Family friendly Mexican resort

[jldunbar]

Does anyone have recommendations for an all-inclusive Mexican resort? The only time I have been to Mexico was on a DCL stop.

 

[Darcy03231]

We really like the Iberostar resorts. We've stayed in several and find them to be very family friendly.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

We really like the Iberostar resorts. We've stayed in several and find them to be very family friendly.

Seconded with a passion!

We've stayed at the Iberostar Parasio Del Mar and the Parasio Lindo. Both are in a chain of 5 "sister" hotels, the Beach, the Del Mar, the Lindo, the Maya, and the adults-only Grand.

Lots of fun activities for kids/families, including a kid's club, bingo, pool activities/games, horseshoes, etc.

Shuttles into Playa del Carmen, where there's lots of fun stores and restaurants, and the ferry to Cozumel.

I went two years in a row to the ones in Mexico, and once to one of the Dominican Republic hotels, and we much prefer the ones on Mexico.

I highly recommend!

 

[mykidsand_i]

We are doing Dreams, Cabo- Which MOST dreams resorts are VERY VERY GOOD!! The one in Cabo has MULTIPLE family activities- including releasing baby turtles into the ocean...

ANNNNNNNNDDDDDDDD, just for your info. There will be people here who tell you NOT to go there..."I wouldn't go if someone paid me...." BLAHHH BLAHHH BLAHHH...DON'T listen to them. MOST parts of Mexico are perfectly safe for family travels. Cancun/riv. maya area, Cabo area, Puerto Vallerta- they are all safe. The problems are hundreds of miles away from those nice beach towns! I've done a LOT of FACTUAL research! The violence is less in MOST Mexican Beachy/touristy areas than it is in most US CITIES!

Good luck to find a great family place there- there are a few REALLY GOOD ones, we LOOOOOOVVVVEEEEE Dreams!!!

 

[jiminyC_fan]

We are fans of the Occidental Resorts. One in Playa Del Carmen called the Grand Xcaret which is next door to the Xcaret Park that DCL has (or use to have, not sure which now) an excursion to. You get a discounted one day ticket to the Park that you can come and go as you please. It is perhaps a 3 minute walk to it. There is only a lagoon and not a long beach to walk on. The plus of that is if your kids are little they can play all they want without the worry of the waves crashing. Even as adults, we don't mind it at all. The place is beautiful with many pools. Then in Cozumel there is the Occ Grand Cozumel but I would say that it isn't as kid friendly as the neighboring resort, the Occ Allegro Cozumel. It has a fantastic water park of sorts for the kids, a nice, shady playground, a kids Club. Both of these are on the beautiful San Francisco Beach. Most beaches in Cozumel have rocky entrances into the water. These two resorts have a nice sandy beach that you can just walk into the water. Next to the Allegro is the Iberostar which is very similar to the Occidental resorts.

 

[a1tinkfans]

We are doing Dreams, Cabo- Which MOST dreams resorts are VERY VERY GOOD!! The one in Cabo has MULTIPLE family activities- including releasing baby turtles into the ocean...

ANNNNNNNNDDDDDDDD, just for your info. There will be people here who tell you NOT to go there..."I wouldn't go if someone paid me...." BLAHHH BLAHHH BLAHHH...DON'T listen to them. MOST parts of Mexico are perfectly safe for family travels. Cancun/riv. maya area, Cabo area, Puerto Vallerta- they are all safe. The problems are hundreds of miles away from those nice beach towns! I've done a LOT of FACTUAL research! The violence is less in MOST Mexican Beachy/touristy areas than it is in most US CITIES!

Good luck to find a great family place there- there are a few REALLY GOOD ones, we LOOOOOOVVVVEEEEE Dreams!!!

I'll just say we canceled Mexico after also "researching" and the violence you say that does not exist has now hit cancun, the "tourist" areas. The US gov't website updates regularly. Its a personal choice, I think those that are "street smart" and use good judgement will be okay but for us, its simply not even worth the risk . Have a good safe trip wherever you choose, OP. We hope to get back to Mexico in the future when we feel things have either calmed down or been cleaned up a bit.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

We have been traveling to Mexico several years in a row and not witnessed nor heard of any violence. We go to Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen (Mexican Riviera). Before you boycott Mexico all together, please, please research. Mexico is huge and to avoid it all together is like telling people not to travel to the US at all because of LA's gang violence.

 

[mykidsand_i]

I'll just say we canceled Mexico after also "researching" and the violence you say that does not exist has now hit cancun, the "tourist" areas. The US gov't website updates regularly. Its a personal choice, I think those that are "street smart" and use good judgement will be okay but for us, its simply not even worth the risk . Have a good safe trip wherever you choose, OP. We hope to get back to Mexico in the future when we feel things have either calmed down or been cleaned up a bit.

More room for the rest of us. Yes, people must be smart about traveling...but that's to ANY COUNTRY... I went to Paris 8 years ago and witnessed a shooting. Didn't make me feel unsafe there, doesn't mean i don't want to go back. I can't imagine what people think about when the come to our country and look at crime rates! LA...oh, my goodness! I think THAT city is not worth the risk (it has a higher crime rate per % of people than MOST Mexican Cities that are on the beach- NOT acapulco, but MOST) But, people who live there can't imagine it any other way. And A LOT of families go there EVERY SINGLE YEAR with no second thought. My husband deals with international people all the time (a few from Mexico- touristy destinations)- they are TERRIFIED to go to New York and LA...They are scared of the crime. They've seen horrible news stories that are 'over dramatized' by people where THEY live...We think it's stupid to feel that way- but we can't turn around and judge them, because people from the USA judge other countries safety all the time. 1/2 of the information people go off of is the news stories that are 'overly acted' or 'over dramatized' because that's how they get viewers. We've spoken to people who have just returned from Cabo and Cancun lately, they never had 1 single problem other than a sun burn. An entire group from our church just went to Mexico city with youth groups and out of the 80 traveling with them, there was not one single problem. BRING ON THE SUN SCREEN AND I CAN'T WAIT to get on the plane with my entire family!

It takes common sense, being aware and staying at a safe, reputable area. People can believe what ever, think what ever. Crime is EVERYWHERE. People just need to be smart about it and be aware.

 

[WiscMomof2]

Iberostar was great. We stayed at the Del Mar and we were with a big group ranging in age from 8 to 68 and every single person loved it. There is truly something for everyone. Shhhh little secret.....when I ask my kids if they would want to go back there or to Disney they say Mexico. Sorry kids, Momma ain't havin' that!!!

 

[mykidsand_i]

when I ask my kids if they would want to go back there or to Disney they say Mexico. Sorry kids, Momma ain't havin' that!!!

Sounds just like my Brother and his family! They went over Christmas and his kids said "lets go to Mexico instead of Disney in Sept..." My SIL and Brother LOVE Disney, so do their kids! My brother was shocked! They stayed at Dreams in Cancun. I have yet to see their pictures, but they said it was a wonderful resort.

I don't know if I'd choose Mexico two times in a row, but Disney has been a repeat of ours for YEARS. I will be heartbroken if my kids don't want to go there again!

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

We are fans of the Occidental Resorts. One in Playa Del Carmen called the Grand Xcaret which is next door to the Xcaret Park that DCL has (or use to have, not sure which now) an excursion to. You get a discounted one day ticket to the Park that you can come and go as you please. It is perhaps a 3 minute walk to it. There is only a lagoon and not a long beach to walk on. The plus of that is if your kids are little they can play all they want without the worry of the waves crashing. Even as adults, we don't mind it at all. The place is beautiful with many pools. Then in Cozumel there is the Occ Grand Cozumel but I would say that it isn't as kid friendly as the neighboring resort, the Occ Allegro Cozumel. It has a fantastic water park of sorts for the kids, a nice, shady playground, a kids Club. Both of these are on the beautiful San Francisco Beach. Most beaches in Cozumel have rocky entrances into the water. These two resorts have a nice sandy beach that you can just walk into the water. Next to the Allegro is the Iberostar which is very similar to the Occidental resorts.

The Occidental Grand Xcaret is fabulous for families. It is in Riviera Maya.
The best vacation........EVER!!!!

 

[jiminyC_fan]

More room for the rest of us. Yes, people must be smart about traveling...but that's to ANY COUNTRY... I went to Paris 8 years ago and witnessed a shooting. Didn't make me feel unsafe there, doesn't mean i don't want to go back. I can't imagine what people think about when the come to our country and look at crime rates! LA...oh, my goodness! I think THAT city is not worth the risk (it has a higher crime rate per % of people than MOST Mexican Cities that are on the beach- NOT acapulco, but MOST) But, people who live there can't imagine it any other way. And A LOT of families go there EVERY SINGLE YEAR with no second thought. My husband deals with international people all the time (a few from Mexico- touristy destinations)- they are TERRIFIED to go to New York and LA...They are scared of the crime. They've seen horrible news stories that are 'over dramatized' by people where THEY live...We think it's stupid to feel that way- but we can't turn around and judge them, because people from the USA judge other countries safety all the time. 1/2 of the information people go off of is the news stories that are 'overly acted' or 'over dramatized' because that's how they get viewers. We've spoken to people who have just returned from Cabo and Cancun lately, they never had 1 single problem other than a sun burn. An entire group from our church just went to Mexico city with youth groups and out of the 80 traveling with them, there was not one single problem. BRING ON THE SUN SCREEN AND I CAN'T WAIT to get on the plane with my entire family!

It takes common sense, being aware and staying at a safe, reputable area. People can believe what ever, think what ever. Crime is EVERYWHERE. People just need to be smart about it and be aware.

Well said. You said everything that I wanted to earlier but didn't.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

The Occidental Grand Xcaret is fabulous for families. It is in Riviera Maya.
The best vacation........EVER!!!!

We agree! That's why we've been there three times and will go back again and again. It is actually just outside of Playa Del Carmen. The whole area is the Riviera Maya. The State is Quintana Roo.

 

[canadianjovigirl]

We have been loving the Grand Caribe Real in Cancun........have also done the mayan riviara, but the kids love this place and its very reasonable so we will probably go back this winter.........

http://www.realresorts.com/

 

[PatsGirl]

We have been loving the Grand Caribe Real in Cancun........have also done the mayan riviara, but the kids love this place and its very reasonable so we will probably go back this winter.........

http://www.realresorts.com/

Deleted. Should have read the post better. We stayed at the sister resorts in Playa and loved the adults only Royal PDC. The resort next door, the Gran Porto, allowed kids and we spent some time there. It would be my first choice WITH kids. Loved being able to walk out of the resort and into the shopping/dining mecca of Fifth Avenue. I'd feel safe letting kids walk around a bit by themselves there, but in Cancun not so much.