Cancun, Mexico

[Pushead2]

Chiefs-Planet travelers:

Has anyone been recently? I'm looking to book a 4-day extended weekend for my girlfriend's birthday and looking for tips on the best hotels (all inclusive would be nice). I work for an airline so I don't have to worry about paying for that so it allows me to splurge a little more on the hotel.

[kepp]

I head gringos are getting kidnapped in Mexico these days.

[ptlyon]

Do you work for air Malaysia?

[Rasputin]

I've been to Cabo San-Lucas I don't think much different?

Bring some extra NFL hats with you & sell them/Profit.

[Lonewolf Ed]

I wish I could help, but I was in Cancun back in 1986, so... sorry.

[Boise_Chief]

There are several gourmet all inclusive resorts I highly recommend them I'll try to remember the name of the resort we stayed at

[Beef Supreme]

Look into all-inclusive deals in Playa del Carmen as well. It's about a 30-40 minute ride south of Cancun.

[Boise_Chief]

It was the eldorado royale. all the restaurants are exceptional top shelf drinks the whole week, not a very good selection on beer but if you drink hard drinks its fantastic

[Rasputin]

El Presidente was a nice inclusive hotel but that was in San-Lucas don't know if they have that in Cancun. They probably do.

[thabear04]

I been to Cancun 2005 stayed at the The Ritz-Carlton.

[loochy]

We went about 3 years ago. We stayed at El Cid and we enjoyed ourselves. It's all inclusive. It's on the beach about 10 miles south of Cancun (in Puerto Morelos)

http://www.elcid.com/destinations/cancun.html

I seem to recall the cost being about $150 per night.

[Reerun_KC]

http://www.excellence-resorts.com/

We stayed here a few years ago... Pretty nice and the food was excellent.

[seclark]

Look into all-inclusive deals in Playa del Carmen as well. It's about a 30-40 minute ride south of Cancun.

did this as well...pretty nice time except I ran out of cope after 4 days and spent the last 3 chewing on cigars.
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[Reerun_KC]

Cancun is one of the cheapest places to travel... That and the Dominic Republic...

[Dartgod]

Look into all-inclusive deals in Playa del Carmen as well. It's about a 30-40 minute ride south of Cancun.

We stayed at The Royal Playa del Carmen a few years ago. Very nice place and one of the few there that are within safe walking distance to 5th Avenue where all the shops, bars and restaurants are located. Highly recommended.

http://www.playaresorts.com/The-Royal-Playa-Del-Carmen

[DJ's left nut]

Chiefs-Planet travelers:

Has anyone been recently? I'm looking to book a 4-day extended weekend for my girlfriend's birthday and looking for tips on the best hotels (all inclusive would be nice). I work for an airline so I don't have to worry about paying for that so it allows me to splurge a little more on the hotel.

We just went to the Hard Rock Riviera Maya about a month ago - pretty damn nice actually.

It's not cheap, but some travel agents can get you discounted rates. If you're going to splurge, get the top floor rooms with the rooftop decks as they are a pretty great place to spend an evening.

The food was actually quite good. The Italian joint was surprisingly good as was the Brazilian steakhouse. Dinners were definitely the best, breakfast was a little repetitive. The lunches were varied based on where you went - the outdoor options were mediocre but the inside places were all pretty good. The buffet place has a taco bar where a lady would hand make corn tortillas and warm them on a stone plate w/ cheese, etc... for you to top; they were great.

The booze was quite solid. Every bar had a Johnny Walker; most of them red but a few had black. You could get every last one of them to pour you as many scotch's neat as you'd like. Definitely no shortage of beer and the mixed drinks (coladas and such) were decent enough. I grabbed a lemon drop at one point and they did a good job with it. The rooms have pretty good liquor actually; nothing amazing but nothing rotgut. I had a bottle of El Jimador reposado that I put a good hurting on and they re-fill your mixers every day.

It wasn't the kitschy Las Vegas bullshit I worried it would be with the hard rock. Still very much a Caribbean feel but with good music overhead instead of that awful mariachi bullshit you run into all over Cancun. They had a large resort event pretty much every night (Imagine Dragons played there the first night we arrived).

No idea what your budget is but if you can swing it, I thought it was a pretty damn good trip. The only downside I can recall is that there isn't really a good hotel beach; at least not right on the ocean. You look out over the ocean but there's a wave break that creates an inlet where there's a small man-made beach. I guess that's pretty common in Cancun as the waves pretty much scour the sand so they need to make these fakeish beaches so I'm not sure if there are any options to get around that.

[Reerun_KC]

Also when you go out OF THE COUNTRY, call and set up private transportation... No matter what country we go into, we always set up a limo service to take us to and from our destinations. Beats riding is some taxi taking to Gods knows where.

Limo services 99% of the time are very safe and secure. They know that international travelers are their bread and butter. They take really good care of you when you book with them.


Sorry Edited, sounded confusing.

[DJ's left nut]

Also when you go out, call and set up private transportation... No matter what country we go into, we always set up a limo service to take us to and from our destinations. Beats riding is some taxi taking to Gods knows where.

Limo services 99% of the time are very safe and secure. They know that international travelers are their bread and butter. They take really good care of you when you book with them.

Many of the all-inclusives will handle this for you, IIRC.

We had airport transportation and transportation to/from any place we asked to go at HR. I suspect that's common for many of the larger resorts there.

[loochy]

Many of the all-inclusives will handle this for you, IIRC.

We had airport transportation and transportation to/from any place we asked to go at HR. I suspect that's common for many of the larger resorts there.

Yes, El Cid picked us up from the airport and took us back.

[Reerun_KC]

Many of the all-inclusives will handle this for you, IIRC.

We had airport transportation and transportation to/from any place we asked to go at HR. I suspect that's common for many of the larger resorts there.

Yeah sorry, I meant to and from the airport to hotel.

Most have transportation, but with all the traveling in and out of the country I have just found it to be easier to book it separately.

I didn't mean every time you leave the resort. Sorry for the confusion.

[DJ's left nut]

Yes, El Cid picked us up from the airport and took us back.

Our driver had a cooler full of Dos Equis and Corona in the front seat. $2/bottle for the 40 minute drive from the airport (friggen 50 mph governor on the van).

I was several beers in by the time we hit the resort...

[Reerun_KC]

Our driver had a cooler full of Dos Equis and Corona in the front seat. $2/bottle for the 40 minute drive from the airport (friggen 50 mph governor on the van).

I was several beers in by the time we hit the resort...


The FBO in Cabo San Lucas at MMSL airport. Its the airport just north of downtown, not the international one...

They bring beer to the plane for us when we land. Then load up the cooler for us then take us to our resort.

and the mama sita's!!! OMG they have some stunning ramp attendants... :drool:

[Pushead2]

Hmmm, seems like a few are high on El Cid. I'll have to check it out.

I was checking out the Live Aqua Resort, pricey but seems to be an adult only place and tons of restaurants / bars.

[Bambi]

I was there for New Years this year. Head out to Isle Mujeres for a day. That's where we stay and it's awesome. Not fratty like Cancun...laid back island life.

Also Tulum is where all the "cool kids" are going nowadays if you have time to get down there and check out the scene.

[KingPriest2]

So nice not paying those prices. Wholesale is awesome! Do why pay a travel agent? There are ways where you can pay yourself

[Graystoke]

I was there for New Years this year. Head out to Isle Mujeres for a day. That's where we stay and it's awesome. Not fratty like Cancun...laid back island life.

Also Tulum is where all the "cool kids" are going nowadays if you have time to get down there and check out the scene.

Sorta This.

Isle Mujeres is nicer, more peaceful. I just am not a fan of Cancun. Go South to Playa, Cozumel or Tulum.
NEVER TAKE A TAXI out of Cancun Airport. Go across the street to the bus station to get out or prearrange something
My best trips down there have been in Tulum. Great beaches, great food, close to ruins and Cenotes.

[Sorce]

Went to the area last year, we actually stayed in the Tulum area which is about an hour away from Cancun. Seemed to be less of the spring break crowd there if that matters. We stayed at The Royal Suites (http://www.palladiumhotelgroup.com/en/riviera-maya/the-royal-suites-yucatan-by-palladium/) which is part of a bigger resort but their part is adults only. We have been there and Cabo and liked this resort better, plus much of the Cabo beach is inaccessible.

Both the all inclusive's we've stayed at in Mexico had transportation from the airport for us but make sure you've got that squared away ahead of time. There are things in the area to do off the resort but if you are only going for a few days there isn't a need to leave the resort unless you want to.

[el borracho]

I've been to the Yucatan (including Cacún) multiple times. Depending on your objectives and your idea of fun, I would recommend either Cozumel or Playa del Carmen.

[Pablo]

Now Jade Riviera Cancun was a pretty awesome place. It's actually Riviera da Maya I believe. My wife and I went on our honeymoon the fall before last. It was all-inclusive. We did a six night deal with airfare and it was like $3,500 or something. It was a wedding gift so I could be wrong and I really don't know if that's considered pricey for the area or not; but we thought it was pretty goddamn sweet.

They have two different tiers and the Preferred Club got you access to a little lounge area with a nice bar set up and some all-day snack food type stuff. You also got access to their French restaurant for breakfast instead of doing the buffet, and you were closer to the adults only pool. They had five or six restaurants on hand and all were pretty kick-ass from what I recall.

We're looking to take another trip next spring and will probably look into the same place FWIW. We didn't do much besides eat, drink and screw; so the all-inclusive route was the perfect thing.

http://cdn.quierohotel.com/hotel-now-jade-riviera-cancun-all-inclusive-PF39049_3.jpg