Best Vacation Ever!

Guest: maribead (Garberville, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 11/26/11 Review Submitted: 12/09/11

This was the best, most restful vacation ever. I have traveled the world and had a good time doing it but I entirely enjoyed Playa del Secreto without a moments irritation. I felt perfectly safe and protected. The accommodations were above expectation and the property was very well kept and beautiful. The staff was friendly, skilled, and professional. Doy Cooper, the owner, is an awesome woman and I hope to see her often in the coming years. The food was excellent and delightfully served. Fairly centrally located, it seemed to me, I was in reach of many attractions such as Cozumel, Isla de Mujeres, Coba, Chichen Itza, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Puerto Morelos. I would highly recommend this place to friends and family, and in fact, already have. It is a great value and it will be my new (and less expensive) Hawaii.... that is to say, I plan on returning regularly.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car, pet owners, sightseeing, families with young children.

A Little Slice of Heaven

Guest: Barb (Arlington)
Date of Stay: 09/29/11 Review Submitted: 11/12/11

Playa del Secreto is synonymous with paradise! When looking for a beach front vacation destination, Playa del Secreto is a must-stay vacation spot! No one can compare to Doy and her staff in making your vacation a little piece of Heaven. The villa is beautifully decorated, the meals are scrumptious, the grounds are gorgeous, the hot tub evokes serenity. Once outside, the infinity pool overlooks the turquoise blue Caribbean and sandy beaches - it is a breath-taking view. Every attention is paid to detail; every wish is accommodated. Although there is no need to go anywhere, Doy is wonderful at making suggestions of places to go, things to do and see. I have vacationed here several times; every time I have to leave, I can't wait to go back. Re-entry into the real world is a harsh reality after staying being here!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car, sightseeing, families with young children.

Relaxation at its finest!

Guest: AP (Dallas TX )
Date of Stay: 09/29/11 Review Submitted: 11/09/11

I spent four fantastic days here the first of October. The weather and the beach were beautiful! The villa is everything you would want in a place to just hang out and relax. Having a pool right outside your villa is the BEST!! The food and drinks were great.. we could have just about anything we wanted. The staff was attentive and very pleasant. I felt completely safe and taken care of here. I would not hesitate to recommend to my friends and family. If you want to get away from the big touristy places in Cancun or Playa this is were you want to be.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car.

Great Getaway

Guest: LuLu (Humble, TX)
Date of Stay: 09/10/08 Review Submitted: 11/05/11

Awesome experience! This villa is everything it is said to be and more! It is very well taken care of. The owner makes you fell right at home and will help you with anything you would like to do on or off the property. I would recommend this property to anyone. It is the best place to stay in all of Mexico!

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Casa Del Secreto

Guest: Debra L. (Myers Flat, California)
Date of Stay: 04/20/10 Review Submitted: 09/25/11

We stayed in Casa del Secreto in April of 2010. There where 15 of us total, and I cant tell you how happy we all where with our accommodations. From the beautiful views to the inviting pools. The sea was not as flat as we would have liked it to be, due to the time of year we decided to go, but the small waves and warm water made it a great place to teach your little ones how to boggie board!!! Mauricio was so wonderful and helpful we just cant say enough about him, he was always just a walkie-talkie away! We would recommend this place to any body, small or large groups would be happy. Weather you do the all inclusive or not. We sugguest you try out the food and let the chief cook for you on site. The food is outstanding, and you may find yourself staying home more and eating at the Palapa Jack more then you expected. Everything is done for you, pretty much all you have to do is get up in the morning, the rest is like a dream! Two Vans available on site, to take you where you want to go.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car, people with disabilities, pet owners, sightseeing, families with young children.

All I Can Say Is....Wow!

Guest: Christina (Playa del Secretro, Mexico)
Date of Stay: 01/29/11 Review Submitted: 02/04/11

This was one of the best "tropical" vacations my family and I have ever had, and we are planning to come back next year! The photos on the website really do not do this property justice. It is gorgeous. The living space is ample for a family of four (each of our teenage sons had their own room and bathroom), and you can lay in the king size bed in the master bedroom and see the ocean directly in front of you (as well as to the side) via the large picture window. The grounds are meticulously well-kept, and private (the pool, hottub, and palapya are tucked away from view). But more importantly, the service is outstanding. The meals were very good, always served on time, the order was always accurate. The staff is very friendly, pays attention to every little detail, and go out of their way to anticipate your every need. We have traveled all over the Carribean, usually renting villas, and so far this is our favorite in terms of the "total experience." There is a lot to do in the area. We took a private tour of Chichen Itza, and did a full day "Mayan Jungle Adventure" with Alltournative Tours. Both outstanding. We can't wait to come back.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car, sightseeing, families with young children.

First Class Service, Wonderful Meals, Perfect Location

Guest: Jane F. (Athens, GA)
Date of Stay: 12/26/10 Review Submitted: 01/22/11

We planned a family reunion for 21 people over New Year's 2011. Severe weather and illness prevented all of us from making the trip, but our hosts were up to the challenge of remaining flexible through all our last minute changes. For those of us that made it, we experienced First Rate service from the entire staff. The meals were healthy and delicious and our every need was addressed and often anticipated. From airport transfers to excursions to massages, every detail was handled with professionally and graciously. We hope to return soon!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car, sightseeing, families with young children.

Excellent family holiday at Casa del Secreto

Guest: D family (Shanghai, China)
Date of Stay: 07/25/08 Review Submitted: 08/26/08

We had a wonderful holiday at Casa del Secreto late July/early August. We shared the villa with another family so we had 4 adults and 4 young children (aged 4 to 8) staying there. The grounds were surprisingly large so there was plenty of room for the kids to run around. Although it's a very romantic setting, the villa is also ideal for kids. There is a huge play area, tree houses, hammocks, kayaks, a jacuzzi and a beautiful pool overlooking the ocean. The views are truly stunning from the villa and the pool area. We had some beautiful dinners and lots of delicious margaritas on the terrace. Unfortunately most of the beach directly in front of the house had been swept away before our stay but we were made aware of this beforehand. The owners were very upfront and had sent photos of the beach's current status. It didn't matter to us anyway because we could easily walk down to another area of the beach where the staff had set up umbrellas and beach beds. In any case, most of our time was spent around the pool. The property was spotless at all times. Our washing was taken care of and the villa cleaned thoroughly everyday. Mauricio, the manager, was extremely helpful. It was very convenient being able to have meals prepared for breakfast, lunch and dinner if required. There was also a fully equipped kitchen for when we wanted to do our own cooking. I would recommend hiring a car while staying at Casa del Secreto if you'd like to see more of the area. The road to the villa is a little rough so we were glad we had a 4 wheel drive. We drove into Playa del Carmen for dinner a couple of nights which was very nice. We also visited some Mayan ruins, swam with the dolphins at Dolphin Discovery and played golf at the nearby Fairmont resort (beautiful golf course!). I am recommending this villa to all my friends. The kids had so much fun and we found it extremely relaxing.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

Great holiday at Casa Del Secreto

Guest: LR - Denver (Denver,CO, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/29/08 Review Submitted: 08/05/08

We've just returned from a wonderful vacation at Casa del Secreto. The Villa is right on the water with unbeatable views. Whilst the beach right in front of the house comes and goes there is consistently a beautiful beach 50 yds away that is easily accessed and is uncrowded. We were traveling with kids this trip - and the grounds were ideal for them. There are tree-house palapas for them to enjoy as well as the pool and of course the beach. There are dogs there but they aren't seen often and we didn't see a single dropping from them. The owner and staff are excellent - they were there to help with whatever we needed and unseen otherwise. I'd highly recommend Casa del Secreto and plan to return.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with young children.

Playa del Secreto and Casa del Secreto

Guest: Doctor Bob (Fort Smith, AR)
Date of Stay: 05/30/08 Review Submitted: 06/18/08

This is the second floor of the owner's house and is more like a condo than a villa. The living area is small and open to a stairwell that connects to the owner's living space, making the airconditioner inefficient. The drains on the patios were plugged, and two bedrooms flooded after a heavy rain. There is no beach in front of this property. In fact, the waves break on the foundation of the house. Three large dogs (rhodesian ridgebacks) roam the property leaving "landmines" everywhere. I will not be back...

Owner response:Dear Future Guests, Casa del Secreto has been a very popular vacation home to many families/guests for a few years now. The great majority of our guests have become "Repeat Guests" and have referred others that have also become guests. We take Doctor Bob's review very serious and to heart. Doctor Bob was here during a week of very rough seas, high winds and a severe storm. Therefore he is certainly correct in that there was no beach directly in front of the villa at that time. We are always very honest about our lack of beach at various times due to the 4 most recent hurricanes. Please see our "Beach Status" Report on our websites. Only a short walk via the garden areas of CDS & HDS (our other family owned villas) is our Beach Club that has access to the part of the beach that is wide and a mile + long to the south of CDS-only 50 yards away. The waves during this week of foul weather were hitting on the seawall of the property directly in front of CDS.....not the foundation of the villa. One particular storm with Gale force winds (horizontal rain) did cause the balconies to flood due to the drains not being able to handle the large amount of rain. CDS, 4 of our other villas & several neighbor's all had the same experience. To the staff''s credit, at 11:30 pm they were there w/ towels cleaning. CDS is 2 villas (one above the other) that can be combined into one large villa as clearly stated in our websites/Homeaway. The CDS Guest Villa has 3 BR. We highly recommend only 6 guests in the villa even though each bedroom has a extra single loft bed. Doctor Bob w/ party of 9 as with all guests that wish to book CDS Guest Villa w/ 9 guests are advised that this is really not recommended due to the space. Both the upper and lower villas combined is available as a 5BR or 6BR for larger groups. We have asked all guests since Doctor Bob's departure if the AC in the living area is cooling properly and all have said yes. However, the first week that the villa is not booked we will close off the picturesque opening overlooking the locked interrior stairwell w/ the fish vase/ flower arrangement to leave nothing to chance. Since many of our guests are very early risers such as Doctor Bob, our gardner who is on "landmine" patrol throughout the day will now start his day at 6:30am to insure this is not an issue for future guests. We wish all guests to have only the most wonderful vacation & positive memories at CDS with the desire to return in the future. Doy

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