Gran Palladium Riv/Gran Bahia Principe C/Barcelo maya Palace/Grand Riveria Princess

[ScreamingEagle44]

Has anyone stayed at any of the above resorts in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico. If so could you please let me know how it was. Thanks.

[FireInTheHole]

We stayed there in 2006. Nice resort, good food, nice pools. Our room was quite nice. If I remember correctly there wasn't a swim up pool bar which I thought was a bit lame. Like many resorts on the Mayan Riviera, there were a LOT of Europeans there... and I also believe there was an "adult pool" for topless sunbathing. We lost our camera at Xel-Ha on that vacation, so everything I remember is from memory...

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by FireInTheHole

We lost our camera at Xel-Ha on that vacation,

Xel-Ha freakin rocks, eh? That was one of my favourite days while in the Mayan.

I THINK we are staying at that resort in April for a buddies wedding. Good to hear it is decent.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

I wonder when it will be renamed Grand Scotiabank Place Riviera Mexico?

[jus_sum_guy]

Haven't stayed there...YET

We are leaving Feb 8 and staying at the Grand Palladium Colonial!!

My clients love the resort though

[jus_sum_guy]

By the way, if you want to do a little research before your trip ...
http://palladiumaddict.net/

[ScreamingEagle44]

Bump changed the title.

[BuzzardsWife]

We are leaving Feb. 1 for Rin con de gyuabitos..i dont know if that's how u spell it..has anyone been there? My dad goes there every year and loves it..says its really 'mexican'. There's no real info on the internet about it. It's definately off the beaten track and very quiet.

My husband and I went to the Bahia Principe complex 2 years ago for a wedding and LOVED IT! Good food, great service and a "make-your-own-margharita-bar" by the beach (not that I will get to utilize this awesome feature, being pregnant...sniff). We stayed in the Akumal Royal Golden then. The beds are a little hard, but I liked that. You can request a mattress topper that helps.

I liked it so much, I'm taking my parents there on Friday! It was either here or the Palladium in Puerto Vallarta. We could have tried out another resort, but why screw around with a good thing? We're staying in the Coba Royal Golden section this time. A little farther from the beach, but really.... how often are we going to be in our hotel rooms? The only downfall is we're flying Air Transat. But I heard they increased the legroom in November...we'll see.

I plan on trying out Xel-Ha this time. Was trying to decide between Xel-Ha and Xcaret. Xel-Ha won because it's closer and cheaper.
Any other questions, send me a PM.

[troutman]

Avoid the bus tours to Chichen Itza. Rent a car and drive there yourself, and get there before it is too hot. Explore the jungle and colonial towns along the highway. There are cenotes (caves) to explore too.

[SportsJunky]

Originally Posted by troutman

Avoid the bus tours to Chichen Itza. Rent a car and drive there yourself, and get there before it is too hot. Explore the jungle and colonial towns along the highway. There are cenotes (caves) to explore too.

This is true. The bus isn't that bad but being able to go and leave as you please in a rental car is much nicer. I've been down there a half a dozen times and still love the pyramids and caves.

[Table 5]

Is this one of those places where you wine and dine your way to gluttonous excess inside of an impeccable all-inclusive fenced-in resort, while outside, mexican children wander around begging for change and table scraps?

I'm no Sally Struthers, but there always seemed something wrong about those resorts. Then again, if i was in corrupt Mexico, I'd probably want to be shielded away from the crime and reality a bit as well.

[BuzzardsWife]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Is this one of those places where you wine and dine your way to gluttonous excess inside of an impeccable all-inclusive fenced-in resort, while outside, mexican children wander around begging for change and table scraps?

I'm no Sally Struthers, but there always seemed something wrong about those resorts. Then again, if i was in corrupt Mexico, I'd probably want to be shielded away from the crime and reality a bit as well.

Debbie Downer!

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Is this one of those places where you wine and dine your way to gluttonous excess inside of an impeccable all-inclusive fenced-in resort, while outside, mexican children wander around begging for change and table scraps?

I'm no Sally Struthers, but there always seemed something wrong about those resorts. Then again, if i was in corrupt Mexico, I'd probably want to be shielded away from the crime and reality a bit as well.

http://www.ises.org/sepconew/Pages/T...rcharge/2.html

Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors in Mexico, making up 9.4 % of the gross national product. Mexico is a "tourism giant" even on an international scale. In 2000, Mexico was the 8th most popular travel destination, with 20.6 millions arrivals.


The tourism sector is the largest "employer" in Mexico, offering some 3.2 million jobs. Some 9.5 % of all employees work in this sector.

In addition, the tourist sector will probably grow faster than any other industry in Mexico in the next few years. The Word Travel & Tourism Council forecasts a 7.7annual growth rate (in terms of constant prices) up to 2012. (World Travel & Tourism Council (2002))

http://www.hausarbeiten.de/faecher/vorschau/117568.html

The following report investigates economic, environmental and socio-cultural impacts in Mexico caused by the tourism industry. Positive as well as negative influences will be investigated. Furthermore, the paper will have a special focus on Cancún, a mega resort built by a governmental agency within only a few years. Mexico accounts to the leading tourism destinations among developing countries. Despite its wonderful beaches and the different kinds of activities such as water sports, deep-sea fishing, diving Mexico offers a wide range of culture and history. Ancient Maya sites, for example Tulum or Chichen Itza being the most popular attraction with tourists.

http://lap.sagepub.com/cgi/content/a.../35/3/37?rss=1

In developing its tourist industry, the Mexican government had three main goals: earning foreign exchange, creating employment, and diverting internal migration toward tourism development poles. Statistics on employment and in-migration to Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, Cancún, and Los Cabos show that it has been relatively successful in achieving these goals. However, Mexico has increased its dependency on loans, foreign capital, and foreign patronage and has imposed costs on the working class employed in low-waged and precarious tourist jobs, including de facto social and economic apartheid.

[Table 5]

Yeah, I understand tourism is big business in Mexico, but isn't there something weird about eating your face off at a gigantic 200-item buffet, while a few hundred feet away people are mired in poverty? I'm no pious saint by any means, but that would make a little uncomfortable.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Yeah, I understand tourism is big business in Mexico, but isn't there something weird about eating your face off at a gigantic 200-item buffet, while a few hundred feet away people are mired in poverty? I'm no pious saint by any means, but that would make a little uncomfortable.

The question is, is tourism improving the life of the average Mexican? I linked some academic papers on this issue above.

[greatbigC]

We stayed at the Palladium Colonial in Feb. 2007 and are on our way back again in Feb. this year. It is a great resort with plenty to do and the beach is fantastic.

Check into buses, taxis and car rentals for excursions as some can be done for a fraction of the price that the tour operators charge. One example is a couple we met who went to Tulum for $7 each which included entry and return bus fare. The tour through Air Transat or their operators was something like $40 each.

[socktape]

We've been to both resorts with BP last June and the GP in 2006...

That being said we liked the GP a lot better. The service was better the staff were a little more friendlier, food a little more varied at the buffets. Both resorts are huge and you can find a lot of things to do at either one. Keep in mind though all the resorts here have had the same sort of staffing issues that we do up here with a lack of really good staff along the area that are continually being poached from one resort to the other.

Coba is a little further from the beach, the BP itself is a lot more spread out of a resort and you will find you need to take the little golf cart trains to a lot of the places you want to go including the beach. The buffet at Coba is supposed to be the best of the three, we never made it there though.

The GP is a little more compact easier to walk around to the buffets, beach etc. We found that the beach was nicer here in general but that could have changed along that whole region with hurricanes in the last couple years. The GP is a little closer to Cancun and PDC if that matters to you but your still looking at about an hour and a half to 2 hour buss ride from the airport either way.

To sum it up... If we were to go back, we'd go to the GP, but I wouldn't say that we didn't like the GBP

Originally Posted by Table 5

Yeah, I understand tourism is big business in Mexico, but isn't there something weird about eating your face off at a gigantic 200-item buffet, while a few hundred feet away people are mired in poverty? I'm no pious saint by any means, but that would make a little uncomfortable.

So do you not leave your house ever?
Poverty is a world-wide issue.
Enough said.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Puxlut

So do you not leave your house ever?
Poverty is a world-wide issue.
Enough said.

Damn, you got me.