Riviera Maya, Mexico - Need Suggestions :)

[August2005Bride]

Hey ladies...I have seen quite a bit of different things, posts, etc about RM in Mexico and hoping to get suggestions here such as hotels, things to do, AI recommended? etc.
I am planning a trip for April of next year as a surprise for DH after he graduates school. Any help would be great.

[{b}]

We loved the Royal Hideaway in Playacar. Pricey, though. My parents stayed at the sister property next door, the Occidental Allegro, and loved it.

We were sloths on the beach and pool and bars and food the whole week, but there's lots to do. We went on a snorkling day trip that was fun, even for us beginners, and another day we swam with the dolphins. There's lots of Mayan ruins and stuff to explore fairly close by as well. And many golf courses.

[Bbbethie]

I've been there three times. What sort of a place are you looking for?

[August2005Bride]

Hi ladies

Well Royal Hideaway is first on my list as I have checked out and it looks beautiufl and great reviews but it is pricey

I would prefer adults only but doesnt have to be. I just want a nice relaxing vaca with great view, beautiful ocean and good food :D

[{b}]

RH is pricey. We'd love to go back, maybe for our 10 year anniversary, we're thinking. Course, that's 6+ years away!

When my parents were next door (which is AI, but kids OK) back in January or February, the RH was still closed due to hurricane damage. The beachfront Mexican restaurant - which also houses the pool bar and the snack bar/lunch rstaurant - Lost all the windows and part of the roof. Since the rooms are further back from the beach, my mom couldn't really tell if there was other hotel damage. She said the beach was in good shape and from what she could tell/gather from when she asked, the only damage was to the one building. But when they were there, RH was closed altogether.

[August2005Bride]

RH is pricey. We'd love to go back, maybe for our 10 year anniversary, we're thinking. Course, that's 6+ years away!

When my parents were next door (which is AI, but kids OK) back in January or February, the RH was still closed due to hurricane damage. The beachfront Mexican restaurant - which also houses the pool bar and the snack bar/lunch rstaurant - Lost all the windows and part of the roof. Since the rooms are further back from the beach, my mom couldn't really tell if there was other hotel damage. She said the beach was in good shape and from what she could tell/gather from when she asked, the only damage was to the one building. But when they were there, RH was closed altogether.

IT sure is pricey but so beautiful but dont think it willl work for me cause of money.

I have been looking to Secrets Excellence and still the Paradisus also. There are just so many beautiful hotels that I am trying to get as much info as possible.

[pride&prejudice]

Try Secrets Excellence. We went there for our honeymoon and are actually heading back there tomorrow! For a week! Very relaxing, and they have a few places in RM to try. I think by the time you go down the new one should be open.

Very good food, relaxing, and the service is great! More reasonable than some of the equivalent places like Royal Hideaway, about $3k for a week for 2 people. I can give you more up todate info and pictures when I get back next week. :D

[August2005Bride]

Try Secrets Excellence. We went there for our honeymoon and are actually heading back there tomorrow! For a week! Very relaxing, and they have a few places in RM to try. I think by the time you go down the new one should be open.

Very good food, relaxing, and the service is great! More reasonable than some of the equivalent places like Royal Hideaway, about $3k for a week for 2 people. I can give you more up todate info and pictures when I get back next week. :D

So far SE has been a second choice and seems to be less pricey Yuo are so lucky to be going. Hope u have a great time and def. look forward to hearinga bout it with pics when u return :D Thanks for your imput

[fuzzy]

We went to the http://www.realresorts.com.mx/Royal_Porto_Real/ (Royal Puerto Real/) in Playa Del Carmen in January. Damage in that area from the hurricanes was minimal.

LOVED the resort. It was gorgeous, the food was fantastic and the drinks were strong. ;) We, too, were sloths on the beach, but the hotel is in walking distance from "Fifth Avenue", which is an upscale shopping/dining/bar area. So if you are up for some drinking or dancing, its easy to get to.

The hotel is very new and, I swear, they have an army for a cleaning staff.

I can't comment on price...the trip was a gift...

[Blossom]

I stayed last year at the Iberostar Lindo, which I really enjoyed and it gets ranked very well on Tripadvisor. However, it's not an adults-only so I'm not sure how set you are on that issue.
Also, definitely check out the ruins for a day away from the beach.

Fuzzy, I'm actually thinking of going to Royal Porto Real for my next trip to the area to try a new resort. How was the beach in front of RPR? Also, what was the age range of people there? TIA. You can send me a personal message/email if you prefer to answer privately.

[fuzzy]

Fuzzy, I'm actually thinking of going to Royal Porto Real for my next trip to the area to try a new resort. How was the beach in front of RPR? Also, what was the age range of people there? TIA. You can send me a personal message/email if you prefer to answer privately.

I might as well respond here, in the event that anyone else is interested.

Let's see...the beach was lovely. Two photos:

(YOu can see part of the pier here)
http://pics.livejournal.com/joplin1975/pic/0004z6pd/s320x320

http://pics.livejournal.com/joplin1975/pic/00050ey4/s320x320

You have the option of lounging in beach chairs or in small cabana-like structures, which provide shade and have a full-sized outdoor "mattress" in them (those tend to go quickly).

I don't think I'd go as far as to say the beach was *crowded*, but it was busy. Part of that was the nature of the location of the resort. One of the primary thoroughfares from the "Fifth Avenue" shopping districts deadends at the resort's beach, so people tended to wander onto the beach to take walks. Also, the hotel's entertainment staff always has beach volleyball, soccer or yoga classes going on -- they also allow access to sea kayaks and body board, too. So there's hotel-sponsored activty going on.

Add in the fact that they have at least one wedding a day there and that there's a pier that is *sometimes* used by the ferries to Cozumel and, well, it's busy!

I didn't mind it all. I tend to like to spend my days quietly reading on the beach and I didn't find the activity disrupting. But there were people that did. So, its something to consider.

The ages of the guests really ran the gamut. There were familes, newlyweds, retirees (they sell time shared-like blocks of time at the Real Resorts (my ILs, in fact, bought some time) so you have a handful of long-term guests there), you name it. When we went (mid-January), the resort was filled with mostly Europeans and Canadians -- there were very few Americans.

Posting before I lose it...

[fuzzy]

There are four restaurants on the resort grounds. You also have access to the restaurants of the resort (a Real affiliate) across the street -- I wasn't impressed with any of those, but you can go there, if you are interested.

Of the four places at the resort, you have your standard buffet-type place for casual breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. I'd say it was better than the average of most all-inclusive resort buffets.

Their French-Mexican reservations-only place was good. I really didn't care for a lot that was on the menu, so I can't give an honest assesment, but...people seemed to love it.

Their Asian restaurant (reservations required), however, was awful. I was pretty shocked at just how bad the sushi was!

They have another place called Pelicano's. It's right on the beach and is an open-air place. The food and service there was WONDERFUL. Some of the best food I have ever eaten. They always describe it as somewhat informal, no reservations required etc. But I found their food to be the best and think they should make that their premier place.

The rooms...good heavens, the rooms...they are gorgeous. Each room had an enormous jacuzzi tub right next to the bed. It was big enough for two people and then some. The floors were marble. The beds were fantastic. Each room had a balcony with a hammock. We spent a lot of time there.

http://pics.livejournal.com/joplin1975/pic/00051664/s320x320

http://pics.livejournal.com/joplin1975/pic/0004yh46/s320x320

Oue housekeeper made this for us. :)

http://pics.livejournal.com/joplin1975/pic/0004wrbp/s320x320

And here's a pic from Fifth Avenue:
http://pics.livejournal.com/joplin1975/pic/0004xwr9/s320x320

Other minor complaint...

The floors in the entire place are marble. The staff there works their tails off...which means they work ALL the time...which means they are moving laudry carts and room service carts etc all night long...which means you hear a "thunk, thunk, thunk" of carts going up and down the halls all night long. Especially if you are on the ground floor.

My husband and I got used to the noise very quickly, but it drove my ILs nuts. They ended up changing their room to a second story room to get away from the noise.

ETA: Um, not sure why I'm having touble with the pics...I'll try and fix that! ETAII: Hopefully the pics are fixed now!

[Blossom]

Their Asian restaurant (reservations required), however, was awful. I was pretty shocked at just how bad the sushi was!
I can totally relate to this! When I visited Mexico last year I REFUSED to go to the Asian-style restaurant at the Iberostar because I knew there'd be no way it'd stack up to the Asian cuisine I get at home. LOL. :D

Thank you soooo much Fuzzy for all the feedback! I've read reviews about RPR on Tripadvisor but I feel so much better hearing about it from someone on this board first hand.

[carrie9142]

fuzzy I can't see the pictures :(

[fuzzy]

When I visited Mexico last year I REFUSED to go to the Asian-style restaurant at the Iberostar because I knew there'd be no way it'd stack up to the Asian cuisine I get at home.

I have no idea why in the world I thought it'd be good...*shakes head* :)

You are very welcome. Overall, I thought it was a great place. I had a few minro complaints, but not many. Above all, their staff was fantastic and really made our stay.

Oh, and we were told that areas to the North were harder hit by the hurricanes last year. Playa del Carmen only had minor damage.

carrie9142 -- I hope you can see the pics now!

[wildcat]

bump

[rosa727]

Just putting in a vote for Secrets Capri! I have not stayed at Excellence, but Capri is smaller, which makes for a more intimate atmosphere. I tend to enjoy somewhat smaller AIs. But there are still a lot of restaurants - 6, I think. And, for what it is worth, the Asian restaurant is great. I loved the sushi, and I have had sushi all over, including Miami many times.

I have also stayed at RH and LOVED it. We will probably return relatively soon (we were supposed to go back when we went to Secrets, but it was after the hurricane). But I know it is pricey, so I thought I would mention the other too.

I know I already mentioned this to you, Candy, but I thought I would post in case anyone else is interested. I also wanted to ge tsubscribed here because we are considering returning next year for our 5 year anniversary.

[Dotsie]

RH is my all time fav. I've heard wonderful things about Secrets and about Iberostar Tucan.

[MMH]

My two cents:

I traveled to Playa Del Carmen last year with 4 other couples and stayed at the Gran Porto Real, across the street from the Royal. I LOVED the location of the resort and the beach was excellent. The food was not very good, but we did the AI package because it's worth it if you drink alcoholic beveragesm, and the food in the morning was perfect for what we wanted. The last thing I like to do is track down food when I could be on the beach. We had a lovely time at the Gran Porto, lots of families but it was still fun!

[ash313]

Another vote for Secrets. Just got back from Secrets Capri and just LOVED it! Very nice, relaxing, quite and romantic.

[ash313]

Oh, stay away from MoonPalace - our flight was cancelled and the airline put us up there - it was GROSS! Looks nice when you arrive and the lobby is amazing but other than that it seemed to be pretty nasty.

[Kristy]

Oh, stay away from MoonPalace - our flight was cancelled and the airline put us up there - it was GROSS! Looks nice when you arrive and the lobby is amazing but other than that it seemed to be pretty nasty.

I'm sorry to hear that:( DH and I stayed there in June and it was lovely. Service was excellent, everyone was friendly, and it was very clean. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

[ash313]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ash313
Oh, stay away from MoonPalace - our flight was cancelled and the airline put us up there - it was GROSS! Looks nice when you arrive and the lobby is amazing but other than that it seemed to be pretty nasty.


I'm sorry to hear that DH and I stayed there in June and it was lovely. Service was excellent, everyone was friendly, and it was very clean. I'd go back in a heartbeat.


Maybe they put us up in a bad part of the resort - who knows - we were all the way in the back. Anyway, we were there less than 8 hours so we didn't see the entire resort but seriously, we had 4 rooms between us and they all had roaches. Ours had a dead one but still...

[caramello]

For anyone who stayed at Secrets Capri, do you think a week is long enough to try all the restaurants and participate in the theme nights? Do they have transportation for you to look at the other Secrets location? We are looking to get away for our babymoon! Thanks!

[rosa727]

We went to Secrets Capri about a year ago. I would say a week is perfect. The food is great and the theme nights are fun too (especially the beach party). We tend to get really into everything (activities and all), yet we still felt we had time. We even went to the Asian restaurant twice (once for teppanyaki and once for sushi).

The other Secrets is about a 15 minute ride away, and I cannot remember if they provide transportation. We never went over there, although we did drop people there on our way from the airport, and it looked nice. What sold me on Capri was that it is smaller. After staying in a huge AI recently (for our babymoon), I definitely prefer the somewhat smaller ones. And Capri still has tons of restaurants and everything, so there is really no trade-off. The staff is great too and will remember you if you participate in stuff.

Have a great time and let me know if you have any more questions!

[ash313]

Capri is GREAT! You will LOVE it! I think is a perfect amount of time!

[caramello]

Thanks Rosa727 and ash313. We haven't booked it yet, but glad to hear you both had positive experiences. Our first choice is Royal Hideaway, but we can't justify spending that much now that we will have a baby to raise!

[rosa727]

caramello: We have stayed at Royal Hideaway as well and, while it was really great, I don't think it is all that much better than Secrets Capri. They are certainly on the same level. I think Secrets Capri is definitely a better value. You will love it!

[HEW?B]

I went to the El Dorado Royale and could not have loved it more.

[WestieMomma]

Anyone have a suggestion for a good resort for a girls trip??
not somewhere with all couples where we will feel out of place but we also want somewhere nice too. Also needs to be All-inclusive for sure. We may look into Cabo as well.

[caramello]

Any suggestions for must do excursions? This is our first time in the area. We want to experience as much as we can while still enjoying the resort. I want to see some ruins, but which ones? I will be about 5 1/2 months pregnant at the time so I am sure that will limit some of my choices. Also any recommendations for tour companies? We are staying at Secrets Capri.

Thanks!

[rosa727]

I have only been to Tulum, as far as ruins, but it was amazing! I would definitely recommend it. It does not have to be very strenuous, as you cannot actually climb the ruins there anyway. I would just caution not to go on a super hot day. If you are going soon, you should be OK. We went in July, and it was 105. Now that would not be fun while PG! The cool thing about Tulum is that it is the only ruins that is built right on the ocean.

We also liked snorkelling in the area a lot. I think you could do that while PG. None of the areas we went were difficult to swim in or anything.

There is also so much to do just at Secrets. They have fun activities all day long. You are going to have a great time!

[caramello]

Thanks Rosa727! We are definitely getting excited about going!

Re Tulum, did you book a tour, use a collectivo or take a cab? We are thinking about using a collectivo (which generally I would have no problem with), but now that I am pregnant, safety is my first concern - must be a sign of motherhood! How long did you stay there? Did you check out the beach there?

Re Secrets, we booked a basic deluxe room. Any room recommendations? On the TripAdvisor message boards, most people tend to favor the south wing, but the room recommendations are generally for the ocean deluxe rooms or junior suites.

Thanks for all your help and insight! I appreciate it!

[snowzilla]

Any suggestions for must do excursions? This is our first time in the area. We want to experience as much as we can while still enjoying the resort. I want to see some ruins, but which ones? I will be about 5 1/2 months pregnant at the time so I am sure that will limit some of my choices. Also any recommendations for tour companies? We are staying at Secrets Capri.

Thanks!

You should be able to book a combination sightseeing tour that will take you for a half-day to Tulum, followed by a half day at Xel-ha (beautiful snorkelling experience). We loved Xel-ha so much, we went back there on our second trip to the Mayan Riviera.

Xel-ha is actually a great idea for you, because you don't have to "swim", if you're not feeling up to it - you can float in an inner tube, or you can just relax on the beach (there are tons and tons of lounge chairs). Besides snorkelling, there are dolphins, restaurants (some included in the price of your tour, as it provides you with an all-inclusive pass, so drinks & snacks are included as well).

When/if you do Tulum, if you're not feeling up to the long walk from the entrance to the actual ruins, you can pay a nominal fee to ride a trolley there. We did that, simply because it was so hot that day. ;) When you're at Xel-ha, there isn't a lot of walking required, except for getting to the mouth of the river, where you get in to float or snorkel down to the main area - you have to walk about five to ten minutes, but then you catch a small shuttle/trolley that takes you to the mouth of the river. Word of caution though - Xel-ha, being an ecological reserve, does not allow regular sunscreen - they will confiscate your sunscreen if it isn't oil-free. (And, on our first visit, we brought oil-free, and they tried to tell us it wasn't - simply so we'd buy their brand. The second time, they didn't give us any hassle - over the same stuff we'd brought the first time. :rolleyes:)

Have fun! The Mayan Riviera is so beautiful - there's a reason we chose to go back there for our honeymoon, when we could have picked any destination. :)

[Pink_Converse]

We LOVE Xel-ha too! We've stayed at the Iberostar Quetzal and really liked it. The only things I wasn't crazy about was their choices in beer and the food wasn't that great, except breakfast.

I found this website helpful when planning a trip http://www.playa.info/playa-del-carmen-forum/

[snowzilla]

We LOVE Xel-ha too! We've stayed at the Iberostar Quetzal and really liked it. The only things I wasn't crazy about was their choices in beer and the food wasn't that great, except breakfast.

I found this website helpful when planning a trip http://www.playa.info/playa-del-carmen-forum/


We stayed at the Iberostar as well! :)