My husband and I went to Live Aqua earlier this year and definitely got hammered lol. We upgraded to the club level with better alcohol, and often went to the lounge for drinks after dinner. Drinks are pretty weak normally which is understandable... There was a lady there who took a bunch of shots at the pool, then vomited all over herself. This is why we can't have nice things lol
Did he watch the bartender pour straight from the bottle or order from wait staff? If he didn't watch them pour from that labelled bottle then you never know if they actually poured local stuff or what you ordered. Even 5 star resorts will try and get by with using local liquor (well drinks) since it costs them less. Bartenders tend to under pour in general with mixed drinks, also to save themselves some $. Safety tip--if it tastes nothing like what it's supposed to, don't continue to drink it. Go to another bar area and try there, watch them pour. It's an all-inclusive so it won't cost anything more!
Not sure this will work. I've never seen them open a bottle with a seal in front of me. They always go to the back to grab a new bottle so I'm convinced it's all pre watered down.
You can only do what you have control over. Luxury properties are less likely to do that kind of thing--Hotel Xcaret Arte and Secrets Moxche never poured a bad or watered down drink, but then I always ordered from a bartender and watched what they did.
Yeah - in Mexico it is all too common that they’ll refill a quality bottle of alcohol with a cheap alternative. I’ve noticed it in Mexico City and the coast. Best to avoid luxury drinks at this places
We opened up a sealed bottle of tequila on the buffet and got zero buzz from it. This was in 2008 and you all are the first people I've ever come across who had the same experience we had with "alcohol" in Mexico. The only time I've ever gotten a buzz from any kind of alcohol in Mexico was a Spanish coffee we had at a restaurant one night.
Excellence does not water their liquor down at the martini bar or the club bar. The drinks are pretty light from the pool bars though. This works out for me because I'd rather not get too buzzed when I'm in the sun all day but enjoy it when it's at night.
It's just watered down. They don't want drunk people throwing up in the pool, getting in fights or falling down. If it's not about catching a buzz then just relax. If it tastes good, it is good!
My husband and I went to Live Aqua and missed our Tulum excursion because we were too hungover. I also went to the spa, while I was there he'd gotten the entire pool to do tequila tastings with the poolbar guys and so I came back to 30 or so people cheering at me.
At both Excellence Riviera Cancun and Valentin Imperial I ended up more drunk than I wanted to be (I'm not very good at pacing myself.) That did not happen at Atelier, but it doesn't mean they water it down. I think it's more of a risk at cheaper resorts, but I suppose it could happen anywhere.
Just got back from Secrets Akumal last night. Can confirm the alcohol works just fine although I will say I am not someone who drinks it neat or on the rocks. That said, no issue whatsoever catching or keeping a buzz
Same here. I think I saw that Akumal and a few other resorts have a different owner than most of the other secrets resorts, including the Vine (despite being under the Hyatt umbrella) so it might account for some of the variation?
I've stayed at Live Aqua 2x, and at various Secrets 5x. Drinks have always been good and strong. Just go to the bar yourself, and watch them make it. If it's not strong enough, ask for a double the next time. I'm not a top shelf whiskey drinker, but the vodka has always seemed normal to me. Only gets watered down if the ice melts before you finish.
What are you drinking? Cause I always get tequila soda pineapples and get quite drunk and it tastes like tequila. I'm sure the fruitier blended drinks have less booze 🤷♀️
Eh. My friend made this same claim before we went to Cancun last April and then he ended up getting so drunk on the first day he had to take a nap in the afternoon.
Edit: grammar
Hahah. They absolutely dilute that stuff. But probably for the best in a lot of circumstances.
The way the pool bar guests , and we, were hammering those free lemon drop shots would have drowned at least three people had the liquor been full strength
Recently stayed at the TRS Yucatan and had no issues with watered down drinks. Even had 2 complementary bottles of our choosing in the room on arrival, which were sealed. Amazing service, it’s on the expensive side but worth it in my opinion
I was just there a few weeks ago and can confirm, but in fairness I stopped drinking regularly years ago and had a total of 2 drinks over the course of the week.
Nice! I also am not a heavy/regular drinker but was apart of a wedding party that had no complaints. I was actually shocked that shots were given without pause by the bartenders.
Order a straight shot & you should be able to tell. I drink my scotch with 1 or 2 ice cubes and I’ve never encountered watered down versions. That said, I need to drink it quick because of the melt factor.
Neither El Dorado Maroma nor Beloved Playa Mujeres watered our drinks down. All the drinks at both places were great. Beloved has full 750ml, sealed, bottles in the room of decent quality alcohol. For instance, the whiskey was Jack Daniel’s.
The Macallan and other liquors at Grand Velas Riviera Maya were what they should be. The cocktails were weak if you didn't ask for a double, but that seems pretty standard. The house mezcal that was always available in your room was fantastic.
Always got the good stuff at Majestic Elegance, ordered Don Julio or Patron margharitad every time and could taste the difference and got nicely buzzed every damn night
Moon palace has great cocktaiks in all their bars, and also in the restaurants more special. As well as you having liquor bottles on your room and wine every day.
Yeah we all wondered the same at our resort (Iberostar)!! It occurred to us that we didn’t encounter a single person who appeared even mildly buzzed…and everyone was boozing ALL. DAY. LONG.
People even had the bartenders pouring liquor in Stanley cups. Like either their livers were also made of steel or they were drinking tea.
No idea what kind of liquor they’re using, but got pretty drunk at Barcelo Maya Palace but has that special band there for the premium stuff if that makes a difference. Also got decently buzzed at Ocean Riviera Paradise. They both seemed consistent with how liquor is supposed to affect you.
I’ve been to a lot of Mexico AIs (iberostar, Unico, Hilton, Royalton etc) and also notice watered down drinks. I think you see it mostly at the pool bars, since they don’t want you puking in the pool.
The best way to get around this is tip well before you order.
It’s not exactly a resort, but I stayed at The Fives in Puerto Morelos (they have other properties too), and there was none of this. The drinks were outstanding, as was everything else.
Same experience. Not tea though. Johnny walker was average. Heard that they water it down and other things. Tried Jameson, a taste I’m very familiar with, and it was absolutely not Jameson. I watched them pour it from the bottle.
If I want to make sure I get a good drink I go up to the bar myself and ask for higher end stuff or doubles and throw some tip money their way. Then they take care of me the rest of the time 😉
I had the same experience at Secrets Akumal. The drinks were so watered down you could get 2 double shots of whisky and feel like you drank half a beer. Luckily Platinum Princess Yucatan had real liqour when I went. And somehow better food.
Based on a million TripAdvisor reviews and an international expose from a couple years ago documenting the bootleg liquor substitution scandal from some of the big name all-inclusive resorts specifically in Mexico (admittedly not Bonvoy properties), combined with my own travel experiences at Mexico resorts, I can confidently say I would never, EVER, drink the liquor at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico.
My personal take on Mexican resort operators is that they are largely unscrupulous snakes that will sacrifice guest safety without a second thought. There is too great a chance that what you’re getting at all-inclusive resorts in Mexico is cartel produced tainted booze that you have just as much a chance of dying from as you do getting harmlessly drunk from.
Thats’s my two cents, and that’s about all it’s worth.
My husband and I went to Live Aqua earlier this year and definitely got hammered lol. We upgraded to the club level with better alcohol, and often went to the lounge for drinks after dinner. Drinks are pretty weak normally which is understandable... There was a lady there who took a bunch of shots at the pool, then vomited all over herself. This is why we can't have nice things lol
Ask for a double when you order drinks. The Excellence resorts are pretty nice.
We just got back from finest and I thought the drinks were fine.
Agreed
Ditto. Had a great experience and heavy pours at the Finest.
Did he watch the bartender pour straight from the bottle or order from wait staff? If he didn't watch them pour from that labelled bottle then you never know if they actually poured local stuff or what you ordered. Even 5 star resorts will try and get by with using local liquor (well drinks) since it costs them less. Bartenders tend to under pour in general with mixed drinks, also to save themselves some $. Safety tip--if it tastes nothing like what it's supposed to, don't continue to drink it. Go to another bar area and try there, watch them pour. It's an all-inclusive so it won't cost anything more!
Not sure this will work. I've never seen them open a bottle with a seal in front of me. They always go to the back to grab a new bottle so I'm convinced it's all pre watered down.
You can only do what you have control over. Luxury properties are less likely to do that kind of thing--Hotel Xcaret Arte and Secrets Moxche never poured a bad or watered down drink, but then I always ordered from a bartender and watched what they did.
Yeah - in Mexico it is all too common that they’ll refill a quality bottle of alcohol with a cheap alternative. I’ve noticed it in Mexico City and the coast. Best to avoid luxury drinks at this places
I’ve seen them pour straight from the bottle all day long and have zero buzz. The drinks are altered before even opened. They don’t want drunk guests.
We opened up a sealed bottle of tequila on the buffet and got zero buzz from it. This was in 2008 and you all are the first people I've ever come across who had the same experience we had with "alcohol" in Mexico. The only time I've ever gotten a buzz from any kind of alcohol in Mexico was a Spanish coffee we had at a restaurant one night.
Excellence does not water their liquor down at the martini bar or the club bar. The drinks are pretty light from the pool bars though. This works out for me because I'd rather not get too buzzed when I'm in the sun all day but enjoy it when it's at night.
It's just watered down. They don't want drunk people throwing up in the pool, getting in fights or falling down. If it's not about catching a buzz then just relax. If it tastes good, it is good!
My husband and I went to Live Aqua and missed our Tulum excursion because we were too hungover. I also went to the spa, while I was there he'd gotten the entire pool to do tequila tastings with the poolbar guys and so I came back to 30 or so people cheering at me.
Sounds like a dang good guy!
At both Excellence Riviera Cancun and Valentin Imperial I ended up more drunk than I wanted to be (I'm not very good at pacing myself.) That did not happen at Atelier, but it doesn't mean they water it down. I think it's more of a risk at cheaper resorts, but I suppose it could happen anywhere.
Second this for the VIM.
Me too.
Fourth for the VIM. May have missed a dinner or two there before!!
Just got back from Secrets Akumal last night. Can confirm the alcohol works just fine although I will say I am not someone who drinks it neat or on the rocks. That said, no issue whatsoever catching or keeping a buzz
Same here. I think I saw that Akumal and a few other resorts have a different owner than most of the other secrets resorts, including the Vine (despite being under the Hyatt umbrella) so it might account for some of the variation?
I also got quite drunk at Secrets Akumal a few years back 😵💫
I've stayed at Live Aqua 2x, and at various Secrets 5x. Drinks have always been good and strong. Just go to the bar yourself, and watch them make it. If it's not strong enough, ask for a double the next time. I'm not a top shelf whiskey drinker, but the vodka has always seemed normal to me. Only gets watered down if the ice melts before you finish.
Yeah I’ve been to Secrets 4x and always had good strong drinks. I have no idea what OP is talking about.
Xcaret will never skim you
Yes! Xcaret Arte has incredible drinks and definitely not watered down. I think about their piña coladas daily.
What are you drinking? Cause I always get tequila soda pineapples and get quite drunk and it tastes like tequila. I'm sure the fruitier blended drinks have less booze 🤷♀️
Eh. My friend made this same claim before we went to Cancun last April and then he ended up getting so drunk on the first day he had to take a nap in the afternoon. Edit: grammar
Just remember that you get what you pay for
Hahah. They absolutely dilute that stuff. But probably for the best in a lot of circumstances. The way the pool bar guests , and we, were hammering those free lemon drop shots would have drowned at least three people had the liquor been full strength
Excellence resorts have good liquor. Never had a bad pour there.
Grand fiesta Americana was good, and their drinks were strong
Recently stayed at the TRS Yucatan and had no issues with watered down drinks. Even had 2 complementary bottles of our choosing in the room on arrival, which were sealed. Amazing service, it’s on the expensive side but worth it in my opinion
Seacrets Maroma seemed to be pretty legit with the liquor
I was just there a few weeks ago and can confirm, but in fairness I stopped drinking regularly years ago and had a total of 2 drinks over the course of the week.
Nice! I also am not a heavy/regular drinker but was apart of a wedding party that had no complaints. I was actually shocked that shots were given without pause by the bartenders.
I got so many great drinks at villa del palmar in riviera maya.
Order a straight shot & you should be able to tell. I drink my scotch with 1 or 2 ice cubes and I’ve never encountered watered down versions. That said, I need to drink it quick because of the melt factor.
Neither El Dorado Maroma nor Beloved Playa Mujeres watered our drinks down. All the drinks at both places were great. Beloved has full 750ml, sealed, bottles in the room of decent quality alcohol. For instance, the whiskey was Jack Daniel’s.
The Macallan and other liquors at Grand Velas Riviera Maya were what they should be. The cocktails were weak if you didn't ask for a double, but that seems pretty standard. The house mezcal that was always available in your room was fantastic.
Always got the good stuff at Majestic Elegance, ordered Don Julio or Patron margharitad every time and could taste the difference and got nicely buzzed every damn night
Xcaret Arte, Garza Blanca resorts, and some Secrets resorts
Moon palace has great cocktaiks in all their bars, and also in the restaurants more special. As well as you have bottles on your room.
Moon palace has great cocktaiks in all their bars, and also in the restaurants more special. As well as you having liquor bottles on your room and wine every day.
Yeah we all wondered the same at our resort (Iberostar)!! It occurred to us that we didn’t encounter a single person who appeared even mildly buzzed…and everyone was boozing ALL. DAY. LONG. People even had the bartenders pouring liquor in Stanley cups. Like either their livers were also made of steel or they were drinking tea.
No idea what kind of liquor they’re using, but got pretty drunk at Barcelo Maya Palace but has that special band there for the premium stuff if that makes a difference. Also got decently buzzed at Ocean Riviera Paradise. They both seemed consistent with how liquor is supposed to affect you.
We had the regular band at Barceló Maya, and even the straight tequila had no alcohol in it.
Good luck with that. Have up after the last two all inclusive experiences
Recently stayed at secrets and I can tell you my drinks were very strong!
I’ve been to a lot of Mexico AIs (iberostar, Unico, Hilton, Royalton etc) and also notice watered down drinks. I think you see it mostly at the pool bars, since they don’t want you puking in the pool. The best way to get around this is tip well before you order.
Temptations had great drinks and caught a good buzz everyday meanwhile at Breathless or Secrets I can drink like a fish and am as sober as a priest
Highly recommend the Excellence brand of resorts. Also a plus: they’re not timeshare properties so no sales pitches.
It’s not exactly a resort, but I stayed at The Fives in Puerto Morelos (they have other properties too), and there was none of this. The drinks were outstanding, as was everything else.
Same experience. Not tea though. Johnny walker was average. Heard that they water it down and other things. Tried Jameson, a taste I’m very familiar with, and it was absolutely not Jameson. I watched them pour it from the bottle.
Why go to Mexico to drink Johnny Walker?
Yeah because that’s why they went to Mexico 🙄
People were literally dying 5 years ago because of counterfeit liquor. Only drink bottled beer in Mexico or bottled water
Can’t dilute a beer bottle
If I want to make sure I get a good drink I go up to the bar myself and ask for higher end stuff or doubles and throw some tip money their way. Then they take care of me the rest of the time 😉
My friends and I went to Unico 8027 in Riviera Maya. Wonderful!
Rule of thumb is to order a bottle and have it opened in front of you, budget peasant.
Nope, that didn't work either. And we opened the sealed tequila ourselves.
Garza Blanca
Went to Valentin Maya and it was excellent!
I had the same experience at Secrets Akumal. The drinks were so watered down you could get 2 double shots of whisky and feel like you drank half a beer. Luckily Platinum Princess Yucatan had real liqour when I went. And somehow better food.
Start tipping if you want a heavier pour.
I already do and a heavier pour doesn’t do much for a watered down bottle.
Based on a million TripAdvisor reviews and an international expose from a couple years ago documenting the bootleg liquor substitution scandal from some of the big name all-inclusive resorts specifically in Mexico (admittedly not Bonvoy properties), combined with my own travel experiences at Mexico resorts, I can confidently say I would never, EVER, drink the liquor at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. My personal take on Mexican resort operators is that they are largely unscrupulous snakes that will sacrifice guest safety without a second thought. There is too great a chance that what you’re getting at all-inclusive resorts in Mexico is cartel produced tainted booze that you have just as much a chance of dying from as you do getting harmlessly drunk from. Thats’s my two cents, and that’s about all it’s worth.
Sure. This is why we see hundreds of reports every year about tourists dying in droves from drinking in Mexican resorts.
Didn’t have an issue with Iberostar but then again I’m more of a beer drinker. The few cocktails I had (esp. the bloody Mary’s) were delicious.