Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya Vacations

Very laid back. No nightlife at this resort. The resort was purchased by a large chain and is closing in January for a much needed remodel. Everything was very dated. Rooms are decent and spacious, but our leaked badly after a rain storm.
Listed as a 5 diamond resort. (Yea a few years ago)
Food was mediocre at best.
The "formal" restaurant was hit or mis, and you didn't know what they were serving until they opened.
Beach was ok.
Spa was nice and relaxing (ladies, if you go for a message, ask for a female masseuse as a male masseuse, apparently let's his hands slip inappropriately).
Most of the employees are awesome.
Waitstaff and front desk, bellman are all doing a great job.

Lovely hotel, but we stayed just before a change of ownership to Marriott, so probably not what it might have been.

Our suite on the second floor was roomy with two balconies- one off the bedroom and a larger lounging area off the living room. The bed was comfy. The bathroom was huge. Is it dated? Yes, travertine tile and stucco are “out” but it was clean; and I’m fussy.
We were confused with housekeeping- the bed was made each day and espresso cups replaced but coffee supplies and the fridge were ignored. Used dishes sat outside our door for days.
The “fruit plate” held only two very tired apples; we wondered how many guests had also chuckled at them.
Zoetry’s beach is unfortunate; in spite of frequent clearing the cove location holds on to seaweed and worse, lots of bits of trash; I just couldn’t swim in it. You won’t get the pretty blue Caribbean Sea view here. Pools are nice- we always found chairs where we could still see and hear the waves.
Drinks are weak unless you order doubles or ask for an additional shot to help achieve the proper proportions.
We had mostly great food with interesting variety. It would be nice if menus or themes were posted sooner, so that guests can plan meals and avoid two Italian (or Mexican, or Thai) nights in a row.
In general, service was outstanding. Front desk agents always had a smile and a “yes” for our requests, Manuel at the pool bar was impressively efficient and made sure guests were attended to. Victor makes a great drink. Our very favorite person was Ernesto at Kaax. He made our week even more special; he’s an excellent server with a terrific sense of humor. If I owned a restaurant he’d be the first person I’d hire.
So, we had a lovely time in this pretty resort, thanks to mostly terrific service. I know a remodel is planned; my bet is that the refresh will send Zoetry into the 4.5 star category.

So glad that the bad reviews didn't scare us away!

We stayed at Zoetry Paraíso de La Bonita for 3 nights and it was exactly the very relaxed vibe that we were hoping for.

Upon arrival we were greeted by the congenial doorman Miguel who gave us a tour of the property and drove us (via golf cart) to our room.

It's true, the property is older and not modern nor super luxe and there are a few signs of wear and tear (e.g. frayed towels, spotted a few ants in the bathroom the last night, small leak under the vessel sink, etc.). However, I enjoyed the traditional aesthetic and found the place very charming. Everything was clean and our room (ocean view with terrace and plunge pool) was spacious and lovely! We enjoyed spending evenings out on the daybed, listening to the waves. (We did spot a few mosquitos but our Thermacell kept them at bay.) It's a small property and you can really feel that, but I think it makes things feel cozy and friendly; everyone, guests and staff, greets each other when passing by.

One dinner service was a little bit slow but besides that we had no other issues. If you are used to the multiple dining options at, for example, Secrets (sister properties to Zoetry), this is very different: there were only two nightly options (plus room service, though we didn't try that) but we were fine with that. It was nice that no reservations were needed and every night we were seated immediately for dinner (sometimes a short wait if you wanted to sit outside).

There aren't any options like a 24-hour cafe/room service and there was one night when there was no buffet option, but we found the food to be very tasty with plenty of choices, even as a vegetarian. They also hosted a daily tea time in the Library with coffee, tea and both sweet and savory bites.

The beach does have quite a bit of seaweed/sargassum and the water is not clear on this side, but the beach was very private and there's a nice long stretch that you can walk along. There are also a few docks right there with boats that you can charter.

The pool area was well-maintained and always had at least a few chairs vacant throughout the day. It was odd, though, that there were no umbrellas; stands yes, umbrellas no. They said if it was too windy they would take the umbrellas down, but we never saw any up in the first place. In addition to pool seating, there were lots of nice, airy common areas to hang out in. Manuel and José took very good care of us at the pool, checking-in frequently for any food or drink orders we needed.

There were a few activities on the calendar (yoga, crafts, etc.) but I didn't see a staffer gathering guests or leading the activities. Also, the internal webpage with menus/schedules didn't update very often, but we just checked the posted schedules around the resort.

One of the best surprises about this property is all the wildlife! Every day we saw adorable, busy coatis, a handsome peacock, sereques and iguanas. Sofia the macaw is a beauty with a spunky personality to boot! She squawks, flaps, spins, hangs upside down, munches on seeds--I loved stopping by to visit her, but it makes me sad that her wings are clipped.

I think the scathing reviews of Zoetry Paraíso de La Bonita are off-base and totally unfair--but definitely do your research so you know what to expect. It's a quiet, clean, cozy resort that left us feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

Room was wonderful, the staff was amazing and delivered true service. The only downer was the lack of diversity in the food selections, should of upgraded to their Impressions level.
This was an extremely relaxing environment which is the whole purpose of a vacation

The staff were so friendly and attentive. Our room was beautiful. The food was amazing. We are definitely planning on going back.

Should have read the other reviews. really - stay away and spend your money on a real 5 star hotel. Food is horrible, extremely salty; cold; undercooked. Utensils are not provided for room service; dishes dirty; food is old fruit is rotten and non existent. No coffee in the room or they will give you one little pod for four people but there are no cups! There is no top shelf liquor! There are no straws – to safe the environment- that’s why they give you already used bamboo sticks. There must be a lawsuit filed. This is outrageous and dangerous. I have pictures and will share with lawyers. Management is rude, unresponsive.

The bamboo "straws" were used and reused. Save your money! Kids got food poison. horrible!

I am writing this review with a sad heart. I still have a few days left here but I feel I need to write this so others who are paying top dollar as we did, and haven’t arrived yet will have the chance to cancel and find another place.
If you have paid the extra $$ for the Impression side you will be disappointed!
All the extras it says you will receive are not true. This place is very understaffed and will be closing end of 2023 to renovate.
The phones in the rooms do not work, so no unlimited world wide calling.
If you want your fridge restocked you have to ask. There is only 2 restaurants open each night and the bars in the Impression side are never open. There are no beds on the beach and out of the 7 they have in the impression side only 3 have the curtains.
There are no loungers on the impression side anywhere!! And only 15 in total on the beach which anyone staying here can use.
Your bottle of wine you’re supposed to get each day doesn’t show up in your room unless you request it and still sometimes it doesn’t arrive. If you’re a beach lover and ocean swimmer do not expect to be able to enjoy this as the ocean in very dirty and brown here most days.
If I want a drink I mostly goto main bar myself (only one open) to get my drinks so I can make sure they are made right. The library bar does open at 5 pm.
Sometimes there are premium liquors and sometimes not.
I did finally complain and speak to the manager who said they would put loungers and umbrella on beach for us by impression side but that never happened.
The employees here all talk and are not impressed that we are not happy.
But I do wanna say thank you to Carlos and Eddy! You are wonderful people!!!
Our complaints are nothing against you, and we know you do your best everyday with what you have to work with.
I would never recommend this place to anyone! Hopefully after they renovate and reopen next year they will raise their standards.
The one bedroom with plunge pool room is very beautiful. This is they only thing that didn’t disappoint.

Everything is very good, especially the treatment of its people, truly first-class attention.
Please don't change

Amazing place like out of this world. The people attending this place are so nice and welcoming we had a super vacation

Unfortunately we honeymooned here and it is a nightmare. The food is good, but a maximum of 3 stars. You can't even get steak or tacos, enchilada, fahita and everything Mexican. The seafood restaurant doesn't even have any fish that you can order, everything is just chopped and the service is mediocre. Always feels the same, small menus, not all restaurants open. And for really high-quality drinks and food you have to go to the so-called Impressions Club or a Butler Suite for more than 600 euros per person per night!!! Our travel agency really messed that up - thanks TUI! The excursions from the hotel are just shopping rip offs and tourist traps. There are some very nice employees, but they can't save anything. You don't even get what is promised on the website, no fresh fruit in your room, no bottle of tequila, no beach bag - the maids don't even clean the floor, which would make sense on a sandy beach. Most of the service is just horribly bad. You often wait forever and then don't get everything. There is no menu for drinks, no cappuccino or fruit tea. There are 1000 coconuts hanging on the trees here but you can't get any to eat?! And everyone tells you something different... today there are only two juices, a few tables away there are two completely different ones... then those at the next table just get the order and no one cares. You just don't get anything even if you say so.
Save your money and go to a large hotel in Cancun. At least the beach and the water are great.

5* First Impression... 1* Experience

Back story - I spent months looking at Zoetry and other resorts in the area as I wanted a short but relaxing experience at a quiet resort...

I ended up booking Zoëtry Paraiso De La Bonita directly with Hyatt for the seamless booking experience.

I chose the Plunge pool suite with butler service. Zanzibar.

(All the rooms have names, no numbers)

The first evening was so nice that I ended up asking to check-in staff to view the other room categories as I was almost certain (at this point) that I would like to come back in February. No rooms were available to view, I said the next day works fine and this was forgotten - another missed opportunity...

5* Landscaping: Is this the 5* rating for the resort? My first impression was "this is going to be a great resort" based on how clean and well kept the resort looked. - Just like the photos and some of the review comments. Every day there was grounds maintenance, pressure washing, tiles being fixed, sweeping leaves - almost non stop it seemed. - Yet, you'd see plastic drinkware left the night before still outside of rooms or next to the pathways just begging to go inside... Without a doubt I would call this a beautiful looking resort... Location + landscaping.

3* Room: The room was clean, the bathroom faucet handle popped off, the vents could use a more detailed cleaning. The safe batteries needed replacing and the AC was only cooling to 24°C on my last night (initially the AC was working very well) A fresh coat of paint and some light repairs is all that was needed here.

3* Plunge pool: A few tiles popped off but this was the highlight of my trip - A private plunge pool that I could relax in with my girlfriend - The maintenance here was good with the exception one day it was over filled and was close to being an infinity pool -

2* Butler service - Very friendly staff - however - this really missed the mark. I ended up saving my tip money as I rarely saw them. I was looking forward to a more personalized service, some suggestions for dinner or things to see/try at the resort. A better room service experience. We connected on WhatsApp and I felt I could have just ordered room service myself. A big missed opportunity in service here... The bali bed makeup request was missed - fixed the next day. Our safe needed new batteries but this seemed to be a problem to coordinate. I never even met one of my butlers even though I did try to make this happen on at least two occasions.

3* Beach - The resort had the tractor out twice a day minimum to clear the beach. You can walk the beach but virtually no one was going into the water or hanging out here.

4* Pool - The main pool was the main feature and this was well maintained. A gorgeous pool setup - towels: only a few were put out - this should have been noticed and attended to better.

1* Food - Very inconsistent - The sushi bar was quite good but open for limited hours - Room service was hit or miss. Our one dinner at Dragon's (Impressions) was quite tasty - with the exception that the AC was also having problems. Dinner, not a sauna... please.

1* Drinks - Top shelf - no... bottom shelf or middle at best. I am not a big drinker but this was a disappointment yet again. Why am I paying top dollar for average alcohol? Hyatt

The food was never very hot or cold - One of the reasons I wonder if the food made me sick or perhaps the ice? Since returning home I have been very ill - yet, my girlfriend is not. We both only drank the bottled water and shared most meals... Not the vacation I desired...

I really wanted to toast my trip to friends and those reading the review - I firmly believe Hyatt needs to step up and take some action here as the typical management replies do not seem to be making any improvement. I would come back but only if things turn around considerably. Hyatt please help this resort live up to the 5* advertised level.

If you're trying to book this as a special trip or a luxury vacation, move on to the next resort on your list.

This place is a HUGE RIP OFF. Food at the one restaurant open each meal is terrible and same menu every day. Service is unimaginably slow and awful because they are understaffed. You will lose your mind because you wasted your money and precious vacation time.

This particular Zoetry is not a five star resort and it is definitely not what they say they are on their website.

Their food and especially the service of the waiters is slow and awful. Only one restaurant is open per meal.

There isn’t enough alcohol at the resort to make you forget what a bad experience this place is.

It’s a scam. Same issues as others. Clearly management hasn’t addressed anything.

A Five Star Disappointment - we stayed at the Zoetry for a family wedding on site and they caused a tremendous amount of stress and frustration for what should have been a happy, relaxing and special time. Out of a group of 20+ people, each person had individually bad experiences throughout our stay.

Despite the extravagant price tag, the stay here felt more like a masterclass in how not to run an all inclusive resort.

As advertised,

“Indulge with limitless access to gourmet à la carte restaurants offering organic food” – only ONE restaurant was open for dinner on a daily basis. This meant there was a wait for tables and an even longer wait for food, especially since the orders were messed up over and over. The worst part was the food was barely edible.

“Limitless top-shelf spirits” - Staff said the top shelf tequila was “out of stock” or “not available” even though it was. When we finally spoke to a manager, these out of stock options magically were in stock.

“24-hour concierge services” - when our hot water wasn’t working, multiple calls to the front desk and room service was unanswered

Activities - non-existent. Staff running the events cancelled them or changed times.

And the list goes on.

Spare yourself the headache!

Really, stay away! Avoid this place at all costs. Take your money and spend it at a real 5 star resort. Read the other one star reviews - they’re all spot on and I wished I wasn’t writing this review to echo the same reality. There are plenty of better options in the area for whatever you’re looking for.

You should only stay here if you want:

- to wait 40 minutes for an espresso and utensils when the resort is at 20% occupancy
- undercooked or overcooked food, but nothing cooked right and no options
- hangover inducing liquor because all the top shelf booze is hidden
- no value for your money
- false advertising
- a guessing game for whether you’ll have hot water

Despite some staff trying their best, this place is a disgrace to the hospitality industry, and I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone.

Fatal experience for a luxury hotel, it is not, it is not worth the price.
The bar is a shame with the most common alcohol possible, no one solves it.
The food is good and the staff does their best in the service but they don't give them anything.
There is little staff, the rooms are very large but old, they have no maintenance.
The beach is not pretty either, in general I don't recommend it at all, for this price there are a thousand better options.

I just stayed at this hotel, the truth is that the service leaves a lot to be desired. They tell you that there is no time for check-in and although we spoke before arriving they gave us the room at 3:15 and we had to insist. When we got to the room we saw that it had 2 beds and we contacted us to see if we could make a change, they had us waiting for half an hour until we spoke and they told us that it could be until the next day, it is good that they do not have another room but for what do you have to wait for?
The first day they didn't make the room and they wanted to do the night courtesy at 10pm, obviously we told them not to come in anymore.
We ordered room service, some enchiladas and they sent chilaquiles.
At the pool we tried to grab an additional umbrella, there weren't many people anymore and they told us that it was not possible.
I was insisting that instead of bringing me bottles of water they would only provide me with a glass (in general less plastic) there was no way.
The rudest pool bartender didn't want to serve you, only if your waiter asked for it.
We did a lot of courage during our vacation.
The food is pretty bad.
When I checked out I tried to express my inconvenience to the person at the reception and he only gave me the survey and told me he was sorry, he didn't even let me explain what had happened.
I have stayed in several AM resorts and it was my chain of choice for an all inclusive until this visit.
The only person who took amazing care of us was Jesus at the pool. He was helpful and attentive.
I recommend you stay better at the secrets, they have a very similar rate, the hotel is more modern and they have great service.

My husband and I stayed at this property for his birthday just recently. Below is our experience:
1. Butler Service- our butler/ chef Edgardo gave us beyond amazing service with attention to details, helping us navigate our way throughout the resort and cooking the best meal for breakfast that made my husband very happy :)
2. The property is paradise as it has beautiful artefacts that gives it character including the special fans, columns, tiles, stones, show pieces, parrot, peacocks etc. I am so happy that we witnessed a cultural heritage property unlike other modern hotels.
3. Abdiel the social media coordinator was very nice, welcoming and was consistently in touch with us to make our stay smoother.
4. The food, oh boy, 100/100!! We were lucky to have experienced the mexican food festival at the property. We tried authentic tacos, burritos, mole, tres leches and much more!
5. The staff surprised my husband with a cake and champagne making his bday extra special. Thank you for that!
6. The only area where this resort can improve is to reduce seaweed levels in the ocean and to hire more staff at the front desk. Our check in was at 12pm but the room wasn't ready until 3:30pm. I would highly recommend them to hire more english speaking front desk staff.

Overall, will visit again! :)

A perfect place to rest.
The beach is not pretty (you can't get in because of so much seaweed). But to see the spectacular sea.
The food is excellent, the service is an area of ​​opportunity, since it is a bit slow, I suppose there is a lack of staff.
Very small and cozy.