I purchased two Gold Member tickets for Coco Bongo Playa del Carmen at $160 USD each, for a total of $320 USD, expecting a premium experience that matched the price. At first, the night started well. We were seated by staff in one of the higher balcony areas included with our Gold tickets, and we tipped generously throughout the evening, including 400 pesos to one server for gin and tonics. The venue and show were genuinely impressive at the beginning.
About an hour into the show, however, one of the wait staff suddenly told us to move from the seats we had been assigned and paid for. At first, I thought this might be part of the performance, since there was a dancer in the balcony area and the interaction was confusing. It quickly became clear that it was not part of the show. We were being pushed out of our seats for another group of guests, who appeared to be all white.
When I politely explained that we had paid for Gold tickets and were entitled to those seats, the server was extremely rude, dismissive, and refused to listen. When I asked for his name so I could report the issue to management, he mocked us and refused to identify himself or direct us to a supervisor. The only thing I could do was take a photo of him, which I attached to this review (and where you can clearly see this member of venue staff blatantly mocking us), because he gave us no name, no explanation, and no accountability.
I cannot prove what motivated his behavior, but as an Asian guest, the entire situation felt racially targeted and deeply disrespectful. Whether it was racism, favoritism, or something else, it was unacceptable. Paying for the highest-tier tickets and then being treated like we could be casually removed from our seats for another group is not just poor service, it is outrageous.
What makes this even more disappointing is that I have been to Coco Bongo before in both Cancun and Playa del Carmen and had great experiences in the past. This visit was completely different. The combination of rude staff, lack of professionalism, refusal to identify the employee, and the apparent disregard for our paid seating ruined the night.
I would strongly discourage anyone from paying for Gold tickets at Coco Bongo Playa del Carmen. A premium price should come with premium treatment and accountability, not being shoved out of your paid seats by staff who refuse to explain themselves or show basic respect.
Odyssey49350033154
23 Mar 2026
My husband and I recently visited Coco Bongo in Playa del Carmen after it came highly recommended, and we had mixed feelings about our experience.
On the positive side, the show itself is very impressive and clearly well organised. There’s a strong security presence, which made us feel safe, and the performances are entertaining and worth seeing at least once.
However, for us, the experience didn’t quite live up to expectations overall. There were quite a few gaps between the main performances, which felt more like extended periods of dancing rather than continuous entertainment. The audience camera was also a bit over the top – it seemed to focus on the same groups of people repeatedly, and at times it felt a little cringey rather than fun.
We also found some aspects of the crowd interaction uncomfortable. While you can’t control other people’s behaviour, it felt like certain situations were being encouraged for the camera, which wasn’t really our vibe.
Another downside was the size of the venue. It’s very small for the number of people inside, and you’re packed in extremely tightly – it did feel quite overwhelming at times. Although we enjoyed the first half of the evening and the main show, we decided to leave shortly afterwards as it became too crowded and uncomfortable for us.
Overall, we’re glad we experienced it, as the show itself is entertaining, but the atmosphere and crowding meant it wasn’t somewhere we’d choose to return to.