vivianna88

Is there any grocery stores in Cancun hotel zone that we can buy waters/juice/milk or make sandwich on our own? Thanks a million for your help. I am debating an all inclusive or non inclusive package in Christmas.

caribbeanguy

There's little grocery stores, located most in the Plazas: Caracol, Isla, Kukulcan. Depends where you going to stay I can tell you if there's one near your hotel. But not as big as the downtown Cancun "supermarkets", like Wallmart, Sam's, Soriana, Chedraui, etc. To downtown it's like 20 minutes average in the public bus.

Sunnyboy

There are plenty of places to purchase what you want.

vivianna88

Thank you, guys!

We will stay at Hilton. With two kids it's going to be expensive, especially I heard a breakfast in Hilton Cancun is $20/person. So in the Plaza Kukulcan, which I believe the closest to Hilton, is there any grocery store to buy bread,ham,fruit and milk? Thanks million for your reply. Is it worth it to go to downtown Cancun? We do not plan to rent a car. We will stay 7 nights.

1Mandy1

You might want to make the excursion to Sam's or Walmart downtown but will take you about 30 minutes each way by bus from the Hilton. But, you're on vacation so the time spent traveling may not be a problem.

There is a small convenience-type store located directly across the street from the Omni Hotel which is closer to you at the Hilton than going on to Plaza Kukulcan. It would be handy if you need to purchase a few things.

Amparo

If I were you I would seriously consider going AI. With two children you will spend a lot of time running back and forth to grocery stores. Palace hotels are in my opinion a good choice for AI. Beach Palace has a kids club, although you didn't specify their ages. When you go AI you do not have to concern yourself with the cost of each meal and you can eat as much or as little as you like. Consider the cost of cokes and snacks at the pool every day. It can add up to hundreds of dollars in a week. It may not seem so, but AI is by far more economical than EP. As parents you will have a far better vacation, because when your kids ask for something you won't have to say no. In most places a small coke is 3 US dollars. If you would like more info feel free to e-mail me.

Ryberg

"It may not seem so, but AI is by far more economical than EP."

This commonly held view is contradicted by various threads here and elsewhere, actually, and even before getting into the crucial issue of the quality (or lack thereof) of food and drinks at many AI resorts.

Steve

Dee3

Plaza Kukulcan is a shopping mall very similiar to American malls minus the large anchor stores. Clothing, jewelry, perfume, souveniers, restaurants and the like. There is a small drugstore that sells snack type foods in the mall but not milk, bread, lunchmeat that you're looking for. Last we were in Cancun, July, the mall was under major re-construction so many of the stores and the food court were closed. There are many small convenience type stores along Kukulcan Blvd but your best bet is downtown at the Walmart or Sam's Club. You can get into Sam's Club with your American Sam's Club card. Does the Hilton have room refrigerators and/or microwaves?

Ryberg

Sorry, I think "dispute" would have been a better choice of words than "contradict" in my comment above about the belief that AIs are cheaper.

And to substantiate what I was saying, this link

http://playadelcarmeninfo.com/playa-...ead.php?t=5147

is an example of one such thread. Note in particular post #6 from user denisea, a repeat visitor very well versed in the situation here in Playa del Carmen, at least, who writes

"We've stayed at both AIs and hotels. Our experience has been that we save money when staying at hotels as opposed to AIs. Our AI trips including all incidentals (i.e. airport parking, cat sitting, etc.) have ranged from $1500-2000 per person as opposed to $1000-$1400 per person staying in hotels."

Hope that's a little more helpful!

Steve

mgmargate

Hotels make a fortune off of people who believe the myth that meal plans are cheaper than pay as you go.

Ryberg

"Hotels make a fortune off of people who believe the myth that meal plans are cheaper than pay as you go."

You may be right, mgmargate! Reminds me of a story I heard from the owners of a hotel in the zona hotelera in Cancun when they switched to the AI system. They said that they receive a lot of groups going AI and that their plan was very simple:

days 1 & 2 after arrival: prepare twice as much food as should otherwise be needed for the number of guests in question

days 3 & 4: prepare the normal amount you would anticipate for such a number of guests

days 5 & beyond: prepare nothing in advance, only to order

They said it was very obvious that after 3-4 days of all you can eat, no one wanted anything anymore. Yet these were groups staying at least 7 nights and typically more like 10-12 nights. And again, this does not address any question of quality of typical AI food v quality in a restaurant, or the question of experiencing the local cuisine and options.

Steve

Amparo

Aren't AI's in hotels? The pros and cons are a matter of opinion and ones experience. I contend they are economical. As to the quality or lack of, that depends on where you go. Traveling with two children and concerned about expense, of course AI id the way to go.

RobertSDF

To me, its just a matter of personal choice. I don't like all inclusives because I prefer to sample the local restaurants and food--and in Cancun, as in any part of the world, you can dine cheaply or go to very expensive restaurants. Never a matter of price to me--just a matter of personal preference. (As to buying what you need, you will find most any food item you want in the large supermarkets of Cancun)

Ryberg

"Traveling with two children and concerned about expense, of course AI id the way to go."

Well I think if you check that link I posted previously or search for other such links on various boards or ask around, you'll see that this is also a matter of opinion, or of the people involved in the particular case, rather than a generalizable, objective fact.

As a small, quick example, a family that is very active and goes on a lot of tours or activities during the day is obviously going to benefit less from having all their food and drink included, since they won't even be at the hotel on many meal occasions to take advantage of that. And of course there are many other variables that could effect this, too, such as children who simply don't eat much, those who are picky eaters, parents who restrict the flow of sodas, sweets, junk food, etc more than others, those on vegetarian or other more specialized diets, those who nevertheless like to go out and eat for dinner, those who don't drink or don't drink in quantity, and on and on. When you start to factor in such variables for each case, and especially when you consider that most regular hotels include breakfast with lodging, wiping out 1/3 of your meals right there, well I don't think there's any way to say that AI is obviously more economical across the board.

From what I can see, AIs can often be a cheaper way to go not because of having children with you or the food/drink situation or any of that, but because of the otherwise unrelated fact they are often large resorts which work with large tour operators and offer airfare + lodging packages that are hard to beat in terms of price when compared with small/independent hotels and airfare purchased separately. As with the food situation, this doesn't mean they are necessarily the way to go, either, as you may sacrifice the kind of quality or attention you would like. But it may mean they are cheaper in the long run.

Steve

Ryberg

Not trying to beat a dead horse, here, but an interesting discussion on this same topic has recently broken out at

http://mytravelboard4.com/playa/posts/69481.html

as well. Quite a variety of comments to consider.

Steve