Vacation Ideas

The Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun on the Caribbean coast of Mexico’s Riviera Maya is one of our most popular and highly recommended adults-only resorts in all of Mexico and the Caribbean and has been since it opened in 2003. There are 291 rooms & suites offered in this idyllic resort which looks and feels like a Mexican hacienda with a bit of Mediterranean flair, as they say, and is ideal for romantic travelers celebrating an anniversary or honeymoon, girlfriends getaway or guys golf outings, . The Unlimited Luxury included program takes the all-inclusive concept to the next level, with their signature “no wristbands and no reservations” policy, 24-hour food & beverage service including in room dining, premium domestic and imported drinks, complimentary green fees at Playa Paraiso, and much, much more. The accolades speak for themselves: Secrets Capri is a member of Preferred Hotel Group, AAA has certified it a 4-diamond property, Conde Nast Traveler listed it on their 2010 Reader’s Choice Gold List and as the #2 resort in Mexico, TripAdvisor.com users awarded it the top hotel on earth for Luxury and Romance in 2008, Apple Vacations has continually awarded them the coveted 6-Golden rating…the list goes on. So check out the Secrets Capri for your next dream vacation – you’ll be glad you did!

May 1, 2011 the NH Royal Beach resort will change ownership and become the new newest memeber of the AM resorts family, the Secrets Royal Beach. Situated on the stunning Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana, this new 6 apple all inclusive resort will feature unlimited luxury for adults 18 and over. All rooms with jacuzzi’s on the balcony, 24 hour room and concierge service, Pool and beach wait service and no reservations or limitations on dining are just a few of the upgraded luxuries the new Secrets Royal Beach boasts. Daily activities like nonmotorized watersports, Spanish and dance lessons, water aerobics and beach volleyball and more will keep you busy while the sun is up and at night you can take part in one of the weekly theme parties or a big screen movie on the beach. The perfect resort for a couple looking for a romantic honeymoon, an anniversary getaway or just a relaxing vacation with friends, the new Secrets Royal Beach in Punta Cana will offer a Dream Vacation!

Palace Resorts properties are located in some of the most tropical beach locations in the world including Cancun, Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen ,Cozumel and Punta Cana. Palace resorts are geared towards families, weddings, honeymooners, couples and golfers. When booking a Palace Resort the name speaks for itself PALACE is exactly what you’re going to experience with their excellent staff, service and detail to every aspect on-property. One advantage for families is Palace Resorts offer children under 12 stay, play and eat free program when booking 3 nights or more.  Also included is Palace Passport (valued at $1500.00) that includes unlimited select tours to Chichen Itza, Tulum/Xpu-Ha, Isla Mujeres, Coba,  Wet n Wild water park, Zip Line at the Holkan Kingdom Park also including discounts on green fees, spa treatments and motorized water sports.

One of my all-time favorite trips was my honeymoon to the Paradisus Punta Cana on the AMAZING Bavaro beach in 2007. We stayed in a Beachfront Royal Service Jacuzzi Suite, which was fantastic, but has since been renovated into a Romance Suite and is even more spectacular than it was when we stayed there. The Paradisus had a dozen or so great restaurants (Romantico was my favorite) and bars and 24 hour room service, so it would literally be impossible to go hungry and/or thirsty. The beach is really one of the nicest I have seen anywhere in the region, with sugar white powdery sand and crystal clear water. The Royal Service section is adult’s only (18+ years) and has it’s own private lounge, adult’s only pool, and beach area. The adult’s only pool and beach area have waiters/butlers who will get you any food, drinks, sun tan lotion, etc. that you may need. I played golf (green fees are included) at the Cocotal Club and that was a great addition. We also took a horseback riding trip, which was the best horseback riding on the beach I have ever done in the region as they took us to a undeveloped beach and let us run with them wide open for almost an hour. The golf, food, and horseback riding were great for me, but my wife would say that without a doubt, the best part was our couples massage in the beachfront cabana.

Starting May 1, 2011, the NH Real Arena will be operated under AMResort brands such as Secrets Resorts & Spas and Now Resorts & Spas. Beginning in May, clients will be able to enjoy the benefits of Secrets and Now Resorts & Spas with their concept of Unlimited-Luxury all inclusive, providing reservation-free gourmet a la carte dining, premium brand drinks, 24-hour room and concierge services, daytime activities, live evening entertainment and much more. Now Larimar is located 30 min from Punta Cana’s international airport nesteled on Bavaro Beach. Now Larimar boost more than 600 rooms, 6 reservation-free gourmet restaurants, 7 bars and lounges, 3 swimming pools including a relaxation pool, open air night clucb and casino, bowling alley, Explores club and activities for teens. Everyone can enjoy their time in their own way. Each room will be equiped with balconies or terraces with garden or partial ocean views, mini-bars, flat-screen TVs, alarm clocks, irons and ironing boards, jetted tubs for two, and a rain shower.

The Grand Velas Riviera Maya is hands down, one of the most AMAZING resorts I have ever been to…no, seriously, it is AMAZING!!! AAA should create a 6 Diamond class for the Grand Velas and maybe also (just maybe) the Burj al Arab in Dubai – other than that, it stands alone in my book. The resort is divided into three distinct sections, or “ambiances”, the Master, Ambassador, and Grand Class. All suites in all sections are very spacious at over 1k sq feet, offer either a king or two queen beds, a private two person jacuzzi tub and separate rain shower cabin, private furnished balcony with either a spectacular ocean, lagoon, and/or jungle view, a very nice 42” plasma TV w/DVD player and satellite cable, iPod docking station w/speakers, fully stocked mini-bar, and GREAT 24 hour room service with a full menu. The beach is extraordinary, the service was impeccable from check-in to check-out, the drinks were amazing (especially the flowering teas), the beds are extremely comfortable with a good pillow menu, and I could go on and on. If you want an all-inclusive resort experience that will change your perception of what all-inclusive resorts are all about and will destroy any notion that all-inclusive food means sub-par, the Grand Velas Riviera Maya is definitely one to check out.

The Master ambiance/section is almost like a separate resort, set back in the jungle, with all its own facilities (pool, bars, restaurants, gym, and kids club) and it is where the most amazing resort spa (89k sq feet!!!) I have ever visited is located.  I could write a book about the spa or talk about it four thirty minutes, which I won’t, but it is truly extraordinary. It is about 3 minutes by shuttle from the beach. We went back and forth between the Ambassador, where we stayed, and Master ambiance several times and never waiting more than 3-5 minutes for a shuttle, and they were often immediately available. My wife and I both felt as though the Master ambiance would be the best fit for many, as we found it to be otherworldly quiet, very lush, tranquil, and tropical. The pathways between the main building, rooms, and spa are thatched roof covered wooden boardwalks through the jungle and either side is covered with lush foliage and even a really neat cenote. All suites in the Master ambiance face a lagoon and jungle, which really is nice and relaxing. All suites in the Ambassador ambiance have an Oceanview or Partial Oceanview and all suites in the Grand Class ambiance are Oceanfront. There are suites in the Master and Ambassador ambiances that have private plunge pools on the balcony available and all suites in the Grand Class section have a private plunge pool on the balcony. The Grand Class ambiance (rooms, pool, and restaurant) is reserved for guests 12 years old and up whereas the Master and Ambassador sections are for all ages.

Now…what really, really, really sets the Grand Velas apart in my book is that I found, being a bit of a foodie, they have the best food at any all-inclusive resort anywhere – I mean the best food by far, incomparably, and without a close second that I have found traveling to some of the best in the world. For room service, they had great burgers & fries, sushi, salads, sandwiches, deserts, drinks, fruit, steaks, etc. – we tried room service three times and all three times got really good stuff. The beach and pool side wait servers and swim up bars also offer a similar menu with really something tasty for everyone available. You can sit in your room, by the beach, or in the pool all day and always get something good to eat, which I loved. However, the a-la-carte restaurants for dinner really STOLE THE SHOW, in my book, especially Cocina de Autor (which was recently ranked by Food & Wine magazine as one of the “100 Best New Food & Drink Experiences” in the world). We ate at Cocina de Autor (Spanish haute cuisine & an exciting experience), Piaf (French), and Frida (Mexican) and all three were outstanding. The passion and attention to detail really shows in the food including the presentation, service, décor, and especially in the food, which rivals the best food I have ever had at great restaurants in NYC, LA, St. Louis, Cancun, Honolulu, etc. The veal chops at Cocina de Autor which are roasted for 36 hours at 70 degrees were truly a revelation and one of the absolute best things I have ever eaten…anywhere…ever…period.