Vacation Ideas

The Excellence Playa Mujeres is about 25 minute from the Cancun airport.  It is not in Cancun’s hotel zone or the Riviera Maya.  It is located in Playa Mujeres which is a new area northwest of Cancun.  It is an adult only hotel with and amzing spa, marina and a Greg Norman golf course right on the property.  The hotel is close to downtown Cancun and you have a wonderful view of Isla Mujeres.

They offer many  different room styles and they are all gorgeous.  Their best room is a roof top terrace suite with a private plunge pool.  Every room has a glassed in Jacuzzi that will open up completely to your balcony.  The pool is a lagoon style that runs through the entire resort.  Private Cabanas line the lagoon pool and they offer plenty of lounge chairs by the swim up bar.  This hotel also has an activity pool for volleyball and other pool games.

The beach here is very nice and it offers great views of both downtown Cancun and Playa Mujeres.  As you enter the resort they have some caged jaguars I guess to add a little mystique?

The food was excellent.  They have 9 different restaurants so you never had to wait for a table.  The Lobster House and The Grill  was our favorite.  The weather was perfect so we wanted to have dinner outside.  We usually like to try all the different restaurants but on this trip we only got to 3 of them.  The Spa looked real special and everyone we talked to said it was one of the best.  It is located by the pool and had huge linens draped at the entryway.

We did the Excellence Club and I really enjoyed the added benefits.  The check in and check out was private and when our room was not ready the concierge ordered lunch for us and had it sent to the Excellence club lounge.  I would head down to the lounge for drinks and snacks every evening while my wife was getting ready for dinner.  After a few days we sort of had a pre-dinner club going on with some of the other guests.  The concierge was on the top of his game and even offered suggestions on his favorite entrees at the restaurants.  He was so good  I was 30 minutes late picking up the Mrs. for dinner. The next night he set me an alarm to keep me out of hot water!  Now that is service.

The Excellence was also listed on Conde Nast Traveler’s gold list for 2011.  This resort is wonderful and if your tired of the Hotel Zone or the Riviera Maya come check out Playa Mujeres.  This is one resort you have to experience.

My wife and I had a chance to experience the Excellence in Punta Cana, Domincan Republic.  We arrived at the airport and had a private transfer to our hotel.  The hotel is just over an hour from the airport.  As we walked into the open air lobby we were stunned by the huge beach with palapas for everyone.

We stayed in the swim up suites and the room was nice and had a great location.  This hotel is more mature compared to some of the “New Adult Only Hotels” but the rooms and grounds are very nice.  This hotel is about the location.  You feel like you have the entire Caribbean to yourself.

The hotel was at 100% capacity but you would have never known it.  At dinner the lobby area had a real buzz as everyone waits to head to dinner for the evening.  We loved the French Gourmet restaurant.  The tables were sort of big and it was not real cozy so I slid  over to my wife’s side of the table.  Three minutes later they showed up with a new table that was smaller and more romantic.  I have been moved to different tables before but never actually had my table moved at a restaurant!  The next evening they sat us at the same small table from the previous evening.  This is the kind of special attention we were paid.

My wife enjoyed a massage at the Spa.  The Spa itself was not too fancy but the service and the treatment was wonderful.  During the day the entertainment staff was eager to get people involved in the daily activities.  I took part in the “merengue” classes and just as I was about to graduate a whale surfaced and the dance floor emptied.  Everyone ran to the beach for a peek.  They missed my best moves!

The main pool is a lagoon style with a swim up bar.  They have another pool at the back side of the hotel but is seemed to be pretty empty.  The highlight of this resort is their beach.  It is wide, white and you can walk it for miles.

If you want super service on a world class beach come stay at the Excellence in Punta Cana.

Looking for a small, intimate, boutique style Adult Only All-Inclusive resort? Look no further than the El Dorado Maroma Beach Resort in the Riviera Maya! Boasting 98 luxurious suites on the absolute most beautiful white sandy beach with cool caribbean turquois ocean waters, the El Dorado Maroma Beach Resort is one of my personal favortie adult only resorts.

Karisma Resorts just announced that all of the renovations of the Mi Hoteltio Beach Front Suites are now complete. Decoradted in the bold colors and art work of Mexican artist Pineda Covalin, the suites offer beauty and amenities that will make guests feel right at home. The Mi Hotelito Beachfront Suites will offer a king sized bed, over-sized terrace which is just steps away from the gorgeous Maroma Beach sands as well as direct access to the pool and bar “24.” These suites are a perfect setting for romance. Designed for couples looking for luxury, relaxation and papering.

Whether you plan for a beautiful outdoor destination wedding, 10 year anniversary trip, honeymoon or to simply relax with your loved one you’ve found the right place. The world famous Maroma Beach was actually just named one of the Travel Channel’s Top 10 Beach in the World! El Dorado Maroma is an upscale, exclusive Mexican resort for couples and active vacationers.

One of the most common questions asked of the travel consultants at Dream Vacations is “When is the best time to travel” This can easily become a loaded question as many times the best time to travel depends on each individual travelers needs. Travel can easily be broken up into seasons that may easily help you and your family figure out the best time to suite your needs.

Peak Season:

Peak Season is considered Thanksgiving-mid April. As the air in the U.S. Cools down and the snow heads in, most of us start getting the travel bug and are ready to bury our feet in some silky sand. For the best prices during peak season ALWAYS avoid the Holidays. Christmas, New Years Eve, Presidents weekend and Easter offer days off from school making it easier for family travel, however due to their popular nature prices will be higher during these times. Avoiding the month of March and the first couple weeks in April will also help to lower cost as this month and a half time frame is considered the “Spring Break” season when many families head to the Caribbean or Mexico.

Late Spring/Summer Vacation:

Summer Vacations season usually starts in June so traveling in May can help with your budget as well. Typically June and July will be the most expensive months during Summer to travel, however your budget will stretch much farther than during the peak months of travel. Summer travel is perfect for the vacationer looking for the warmest weather possible to enjoy your vacation.

Hurricane Season:

Hurricane Season in the Caribbean and Mexico is June-November. Typically the most active months for hurricanes are August-November so planning an early summer vacation is not necessarily a hurricane risk. Prices will usually be lowest August, September and October. We recommend always taking insurance on your vacation regardless of the season, however during Hurricane Season cancellation insurance is a must, as it will help you and your family avoid large headaches, change fees, late departures, etc due to weather.

Regardless of your season of travel, flying on weekdays like Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will typically help with flight costs as Fridays and Saturdays are usually the more expensive days to fly.

If you have any questions about your choice of travel season, give us a call today and we can help you find your perfect Mexico or Caribbean vacation!

The Gran Bahia Principe Coba is a favorite among Apple vacationers traveling in the Riviera Maya.  This hotel features 1080 superior junior suites with a Jacuzzi tub and a private balcony.  This property opened in 2005 and holds a 5 Golden Apple rating!!

Staying at the Coba, you will also have access to the rest of this mega complex.  The two other hotels include the Gran Bahia Principe Tulum & Gran Bahia Principe Akumal. Both hotels also boast a large number of rooms which add another 921 more.  All together you have your choice of 15 total restraunts and 25 bars.  Here you will also find the new Dolphinarium that provides swimming with the dolphins on site and nightly entertainment including live music! If that doesn’t sound like alot of fun, I don’t know what does.  But no worries about getting around this huge tropical resort.  The hotel provides a trolly that will take you from place to place as desired.

The Coba ranks very high according to Trip Advisor, #1 hotel in Akumal out of 20.  Here is what one of our seasoned travelers had to say about the Gran Bahia Coba: