Cancun recommendations

[Tour of Duty]

Hello all, I'm going to Cancun in late July and there are about a million hotels to choose from and I was wondering if anyone has been and their thoughts and recommendations.

I'm most concerned with a nice beach, I'm going to be spending most of my time just relaxing so I would prefer a hotel with a really nice beach. I also want something all inclusive. I'm not a big clubing guy so thats not too important.

Any recommendations are appreciated.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

I would look at the Mayan Riviera hotels which are about an hour and a half south and tend to be cheaper (but are still nice).

Anyway...never been to Cancun so I can't help you there.

[ACW]

Fun things to do: Find a hottie, prop your legs up...:evilg:

[December90]

Mexican Swine Flu (H1N1) is going to kill everyone remember....

Don't go, instead go to Northern Alaska:)

[Reaganaut]

The Melia hotel is the most beautiful property down there in my opinion. It's got a huge pyramid structure in the main building and plants hanging all over the place. It is owned and designed by a Spanish company. The pools are from a dream, the kind of place where the whole vibe takes you over. I didn't stay there, but spent most of my time there at the bar or by the pool. I heard that there are a couple other hotels there on the strip that are comparable from other friends. But, for my money the Melia is the top dog and I don't think it is the most expensive either.

The beach there is also from a dream. I watched the water in the waves and it was so clean it looked like it was from a swimming pool. Completely clear. The whole experience at the Melia is so powerful and relaxing that I am getting more relaxed just thinking about it now. It's been ten years since I was there, but I'd bet it hasn't changed. Even with the hurricanes.

Here's a link. On their own site rooms are less than a hundred bucks a night. Bet with a package operator you'd get it for cheaper than that. Rooms just renovated too. Bet it's awesome. I'm jealous. Scroll through the photos and tell me that beach isn't one of the most beautiful on the planet.

http://www.solmelia.com/solNew/hoteles/jsp/C_Hotel_Gallery.jsp?codigoHotel=5836

You mentioned All Inclusive. That will limit you big time. You're basically stuck with trying to get your money's worth out of ONE property then. It's worth it to tour the area half the time you're there so you're actually wasting money. What if you don't like the cheezy frozen drinks there, know what I mean? I'd scrap the all inclusive. Alcohol is CHEAP down there and so is everything else... Also, make sure you take the ferry over to Cozumel island while you are there. It is much nicer than Cancun. Very exotic.

[Tour of Duty]

Fun things to do: Find a hottie, prop your legs up...:evilg:

That might be kind of tough with the girlfriend around, maybe I'll send her out for some groceries.

[Tour of Duty]

The Melia hotel is the most beautiful property down there in my opinion. It's got a huge pyramid structure in the main building and plants hanging all over the place. It is owned and designed by a Spanish company. The pools are from a dream. I didn't stay there, but spent most of my time there. I heard that there are a couple other hotels there on the strip that are comparable or better. For my money the Melia is the top dog and I don't think it is the most expensive either.

The beach there is also from a dream. I watched the water in the waves and it was so clean it looked like it was from a swimming pool. Completely clear. The whole experience at the Melia is so powerful and relaxing that I am getting more relaxed just thinking about it now.

Oops, you mentioned All Inclusive. That will limit you big time. You're stuck with trying to get your money's worth out of one property then. What if you don't like the frozen drinks there, know what I mean? I'd scrap the all inclusive. Also, make sure you take the ferry over to Cozumel island while you are there. It is much nicer than Cancun. Very exotic.

The Gran Melia hotel you mentioned looks pretty nice and its All Inclusive. Pretty good deal from what I've seen.

Would you say Cozumel is worth going to instead of Cancun or just visiting while in Cancun?

[Reaganaut]

That might be kind of tough with the girlfriend around, maybe I'll send her out for some groceries.

If you have your girlfriend with you then take a look at the Melia. It's the kind of place she will adore you for. Very classy place. Dream beach. I was there with a girlfriend last time I was there. We both fell in love with the place. Get a couple Cuban cigars and just relax with a drink. It's a Corona moment at all times in Cancun.

[Reaganaut]

The Gran Melia hotel you mentioned looks pretty nice and its All Inclusive. Pretty good deal from what I've seen.

Would you say Cozumel is worth going to instead of Cancun or just visiting while in Cancun?

I'd just visit Cozumel on a day trip. I'd also do the pyramids, just be careful about eating any veggies or drinking any water outside of Cancun's strip by the hotels that isn't bottled. (Drink beer the whole time is a good strategy.) NO SALADS unless you want to get Montezuma's revenge. The Gran Melia is such a powerful experience that I'd recommend it over Cozumel on your first trip. I'm glad to hear they offer an all inclusive deal too and that it's a good deal. I am now being pulled there like a magnet...

Look to the package operators and compare deals. You might be able to get a real bargain now. I was down there for a week at a property that was very nice on a package deal. We were so mad once we saw the Gran Melia. We'd jump on the bus every day at noon and go to the Melia and spend the entire day there for like five days in a row. It's that amazing. I'd be tempted to believe someone if they told me the Pyramids had some special power or something. The main lobby is unbelievable.

I just looked at Orbitz and they have it from $99 per nite which is a STEAL if you ask me. Packages will be cheaper and if it's all inclusive at this property then I'd even consider it. For me I will pay a little extra for the Oh My God experience. I am a very picky person on hotels too. They get a 4.6 on Orbitz out of 5, and it lists out at a four star - five star hotel. I'd put it on the five star side personally.

[Bostic Hog]

Last November my wife and I spent our anniversary in Cancun at the Riu Palace. All-inclusive, nice price.

www.riu.com

[Blondie]

I own a condo there.

Try adults only.

[Tour of Duty]

I guess we all think alike. So far my top options are:

Gran Melia

Riu Palace

Golden Parnassus (adults only)

Blue Bay Club (its a far fourth place at this point though)

I just found a deal for 5 nights all inclusive at Gran Melia for $600 per person including flight. I dont think I'll be able to beat that. From what Reaganaut says its sounds like its exactly what I'm looking for.

thanks for the input

[daveakl]

Secrets Capri.

Look it up.

You will be glad you did.

[Skinsfan1311]

We stayed at the Royal Sunset All-inclusive. It was very nice. The water and waves in Cancun is beautiful, but the surf is rough.

[Capt Rich Fla]

I think I'm there more than anyone who doesn't live there. I see your 26. Do you want the college thing or an adult experience? If your over the "up all night" college experience, check out Isla Mujeres. Even when people who are staying in Cancun want a relaxing day, they go to Isla.

[9_to_42_td]

Last November my wife and I spent our anniversary in Cancun at the Riu Palace. All-inclusive, nice price.

www.riu.com

Sorry to hijack the thread.

Bill

Tell Big Sexy to get a hold of me..Thanks

[Reaganaut]

I guess we all think alike. So far my top options are:

Gran Melia

Riu Palace

Golden Parnassus (adults only)

Blue Bay Club (its a far fourth place at this point though)

I just found a deal for 5 nights all inclusive at Gran Melia for $600 per person including flight. I dont think I'll be able to beat that. From what Reaganaut says its sounds like its exactly what I'm looking for.

thanks for the input

That sounds like a heck of a deal Tour of Duty. This is a sure thing. Trust me. She will love this place and you will too. There are other great deals down there, but this is a five star hotel that was designed by a Spanish company that really knows their stuff. It has a European type of class to it that I didn't have in my hotel. I just thought it was exotic. The plants hanging from all the internal balconies in the atrium of the lobby are just so cool. Great bar, great pools, great staff. She can get the spa treatment. If you want to party in Cancun then just take the bus to the main square. You can hold lion cubs, monkeys, and buy silver jewelry for next to nothing. Make sure you ask for the check in restaurants there. They consider it discourteous to bring you the check and you may misinterpret it for them abandoning you. Buy a big bottle of Cuervo right when you get there and get some mix.

Say, would you mind posting the link where you found the deal? I'd like to reference it for later this year. My wife came in when I was looking at photos of the Melia and she wants to go now.

Check out this link I just found at the GranMelia site. This site does the property justice. WOWZA! I wanna go. Sniff sniff. I'd go as far as to say it's my favorite resort in the world even over anything I saw in Hawaii just for atmosphere. No offense Hawaiian friends... I like the Mexican ambiance and I will croak if I hear "Somewhere over the rainbow" ever again because it's sung in every hotel bar in Wikiki beach. I love the Hyatt in Aruba which is a close second and the El San Juan Hotel in Puerto Rico third. This resort is the benchmark for all others in my opinion. It is actually a five star hotel from their own site. I've never stayed there YET... but it's still my favorite.

http://www.granmeliacancun.com/en/

[Tour of Duty]

Well last night my girlfriend and I couldnt agree on anything. It was quite irritating. I really liked the Gran Melia especially from all the good things Reaganaut said about it. To answer your questions Reaganaut I found the deal on Cheaptickets.com but its only for a limited time and it must be two travelers. I just checked and the deal is still there so you should definately book it.

She doesnt want to stay in a large hotel, she said we might as well just go to New York or Vegas if we want to stay in a giant hotel. Which I agree with but I dont want to stay in some rinky dink crappy hotel, especially if we're doing the all inclusive. I want a place with a lot of options so we dont have to leave the property much.

Capt Rich, I am not looking for the party all night atmosphere. We might go to a club or bar one night but the vacation is mainly going to be for relaxation. My main concern is finding a hotel with a nice beach, and apparantly something not too big now.

I called my travel agent and she is putting some brochures together for me but I always prefer input from someone who has actually been.

[Reaganaut]

Well last night my girlfriend and I couldnt agree on anything. It was quite irritating. I really liked the Gran Melia especially from all the good things Reaganaut said about it. To answer your questions Reaganaut I found the deal on Cheaptickets.com but its only for a limited time and it must be two travelers. I just checked and the deal is still there so you should definately book it.

She doesnt want to stay in a large hotel, she said we might as well just go to New York or Vegas if we want to stay in a giant hotel. Which I agree with but I dont want to stay in some rinky dink crappy hotel, especially if we're doing the all inclusive. I want a place with a lot of options so we dont have to leave the property much.

Capt Rich, I am not looking for the party all night atmosphere. We might go to a club or bar one night but the vacation is mainly going to be for relaxation. My main concern is finding a hotel with a nice beach, and apparantly something not too big now.

I called my travel agent and she is putting some brochures together for me but I always prefer input from someone who has actually been.

If that's the parameters then I'd go to Cozumel. I don't know places over there, but they are much smaller.

I know you two don't like large hotels, but there aren't a lot of people there from the time I remember being there. It was never crowded. We had our pick of chairs at the pool. It was weird actually.

[Tour of Duty]

I dont know if you've been to Vegas alot but would a fair comparison be: Cancun is like the strip and Cozumel is like downtown? With the hotels being smaller and closer together?

[Reaganaut]

I dont know if you've been to Vegas alot but would a fair comparison be: Cancun is like the strip and Cozumel is like downtown? With the hotels being smaller and closer together?

Never been to Vegas actually. Gambling holds zero interest... I know there are other cool things there though.

Hotels as I remember on Cozumel are smaller. More like Ocean City but spread out. You can go to Youtube and probably catch some videos shot there. I saw one after they had the most powerful hurricane in history Wilma sit over the island for several days with 175mph winds a couple years ago. Don't know how much they've fixed of the damage yet. Many people also love Playa de Carmen south of Cancun where new resorts have been built. That's the take off point for the ferry to Cozumel.

I don't want to dispute what your girlfriend feels about going to Vegas or New York, but the comparison is not even close to being true. This is a class hotel and it's not cheesy at all. This is the flagship property in the Gran Melia portfolio. Look at some of the other properties this company has in the Canary Islands, Indonesia etc. This is a special place. In case you guys haven't gaged the economy, the place is likely sparsely populated. It was when we were there. I just like the atmosphere there. I bet if you stay somewhere else and visit the Gran Melia you will wish you tried it.

Everyone has different tastes. This is the type of place where I can relax. I spent two weeks in four Hawaiian islands a couple years ago. Half the trip on Wikiki at the Hale Koa hotel and a week on a cruise ship. What I like is having the option to hit restaurants downstairs, the gift shop, the bar, the pool, the beach. Then go on excursions. This isn't for everybody. Some people like barefoot cruises on a sail boat with three other couples. It's just preference. The place is just so architecturally beautiful, it's like staying in a museum. I love the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas too. Nothing like that in the world either. I still like the Melia better though. Best beach, best music, best drinks, best pools, nice rooms, easy bus service, great location to the main part of Cancun, golf if you like that, drinkable water (unlike other hotels not on the strip.) This is Mexico, just remember that. It has rough edges. I am not a rough edge person.

Video during Hurricane Wilma. Incomprehensible. You will see some of the hotels there with 175 mph sustained winds hitting them. This is just FYI. There are other videos that show how nice it is. I'm sure they've fixed a lot of the damage now. In another video there were HUGE tankers just washed up on the shore run aground. Effing incredible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoPRbxzzD0A&feature=related

I'm not sure where the smaller hotels are in Cancun. They are packed together too from what I remember. Playa del Carmen/Rivera Maya sounds like the best bet as another poster suggests.

[Elessar78]

If you want peace and quiet I'd suggest that Playa del Carmen/Riviera Maya. It's 45 minutes south of Cancun so you don't have as much of the hustle and bustle of Cancun. Plus, I think there were less families.

[Madison Redskin]

If you want peace and quiet I'd suggest that Playa del Carmen/Riviera Maya. It's 45 minutes south of Cancun so you don't have as much of the hustle and bustle of Cancun. Plus, I think there were less families.

I've been to Playa and Cancun. I love both, but I prefer Playa. If anyone has a chance to go to Mamitas in Playa, do so. There are boatloads of some of the best looking people you will ever see, the drinks are good, and the list goes on and on. Plus, the bars in Playa are FAR more fun than the ones in Cancun (unless you are looking for a Senior Frogs type atmosphere). Oh and if you go there, check out Senor Tacombi (a taco stand based out of a VW bus).

[Elessar78]

We stayed at the Playacar Palace in Playa Del Carmen and that place was excellent. A bit pricey, but it was our honeymoon and it was money well spent. It was all inclusive-drinks were great, food in all the restaurants were great, service and wait staff were incredible!

The only drawback is that there's not much beach attached to the hotel. It got washed away by the hurricane. But that didn't bother us too much and one could always go to the adjacent beaches.