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
Mijn man en ik bezochten onlangs Coco Bongo in Playa del Carmen nadat het kwam sterk aanbevolen, en we hadden gemengde gevoelens over onze ervaring.
Aan de positieve kant is de show zelf erg indrukwekkend en duidelijk goed georganiseerd. Er is een sterke veiligheidsaanwezigheid, waardoor we ons veilig voelden, en de optredens zijn onderhoudend en de moeite waard om minstens een keer te zien.
Voor ons voldeed de ervaring echter niet helemaal aan de verwachtingen. Er zaten nogal wat gaten tussen de hoofdvoorstellingen, die meer voelden als langere periodes van dansen dan als continu entertainment. De camera van het publiek was ook een beetje overdreven – het leek herhaaldelijk op dezelfde groepen mensen te focussen, en soms voelde het een beetje eng in plaats van leuk.
We vonden ook sommige aspecten van de interactie met de menigte ongemakkelijk. Hoewel je het gedrag van anderen niet kunt controleren, voelde het alsof bepaalde situaties werden aangemoedigd voor de camera, wat niet echt onze vibe was.
Een ander nadeel was de grootte van de locatie. Het is erg klein voor het aantal mensen binnen, en je zit extreem dicht op elkaar – het voelde soms behoorlijk overweldigend. Hoewel we genoten van de eerste helft van de avond en de hoofdshow, besloten we kort daarna te vertrekken omdat het te druk en ongemakkelijk voor ons werd.
Over het algemeen zijn we blij dat we het hebben ervaren, want de show zelf is onderhoudend, maar de sfeer en drukte betekende dat het niet ergens was waar we naar zouden terugkeren.