usvi-on-line
Playa Del Carmen trip report (long as always)
Playa Del Carmen trip report (long as always)
Hi! We went to Playa Del Carmen over Christmas and I wanted to give you all a trip report. You might find something useful if you ever go to Playa but I certainly never felt like I got a grasp of Playa.
I have been very apprehensive about going to Mexico due to the problems with corruption and H1N1. After researching I decided that that would we be safe at a resort. We stayed at a new resort called Hacienda Tres Rios based on reviews on tripadvisor and also because it was reasonably priced for an all-inclusive resort.
The resort was beautiful. It was by far the most plush place we have ever stayed at. While I was checking in my husband and sons’ sat in the lobby listening to a choir sing Christmas songs. They were fantastic. I was told that they were from an area church. Also, there was waiters walking around offering us hors d'oeuvre and drinks. I had a little egg nog and waited for the man at the front desk to check us in.
I always call and confirm a day or two before leaving. I tried to call and got an answering machine telling me that I was going to be transfered and then got dropped--over and over. I was a little concerned. Finally, I tried the “live person” online from their website. I confirmed two adjoining rooms with jacuzzis'. The front desk person first told me that he couldn’t find me. Luckily, I printed the confirmation and the conversation. He took them and copied them. Finally, he said he had one room for us and that the next morning he would get us the rooms we were promised. As we were sitting in the lobby listening to the choir he came over and said that he could get two rooms but they weren’t the correct rooms and not adjoining.
The rooms were really nice. It seemed like there was marble everywhere. The view was great. When we went to the deck we could hear the night entertainment. To make a long story short we never got the rooms that we booked. I checked the next morning, afternoon, and evening and each time I was promised that we would get our rooms later. Finally that evening my husband and I decided the rooms were fine and we unpacked. We never informed anyone that we were happy--and they never contacted us to tell us that our rooms were ready. This is a really good demonstration of what is wrong with Hacienda Tres Rios. They tell us what we want to hear but they do not really follow through.
To continue with the check-in problem . . . when we checked-out they tried to charge us for the rooms we didn’t get (the original charge). I could not get them to make it right so I let it go. There was one person at the front desk who kept telling me that it wasn’t his fault and it was clear that I was not going to get anywhere with him. I was still on vacation and I did not want to get upset. When I got home I sent them an email that they did not return. When I looked at my American Express account I saw that I was charged less than what my original rooms would have been and more than the rooms we received. So, I am having American Express take care of it.
Ok, back to the vacation. We were exhausted and went to our rooms after check in and ordered room service. OHMYGOD, it was so bad we couldn’t eat it. We were so hungry but even more exhausted so we went to bed. The food was cold and we didn’t get what we ordered--nothing was right and we wondered if we got someone else’s order. We ordered on their online computer that they had in our room (cool) so it certainly wasn’t a language barrier. I wonder if someone else got our order?
The next day we spent the day at the pool and beach. There were a lot of unoccupied chairs with towels on them. I took one and quickly got told that it was saved. Good lord I despise this towel saving diabolical. But the next 5 mornings I did it too. Anyway, we did find chairs and we were finally got to relax. Apparently, a lot of people saw me take the “saved” chair and started conversations with me. It was pretty sad to hear about half a dozen families complain about the resort. One couple could not wait to leave. It really broke my heart. I didn’t think the resort was that bad but they do have some kinks to iron out.
The next day we planned an excursion with Edventures. The tour started with Tulum. We have been there before. For those who do not know, Tulum is mayan ruins in the most beautiful ocean setting on top of a cliff. There is really something magical there. Next we went to hidden something and went zip-lining and jumped of a cliff. This stop was mediocre at best. There were only two ziplines and they weren’t high and they were very slow. We didn’t get an adrenaline rush at all. Next we went to a cenote to jump of a 12 foot cliff. We enjoyed jumping off the cliff but it was not very high. After that were were taken to an underground cave. It was amazing. We had flashlights and snorkel gear. The underground formations were spectacular!! We have never seen anything like it.
Next we had lunch at a private beach. The setting was amazing but the food was horrible. We didn’t eat it and again, we were starving. Apparently, there was a corona commercial filmed there (we were told it was the cell phone skipping commercial). Also, Ed took us to a swamp area to see a crocodile. I really didn’t want to see it but the mama bear in me had to go keep an eye on my cubs. We didn’t find it and I wasn’t disappointed.
After lunch we went to Akumel. The water is crystal clear. We saw a few fish and a lot of turtles. There was just a little daylight left but we went to a lagoon nearby called Yal-ku. There was a garden with some really funky statutes. There we saw A LOT of fish. It was really beautiful. The water was a mixture of fresh water and ocean water. We have never experienced anything like it. The water on top was colder because it was river water and the salty warmer water was below. Because the water was fresh on top it was kind of oily. We were told not to follow anyone because as the water got worked up the visibility became murky/brackish. We were cold, tired, and hungry. We went back to the resort and had a hot shower and got ready for dinner. Edventures intentionally took us to places that were not crowded and that was a plus!! Our group only had 7 people. It was a great day that I recommend highly.
Side note: at Tulum I had to pay 35 cents to use the ladies room. There were two ladies who were folding toilet paper who took my money and told me not to flush the paper. It reminded me of our sisters on the sailboat in the USVI. I still haven’t read their reports and I am waiting for a moment when I can sit back and devour their trip report!
The next day we decided to chill at the resort. The day before was action packed and my family was ready for some down time. I really don’t care for days like this when there is so much out there for us to explore but I relented to the majority. There really weren’t any activities at the resort. We did get to go hang out at the beach on beds that were really nice! The beach itself is pretty horrible. Walking it if felt like walking in mud and it was black at the shoreline with a little seaweed mixed in. I was somewhat aware of this but tripadvisor’s posts led me to believe it was “murky”. Not true. A staff member told me that the trees were damaged in hurricane Wilma and the rivers dirt has nothing to block it from washing into the ocean. They are in the process of planting trees. They also told me that there wasn’t any seaweed. There is a big pile of it---I saw them raking it out of the ocean--but it wasn’t seaweed. Well, al-righty then. We did not see anyone swim in the ocean the whole time we were there with the exception of our first morning when two small children were playing.
The grounds, beach, and pool are very well maintained. The staff make regular rounds offering drinks and food. Our waiter on this day seemed to lack short term memory. We never knew for sure if we were going to get what we ordered. A couple of times my kids got spiked drinks--pizza they didn’t order--among other things. They didn’t seem ready for the holiday crowd and I think our waiter was overwhelmed. Eventually, he figured out that hubby and I order captain and coke and the kids do not get spiked drinks! It was a relaxing day but it was a little bland for me. We did get to know a couple of other families so that was fun (including the family that I tried to steal the chair from two days earlier!!)
The whole time we were there the TV’s were out. They seemed to have a nice selection of DVDs but given that no one could watch the news or cable they were all checked out. We went to the sports bar and were pleasantly surprised. It was a lot of fun and there were games galore set up. The funny thing is---their TV’s worked!! We really do like relaxing at night and watching the news and really missed it.
The next day our hotel set up a tour of Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is one of the 7 wonders of the world. It is 3 hours away but I know it will be a long time before we go back to Mexico so we decided to see it while we can. What an amazing place! The site is dominated by the iconic El Castillo Pyramid, which was dedicated to the feathered serpent god Kukulkan. The Observatory was a functioning astronomical observatory with small apertures aligned to the movements of the Sun, Moon and the planet Venus. Other important structures in the site include Great Ball Court which is 166 meters long and 68 meters wide. It really made me wonder--why did they build these structures? What did they look like when they were painted? What did they do in the structures--did they ever just hang out and drink a little and gossip? And how overwhelmed were they to move all those rocks without using a wheel or chart to move them? On the way back we stopped at a Mayan village.
The next day my family wanted to hang around the resort. Everyone slept in a little. I got up early and saved our chairs. We all went to the spa and got massages in the afternoon.
The next day we flew home. I knew that the underwear bomber had changed some of the rules so I left all of our liquids behind. We traveled with carry-on’s only and didn’t have a lot left anyway. We had a 2.5 hour layover in Houston. When I first booked the tickets I was disappointed that we couldn’t get a shorter layover. As it turns out it was a blessing. There were a lot of extra checks done through customs and security. We did not stop anywhere for one second (with the exception of waiting in line--we were certainly stopped there). Anyway, we got to our gate and they were calling our name along with 3 other parties. We were told that we have 4 minutes to spare. We were the last ones on the plane and I am sure they weren't the only ones who missed their flights that day.
We really are not AI people. We really are so much more comfortable in a villa making our own food and drinks. We will never stay AI again.
I think we have been spoiled by St. John. The ocean was not nearly as impressive. Josh from Lion in Da’ Sun wasn’t there to take us on an adventure. We didn’t feel like we belong to Playa Del Carmen like we feel we belong to St. John. There really is something special about St. John.
Gina
pictures soon come---ohmygod---this camera is way too much for me!
I have been very apprehensive about going to Mexico due to the problems with corruption and H1N1. After researching I decided that that would we be safe at a resort. We stayed at a new resort called Hacienda Tres Rios based on reviews on tripadvisor and also because it was reasonably priced for an all-inclusive resort.
The resort was beautiful. It was by far the most plush place we have ever stayed at. While I was checking in my husband and sons’ sat in the lobby listening to a choir sing Christmas songs. They were fantastic. I was told that they were from an area church. Also, there was waiters walking around offering us hors d'oeuvre and drinks. I had a little egg nog and waited for the man at the front desk to check us in.
I always call and confirm a day or two before leaving. I tried to call and got an answering machine telling me that I was going to be transfered and then got dropped--over and over. I was a little concerned. Finally, I tried the “live person” online from their website. I confirmed two adjoining rooms with jacuzzis'. The front desk person first told me that he couldn’t find me. Luckily, I printed the confirmation and the conversation. He took them and copied them. Finally, he said he had one room for us and that the next morning he would get us the rooms we were promised. As we were sitting in the lobby listening to the choir he came over and said that he could get two rooms but they weren’t the correct rooms and not adjoining.
The rooms were really nice. It seemed like there was marble everywhere. The view was great. When we went to the deck we could hear the night entertainment. To make a long story short we never got the rooms that we booked. I checked the next morning, afternoon, and evening and each time I was promised that we would get our rooms later. Finally that evening my husband and I decided the rooms were fine and we unpacked. We never informed anyone that we were happy--and they never contacted us to tell us that our rooms were ready. This is a really good demonstration of what is wrong with Hacienda Tres Rios. They tell us what we want to hear but they do not really follow through.
To continue with the check-in problem . . . when we checked-out they tried to charge us for the rooms we didn’t get (the original charge). I could not get them to make it right so I let it go. There was one person at the front desk who kept telling me that it wasn’t his fault and it was clear that I was not going to get anywhere with him. I was still on vacation and I did not want to get upset. When I got home I sent them an email that they did not return. When I looked at my American Express account I saw that I was charged less than what my original rooms would have been and more than the rooms we received. So, I am having American Express take care of it.
Ok, back to the vacation. We were exhausted and went to our rooms after check in and ordered room service. OHMYGOD, it was so bad we couldn’t eat it. We were so hungry but even more exhausted so we went to bed. The food was cold and we didn’t get what we ordered--nothing was right and we wondered if we got someone else’s order. We ordered on their online computer that they had in our room (cool) so it certainly wasn’t a language barrier. I wonder if someone else got our order?
The next day we spent the day at the pool and beach. There were a lot of unoccupied chairs with towels on them. I took one and quickly got told that it was saved. Good lord I despise this towel saving diabolical. But the next 5 mornings I did it too. Anyway, we did find chairs and we were finally got to relax. Apparently, a lot of people saw me take the “saved” chair and started conversations with me. It was pretty sad to hear about half a dozen families complain about the resort. One couple could not wait to leave. It really broke my heart. I didn’t think the resort was that bad but they do have some kinks to iron out.
The next day we planned an excursion with Edventures. The tour started with Tulum. We have been there before. For those who do not know, Tulum is mayan ruins in the most beautiful ocean setting on top of a cliff. There is really something magical there. Next we went to hidden something and went zip-lining and jumped of a cliff. This stop was mediocre at best. There were only two ziplines and they weren’t high and they were very slow. We didn’t get an adrenaline rush at all. Next we went to a cenote to jump of a 12 foot cliff. We enjoyed jumping off the cliff but it was not very high. After that were were taken to an underground cave. It was amazing. We had flashlights and snorkel gear. The underground formations were spectacular!! We have never seen anything like it.
Next we had lunch at a private beach. The setting was amazing but the food was horrible. We didn’t eat it and again, we were starving. Apparently, there was a corona commercial filmed there (we were told it was the cell phone skipping commercial). Also, Ed took us to a swamp area to see a crocodile. I really didn’t want to see it but the mama bear in me had to go keep an eye on my cubs. We didn’t find it and I wasn’t disappointed.
After lunch we went to Akumel. The water is crystal clear. We saw a few fish and a lot of turtles. There was just a little daylight left but we went to a lagoon nearby called Yal-ku. There was a garden with some really funky statutes. There we saw A LOT of fish. It was really beautiful. The water was a mixture of fresh water and ocean water. We have never experienced anything like it. The water on top was colder because it was river water and the salty warmer water was below. Because the water was fresh on top it was kind of oily. We were told not to follow anyone because as the water got worked up the visibility became murky/brackish. We were cold, tired, and hungry. We went back to the resort and had a hot shower and got ready for dinner. Edventures intentionally took us to places that were not crowded and that was a plus!! Our group only had 7 people. It was a great day that I recommend highly.
Side note: at Tulum I had to pay 35 cents to use the ladies room. There were two ladies who were folding toilet paper who took my money and told me not to flush the paper. It reminded me of our sisters on the sailboat in the USVI. I still haven’t read their reports and I am waiting for a moment when I can sit back and devour their trip report!
The next day we decided to chill at the resort. The day before was action packed and my family was ready for some down time. I really don’t care for days like this when there is so much out there for us to explore but I relented to the majority. There really weren’t any activities at the resort. We did get to go hang out at the beach on beds that were really nice! The beach itself is pretty horrible. Walking it if felt like walking in mud and it was black at the shoreline with a little seaweed mixed in. I was somewhat aware of this but tripadvisor’s posts led me to believe it was “murky”. Not true. A staff member told me that the trees were damaged in hurricane Wilma and the rivers dirt has nothing to block it from washing into the ocean. They are in the process of planting trees. They also told me that there wasn’t any seaweed. There is a big pile of it---I saw them raking it out of the ocean--but it wasn’t seaweed. Well, al-righty then. We did not see anyone swim in the ocean the whole time we were there with the exception of our first morning when two small children were playing.
The grounds, beach, and pool are very well maintained. The staff make regular rounds offering drinks and food. Our waiter on this day seemed to lack short term memory. We never knew for sure if we were going to get what we ordered. A couple of times my kids got spiked drinks--pizza they didn’t order--among other things. They didn’t seem ready for the holiday crowd and I think our waiter was overwhelmed. Eventually, he figured out that hubby and I order captain and coke and the kids do not get spiked drinks! It was a relaxing day but it was a little bland for me. We did get to know a couple of other families so that was fun (including the family that I tried to steal the chair from two days earlier!!)
The whole time we were there the TV’s were out. They seemed to have a nice selection of DVDs but given that no one could watch the news or cable they were all checked out. We went to the sports bar and were pleasantly surprised. It was a lot of fun and there were games galore set up. The funny thing is---their TV’s worked!! We really do like relaxing at night and watching the news and really missed it.
The next day our hotel set up a tour of Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is one of the 7 wonders of the world. It is 3 hours away but I know it will be a long time before we go back to Mexico so we decided to see it while we can. What an amazing place! The site is dominated by the iconic El Castillo Pyramid, which was dedicated to the feathered serpent god Kukulkan. The Observatory was a functioning astronomical observatory with small apertures aligned to the movements of the Sun, Moon and the planet Venus. Other important structures in the site include Great Ball Court which is 166 meters long and 68 meters wide. It really made me wonder--why did they build these structures? What did they look like when they were painted? What did they do in the structures--did they ever just hang out and drink a little and gossip? And how overwhelmed were they to move all those rocks without using a wheel or chart to move them? On the way back we stopped at a Mayan village.
The next day my family wanted to hang around the resort. Everyone slept in a little. I got up early and saved our chairs. We all went to the spa and got massages in the afternoon.
The next day we flew home. I knew that the underwear bomber had changed some of the rules so I left all of our liquids behind. We traveled with carry-on’s only and didn’t have a lot left anyway. We had a 2.5 hour layover in Houston. When I first booked the tickets I was disappointed that we couldn’t get a shorter layover. As it turns out it was a blessing. There were a lot of extra checks done through customs and security. We did not stop anywhere for one second (with the exception of waiting in line--we were certainly stopped there). Anyway, we got to our gate and they were calling our name along with 3 other parties. We were told that we have 4 minutes to spare. We were the last ones on the plane and I am sure they weren't the only ones who missed their flights that day.
We really are not AI people. We really are so much more comfortable in a villa making our own food and drinks. We will never stay AI again.
I think we have been spoiled by St. John. The ocean was not nearly as impressive. Josh from Lion in Da’ Sun wasn’t there to take us on an adventure. We didn’t feel like we belong to Playa Del Carmen like we feel we belong to St. John. There really is something special about St. John.
Gina
pictures soon come---ohmygod---this camera is way too much for me!
Gina, thanks for sharing your experiences at an all inclusive Mexican resort... sorry about the rough spots you encountered on the trip. Your description of the trips to Tulum and Chichen Itza inspried some thought of my own visits there. I am glad that you had some relaxing and fun times on your family vacation.
... no longer a stranger to paradise
XOXO - thank you for the TR...doesn't sound like a place I want to stay. I have been to Playa before, but just passing through, not staying. I'm sorry it wasn't what you had hoped for, especially at Christmas. And, I have to agree about renting a villa vs an AI...nothing like being on your own time, and doing your own thing while at a villa. 
Coden
Thanks for taking the time to share your trip. You sound quite positive about it given all of the challenges you faced at the hotel.
At least the excursions sound like they were a lot of fun. Please do share your pictures when they are ready...I'm interested to see them.
At least the excursions sound like they were a lot of fun. Please do share your pictures when they are ready...I'm interested to see them.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
... not meaning to butt in here... but, we were very pleased with Cancun Shuttle last November - private van directly to our hotel and directly to the airport on departure ($50 for two, roundtrip) with online booking, very good communications and follow up.PA Girl wrote: did you fly into Cancun? Was your hotel transfer included or did to take a cab?
http://www.cancunshuttle.com/index.html
... no longer a stranger to paradise
We did an AI 2 springs ago (Riu Bachata in Puerto Plata) and some of your issues sounded like ours.
All in all, despite bad weather, and other general goofiness of the place, we liked it.
I find myself torn on the whole AI thing. I love renting a house and being able to do my own thing when I want to.
Although, after doing an AI, a cruise no longer appeals to me. Paying by the drink makes me shudder.
I think we'd do an AI again, but we're not in a rush to do so. There's a lot of homework that needs to be done before going and TA reviews, as we all know, can be a little hard to wade through.
All in all, despite bad weather, and other general goofiness of the place, we liked it.
I find myself torn on the whole AI thing. I love renting a house and being able to do my own thing when I want to.
Although, after doing an AI, a cruise no longer appeals to me. Paying by the drink makes me shudder.
I think we'd do an AI again, but we're not in a rush to do so. There's a lot of homework that needs to be done before going and TA reviews, as we all know, can be a little hard to wade through.
We did fly into Cancun. Our hotel transfer was included.PA Girl wrote:Your report reminds me of our DR trip!
My mom is taking us to Xcarat in November, to an AI, for a family trip. We will see....
did you fly into Cancun? Was your hotel transfer included or did to take a cab?
If you weren't able to score a direct flight make sure you have enough of a layover coming from Mexico to the states. It was really well organized but it took a bit of time. We got to Houston at 2:05 and our flight to Omaha left at 5:40. We barely made it. Maybe things have gotten better by now--this with right after captain underpants bomb stunt.
Gina
We did fly into Cancun. Our hotel transfer was included.PA Girl wrote:Your report reminds me of our DR trip!
My mom is taking us to Xcarat in November, to an AI, for a family trip. We will see....
did you fly into Cancun? Was your hotel transfer included or did to take a cab?
If you weren't able to score a direct flight make sure you have enough of a layover coming from Mexico to the states. It was really well organized but it took a bit of time. We got to Houston at 2:05 and our flight to Omaha left at 5:40. We barely made it. Maybe things have gotten better by now--this with right after captain underpants bomb stunt.
Gina
This is our room.
The resort.
Ahhh, the beach beds--so cool!!
This is the cenote that opens up to the ocean (this area is crystal clear)
The zipline.
Cliff diving.
This is another view of where the cliff diving was--so pretty!
Amazing!! Underwater cave.
Underwater there were formations--this is just and example--they were much more elaborate than this. I don't think I mentioned there were tons of BATS! One person in our group was having problems so we had to stop. We were all using our flashlight to look around above water. So the docile bats became very active--it was eerie and cool.
For the people going to this area do not miss Akumal Beach (Bay) we were at a place called Half Moon Bay or something similar to that. The turtles.
Yal Ku---I loved this place. It was like an aquarium. So beautiful--and the warm water/cool water was so pronounced--it really felt like a layer of warm with a layer of cold on top--like it didn't mix.
A couple of statues at Yal Ku. Did I mention that we loved this place? I really wanted to go back.
Tulum: we up on the cliff looking out. Beautiful! I wanted to come back here just to hang at the beach.
I have more pictures of Tulum and Chichen Itza that I will add tonight. I thought I lost all of this--I am so glad that I didn't!
Here is one of Chichen Itza. It is so interesting. Our tour guide told us that inside this structure is an older structure made by earlier Mayan's. Inside the god was the rain god--outside the later mayans paid tribute to the feathered serpent god. I have another picture that I will upload later with the serpent.
The number of steps, layers, windows are all significant--no accidents. It really is mind blowing.
Oh and the Mayan calendar ends in 2012--no worries--our guide thinks that is when they stopped making their calendar and not the end of the world. LOL.
Gina
I really have to go!
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