All Inclusive Resort, Mexico

[Doubl3_H]

Can you guys recommend me an all inclusive resort with the best sandy beach on the Caribbean side.

Thanks in advance

[- kT]

going to cancun next friday, any tips/tricks/secrets?

[PJ]

Originally Posted by - kT

going to cancun next friday, any tips/tricks/secrets?

Which resort?

[underscore]

Originally Posted by Doubl3_H

Can you guys recommend me an all inclusive resort with the best sandy beach on the Caribbean side.

Thanks in advance

Check out Barcelo Mayan Riviera, it's a great 4.5/5 star resort and pretty reasonably priced. I was there in February and it was great.

[- kT]

Originally Posted by PJ

Which resort?

krystal cancun

[XplicitLuder]

Alright planning my next trip for this october with the lady, wanted your guys's opinions.

1. Best site you guys found deals on ? The last two times we went with an agent through my gf's mother's coworker. It was alright, but hoping we can do it ourselves without paying extra for an agent.

2. Hotel Recommendations ? We have gone to Sheraton in Puerto Vallarta, and in 2014 we went to Gran Bahia Tulum in Riviera Maya. I think we will stick to the caribbean side again, but not sure if cancun, riviera maya, or where. Just trying to find a decent place.

If you guys remember i posted i HATED GB Tulum for a hotel, way too big and so they didnt have room service, which would have been nice on some days.

I kept reading that Riu's are great hotel, specially the adult only ones, but wanted your guys's intake. Thanks!

And this is for 2 weeks

[mikemhg]

Originally Posted by XplicitLuder

Alright planning my next trip for this october with the lady, wanted your guys's opinions.

1. Best site you guys found deals on ? The last two times we went with an agent through my gf's mother's coworker. It was alright, but hoping we can do it ourselves without paying extra for an agent.

2. Hotel Recommendations ? We have gone to Sheraton in Puerto Vallarta, and in 2014 we went to Gran Bahia Tulum in Riviera Maya. I think we will stick to the caribbean side again, but not sure if cancun, riviera maya, or where. Just trying to find a decent place.

If you guys remember i posted i HATED GB Tulum for a hotel, way too big and so they didnt have room service, which would have been nice on some days.

I kept reading that Riu's are great hotel, specially the adult only ones, but wanted your guys's intake. Thanks!

And this is for 2 weeks

I know you're posting about all inclusive, but honestly I suggest you do Tulum and Bacalar non all inclusive. My girlfriend and I just came back from own there, we ferried over to Isla Mujeres, stayed there for a day or 2, then ferried back and rented a car in Cancun. From there we drove down to Tulum, stayed at a hotel on the beach, then drove down to Bacalar where we had rented an AirBNB cabin on the lake. After that we drove back up to Tulum and stayed at another hotel on the beach to end the trip.

Legit, it was my best trip down to the Riviera, yes you need to know a little more Spanish, but it's WAY better than going the all inclusive route. You see more, you experience more, and the price is equivalent.

[XplicitLuder]

i am spanish so the spanish wouldnt be a problem, however im not sure if we want to do stuff that requires us to plan, or just lie on a beach and basically be catered too lol thanks for the suggestion though it's something i will keep in mind

[ijaz_97]

Has anyone been to Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda in Riviera Maya? Any of you recommend any other resorts that are nice but aren't overly expensive?

[Obsideon]

I also stayed in Gran Bahia Principe many years ago but don't remember which building. I thought it was lots of fun but I was young and drunk every night lol. The 2nd time I went to Mexico we tried Puerto Vallarto and it was definitely not as nice as Mayan Riviera.

Is there such things as 3-4 day AI stays in Mexico?

[ijaz_97]

Originally Posted by Obsideon

I also stayed in Gran Bahia Principe many years ago but don't remember which building. I thought it was lots of fun but I was young and drunk every night lol. The 2nd time I went to Mexico we tried Puerto Vallarto and it was definitely not as nice as Mayan Riviera.

Is there such things as 3-4 day AI stays in Mexico?

Yes, check Expedia. However, I don't think that's enough time because one whole day gets caught up in flights and waiting at the airport. I think you should go for a minimum of 7 days.

[XplicitLuder]

So we narrowed it down to Riu caribe or Riu peninsula (Cancun side). Where did u guys find your good deals when searching ? We checked sunwing and prices weren't too bad. Gf wants me to ask a friend who owns travel agency but they can be pushy when you give them a link with prices and they tell you why going thru them is better than doing it ourselves

[Araaadi]

I just booked riu varradero through sunwing, couldn't find anything better from other travel sites.

[Teriyaki]

I booked my RIU vacation seperately with hotel direct through RIU, and our flights seperate. Was my first vacation to mexico and the Riu Santa Fe was absolutely great.

[Ball.J.Inder]

Going to Grand Oasis Cancun in 2 weeks. Does anyone know if it is still wild spring break style bullshit right now? Or is it relatively quiet with a good mix of young people and families?

Also, if anyone has been there before is there anything good to know about the place?

[yray]

On a plane coming back from Cancun, it's pretty quiet.

[Ball.J.Inder]

awesome! reason I ask is because I'm going with family and it would kind of suck to have the older family members have to deal with that shit.

[JSALES]

I'll be going to Mexico in June and staying in Riviera Maya at the Royal Playa Del Carmen hotel for a week.

Any recommendations what to see around the area?

I think we're going to check out Xel Ha and Chichen Itza

[mikemhg]

Originally Posted by JSALES

I'll be going to Mexico in June and staying in Riviera Maya at the Royal Playa Del Carmen hotel for a week.

Any recommendations what to see around the area?

I think we're going to check out Xel Ha and Chichen Itza

Check out some Cenotes, Dos Ojos is cool. Rent a car and drive down to Tulum, hang out at the beach and check out some bars down there for a day. Don't go with a tour, just rent a car and check it out yourselves.

Take a ferry across to Cozumel and rent scooters when you get to the other side, ride around the island and check out all the beaches.

[punkwax]

The tour I took to Chichen Itza included stops at a couple of cenotes as well as some authentic Messican underground cooked shredded pork & cerveza in a random little village. Was such a good time.

Xel Ha is great as well - both must do's while in the area IMO.

[gilly]

Chichen Itza is a great place to check out. Joined a smaller tour rather than big group tours. Learned lots from the tour guide.

Xel Ha is pretty good but I thought Xplor Park was amazing. If I had to choose between the two, I would check out Xplor. Or you can find package deals for both parks.

[JSALES]

Thanks for the information guys

I've also got another question, how much did you guys usually tip? And any recommendations for an airport transfer to use?

[Ball.J.Inder]

Just got back. If you go with a vacation provider (Air Canada, Sunwing, Westjet) be on the look out for package deals for tours from their staff at your resort.

I managed to get 5 of us 3+ tours for $1400 CAD:
-Xplor Park
-Tulum + Xel Ha
-Chichen Itza + Cenotes + Mayan Lunch

extras thrown in:
- Private shopping tour to Playa Del Carmen(We had our own driver and van instead of a bus full of people)
- Free entrance to the Interactive Aquarium
- Free entrance to a whole bunch of random tourist stuff I didn't see go to

~$300/person for this is cheap if you consider $100 US per person per tour on average.

[Amaru]

Originally Posted by JSALES

I'll be going to Mexico in June and staying in Riviera Maya at the Royal Playa Del Carmen hotel for a week.

Any recommendations what to see around the area?

I think we're going to check out Xel Ha and Chichen Itza

That hotel ROCKS. Location is absolutely perfect, rooms are very nice, staff are good, and the food is solid.

The Royal is right in the center of town, so you can easily walk around the shopping avenues and kill an hour or two people watching while sipping on $2 Coronas.

Be sure to visit at least 1 or 2 cenotes (caves/caverns).... most of the day tours (ie. Tulum ruins, jungle trek, ziplining, etc) include snorkeling or swimming in a cenote. If you're a diver like I am, then the cenotes are truly an incredible experience -- literally unlimited visibility. Even if you just snorkel around with a flashlight, it's a cool experience.


Didn't go to Chichen Itza because we were told it was a pretty long drive from Playa -- Tulum is about 45 minutes, and it's worth doing (although not earth-shattering).

With just a week, I wouldn't bother with Cozumel. It's another great spot for divers, but I wasn't impressed otherwise... the beach directly in front of The Royal is as good or better than anything on Cozumel.

I agree with the rental car suggestion. We didn't get the chance, but it's definitely perfectly safe to rent a car and drive around the Yucatan. Tours are cheap (relatively) so it's not going to save you a lot of money -- and I like having a local guide for some stuff -- but I find typically the independence of having a car allows you to see more 'authentic' and off-the-beaten-track shit.

Enjoy!

[Amaru]

Originally Posted by JSALES

Thanks for the information guys

I've also got another question, how much did you guys usually tip? And any recommendations for an airport transfer to use?

For me, 20 pesos (~$1.50 CDN??) is an acceptable tip for servers at the resort restaurants. For great service, 50 pesos ($3.75?) is plenty generous. I don't tip for every round of drinks, but either 50 pesos per day to your favourite bartender or 20 pesos every now and then is fine. I also have a personal policy of tipping housekeepers every day (50 pesos the first day, 20 thereafter... ensures you get in their good books on the first day! ha). Tour guides I tend to tip based on the quality of the tour, and taxi drivers based on their friendliness and how ripped off I feel getting out of the cab....

Definitely don't feel like you HAVE to tip everywhere. If the service sucks, if you're tired of spending $$, etc -- it's not required. It's common in touristy areas now, but Mexico doesn't have the same tipping culture we have in Canada. Also keep in mind that the resort staff (esp the ones at The Royal) are NOT struggling to get by... they're not rich obviously, but it's a good job.

I suggest bringing a bunch of smaller Mexican notes if you can -- a handful of 20's and 50's is definitely helpful for bellhops, taxi drivers, etc. If you are too lazy or disorganized to make that happen before you leave, whatever... there's ATM's and money exchange (aka ripoff) desks in the airport, and the front desk of the resort can give change for your bigger bills.

I arranged our airport transfers through the hotel. It was reasonably affordable, convenient, and we only had 3 other couples in our van (Playa is ~45-60 mins from Cancun airport). Taxis are also safe if you prefer to save a bit of $$ and not worry about it until you arrive, altho I prefer to have it all arranged so there's no need to deal with that type of shit after a 10-hour trek across the continent.