Mexico (Cancun)

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We’re (2 adults, 2DC aged 11 and 8) looking at Cancun for our holiday in July and it’s been a very long time since DH and I were there and pre-kids so looking for hotel recommendations please?

DC won’t be in kids clubs but will be looking for a good pool and things they can do with us. A swim up bar would be great! Good food also a big priority as from what I can remember, it wasn’t really like our normal holidays where we’d get ready and have a walk around the town before picking a restaurant, it felt more hotel based.

It’s also a big birthday for DH and I so willing to push the boat out a little if it’s worth it.

Any recommendations would be amazing!

Cancun only or would you consider Riviera Maya?

Look at the Hard Rock Hotels. The one in Cancun is smaller but great vibe, great food and great beach. It's safe to walk out of the hotel and visit the shopping malls etc.

HR RM is larger so a little more to so within the hotel grounds. Has trampoline park, bowling alley, waterpark onsite. More food choice. Not such a good beach. Nowhere to walk to outside of resort grounds. Great wildlife. Same great vibe.

Or look at Playacar/playa del Carmen which are great if you want to do more outside of hotel grounds (I don't mean excursions).

Xcaret! 100% amazing for everyone - hotel is great and easy/free access to the associated parks. We loved it.

the Hotel Xcaret though - different from the Occidental Xcaret

www.kuoni.co.uk/destinations/caribbean/mexico/riviera-maya-and-playa-del-carmen/hotels/hotel-xcaret-mexico/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=788845736624&utm_campaign=~&utm_campaign_id=22025728720&utm_adgroup_id=178724040155&infinity=ict2~net~gaw~cmp~22025728720~ag~178724040155~ar~788845736624~kw~~mt~~acr~9702577090&infinity=ict2~net~gaw~ar~788845736624~kw~~mt~~cmp~22025728720~ag~178724040155&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22025728720&gbraid=0AAAAAD8P7CbSipkLBEsaL8pPl-I9iQZBp&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-fGyoK-VkgMVLZdQBh3xFSUYEAAYAiAAEgJgrvD_BwE

Thanks both. I think Cancun suits us better than RM but I’ll definitely take a look at Hard Rock and Xcaret.

I wouldn’t do Mexico or anywhere around the Caribbean in the summer. It’s direct hurricane season.

I always prefer playa de carmen and go hotel with breakfast only as it’s a massive waste to me to miss out on all the amazing food available out of resorts.

playa has heaps of proper nice hotels for decent prices (just looking myself for husband and I first child free holiday for our big birthdays eeep)

Playa del Carmen fine for an evening wander, absolutely.

We stayed at the Iberostar Paraiso Maya down the coast from Cancun and it was lovely. Had a swim up bar in the man lagoon pool and it town beach. Beautiful grounds. Lots of activities, including a dedicated pool to pool volleyball and basketball. We hired a car for a day and drove into Cancun, drove around, realised it was an American Blackpool horror and left!

I’ve thought about this for a chilled sunbathing holiday, but if it’s really only hotel based what’s the point of such a long flight? There must be similar decent hotels in Europe?

No necessarily hotel based only for us and we’re going for part of the World Cup too (not cancun!) hence the timing!

We went in August and landed in a hurricane! Not fun! Other guests who had been there a week had nothing but terrible weather. The next day the sun was out though and we had two weeks of gorgeous weather.

Been around 5 times always end of July and August. Never had awful weather! It it has rained has lasted no longer then 15 minutes.

We went in late July, extremely humid but only the odd downpour. More the seaweed issue.. don’t expect to get near the sea! And mozzys at night awful too.

DH and I went in September and had great weather. This time we’ll be at the very beginning of July

Are your kids sporty? I would do club med. Cancun rivieria

all inc: tennis coaching, sailing, yoga, paddle boarding and more

i did yoga every morning pre breakfast it was lovely

We went a bit further north of Cancun, Costa Mujeres. But the downside is it adds even more time on to journeys e.g. down to Xcaret.

The Xcaret hotels are mega expensive in August. My kids absolutely loved Xenses Park as did we.

We went to Riviera Maya which was lovely but we stayed mostly in the resort. We took a trip to Playa del Carmen and found it very dodgy; lots of armed police on motorbikes wearing full face coverings, open drug taking, children pick pocketing and a shop with drugged lions and other wild animals for photo shoots. Absolutely would not go back and felt very unsafe during the day, we were only there for an afternoon. Even DH thought it was unsafe and he’s ex-forces and a bit of a tough nut!

I didn’t think this at all @bluescarf and I’ve been 3 times

Twice with husband and once alone (my female friend lives there’s half the year and I visited her)

we didn’t stay in resorts and drove around by ourselves. I never felt it dodgy - my high street in north London feels more unsafe to me 🤣

where abouts were you!
I never saw the drugged lions or tigers either

I wasn’t keen on HR Riveria Maya, it’s really loud. The advantage of it is there are a few little lagoon beaches that are seaweed free. I think you could do better and should prioritise seaweed or lack of.

Stayed at Grand Sirenis which was a lovely resort. Did a day trip to Playa del Carmen with our hotel. Honestly it was not good! The drugged lions/tiger were down the main touristy street up from the beach. This is where we saw the children pick pocketing too. The armed police seemed to be everywhere! Just felt very unsafe and wouldn’t go back. Loved the resort though! We did did another trip - cenote swimming and visited a beach bar out of the resort which was amazing!

Well yes it's called Hard Rock for a reason! Ive been several times to HR hotels and other resorts too.

i mean it's Mexico - there are obviously going to be cartel organised crime going on. But Playa del carmen is relatively safe compared to other areas.

I guess people have different risk levels and preferences of holidays of course.

But i feel safer walking around there than getting myself home in Tottenham at night.

My female friend owns her own house there are lives alone for years with zero issues.

And also obviously a tourist street has pick pockets - its peak target would be tourists! there are way better streets to explore.

ANYWAY the thread seems to be about resorts rather than a DIY trip! so il bow out now!