Weddingbee Blog

So where will we be going this October? In case it wasn’t obvious… and no, it’s not the island from Lost… although that picture of ruins could be that spot where—oh, waiting for the DVDs? I’ll shush…

Anyway… we booked our honeymoon! And we’ve made a compromise for ourselves. We’ll be spending 9 nights in Riviera Maya, Mexico, just 1 mile outside of the Bohemian, artsy fishing town Puerto Morelos at Excellence Riviera Cancun. Longer than a week, better than just any ol’ all-inclusive Caribbean destination. Por que? Riviera Maya satisfies my need to explore: formerly I longed for ancient Greek theaters and the Acropolis, now we’ll be Indiana Jonesing our hearts out through Mayan ruins:

{Chichen Itza, Tulum}

There are eco parks to learn about and explore and cenotes to plunge:

{source, source}

And my goodness, this blue blue ocean:

{source}

We’re also very pleased with this destination for its shorter flight and the ability to choose how active we are. We can laze all day on the beach, or we can snorkel in the second largest reef. On our previously sought after European trip, we would have been hotel hopping and trying to see as much as we could in 2 weeks. My shoulders relax a little just thinking about how good Mexico will feel post wedding.

Once we figured out our destination, it was time to choose among dozens of incredible resorts. I would be remiss if I didn’t share my research and how we agreed upon Excellence Riviera Maya out of many worthy contenders.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t confess how badly we stumbled through this process. We booked and canceled two resorts in one weekend through my future in-laws’ timeshare. And once we ruled out the timeshare route, I would fall in love with a place, announce that it was settled and we’ll book it and be done, and then I’d find another, maybe better place. Mr. Thimble kept reminding me that we can’t really go wrong among the contenders. But it’s difficult to keep one’s head when planning the most romanticized and anticipated vacation of one’s entire life. (Expectations much?)

Our requirements:

1. On the beach
2. ALL INCLUSIVE
3. Quiet and romantic, but not completely desolate.
4. Budget around $3000

Contender number one:

Aventura Spa Palace by Palace Resorts:

{sources 1, 2, 3}

We found this gem through Mr. T’s parents timeshare exchange through RCI. At first glance, the all inclusive fee of $1800 for the week sounded fantastic. So we booked it! But when we asked if we could confirm a room with one king sized bed, the folks at RCI could, unfortunately, not. We called the hotel directly, and they said that the rooms with king beds were booked for our week—in general or just the ones reserved for RCI? We’re not sure. But we were sure it was a no go.

On second look, it turned out that we could book that same 2 Double bed basic room through CheapCarribean.com for only about $2000.00 without wasting the timeshare week. So I nixed the potential deal of the gifted timeshare week—reallym because I was hung up on the all inclusive thing—and we broadened our horizons.

ASP’s Pros:

• Pretty rooms with big Jacuzzis in the rooms and hammocks on the balconies
• Discounts on spa treatments for honeymooners
• EXCURSIONS INCLUDED via their “Passport to Savings” ++++!!!!!
• Other Palace Resorts’ perks are included—we could take a shuttle to Aventura Palace in Playa del Carmen to enjoy the city and their beach, and eat dinner there for free…
• Tons of fun activities

ASP’s Cons:

• No King beds left in our price range—though we could have booked the “Concierge Level” Suite for $$$
• No “real” beach! This sounds impossible, but the water must be rough so they built and inlet. It looked fine to me, but it gets mixed reviews on TripAdvisor.
• Far away—It’s over an hour from the airport in Cancun, and south of Playa del Carmen.

Contender 2

Hacienda Tres Rios:

{sources clockwise from top 1, 2, 3}

We also found this eco-oasis through RCI. The all inclusive fee through them would have cost $1500 for the week, but I couldn’t commit based on mixed reviews. If it hadn’t been my must-be-perfect honeymoon I was planning, I would stay here in a heartbeat!

Pros:

• Green and educational - Award-winning eco-resort built in a natural park reservation!
• REALLY PRETTY I love the decor here in the pictures. Decor goes a long way to my designy eye.
• Beach beds?!?!

Cons:

• Mixed reviews on TripAdvisor about service, food, and the rocky beach. (I maybe should not have let these sway me as it’s still pretty new… but they did.)
• Lots of activities for kids= kids are allowed here. We love kids - but maybe not strangers’ kids on our honeymoon?

Contender 3

The Royal Playa del Carmen

I came across this sure thing through craazy good reviews on Trip Advisor.

{sources 1, 2, 3}

The ROYAL’s Pros:

• Fantastic location - right in Playa del Carmen, you can walk out onto “5th Ave” and walk to a ferry to Cozumel
• Big beautiful beach
• Great reviews

Cons:

• Upon further investigation (people’s real pics on Trip Advisor), it looked like this place could be heavy on the party scene… and the “5th Ave” seemed to have more or a Mardi Gras feel than a Fifth Avenue feel.

I was about ready to book this place, trying to decide whether we should upgrade to an ocean front room, when Todd the web guy at work (also engaged) suggested I look up Excellence near Cancun.

Which brings me to

Contenders 4 and 5

Excellence Resorts: Riviera Cancun and Playa Mujeres

Excellence Riviera Cancun:

{sources clockwise from top 1, 2, 3}

Excellence Playa Mujeres (Where Mrs. Penguin went on her honeymoon!):

{source, source}

Pros for both Excellence resorts include hammocks EVERYWHERE in the lazy rivers! Beautiful decor, light white relaxing breath-of-fresh-air vibe throughout. Incredible reviews on Trip Advisor. Good food, good security, all around perfect package, and 25% off sale for booking fall dates.

So how did I choose between the two? Location. While Playa Mujeres seemed a teensy bit newer, the type on its website is pink (I was looking for any plus at this point), it has bigger jacuzzis in the rooms and a bigger beach that’s protected by Isla Mujeres; it is located north of Cancun in a pretty remote, undeveloped area except for surrounding resorts and golf course. Could be a pro for most honeymooners, but if I’m traveling to a new country, I want the culture to be just a little more accessible. I don’t want to spend a ton on cab rides. And I just needed a reason to cross one off the list.

Meanwhile, Excellence Riviera Cancun is located just 1 mile outside of Puerto Morelos which as I mentioned above is described as an artsy Bohemian fishing town. It’s right along the coast, so no crossing the busy highway or riding a ferry to find civilization, and I read in one of the zillion reviews I came across that one guest really enjoyed the bike tour into town and the shopping trip. Bingo. Done. We picked it!

A special thanks goes out to Mr. Thimble for his patience with me, Todd-the-web-guy from work (whose fiancee is a concierge I later learned. She MUST know her stuff!), and the good people who pour their hearts out reviewing resorts over at Trip Advisor.

Has anyone else had to rein in their honeymoon plans once they actually looked at the numbers? What were some of your criteria for your honeymoon resort?