Topic: All inclusive vacation help please!

[xrider]

Hey all, I am in the process of booking a trip to Mexico for an all inclusive get away from this arctic weather. I am just wondering if anyone has any suggestions or tips on places to go, or places to stay away from. I have looked at reviews on the  net and it basically is 1/2 ppl say the place is a itshay hole and 1/2 say it kicks assay. so any person experience would be awesome!

I am thinking Grand  Oasis in cancun, but I am not set, thank a lot!!

[Perfect Dark]

I am not sure what is available for all-inclusive, but take a look at going to Cozumel.  It was an absolute riot when we went there, and have been planning on going back for a longer period of time just to get a chance to enjoy it all!

[silent]

What kind of hotel do you want?  What's your price range?  Do you want a fantastic beach or an amazing hotel?

[xrider]

I want something kick assay that is all haha. No i really dont know waht I want this will be my first all inclusive venture, but I am thinking pretty nice hotel and pretty amazing beach, I dont really want to sacrafice to much on either end. I am lookign to spend i dunno about 1500 person probably.

[silent]

Unfortunately, this is high season and the prices are outrageous.  To stay at a 3 star hotel with the best beach in Cancun is $1800+ per person for a week.  However, if you wait until April (a week after Easter) the prices drop drastically.  The weather here still isn't all that great and it's beautiful down there.  Around that time, you're looking at around $1300-1400 for a 4.5 star hotel with a nice beach.

Places I recommend checking out:
Gran Caribe - 4.5 Star hotel, decent beach, amazing food.
The Royal - GT Luxury resort (better than 5 star), anything you could ever dream of you can order to eat, amazing rooms, nice beach, great pool
Kin Ha - 3 or 3.5 star, nicest beach in Cancun, decent food, nice people.  It's a smaller condo complex type of hotel, not a huge luxury resort.

Whatever you do, stay away from the lagoon side of Cancun, prices are much cheaper but the beaches suck.

I can ask my dad for more suggestions, he used to run a tour company down in Cancun and has been there probably 20+ times.

[Perfect Dark]

Also, I don't know if you are stuck on Mexico but we are going to the Dominican Republic in April and for one week in a 5 star it was 1700 all in (including insurance)

[Cyni]

Last April we stayed at the El Dorado Royal on the Mayan Riviera (about an hour outside of Cancun).

The resort was fantastic.  9 Restaurants, all with gourmet food (some of the best food i've ever had), 7 pools, 2 swim-up bars, a martini bar playing sports 24/7, full gym, lagoon ocean swimming, cabana's on the beach for relaxing (and more if you're the ummm... "exhibitionist type"... hahahah)...

It was a great trip, and I fully recommend going the all-inclusive route.  The resort is expensive however... Even in the "slow" April season we payed over $2k each to go.  Well worth it though in my opinion.  

Also, it was adult's only, and it really cuts down on the annoyances like the three year old kids in the pool all day splashing and screaming...  And being outside of Cancun is nice if you're not really all that interested in the party/club scene of the city.  (Or being thrown off of your balcony?? Hahah).  I guess it just really depends on what you're planning on doing while you're there.  Some people love the city night life, others like the tours and privacy of a resort away from everything.

Let us know what you choose and how it is.

[snackers]

My parents just came back this weekend, from a week in Huatalco, at the Barcelo. (Pacific side of southern mexico)
It depends on what you want to do... party, go on trips, or sit on the beach.
Booked back in August tho, about 1300/person.

Huatalco is good for excursions, but this time, my parents rented a "tour guide".
Essentially, he was a taxi driver, but knew all the stuff, so for about 150 bucks/day, he takes you to places that no tour company would.

Highly recommended, or so say my parents.

[Flex]

Don't go to Mazatlan. We went there a year ago and it was really dirty, and the water is really dirty as well. From other people I have talked to about it say to go over to the Mayan Riveara (SP?) side as its a lot nice and the water is so much cleaner as well.

[silent]

Yeah, listen to what Flex said.  Go to the Caribbean side, not the Pacific side of Mexico.

[neverLift]

puerto vallarta is nice too, it is on the pacific side, but i didn't see any problems
talk to my dad, hes a travel agent
islands in the sun
pm me if you want the number
ask for "mike"
cheers
-Evan

[xrider]

Hey guys thanks for all the help! I am going to be going to Grand Oasis Cancun I belive, it is anywhere from 1300-1500 i have seen online, and its dropping so maybe i will wait a bit. I want a place to party but that has a nice hotel and nice beaches so cancun sounds like the place to be. booo ya, thanks for the info again though guys

[Genma]

Make sure you stay in a high star hotel. I went to cuba for a summer vacation 2 years ago and we stayed in a 4 star hotel, good lord the elevator seemed like it would drop the 5 floors. It was also all-inclusive so food, booze, booze, food, shows were all free. Not sure if it will apply to where your going but its good to bring a few cheap 1 dollar hand creams/lipstick for the cleaning ladies. Reason behind that is when i went to cuba they didnt have access to stuff like that regularly so if you give them something like that as tip or + tip they will give your room a little more attention. Try not to use their glasses they provide instead use the toss away plastic cups. All in all go get some R & R nothing says chilling like drinking a mojito lying on a lawn chair soaking up the sun on a beach. Have fun.