM. He told us it would take an hour. It took about 40 mins. Overall, the service with them was OK, I would just suggest being very aggressive in looking for your driver. Driving into the EPM gates, I was a little worried-- was this the right place?? It didn't look very lush or landscaped or manicured. I then saw the EPM sign and knew we were there. I was expecting a more tropical look, but the property is pretty bare looking and minimalist. The check in was nice. Champagne and scented towels. We booked spa/pool view and I asked for any room that had a partial ocean view.

THE ROOM-- They were very accommodating and upgraded us to Excellence Club-- room 8168. Probably the reason we were upgraded here is b/c of the construction which is to the right and highly visible, but I never really heard any noise, as we were about 4 rooms away from the end. There was a great view of the ocean, but since no waves to speak of, I missed being able to hear the waves crashing like I have come to associate with Cancun. Our AC worked great, the fridge works better if you pull it away from the wall a little. The linens on the bed are not that high quality-- they are 250 count at best. The pillows were very wimpy. My requests twice from the "pillow menu" which was not in our room--- what a joke that is--- were ignored the first time and then the maid only left a theraputic pillow and not also a feather like we had asked. I know you're thinking, big deal, but that was the common theme here. You ask for two things, they only get you one. It got old. The bed was big, soft enough, but again, the linens just were not soft and the pillows were cheap. The TV was nice, good size balcony, nice lighting, nice shower, big closet with plenty of hangers, X-box is a good idea (rarely emptied and forget about them leaving room service in there for you-- they never have a key), the only gripe I have with the room really is the toilet room. Its just the most insane thing ever to not have a door that makes that room separate. The toilet itself is like an airplane toilet and has pretty much no suction to it, so we had to flush it a zillion times. Also, I must be losing my eyesight, so I didnt really dig the sun shaped mirrors b/c they were so far away I couldnt really see that well to put on makeup. As for all the tropical fruit others got, I asked for more fruit other than the 3 apples we had and was told that is all they had now.

ROOM SERVICE-- we ordered room service the first night b/c my BF had too much to drink and passed out early. The room service menu is not the one that Flip Flop Man or someone else posted. I thought I saw steaks or something on there-- not on ours. The best thing they had was a few sandwiches. Also, no nachos. The best thing we got was the philly, which was kind of like steak-umm meat. Since I was not sure of what to order and wanted to try a few things, I ordered three sandwiches for us and a dessert and soup. The person who answered Room Service questioned me about how many people were in the room and could we really eat all that food and not waste it? I thought this was really rude and annoying. Seeing as we only ordered room service two times the entire trip, I think the 1/2 eaten sandwich we "wasted" was not a big deal. I got much less hassle and challenge from the people at the Omni when we stayed there years ago and missed their more accomodating attitude.

RESTAURANTS-- What is unfortunate is that many of their waiters have serious crappy attitudes and are not all about pleasing the customer. I will say we did have a very good waiter @ Barcelona (with braces) and also Angel @ Agave was the best waiter we had hands down. He was just so cheerful and service oriented. It was a shame they could all not be this way. I got the impression that many of them hate their jobs and hate tourists, which definitely contributed to my not enjoying the meals as much.The menus posted online are extremely misleading. They make you think there is more upscale food than there actually is. It appears they have removed some of the more expensive items from their menu. The portions are mostly small, so we ended up going to usually two restaurants every night.
1) The Barcelona dinner menu is the same, but a veal steak is added (not good, I prefer scallopine). Service here was excellent. We did like the breakfast buffet, but the food is pretty greasy and by the end of the week I was so tired of it. They will make you an egg white omelet if you ask, but they also slather it with that icky veg oil. The lunch buffet is also good b/c if you dont like something then you arent stuck with it, like at the Grill or the Lobster House for lunch. They had a pasta station -- very basic alfredo sauce and red sauce. Would have liked to have seen some olive oil and garlic in the mix there instead. The mushrooms seemed like they had been sauteed 10 hours ago.
2) Toscana menu does not have the Mushrooms and Provolone, nor the beef filet. I also do not recall seeing the wrapped shrimp or salmon dish. Our waiter was a total nightmare. First he about had a fit when we ordered an extra entree to share (the seafood ones are all tiny and my BF is 200 lbs and works out like a madman, so he eats alot) .. "I'll have to see about that..." and then never came back to tell us one way or the other, but then brought out the wrong entree, veal saltimbocca and then we said no, we ordered shrimp and scallops (which I heard BF say...) he challenged us and then whipped out his order pad and showed us where he had written the wrong thing, just had to be right. Sorry, that's a big mistake and completely unclassy thing to do-- the customer should always be right (and we were) but the problem was probably that he did not understand us -- therefore if you speak a different language than the person who's order you are taking, waiting tables 101 is to REPEAT the order back to be sure there is a meeting of the minds. My BF was so offended he didnt want to tip, but being a former waitress, I tip always, even when service sucks. We left him 1/2 of what we normally would have.
3) Flavor Market-- We really enjoyed the Flavor Market-- shrimp ajillos is very good. This was really one of my favorite places to eat and the service was also great here. This was the only place I saw a female waitress-- rest of places had men. There are female cocktail waitresses, but none actually serving food. We loved the salmon w/ mushroom and blue cheese, the proscuitto napolean, but the menu posted at http://www.docancun.com/excellence-playa-mujeres-menus.htm
is totally different. Nothing on that menu is on the current Flavor Market menu. I noticed they have pretty much nixed the tuna sashimi on all menus.
4) Spice-- decent, but not great. The meal we had at the teppanyaki grill (which is what they call it) was HORRIBLE!!! The cook did not even ask the temperature for our steak, so it came out WELL DONE like a pieces of cardboard. The bean sprouts were not cooked and tasted old, the shrimp was OK, but nothing great-- not that Benihana sear on them. Rice was good. Overall, disappointing. They only have choice of shrimp, chicken and steak. No lobster or any of that other stuff posted on the menu. Off the Spice menu, the spring rolls were good, but were frozen and the dim sum also tasted like they had been frozen and not fresh. I got a steak teriyaki there that was very good, but the white rice and plain teriyaki sauce with no vegs, nothing left alot to be desired. It tasted very much like an American chinese restaurant-- nothing authentic at all.
5) Chez Isabelle-- Ok, I will let it slide that they all mispronounced the name of this restaurant, but that's a pretty basic french word. Again, on this menu no mushroom dish, no scallops, no pork medallions, and NO chateaubriand --without at an extra charge, per my waiter. The onion soup did NOT have a cheese crust as stated on the menu, just broth. I had the ribeye, which yes, is a fatty cut of meat. It was good, but not very big.
6) Lobster House- we didnt try for dinner. I heard it wasn't great, so I didnt really have much of a taste for it.
7) Agave-- as I said, our waiter was adorable and attentive. He did the Mexican coffee presentation for another table, and was great at it. My BF got the lobster dish here and it was so good. I got the beef tenderloin thing and it was strange--- just a big flat piece of meat with refried beans and rice. I loved the decorating of this restaurant-- the candlebras were so gorgeous.

THE BEACH-- this isn't your place if you are big on waves and playing the ocean. We are, so we were disappointed. The seagrass is annoying and made it feel like there was dirt or something floating around in it. I'm really finicky about the ocean and like it to be like the hotel zone in Cancun. As everyone has said, its not. We barely went in the ocean.

THE POOLS- we only hung out @ the main pool and really loved Russell the bartender. He remembered us by name and was very good at his job. It got a little loud @ the end of day when people were drunk. The music they played @ the pool was mostly nice and calming, but they did have a techno tape that made me want to kill myself. I stuck w/ the gold margaritas with the Herradurra tequila and grnad marnier. I just can't drink sweet drinks all day. As for "top shelf" liquor, sorry but Absolut and Jack Daniels arent top shelf liquors. The Excellence Club is the only place they have true top shelf liquors, but there is no bartender there, so you have to know how to make your own drink and there are not really any mixers there either, so its pretty much a waste.

EXCELLENCE CLUB-- probably not worth it. Glad we didnt pay for it, or I would have been feeling seriously cheated. The cappucino machine was pretty awesome and try adding in Bailey's, Franglelico and Kahlua-- YUMS! The snacks--- eh. Nothing great. As for a roof top terrace-- I hardly saw anyone out on there. It didnt look like it was worth the extra money to me-- you had no bartender, so basically you could sit up there away from everyone else, with no real amenities. The capacity was 68%, so nothing was crowded. We never really waited for a seat anywhere and getting drinks was easy.

HOUSEKEEPING-- always done late in the day--3pm or later. We had one really great housekeeper, an older woman, the rest were just OK. It was too bad they didnt keep one for you all week so that you could reward their efforts properly. The woman who did such a great job we never saw again. The mini bar guy pretty much ignored my request for diet coke and water only. We never got turn down service b/c they came too late for us. Oh yes, speaking of diet coke---be sure to order your diet coke "in the can" b/c the one from the soda gun is so foul. It made me sick. I don't even know what they mixed it with??? Certainly not CO2.

ISLA MUJERES- We took a red cab $10 each way (I could not get him to take $8 like others have) to the ferry. If you are prone to seasickness, dont sit @ the front of the boat. Its choppy and they go at breakneck speed. We rented a golf cart for $15 an hour for 2 hrs. We had fun riding around, but not much to do other than shopping. We saw some really skinny cats and one baby cat that looked so ill...this shopkeeper was taking care of it b/c the mom got killed in the street. There is a graveyard over there as well, which is really beautiful. I'm glad we did not rent a cart for a whole day. The streets are busy, so you have to keep moving.

SPA-- we did the excellence massage. My BF liked his, I wish the girl I had would have used more pressure. I asked, but she did not increase it much. The hydrotherapy was OK, but the sauna is just too hot when you are already hot outside.

OVERALL-- we had a decent time. I was hoping for more luxury and better food. The food was pretty greasy and I had heartburn most of the trip and was really sick of it by the time we left. I feel they are not anywhere near 5 stars and need to seriously improve their service and not cut so many corners. Its spotty and inconsistent and not done wholeheartedly. Would I return? Nope. I think we'll try LeBlanc or Sun Palace instead.