maisey13

Hi...my husband and I planning our first trip to Mexico (luxury, beach, snorkle). We were looking into Punta Mita and Los Cabos first, but have heard so much about Playa de Carmen and snorkeling at Xcaret now that we are checking it out too.

We have never stayed at an all inclusive. From the reviews at tripadvisor we are really impressed with the Royal Hideaway! So, we are thinking about a trip in June.

My question relates to booking through a travel agency/online travel company. On past vacations, we have always book through the hotel. It seems like in this area, and with AI's, you book through a travel company. I know there are tons... like expedia, hotels, classic vacations, five star alliance, etc. Any recommendations? Or more importantly, any to AVOID? We already have airfaire, just looking for the room package and transportation to/from the resort.
Thanks for your help!!!
Maisey

psully

Any replies to this? We're wondering the same thing.

Stewbear

Get quotes both ways then decide. I normally find I do better working directly with the hotel but there are exceptions.

nfahey

I own a timeshare w/ Occidental and have access to the Royal Hideaway. If you are interested in renting from me at a much better price than you can find anywhere online feel free to email me at nfahey at verizon dot com and put "Royal Hideaway" in the subject line.

rickandpat

Based on recommendation on this forum, we used travel-center.com. We did save money, no problem at the resort. This is the most luxurious AI we've ever been to, with really good food. But there's no snorkeling right there.

eileen

Hi, I have been to both the Four Seasons Punta Mita and Royal Hideaway. While I enjoyed Royal Hideaway (booked through Liberty Travel) FS Punta Mita was on another level altogether, I encourage you to try it sometime. It is our all-time favorite resort and we've been to quite a few. And the scenery in Punta Mita is just spectacular. Royal Hideaway is a very pretty resort and the food was wonderful. It's very upscale for an AI. What I didn't like was the fact that most rooms did not have an ocean view and the beach was small and crowded. That area of PDC is one huge AI resort after another so it's not quite the getaway feel on the beach that I like. But the quiet pools at the resort are nice. There are a lot of other luxury options in the PDC area now -- Maroma, Ikal del Mar, Paraiso Del Bonita etc. you may want to check those out too. Royal Hideaway is almost always fully booked so there are not too many deals to be had but found Liberty Travel got us a bit off the rack rates and transfers. Also, if you want an ocean view make sure you purchase that category as there are only a few rooms and an on-site upgrade is almost impossible to get. A good website to check out is www.differentworld.com lots of great info about Mexican resorts.

Little_Man

I agree with Eileen. I've also stayed at Punta Mita, and it's a great resort. I wouldn't go to the RH just because it does seem so crowded, and I'm not the type to get up early just to try to find a chair by the pool or beach. The Riviera Maya is a great area though.

jeanniep

If you enjoy golf, Conde Nast Traveler just ranked the Four Seasons, Punta Mita #1 golf resort in the world. The rankings are in the June 2006 issue. Even if you don't golf, the resort scored 100 in accommodations and also a 100 in service. My husband and I recently purchased fractional ownership at the resort and will be renting it in 2007. My email is [email protected] if you have any questions. Good luck with your vacation plans!

colokid

I just walked past RH on the beach last week and did see plenty of chairs/beds available in the middle of the day. Their beach has been a bit compromised but the resort itself looked beautiful.

mchealing

Hi!
I just booked a great deal with CheapCaribbean.com - will be staying at the Iberostar Tucan which was highly recommended by Tripadvisor.com.
Cheapcaribbean had a great package price and I could not have done anywhere near as good if I had booked directly through the hotel. Actually, would have cost me more than $500 more if book separately.
Hope this helps.