McGarnicle
Footballguy
Yeah I reminded her of all the spontaneous nice things I've said to her and said they're better than some stupid prewritten crap, not sure if she's buying it. Looking forward to snorkeling, ruins, Xel-Ha, etc. though.
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Anyone been to Cancun or Riviera Maya, Mexico lately? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter eoMMan
- Start date
McGarnicle
Footballguy
We're staying at the Barcelo. Average FBG probably goes to a much swankier place though.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
I stay at the Royal Sands. It's a time share but I think they have an all inclusive package. I don't do that because I like to go out for lunch and dinner most nights. Sands is very family friendly.
Wife and I went to azul beach last month. All inclusive. Family friendly resort. Not sure how old your kids are but they have nannies, kids activities and rooms with swim up pools. Also 24 hour room service which was nice.
They also have a few bars including a tequila bar so plenty of booze available as well. It was pretty mellow by 10-1030 every night. Note we went right before peak season too so ot may be busier during prime time.
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matuski
Footballguy
Secrets Maroma adults only.. damn nice.
JW Marriott isn't all inclusive, but my favorite spot. We go there most years. Kids love it.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I've stayed at the Grand Palladium complex between Playa & Akumel several times. It's 5 properties in one (1 of those is adults-only). It's a massive property - probably 300 acres - so it never feels crowded. Plenty for kids to do - kids pool, kids club, all kinds of activities, shows, etc.... - and also plenty for adult-type fun (I think there are 22 bars, sports complex, a spa). Food is about what you'd expect at an AI. It's a little over an hour south of the airport.
James Daulton
Footballguy
"Honey, once again I'll apologize ahead of time for disappointing you."Going there next month for the 10 year anniversary. Wife wants us to write new vows to each other.
Apple Jack
Footballguy
Headed down tonight for five days for "work".
culdeus
Footballguy
Excellence Playa Mujeres is quite good. It sort of sits in the affordable band, before things get insane. Can get base rooms in the 400-500/nt. You can certainly get cheaper places that punt food and let the place run down a bit.
If you really want to splash on an AI, need to look around playa del carmen.
Edit, oh crap, kids. Well Excellence has a kids option called the beloved maybe? It's right next door.
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Godsbrother
Footballguy
Been there twice in last 18 months and not planning to return.
We went to all inclusives: first time was the Now Jade (Riveria Maya) and the second one the Finest (Playa Mujeres).
The good:
Getting to and/from the airport to the resorts couldn't be easier.
All the food and drinks you wanted.
Resorts themselves are beautiful.
The Bad:
Food at both places was mediocre at best -- it wasn't bad but sure wasn't great either. Surprisingly the mexican restaurants at both places were probably the worst.
The beaches were covered with seaweed. The resorts did their best to keep them clean but they were outmatched. If you're going for a nice beach with crystal blue water then Cancun and the nearby beaches are not for you.
If you're into craft beer and/or good wine you will be greatly disappointed.
The shows and entertainment they have is usually high-school musical quality if that.
You might be in Mexico but you could be anywhere in the world. Our best time was when we ventured outside of the resorts to go to Playa De Carmen, see the ruins, etc. We had some friends who wanted to get to the pool at 8:00 AM and stay there until dinner so they loved it.
Overall I am glad we went once but both wife and I agreed we wouldn't go back. Unfortunately we had to return in October for a destination wedding. I think the bottom line is if you want to relax by the pool, drink cocktails and the mediocre food doesn't bother you then these places are a bargain.
We went to all inclusives: first time was the Now Jade (Riveria Maya) and the second one the Finest (Playa Mujeres).
The good:
Getting to and/from the airport to the resorts couldn't be easier.
All the food and drinks you wanted.
Resorts themselves are beautiful.
The Bad:
Food at both places was mediocre at best -- it wasn't bad but sure wasn't great either. Surprisingly the mexican restaurants at both places were probably the worst.
The beaches were covered with seaweed. The resorts did their best to keep them clean but they were outmatched. If you're going for a nice beach with crystal blue water then Cancun and the nearby beaches are not for you.
If you're into craft beer and/or good wine you will be greatly disappointed.
The shows and entertainment they have is usually high-school musical quality if that.
You might be in Mexico but you could be anywhere in the world. Our best time was when we ventured outside of the resorts to go to Playa De Carmen, see the ruins, etc. We had some friends who wanted to get to the pool at 8:00 AM and stay there until dinner so they loved it.
Overall I am glad we went once but both wife and I agreed we wouldn't go back. Unfortunately we had to return in October for a destination wedding. I think the bottom line is if you want to relax by the pool, drink cocktails and the mediocre food doesn't bother you then these places are a bargain.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
Agree 100%. As I said it is not that the food is bad and if you are going for a couple days then you should be okay. But it quickly becomes apparent that none of the food is top quality.
Given the choice I would take an Olive Garden over the Italian restaurants, a Texas Roadhouse over the steak restaurants, etc.
culdeus
Footballguy
In that area of Mexico you also have to be honest about the top level product they can get. Beef, in Mexico is awful all the way up to the top end places that want 1000/nt and food is on top. It's simply not possible to source good beef in that area of the world. So if beef is your go-to vacation meal I'd argue there's no place in that area you can honestly be impressed.
Fish and shrimp they can get, and it can be decent to great at times even.
Their chicken is also iffy. They have to source it from a good distance away and it probably ships frozen.
Pork can be hit or miss and is more fatty so if they do ship it in frozen it's still going to be decent.
Produce is good, generally.
doowain
Footballguy
Damn....22:1. Was 13:1 I think when I was there in 2011 when we stayed at the Royal Cancun. Even then my stack of $200 worth of pesos would barely fit in my pocket.Ilov80s said:
Also, as another poster described....very safe and fun....with lots of offers of cocaine. Still fine though. Just be a rube like my wife when they offer you coke...say "no thanks I'm drinking sprite (with her vodka)". She had no idea until I explained to her later.
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Van Dyman
Footballguy
Both times, eh? You may have just been unlucky. I've been down there three times and only remember one time with a seaweed issue. I think it can vary by season, ocean currents, etc.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
Stayed at the Barceló Palace in May of last year.
I really enjoyed it there. I love working out and they had a very nice gym. I would work out and go right next door and have a salad and some grilled shrimp or scallops, they food was good and plentiful. We had 3 sit down dinners and all were better than I expected. The main buffet at night was overwhelming. Every possible food you would want they had. I stuck mostly to grilled seafoods of some sort as they would grill that up fresh for you right there with any seasoning, butter or oil you like.
I gave the maid 20 dollars and she dropped off a case of beer and a case of water everyday in our room. Plus is open bars everywhere. The one thing I noticed about all inclusives in the service is slow at best..nobody is in a hurry to do anything.
The resort had a shuttle that went back and forth to Playa 4-5 times a day. About a 20 minute ride. I loved Playa for some sight seeing and day drinking and it seemed very safe..not sure I would want to hang around there at night though.
I would go back..
I really enjoyed it there. I love working out and they had a very nice gym. I would work out and go right next door and have a salad and some grilled shrimp or scallops, they food was good and plentiful. We had 3 sit down dinners and all were better than I expected. The main buffet at night was overwhelming. Every possible food you would want they had. I stuck mostly to grilled seafoods of some sort as they would grill that up fresh for you right there with any seasoning, butter or oil you like.
I gave the maid 20 dollars and she dropped off a case of beer and a case of water everyday in our room. Plus is open bars everywhere. The one thing I noticed about all inclusives in the service is slow at best..nobody is in a hurry to do anything.
The resort had a shuttle that went back and forth to Playa 4-5 times a day. About a 20 minute ride. I loved Playa for some sight seeing and day drinking and it seemed very safe..not sure I would want to hang around there at night though.
I would go back..
RUSF18
Footballguy
My wife and I got married there in 2013. We're expecting our first kid in a few weeks and are hoping to head there next winter thanks to our comfort with their babysitting based on how well our nieces/nephews did there.
BTW the tequila bar is where we had our after party. A great guy named Jose Louis was the bartender there that night until about 2am and then he was the bartender at the swim up bar the next day at the pool which none of our friends left for about 10 hours. They still talk about him.
Was there last February. Overall thought it was great but had a pretty old crowd. Although it did work out well because the restaurants were empty by 9pm when we would eat. Also wished it was a little smaller of a resort.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
Yeah both times for us was pretty bad. First time was in February, second time in October. Also be careful of the skeeters in the evening.
RUSF18
Footballguy
Most important factor is the hotel itself and how they address cleanup. The places I've been to has had the staff raking pretty frequently to keep the beach as clean as possible. Personally don't mind it in the ocean. I just take pretty quick dips anyway.
Apple Jack
Footballguy
I recommend staying in a condo in Playa, and just fending for yourself for food and drink. There's a big grocery store probably 15 minute walk, or a cab ride if you want. Then you have some decent restaurant options, plus hello street tacos. We stayed at this place and loved it. Beautifully decorated with views of the beach and a grill on the roof, just a block from the beach. 5-10 minute walk to the main downtown area. 10-15 minute walk to Cozumel ferry terminal, iirc. The beach there was absolutely perfect. Never saw any of the seaweed I hear other people mention.
ETA: Never been to an all inclusive and don't plan on it. Although, where I'm going tonight might be. I haven't looked yet. But the company's paying and I will look no gift horse in the mouth.
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Buttonhook
Footballguy
I'm sure I posted this already in some other Mexico thread, but we were down in Tulum, September 2015, and the seaweed was horrible. They had workers on the beach every day, all day picking up seaweed, putting it in trash bags and hauling it off.
We talked to a few locals down there and they all said the seaweed problem was due to all the chemicals pumped into the Gulf after the oil spill. Never really followed-up to verify their claims, but they were all adamant that the seaweed problem used to be seasonal and now it's constant.
Or it could be global warming...
beavers
Footballguy
We've stayed there the last couple of years. They do have all inclusive, but the food is blah. You can purchase a min of 4 days, but all in the room must buy it.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Yeah, been staying there for maybe 10 years, they only recently added all inclusive. I think you get the trash versions of things. The restaurants around are too good no to go out for dinner. Fred's, Harry's, Puerto Madero are all great places for a nice dinner. Santos Mariscos is a great lunch spot. It's super low key, but the good is great and dirt cheap. If your are willing to venture into actual non tourist Cancun, Peters and Luna Rosa are good as well.
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Apple Jack
Footballguy
Aw, ####. I thought we were going to the Dreams just above Playa. We're going to the one in Cancun. Would MUCH prefer to be down around PDC. Not a fan of Cancun.
Thorn
Footballguy
I stayed there like 5 years ago and loved it. Going in a couple weeks to Iberostar Paraiso Lindo Resort . I'll report back.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
I think this is good advice although for us we're pretty much done with Mexico for a while.
beavers
Footballguy
This summer, we're heading to the Royal Haciendas ... trying something different. Disappointed at the pics of the beach (smaller, more seaweed). But super stoked that we can drive a golf cart to Playa.
RedmondLonghorn
Footballguy
I have been to two all-inclusives in Riviera Maya and one on the West Coast (Punta de Mita). The Paradisus Playa del Carmen is easily the best of the three I have stayed at and it isn't close. The other two were nice as well, but the Paradisus was amazing. They have an adults-only resort (La Perla) and a family-friendly resort (Esmeralda) on the same property that share a few central buildings. There are both family-friendly restaurants and adults-only restaurants. The food at this place was far better than at either of the other all-inclusives I have been to and the rooms are all suites.
We stayed at La Perla, so I can't comment on how the family-friendly side is (other than full of kids), but everything was first class at this place, so I would assume it is nice.
The resort is right on the north outskirts of Playa del Carmen, so going into town is just a short cab ride. We actually rented a car, because we like leaving the resort and doing stuff on our own.
It is definitely at a higher price point than a lot of these resorts, but we got a special on it that was amazingly affordable.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
E-Z Glider
Footballguy
Agree on the seaweed comments. I was there Feb 2014 and Nov 2015 and it was really bad both times. People said its been bad for a couple years? I did an AI once in Akumal (Bahia) because we went with another family that is very picky/particular, but Id never do that again. It was so big you had to ride a tram to the beach. 
I love Tulum and how easy (direct flights) and cheap it is to get to Cancun, but the seaweed up and down the coast is a deal-breaker for me. Probably stick to the more southern parts of Central America going forward.
I love Tulum and how easy (direct flights) and cheap it is to get to Cancun, but the seaweed up and down the coast is a deal-breaker for me. Probably stick to the more southern parts of Central America going forward.
beavers
Footballguy
In June 2015, I recall there was a lot of seaweed. The Sands would shovel it every day, and bury it in the sand. But, it was disgusting in the water and you could not see more than a few feet in front of you. The following year (June 2016), I didn't see hardly any seaweed at all at the Sands. Not sure why it was different...
culdeus
Footballguy
It's going to be mainly ocean current driven. If the current is mostly up and down the coast then it will end up collecting on the beach, going to depend mostly on water temperatures and other factors like if there was a big tropical storm or something that turned under the sea floor a bit anytime in the prior 3-4 months.
beavers
Footballguy
Makes sense. I hope the new wall will help eliminate seaweed most likely coming from Mexico's northern neighbor ?
McGarnicle
Footballguy
God I can't wait. We'll be at the Barcelo in just about a month. 10 night stay. ??????
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
culdeus
Footballguy
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
What prices are you paying? We had 4 in our group and think I paid around 1600.00 a person for a week that included air from Detroit to Cancun, That was 3 years ago though.
culdeus
Footballguy
I mean it's gonna vary based on hotel a lot. You can go on the hotel zone and pay next to nothing or get an overwater villa thing in the jungle for 1600 a night.
I track a few hotels closely, Excellence Playa Mujeres if I can get in there under 400 a night I usually at least reserve that rate and cancel later if I find something more decent. Right now they are showing 480/nt. That's All inclusive for their absolute base room.
I've been looking closer to the PDC area, a place called the Viceroy is highly recommended. Their base rates are 410, but they cut back to like 350 this morning. I've seen as low as 322/nt there over the last 6 months. There are three other Mayakoba properties just down the way that are in that price range, but are bigger and don't have the access to PDC.
The airbnb places though seem great, I could see myself maybe doing that.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
We had a group of 60 people from our area that went so we may have got a package rate. Barceló had 4 hotels on property and we stayed at the Palace which was the top one..if you stayed there you could go to any of them and eat and drink. If you stayed at the lowest end one you could only use that property. All were in the same beach area within about a mile range total.
McGarnicle
Footballguy
Ilov80s
Footballguy
McGarnicle
Footballguy
We're here and it's glorious beyond words. I love the Mexicans, they really know how to enjoy life. For example, I made myself a blood mary at the bloody mary bar, and then I made another one and then I made another one and then I made another one. Nobody gave me a hard time. I'm drunk at 10AM and it almost seems encouraged here. Now I just need to find some herb.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
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