My wife and I are going to Cancun next week, and have a few questions for anyone familiar with the area and in particular the Ritz.

1. We'd like to Chichen Itza and Tulum. Recommendations for the best way to do a day trip? Does the Ritz run busses, or are there particular vendors you would recommend?

2. If anyone recalls price ranges for entrees at the various Ritz restaurants, that would be very helpful. We're from Manhattan, so used to fairly high prices, but just want to have a general sense of what the ranges are for the various on-site restaurants.

Thanks!

I am sure the Ritz will have a travel agent available at the hotel...email them directly and ask.
Don't forget to go into the town of Cancun and eat at Las Habichuelas for dinner. A great experience.

Hi!
I just got back from Cancun and stayed at the Ritz and JW Marriott. We rented a Jeep from Executive Car Rental and drove ourselves to Chichen Itza. We had a great time driving on the toll road and through Mexico. The rental was $60 for all except the gas. Chichen Itza was amazing much larger and more impressive than expected, it was completely worth the trip. Other people we knew took a trip to Tulum through the Ritz and American Express travel and were really disappointed. They spent a lot of time traveling to other hotels to pick up people (even a 7-11) and only about an hour at Tulum. It cost them $100 a piece. I've heard similar stories and would recommend renting a car at the Ritz, its really simple. The Cancun roads are fine (not great) but the autopista to Chichen Itza is so easy and makes getting there take only two and half hours (65mph).
Have fun!!

There are three main resturants at the Ritz (and an outdoor lunch spot). We only ate at the one that is open all day which was good, and ranged from $10-$25 for entress and $25 breakfast buffet or about $15 a la carte. The fancier two which are only open for dinner were more in the $35-$50 range. I would also recommend the retuarants at the JW which is a few hotels down at leats as good as the first resturant at the Ritz.

Hello,

1. Take the bus tour to Chichen Itza or Tulum. (Don't think you can do both in one day.) The tour companies are pretty generic, but make SURE you don't pick one that spends half the day going from hotel to hotel picking up people for the tour. That didn't happen to us, but I have heard of it.

2. We have only eaten at the Club Grill (high end) at the RC when we stayed there, so I can't speak for the other restaurants at the hotel, but dinner with wine ran about $450 with tip for three people.

Another time that we went, it was about $250 for the two of us each time. (I'm sure it can be done for less as these were Prix Fixe holiday dinners with wine with each course.)

allyb: How did the Ritz and JW rate against each other.

Hi mgmargate,
My husband and I enjoyed the JW Marriott more than the Ritz. I wrote up a very recent (yesterday) report on trip advisor comparing them. In somewhat of a nutshell, the JW in terms of room, common areas, and pool felt newer, nicer, and better thought out than the Ritz. I think a lot of our opinion had to do with the aspects of the hotel we were the most concerned with enjoying. Our room was larger with a better balcony view and better bathroom at the JW and felt much newer. But the largest difference was at the pool and beach, which is where we spent most of out time. The pools at the JW were beautiful and allowed for a lot of frolicing. The areas was also designed better than the Ritz such that most of the charis at the pool had ocean views. I was turned off by two things at the Ritz. One, I was told I couldn't put up an umbrella during high sun time because the wind would knock it over. The sun is pretty strong in Cancun and for us pale people, shade is pretty much a necessity. They need to provide umbrellas that can withstand the wind (the JW seemed to have no problem). Secondly, there was what I would consider moderate to heavy construction work at the Ritz at the pool/beach area building beach covers. I'm taling chain saws from at least 8 am until noon (perhaps all afternoon).
In addition, I know that most people choose the Ritz for the service, and we felt that we got as good, if not better service at the JW.
All that being said, the Ritz does have two higher end resturants than the Marriott, although we really enjoyed the Mexican one at the Marriott. In addition, the Ritz did have a turtle release one night that was pretty cool.
Ok, this is really no longer a nutshell, but we would both return to the JW and I can't really say the same about the Ritz.