Help me pick a beach destination in Mexico!
 

Hi:

I'm trying to plan a trip for next May and I'd like to go to the Riviera Maya area of Mexico. I know that this topic area has been widely discussed on this board, but I still cannot seem to find the destination that would satisfy our primary needs.

We would like to go for about 5 nights. My focus is on Isla Mujeres, Tulum, Akumal, and the high end hotels in Cancun (JW Marriott, Ritz, and Le Meridien). I can't seem to find a smaller place that has as nice of rooms as we like.

We like:

1) Nice beaches with no rocky beach, difficult swimming problem
2) Good restaurants preferably at the hotel where we wouldn't have to worry about getting sick
3) More upscale rooms
4) A spa

Basically we want Le Meridien to be transplan

Sorry I didn't finish before it accidentally was posted...

We want Le Meridien to be transplanted to a beautiful beach in the smaller areas surrounding Cancun. Or, would Cancun be appropriate for the list I provided?

We don't want to spend a fortune; preferably about $2000-2200 for hotel and airfare for five nights.

Please help me Mexico experts. Thanks in advance!

ok here is my suggestion Try Riviera Maya try Royal Hideaway it is Adults Only and all inclusive but upscale as all inclusives can go try trip advisor.com Don't worry about the beach erosion seems like it's fine once you get there. I don't think this is small place but I am going in March of 2006 with 2 other couples and am so looking forward to the upscale look that this place has and I don't think any all inclusive can compare to the reviews I have read. try trip advisor.com and read the reviews.

Hi,

I am a travel consultant, and for my clients with similar requests, I recommend the Escencia, Ikal Del Mar, Paraiso de la Bonita and especially, the Maroma.

Paraiso de la Bonita's spa is one of the first spas in Mexico to offer Thalassotherapy. It is beachfront onto a private beach and the suites overlook the Caribbean - some even have their own plunge pools!

The Maroma's spa theme is Mayan and brings in the four elements of earth, water, fire and air! The Maroma beach is white sand and the service, hospitality and privary are exquisite.

Best Regards,
Julia

Well with regard to the beach, I wish I had a buck for every time I've posted this -- I'd be a guy with a lot of bucks! -- but there's absolutely no way of knowing in June of 2005 what the beach will be like in May of 2006 at any particular place. In fact there's no way of knowing in April of 2006 what the beach will be like in May of 2006 at any particular place. You might as well try to pinpoint which day of your stay you're most likely to get rain and the plan your schedule accordingly. Beaches change all the time, sometimes gradually over a period of days or weeks, sometimes suddenly -- literally overnight -- and sometimes in one area, sometimes in another. I see this here all the time.

Given this I would suggest you focus on your points 2-4, as they all have to do with the lodging and facilities, which can safely be assumed to be relatively constant.

Steve

The Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya will be open by then.

I would love to go to Maroma, but we don't want to spend that much money ($2000-2200 budget for airfare and hotel). Ditto for Paraisa de la Bonita on the money. Ikel del Mar gets trashed on Tripadvisor for its rocky beach. I've never heard of Escencia but I'll look into that.

I've been interested in Royal Hideaway, but is it doable on our budget? I saw that they have auctions on Luxury Link; has anyone tried/been successful with the auctions? If not, what is the cheapest I could hope to get RH for in May 2006?

I was looking for exactly the same things you were! How about Hotel Secreto in Isla Mujeres? We would've seriously considered this hotel but it is closed for renovations in the next 6 months. Look on Trip Advisor and their own website.. you may like it!

We gave up our search and are staying at Le Meridien next month. Good luck!

That's funny! I love Hotel Secreto's website. However, I've read on Tripadvisor that their beach is extremely rocky. I understand that beach erosion happens, but if a beach is rocky naturally the weather changes will not have an affect on the rockiness.

I'm scared of Cancun, but I've heard that Le Meridien and the Ritz are much quieter due to their location and the upscale nature of the hotels. I'm finding great deals on Le Meridien and it gets excellent reviews so we'll probably go with that. The Riviera Maya area looks enticing, but the beach problems will be too much for my husband and I.

I think LeMeridien has everything you're looking for. It is a very pretty hotel, with a beautiful pool, and a fantastic beach. And if you venture out of the hotel zone, into downtown Cancun, there are some really good restaurants.
Have a great time!

I was really scared of the idea of Cancun too (I have never been to Cancun or anwhere in Mexico for that matter).. people rave about Riveria Maya and it sounded so enticing.

I was very disappointed in not being able to find a place in PDC that met our needs. We WERE considering Shangri-La Caribe but because we are going in July the mosquitos and lack of AC steered us away. We were willing to go more rustic for the better location... Maybe May would be better?? Though it doesn't meet a lot of your requirements.

However, if you are only going for 5 days, can I assume you want to mostly sit by the pool/beach and go to the spa? Then maybe Cancun won't be that bad.. If you want to see ruins in Tulum/Coba/Chichen Itza and other activities, maybe staying in PDC would make more sense and you would have to give up some of that luxury.

Anyways, sorry for going on and on - this is what we talked thru ourselves just a few weeks ago. I can post my thoughts about Cancun and Le Meridien when I get back. If you have specific things you want me to look for, just let me know.

The new Fairmont Riviera Maya will also be open then. It is going to be in a huge resort community with two golf courses and several upscale hotels. The Fairmont will be the first to open, supposed to open in November 05.

Thanks for all of your help. Pegg: Since it's only five days, we will probably be at the beach, pool, and spa the majority of the time. I agree with your thoughts.

I'll research the new Fairmont too.

Thanks!

I would look at Any Y Jose (beach front cottage!) and Azulik in Tulum. Both have spas.

Or...Al Cielo in Xpu-ha. Not sure if there is a spa.

You can find more info at differentworld.com and locogringo.com.

pepper:

thanks for the suggestions. I've looked at Ana y Jose, et al, but unfortunately I'm a baby and need AC. They do look fantastic though!

mah...

Don't be a baby ;)...the ceiling fans are substantial - even in August, which is when we go.

Al Cielo has even more powerful floor fans. Azulik has no electricity - so no fans.

I think whether or not you need a/c in May depends on the individual. It can be hot and humid, so I don't think I'd chance it with no a/c.
Did you research the Riu Palace Mexico in Playacar (down from the RH, but beach is good)? Some others that are recommended are the Palladium and Iberostar Paraiso Lindo or Maya. Check out Locogringo for lodging. They have excellent information.

I must be a baby -- I need a/c in August! It's HOT!

p.s. IMHO -- the high end hotels in Cancun (Ritz, JW, LeMeridien and Grand Aqua) are a definite step above even the Riu Palace or Iberostars.

Unfortunately, I have to have the AC at 70 degrees all summer here in Louisiana. I don't want to risk ruining a vacation by being miserably hot.

The Als seem overwhelming to me. It does appear that the Riu Palace chain and Iberostars are the nicest, of course, not nicer than Royal Hideaway (too much money), but I don't like how many rooms they have. I really like Ceiba del Mar, but tripadvisor reviews and pics indicate they have a lot of seaweed at their beach. I know I'm being picky, but I don't want to sacrifice on the beach quality because after all that is one of the primary reasons we go to tropical places.

If we were planning on going for more than 5 nights, I would definitely try to find something a little more off the beaten path. But for the length of time that we can get away I think Le Meridien would be good. However, I looked at the website for the Fairmont hotel that is about to open and it looks great. It's a little more than we'd like to spend ($300+) due to the fact that we have about a million weddings to attend across the country in the upcoming fall and spring, but I joined the Fairmont members club and they may have some specials for the summer months.

Has anyone heard anything specific about the new Fairmont? The pictures look impressive and the style of the rooms looks like the Four Seasons in CR. Here's the address: www.fairmont.com/mayakoba/. It's supposed to open in Nov. 2005, so maybe some Fodorites will come back and post trip reports for us!