If you’re considering a last-minute winter getaway, it’s probably time to make some plans. We booked our flight and hotels for a beach location in the Mayan Riviera.
I thought I’d give you my opinions – good and bad, on 3 resorts where we’ve stayed on Mexico’s Mayan Riviera, a popular destination for escaping from the cold of winter. The resorts are Barcelo Riviera Maya, Iberostar Paraiso Maya and Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort. Check their web sites for the most current information. Besides their location near Cancun, the 3 resorts have this in common:
1) Family-friendly – They all cater to families with young kids, preteens, teens and legal-to-drink-18-year-olds. While all have adult-only pools, you may want to go to an adult-only resort if you don’t want to be around a lot of kids.
2) All-inclusive – They are all-inclusive which means your food and drinks are included in your room price so, like a cruise, you can eat and drink as much as you want. The breakfasts offer the tastiest food, lunch is okay and some of the evening restaurants are good but most are mediocre.
3) Nice Accommodations – The rooms are small but adequate. The restaurants are clean, and the pools are huge and fantastic, if a bit cold.
4) On-site resort activities – You don’t have to leave the resort to find a lot of activities. Some are free like sailing catamarans, kayaking and wind-surfing. Others like jet skiing, scuba diving and parasailing are usually available from the resort grounds but are not free.
5) Fitness centers – You can run or walk at least 3 miles around the resorts and then lift weights in the well-equipped fitness centers – at least that’s what I do. All have treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, etc. But get there early because they get pretty crowded by mid-morning. Everyone wants to look good on the beach!
That’s what they have in common. Now I’ll give you a few more details so you can decide which one, if any, is best for you:
Continue reading this post on Kathi Prien’s blog, Breaking 50