Excellence Coral Playa Mujeres Resort Review

Stay Details:

• Duration: 5 nights in April 2025
• Timing: 2 months after resort opening
• Pricing: Full price (no introductory discount)
• Rooms: Excellence Club swim-up suite with private pool + Excellence Club two-story rooftop terrace suite (ocean view)

⭐ HIGHLIGHTS

Food & Dining

Best Meals:

• Ribs from the grill (meat fell off the bone, excellent sides)
• Crab cake sandwich at Zenith (lunch)
• Seabass at Zenith (dinner - with butter sauce)

Favorite Drinks:

• Guava margarita
• Peanut butter martini
• Non-alcoholic margaritas (mocktails were well done)

Favorite Bar:

• Sports bar - authentic bar atmosphere, big TVs, food service

Pools & Beach

Favorite Pools:

• Swim-up pool (private, padded chairs, bathroom access)
• Ex-lounge pool (incredible views, only other location with padded chairs)

Beach:

• Beautiful, excellent water color
• No seaweed
• Well-maintained sand
• Attentive beach servers
• Ample seating and umbrellas

Rooms

Swim-up Suite:

• Excellent view
• Drink service
• Close to the action

Two-Story Rooftop Suite:

• Lots of space
• Beautiful rooftop pool
• Great privacy and views

Room Features:

• Nice green decor (unique design choice)
• Similar interiors in both rooms

Overall Favorites

• Whisper speakeasy - exceptional experience, best they've encountered
• Staff - incredibly friendly and helpful across the board
• Food quality - better than other Excellence resorts
• Music - normal radio music at pools (Justin Bieber, Morgan Wallen, etc.)
• Smoking section - designated area kept smoke contained
• Proximity - everything close together
• Seating - tons of umbrellas and chairs, no saving seats needed

⚠️ AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Rooms

• Bedding: Very firm mattress and pillows
• Sheets: Hard and crinkly, noisy when moving
• Bathroom: Small countertop, limited space (could have been extended)
• Water main break: Had to switch rooms after 2 nights due to flooding

Dining

• Small menus - limited options for picky eaters
• No poolside pizza - major miss (staple at other Excellence Mexico resorts)
• Limited pool menu - only 5 items: hot dog, hamburger, nachos, quesadilla, fries

Pools

• Uncomfortable chairs - only padded at swim-up rooms and Ex-lounge
• Pool ladders - prefer stairs; ladders feel cheap
• Broken equipment - one Excellence Club ladder was broken

Communication & Scheduling

• App unreliability - restaurant schedules change without notice
• Activity descriptions - vague (e.g., "coral sports" without specifics)
• Low occupancy impact - 50% occupancy means flexible but unclear scheduling

Facilities & Hours

• Coffee shop: Opens at 7 AM (should open earlier, ideally 5-6 AM)
• Gym: Opens at 6 AM (earlier would be better for early risers)

📊 FINAL RATINGS

Kevin's Rating: 7/10

Brittany's Rating: 7/10 (with potential for improvement)

Would They Return?

• Kevin: Probably not
• Brittany: Maybe in 3 years to see improvements (still under construction, low occupancy)

💡 CONTEXT NOTES

• Resort is brand new (2 months old at time of visit)
• 50% occupancy during stay
• Some areas still under construction
• Staff actively working through opening kinks
• Reviewers gave "a little grace" for newness but expected quality given full pricing