Riviera Maya - where would YOU stay?
 

Hello, I'm hoping someone on this board can help us out,

My husband and I are planning a trip to Riviera Maya in early December, flying into Cancun's airport. We have done a lot of research on this board and elsewhere, and we are really stuck when it comes to lodging as we don't have any personal acquaintances who have visited this area. So many great options exist - and so we're hoping you can help us!

What we are looking for:

1. Beautiful beachfront resort with oceanfront rooms. Don't need a plunge pool or huge suite - but would like some modern amenities. I'll be five months pregnant, so a nice comfortable bed and nice bathroom would be nice.

2. Day-trip options to Tulum, Xcaret, Coba, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve and possibly Chicen Itza, though I know that is a bit further than the rest. The options don't have to be provided by the hotel - but we don't want to end up paying exorbitant prices because we picked a hotel that is too "remote".

3. Access to a town - i.e. Playa de Carmen so that we don't have to eat all our meals at the hotel

4. Great "perks" - i.e. welcome drink, breakfast included...complimentary food when lounging on the beach...afternoon tea. Obviously, this is not a make or break point - but we have found these touches have really made our past vacations extra special. :)

We have narrowed our hotel list down to the following:

1. Maroma - seems beautiful, almost out-of-this-world. Concerns: the Garden Room is in our budget - but have read that these rooms are old/small. Also, seems to be pricy if you want to take day trips due to location of hotel.

2. Esencia - Seems beautiful. No concerns but haven't read many reviews about it.

3. The Tides Riviera Maya. - seems beautiful, and newer than Maroma and seems to have a good location. Concerns: The price is a concern - a little above our budget - is it worth it over the other choices within our budget? Also doesn't seem to have as many dining options as the rest.

4. Paraiso de la Bonita Resort & Thalasso - We have read that the beach for this hotel may not be as nice as the others.

5. Fairmont Mayokoba - This hotel seems very unique with the canals and jungle setting. Concerns: Is this hotel too remote? We want to be able to go into a "town" for dinners, etc - and I'm not sure where we would do that here.

Thank you all in advance! Really appreciate your help - especially if you have stayed at one, or more, of these places :).

Take a look at Secrets Capri. Just outside of Playa Del Carmen - about 5 miles north. Has a nice Spa and small gym. It is AI but you can still go into Playa for a few meals. They have oceanfront rooms.

The Tides is closest to PDC, but they don't really have beachfront rooms - more of a narrow strip into the jungle and the beach is rocky.

Paraiso's beach is seagrassy and is clser to Puerto Morelos than PDC.

Maroma has a great beach, but you will be slightly isolated.

Don't know much about the Fairmont, but I believe it's closer to PM as well.

Best bet would be Esencia - gorgeous beach (Xpu-Ha). A couple of restaurants nearby - Al Cielo and Cafe del Mar.

Haven't been to any of those hotels, but I would suggest looking at The Royal Playa del Carmen. It's an adult only beachfront AI resort with fabulous rooms (all suites) within walking distance to 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen. We stayed there in Sept. and really enjoyed the hotel and it's location. We thought the food and service was very good. The price was not so over the top as some AI resorts. We've been to several AI's including Sandals and The Royal has them all beat.

We went to Xel-Ha and Tulum. On a previous trip we went to Xcaret and At Tun Chen. We enjoyed Xcaret over Xel-Ha more things to see and do including the really great Mayan ballgame and the nightshow. We booked a tour to Tulum and Ak Tun Chen. We took a cab from our hotel to Xcaret and Xel-Ha. Cab fare was kinda pricey, but everything in that area is quite spread out.

to help plan your excursions take a look at the 'trip research' section of www.locogringo.com
also on the lower left of the home page is "riviera maya map: aerials" for example this one shows maroma's beach - http://www.locogringo.com/maps/tour/161a-t.html
you can see that the area is a good swimming beach.
once you're into the maps you can click the single set of arrows to move up/down the coast.

Contact www.edventuretours.com They will set up a custome excursion for you. Tell them what you want, and they'll make arrangements and take you all over.

Thanks so much for all the opinions/advice. Our main concern is still lodging, actually, we are not quite as worried about excursions(yet).

I am looking into some of the hotels mentioned in the replies, however, I would still love to hear from people who have stayed at any of the following and who might have an expert opinion about which one of these best fits our specs(in the original entry).

1. Maroma

2. Esencia

3. The Tides Riviera Maya

4. Paraiso de la Bonita Resort & Thalasso

5. Fairmont Mayokoba

Thank you again!

i have not been to any of these resorts. if you type maroma or maroma resort or escencia into the search box a few reports show up. (nothing comes up under the others). these might help you decide. otherwise you might repost with a list of the choices, as your original title is broad. can i assume you've looked at trip advisosr?

If you go to www.tripadvisor.com and research all those hotels you'll get several reviews and consumer pictures.

Thanks everyone. We have been looking on trip advisor - but we were hoping to get some advice from people who many have stayed at multiple properties and could offer a comparison. Virginia, thanks for the advice about reposting.

Since you've read the tripadvisor reviews of esencia, you know that the reviews have gotten progressively better since the place opened up a few years ago. They look rather encouraging. Of the places you've mentioned esencia is the one I'd choose primarily for the beach.

tripadvisor had a very active Riviera Maya Forum. It helped me choose Excellence Playa Mujeres for my spring trip and we are spending a few days at a private Casita at El Dorado Royale for our anniversary in three weeks.

LeBlanc met the criteria as well except for its location on the strip. One of our requirments (besides no bracelets and wanting sit down dining for all meals) was NO kids so we chose accordingly.

1. Maroma - I simply love Maroma they do not have tv in the room however and some people can not do this. It is a small paradise. It is about 20 min to Playa del Carmen. The rooms are very nice as well as the rest of the hotel and thier beach was rated #1 on discovery channel.

2. Esencia - do not know anything about it either and I live here in Cancun and work in tourism and am in the other hotels listed on a regular basis.

3. The Tides Riviera Maya. - Definetley overpriced.

4. Paraiso de la Bonita Resort & Thalasso - The Hotel is simply out of this work but, yes the beach is farther north so it has more sea grass on the beaches and is very close to the reef so you do not get the bright caribbean blue color.

5. Fairmont Mayokoba - This hotel is simply huge. You can not see the beach from the lobby. It is about a 30min walk to get to the beach. They have major problems with service. They also are supposed to have golf carts and the boats running full time as transfers on the resort they are very unreliable and if the hotel is full very difficult to transfer all of the people.

The Fairmont Mayakoba is really beautiful, I've visited it,but rooms beachfront, or close to it, are more expensive. It is convenient to both Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Maroma sounds pretty wonderful...even the garden rooms, though I haven't been there.

If I were you, and staying at any of these places, I'd rent a car. Driving around this area is very simple, and unless you both hate to drive, will make your trip more enjoyable and less expensive.

If you want to stay right in town and on the beach in Playa del Carmen, the nicest place to stay looks to be Luna Encantada Condos. (you can find them on locogringo.com)

I think the Secrets Capri is a great place if you look for a big hotel.
Also the El Dorado Seaside is a great hotel something like 30 km away from Playa but really worth.
My personal unfavorite is the Las Palaps http://www.divemex.net/html/palapaen.html in the center of Playa. It is not that huge AI resort and for sure not fancy, but great hotel area and right on the beach. It is how it should look everywhere in Playa.

If you want small and boutique then its the Maroma. Simply outstanding, from service to food to the hundreds of candles that light up the resort pathways every night. One of the best such beach side small hotels in the world. Only downside is its a bit of a distance from PDC, likely 20 mins in a car. If you are leaving in the next two weeks, certainly not high season, you likely have a good chance of being upgraded.

If you want big, and not all-inclusive, then it should be the Fairmont. It is brand new, the grounds are outstanding, many pools, waterways, a good beach and the rooms are modern, large and top notch. The service we experienced was great. Yes, its large but that's also a plus. Grabbing a bike (deposited all over the resort and there for anyone to use) and biking to the beach is much fun. If you want an "ocean front" experience, the casistas on the beach have pvt plunge pools and butlers, though those are very expensive. Time to downtown PDC is about 10 mins, and its an easy drive.

If you rent a car at Cancun airport these two resorts are both well under an hour's drive on a modern, good, well-marked highway.

Have fun.

PS
If you have the time, make sure you visit Dr. Taco in PDC for some outstanding and cheap shrimp tacos. A small, not fancy place but its well known and memorable.

Yes, we can only tell you where we stayed at Luna Encatada. Their website and all photos on vrbo are very clever and nice but it is noisy and dirty. The bed matress were very old. The kitchen drawers and utensils very dirty. The beach at this location is very skinny and rocky. Very dirty and there is a brand new disco next door that pounds the loudest thumping euromusic not starting until about 11pm and going 'til 5am every night but Sunday and Monday. The phone and internet service rarely worked.

I worked for many high end hotels over the years and stayed at many condos but this one was not worth it. There are many nicer places in Playa.