J L.
Yelp
My family's experience at Iberostar Tucan, Playa del Carmen (Sept 27-Oct 1, 2025)
I want to share my detailed timeline, so people understand exactly what happened. This isn't speculation -- it's based on what I personally experienced, recorded, and documented.
Our family checked in on 9/27/25. We were ready to enjoy a long-awaited vacation, but I was also preparing for an upcoming exam, so I spent most of my time studying in the room while my husband and daughter enjoyed the pool.
The next day (Sunday 9/28), I had a Zoom study session from 8 AM to 3 PM. I joined my family briefly for breakfast, then continued studying. Around 1:00 PM, my husband asked me to come out for lunch. Before leaving, I removed my four pieces of jewelry -- two Tiffany bracelets, one Van Cleef bracelet, and a diamond-set necklace from my mother-in-law -- placed them in a tin box with my daughter's accessories, closed it, and set it on the tabletop.
At 1:28 PM, I texted my husband that I was leaving the room. I also left a small note in Spanish requesting more towels, soda, and beer, with a $5 tip.
When we came back at 2:34 PM (captured on my Zoom recording), my husband commented that the room was "neatly cleaned." I stayed another hour studying before heading to the pool. Later that evening, we showered, went out to dinner, watched a show, and went to bed. Everything looked normal -- no sign that anyone had touched our belongings.
On Monday morning (9/29), I opened the tin box to get my daughter's hair tie and immediately noticed something missing. Two pieces of jewelry -- the Van Cleef bracelet and the diamond-set necklace -- were gone, while both Tiffany bracelets were still there. My wallet, which had been on the same table, was also short two $20 bills, leaving only $10.
We went straight to the concierge to report it. They said it would take 72 hours to investigate, which meant after our checkout on 10/1. I filled out a handwritten report and agreed to let them search the room. From that point forward, I recorded everything to protect myself.
During the room inspection with a staff member named Adriana and another investigator, they searched for about 8 minutes and found nothing. Adriana reminded me that I hadn't used the safe and said the investigation would take 72 hours. While waiting for the golf cart back to the lobby, I asked if there were hallway security cameras. She said, "We used to have them, but removed them for guest privacy." That sounded strange to me.
I later translated a portion of the Spanish conversation I recorded and learned that only one person -- a housekeeper -- accessed our room at 1:32 PM and again at 2:15 PM. That's exactly between the time I left (1:28 PM) and the time we came back (2:34 PM).
That evening, I went back to ask for a copy of my incident report. The staff on duty, Leo, refused, saying it was for "internal use only." I asked whether the police could get a copy, and he told me that police weren't allowed to enter the hotel or even the lobby -- if I wanted to file a report, I had to meet them outside at the gate.
I called the police anyway. They said they'd arrive in 10 minutes, but after 25 minutes I called again and was told to wait in the parking lot. The hotel refused to provide transportation to the gate, saying their carts were for "internal use only." I waited near the edge of the lobby with my 4-year-old daughter for almost 40 minutes, calling 14 times, before realizing the police weren't coming. I recorded the whole interaction, including Leo confirming they couldn't release my report.
We had to stay two more nights, and honestly, it was miserable. I barely slept, felt unsafe, and had constant headaches. I tried to stay calm so my daughter could still enjoy the trip.
The next evening, the manager contacted us for an update. We went to the lobby at 7:15 PM and waited 15 minutes. The meeting took place in the open lobby in front of other guests. The manager repeated that nothing could be done because I hadn't used the safe. When I mentioned my recordings and the key-log data, she eventually brought me a copy of my incident report -- saying it was a "one-time exception."
To me, it felt unfair that a guest has to have recordings and evidence just to get a copy of their own report.
I understand I can't get my jewelry back. I've learned my lesson about always using the safe. But this experience left me deeply disappointed. We've stayed at other resorts in Cancun -- Hyatt Ziva and Fiesta Americana Coral Beach -- and nothing like this ever happened.
Still, I believe the "safe policy" should not excuse a theft that could only occur through authorized staff access. The room was locked, there was no forced entry, and only hotel employees had keys.
This entire experience -- from the missing items to the lack of cameras and refusal to let police inside -- left me questioning how a five-star resort could handle a guest theft report this way.