Riviere Maya Suggestions
Nov 4th, 2008, 09:09 AM
#22
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We stayed at the Barcelo Maya, south of Playa del Carmen. It is actually 3 resorts in one. There is:
Beach/Caribe (low end)
Tropical/Colonial (middle)
Palace (high end)
You can choose the one that fits your budget even though all are very nice.
Beach/Caribe (low end)
Tropical/Colonial (middle)
Palace (high end)
You can choose the one that fits your budget even though all are very nice.
Nov 4th, 2008, 08:25 PM
#23
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Our TA recommended the Valentin Imperial Maya for our next trip. The price is not bad at all, and the property looks great-wonderful beach huge pool, great rooms... you should check it out looks better than some other properties listed here...
Nov 4th, 2008, 10:58 PM
#24
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My sons and I stayed at the Barcelo Tropical last Dec. and it was great! Great food, pools, activities, rooms...beach was a little rocky...but other than that we really enjoyed it. Good luck. I also got help from Locogringo.
Nov 11th, 2008, 02:47 AM
#25
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http://www.unofficial-barcelo-maya.com/site/
Go to the above site to look at pics, read trip reports, post questions, etc regarding Barcelo resorts. We have stayed at Colonial/Tropical twice & loved it!! We picked because of the beautiful long stretch of beach with wade in snorkeling which was perfect even for small kids. We are all dying to go back. Love to try someplace new but can't imagine anywhere as perfect for our needs.
Go to the above site to look at pics, read trip reports, post questions, etc regarding Barcelo resorts. We have stayed at Colonial/Tropical twice & loved it!! We picked because of the beautiful long stretch of beach with wade in snorkeling which was perfect even for small kids. We are all dying to go back. Love to try someplace new but can't imagine anywhere as perfect for our needs.
Nov 13th, 2008, 09:25 AM
#26
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I agree with some of the other posts for staying at the Iberostar in Riveria Maya. I was there last May and it is huge and really nice. Although I didn't stay there (I went for just a day) to Royal Haciendas which is part of my time share company. The Iberostar certainly stood out. My husband golfed there and he said it was unbelivable. Lots of restuarants and if you are looking for all-inclusive this is the place to go.
Nov 19th, 2008, 06:24 AM
#27
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I have been to the Barcelo resort 6 times and have stayed at the older part, Beach/Caribe once, Colonial/Tropical twice, and Maya Palace twice. The rooms at the Palace are the nicest but the Colonial are fine too. This resort is huge. If you stay at Palace you can eat, drink, swim wherever you like and I highly recommend this resort. It is close to Tulum and Paraiso Beach which are must dos but do it on your own thru a taxi service (cheaper less wasted time). Go to the unofficialbarcel.com website.
I have stayed at Iberostar Tucan/Quetzal twice and the new Iberostar Paraiso Lindo once. We liked these as well but the beach at Tucan/Quetzal is still pretty eroded and did not think the food was as good as Paraiso Lindo. However the pools and guest areas at Paraiso Lindo are stunning and have a wave pool and lazy river.
I have stayed at Iberostar Tucan/Quetzal twice and the new Iberostar Paraiso Lindo once. We liked these as well but the beach at Tucan/Quetzal is still pretty eroded and did not think the food was as good as Paraiso Lindo. However the pools and guest areas at Paraiso Lindo are stunning and have a wave pool and lazy river.
Jan 7th, 2009, 02:29 PM
#29
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Ok guys we're still planning. We've narrowed it down to Barcelo Mayo Colonial/Tropical, Iberostar Paraiso Lindo, and Secrets Capri Riviera. Any help as to what the key differences between them are? I know Secrets Capri is smaller and quieter, but it got rave reviews on Trip Advisor so I wanted to keep it in the mix.
We're going to be booking in the next couple days/week, so any recommendations you could give would be great!
We're going to be booking in the next couple days/week, so any recommendations you could give would be great!
Jan 7th, 2009, 04:16 PM
#30
They are all great resorts.
Secrets Capri is adults only with ala carte dining every night and no dinner reservations necessary. The beach is not the best.
The IB Pariaso Lindo is a family resort with ala carte dining every night and a concierge to make your reservations. BIG beach, great pools.
The Barcelo is a family resort VERY big Good beach with snorkeling right from the beach. I believe you will not have ala carte dinners every night, but not sure how many you get.
Secrets Capri would be the most quiet since it's adults oly and probably has the best food.
You can't really go wrong with any of the three.
Secrets Capri is adults only with ala carte dining every night and no dinner reservations necessary. The beach is not the best.
The IB Pariaso Lindo is a family resort with ala carte dining every night and a concierge to make your reservations. BIG beach, great pools.
The Barcelo is a family resort VERY big Good beach with snorkeling right from the beach. I believe you will not have ala carte dinners every night, but not sure how many you get.
Secrets Capri would be the most quiet since it's adults oly and probably has the best food.
You can't really go wrong with any of the three.
Jan 7th, 2009, 06:19 PM
#31
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We really enjoyed Secrets Capri. It is farther away from the town. The beach is rocky to swim but nice to walk along.
I love to eat outside on a beach and this wasn't really an option. The closest option was the pretty seafood place with balcony on beach. Our fave restaurant there was the Italian.
I loved that they were a la carte restaurants as I'm not a buffet person. I'm fine with breakfast buffets and it's fantastic there. The best part about it was we lived in our bathing suits until dinner. So utterly relaxing and decadent.
I usually do non-AI however and would gladly steer you away if you wish.
Secrets has a new resort on Maroma beach which is closer to Puerto Morelos I believe. The beach there is supposed to be really beautiful.
Barcelo gets consistently great reviews and if you want night life and fun but beach not as quiet, the Royal right in PDC is popular.
I would also lean towards adult only or at least adult only pools.
Trish
I love to eat outside on a beach and this wasn't really an option. The closest option was the pretty seafood place with balcony on beach. Our fave restaurant there was the Italian.
I loved that they were a la carte restaurants as I'm not a buffet person. I'm fine with breakfast buffets and it's fantastic there. The best part about it was we lived in our bathing suits until dinner. So utterly relaxing and decadent.
I usually do non-AI however and would gladly steer you away if you wish.
Secrets has a new resort on Maroma beach which is closer to Puerto Morelos I believe. The beach there is supposed to be really beautiful.
Barcelo gets consistently great reviews and if you want night life and fun but beach not as quiet, the Royal right in PDC is popular.
I would also lean towards adult only or at least adult only pools.
Trish
Jan 8th, 2009, 07:39 AM
#32
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Hello! I am also looking into a trip to Riviera Maya in Feb time, just for an extra long weekend. I am hoping you could help me with some suggestions!
It will be me and my boyfriend traveling, we are 27 & 25 yrs. We like nice places but nice has meant an older crowd and stuffiness. We don't really like to party, and we don't love huge crowds (like Atlantis) we don't love tons of kids running around, a few are ok though, but we like it kinda laid back. I have been to Cancun twice - but I'm looking for something different for this trip.
Also, been to Caneel & Little Dix (beautiful but too much of an older crowd feel) we loved Yost Van Dyke. (A sandals resort looks intriguing for the atmosphere)..
So I guess we are looking for a great beach and beautiful place to stay but laid back- is the water warm here? We like clear warm water, snorkeling is a plus, but not necessary. We really want to do an AI just to have some fun with it. We also want something not too too far from the Cancun airport since it will be a short trip. So should we do Riviera Maya, Tulum, and resort suggestions? Or anyone suggest any other locations in Caribbean? (we are coming from Boston)
I really appreciate your input!! Thanks
It will be me and my boyfriend traveling, we are 27 & 25 yrs. We like nice places but nice has meant an older crowd and stuffiness. We don't really like to party, and we don't love huge crowds (like Atlantis) we don't love tons of kids running around, a few are ok though, but we like it kinda laid back. I have been to Cancun twice - but I'm looking for something different for this trip.
Also, been to Caneel & Little Dix (beautiful but too much of an older crowd feel) we loved Yost Van Dyke. (A sandals resort looks intriguing for the atmosphere)..
So I guess we are looking for a great beach and beautiful place to stay but laid back- is the water warm here? We like clear warm water, snorkeling is a plus, but not necessary. We really want to do an AI just to have some fun with it. We also want something not too too far from the Cancun airport since it will be a short trip. So should we do Riviera Maya, Tulum, and resort suggestions? Or anyone suggest any other locations in Caribbean? (we are coming from Boston)
I really appreciate your input!! Thanks
Jan 12th, 2009, 02:45 PM
#33
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Thank you guys for your responses.
Schmerl, I look forward to your response on the other post. Thanks for being so helpful!
Trish, were you not able to swim in the water at all? We are leaning towards Secrets as of now due to the rave reviews I've been reading everywhere. I've read mixed reviews on Barcelo. I've read great beach, not good food, and not as comfortable rooms. Let me know if you know differently. Secrets Maroma and Royal PDC were a little more than we wanted to spend. We've found some great deals on Secrets Capri.
Sarah Rae, you'll have to wait for more responses from people who have been there. Questions I can answer from my research though, snorkeling definitely. I've been told you can snorkel off the beach at Barcelo Maya, and there are also many different excursions and snorkeling trips you can take from anywhere. Not sure about water temp. Tulum and Akumal are quieter from what I've read, but farther south from the Cancun airport. You might want to look into Secrets Capri as I've read it's pretty quiet and laidback, adults only, and only 35 min from the airport because it's north of PDC. (most of the others are south) Everyone else fill in I've given any incorrect information!
Schmerl, I look forward to your response on the other post. Thanks for being so helpful!
Trish, were you not able to swim in the water at all? We are leaning towards Secrets as of now due to the rave reviews I've been reading everywhere. I've read mixed reviews on Barcelo. I've read great beach, not good food, and not as comfortable rooms. Let me know if you know differently. Secrets Maroma and Royal PDC were a little more than we wanted to spend. We've found some great deals on Secrets Capri.
Sarah Rae, you'll have to wait for more responses from people who have been there. Questions I can answer from my research though, snorkeling definitely. I've been told you can snorkel off the beach at Barcelo Maya, and there are also many different excursions and snorkeling trips you can take from anywhere. Not sure about water temp. Tulum and Akumal are quieter from what I've read, but farther south from the Cancun airport. You might want to look into Secrets Capri as I've read it's pretty quiet and laidback, adults only, and only 35 min from the airport because it's north of PDC. (most of the others are south) Everyone else fill in I've given any incorrect information!
Jan 12th, 2009, 03:47 PM
#34
w351,
You will be fine with the Capri. Yes. Secrets Maroma is on a beach that is a bit nicer, but Capri is fine. They sometimes have "murky" water that is not as blue as some other places, but it's fine for swimming. On some days the water there is clear and beautiful.
If Secrets Maroma is out of your price range, don't worry about it. The Capriu is great. You will have a great time.
You will be fine with the Capri. Yes. Secrets Maroma is on a beach that is a bit nicer, but Capri is fine. They sometimes have "murky" water that is not as blue as some other places, but it's fine for swimming. On some days the water there is clear and beautiful.
If Secrets Maroma is out of your price range, don't worry about it. The Capriu is great. You will have a great time.
Jan 12th, 2009, 03:51 PM
#35
SarahRae,
I belive I've responded to some of your other posts. The more quiet areas with great snorkeling off the beach (Akumal, Tulum, etc) are much further from the Cancun airport.
We've been in the Riviera Maya at the end of December and the ocean water temp was fine for swimming. The pools were a bit cool.
Look into the Iberostar Paraiso complex which is about 25 minutes from the airport.
You don't say what type of budget you have. If you are able to go for a bundle...check out Secrets Maroma.\
You may also want to look into the Royal Playa del Carmen which is right in the town of Playa and is also adults only.
I belive I've responded to some of your other posts. The more quiet areas with great snorkeling off the beach (Akumal, Tulum, etc) are much further from the Cancun airport.
We've been in the Riviera Maya at the end of December and the ocean water temp was fine for swimming. The pools were a bit cool.
Look into the Iberostar Paraiso complex which is about 25 minutes from the airport.
You don't say what type of budget you have. If you are able to go for a bundle...check out Secrets Maroma.\
You may also want to look into the Royal Playa del Carmen which is right in the town of Playa and is also adults only.
Jan 14th, 2009, 04:59 PM
#38
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Hi Schmerl,
Thank you so much for your advice! I am undecided between Royal Playa Del Carmen and Secrets Maroma..The Secrets Maroma seems a little closer to the airport and a much better beach, but it is also more expensive and seems like the hotel may not be as exotic as the Royal Playa Del Carmen? The Royal is also closer to the town, which may give us more to do...I am going back and forth on these 2! Does anyone have any advice that may be a deal breaker? Also, is it possible to walk along the beach from Royal Playa to Secrets Maroma beach? I would really love to see this beautiful beach everyone talks about, but I'm not sure I'll love the hotel part of it
Thank you so much for your advice! I am undecided between Royal Playa Del Carmen and Secrets Maroma..The Secrets Maroma seems a little closer to the airport and a much better beach, but it is also more expensive and seems like the hotel may not be as exotic as the Royal Playa Del Carmen? The Royal is also closer to the town, which may give us more to do...I am going back and forth on these 2! Does anyone have any advice that may be a deal breaker? Also, is it possible to walk along the beach from Royal Playa to Secrets Maroma beach? I would really love to see this beautiful beach everyone talks about, but I'm not sure I'll love the hotel part of it
Jan 14th, 2009, 05:26 PM
#39
Sarah0807
,
The Royal PDC and Secrets Maroma are both fantastic resorts.
Secrets is newer and I would think a bit more quiet than the Royal (not that the Royal is wild).
Secrets is basically on it's own beach. They Royal is right in the town of Playa. The beaches in Mexico are all public, so the beach at the Royal can be a bit crowded at times.
It would be auite a LONG hike to walk the beach from the Royal to Secrets Maroma.
YOu can't really go wrong with either one.
Have you read trip reports on these resorts on Trip Advisor? They both get great reviews.
If you want to venture into teh town of Playa, then stay at the Royal for convenience. If you want to veg out at a gorgeous resort with a fantastic beach, then go to Secrets Maromoa.
As I said, you can't go wrong with either one.
Enjoy!!!
,
The Royal PDC and Secrets Maroma are both fantastic resorts.
Secrets is newer and I would think a bit more quiet than the Royal (not that the Royal is wild).
Secrets is basically on it's own beach. They Royal is right in the town of Playa. The beaches in Mexico are all public, so the beach at the Royal can be a bit crowded at times.
It would be auite a LONG hike to walk the beach from the Royal to Secrets Maroma.
YOu can't really go wrong with either one.
Have you read trip reports on these resorts on Trip Advisor? They both get great reviews.
If you want to venture into teh town of Playa, then stay at the Royal for convenience. If you want to veg out at a gorgeous resort with a fantastic beach, then go to Secrets Maromoa.
As I said, you can't go wrong with either one.
Enjoy!!!
Jan 14th, 2009, 05:29 PM
#40
When I said it would be a long hike from the Royal to Secrets I didn't mean that you could actually walk it. It is about a twenty minute ride from Secrets Maroma to Playa, so that would not be a good walk in the heat.I'm not sure of the distance,and I also don't think beach conditions would allow walking the entire way as theere has been some bad erosion in the Playacar area.
