We're looking for a "top rated" all-inclusive resort for our 25th anniversary next May. Our TA talked very highly about the Moon Bay Palace and the brochure/pictures look beautiful but since neither of us has been to Mexico(too many friends/family got sick while vacationing and I doubt my under 12 yr old nieces were drinking) we have NO IDEA what some of the best resorts are. We want to stay around $4000 for the week, with a great pool & plenty of chairs to relax in. Also hoping for good food not just buffets heated under a lamp for hours. A/C is a must since I'm sure it will be hot in mid-May. Thanks in advance for all your help/advice !!

Are you talking about Moon Palace south of Cancun? What areas are you looking for info on?

I think so. The resort is huge, over 2000 rooms, which isn't my idea of a relaxing vacation especially if that means long waits for everything. Still the TA told me that when they went in June the longest wait for dinner was 20 min. and the place is so big you do have room to relax & enjoy being with your spouse.

You really should do some more investigating as to where the top five choices for you to go would be. If you're thinking Riviera Maya from Cuncun to Tulum there are many many choices both AI and nonAI. The Moon Palace would probably be one of my last as would the Mayan Palace (my absolute last). Do you want the high rises or Cancun, the town of Playa Del Carmen, Akumal or Tulum or somewhere isolated on the beach not near a town. How far from the airport do you want to be? Does it matter? Are you planning on taking a package deal or going it on your own? Do you want an all inclusive or a condo or a private home or a small, boutique hotel? The part about getting sick in Mexico is overrated in my opinion. I know a lot of people don't agree with me but when you start eating things that you're either not used to eating or eating more and more at the all inclusives you tend to develop stomach problems. Check out www.locogringo.com, playadelcarmeninfo.com, and www.cancuncare.com for info on the above mentioned places - there is a lot of it and don't hesitate to ask questions here. Good luck!

To be honest yesterday was the 1st time we even considered Mexico. We really like the "all inclusive" resorts as it seems to give us a sense of comfort about not needing to bring lots of money. After doing a little research I know that there are a lot of choices for a "top rated" resort. The TA was just at the Moon Palace in June and couldn't rave about it enough. Great rooms w/jacuzzi, 10 restaurants, multiple bars, HUGE pool, great service they just went on & on. The price was $1500 less than Sandals Royal Bahamain for a 7 day trip plus the flights were shorter. The quote was using Apple Vacations so I'm assuming it's a package deal. What were your dislikes about the Palace Resorts? What were the best features? What made other resorts "superior" in your opinion? The Moon Palace is only 15 min. from the airport according to the TA, is that correct? I'm also concerned about "Montezuma's Revenge" as I can only think of 1 couple who didn't get sick while vacationing in Mexico but NONE of our friends/family has ever stayed at 1 of the 6 Apple Resorts. Also we've never had a problem getting sick while vacationing in Hawaii(twice) or Jamaica(3 times). I'm sure I've opened a can of worms now, but, I only have 1 chance to get this right, so the more info the better!! Thanks again !!

Yes, it is close to the airport on the highway between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. There are resorts dotting the beaches all the way down the coast. If you do go to one of these that are not near a town you will need some sort of transport if you decide to venture out. The Palace resorts are huge and offer very little Mexican flavor. If you like pools and not the beach than that would be a plus for you. The price you were quoted if it was from Apple was for a package deal which would include your transport to the resort. The food issue is one that some people really like the AI's for and others don't. The buffets are typically immense no matter which resort you go to if it's an AI. I've been to several down there and if you're the type of person who likes not worrying about paying for every meal/drink while away then that's a great choice. When my sons were younger (teens) we did AI's with them just so they could eat when they wanted and I didn't have to worry about a huge bill at checkout. But we also stayed close enough to town (PDC) that we could go in for dinner a couple of times too. Now, we don't do that option anymore. We celebrated our 25th last year and rented a condo on the beach in Playa for the week. We wanted to see what it would be like living there and whether it would be a place we wanted to retire to..so now we are waiting for the condo we purchased to be finished. So, we've been where you are now and if you fall in love with the place like we did this won't be your first trip down. In a nutshell - the Palace resorts are just too big, too americanized, too remote and the beaches are not the best for swimming (which is the reason we go there). (The Mayan Palace beach is sandy but the water is all rock and you can't get in without water shoes). The buffets are vast and some of the resorts have wonderful specialty restaurants so you don't have to eat at the buffet every night. Some other resorts that are in Playa or the vicinity are:
RIU resorts - there are six in Playa with the nicest being RIU Palace Mexico and the newest RIU Palace Riviera Maya.
Iberostar - there are two in Playa - the Quetzal and the Tucan. Plus a huge resort further north toward the airport.
Shangri La Caribe and Las Palapas are more laid back.
Mayakoba - brand new
Secrets
Palladium
Mezzanine in Tulum
Azul Blue in Tulum

You have plenty of time to research and ask questions. There are also many smaller hotels that do not have the buffet thing going on (actually the Mezzanine and Azul Blue probably fit into this category).
Sue

Foir an anniversary you might want an adults only AI. Look into Secrets, Royal Hideaway and Royal Porto Royal. The Iberostar is opeing a new adults only AI at the Paraiso Complex. The Iberostar Grand. It will be pricey though.

That should be Royal Porto Real.

I walked past the Iberostar last month (where the Grand will be) and it looked far from finished and there wasn't any work being done?? The Royal Porto Real would be another excellent choice (I think it's too early here.) Right in town and beautiful too. Royal Hideaway may be pricier than they're looking for but what a place! I'd stay there in a heartbeat. So many choices, so little time.

I am going to agree w/colokid the Royal Hideaway would be my only choice to celebrate a special occassion. I personally was planning a trip there w/my husband to celebrate but the hurricane cancelled those plans, from what I hear they are up and running. Check out trip advisor.com. One more thing Although I have heard good and bad things about Moon Palace I would have to tell you the beach is terrible there. Good Luck

agreeing w/ everyone else about the Royal Hideaway. The moon palace is a huge resort on an ugly beach in an area of outstanding beaches, so why go here? If you are in any way picky or used to upscale places, this is not the way to go...

Also check out LeBlanc in Cancun. I've seen it from the outside, it is beautiful, and if I were to go all inclusive on my 25th anniversary, this is the place I'd go.

Royal Hideaway is running just fine. Walked by it on the beach in June and it was beautiful as always.

According to the Royal Hideaway website the price for a room w/king bed was over $5200.00 for a week, the Apple Vacations package to the Moon Palace was under $3600.00 including airfare. That's a huge difference.

well, you know the old saying, you get what you pay for...

Exactly.

Is the "Hideaway" really worth the extra $2500.00? I know this probably seems like comparing apples to oranges but if I book a trip to Sandals Royal Bahamian(I believe it's their TOP RATED resort) the trip would be under $4500.00 including airfare(if we use our returning guests points). Since I've never been to Mexico I don't know how one 6 star resort can be that much better than another. The only negative I seem to hear about is the weedy beach and since the pool is so big at the Moon Palace if I want to swim I'd do that & save the extra $$$. What am I missing? Help me out please !!

If you don't care about a huge resort on an unattractive part of the coast, go for it, go to the moon palace.

What most people go to this part of the world for is the beautiful sand and turquiose ocean. You just won't find it at Moon Palace.

I personally think the Royal Hideaway is overpriced, and you could do much better than an all inclusive. Check out the Mayakoba resort or even the Ritz Carlton, those are top rated resorts, and you asked for a top rated resort.

Most just gave you an honest answer, the Moon Palace is not a top rated resort by any means if you are really looking for that.

If you have to have all inclusive, I strongly recommend you look at the LeBlanc in Cancun. It will be less than Royal Hideaway, and it is the top rated resort in the area on tripadvisor.com

Thanks for the info on the Le Blanc resort I'll definitely ask the TA about a price. One other thing has come to my attention after reading other reviews,... tipping, when we stayed at the Sandals resorts tipping wasn't allowed, we were told that if a staff member took a tip they were fired. Most of the other "all inclusive" resorts mention tipping is expected by most staff members. I don't have a problem with some gratuity but is someone sticking their hand out for everything? Since it's our 25th anniversary I'm going to have to get Mom "in the mood" so I'll be getting her plenty of drinks and I want to know how many tips/dollars this will cost me. I'm surprised that your views on the Moon Palace are so different than our TA's but the beach area isn't reviewed very favorably by anyone it seems. Thanks again for all your help !!

Along with your TA's price, it's always easy to check prices online yourself at expedia, etc. It'll help give you a better idea if you're getting a good price...

I think tipping is expected at most als -- not a lot, but a dollar or two goes a long way. Most of these workers are paid very little and rely on tips for their livelihoods. $2-3 per day for the maid, a dollar for the bartender per drink service and a couple of bucks at dinner will mean a lot more to the people who are serving you than it will to you.
Good luck. I've been married 22 years and if my DH called me "mom" online, I'd kick him.

We're actually GRANDPARENTS, so I could have said Grandma... but with everything she has put up with all these years I deserve more than just 1 kick!! BTW, I know the extra few bucks would mean more to the workers, I just didn't want to get anyone in "trouble" like at Sandals.