OT Can anyone recommend a hotel in Riviera Maya?

[mommy22pumpkins]

I am trying to plan a trip for the week after Thxgiving for my family and my Dad. We have been to disney every year since the kids were born (they are 6 and 8 now).

We have never been to the Carribean and think we would all love it. Just to relax and play in the ocean all day. Just something different for a change. But we know nothing about the hotels or where to stay, which hotels are family friendly etc.

Has anyone ever been or recommend a resort they have heard good things about?

Thanks in advance for any advice. It's so nice to have my DIS friends to count on

 

[elmo2wdw]

We stayed there in August and it is very nice.

 

[Darcy03231]

We really like the Iberostar resorts and find them to be very family friendly. We've stayed at several, in a couple of differnt locations and have never been disappointed. Our favorite is the one in Punta Cana. Its one of my kids favorite vacations. There's a lot to do.

 

[PatriciaH]

The Iberostar and Riu resorts are very nice. We have stayed at the Riu Palace, Iberostar Tucan/Quetzal and the Iberostar Lindo.

 

[YachtClubWoman]

Palladium Grand - about 25 minutes south of Playa del Carmen. We have been there 5 times - the resort is huge with plenty for kids to do

 

[minniemee]

The Palace Resorts are really nice, with kids I would stay at the Moon Palace. It was a wonderful resort with lots of restaurants and activities.
We also liked the Aventura Spa Palace, but that one is for adults only.

 

[adventure_woman]

I second the Grand Palladium. It was wonderful.... They also have a forum that has all kinds of info on it. It is also right by Tulum and Akumal....we did those by ourselves. Akumal has a place where you can just walk off the beach and swim with sea turtles. It cost us $4 I think. It was the COOLEST thing I have ever done. The beach is great. There is a second that is rocky - good for snorkeling and then sandy. They also have their own water filtration plant...which means that you can actually drink the water from the bathroom faucet and NOT GET SICK!!


http://www.palladiumaddict.net/index.php

 

[eli3886]

DH and I stayed at the Occidental Grand Xcaret in Playa Del Carmen last June and it was wonderful! There are ruins on site and a protected lagoon where you can swim. There are also several pools (one with a swim up bar), several restaurants (buffet and sit-down), a sports bar, and nightly free shows. The grounds are beautiful and if you would like to visit Xcaret EcoPark, there is a walkway from the resort to the park. We booked a private car (SUV) from the airport and it cost us about $65.00 one way. I would love to go back and take the kids.

 

[firsttimer03]

I can suggest a place NOT to go, Valatin Riviera Maya!!!!
We stayed there and though the room was nice the staff was not.
We have stayed @ Sun Palace in Cancun in past and LOVED IT!
Have fun!

 

[dismom301930]

I will also put in my vote for the Grand Palladium. We went in November and we loved it! I would suggest either the Kantenah or the Colonial, just because they are closer to the beach. It was one of the places where we could sleep five people in one room. Many places have a limit of 4 people per room.

Have a great trip.....the Riviera Maya is a beautiful place!

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Occidental Grand Xcaret is a wonderful place for families. I would LOVE to go back someday.

 

[kris99]

We stayed at the Barcelo Tropical in Riveria Maya this past July. They are a complex of 5 hotels all within walking distance and also a bus tranportation if u have trouble walking. You stay in one and have use of all them except the Palace unless you stay there. It was the most beautiful place ever. A beautiful beach and countless bars/restaraunts/pools to choose from. Its an all-inclusive and we thought pretty budget friendly. Also a nice water park for kids. Our whole family loved it very much. Alot to do in the area too. We are thinking about going back this year since we loved it so much. There is a good website for it its Unofficialbarcelomaya.com.

 

[lovealatte]

Another vote for the Barcelo.. with the five different levels, you will definitely find a hotel for your price point.

 

[jacksmom]

Azul Beach!

 

[brettgirl]

Barcelo Maya-we stayed mid grade (colonial and tropical-2xs) LOVE, LOVE. Go on Tripadvisor and read about all of the resorts mentioned and you can make a decision based on the reviews and what you like.

Have a blast!!!!

 

[hoosiergirl7]

Wish I could help but where we are going in July is an all-inclusive adults-only resort. I'm sure there are lots of great places. Enjoy your trip!

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

DH and I stayed at the Occidental Grand Xcaret in Playa Del Carmen last June and it was wonderful! There are ruins on site and a protected lagoon where you can swim. There are also several pools (one with a swim up bar), several restaurants (buffet and sit-down), a sports bar, and nightly free shows. The grounds are beautiful and if you would like to visit Xcaret EcoPark, there is a walkway from the resort to the park. We booked a private car (SUV) from the airport and it cost us about $65.00 one way. I would love to go back and take the kids.

Dh and I stayed at the Occidental Grand Xcaret 4 years ago and loved it. We commented several times during our trip about how great it would be to take the kids back someday. Seemed very kid friendly, especially the safety of the lagoon beach.

Check out the forums on trip advisor (link on the left of the review page). You can get a lot of really good information about the area and resort.

 

[kittycatalina65]

I agree the Occidental Grand Xcaret is nice, but we stayed at Dreams Puerto Adventuras this last Christmas and really liked it.

-It's in a gated community about 15-20 south of Playa Del Carmen. You can walk to the marina and swim with dolphins, see the manatees and sea lions.

-They have family rooms, but we just have one kid so a regular room was more than big enough.

-It's on an inlet, so the beach isn't too rough or deep. They have a water trampoline and climbing iceberg in the ocean for kids to frolic.

-They also have a natural pool with various sea critters. You can feed the fish, they are super tame and friendly.

-Food/drinks were good. 24 hour room service, minibar, and several restaurants to choose from without having to make reservations. Top shelf booze for mommies and daddies and a specialty kid drink of the day

-Great kids club. This was the big deal for us. The kid club was well staffed with CPR/Red Cross certified English speaking staff. There was a diabetic little boy there at the same time we were and they were able to check blood sugar/insulin etc. They have a daily schedule with activities every day. They will take the kids to meals if you want some alone time too. You get a pager when you drop them off, and you have to be buzzed in to enter.

-There is an Adult side of the resort with a quiet pool and bar if you have childless family members traveling with you.

-Entertainment. Every night there was a huge screen on the beach with movies/popcorn. There was also a theater with shows, circus show, Elvis impersonator, etc. They also had an American Idol type contest too.

It is an older/smaller resort, but it has been fully renovated in the last year or so. I liked that the resort is smaller. If you forget your camera, or want to quick change before lunch it's a short jaunt to the room. The Occidental is huge.

If you have a party or 5 or more, and plan to take an excursion, it would most likely be cheaper to rent a driver for the day. We went to Chichen Itza and a cenote. 10 hours private transport, lunch, guide, all on our schedule for less than the cost of a bus tour.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Have a great time!

 

[Bbbethei]

We've been to the Riviera Maya five times and love the area. If you're looking to take the kids, I would recommend one of the Barcelos also. We've never been there, but we've never taken our kids either. It's supposed to be on an absolutely beautiful stretch of the beach and is very family friendly. It's definitely where we'd go if we were bringing our kids!

 

[MinnieLove]

Loved Barcelo! Would go again in a heartbeat!