Mexico Trip-Riviera Maya
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:56 am
I am going to do this in pieces as time permits.
Part one-The Hotel and related.
We stayed at Catalonia Riviera Maya in Peurto Aventuras. My theory is basically that the mega-resorts are interchangeable and differ only in degree.
It was very quiet. I kind of felt sorry for the group of younger guys as they wanted to party and this place basically shut down after 10:00.
We had a nice beach. Saturday morning and early afternoon we walked to the town center and looked din a few shops and ate lunch around the marina. I much prefer that style of dining to the all-inclusive format and I had hoped to do more of that. Saturday afternoon and Sunday-we spent on the grounds-beach time mainly.
I felt better about our digs on Wednesday as we picked up other people in the area and up to Playa del Carmen on the way to the airport. There were so many people around Playa that I am glad we did not stay there because it was so busy.
One couple on the bus said their hotel Aventuras Spa did not ahve a beach (Rocky shoreline)-They were happy with that as they spent a lot of time drinking in the pool-not for me. I would have been sorely disappointed not to have had ocean beach as I spent a good part of Sunday in the water.
We had no time share pressure at our hotel which was big Plus-others on the van to the airport said the pressure was relentless at their hotel.
Another huge plus at ours was that all-inclusive meant that and included the tip. Tips were not expected by the workers but they were appreciated. We tipped our maid every day and one day she folded our towel into a Love Swan-whether she would have done so without a tip I do not know.
Others on the bus said at their all-inclusive they had to tip all the time.
Very European flavor (topless sunbathers) which Mrs Spock did not like-but hey, I say to each their own especially if you are young and willing to walk around and I meet you on a narrow pathway and I have no idea where to look-Ah, sweet misty colored memories. It was fun for Mrs S to watch the American guys walk repeatedly past the topless bathers.
One great sit-down restaurant (Mexican), other 2 were OK. Buffets were OK. Now that we are more familiar with the area we would look for a smaller place down near Akumal or Tulum if we go again. However, if went all-inclusive (unlikely) we would choose this place again.
By Sunday night-I was going stir crazy and I was ready to start exploring and excursioning. I gave Mrs. S a day and a half at the beach and she knew that would be all I could take.
Part one-The Hotel and related.
We stayed at Catalonia Riviera Maya in Peurto Aventuras. My theory is basically that the mega-resorts are interchangeable and differ only in degree.
It was very quiet. I kind of felt sorry for the group of younger guys as they wanted to party and this place basically shut down after 10:00.
We had a nice beach. Saturday morning and early afternoon we walked to the town center and looked din a few shops and ate lunch around the marina. I much prefer that style of dining to the all-inclusive format and I had hoped to do more of that. Saturday afternoon and Sunday-we spent on the grounds-beach time mainly.
I felt better about our digs on Wednesday as we picked up other people in the area and up to Playa del Carmen on the way to the airport. There were so many people around Playa that I am glad we did not stay there because it was so busy.
One couple on the bus said their hotel Aventuras Spa did not ahve a beach (Rocky shoreline)-They were happy with that as they spent a lot of time drinking in the pool-not for me. I would have been sorely disappointed not to have had ocean beach as I spent a good part of Sunday in the water.
We had no time share pressure at our hotel which was big Plus-others on the van to the airport said the pressure was relentless at their hotel.
Another huge plus at ours was that all-inclusive meant that and included the tip. Tips were not expected by the workers but they were appreciated. We tipped our maid every day and one day she folded our towel into a Love Swan-whether she would have done so without a tip I do not know.
Others on the bus said at their all-inclusive they had to tip all the time.
Very European flavor (topless sunbathers) which Mrs Spock did not like-but hey, I say to each their own especially if you are young and willing to walk around and I meet you on a narrow pathway and I have no idea where to look-Ah, sweet misty colored memories. It was fun for Mrs S to watch the American guys walk repeatedly past the topless bathers.
One great sit-down restaurant (Mexican), other 2 were OK. Buffets were OK. Now that we are more familiar with the area we would look for a smaller place down near Akumal or Tulum if we go again. However, if went all-inclusive (unlikely) we would choose this place again.
By Sunday night-I was going stir crazy and I was ready to start exploring and excursioning. I gave Mrs. S a day and a half at the beach and she knew that would be all I could take.