Hali's best friend Eva decided to get married in Mexico, so we were provided with a great excuse to visit one of our favorite Caribbean locations -- Playa del Carmen. Eva (and Keith) picked the Xpu Ha Palace resort, and that turned out to be an excellent choice! This unique resort is a huge, sprawling compound with well appointed bungalows within a wildlife preserve. The resort was so big that they had bicycles available for sightseeing and just getting around (they had an electric cart shuttle service as well, for those who didn't want to ride the bikes). This was a very quiet resort so it was just right for us! We only went for 5 days, but were wishing for a longer stay. The weather was hot, sunny, and breezy -- perfect Caribbean weather! In the pictures below we have tried to capture some of Eva and Keith's wedding ceremony, some of the fun times, and some of the beauty of the resort. To see pictures of our other fun trips you can visit our main vacation page HERE. Happy trails! - Mike & Hali |
We review the key aspects of the resort on a scale from one to ten -- one being bad, and ten being excellent. Rooms: 9.5 Ample space, nice layout, very clean, very large deck. Mini fridge with water, soft drinks, beer. 24/7 room service (nice items like filet mignon, shrimp cocktail, etc). Creative towel designs by housekeeping. Water sports/Activities: 9.5 The staff spoke excellent english, and were extremely pleasant and helpful. The checkout system was easy and there was always enough equipment. Bars: 8 Very good bartending staff, but no real fruit (not even bananas), and no high-end liquor. Restaurants: 9 One buffet (which we didn't try), and two a la carte. One of the a la carte places alternated the menu every other night between oriental and italian. Lunch & breakfast buffet only, but very nice. Food quality was very good and service was excellent. Grounds: 9.5 Maybe not for the unadventurous, but we loved it! Sprawling, well maintained grounds. A unique eco resort. Overall Service: 9 Generally excellent, except the front desk. The room safe lock didn't work when they brought us to the room, and it still wasn't working when we left (despite several phone calls). Reception/Front desk: 3.5 "Yes sir, we are aware of the problem" -- yet no action. Tour Operator: 1 DO NOT use Olympus/Go-Go tours. They hit on us for tips the second they met us. They forced us to attend an "orientation" meeting (aka, the sell-you-local-tours meeting) by taking our return bus voucher and then didn't show up for the meeting. DO use Chaza travel! Please note the distinction between a tour operator and a travel agent (our travel agent is the always-wonderful Middletown Cruise & Travel agency). Overall: 9 A beautiful place with friendly staff. We'd go back again for certain. |