I went over New Year's with my boyfriend and it was great! The reviews were very helpful letting us know that we would not be right on the beach and it was really not a big deal. We went out in the morning, afternoon, night and never had a problem getting a tram to the beach immediately. In fact, they are very accomodating. Sometimes the employee shuttle would come by or someone in a golf cart and even though they weren't a normal tram, they would still take us. It doesn't hurt to ask. They rarely tell you no.

Food:The food was great and the service was amazing! We had the same server (shout out to Roger) at the Japanese resturant-Maiko and then at the Yal-Ku buffet on New Year's Eve and he remembered us. He was amazing! Their second buffet, the one that's open 24 hours..not so good. Your best bet is to make sure to call the hotel (or travel agent) to make reservations in advance to make sure you can eat at the regular restaurants. They only have the 3 restaurants at Sian Kaan but if you do the all inclusive package, you can eat at the other 3 "sister" resorts and they have great restaurants as well. (Also, they only give you a wine list but you can always order any drink you want and they'll go get it from the bar).

Ocean and pools: It's packed-no matter what beach you go to if you don't get there early you will more than likely not get a chair, but there are a lot of chairs and the beaches are beautiful! I loved Sian Kaan because their pools (there are 3 or 4) are quiet and relaxing. At the other gran bahia resorts, they have the loud dj business and the pools are packed where you can't get poolside chairs and the pool bars, and that's cool sometimes but I enjoyed getting to just relax at our pool.

Atmosphere: Gorgeous! Everything was gorgeous and clean, no bugs, the lobby area right when you first walk in to check in is breath taking, the grounds are well kept and peaceful. The golf course is right across the street. You can walk to it. We golfed even though we're not great golfers and they were accomodating, however if you don't have your own clubs, the rentals are pretty rough.

Rooms: Gorgeous! The beds are huge, they have an easy to use safe and plenty of space in the closet to hang clothes plus shelves. The fridge wasn't stocked when we got there, but the maintenance guy came by right after we got there and I asked him for a couple of things and asked how often they get re-filled and he said just call and they'll bring new stuff whenever. The shower is awesome! Floor to ceiling and huge.

Entertainment: I don't believe Sian Kaan has that much but the others have stuff every night so if you get an earlier dinner reservation you can always head over on the tram to watch one. We saw the Michael Jackson show and it was phenomenal. And if you don't want to go see a big show, Sian Kaan has this big lobby where people seemed to be hanging out every night planying cards and just talking, and that was really nice also.

Extras: There's a Dolphinarium! And the prices aren't that high. There are quite a few activities to do right on the beach(parasailing and such) and some of them you get an hour free each day and then you pay extra after that. Then there are also some off the resort as well and they have a concierge by the check in where you can set up reservations.

Obviously no where is perfect, but if something is wrong with something in the room or whatever, the staff is more than accomodating if you ask and are respectful to them.

We took a family vacation with ages ranging from 80 - 17. The resort was wonderful and staff was very helpful. We were concerned since we weren't directly on the beach, but the trams came regularly and we never had to wait too long. In addition, there was wait staff for us at the beach! We ate at all of the other resorts (Coba, Akumal & Tulum), but I think our resort had the best food. The specialty restaurants were good and it was nice to check out the other resorts. Our only complaint is the mini bars were not stocked regularly. Gilliem was super at making our dinner reservations before we arrived! The rest of the staff was extremely nice/helpful also. If you want any excursions, check with Edgar (Olympus Tours) as he is the man who knows where to go and what to do! He didn't disappoint us once! If you are looking for "nightlife" you would probably be better off at one of the other resorts as the Sian Ka'an is a smaller/quieter resort. However, all in all, this was our first experience at an all inclusive and we would not hesitate to return to this resort again. We had a blast! Be sure to play BINGO at 3:00 p.m. at the pool!

We spent 10 days at Sian Ka'an and thought that the food at their Buffet was amazing. It was gourmet type food all the time. But the 1st day that we were there, my Ipod was stolen right out of our room...We were on the bottom floor in the back of the resort. We went out for a few hours in the afternoon and when we returned, the Ipod was taken off the charger! We found the patio door unlocked and it had been sitting near the door. We had been to Mexico many times and had never, ever had any problems. We made a report with security and never had anything done about it...We enjoyed the quiet relaxing time at the pools. We didn't think that that fogging for bugs at 5:00 in the afternoon when everyone was sitting out was a very good practice... We enjoyed our stay, and may return to the Bahi Principe Resorts sometime but will be sure to get a room that is not the ground floor. The whole resort is so big, it's like a small town.... the shuttle service was very good and took us over the main resort regularly since our friends were staying at Coba. The shuttle took us to our beach every 5 minutes. The dive shop at the beach was good.

There are many good reviews and I would agree with most everything that has been written. This is a wonderful resort and I can't see where anyone would have a major complaint. There isn't a perfect place so I will not use this to nick pick. You can have the best of the best however unless the employees do their job your vacation is ruined. My husband and I have done a fair amount of traveling and we found that the employees here make you feel like they want your business. Being in a different country with a different language the way to make someone feel comfortable is always having a smile on your face. Starting with the Bell Captain, Eric Baez Escobedo, he greeted us with a smile and conversation each day. He was the first person we saw and he definitely made a lasting impression. As the Captain of the Bell Boy's he leads by example. It wasn't beneath him to mop water after it would rain, or jump in a cart to get someone where they needed to go, or carry luggage. He wasn't a supervisor who just stood behind the desk and ordered his employees around. He definitely showed them how he wanted them to do the job. The reservation desk and guest services can be busy at times please seek Eric out he will take care of you or find someone who can. He called us a taxi, gave good advise, and made us feel like he was interested in us having a good time. A good business decision was made when he was hired as the Bell Captian. We will return to Sian Ka'an and refer our family and friends because of Eric! He is an employee who makes the resort!

Because I didn't listen to trip advisor we didn't make dinner reservations prior to our arrival, or even the day we arrived. Thus we ate at the buffett for most all meals. We did get 2 dinner reservatons and the meals were excellent. Don't do as I do, do as I say, get your dinner reservations made early. You can always change them, or fall back on the buffett.

Things we didn on and off the resort:
We swam with the dolphins on the resort. WOW what an experience. This is a must.
We had a romantic dinner cruise one night on the piriate ship. Steak and lobster was to die for.
One night we went to Coco Bongo. Well worth the late night and drive. The show was unbelieveable.

I don't want to duplicate what others have said in their reviews. In reading them you will have a very good idea of the resort and other properties. I mainly wanted to focus on the employees, without them the resort would not be what it is.