We just got back from spending five days in Mexico, and we had such a good time. I’m not quite ready to get back to normal life!
Well over a year ago, our group of friends got to talking about how we should take a trip for everyone’s 30th birthdays this year. (I was one of the few on the trip not turning 30 this year. #braggingrights) An all inclusive was the most logical, so I contacted travel agents, got a list of options together and let everyone vote on their favorite resort. The 12 of us ended up Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun. We booked it through Apple Vacations so everything went pretty smoothly.
Our room was great. Every guest room at the resort is basically a suite, complete with a seating area and a lounge on the patio/balcony. Oh, and the bathroom…giant! The bathroom had two sliding walls/doors so you could look out into the room or close it off for privacy. The shower had two separate shower heads and could have easily fit six people. There’s also a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom and two sinks. We did a pool view room and was placed in Building 2. (There’s six buildings with guest rooms and each has its own private, smaller pool.) I think we really lucked out because our building’s pool happened to be on the back side of the building so we also got an ocean view from our room. No complaints there.
I have never done an all inclusive trip before so I have nothing to compare this resort to, but everyone in the group really seemed to have liked it. Some of the requirements for our group (other than staying within a budget) was adults only, swim up bar, and food options. The resort, in my opinion, exceeded my expectations. The entertainment team made a point to learn our names and talk with us throughout our stay; there were EIGHT pool options; the rooms were fantastic; and the resort wasn’t that crowded! Maybe it’s because June is their low season or the fact that reserving lounge chairs isn’t allowed, but we never had trouble finding an area by one of the pools or at the beach.
There were so many food options! We had one group dinner and then the rest of the time, we all just did our own thing. Room service was included if you weren’t able to make it out for dinner. There was a giant buffet for breakfast and a cafe for speciality coffee drinks. For lunch, you could chose between a buffet, a poolside bar, or a casual grille that overlooked the main pool. For dinner you could pick from Mediterranean, French, Italian, authentic Mexican, Asian/Hibachi, or a casual bar & grille. No one got sick from the food, either. The portions at the restaurants were perfect, too. They weren’t the giant, American-sized portions, but just enough to fill you up without wasting half of a plate of food. Even the appetizers were individual sized.
We didn’t do any excursions because with 12 of us there, there was enough entertainment just within the group. Ha! There were shows at night, and they were alright. The beach was fine, too. It wasn’t the most amazing beach I’ve ever seen, but it was nicer than others I’ve been too. The fairly constant strong winds made the surf really rough a few of the days, so we weren’t really able to take advantage of the ocean. Seaweed was constantly washing ashore too, but the resort had staff raking it up at various times throughout the day. I’m not counting that against them because they can only do so much.
So, all-in-all, it was a really great vacation. I would recommend this resort to anyone and would even consider going back. My one piece of advice…pack plenty of sunscreen!
—m.