Meggsy76

Can anyone offer any suggestions for Resorts in Playa Del Carmen suitable for a family. We are coming from Australia and looking at a week. It will be for later next year. There are so many hotels and so may different reviews for each. We don't want to spend too much more than $280 per night. All inclusive too. Appreciate any suggestions

Meggsy76

thanks for that, i'm concerned now though as we are looking at late sept and this seems to be hurricane season. i don't want to have it rain for us all the time. are there any other beach resorts in mexico that we can see ancient ruins in day trips?

schmerl

There are SOOOOO many all inclusive resorts in that area. Please give us some more information as to what is important to you.
Do you prefer the beach or pool, do you prefer buffets or ala carte dining, do you want activities throughout the day at the resort or a laid back feel, etc.?
Two fantastic family resorts that are in areas that will allow for day trips to ruins are the Iberostar resorts and the Barceló resorts.

jamie99

Maybe Grand Palladium, Barcelo now has a captive dolphin pool so I would not consider that hotel. 4 sections plus an adult only, no reservations for dinner.

Rohelio

It really does not matter which resort you choose, if it's anywhere on the Riviera Maya, you have a wide choice of daily trips for archeological sites such as Tulum, Coba, Muyill, Ek Balam, heck, if you want you can even see Chichen Itza on a daily trip. Most tours leave around 7.00am and back to your resort around 7.00pm. There are also some sites on Cozumel island.

Meggsy76

Again, thankyou for the replies. we definately want to see chichen itza. we would like a nice resort/apartment with a good pool area & beach but thoughts on maybe staying closer in the restaurants so we can try some local dishes rather than buffet style all the time would be great. Should we be concerned about weather that time of year? End Sept with hurricanes?

Rohelio

In that case, you should go to Gran Porto Real in the center of Playa del Carmen on Avenida Constituyentes. It is a family oriented hotel with a private playground for kids and a nice swimming pool besides the bar. It is on the beach and close to dozens upon dozens of restaurants on and around the famous 5th ave. Everything is in walking distance. Not sure of the price as I have never stayed there (we have a condo)but have heard good things about it. Weather prediction in Mexico is about as accurate as any other country... you never know what to expect, but yes, bad weather is quite possible at that time of the year.

chapla

I agree-we've stayed twice at the all inclusive Gran Porto-perfect for a family.I like the fact that there are so many restaurants to choose from.Ask for a room w/ocean view,don't get a room in the back or stuck to the side .The best rooms are in the main building where you check in.I loved that we were not confined to a property but could walk through the town at night-lots of cfun things going on.You can also take the ferry out to the island on one of your days-the ship is very modern which the kids will enjoy!

Christina

Hurricane season is June through October, I believe. Depends on your taste for risk. There are lots of hurricanes or major tropical storms that miss the Yucutan Peninsula, of course (like Cristobal right now which caused flooding in Puerto Rico and then hit the Bahamas and Turks and caicos). The four hurricanes that actually landed in Cancun were all in September and October. But that's only four in a couple decades, so of course, the odds are there won't be one directly there. The last one was Wilma in 2005, although there have been some not far away that caused a lot of major rainfall in that area. 2005 was a terrible year for hurricanes, that was the year of Katrina in New Orleans, also.

Is there some reason you want to go in September? I think November would be safer re weather.

Meggsy76

We have chosen this time of year as we are traveling from Australia for 2 months and mainly visiting the states but thought about a side trip to Mexico. This is the time we can take leave from work. We are now planning to stay in Valladolid for a few nights then head to the beach

Meggsy76

We are now thinking to avoid all inclusive large resorts. Looking at the Acanto condos. Anyone know much about these?

emd3

You have a LOT of options for condos in Playa del Carmen. The one you are looking at is pretty high priced. Just be aware that you can do better on price with the amenities that condo offers, even at a similar location.

Meggsy76

I can get the Acanto for $245 per night. Are there better and cheaper options?

emd3

Yes , there are. You can get oceanfront 2 bedrm with spectacular ocean view fron the terrace at a place like Luna Ecantada. For instance, look at this one on VRBO.

http://www.vrbo.com/95874

I don't own at Luna Encantada! my condo is at Coco beach on the north end of town. But we have looked at several condos at Luna Encantada. It is an excellent complex. A poster on this board, MFCNY, stayed there last yr with her family and loved it.

THAT is luxury oceanfront, for less than Acanto, which is not oceanfront. If you want to look at non-oceanfront luxury properties that are also much less than Acanto, but are still one block from the ocean like Acanto, there are so many les expensive options.

Doca runs about $1000 a wk at end of Sept. for 2 bedrm, with 2 spectacular rooftop pools and amazing 360 degree views of sunrise and sunset and the whole town and ocean. Studio one is a block from CoCo beach at the north end and runs about $1000 total for a two bedrm for a wk. I know both of those blogs ver well as I have looked at UTIs in both of them, and ultimately my husband and I have chosen to buy a condo that is under construction by the same builder as Doca, Studio One, and Deva condos. those are great new condos.

Here is a nice unit at Studio One for $1000 a wk at end of Sept. I looked at this unit when it was for sale just when construction finished last yr.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p996717

there are many other options, do you want more recommendations?

emd3

Sorry for the typos, it's the automatic spell feature on IPad, but I think you can tell what I was saying...

emd3

I am sorry to have to tell you this, but I just realized that Acanto is managed by the group called Encanto. They do the rentals and management of the Acanto condos. I feel like you should be informed about Encanto and their business practices.

A year ago there was a huge scandal with Encanto in Playa del Carmen. Encanto managed the El Faro condos, a luxury oceanfront condo property at 10th St and the ocean. Mt husband and I stayed at El faro on our 1st trip to Playa, although we rented directly from the owner of that El faro condo, not from Encanto, the management company.

A year ago a big fraud situation came to light with Encanto and their management practices at El Faro. Encanto, as the management company for El faro condos, had been illegally taking reservations for condos owned by individuals at El Faro and not telling the owners their condos had been successfully rented--Encanto was pocketing all the rental money instead of paying the owners their share of the rentals.

When the illegal scandal broke open, Encanto cancelled hundreds of people's condo reservations. people who had paid their deposits, and many times their entire vacation rental amt. for their upcoming vacation condos lost all their money and had no place to stay. Some of the owners of Encanto who were perpetuating the illegal activity were put in jail.

There was a long thread on Tripadvisor about this, see here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...n_Peninsu.html

Beware of Encanto. I really thought the company would have been driven out of business after the big El Faro scandal, but apparently they are still in business in Playa del Carmen.

emd3

Here is another online thread about the corruption at Encanto.

http://www.playa.info/playa-del-carm...-deposits.html

And here are postings on a consumer fraud about Encanto's ripoff tactics:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/encant...as-and-1043754

Meggsy76

WOW, emd3, thank you for that information. I will also look at the properties that you have suggested. I feel the Acanto are very pushy as they keep emailing about booking.

Meggsy76

I have emailed a few owners of the condos at Luna Encantada. Thanks so much emd3. Do you have any recommendations for Valladolid. I got a price from Casa Tia Micha for $95 including tax and breakfast. looks like a nice boutique style hotel

emd3

I don't know that hotel. I have stayed in Valladolid 5 times in the past 5 yrs. In that same price range take a look at El Meson de Marquee. It is a really lovely colonial hotel right on the zocalo, but the rooms are off the zocalo and it is large, so its quiet. Beautiful courtyard restaurant. Totally transports you back in time. Rooms are lovely, with hand carved Mayan wood headboards, Mexican tiled bathrooms, very nice.
If you stay somewhere else, be sure to have a late afternoon meal in the courtyard restaurant at El Meson. Very very good food, white tablecloth service (guacamole is made table side for instance), great drinks. The soups are to die for. I want to go back there...

Your condo is going to be very modern in Playa, so El Meson de Marquee in Valldolid could provide you with a colonial Mexico experience that I think every trip to the Yucatan really needs.