katyhotr

My husband and I have never been to Mexico and are thinking of going to Cancun the end of September. Can anyone recommend a great hotel with a great location so we don't have to rent a car. We love the beach and fine dining. Night life isn't a priority. Any restaurant recommendations would be appreciated also. Thanks

Little_Man

go on over to tripadvisor.com (oh, and don't forget to check fodors own hotel info ~!).
The JW Marriott is wonderful. Don't be afraid to take the buses, they're cheap, fun and easy.
I think the big fave among restaurants is Las Habichuelas. Really great, and again, check out fodors Cancun restaurant info. Have a fantastic time, hope the weather is good for you.

ONZGO

If nightlife insn't a priority, I wouldn't consider Cancun too much as it is party central and very Americanized/commercialized, but go a little further south to the Mayan Riviera area where there are some wonderful resorts. Check out the hotels/resorts near Playa del Carmen area or even further south to Puerto Adventurous.

Dee3

I disagree with Onzgo. Cancun fits the bill for katyhotr as it has beautiful beaches, fine dining, and a great (inexpensive) bus system so you don't need a rental car. Nightlife exists, but if you stay at the right place, the clubs are another world and will not adversely affect your vacation at all. Riviera Maya, admittedly more "Mexican" in feel, has predominantly all-inclusive resorts, the beaches are not always as nice as those in Cancun, and you need a rental car. The best beach location hotels in Cancun IMO are those on the mid-Caribbean side to include the JW Marriott, the Ritz Carlton, Le Meridian, the Hilton, and the Royal Resorts (not necessarily in that order). All are very upscale, quiet, and certainly not "party central".

Little_Man

Dee is right on the money! Some of the all-inclusive resorts between Cancun and Playa del Carmen are just huge (long walk to beach) and a little isolated.
There's a lot to do in Cancun, or nothing to do if you want. Visit downtown for some very good restaurants!

ONZGO

Some of beaches on the hotel strip in Cancun can have a red flags up quite often to warn people not to go into the ocean because of the danger it can present. The Barcelo Maya resort in the Mayan Riviera is on a private almost 2 mile long cove with on site snorkeling that is known as one of the best in the area. The ocean is usually calm to gentle waves. It has two huge beautiful swimming pools with swim up bars.

Check out this private non-profit website for more information and don't forget to check out the sticky post at top of discussion forum for links to people's vacation pictures of the resort, beach and area.

http://www.unofficial-barcelo-maya.com/

Lots of other wonderful resorts in the area as well.

Have a great vacation.

Littletex

I agree that katyhotr should stick to Cancun for her first introduction to Mexico. It is Mexico's top resort destination for a reason - beautiful hotels, fabulous beaches, good food, lots of entertainment, cheap transportion, lots of nightlife, etc. It is also a very expensive city compared to other Mexican cities, so she should be prepared.

If you go to Cancun, don't forget to go to Isla Mujeres for snorkeling, shopping and a day of beach fun. We like to rent a golf cart ($40/day) and tour the entire island. There is a great snorkeling site right next door to El Garrafon National Park that costs a fraction of the cost of El Garrafon, and is not overrun with people on paid tours. It is located at a small hotel exactly next door to the park, so you can't miss it. They rent snorkeling equipment in case you didn't bring your own, and also have a small snack restaurant that sells great guacamole, sandwiches, and beer.

If katyhotr and her husband enjoy Cancun, they can always branch out on their next trip, and stay in a less developed location.

Dee3

Red flags do occur occasionally on Cancun's Caribbean side beaches. Much is dependent on the time of day, time of year, and other weather conditions. Personally I prefer waves over a flat sea. When not jumping/diving in the waves, I love the sound! Previously referring to the Riviera Maya beaches as not as nice as those in Cancun I meant that some RM's beaches are unswimmable due to the large amount of water based plant growth and rocks. The mid-Caribbean side of Cancun's beach is soft, white, flour textured sand that is always cool temperatured on the feet. The water is crystal clear in that turquoise to purple hue, no plant life, no rocks, relatively no fish swimming annoyingly by your feet. IMO the ideal beach! Katyhotr needs to do some research (try tripadvisor.com) to find her own ideal beach. I thought Littletex's advise/comments were good!

CFW

Dee, Any restaurant recommendations. Definately want to try La Habichuela. Any others? We're staying at the Hilton in a beach front villa, because we wanted relative quiet & we liked the idea of being in a villa rather than a high rise. Have heard the swimming is not good there, though, because of the rocks, but thought there must be a part of the beach that is accessible there. Will we be disappointed?

Dee3

You will not be disappointed in the Hilton. The hotel is beautiful, the architecture and the lobby are very pleasing. The pools are many and the beach is of the white sand. It's a large hotel with a golf course across the street. As for restaurants in Cancun, there are many for every budget and taste. Some of our favorites nearby the Hilton are the Captain's Cove, kind of across the street and Laguna Grill not too far north of Captain's Cove. Both are on the lagoon and offer good food, reasonable prices and beautiful sunset views. One of our particular favorites is La Pacquita, a small Mexican restaurant, also on the lagoon, across from the Royal Sands. They have musicians who will play at your table. Very nice but the food, once ordered, is brought to table very slowly, in "Mexican time"! Kind of a colorful place, undiscovered, in a small strip mall. At the Royal Sands is the Hacienda Sisal which is very elegant, very attentive wait staff, gourmet food and not terribly priced. My teenage kids, steak lovers, enjoy our annual dinner (expensive, huge portions) at the Argentine Steakhouse further down Kuchletan (sp!) Blvd. La Distilleria has mixed reviews and I thought the Columbus lobster dinner cruise was a disappointment and not worth the money. A dinner at the likes of Senor Frogs, Carlos and Charlies, et al is "interesting" for the Cancun "experience" but the food is absolutely horrible, the atmosphere loud and party-like, and the overall feeling unclean. The best in that genre is Margaritaville which is a chain, but a clean, fun place, and the food is good. I hear Parillos (sp?) downtown is a fun restaurant. As previously said, there are many restaurants in Cancun, these are only a few. Check out a guidebook to see for your price range and taste.

CFW

Dee, Thanks for all the suggestions. Can you tell me about the beach at the Hilton? Will we be able to swim there or is it too rocky? Also weather -- we're going at the end of November.

LuvMaine

We always stay at the Royal resorts, which are next to the Hilton; the beach is just fine, and you can always walk down the beach for miles til you find what you want. You don't need a car; there's a very inexpensive bus which runs all along the hotel zone into Old Cancun. I don't care for the Captain's Cove restaurant as mentioned above, but we do like Laguna Grill very much as well as LaHueblechuela (spelling?). I think the restaurant that Dee is thinking of is Perico's in the old part of Cancun; I suppose everyone should go there once; it's not my thing though. The dining rooms at the Ritz and the Meridien are also excellent. Cancun can be as restful or as wild and crazy as you want it to be; that's one of the nice things about it.

Dee3

Sorry, CFW, but can't help you this time. Have never been in Cancun in late November and like LuvMaine we always stay at the Royals which, like she said, are right next to the Hilton. We have stayed at the JW, however. We have travelled to Cancun 7 (?) times in the summer and the Riviera Maya once in April.

lindafromNJ

My husband and I did a first trip to Cancun and stayed at the Fiesta Americana Coral Beach.
We went in Oct. and beleive or not their was a hurricane. Even with the hurricane the ocean was not rough where we were. It is on the caribbean side kind of at the point and it was calm. The hotel was beautiful. It is so easy to get around by bus. We are not nightlife people so you can find it if you want it but the Fiesta Americana is more for adults and quiet. The pool is beautiful and the restaurants are quite good.

mikeinfwtx

Try Mango Tango , if you want a dinner show while you are eating!! Fun.
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Enjoy an award winning, spectacular night of Latino & Caribbean music, dance and stage acts filled with surprises. Nightly, a dazzling array of Caribbean and Latino festivities are presented under the stars in the exotic world of “Mango Tango”, a local hot-spot for over 10 years. Mango Tango is a truly Cancun-flavored experience with a staff of seventeen entertainers, a red-hot latino fiesta and the tastiest seafood and fine cuts of meat with a Caribbean touch. Due to its magnificent lagoon-side location and excellent facilities, Mango Tango is the ideal place to enjoy a perfect night.




Dinner & Show & Fiesta Latino- Caribbean




Seafood and Steaks




6 PM to 1 AM.




Address: Blvd. Kukulcan KM 14,2


Hotel Zone, Cancún




Telephone: (998) 8-850303

mikeinfwtx

I also like ..Playa Del Carmen. Mamitas Beach club and Tucan Beach Club, for the best beach around. In Cancun, Delfines Beach is fantastic.

http://www.cancun.bz/cancun_beaches.htm

pmuzzy17

bookmarking

didina

My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Cancun. We stayed at the Westin Regina and it was GORGEOUS. It's a quiet hotel out the madness downtown and right on the beach. Should you choose to go downtown it's not that far, but you also get your solitude and relaxation. We took a bus tour to Chichenitza, which I recommend renting a car so you can leave or stay as long as you like. There is so much to do hear beyond clubbing and being wasted. I highly recommend Cancun as the water is clear and gorgeous! Another option you may want to try is the Mexican Riviera. Like Playa del Carmen, Toulum, etc... Those towns give you a more authentic Mexico. Either way you are going to love it!

Have fun!

denisec

Mango Tango has not reopened after after Hurrican Wilma and will reopen under a completely new concept in the new future. Some of my really favorite Restaurants in Cancun are: Puerto Madero-Argintinan Steak House WOW! Cenacolo-Italian, El Mortero-Mexican shows and food great! I actually live and work in Cancun for 5 years now and I believe you will really enjoy The Hilton and you will love the beaches here. As stated previously transportation is very easy and cheap.