TRS Yucatan Hotel

I really wanted to love TRS Yucatán, especially because this was an anniversary trip for my fiancé and me. Unfortunately, our experience fell far below what I expected from a resort marketed as a five-star luxury property.

From the moment we entered our first room, there were cleanliness concerns. We found hair in the bed and bathtub, as well as makeup and stains on the bedding. We spent hours cleaning and wiping things down ourselves, which immediately made me question whether the room had been properly cleaned and inspected before our arrival.

Even more concerning were the safety hazards. As I was about to step into the shower, we discovered a sharp piece of metal with exposed spikes lying on the floor. Thankfully, we noticed it before I stepped on it. Had either my fiancé or I stepped on it barefoot, it could have punctured the skin and caused a serious injury. We had no way of knowing where it came from, how long it had been there, whether it had been sanitized, or whether it had previously come into contact with another person or bodily fluids. An unknown sharp object in an area where guests are naturally barefoot raised legitimate concerns about injury, infection, and potential exposure to blood-borne pathogens.

We also noticed areas where pieces of tile were chipping away, creating another potential hazard.

The safe raised additional concerns. It was locked when we arrived and could not be accessed, so security had to come and open it. Once they did, we discovered dishes and other items still inside from the previous guests. It was difficult to understand how those items could have remained there if the room had undergone a thorough cleaning and inspection between guests.

By that point, we had already unpacked and eventually had to repack everything and relocate to another room. The entire process consumed almost our whole first day at TRS Yucatán. We spoke with the front desk countless times, waited for staff and security, documented the conditions, packed our belongings again, and completed the move. Instead of spending our first day relaxing and enjoying the resort, we spent it trying to resolve problems with our accommodations. By the time we were finally settled, the day was essentially a write-off.

We appreciated being upgraded to another room, but we discovered a problem there as well. The glass clothes-hanging/rack area was missing screws and appeared unstable. Because it involved glass, we were hesitant to place our belongings on it. Had we not noticed the existing damage and something had broken, we were concerned we could have been held responsible for something that was already damaged.

Thankfully, we photographed and documented the conditions in both rooms.

Later in our stay, we completely lost access to running water in the middle of the night. We had no reasonable alternative but to use countless bottles of drinking water to bathe and take care of our basic hygiene.

This was especially difficult for me because I was menstruating at the time. Trying to manage my menstrual cycle without running water was extremely uncomfortable, distressing, and unhygienic. I had to use bottle after bottle of drinking water simply to clean myself properly, while my fiancé and I also relied on bottled water to bathe. This was certainly not an experience I ever imagined having at a five-star resort.

We also experienced problems with the air conditioning, room service orders that never arrived, and inconsistent communication and follow-through.

Unfortunately, our final night brought another disappointment.

As we were walking back to our room on the night before our departure, I noticed my fiancé recording me on his phone. I later learned that he had secretly arranged for our room to be decorated as an anniversary surprise and was recording because he wanted to capture my reaction.

When we opened the door, however, there were no decorations. The room looked exactly as we had left it.

I could immediately see how upset he was. He had put thought into creating a special moment for me, and it was clear that he was both furious and embarrassed that the arrangement had not been carried out. I felt terrible for him because I knew how much the gesture meant to him.

After everything we had experienced during the trip, I had hoped our final night would at least end on a special note. I had also been dealing with my menstrual cycle and was looking forward to simply feeling celebrated and enjoying a romantic moment with my fiancé. Instead, a thoughtful surprise he had planned never happened.

I understand that no resort is perfect and unexpected problems can occur. My disappointment comes from the number and seriousness of the issues we experienced during a single stay. They ranged from cleanliness and safety concerns to maintenance problems, loss of an essential service, inconsistent follow-through, and a special anniversary arrangement that was not fulfilled.

These experiences cost us valuable time, interfered with plans and reservations we had already made, and changed the overall experience of a trip that was meant to celebrate our anniversary.

I do want to acknowledge that TRS Yucatán is a beautiful property and that we encountered some genuinely wonderful employees. I sincerely appreciate the staff members who made an effort to assist us. My concerns are not directed toward those individuals, but toward the overall standard and consistency of what we experienced.

We have photographs documenting many of the conditions described above. Based on our experience, I would recommend that guests inspect their room upon arrival, document anything that appears damaged, unsafe, or unclean, and confirm any special arrangements they have made for important occasions.

My fiancé and I came to TRS Yucatán expecting the level of care, comfort, and service associated with a five-star anniversary vacation. Unfortunately, despite the beauty of the property and the kindness of some employees, our overall experience did not meet the standard we expected or paid for.

Butler: With that being said, I do want to end this review by recognizing someone who truly made a positive difference during our stay: our butler, Samuel. Samuel was absolutely wonderful. Throughout our stay, he consistently attended to our needs and concerns and treated both my fiancé and me with kindness, professionalism, and genuine respect. Whether it was in the morning or at the end of the night, Samuel was attentive, approachable, and always willing to assist us in any way he could. Despite the challenges we experienced elsewhere during our vacation, Samuel's level of service remained consistent. He made us feel heard and cared for, and his professionalism stood out throughout our stay. There truly could not have been a better butler assigned to us. Samuel represented the level of hospitality and personal attention that we had hoped to experience throughout our stay at TRS Yucatán, and we are genuinely grateful for everything he did for us. Thank you, Samuel, for being one of the brightest parts of our anniversary vacation.

Not worth it in the slightest. your booking process is unclear. Your receptionist unhelpful. The state of the facilities was mediocre.

TRS Yucatán Hotel — 6.9/10

My overall experience at TRS Yucatán was a 6.9/10.

There were definitely some great parts of this vacation, and I want to make sure those are acknowledged. The property itself is beautiful and well maintained, the food was very good, the pools were enjoyable, and there were some great entertainment options throughout the resort.

The spa was also a nice experience. I personally found the Swedish massage a little too gentle for my preference, so if you prefer something stronger, I would recommend the deep tissue massage.

The shuttle drivers were consistently friendly and helpful, our excursion experience was excellent, and there were some truly exceptional staff members throughout the property.

Unfortunately, the biggest issue with our vacation was consistency, communication and execution. There are a lot of good people working at this resort, but some of the operational problems overshadowed what many of those employees were doing right.

Arrival and Room Issues

Our problems started almost immediately.

We experienced late room access, and when we finally received our first room, it was not properly cleaned and there were issues with the condition and safety of the room that simply should not have been present at a five-star resort.

Eventually, we were moved into a larger upgraded suite. I appreciated the resort attempting to rectify the situation, but by that point, the initial room problem had already created a domino effect on the beginning of our vacation.

Because so much time was spent dealing with the room situation, our original plans were disrupted. This affected our Chic Cabaret plans as well as dinner reservations that had already been arranged for the week. Once those reservations had to be moved around, it affected other reservations and plans afterward.

That became one of the major themes of this vacation:

Problems would happen, and then the staff would try to rectify them afterward.

I appreciate the attempts to make things right, but many of these situations could have been prevented in the first place through better communication, organization and professionalism.

Rectifying a problem is appreciated. Preventing a preventable problem is better.

Room Service and Resort Operations

Unfortunately, the communication issues continued throughout the vacation.

We had room service fail to arrive twice, despite placing our orders and expecting the service.

We also experienced a period where we lost air conditioning and running water.

These are basic expectations at any hotel, but especially at a resort presenting itself as a luxury five-star, all-inclusive experience.

Again, attempts were made to address problems as they happened, and I acknowledge those efforts. But at some point, constantly having to contact someone to correct an issue becomes part of the vacation experience itself.

When you’re on vacation, you shouldn’t have to spend that much time troubleshooting the resort.

PTC Upgrade and Beach Conditions

We also purchased the PTC/premium upgrade for approximately $500 CAD.

This is another area where I felt there needed to be better transparency.

There was a substantial amount of seaweed during our stay, with machinery being used on the beach as the resort attempted to manage it. I completely understand that seaweed is a natural occurrence and something the resort cannot control.

My issue is not that seaweed existed.

My concern is that we purchased the upgrade before actually seeing the current beach conditions and understanding how much those conditions would affect the value we could realistically receive from what we had purchased.

Had the current conditions and limitations been communicated more clearly beforehand, we could have made a more informed decision about whether the additional upgrade made sense for our particular stay.

I am not accusing anyone of intentionally misleading us. My criticism is about transparency and communication.

Between the beach conditions and the limited value we personally received from some of the premium drink and spa-related benefits, I did not feel that the approximately $500 CAD upgrade delivered enough additional value during our particular stay.

Fernanda and the PTC Presentation

That criticism should not be associated with Fernanda or the quality of the PTC presentation she provided.

Fernanda was exceptional.

My fiancée and I have every intention of finding a resort that can become somewhat of a home away from home for us—somewhere we can continuously return to for our anniversaries over the upcoming years, build genuine relationships with the staff and property, and create memories year after year.

Because of that, we came into this vacation as the type of couple who could genuinely see value in establishing a long-term relationship with a resort.

Fernanda did an exceptional job presenting PTC to us. She was professional, knowledgeable, personable and thorough. She represented the program extremely well.

I want management to understand that our decision not to move forward with PTC long term was not a reflection of Fernanda or her presentation.

Quite the opposite.

Had our overall experience at TRS Yucatán matched the level of service and professionalism Fernanda demonstrated during her presentation, we very likely would have moved forward and bought into the program.

Ultimately, it was our overall resort experience—the room issues, communication breakdowns, inconsistencies and other situations described throughout this review—that prevented us from feeling comfortable making that longer-term commitment.

So kudos to Fernanda.

She did her job exceptionally well. Unfortunately, the overall resort experience did not support the level of confidence her presentation created.

Anniversary Experience

This vacation was also connected to our anniversary, which made some of the details and experiences throughout our stay particularly meaningful to us.

Unfortunately, the anniversary setup we were expecting on our final evening did not happen. It was disappointing, particularly because this was a special trip for us and something we had been looking forward to.

I do want to provide some important context here because I want to make sure the right people receive recognition for the service they provided.

We had three butlers who rotated throughout our stay: Samuel, Mayfer, and another gentleman whose name I unfortunately do not remember.

Mayfer was not working that day, so this situation had nothing to do with her.

The anniversary setup was scheduled for the evening and was expected to take place during the shift of the third butler whose name I unfortunately cannot recall.

I don’t know exactly where the breakdown occurred internally, so I don’t want to speculate or unfairly assign responsibility. I can only speak to what we experienced as guests: the arrangement had been made, the setup was expected that evening, and unfortunately it did not happen.

I also want to make sure this situation does not take away from the excellent service we received from Samuel and Mayfer throughout our stay.

Both contributed positively to our vacation and deserve recognition for the care and attention they provided us.

For me, the missed anniversary setup is another example of where stronger communication, handoffs and follow-through could improve the overall guest experience.

Samuel — The Highlight of Our Trip

If there is one individual I want management to recognize from this review, it is Samuel, our butler.

Samuel was a 12/10.

He was, without question, one of the biggest highlights of our entire trip.

What stood out wasn’t simply that Samuel responded when we asked him for something.

He was proactive.

He gave us information before we even knew we needed it. He took the time to explain the resort to us, help us understand how to navigate such a large property, guide us through the different restaurants and options available to us, and give recommendations that made our experience easier.

Particularly during your first few days at a resort of this size, there is a lot to understand.

Samuel reduced that learning curve for us.

He didn’t simply wait for a WhatsApp message or request.

He anticipated things.

There were also smaller gestures that might not appear significant on paper but made a major difference in how we felt as guests.

At dinner, Samuel would offer to take photos of us so that we could actually capture memories together rather than always having one person behind the camera.

He took the time to have genuine conversations with us. Our interactions didn’t feel robotic, transactional or like someone simply completing a checklist.

We actually got to know him as a person, and that human connection became part of what made the vacation memorable.

One example that perfectly captures Samuel’s effort happened when I wanted to watch a boxing fight and the sports bar wasn’t showing it.

That could easily have been the end of the conversation.

Instead, Samuel went out of his way and found me a link so I could watch the fight.

That wasn’t something he had to do.

It wasn’t a standard hotel request.

It was simply someone paying attention to what mattered to his guest and trying to make the experience better.

Those are the things I remember.

Throughout the week, Samuel consistently checked in, helped us navigate the resort, provided restaurant and activity information, assisted with arrangements and made himself available when we needed support.

Even when issues occurred that were outside of his control, his instinct was to help.

Some of my strongest criticisms in this review involve communication and consistency, but I want to make it absolutely clear that those criticisms should not reflect on Samuel or the level of service he personally provided us.

In fact, Samuel demonstrated what the communication and service standard throughout the resort could be.

People remember beautiful rooms and nice pools, but they also remember how people made them feel.

Samuel made us feel genuinely looked after.

For me, Samuel was the definition of five-star hospitality at TRS Yucatán.

If I were rating Samuel independently of the resort, there is no hesitation:

12/10.

Mayfer — Excellent Service

I also want to make sure Mayfer receives the recognition she deserves.

Mayfer was another one of our butlers during the vacation, and our experience with her was consistently positive.

She was accommodating, attentive and helpful with our requests, and she contributed to making our stay more comfortable and enjoyable.

What I appreciated was the consistency of the service we received when dealing with her. She was pleasant, willing to assist and made us feel that our requests mattered.

Because I’ve mentioned some operational disappointments elsewhere in this review, I specifically want management to understand that those criticisms should not be associated with Mayfer either.

Our experience with Mayfer was positive, and she did a great job looking after us.

Both Samuel and Mayfer deserve recognition for the service they provided and for the positive contribution they made to our vacation.

Other Staff Who Made a Difference

There were several other people who deserve recognition.

Marco stood out to us even though he wasn’t actually our server. He repeatedly acknowledged us, took the time to speak with us and made us feel recognized whenever we encountered him.

Those interactions matter.

Hospitality isn’t only about serving the table assigned to you. Sometimes it’s simply about making guests feel welcome, and Marco did that naturally.

Arnulfo at Helios provided amazing service and absolutely deserves recognition.

Hector, our bellboy, was friendly, helpful and another positive part of our experience.

I also want to recognize Guadalupe for contributing positively to our stay.

The shuttle drivers were consistently friendly and welcoming as well.

These individuals are important to mention because I don’t believe it would be fair to criticize the resort’s operational problems without equally acknowledging the employees who were delivering excellent service within that same environment.

Mayan Temple and Jungle Excursion

I also want to specifically highlight our guide for the Mayan temple and jungle excursion offered through the resort.

This was one of the standout experiences of our vacation.

Our guide was exceptional—attentive, knowledgeable, personable and excellent at communicating throughout the excursion.

Rather than simply taking us from one location to another, our guide took the time to explain what we were experiencing and helped make the history, culture and surroundings part of the experience.

That level of engagement made the excursion much more meaningful.

It was another example of the type of hospitality and attention we were hoping to experience consistently throughout our vacation, and our guide absolutely deserves recognition for the quality of the experience provided.

Palladium Rewards / Don Julio Incident

One of the clearest examples of the communication problem happened on our final night.

We wanted to use our Palladium Rewards points toward premium drinks and specifically asked about two Don Julio shots.

Before ordering, we made sure to confirm what we were being told.

The bar confirmed that the two drinks would be covered and that there would be no additional cost to us.

Later, however, the front desk attempted to charge us approximately $35 for those same drinks.

Eventually, the charge was removed, which I appreciated.

But once again, the bigger issue wasn’t simply the $35.

It was that different departments were giving us different information.

By the final night of a vacation, the last thing a guest should have to do is go back and forth over a charge for something that was specifically confirmed beforehand.

This situation summarized one of my biggest criticisms of the resort:

Communication between departments needs significant improvement.

Final Thoughts

TRS Yucatán has a lot of potential.

It is a beautiful property with very good food, enjoyable pools, entertainment, a nice spa and, most importantly, some truly exceptional people working there.

The biggest weakness during our experience wasn’t the physical resort.

It was consistency, communication and execution.

There were too many situations where one department seemed unaware of what another department had communicated or arranged.

There was also too much time spent correcting problems that could have been prevented through stronger internal communication.

I also felt there was a noticeable amount of upselling throughout the experience.

Upselling itself isn’t unusual at a resort, but when a guest has already invested significantly in an all-inclusive vacation and is simultaneously dealing with service and communication problems, those additional sales efforts become much more noticeable.

At the same time, I don’t want those criticisms to erase what people like Samuel, Mayfer, Marco, Fernanda, Arnulfo, Hector, Guadalupe and our Mayan excursion guide brought to our vacation.

Especially Samuel.

Without Samuel and some of these other staff experiences, my overall perception of this vacation would have been significantly different.

My fiancée and I are genuinely looking for a resort we can return to for future anniversaries and build a long-term relationship with.

That’s why this experience was disappointing in a different way.

The potential was clearly there.

Would I completely rule out Palladium or TRS after this experience?

No.

There were enough positives, particularly from individual staff members, that I would consider another TRS property, including TRS Coral, to see whether the experience is different.

However, based specifically on this stay, TRS Yucatán did not consistently deliver the seamless five-star experience I expected.

That is why my final rating remains:

6.9/10.

The resort has the property.

It has the amenities.

It has the food.

And, as Samuel demonstrated better than anyone during our stay, it absolutely has people capable of delivering exceptional five-star hospitality.

What needs improvement is the communication, consistency and execution required to bring all of those pieces together.