Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Looking for recent information on Melia Caribe Tropical

We were just there last April. It was an overall pleasant and relaxing resort. Very large and carefully maintained property, lush vegetation, some few exotic birds. Beautiful sandy beach, where seaweed is removed daily to make the shore waters clean for swimmers. 2 Grill style buffet restaurants off the beach make lunch a no-fuss affair with a t-shirt or a wrap over the bathing suit, sandy feet and all. Most gorgeous pools I have ever seen, surrounded by palm trees, and with the views of the ocean. Generally good food, except for the Chinese restaurant (but that's an opinion of a discriminating diner, with near proximity to all the choices that New York has to offer). We actually walked out (which we have never done before !) and went to a buffet restaurant instead. Staff is pleasant, although 95% don't know even numbers from 1 to 10 in English. This makes getting information an adventure every time. Many water sports are available at the beach, but do not rely on assistance of the staff on the beach as they do not speak any English. The Dive center is an exception, they do offer a certification program, and staff is multilingual and very knowledgeable. Some drawbacks: No transportation is available between Caribe and Tropical, making the walk slippery and treacherous especially during the rainy season. Also, both evening shows - one at Caribe and the other at Tropical -don't start until 10:15 PM. One suggestion would be to have one show that is more appropriate for families to start at 8:30 or 9 PM, and the other at 10:15-10:30. This would make the evening more pleasant for the early diners, families with children, or those who are not entertained solely by the all-inclusive drinks. If you are traveling with children, do prepare them for topless beaches.<BR>