Save up to 45% by Booking Direct with Tour Operators:
Thomson Holidays Direct £10 DISCOUNT CODE
Portland Holidays Direct Thomas Cook Direct MyTravel Direct
Airtours Direct Direct Holidays Cosmos Direct
Try these Useful Links and Resources:
Mexico Links Holiday Videos Holiday Bargains Mexico Late Deals
Add H-U to your Favourites? Add Your Review Holiday Discounts
Mexico Smaller Resorts (A-Z)
Tours - Mexico
First Choice Yucatan Discovery Tour
Operator and Date: First Choice August 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Ian and Alix Purton, Orpington both 40 !
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This is a fantastic week and really makes you feel that you've been to Mexico rather than been to any hotel on any coast! During the week we were transported with 13 others in a private Mayaland minibus, and had our own driver and guide for the week. We were shown Chichen Itza and Uxmal,the two main sites, and many other smaller sites, including one that is not known to tourist companies as it is only just in the process of being archaeologically uncovered. We also visited towns, where we had access to libraries, and other buildings, and in the market were able to sample fruits straight from the stalls. The highlight was visiting a genuine Mayan home, and having tortillas cooked on the open fire by the lady of the house - where else could you do that ? Our guide and driver were superb - butI'm sure that all the Mayaland staff are as good. The accommodation was good - there are two options - full board, and all inclusive, but frankly full board was sufficient for this week, as we were out all day,and therefore there were few opportunities to take full advantage of the all inclusive other than in the restaurant and the bar in the evening.We were upgraded to a better hotel for the second part of the week, which was a treat too.
The second week of the holiday is spent in a hotel on the Cancun coast. We went to El Dorado Seaside Suites on the Riviera Maya, which was absolute paradise. Small, friendly and totally idyllic, with a certain old world charm about it, whilst at the same time being a very chic modern boutique style hotel - and adults only too. All rooms have a jaccuzzi, and hammock on the balcony, and the rooms are decorated in beautiful beige and brown, with touches of Mexican pottery and craft work. Meals are in a choice of 4 a la carte restaurants ( Asian/Japanese , Mexican, Italian and International ) - have the full 5 courses each night if you want,as well as three courses for lunch, buffet breakfast, tortilla chips and guacamole snacks in between, and margaritas at one of three bars - drunk whilst in the pool, on the beach, or sitting on swings! Massages are available in the spa - or on the beach in gorgeous huts.
Whilst on the beach, there aren't just sunloungers, but huge four poster double beds with drapes, and matress and pillows, plus towels rolled up and waiting for you. There are plenty to choose from, and we never had a problem with finding a cosy corner, whatever time of day we went onto the beach. There are also snorkels, kaykaks and pedaloes included in the package ( 1 hour of each per day - but flexible ) and boules, beach horseshoe, volleyball, table tennis, and tennis plus two pools. Leave the hotel if you want to and visit Xcaret Eco Park for the day ( 25 minutes drive by minibus )- a long hot one, but you can swim, sunbathe on the beach and snorkel there, and go for the Plus package which includes a fantastic buffet lunch too. Stay for the evening show- it's incredible. We were out of the hotel from 8.15 am - 10.00pm but it was worth it - and we got room service when we returned to the hotel. You can also swim with dolphins here ( Delphinus ) but we didn't realise it was the same place, and booked it for a separate day.
You get an hour in the water and the opportunity to touch and hold them, and to be pushed through the water by the dolphins noses ! An expensive treat, but well worth the experience.
We booked our trips through the agents on the beach who run the snorkelling. On both we got private minibus,whereas booking through the rep, meant pickups from other hotels en route, and a longer journey. It was a little more expensive, but worth that difference in travelling.
In all a fantastic 2 week trip - will we go back ? Definitely !!
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Akumal - Mexico
Akumal Beach Resort - Akumal
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Feb 2007
Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : shirley johnson west midlands ( 48,48,15,15)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
we would never have travelled to any resort more that 4hr flight from uk but our daughter decided to get married in mexico - and now i kno i'll be booking similar holidays in the future. the akumal beach resort is absolutely beautiful. our accomodation was clean - fresh sheets towels everyday - lovely towel art! and the view from the balcony - we were in tulum block - was stunning - beautiful sunrises that take your breath away. the location was just perfect beach, bar, swimming pool - what more do u need?! there were loads of activities - aqua aerobics - this was fun, learn how to dance the merenga ( i think thats how u spell it) the staff were really friendly and enthusiastic but not pushy. theres a games room, archery, cant comment on the kids club ours were to old for this.
we were unable to eat in the italian restaurant because it was fully booked we tried a few days before we went home - so that was a bit disappointing. the self service restaurant was basic but plenty of it - always a fresh dish being cooked either meat or fish - we definitely didnt go hungary. i think the hi-light of our holiday apart from the wedding was swimming with turtles this was brill. we hired the equipment ourselves later in the holiday for 6 dollars and swam with them again. akumal village - about 10mins down the beach - has well stocked supermarket and souvenier shops also internet cafe - cheaper that the hotel - for keeping in touch back home. we went to tulum - that was a lovely day out - if u go take a towel theres access to the beach from the ruins - beautiful turquoise bay - just right to cool off in - alot of steps down to the beach but worth it. lovely market there to and only 2 dollars on the bus! we took the bus into playa del carmen thats a good day for retail therapy! but if you dont want to move you have everything you need at akumal beach.
we shall definitely be going back!
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Akumal Beach Resort - Akumal
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - 2007
Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Keaton Roebuck
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was our first time to Mexico, so wasn't sure what to expect. It looks like each hotel complex is in its own grounds. The drive down the dual carriageway from the airport would indicate so, with big entrances to hotel complexes about 5 miles apart. The Akumal Beach Resort (ABR)being no exception. The drive from the airport was a bit boring. There are no roundabouts, so every drop off meant a 3 mile trek back up the dual carraigeway, heading back the way we'd just come to find a retourno (an area designated for turning around on the dual carriage way).
The ABR was the last drop off on the bus, so the journey took about 2 hours.
The place itself is very nice. Its basic, simple, and uncomplicated.
The room was clean and tidy, maid service and fresh towels everyday, bedding changed every few days.
A few things could have done with some finer details though. On arrival, our toilet as blocked and the hair dryer didn't work. The repair man turned up inside about 15 mins of me reporting it, and was resolved in less than an hour.
The shower door wasn't in good shape, and looked like some sort of bodged repair had been attempted a few times. I didn't report this as we only spend about 5 minutes each in there anyway.
In general the rooms were nice, but not what you'd call posh or plush.. basic and functional..
All the staff were really friendly.
From what I could see, late arrivals are well catered for, as the staff would put out a small buffet occasionally late at night in the reception area, we could only presume for those guests arriving after the restaurant had closed.
There are a number of bars dotted around with snacks being served from about 11am until 6pm.
Breakfast in the main restaurant at 6:30am until abou 10am, Lunch at 12:30 until about 3, and evening meal from about 6:30pm until 9:30 ish, so no shortage of food or drinks.
The food in the main restaurant was superb, no shortage of choice.
The kids were well catered for too.
There wasn't what youd call kids meals available, but lots of stuff that they are familiar with, pork chops, chicken, lamb chops etc.
There are also 2 a la carte restaurants.. Italian and Mexican, which you have to pre book.
The Italian was rank bad.. we joked about throwing the lasagne out of the window, then commented about lasagne on the pavement everytime we walked past.
We never tried the Mexican.
The pool area is well maintained and clean, with sunbeds dotted around.
One word of warning aout the sunbeds on the beach.. You need to be prepared to get up very early if you want one in the shade. Most of them had been taken up with towels before 6:30am. However, we found that if you walked down the beach to the right behind the main restaurant, you could find some down there even upto 9am. The only problem with this, if your'e a drinker or like to be in the middle of it all then your'e away from the bars and other stuff. I suppose an advantage to this, your'e also away from the noise of the entertainment crew doing water aerobics and other things around the pool.
The place is a little isolated. There is a so called village about a 5 minute walk up the beach, 3 shops and an internet cafe, and that's your lot. So don't plan on going anywhere in the evening unless you book a taxi.
Incidentally, the internet cafe in the village, is much cheaper than the hotel for Internet and telephone. Saved us a few quid with the kids emailing home etc.
Playa Del Carmen is worth an evening out, but everything closes at 11pm, so if you are going to go Carmen, go there about 5pm. Taxi to Carmen was about 18 quid each way if i remember rightly, so not a cheap night out.
Tullum ruins is worth a quick visit if thats your bag, but don't do what we did.. we asked our taxi driver to come back in about 3 hours.. we had nothing to do for the last 2 of them.
The diving is nice, and for any qualified divers, I would recommend doing a cenotes dive. Cenotes are fresh water cave systems. Its not as daunting as it sounds. You have a guide who knows the system like the back of his had, plus all the routes are marked out with ropes, so you follow a rope around a set route, with caverns to ascend into every five minutes.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Akumal Beach Resort - Akumal
Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland Direct - July 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Svea Lewery - Inverness (55,53)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was one of our best holidays.
The location is superb.Our room was spacious but basic.We were there for relaxation and sightseeing and certainly got both. The excursions are expensive but are worth it. Our favourite was to Coba and Aktunchen.Also not to be missed are Chichen Itza (booked through the hotel) and Tulum and Xcaret. We took a taxi to Tulum and the collectivo (local bus) to Xcaret and Playa del Carmen.
We found the food in the hotel just ok. If you arrive late on at the buffet the choice is very poor. Lunch was marginally better than dinner. We ate once at the Mexican restaurant and twice at the Italian. Both were better than the buffet, understandably so as they were catering for fewer people. Cocktails at the Moonrise bar were better than at the main bar. The singers were absolutely awful - especially the woman - and they were on every night! However we weren't there for the entertainment. Akumal means place of the turtles and on our second last night we were priviledged to see a turtle lay its eggs on the beach just in front of our room.What an experience!
Apart from the excursions we spent very little money. Our advice is to take pesos and forget the dollars. Departure tax can be paid in pesos as well as in dollars and tips in pesos will be appreciated. Don't forget high factor suncream. We had seriously underestimated the strength of the sun. Start off with factor 45.To sum up this holiday has finished us for the Med. It was excellent value and we shall be looking at something similar for next year. Highly recommended.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Akumal Beach Resort - Akumal
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - March 2006
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Dave & Carole Neale - Rotherham England 53,47
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The flights were very good on the First Choice Airways "revamped" Boeing 767 planes which have ample leg room ,comfortable seats and individual consoles for t.v. ,films, radio and games.Transfers and booking in was pleasant and hassle free.
All "First choice" rooms were advertised as ocean view.Ours was fine (in the 700 block -called Itzel )but in some rooms views were partially obscured by trees.Some of the rooms on the complex were not "ocean view".
Our room was not luxurious but clean and comfortable and we could have done with a little more storage space.
The staff were always friendly and attentive without being "pushy" and spoke good English.
Food - plenty to choose from in the buffet restaurant with always at least one option being freshly cooked (either meat or fish). Italian restaurant - we found was very good during our first week but the menu was not so good for the second week. The Mexican restaurant we thought was good and we went 3 times.
Bars - friendly and efficient staff (although did 'run out' of certain spirits at the end of our first week and didn't replace them.) Personally, we were disappointed that the 'Moonrise' bar was only open until 1700 (therefore was not aptly named!) but would do any cocktail you asked for.There was also a third bar at the pool.
Pool - plenty of activity if you wanted it, clean, sufficient beds but not much shade.
Beach - clean. Not all areas suitable for swimming (due to rocks) or snorkelling. Sufficient beds but, once again, not enough shade areas.
Our biggest moan of our holiday was perhaps the 'having' to get up at 5.30 am to reserve beds with shade - although this did enable us to see many beautiful sun rises over the sea. We have to complain about some of the people who reserved the beds and then didn't use them all day!! - we find this most unfair and this was perhaps the main reason that there wasn't enough beds/shade to go round.
Entertainment - was supplied by the animation staff (morning, noon and night) and they worked very hard. The hotel has its own theatre for evening shows. There was a resident duo in the main bar each evening who were both very good.
Akumal - itself is a small village with not many shopping opportunities - Playa del Carmen being the nearest shopping centre. (Buses - 2 USdollars each way)
Excursions - we booked ours through First Choice but could be booked through the Hotel. We went to Tulum (half a day) and to Xcaret (full day). Enjoyed both and guides were good and entertaining and 'knew their stuff'. In Xcaret we stayed all day (though there were options for you to return to your hotel for lunch or before the shows began) and we stayed for the shows. The first was brilliant but, to be honest, the second one went on a bit too long. And, the park which had been relatively quiet during the day was very busy for the shows.
Tipping - was not necessary but we found our friends from the USA were doing it quite a lot (bars, restaurants). We left tips for all the staff at the end of our holiday. (Being English we are not habitual tippers - as a Canadian pointed out!!!)
Reps - our First Choice Reps were very good and helpful.
Weather - while we were there is was hot and breezy (some days it was positively windy!)
We found Akumal Beach Resort to be quiet and relaxing. Good for snorkellers. There were people of varying ages and nationalities at this hotel and some young children but no noisy teenagers.
Would we return? Yes.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Akumal Beach Resort - Akumal
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson june 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : anne and roger gatwick {40 50 }
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
we stayed at this hotel in june having read previous reviews we thought this would be out of this world for a 3* but all i can say is dont go if you expect to be waited on because this hotel runs off self service.
good points the beach was out of this world you cld snorkel for hours and get lost its amazing all the kind of fish and tutles you see.and always somewher to sit wheter in the shade or not always plenty of longers
food was okay at this resort but did get a little boring on the 2nd week as for the drinks this was the best place for cocktails all fresh ingredientd bananas orange all blended together
overall wlnt go bck as too quit at night and we like quiet but i mean this place is boring after 7
BEWARE OF MOZZIES
ALL IN ALL NOT THAT BAD BUT WILL PAY THE EXTRA NEXT TIME TO STAY IN MAYBEE 4 OR 5 *
ENJOY
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Akumal Beach Resort - Akumal
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Feb 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Paul-Debbie-Jack-joe (46,44,14,9
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Just return from the Akulmal Beach Resort it was the best holiday I have ever had,
The beach is fantastic line with palm trees and ammocks loads of sunbeds.the mozzes are not bad at all as the mozzie man come along around 6;30 pm with is smoke mozzie machine and kills them all did not have one bite and thats a 1st for me the hotel and staff are very kind and cot not do anuff to help in any way<
I would recomend this holiday to all as i am going back in two years just to see some old friends,ps take a beer glass with you to drink your beer you only get small glasses not even an half all the guys from the usa had there own glasses BIG. dont for get to tip peppe at the pool side bar he will look after you just a small tip at the beginning and one at the end of your holiday,try the beach bar and try one of rubys long Iland ice tea or any of the other cocktails, she makes them stong bewarned,
Enjoy your Holiday.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Akumal Beach Resort - Akumal
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson -July 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Glaves - Sheffield (42, 40, 16, 15,15)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
What a great place from start to finish the holiday was excellent one of the best we have ever had, The resort has everything you need the beech is beautiful very clean the sea is perfect for scuba diving and snorkeling loads of different fish to see and the turtles that swim near the beach are fantastic the accomodation the rooms and the gardens are very clean and well looked after, the staff are very friendly and the entertainment is excellent. The mexican resturant is very good and the main resturant has an extensive variety of excellent well presented food the italian resturant we felt was not very italian? but quality of food was ok. We did have a problem with moziz go well prepared!
Cancun was worth a visit for the day if you like to look round a few shopping malls and need to spend a few dollars
and carmen well worth a visit lots of culture their a real must is to swim with dolphins at pourto adventuras worth every penny and memories for life.
The worst nightmare going to mexico was the airport in bound is just as bad as out bound please be very careful with your luggage and do not go over weight limit as it is very costly as we found out!!! also the baggage searches are bordering on the ridiculous.
But would definately go back to akumal
fantastic...
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Bahia Principe - Akumal / Tulum
Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - 2006 / 2007
Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : chris thistle (46 34 3 )
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
What a beautiful place resort country and location all fabulous.
The resort is truly luxurious the beach comes sraight from a brochure and the food is bar none.The resort is vast three centres fed by good transport thank goodness in two weeks we did not see it all. The restaurants themselves are superb if you cant find what you want here you must be the problem. In addition to that the speciality restaurants offer such excellent cuisine and service that you feel so special it adds a touch of luxury to a great place. Brilliant bus service from the resort front you are watched across the road onto the local bus service which is just for tourists so you can travel around at low cost to the various sites and parks. A must visit is xel ha a natural waterpark amazing sights well worth the short journey in the heat. The humidity is the hardest thing to adapt to cotton loose clothes are the ordernof the day here . The rooms are luxurious and very clean there is no pressure to tip at all and you are well looked after if you ask for branded name spirits that is what you get no argument food constantly on tap . The only downer for us was the lack of evening entertainment of the english variety its rather sedate unless you meet a good bunch which we did. There are quite a lot of canadians and americans at this resort and not so many english this did not detract from the holiday.
The long flight was quite painless would advise you to take lots of books and games for youngsters my three year old was fine but we were reading watching tv cutting out shapes and anything i could think of however the parents who werent so well prepared were finding it hard. WE swam with dolphins again we made our own way there it worked out far chepaer than going with the tours we really enjoyed that. All in all we had a fantastic luxury holiday, long haul,and in a beautiful caribbean location and it cost us hardly any more than self catering in ibiza would recommendf it to anyone
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Bahia Principe - Akumal / Tulum
Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - nov 2006
Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : charlotte - manchester (32,28,6,2
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I cannot reccommend this hotel enough. From start to finish it was an incredible holiday. The hotel was enormous, made up of three hotels. The food was amazing, something for everyone. With all the a la carte restuarants you could near enough eat in a different restaurant every night! So many bars to choose from. Plenty for the kids to do.
They cannot do enough for you here. They do like their tips , so i would reccommend taking plenty of $1 bills!
We went on trips to coba and Xcaret which were brilliant and i highly reccommend. We also did the swimming with dolphins which was well worth the money!
We had such a relaxing time at the hotel and did not want to come home.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Bahia Principe - Akumal / Tulum
Operator and Date: global late deals August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : marie richie 49 40
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Bahia Principe Mexico stayed 2 weeks Aug 2005. Was ok, staff very nice but cannot speak much English. Accomodation very good and the complex itself excellent. Beach bit disapointing, entertainment the same as any other hotel. Hacienda good. Great waiter to watch out for Daniel. Disco good. Food best in buffet restaurants. Room service - dont expect too much, had to ask for towels on few ocasions and for the fridge to be refilled. It does not matter if you tip or not, you dont get a better service from room cleaner. It is far from a five star hotel. You have to pay for your safe, and very limited supplies in fridge. Went on trip to Islas Mujeres, well worth the while, good trip. Also free trip to Playa Del Carmen good but we had to spend an hour being hassled in a jewelry factory first.
All in all, not too bad.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Bahia Principe - Akumal / Tulum
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin Carribean - May 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Yvonne - Chippenham (45, 47)
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Once you reach this fabulous hotel you will forget the terrible airport at Cancun! The reviews of Cancun airport that have been posted by others are all correct, it is not at all user friendly!
The hotel was luxury. Every member of staff was friendly and helpful. We were there for 2 weeks flying from Heathrow to Cancun, via Miami. I would definately go again, but with a direct flight.
The rooms are spacious with a good size bathroom. The beds are huge, and the mini bar is included in the all inclusive price.
The Buffet restaurant had a huge selection of food the size of which we had never had anywhere else. The a la carte restaurants were also excellent, although in one the night we chose there was a hugh wedding party, and we did feel like we were gate crashers. Take a tip and book the a la carte meals as soon as you can after arriving as they get booked up very quickly.
The hotel is kept spotless, every hour of the day cleaners are constantly in action in all areas of the hotel. The other common sight is the many iguana that live around the hotel grounds, they are very timid and although I don't particularly like creepy crawlies, I got to like these.
There are lots of activities around the hotel all day every day, but if you want to do any trips most seem to based around Cancun and this is approx 1 - 2 hours away, depending on the number of hotels you stop at on the way.
We managed 3 trips, each one excellent. We went on the jungle tour using jet boats, Swimming with dolphins, and the best one of all was the Captain Hook Cruise. The cruise was so well organised worth every dollar!
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Bahia Principe - Akumal
Operator and Date: Global Late Deals - May 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : James, Clare - Sutton Coldfield ( 26,22)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
From the moment we checked in at the airport in Manchester everything that happened for the next week exceeded our expectations.
We paid just under £500 each for one week so with the money we had saved by getting a cheap deal we upgraded our flight seats to Premier Gold class. This was possibly the best £200 each we could have spent.
Upon arrival at Manchester we were confronted with a huge queue at the My Travel desk. It would have taken us at least an hour to check in. Then we noticed a seperate isle especially for Premier Gold customers. SUPERB - NO QUEUE!!!
The flight there was superb. Free drink, free snacks, extra leg room seats, 3 choices of film and around 15 other channels to choose from. The seats even reclined ( although this did prove a bit of a problem as i'm well over 6 foot and the gentleman in front of me decided to see how many times he could bounce his chair off me in half an hour).
Upon arrival at Cancun airport, we found that the reports were all true - it was shocking. We were initially met by a young cocky Mexican who demanded £1 for a trolly to push our cases. It was a £1 well spent though as women seem to pack the whole house contents and a little bit more. By the time we had got through customs, collected cases and found our coach Liverpool had managed to kick off, go 3 behind and then be just about to start a penalty shoot out. About 2 hours in all.
The transfer to the hotel takes approximately 1 hour. But this is literally 1 hour along a straight road.
We arrived at the hotel and we were greeted by one of the very helpful hotel porters ( and a flippin huge Iguana). The porters operate a bus service round the hotel and there is always a bus at least every five minutes.
The hotel rooms were superb and the air conditioning was worth the £500 alone.
The hotel has a mini bar which was only stocked up whenever we left a tip for the maid, however she did leave us a towel shaped like an animal every day so we forgave her.
There are around 15 bars and a nightclub on site. All are covered by the all inclusive offer and some are open 24 hours a day. There are around 15 restaraunts on site too. Of which 8 are speciality restaraunts. You can choose to go to 3 speciality restaraunts during each week you are staying. The Italian is awesome. There is also a 24 hour snack bar right next to the beach. If you want a burger and chips and a pint at 6 in the morning then you can have it!
The pools are all very clean and there is entertainment by most of them. Activities run throughout the day.
At night the Hacienda is the place to be. 3 bars and a night club, live bands, lots of loud Canadian women making the most of the all inclusive and lots of old English pervy men watching them do it. However, the entertainment suits all ages.
All in all I spent under three hundred pounds whilst on this holiday and I managed to swim with Dolphins, buy £100 worth of photos of us swimming with dolphins and also buy some useless presents for those at home from the shops in the Hacienda. Oops, I almost forgot, I managed to take 5 litres of alcohol back as well. It wasn't that Mexico was cheap, you just didnt need to spend any money.
Check in at the airport on the way home was just as good. No queue for Premier Gold customers. However, the only complaint I do have is some bright spark at My Travel seperated my partner and I on the plane. This after I had asked on numerous occasions for us to be seated together.
It didnt turn out that bad in the end though - she was sat in the seat behind me so at least I got to recline my chair.
I recommend this hotel to all ages. I for one will certainly be going back again next year. Europe isnt a patch on this.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Bahia Principe - Akumal
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2005
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Charlotte 32 Dale 39 Riccardo 11
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
this was our second visit to mexico previously to puerto vallarta
the bahia principe is huge it takes about 30 min if you were to walk around the complex of four or is it five hotels all complete with there own resturants bars swimming pools snack bars and entertainment
it not a personal hotel as it is to big but it is very nice
the staff were great our son got in with the entertainment staff and we never saw him for the 3 weeks apart from when wwe had to sign for the 20 bottle of tequilla he kept winning
The food is excellent and varied and plenty of
the only down side is once you are out of the hotel there is a huge highway and there is no where to walk you have to catch a bus to playa riveria ( which is lovely and very preety)
overall its a good hotel if your in a big group if you want to meet other holiday makers and get to know the staff its way to big and inpersonal
but it was beautifull and very very nice and relaxing
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Bahia Banderas - Mexico
Hotel Riu Jalisco - Bahia Banderas
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Oct 2003
Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : Chris and Maria - N.Ireland (41,38)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We were told the worst part of this holiday was the flight (nearly 15hrs with a stop at Dom Rep), this proved to be true, so did the part about it all being worth it,trust me it was.One word about the flight do not waste the money on the upgrade if flying air 2000,it is not worth the money, go for the extra legroom this may prove a better option.
On arrival at the impressive Riu the check-in was easy and very fast, allowing us to get to our room, showered and down to the evening meal.The staff were kind and helpful at all times during our stay.We left a doller every day for our room maid which ensured a different type of animal made out of towels every evening.The food was impressive and plentyful each day with the different resturants providing all types of food and drink-wine and beer and ice-cream all to be had either by waiter or by help yourself.
The mini bar and drink optics in the room was a nice touch,no catch there it really is what it says.The evening entertainment was different to say the least however it was enjoyable and watchable-remember it is hard to please all the people all of the time.We did a couple of tours,the tour of the area was ok and the swim with the dolphins was a once in a lifetime experience,worth the money.We also did the 'Rhythum of the night' which was a nice peaceful trip on the way out and a bit more lively on the way back in.We used the local buses twice which is not hard to do-it is a lot cheaper and more local in keeping than using a taxi,just ask for details at reception they are very helpful and will give you all directions.One word of caution-in the old town of Peurto Vallarta there are plenty of Mayan Palace time share sharks knocking around,they are not nasty however it gets a bit annoying being asked every 3 steps,the easy way around this was a trip to the nearest bar-easy isn't it.
I think you must be hard pushed not to enjoy this holiday and the hotel,if i was to give a negitive comment it would be the loudness of our American friends that is just their way i know, but if that is the only bad part so be it-to keep this holiday in perspective we had a hurricane vist whilst we were there and it did not make a difference to holiday.If you do decide on this location/holiday you will not be dissappointed.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Buscerias - Mexico
Royal Decameron - Buscerias
Operator and Date: first choice aug 2006
Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : B. Hankinson Cornwall ( 44, 43, 15, 9 )
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
After an 8 hour delay, due to aircraft problems we finally got going.First choice gave us vouchers (£36 in total) to get food and drinks, and what we had left we could spend on the plane. The flight is long, 13 hours but the in flight entertainment was very good, food good did not pay the extra £200 each for upgrade (£800 total)not worth it in my opinion as the extra legroom in standard class is fine..Return flight was on time and only ten and a half hours.
The hotel is amazing, bigger then shown in the broucher it now has an extra block and another swimming pool and restaurant.
we were in block 4 and it was excellent, right next to the beach a pool and restaurant and away from the night entertainment.
Food was very good with 5 speciality and 3 buffet restaurants. The buffet ones having plenty of choice and had theme evenings aswell.
Of an afternoon the steak bar restaurant served hotdogs, burgers, pizza, chips, so kids and fussy eaters were happy and a buffet Restaurant was right next door so you can all sit together.
Drinks are a wide choice and a few bars along the beach.
We done a couple of days out. Swimming with dolphins which was excellent.
The other was a trip on a light aircraft (cessna caravan ) 14 seater.went to two villages in the mountain/jungle. It was expensive but worth the money to see real Mexico, and have real authentic Mexican food.
Rooms were good Huge king size bed in our room and two doubles in the kids room. They had good walk in showers balconys t.v. with a good choice including some american film and news channels. The only niggle is that there is no fridge in the rooms which i think is a must .
WE did not go into Buscerias , tried twice but to hot and came back to fall in the pool. Others who did make it said there is not a great lot there and better off going to Puerto Villarta .
Overall would i recommend it YES
Would i return YES but in a few years, to many other places to see
I would give this holiday 17/20.
A very enjoyable holiday.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Royal Decameron Flamingos / Tropical - Buscerias
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - October 2003
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Rachel & David, West of England (30s)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Royal Decameron Tropical, agreeing with all the good reports about food, cleanliness, etc. already written. To add something different here are our various comments:
We only had 7 coat hangers provided and twice requested more, but after 3 days went to Wal-mart and got a pack of 10 for about a quid! It is not drinking water in your room, although the rep never pointed this out; a new litre bottle a day is provided and you can refill these from treated water in the machines in the restaurants.
If you had tea in the mornings, different waiters gave it to you differently which was amusing! One waited for you to put the tea bag in the water then poured the milk, one put the milk in the hot water and left you unwrapping the tea bag, etc.!
The dancing shows were very good although some numbers were repeated on different nights.
The hotel money exchange seemed to offer very good rates when we were there, and there's no commission charge either. Our travel agent told us to take mainly dollars which we did but we would have got better value if we had taken all pesos or changed sterling there.
The security guards also tidied up plastic cups and straws left on the beach, you would think people could put them in the bins provided for themselves.
We took the local buses to Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta and Punta de Mita. It was 5 to 10 minutes walk to the bus stops (cross the main road for Punta) although you need to run the gauntlet of the taxi drivers! Paradise Plaza in Nuevo V. was a nice shopping mall with ordinary shops and no hassle from vendors.
We had a few days of rain and there wasn't much to do then, although they did bring out some board games.
There was some excitement one day as there was an iguana in the 'quiet' pool! A member of staff got a big net and after some chasing it around scooped it out.
On departure day, we were impressed that you can book a room for half an hour in the afternoon to shower and change.
As a resort, Buscerias village was not really worth looking round, and street vendors hassled you!
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Royal Decameron Flamingos / Tropical - Buscerias
Operator and Date: First Coice - October 2003
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Kirstin and Tony (25,31)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Well what can I say... this was our sencond visit to the same hotel which says somthing in its self, however this time we choose to get married there, and I must say (soppy as it may sound) it truely was a memorable experience and the best day of my life, totally exceeding expectations. The tour rep and hotel staff were fabulous always available and always helpful.
As we had been before (2 years ago) we knew what to expect but all the family that came with us for this trip all agreed it was a lovely hotel and area. The food was good we tried all the a la carte resturants although book quick to avoid disappiontment we were suprised to find that the food did not repeat itself that often considering we stayed for three weeks ( I believe it was a two week rotation).
The hotel is lovely very traditional looking and spotless there is always people cleaning and gardening, and if you look carefully plenty of wildlife geckos iguanas etc.
The beach is nice but gets really hot so we tend to opt for poolside but there is plenty of room, although this isnt always the case a weekends as the locals get weekend passes and can take over the place alittle (we did not experience this first time round).
Small tips do the business and ensure you get served first every time by the barmen.
Try some of the trips, recommend swimming with dolphins, snorkling, and the pont trekking through the mountains and rivers dont worry if you've only ever sat on a donkey your in safe hands, and don't leave before going on the local bus to the end of the bay (or any where for that matter) a once in a life time experience!!!.
The hotel and the area overall is excellent throughlly recommended rest assured we will return for a wedding anniversary!!
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Royal Decameron - Buscerias
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Oct 2003
Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : Amit Panchal - Watford (27 & 26)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I wasnt too sure about what to expect but this is truly a wonderful place to have a relaxing and good value holiday. The flight was very long - 14 hours going there and 10 hours coming back but aside from that the hotel and facilities were very good.
We were in the tropical section in a 1st floor room overlooking the hotel and some of the beach. Rooms are clean and beds very big and also cable TV.
Food was good in the buffet and varied although if you stay 2 weeks then the 2nd week repeats the 1st but not a big problem. The speciality restaurants were also good particularly the Piccolo (Italian)
It was only a 40 min bus ride to Puerto Vallarta which cost about 15 pesos per person which is good value compared to the taxi fare of 150 pesos (7 pounds) unless you are travelling with 4 people I guess.
All in all it is a nice place to go and the people are very friendly. Well recommended and very hot...around 30 degress when we went.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Royal Decameron - Buscerias
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September 2003
Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : Neil and Melanie Paragreen - Huntingdon ( 39,32 )
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We flew with Air 2000 at the end of september in their premium cabin. This is not the best premuim cabin we have been in and would not recommend it for the extra money. People who had booked extra legroom in economy had more legroom and paid a lot less. The positive bits are on the outward journey you have a quicker check-in, board the plane first and get you luggage quicker. On-board you receive free drinks and a couple of extras like ice-creams. The amenity packs, hand-held DVD's and choice of meal have been scrapped. There is also no guarantee that even as a two you will sit togther. I would recommend pre-booking your seats together and extra legroom and save your money for the trips.
The transfer once everyone is on the coach only takes 20 minutes. Do not be too put off by the drive and the amount of development work the resort is undergoing. On arrival all First Choice guests are checked in at the disco due to the volume of people. Around 3 coaches checked in with us. Thomson guests check in at reception. The disco check in is chaotic.
The hotel is good but definitely is a 3 star complex. The rooms are clean and basic. There are no amenities ie hairdryer, iron etc and remember to pack toiletries as there are also none left in your room. There is satellite TV showing a dozen channels, CNN etc. Most of the brits are allocated to block 4. We changed as did many others on our flight to block 5 which is the quietest despite being nearest to the disco.
Facilities
There are 4 main pools with the adult pool over at block 5. This pool was not used by families at all and generally was quite a friendly pool. The pool bar closes at 6 though, so after this if you want a drink you have to go over to one of the bars by the beach. All pool areas are cleaned daily.
There are 3 buffet restaurants and 4 a-la-carte. As the hotel was under occupied, only 2 buffets were open and the Japenese and Thai were closed with those menus running on alternate nights at the Tropical buffet. Both buffets served different menus. All menus are published outside the internet room at the Flamingos lobby. All a-la-cartes must be booked at the internet room between 8am-12pm. There are 2 sittings 6.30 and 8.30. To be guaranteed 8.30 you need to book by 8.30am. These reataurants are ok and made a change from the buffet. We ate at all of them and had no real complaints.
The only criticism for the restaurants is the service. Some days you would sit for over 30 minutes and not be served. The waiters are not the best but a few of them are very good, usually the older guys.
The entertainment team are ok. The shows are very similar to all the others we had seen in other all-inclusive resorts. The team did work hard though and lots of people took part in both night and day activities.
We did 3 trips. The first was the evening turtle camp. We would definitely recommend this. It really was lovely. You release 2 babies only hours old. The camp is a voluntary agency so much of the money goes to conservation which is nice.
We also did dolphin trainer. This was fantastic. I think the package has changed since so check with the rep. However we spent all day with the dolphins. we did 2 encounters, 1 swim with other guests and 1 swim by ourselves. You also have lots of free time to play with the dolphins and get to know them. We received a certificte, photo, video, t-shirt and assistant trainer cap. This was a great day and well worth it. The final trip was rhythms of the night. This is a night trip. You take a 90 minute boat ride to Las Caletas and have a meal by torchlight, and watch a tribal show. It is very atmospheric and a good night out. The boat crew are also excellent fun.
Our biggest criticism of this hotel is that from Thursday to Sunday it fills up with locals. They have 6+ per room and really take over the hotel. The waiting staff also will always serve them before you. Other hotels we have been in do this but this hotel goes mad. All of the entertainment etc will change to gear towards them. Also they can be very rude. We heard many stories of people going to get a drink coming back and all of their things chucked on the floor so they could have the beds. The pool in block 5 does not get as full as many of thelocals bring lots of children, so this is worse at the other pools. There is not a problem with sunbeds and you usually could always get one. There is very limited umbrellas, about 8 per pool area so bear this is in mind if you are fair skinned.
Overall we had a good time and we made lots of friends with fellow brits and canadians. This is though a 3 star hotel and do not expect anything more.
First choice are dropping Puerto Vallarta next year as are all other brit companies. So if you do want to go you will need to soon.
The resort is tired and we certainly preferred Cancun as there is much more on offer.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Royal Decameron - Buscerias
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2003
Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Jim & Annette - Birmingham (54 & 52)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Absolutely fantastic, highly recommended (although there are one or two downsides)we had a fabulous time.The 15 hour flight is a chore and air2000 767 has cramped seats for long haul, then mexican customs search everyones baggage (in & out),just what you dont need! Transfer time is only 15 mins and a lot of construction is taking place on the highway in between shanty towns, as well as the entrance road to the hotel, but dont be put off, on arrival at the pastel shades ragwash painted hotel, you are greeting with refreshing drinks and given bracelets (for AI) and quite efficiently organised into your room.
The hotel is a complex of 3 sections -Royal,Tropical,Flamincos, we were in flamicos and the room is quite big with good storage,massive bed - comfortable- small table/2 chairs,big dressing table/mirror,large power shower and toilet area and there is a large separate sink & mirror area. There are 2 beach chairs on a big balcony overlooking pretty & well tended gardens. All the other complex sections were pretty much the same. Does need tea & coffee making facilites and chiller/fridge in the room as there are times when lobby coffee is not available.Air conditioning works well but noisey. Leave regular small tips for the maids who are inventive with flannels and flowers.Towels/flannels/sheets are changed daily. There are 4 pools, the royal pool at the back is the "quiet" pool - no under 16's - mostly frequented by Canadians (who talk very LOUDLY, maybe they are deaf!) the other 3 are just back from the beach, loungers are plentiful but can be reserved by putting a towel on but only supposed to left unattended for an hour. The beach is big enough but is on the narrow side with grey/white sand and has shades and loungers.
The ocean can be a little rough at times (stirred up sand clouds the water a little) but makes for great boogie boarding and it does get HOT but about 1pm a strong breeze blows. Beach peddlars will politely pester you but a no gracias is enough to get rid of them (Bucerias is cheaper and better haggling cos you can walk away)There are 3 buffet restuarants in the day but only 2 in the evening as the royal doubles up as 2 (wok & jap jap)restuarants that have to be booked (other bookable are piccolo -italian -and the steak house,which is a burger snack bar after 11pm. We had no problems booking any before 9am, piccolo did seem to be popular and can be filled quickly) Food is plentiful and varied although sometimes a little strange(chicken stew for breakfast!)but there is enough choice to suit everyone. We used to wander through each place to find the best choice. Service is usually very attentive and friendly (as are all the staff)but at busy periods waiters can go missing.Flamicos generally the best.
Entertainment is available throughout the day but can be a bit on the butlins side but if you join in it can be fun. Evening show staffs are enthusiastic.
The trips we did are very worthwhile but can be expensive - dolphin swim, rythyms of the night, rough guide to vallata and Las Caletas in the day.
Go to puerto vallarta at night - it bounces with nightlife, but the main bar drinks are very expensive.
Use the local buses, cheap plentiful and an experience.
If you smoke free cigs are available singley at the 3 beachside bars - drinks come in plastic beakers and are not strong and did not seem to make the real mccoy. Sol from bottles is the beer, ok but drink corona when offsite. Cigs in the hotel are comparative expensive double the local shop price which are about 12/14 pesos (80p)per pack. HOWEVER if you smoke cigars take your own/duty free as they are exorbitant and not good. I did find cafe creme for as much as 280 pesos (£19!!!)a pack of 10 - haggled to 100 pesos.
Weather is good in may (80+ degrees)but we were told the rainy season starts in june (not much rain but can be cloudy)tempratures stays the same but gets very humid and sticky.
Overall however for us this place was paradise and is totaly recommended - but outside the hotel mexico is not cheap.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Royal Decameron - Buscerias
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice.....April 2003
Opinion submitted in Apr 2003 by : Chris Whittaker.....43 & 48
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was absolutely the best holiday that either of us has ever had. The hotel was terrific, you could not go out at any time of the day or night and not come across someone cleaning something.
The main entertainment venue was far enough away from the main hotel not to be intrusive, and we were very impressed with the coffee in both foyers so you could get a drink whenever you felt like it.
The food was excellent, perhaps a little on the samey side, but very good quality. If you fancy a change, just go to one of the themed eateries. If you need a quiet time, visit the adult pool. It's not what you are thinking, just no-one under 16 allowed. Very peaceful and it is, as they all are, a lovely pool. They are all 4ft 6" at their deepest.
All in all a great time. The local is a bit dusty and poor, but the people are fantastic. If the time share folk in town get to you, say you are English and they wish you "good morning" and leave you alone. Too far away. If you're missing the football or motor racing, go to the Bar Magana down the road towards Buscerias, and they'll put it on for you.
Have a great time, and don't forget to barter...I got my wife a bracelet that came at 430 pesos for 120.It's fun
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Royal Decameron - Buscerias
Operator and Date: Eclipse - Jan/Feb 2003
Opinion submitted in Feb 2003 by : Paul Knight - Tamworth (49,48)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
One of the best holidays with have ever had.
The Decameron complex is rated as 3 star plus by Eclipse ad First Choice, but was better than some 4 star hotels we have stayed in.
The hotel is very clean (always seems to be someone cleaning somewhere). The kitchen staff and some of the waiters/waitresses wear masks which we very impressed about. Food was good, and although the choice was sometimes rather limited, it would be very difficult not to find something to eat.
You have to book for the specialized restaurants, and the Italian was always full by 8am. The others you could usual get into if you went to book later in the morning.
The other negative point was that if you wanted a sunbed on the beach you had to get up very early, on most days they were all saved by 7.30am. Sunbeds round the pools were easier to get, especially around the adults only pool. We had no trouble with insects on the beach which one report has mentioned.
Our room was in the Tropical and was fairly large and clean but a little tatty, the beds and pillows are hard.
The activities and entertainment were on the whole very good, and some of the shows were excellent. We went to the disco on most nights were there where people aged from 16 to 70, and a good range of music was played.
Excursions we went on and would recommend are "the rough guide to Vallarta", the boat trip out to the Islands during which we saw Whales and Dolphins, and the swimming with Dolphins trip.
One of the few draw backs to this holiday was the flight out, we were on the plane for 16 hours. This was due to strong head winds and a refueling stop in the Dominican Republic. The flight home was direct and took only 9 and half hours.
We went with Air 2000, and paid the extra to upgrade to classic premium. It was better than the ordinary seats because you got more leg room, better entertainment and free drinks, but we didn't think it was worth what we had paid. Probably won't bother again.
Hope this report is of some use to anyone going there.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Royal Decameron - Buscerias
Operator and Date: Lunn Poly - First Choice - Date Not Specified
Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Bill & Jodie (38,25)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was the best holiday we've ever had. Although the flight over was long and a bit boring it was well worth it. On arrival in Mexico the heat really hits you. It was 7 o'clock and 32 degree. The transfer to the resort is about 20 minutes on an air conditioned bus. When we got to the resort we were really impressed with the hospitality of the Mexican staff. They are genuine and sincere and very helpful. Nothing is too much of a problem....something you'll get used to as the Mexicans are the most laid back people on the planet. The resort itself is spotless, the food is good, the pools are very clean and you'll always see someone cleaning. whether it's the rooms, the pools or sweeping up leaves around the resort. If you want a quiet time then head off for the adult pool or if you prefer they have a activities pool run by the Mexican entertainment staff. The beach is lovely and clean. You will get people selling you things from silver to hammocks. Always haggle for a better deal, they expect it but always haggle with a smile. They are not a nuisance so don't be put off......it's all good fun.
There is so much I could write about the resort but one thing I would advise is that you use the local buses!!! It will cost you 9 Pesos to get to the centre of Puerto Vallarta and it's a ride you'll never forget.....very bumpy but an absolute must, and it's cheaper than the taxis!
Try and do some trips as well, Vallarta Adventures do a flight to 2 small villages in the mountains called Mascota and Talpa. It's well worth it.....ask the reps about the horseshoe on the plane( it's a 14 seater Cessna)!!
To cap off I will say that we will definetly be going back and Mexico and the people are superb, you will not find a friendlier bunch.
If you have read this and you decide to go this year, tell Jose Luis(Bald barmen)that his England shirt is on it's way(registered)from Bill....trust me he'll remember as he got me a Chivas football shirt!!
Spoil yourselves and go....you wont regret it!
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Royal Decameron Tropical - Buscerias
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Aug 2003
Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Becci - West Mids (21,23)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This holiday was our honeymoon so we wanted something where we didn't have to worry about money or anything.
We chose this complex because we had previously been the year before and loved every minute of it.
The food was fantastic, with a good range of restaurants and bars to chose from.
The staff were really friendly, and would do anything for you.
The room was cleaned every day and was always cleaned properly.
We never made the evening entertainment as it was always too hot to stay and watch it.
The hotel was directly on the beach so it was in a great location.
There were a number of pools to choose from, we spent most of our time at the adults only one, as it was the quietest.
We couldn't fault this holiday one bit, and I'd definatly recommend it to anybody, there is something for everyone all day and all night.
Definatly well worth the money!!!
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Cabo San Lucas - Mexico
The Chile Pepper Inn- Cabo San Lucas
Operator and Date: Opodo (flights) June-2003
Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : maya garcia-warner
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We planned a dream honeymoon, and it ended up being a nightmare. We booked with the Chile Pepper Inn (hotelmex website), and booked the flights from London to Los Cabos through Opodo. Three days before departure we received an email from ANOTHER hotel's manager, teling us that Marcos Kurcera, the manager of the Chile Pepper Inn, has 'done a runner'; stolen all of the guests' deposit money, transhed the rooms and the gardens, and taken off. So we were forced to cancel the holiday, and only received %50 from Opodo for the flight from London to Mexico City, and nothing back for the internal flight to Los Cabos (also through Opodo). I was misled by Opodo's customer service agent to think that we would receive a %50 refund on both flights, only to be told by email that that wasn't the case. I also had to email Opodo, THREE times to re-confirm that we wanted to cancel the flight tickets. And now our summer will be spent tracking down the owners of the Chile Pepper Inn, and trying to get our money back, and/or suing the hotel company for the full cost of our holiday. (About £1300). Brilliant. What a dream holiday this wasn't! I hope no-one was staying at the Chile Pepper Inn when you decided to wreck it and take off with everyone's money. Whatever you do, DON'T book a hotel unless you know it belongs to the ABTA, or IATA, or do it through your travel agent or you'll surely get burned. The only company who acted responsibly through this ordeal has been Capital One Visa. They've covered us for the hotel, and are tracking down the hotel owners to get compensation for the loss.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Cozumel - Mexico
Iberostar Cozumel - Cozumel
Operator and Date: june 2005
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : 22,19
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was the first time me and my boyfriend had been anywhere exotic and was really excited when we got there. We travelled on the 15th June 05.
FLIGHT: The flight with first choice was second to none, staff were brilliant, so much leg room, films on the plane were great, was a great start to the holiday. Just a long flight and it is hard too sleep on any plane!!
HOTEL: We arrived unaware that the buffet area had burnt down and was still oblivious too this until a couple of days into our holiday, has no problems eating at the the 'new' buffet area though, always polite service, the staff at this hotel were second too none they would help in any way possible.
We has a couple of lizards living in our room the first few nights were not a problem but a few days later i was petrified they would fall on my head in the night, we spent hours trying too catch them on our own, but they are fast buggars!! Rang reception and they sent a guy arond fully kitted up in all white and a big net and caught them which was great!!
FOOD: I am a fussy eater and i found the food too be fine, not as much choice as i would have liked but my fella was in heaven 'all you can eat and dont pay a thing!'
We was quite lucky they only flew to cozumel via manchester at the time and we met5 other couples all around the same age and all lived in around manchester which was brilliant, these guys made our holiday what it was, we went out for a noght out in carlos and charlies for a meal in the main town and then went too senior frogs a nightclub it was brilliant definitely going just to see the difference in how the mexicans have fun, they go all out and nake you laugh so much and are so so friendly it is untrue.
ENTERTAINMENT: the entertainment was hilarious the star friends were brialliant so much fun, got everyone involved, didnt pester if you said no it was fine, we made good friends with the star friends so always joined in, the evening shows were so so funny obviously not a professional show but they put in so much effort and really enjoyed themselves.
There was only three things wrong with this holiday, 1 was the first choice rep, she was french repping in a spanish speaking country and could not speak a word of spanish which did not help when my boyfriend got stopped at immigration and they would not let him fly home (really long story!) she would tell you false information, we were told you could visit any iberostar's in mexico so some people we met over there went across to the mainland spent quite abit on ferry's etc then to get there and get told that was not the case at all. 2. The food was a bit all the same and 3. we went in frog mating season so you can imagine some of the wierd sounds you heard but it got amusing after a while and would stop around 10.30 pm so would not keep you awake.
All in all a brilliant hotel, brilliant excursions, staff amazing, rooms lovely, beach and pool amazing. i am definitely planning on going back in the future. Another hotel i would recommend is the iberostar hacienda dominicus in dom rep, absolutely out of this world, once you go to an iberostar you will never go back!! First choice also gave us a holiday voucher to say sorry about the buffet which was an added bonus as it did not cause that much of a problem!! Definitely recommend!!!
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Iberostar Cozumel - Cozumel
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice-june5th-19th 2005
Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : James coppenhall Lisa coppenhall (35 33)
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
My husband and I arrived at the above hotel with high expectations, the brochure description sounded great and for the last few years we have enjoyed the luxury of 4/ 5 Star all inclusive holidays
On arrival the lobby looked lovely and as we were transported to our accommodation by golf buggy the grounds and palapas roofed huts looked just as we imagined they would- that's where the dream ends and instead of the quiet luxury retreat we were expecting we found Butlins in the sun!!
When we got into our room the first thing we noticed was the revolting strong damp, musty smell. All our clothes became damp and the bed sheets always felt damp. We couldn't get anything dry in the room; some of our things actually have mould on them!!
Also, the air-conditioning unit housed above the bathroom ceiling caused condensation and leaking onto the bathroom floor which was always wet and therefore dirty from walking on it. As you sat on the toilet water from the ceiling dripped on you
Now, usually we wouldn't worry too much about the room- after all you only sleep in it. However, at this place the room was one of the only air-conditioned places on the site so we and many other couples had to retreat to our rooms to cool down so it was a big issue. The rooms to me were 2/ 3 star quality
The next thing is the beach; the brochure description states 'powdery white sands' which is incorrect. We were sold this holiday as a beach holiday and the beach and sea is as important to us as the pool area. Imagine our disappointment when we found the sea to be full of rocks and the 'man made' looking beach area held in place by highly visible sand bags making it impossible to get into the sea except off the jetty. This was really disappointing and something that I feel should be made clear in the brochure description so that people who love the beach and sea could immediately rule out the Iberostar
When we checked into our room we noticed that the block of rooms opposite ours were roofless and looked like they needed work. We asked at reception if building work was planned during our stay and were told that it wasn't so we decided to stay in our allocated room and unpack. Two days into our 'holiday' work started on the block opposite and although it wasn't hugely noisy it was inconvenient, around 15 men turned up each morning between 7-8am to work and were there all day, and this meant that we were never able to sit on our deck or enjoy the view.
On the first day of our holiday we noticed a boarded off area to the side of the lobby. We found out later that this was where the main buffet restaurant had burned down three weeks before our holiday. We weren't informed about this before travel or at the welcome meeting. I strongly feel that First choice should have contacted us before travel to offer us the opportunity to change our hotel due to this change to the expected hotel facilities.
Because of the fire the restaurant next to the pool became the main buffet. It was very crowded, no air- conditioning, mosquitoes, flies on the food, people feeding cats at the table and we often had to queue up at the door to get a table. Eating became a chore not a pleasure and we rushed through meals to try and get somewhere more pleasant and cooler (usually our room!)
In the buffet restaurant during the day the staff didn't enfource the dress rules so people were wrapped in towels or dressed only in bikinis dripping pool water on the food- very appealing!!
I don't know whether it was because of the fire or whether the facilities were so poor anyway, but there was a serious lack of air-conditioned areas at the hotel for eating, drinking or relaxing. To me air- conditioning should be a standard in public areas at a 4/ 5 star hotel. The two specialty restaurants were air-conditioned, but you could only use them twice that's four nights out of 14, although we did find out that some people were slipping the restaurant staff a tip to ensure more nights because they were desperate to get somewhere air-con and away from the 'free for all' of the main restaurant
After 11pm you could go to the steak restaurant which became a 'disco bar' or the Mexican which became a 'bar' in both areas the seating was hard wooden restaurant chairs around tables. Apart from the air-con there was nothing appealing about either area
During the day and in the evening for the 10 nights that we weren't booked into a specialty restaurant there was nowhere air-conditioned to sit. The lobby had fans and was slightly cooler than other areas so this became the main area for people to sit and drink. The chairs were limited and grabbed as soon as one became free; you dare not get up for a drink or to go to the toilet as your chair would be gone!
The theatre had rows of seats cramped in, no air conditioning and was open air so full of mosquitoes. When the show was on at night the temperature in there was unbearable and the longest we managed to watch a show for was about ten minutes, which is a shame because they looked good
My husband likes to play pool in the evening so we always make sure we choose a hotel with a pool table. We could tell that before the fire the pool tables were situated in the rock bar/ disco because the proper pool table lights were on the ceiling. The tables had been moved to one end of the theatre where the lighting was poor so once it became dusk you couldn't play anyway.
Neither I or my husband has ever complained about a holiday before, you always expect some little niggles, but make the best of things. This holiday however was 'one big niggle' and we are so pleased to be home!
One final thing which didn't affect us because we were already aware of it;
It is an offence to remove coral or marine life from the sea at a marine park. When we stayed in Cuba last year the rep made all of the guests aware of this. This should have been mentioned at the welcome meeting as when we reached the airport many people had there luggage opened and checked at check in and people were receiving fines for having coral/ shells in there luggage
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Huatulco - Mexico
Barcelo - Huatulco
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2006
Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Becky & Christian, 31, 28
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We really enjoyed our holiday to Huatulco and would recommend it to anyone seeking a relaxing holiday in Mexico. The reason for lack of reviews by other UK visitors to this area is because our flight was the first UK flight to land at Huatulco and therefore we were the first UK visitors to visit the Barcelo and the 2 other hotels in this area.
Flight with First Choice was fine, although be warned about the very long queues at Check In at Manchester airport - we arrived in good time to check in for our flight yet First Choice have all their flights checking in in the same queue, we therefore ended up queueing for over 1.5 hours - so get there very early or if you can check in the night before. Also on the way home you will need to allow for a few hours hanging around the airport as they search nearly everyones luggage by hand and this takes ages & ages !
The hotel is very clean and well cared for and didn't reflect some of the comments we had read by US/Canadian visitors on tripadvisor who had felt it was shabby. Our room was huge, you could have got 5 adults in our bed !It had a fantastic view over the pool and beach and had a large bathroom. The maid called more than once a day, we had fresh towels daily, fresh fruit in our room, a chilled bottle of champagne on our penultimate night, 2 mini chocolates left on our pillow every evening and the mini bar was restocked daily.
There isn't really anything to do outside of the hotel, apart from the very posh golf course or a couple of small shops across the road from the hotel entrance. It is therefore best to get a taxi (25peso) to La Crucita, where there are shops, restaurants and cafes situated around the main square. There are also cashmachines here - if you want to change travellers cheques you need to go to the bank before 1:00pm.
Evening entertainment in the hotel was pretty good, there were live shows in the Oxaca theatre which is adjacent to the hotel, the shows last about an hour and were based on Broadway, International or Tropical themes. We also went to a very funny casino night and a Mexican Gala evening so all in all this was good. We would have liked some alternative things to do in the evening - such as an outdoor bar area or similar. There are two bars open in the evening, the Jorongo and the main hotel bar but this bar did get pretty busy.
Hotel is busy on weekends when the Mexican families come to stay, in the week the hotel does have conferences taking place and we did find that on a couple of occasions this compromised the service we got, having to queue for 20 mins to get a seat in the restaurant for breakfast.
Pool area is great, nice swim up bar. Beach is very clean. Major downside is that you can't swim in the sea as there was a red, no swimming flag, up every day due to the strong current and largish waves by the shore. We did see people going in to swim but its not recommended and certainly isn't suitable for children.
All in all we had a brilliant holiday, although this was our first all inclusive long haul holiday and some of the more experinced UK long haul holiday makers said it wasn't as good as other hotels they had been to. However, we had a brilliant time and totally relaxed, weather was very hot and everyone we met was very friendly and welcoming.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Barcelo Premium - Huatulco
Operator and Date: first choice august 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : linda douglas hull 45, 40, 10, 7
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
FANTASTIC, second visit to mexico this year, however it was our first visit to the pacific side. Very green lush country. Beautiful hotel, excellent service,great friendly staff predominantly mexican guests few american. Food choice somewhat limited and very mexican orientated rather than american, which was a change to our previous visit to mexico. Would have liked one or two more restaurants to chose from rather than just the two al a carte and the two general ones.
Felt very confident allowing our 10 year old to attend the sporting activities without us, even the 7 year old got more freedom than we anticipated. Entertainment throughout the day BRILLIANT, staff great with guests of all ages, didnt push activities in your face. Rooms clean, smart, well kept. Beach beautiful however waves rather strong thus difficult to swim in if not the most confident swimmer. Water sports great and fun. My childrens first experience at all inclusive and they loved it. GO IT IS FABULOUS.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Crown Pacific Resort - Huatulco
Operator and Date: First Choice - May 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Linda - West Yorkshire (56, 60)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just returned from 2 wonderful weeks at the Crown Pacific Huatulco 15th - 29th May 2007. We got a bargain late deal at half price (£479 each) with First Choice, which for 2 weeks all-inclusive is great value. The flight was barely half full so we could all spread out. My only criticism is that I wish First Choice would provide soft drinks free of charge on longhaul, as it is important to keep up your fluid intake while flying.
We arrived at the hotel and were welcomed with a face towel and drink. The check in was quick and efficient. There were only about 14 of us staying at this hotel, so only needed roughly 7 rooms. We were taken to our rooms by the shuttle bus and our suitcases followed quickly. Our suites were very large and comfortable. Us Brits were all very conveniently put in suites on the 7th level which meant it was only a few steps from back door to swimming pool, bar, and Cielito Lindo restaurant serving continental breakfast, snack lunches and light dinners. We didn't have a fridge, but we could always get an ice bucket from the bar and a cold drink when we wanted one and sit on our terrace with it. In the morning we could get tea or coffee from the restaurant and bring it back to our room or terrace.
It's the best-looking hotel out of the 3 at Tangolunda Beach. It's 3-star, so don't expect luxury, but it has a lovely atmosphere and the staff are so friendly. The grounds have beautiful trees and plants and you can see many iguanas.
There is a shuttle bus running all day round the different levels and on to reception, and also onto the beach club. We never had to wait long and the hotel staff will call for one if you ask. There is also a funicular which although slow does save the walk if it is hot.
Breakfast was always in Restaurant Tamayo on the 2nd level and some nights the buffet dinners were here too. Breakfasts and dinners here are big buffets and lovely food with lots of choice and some food cooked to order. Mexican breakfasts are something else! We also had a la carte here on arrival, which we found to be beautifully presented and lovely food, and service was good and friendly. Lunches every day and dinners most of the week, are at the Beach Club restaurant by the beach. Both are big buffets with loads of choice and some food cooked to order, different food themes each evening and I would like to point out, that all cold food was left on ice. I don't know of anyone that got ill. I have to say that we couldn't fault the service anywhere. The staff was the friendliest I have met anywhere, they were attentive asking if we wanted more drinks every time they passed by, and clearing away our plates whenever necessary, and they like a joke! In fact, we became so friendly with the waiters and waitresses that they hugged us when we left. The entertainment is in the Beach Club restaurant whilst you are eating and the entertainment staff worked very hard. I am not a big fan of entertainment whilst eating, as it is very loud and it was the same shows 2 weeks running, but I think they did their best.
We had 2 problems in our room and both times we told reception and they sent someone immediately to fix it. In fact our blocked toilet got fixed by the time we had breakfast and went back to our suite. Very good service as far as I'm concerned and the reception staff were polite, friendly, and efficient and understood us well.
Lucero runs the bar on the 7th level by the swimming pool. She is excellent and prepares the most wonderful cocktails, speaks good English and is good fun. She actually went to a class to learn how to make different bacardi cocktails while we were there.
There is free internet access in reception - only one computer - but we never had any problem getting on it to send our emails.
The hotel was practically empty so we had no trouble getting drinks, service, etc. However, the Mexican families all come down from Friday to Sunday for a weekend break and then the hotel fills up. There is no problem with this, after all it is their country and they are allowed to go on holiday too. They are the friendliest people with lovely polite children, and if you bother to talk to them and say hola, they love to respond. They like to have a good time and party, but were not overloud in any way.
We never had any trouble getting sunloungers on the beach. However, the sea is rough and the red flag was up most days and one day the black flag too. It is disappointing if you want to go swimming in the sea. My husband likes to snorkel. You have to walk along the beach to the left, to the Gala hotel, where you can go in the water easily and it's not too rough to snorkel. You can also see the fish swimming there and can feed them with bread to see them jump.
Don't book any trips with First Choice because they are too expensive. Also, you can get exactly the same trips with the locals at a fraction of the price and I prefer giving the money to local people. We went into La Crucecita (only £1 in a taxi to the beautiful town) and in the square, or plaza, there is a tourist information booth. The man in the booth sent us to Teresa Lorenzano to book our trips. If you stand in front of the square facing the church, Teresa is down the righthand side of the square, situated in a booth in the front of a shop with tins of paint. She is a lovely lady and we booked all of our trips with her. She made sure that we had an English guide each time and even picked us up one morning to take us to the bay cruise. If you can't find her, ask the Tourist Information man. When some of the others saw that we were going on the same trips but much cheaper, they also went into La Crucecita and booked trips with other agents. They were also very pleased with their trips and service and mostly the lower costs.
We did 4 trips with Teresa. Four of us went on the Crocodiles and Turtles trip. We had a private car with Teresa's brother as our guide, and the trip also included a visit to Zipolite beach and Puerto Angel beach where we had lunch. We passed the First Choice crowd on the lagoon looking for crocs, and they had paid around £40 each including lunch, whereas we paid £50 for 4 of us in our own aircon car with guide. This did not include lunch, but it wasn't expensive anyway. We saw lots of crocs and beautiful birds, and then went onto Mazunte to the turtle aquarium. They have big open tank laboratories at the back where they breed the turtles to preserve them and return them to the sea.
We also did the Waterfalls and Coffee plantation trip, and again we passed the First Choice crowd on the way. We went with a few Mexican people in a car with a guide who translated into English for us. He even made us sit in front so that he could talk to us. This trip was £15 each whereas First Choice was around £38. Also, it was really nice for us having our authentic Mex lunch at the plantation with the Mexican people, who showed us how to eat the food. We also got to visit the Butterfly House, which was really interesting, whereas First Choice people did not.
We went on the 7 bays cruise with snorkelling and a visit to Maguey beach for lunch (not included) at a cost of £7.50 and had a great day out. (First Choice £28!) We were the only English people on the catamaran, but one of the boat staff came and translated everything into English for us. The Mexican people love to party and they were line dancing on the boat to the music. It was great fun.
And Teresa arranged for us to go birdwatching one morning with a guide (£12.50 each, First Choice £25 each). He spoke excellent English and took us to a jungle area near La Bocana at 7 am, and we spent a few hours looking at wonderful birds. He provided binoculars, charts and fruit for breakfast, which we ate at a high point overlooking 2 wonderful bays and the Copalita River.
We visited La Entrega beach ourselves by taxi. This is a lovely beach, great for snorkelling, but try to go in the week when it's quieter. The Mexicans descend on it at the weekend. While we were there we met GilbertoAlegria who told us about his boat for fishing and bay trips. We hired him to take us fishing one morning. It was £50 for 4 hours for just my husband and myself. This was the cheapest price as most of the locals were quoting £80-£100. He was very good and picked us up at our hotel in his brother's old banger and took us to Santa Cruz where we picked up his boat. He provided the rods and bait, and he had a young lad to help him. I just went for the ride, and my husband caught bonita and mahimahi. Gilbert filleted the fish for us and dropped us off right on Tangolunda beach in front of our hotel. We took it straight to the restaurant and they agreed to cook our fish for us for lunch on that day and the next day free of charge. The kitchen not only cooked it to perfection but also presented it on the plate with vegetable flowers and small mounds of rice and it looked wonderful. Needless to say we tipped the cook who had really put a lot of effort into it. She did the same the next day too with a different presentation and it was delicious.
All in all we've had a wonderful holiday. Huatulco is a beautiful place, very safe, wonderful people, and lovely beaches. The Crown Pacific is a really good 3 star hotel. The food was very good and plentiful and drinks were always available. We were well looked after by extremely friendly staff. The other British people that stayed at our hotel were the loveliest bunch and we all got on extremely well. We would definitely recommend this hotel, as it's a lovely place to stay in a beautiful country.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Gala Beach Resort - Huatulco
Operator and Date: First Choice - October 7th 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Eamon O'Hanrahan - Newcastle upon Tyne (48,48,54,56,,57,59,59,60.),
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Our party of 8 flew by First Choice Airways from Manchester and left on time. The flight was excellent with all leather seats with extra leg room, very good on board entertainment and excellent food.We arrives at Huatulco airport and the passage through was very quick. The journey to our hotel took 25 minutes and we wre greeted by staff dressed in traditional costumes and friendly smiling faces. Thr hotel complex was absolutely fantastic. It is 5 star deluxe and the staff are the most friendliest, helpful set of people I have encountered. There is nothing they wouldn't do for you and anything you wanted, be it room service, an iron, extra pillows, it was there in minutes.
The hotel is exceptionally clean and well laid out. Every one of the 5 pools were very clean and the jacussie was wonderfull. The food in all the restraunts was marvelous, with exceptional choice, well presented and always hot. There is a theme night every night ranging from Chines, itaian, mexican, Country, so there is something for everyone.The drinks ere good with branded spirits as small or large as you like, as often as you like. The cocktails were also great. The staff work tremendously hard al day long to provide entertainment and one woould never be bired as there is so much to do daily, or just relax on your sunbed and soak up the hot sun. the staff come around the complex all day serving drinks so you don't have to move to quench your thirst.The shows at night are fabulous and last about 1 hour.The staff are very fit and put so much energi into them. The local town of La Chichechita is a short taxi ride away and costs about £1.10 30 pesos with tip.It is a typical mexican town with plenty of bars, restraunts, banks, shops and a good market. The people are very friendly and you can barter without causing offence.
Overall, all of the party agreed that it was the best holiday we had experienced and we have been to most of the continents in the world. The service, facilities, staff, food, entertainment and everything else was first class and we would not hesitate to go back or recomend it to anyone. In fact we hope to go back within the next two years. Absolutely fabulous.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Mayan Riviera - Mexico
(see also Riviera Maya)
Aventura Spa Palace - Mayan Riviera
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - April 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Darren & Lisa - Bournemouth (26, 25)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just returned from our homeymoon at Aventura Spa Palace. This resort is by far the most amazing place we have ever been to. Fantastic accomodation, great food, brilliant staff.
If only we could afford a holiday like this every year!!
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Aventura Spa Palace - Mayan Riviera
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : richard & louise
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
we had our room broken into and a very expensive camcorder & ipod stolen plus the security was non exsistent! they would not move us rooms after the break in ,or contact the police for help. now . . .apart from all that wsh i still had the camera to remember this amazing holiday - the staff are really nice but if your partner has even a hint of blonde hair then you`ll constantly be stared at & every time you leave her side another waiter or chef is trying to talk to her of offer her food - which becomes ver very annoying after a while , the excursions were ammence especially theatv `s . - the night out we had on my birthday was quite good as you get to meet other holiday makers from other palaces and it was a great night ( waqtch the tequila !!!)
weather was roasting
food was . . . .ok
we paid around 2000 each for this trip
it was worth about 5000 .
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Aventura Spa Palace - Mayan Riviera
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - July 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : A Buckley - Staffs (27,30)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was the most fantastic hotel that we have ever been to and I would highly recommend it to anyone. We went there for our honeymoon and loved every minute.
The Hotel is split into two sides, Aventura side and Spa side (Spa is the quieter side) and there is a bus service that takes you from one side to the other - it is that big. I would definately recommend asking if you can have a room on the aventura side because it is a bit more lively.
The rooms are lovely and big and you have a double jacuzzi and massive shower that you can fit twenty people in - if you wanted to!! I saw on review sites before we went, that the jacuzzis had a horrible brown gunge coming out of the jets, but that is rubbish. True, there is a brown gunge, but it is basically your suntan lotion coming off. If you shower before you get in, it is lovely and clean!!
The spa side is definately quieter, but it is nice in the day for sunbathing. And you have to try the spa facilities which is really nice and relaxing and pure luxury. The food is lovely and there is loads of choice. We had a dodgy tummy a couple of times, but we were sure it was the ice in the drinks.
We loved it so much here that we are going to go back for our first anniversary!!!
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Aventura Spa Palace - Mayan Riviera
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - june 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : maureen, james (21,32)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We came here for our honeymoon and it was fantastic would come back again if we could afford it. Great food with plenty choice. staff very friendly and always ready to help.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Aventura Spa Palace - Mayan Riviera
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - June 2004
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
A fantastic child free hotel (over 18's only) that offers excellent food (steak, meat, fish, pasta, chinese etc), drink (internationally branded) and entertainment.
Rooms were large, clean and have a private jacuzzi. Room service is availiable 24hrs a day for free!
The pool is massive and spotlessly clean. Beach (or lagoon) is ok but beware it does not have proper sand and is full of little sharp stones.
We had a fantastic holiday here and would recommened it to anyone!
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Aventura Spa Palace - Mayan Riviera
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - May 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Sue, Wayne (26, 28)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel was excellent. The rooms were cleaned daily and the hotel staff were very friendly. The food was nice with 7 restaurants to choose from, although the non-airconditioned restaurants did have a few flys. To sum up we would go back here tomorrow if we could afford it.
Book this Hotel Direct Package Holidays Holidays Direct Last Minute
Aventura Spa Palace - Mayan Riviera
Operator and Date: Cresta - August / September 2003
Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : M - 26 and J - 29
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just come back from paradise.
This resort is beautiful and the rooms are great all with double jucuzzis.
When we arrived we had champagne in the large reception and we were taken to our room on a golf buggy. The rooms are lovely and big with walk in showers that are massive and a double jucuzzi in the corner of your room. It was always very clean with towels made in to various shapes each day and your beds turned down at night. The mini bar is restocked every other day and there are optics on the wall. What with wonderful waiter service whereever you are in the hotel you will never go thirsty or hungry. Room service is included 24 hours a day and all food you eat from breakfast to dinner is wonderful and so well presented.
The staff are fantastic and can not do enough for you. They work so hard. This was our honeymoon and I can't wait to return to this hotel. We had a honeymoon night a few nights after we arrived which was spectacular with a champange reception followed by a dinner in the ballroom that had been set up like a wedding reception, we met lots of people and loved visiting all the resturants and bars. Overall I would reccommened anyone to go here. The added bonus of no children was great when you are on your honeymoon. We had two trips included to Chitchen Itza and Tulum and both were great days o