NEED INPUT on Honeymoon in Mexico

[dcgator]

Hey Ladies,

I know a lot of you have been talking about honeymooning in Mexico, but I couldn''t remember all the places you were talking about. Could anyone out there give me some feedback or does anyone know about the "Excellance" Resorts in the Riviera Maya (close to Cancun)? I am about to book a SWEET deal, but I just want to make sure it is what I hope it will be...

Thanks for your help

 

[dcgator]

Anybody...echo...echo...

 

[NovemberBride]

Dcgator,

DH and I went to the Excellence in Riviera Maya for our anniversary back in October. We absolutely loved it. I was very wary of going to an all-inclusive and chose the Excellence after lots of research (DH really wanted to go to an all-inclusive). The food was better than I expected and the service was top-notch. The one caveat I would tell you is that its not the kind of place where you are going to leave the resort (unless you are going to Cancun, which is a ways away). There''s not much else around, and it''s not in a location where you could walk off the resort. That said, we were perfectly happy to stay on the resort the whole time. I am happy to answer any questions you might have.

 

[dcgator]

Hey November,

Thanks for the feedback. First off, I LOVE the puggle, too cute. Second, were you referring to the Excellence Riviera Cancun or the Excellence Playa Mujeres? We are thinking of going to the Riviera Cancun, so if that was what you were talking about, cool!

Other questions if we are talking about the same place:
1. Did you stay in the club level rooms?
2. Was it worth it?
3. Was it very crowded or did it feel like it?
4. Any other helpful advice?

Thanks so much!

 

[buttercup80]

We took our honeymoon at the Excellence Playa Mujeres and absolutely loved it! I know you''re looking at the Riviera Cancun one, but at least I can vouch for the company... we were VERY pleased.

 

[tlh]

I''ve been to many resorts in Playa Del Carmen. They are all relatively nice. They sometimes seem too good to be true.. but- I''ve never been disappointed. Often w/ new resprts and the competition for the tourist dollar... and you get a lot of bang for your buck. I think you''ll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[NovemberBride]

Date: 4/7/2009 12:06:31 PM
Author: dcgator
Hey November,

Thanks for the feedback. First off, I LOVE the puggle, too cute. Second, were you referring to the Excellence Riviera Cancun or the Excellence Playa Mujeres? We are thinking of going to the Riviera Cancun, so if that was what you were talking about, cool!

Other questions if we are talking about the same place:
1. Did you stay in the club level rooms?
2. Was it worth it?
3. Was it very crowded or did it feel like it?
4. Any other helpful advice?

Thanks so much!

Dcgator,

Thanks, I love our little guy. Yes, I was refering to the Excellence Riviera Cancun (it''s actualy in Riviera Maya, not Cancun). But I have heard great things about Playa Mujeres too.

1. We did not stay in the club level rooms. If it was my honeymoon I probably would have, but since it was our first anniversary and we splurged on our honeymoon the year before, we were trying not to go overboard. However,

2. Are the club level rooms worth it? I don''t know. The service we received was impeccable and our room was gorgeous. From the reviews I read, I am not sure that there is much difference. I know that one pool is reserved for club level guests, but honestly, there are so many pools that wouldn''t make a difference. And it wasn''t even a main pool, we only saw it one day when we walked around the whole property. If I had more money to spend, I would probably have spent it on an ocean front room instead (although our spa/pool view room had a lovely view of the pools and landscaped gardens.)

3. It was not crowded at all. We had no problem getting seats by the bars or reservations for dinner.

4. Other advice - I say go for it! I have been recommending the Excellence Resorts to everyone I know since I got back. And for comparison, I am a very picky traveler and usually only stay at 4 or 5 star resorts. We stayed at the Four Seasons Maui on our honeymoon, and although Excellence wasn''t quite on that level, it came very close and was about 1/4 the price! One thing to know is that most of the restaurants are formal and don''t allow flip-flops or shorts. I was glad I read that ahead of time since my DH was planning to bring shorts and polo shirts only. The polos are fine, but you need long pants for most restaurants. I would also highly recommend the spa. DH and I had a couples massage on the beach at sunset. It''s done under a shaded hut and at the end the bring you champagne and strawberries - so romantic! My DH is not normally the spa type and he even admitted it was awesome. Also, when you book a spa service you go early and use the water circuit, which is like a version fo teh Roman baths. We''d never done anythign like it and it was cool.

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

Depends what you are looking for .. if you are looking for something secluded and romantic I would recommend Cabos san Lucas or Manzanillo (Las Hadas), if you want a party place Mayan Riviera is great.

 

[NovemberBride]

Date: 4/7/2009 8:59:24 PM
Author: ilovethiswebsite
Depends what you are looking for .. if you are looking for something secluded and romantic I would recommend Cabos san Lucas or Manzanillo (Las Hadas), if you want a party place Mayan Riviera is great.

I am going to have to disagree with this comment, based on my experience at Excellence. It is not a party resort at all. It''s couples only and over 18 only. It was mostly honeymooners and couples celebrating their anniversary. No loud music by the pool, shot girls, etc. There may be party hotels in the Mayan Riviera, but Excellence is not one of them.

 

[ash313]

I can''t speak to the resort, DC, but could you fill me in on where you got the sweet deal?? I am honeymoon-browsing myself and always looking for good deals!

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

Date: 4/7/2009 9:03:06 PM
Author: NovemberBride

Date: 4/7/2009 8:59:24 PM

Author: ilovethiswebsite

Depends what you are looking for .. if you are looking for something secluded and romantic I would recommend Cabos san Lucas or Manzanillo (Las Hadas), if you want a party place Mayan Riviera is great.

I am going to have to disagree with this comment, based on my experience at Excellence. It is not a party resort at all. It''s couples only and over 18 only. It was mostly honeymooners and couples celebrating their anniversary. No loud music by the pool, shot girls, etc. There may be party hotels in the Mayan Riviera, but Excellence is not one of them.

OOPS I was commenting on honeymoon destinations in Mexico and not on the Excellence hotel chain in particular! I think I read the OP too quickly! Please disregard my post.

 

[pan_manda]

Date: 4/7/2009 9:21:32 PM
Author: leeNY
I can''t speak to the resort, DC, but could you fill me in on where you got the sweet deal?? I am honeymoon-browsing myself and always looking for good deals!

Ditto!!!

 

[blueyes157]

OMG! I had just to chime in, dh and I just got back from our honeymoon (March 23- March 31) in the Riviera Maya... GORGEOUS! We stayed at the Iberostar Tucan, all inclusive, private beach etc. We booked it through Apple Vacations an online site, although they had a rep at the airport and hotel, so we didn''t feel stranded once our credit card was charged. (I could go on and on about them! wonderful).

If you got a great deal I would say go for it, but wherever you stay, definitely a romantic place for a honeymoon. We also did an excursion through AlllTOURrnative to Coba to visit Maya ruins, kayaking, repelling, zip lining through the jungle, hiking & eating a wonderful lunch made by the local Mayan woman. What resort are you looking at?!

 

[dcgator]

Date: 4/7/2009 10:29:55 PM
Author: pan_manda

Date: 4/7/2009 9:21:32 PM
Author: leeNY
I can''t speak to the resort, DC, but could you fill me in on where you got the sweet deal?? I am honeymoon-browsing myself and always looking for good deals!

Ditto!!!

Lee and Pan_Manda: I actually found the rate through a travel agent, and I wasn''t able to find anything near that cheap online, so I would use them if you were going to do it. The deal they got was sub $1700 for 2 for the hotel''s base room (garden view), and still under $2000 for the ocean view or swim-up. The rate for the club room was about $2100. All the rates were for 6 nights in June. Considering that is all inclusive, including liquor and such, and transfers to the hotels, it was an Awesome deal. Flights are also super cheap to Mexico right now, but I think we are using miles. If you want the details for the travel agent we used, just let me know.

November: Thanks for all tips, I really do appreciate it! We did decide to go with the Club room, so I hope its worth it, lol.

Blueyes: I love the quote, too funny

. Thanks also for the tour operator. I know the FI is looking to do stuff like that, so I will look into it.