Small luxery hotel with kids..?
 

We are planning are first family trip to Mexico with our kids (ages 3 & 5) and I am having a hard time making decisions on where to stay. We want to go somewhere along the Yucatan Peninsula and have confirmed airline reservations into the Cancun airport (but we do not want to stay in Cancun). We don't want a hugh all-inclusive hotel and would prefer a small/luxery resort on a perfect beach with an authentic Mexican town close by. Nightlife isn't important to us on this trip, but we wan't to be close by restaurants, shops and activities. Does such a place exist that will accept kids? In my research I have come across many such places, but they are all adult-only. To get a sense of what we are looking for, our absolute favorite hotel in Mexico is the Casa Que Canta in Zihautenjo. Please offer any suggestions.
Thanks!

This is a hard one -- the best small luxury hotels are adults only - Maroma, Ikal del Mar, etc. Maybe Ceiba del Mar accepts kids (but not a perfect beach).

Take a look at the new Iberostar Maya (but it's huge and all inclusive).
You might like Villa Rolandi on Isla Mujeres (but not a great beach), or take a look at the JW Marriott or Ritz Carlton (great beach, worth a look even though they're in Cancun and big hotels).

Or check out villas in Akumal on locogringo.com.

Have a great time!

"...small/luxery resort on a perfect beach with an authentic Mexican town close by"

Difficult to know just what you want, there, as people can display widely varying opinions on what constitutes "small" and "luxury" in hotels, "perfect" in terms of a beach (is there such a thing?) and "authentic" in terms of the locale. Moreover on the beach point, that can change without warning for the better or worse, just as the weather can, as it's all a part of the weather cycle and other natural cycles.

Maybe if you gave an idea of how many rooms is big, what other hotels you consider to be luxury hotels (bigger name ones, perhaps), what kind of beach you really want, which (other) towns you think are authentic (Cancun certainly wouldn't strike me that way, for example). Even how near a town you want to be (walking distance? drive in under 10 mins? drive in under 30 mins?). Might be easier to give more suggestions then.

Steve

I think the kids thing is the problem. The kinds of places you mention are designed as retreats for people who don't want to be around other people's 3 and 5 year olds. Maybe you will need to rethink your expectations.

Check out the Albatross Royale in Playa del Carmen. A very nice, small hotel right on the nicest part of the Playa beach.

I have your place - Omni Puerto Aventuras. PA is an upscale marina community south of Playa del Carmen (that is, little more than an hour south of Cancun). Most resorts south of Cancun are either huge or adults-only, but Omni PA is small, very nice, on a nice beach with calm swimming water, and kids are allowed. You can go all-inclusive or not. It's never very crowded. The back (or front? the non-beach side) is a few steps, literally, from the marina where there's a good selection of shops, restaurants, and a grocery store or two. You can swim with the dolphins in the marina, too, right by the Omni. The rooms are spacious. There's a hot tub on each balcony (it's been a couple years since I was there - might want to make sure they're still functional). You can rent a car or book tours to explore the area. There's a lot to do close by PA, such as the Mayan ruins and the Xel-Ha and Xcaret eco-amusement-water parks, and it's only 15 minutes from Playa del Carmen, a terrific local Mexican town. But the hotel and community are quiet, peaceful, and idyllic. I loved it there!

This is a tough one...we have kids too. I really like Ana y Jose in Tulum. Shangri-La in PDC might work out. Al Cielo in Xpu-Ha has one room with 2 beds; this may be your best bet.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! The Omni Puerto Aventuras looks great, I'll see if I can book for my dates (Dec 26-31, 05). I have tried both the Shangri-La and Las Palapas in PDC and they are already booked. I am also thinking about Isla Mujeres, it seems to be a great place for young kids.

FRIENDS OF OURS STAYED AT REEF COCO BEACH IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN AND LOVED IT. 10 MIN. WALK TO TOWN AND GREAT BEACH. A SMALL (200 ROOMS) BUT ALL-INCLUSIVE