| | |  Travel & Outdoors 
One Skeptic Succumbs to Mexico’s All-Inclusive Resorts
 Maribeth Mellin - SDNN
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May 10, 2010
I long loathed the whole concept of all-inclusive (hereafter simply AI) resorts. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to stay, eat and play in the same place while traveling.
I toured a few when they first started popping up along Mexico’s coastlines. When one resort manager bragged about his property’s 1,000 beach chairs I swore he’d never see me again.
Eventually, in 2008, I had to include an AI experience in an article about the Riviera Maya www.rivieramaya.com. I couldn’t possibly describe that hugely popular Caribbean coastline without including at least one of the dozens of AI resorts from Cancún to Tulum.
Fortunately, I chose the right place — and kept an open mind.
Beneath the fake pyramid
Some sort of perverse logic led me to the Iberostar Paraíso, a ginormous compound with four hotels (and a fifth on the way) www.iberostar.com. I’d shuddered at the sight of the resort’s replica of Chichén’s Itzá’s Castillo; it poked above the treetops for years.
When I checked in, I was relieved to find a swinging chair on a terrace by a peaceful lawn, decent beds, plenty of bottled water and a coffeemaker.
I considered hiding out for the day.
Not an option.
Instead, I followed a swimsuit-clad family to an amazing pool panorama. I watched teens floating down a meandering river, kids and dads splashing in a wave pool, grownups gabbing at swim-up bars and grandparents playing cards at a palapa-shaded lounge.
Sunset on the beach looked like Paradise on an especially good day. I tried to find squabbling parents and offspring, a sulking teen or a grumbling spouse. Nope, not a frown in sight. I’ve never seen so many happy families in one place.
I got it.
Vacationers love AIs because they provide perfect, no-hassle getaways. The resorts are kind of like cruise ships, except you can actually leave, if you want to.
The buffets might not offer exactly what you want, and “gourmet” isn’t the best description for most “specialty” restaurants – but when your mind and body are all worn out and you have to plan a vacation for one, two or 20, AI is a great way to go.
Beyond luxurious
Since 2008, I’ve sampled a few massive, impersonal AIs where it’s all about how much mediocre food and drink a person can consume for the least amount of money.
I’ve also encountered some extraordinary resorts that rival their non-AI competitors. Most are super-luxe hotels so secluded that dining choices are limited; some offer meal plans but alcohol is rarely included. I’ve come to understand the concept of full-scale, hassle-free vacationing and would definitely return to some of the resorts I’ve visited.
The ultra-luxurious Grand Velas Riviera Maya rivieramaya.grandvelas.com, a few miles south of the Iberostar Paraíso, was a sensory surprise I’d enjoy sharing with my husband (a serious splurge). My plush bed looked out to a terrace with a plunge pool and dining table facing the sea. A wall of glass doors and windows had remote-controlled blinds; amenities included a whirlpool tub, Moulton Brown toiletries, a bottle of Don Julio and a plate of perfect green apples.
Among the growing number of luxury AIs, the Grand Velas chain stands out for its gourmet restaurants. My dinners at the fancy French Piaf and “haute” Spanish Cocina de Autor were pleasant on all levels. The Azul breakfast buffet encouraged lingering and easily negated the need for lunch.
I longed to spend a day in the enormous spa, just soaking in the pool’s waterfalls, bubbles and jets. Sad to say, the laptop’s excellent in-suite wireless connection demanded attention.
Several other high-end AIs dot the Riviera Maya’s coastline, sometimes sharing the same sand with larger, less expensive resorts. I recently returned to the Iberostar Paraíso to check out the aptly named Grand Hotel Paraíso, which opened after my 2008 visit. I’d seen it under construction, watching workers paint murals on domed ceilings and polish endless marble corridors. It all seemed a bit over the top, and I was curious to see how the company’s luxury brand turned out.
It helped that my visit coincided with a press conference starring Antonio Banderas, Iberostar’s new spokesman. How could I stay away?
Clever Marketing
Banderas has signed a three-year marketing contract with Iberostar, a family-owned Spanish chain with resorts in 16 countries. The owners chose the Grand Hotel Paraíso as the background for their ads and press conference because it has won several awards and was cited as the best luxury hotel in Mexico and the Caribbean in 2010 by the users of TripAdvisor.
It’s certainly eye-catching. The exterior looks like a combination of the Bellagio, Venetian and other Vegas spectacles. Endless marble corridors lead past Romanesque pillars, and replicas of famous European paintings, to sweeping staircases and suites.
My room overlooked a lawn and pool – from a balcony with a comfy couch and perilous-looking hammock chair. Best details: heavy drapes that blocked out the sun; the pillow menu; minibar stocked with rum, beer, wine, juice and pretty much whatever I wanted, all complimentary; whirlpool tub, with hand-held shower, shallow enough to fill quickly but big enough to relax in comfortably; a large desk with a good lamp and cable Internet access.
With two pools, an array of beach cabañas and lounge chairs, a spa and gym and several restaurants and bars, the Grand is a full-service hotel. Guests also have access to facilities throughout Paraíso’s five hotels (totaling 2,000 rooms) and the main spa and golf course. Don’t miss the wave pool and the taco stand at the shopping area.
I chatted with guests lunching on lobster and sparkling wine at the Grand’s beachfront restaurant. They had visited the hotel several times for long weekends, never leaving the grounds. They weren’t interested in the Riviera Maya’s archeological sites, towns and beaches. The AI concept at the Grand was exactly what they wanted: plentiful, tasty food and drink, gracious adult-only surroundings and total relaxation.
Pitch perfect
Banderas, the star of films, including “The Legend of Zorro” and “Desperado,” – and the voice of the Nasonex bee on TV commercials – turns out to be the perfect spokesperson for both Iberostar and Mexico.
“Mexico has a very special place in my heart,” the actor said, explaining why he’d agreed to film commercials in Mexico. Several of his films have been set in Mexico, from Guaymas to Campeche. “I feel at home here.”
His involvement with Iberostar has given Banderas an opportunity to promote a country beset by troubles real and rumored. “I want to get across the message that people can come safely to Mexico,” Banderas said, adding, “They don’t need to be scared.”
Apparently, Iberostar feels the same. The company currently has eight properties in Mexico, and a new golf resort is under construction in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico’s rapidly growing resort area (with lots of AIs) just north of Puerto Vallarta.
• • •
IF YOU GO:
Getting there: Aeromexico is offering a Family Plan promotion: Buy four tickets for your family and get another one free for the same route, flight(s) and class(es) of service. Anyone can use the free ticket, regardless of age or relationship. The deals include flights between San Diego and Los Cabos.
Iberostar: Check out Iberostar’s many hotels and the Antonio Banderas tour at www.iberostar.com. I found the video too slow and interactive — I wasn’t interested in feeding in personal info. But you’ll get a great overview if you stick with the tour of the hotel, beach and restaurants. Banderas pops up intermittently to add commentary. Viewers can click on his ads, including one where the grinning star zooms through Playa del Carmen on a motorcycle.
The Iberostar chain runs specials all the time, and is currently giving away 20 trips to the Grand Hotel Paraíso.
I’m fond of Iberostar’s laidback Cozumel property, which recently earned Green Globe Certification for its sustainable management and operations.
Grand Velas: The Grand Velas Riviera Maya rivieramaya.grandvelas.com currently is offering all-inclusive room rates beginning at around $600 per night for two. From June 1 through Aug. 31, the Velas resorts In Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Maya and Riviera Nayarit are waiving the single supplement for single parents traveling with children and is offering free stay and meals for kids (ages vary with resorts).
Wyndham: The chain has three side-by-side resorts on Cozumel. The all-adult Aura, newest in the lineup, is the most romantic and luxurious and guests at all three have access to an excellent spa. Go to www.wyndham.com.
More AIs: Other all-inclusives I’ve enjoyed include the Royal Hideaway www.royalhideaway.com in Playacar, a development adjacent to Playa del Carmen that’s filled with AIs.
Zoetry Paraíso Bonita www.zoetryresorts.com/paraiso is stylish and private with elegant dining and plunge pools and/or hammocks in some suites. It’s near Puerto Morelos, a delightful small town just south of Cancún, close to excellent diving and snorkeling reefs
I’ve heard raves about the Karisma www.karismahotels.com properties. |
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