We had a chance to visit one of the most beautiful parts of Cancun’s
beach and all I can say is wow! A wonderful resort from the front door with a
lot of energy. I was worried this would be a party resort and who on earth
would take their children there. I would!! In a heartbeat! Truly fabulous
staff, with some awesome public spaces. Where else can you have a beer and
watch your children play pool?
Library behind the lobby
The lobby is not so much a lobby as it is a shrine to music’s greatest
legends. You’ll see amazing memorabilia and listen to some awesome music. Music
is piped in 24/7 which creates a light and playful vibe for the resort. Outside
by the pool they were grilling hamburgers during lunch, you could choose to
take in a yummy buffet or of course order room service. This truly is an
amazing resort with a lot to offer.
Thomas the Train room in the kids club
The kids club is extremely important when you are taking your family on
vacation for a week. Hard Rock has teamed up with some of the most amazing
names in children’s entertainment, like HIT Entertainment. Home to Thomas the
Train, Thumbalina Ballerina, Bob the Builder, to name just a few. Their pool for
the little ones is awesome, I’d have a hard time getting mine out of there!
The rooms are fabulous! Each room has a Jacuzzi for 2. The standard
rooms face the front of the resort and have no view of the ocean, but if priced
right you really can’t beat it!
Family room
How much time are you going to spend in the room
anyway? If the view is important than there is plenty of that! The Caribbean
Ocean is gorgeous here and leaves you ready to plan your next vacation.
So what else could I tell you about this amazing property? Well, in an
answer to their raving fans Hard Rock Resorts has created Heaven, the adult
side of things. Want to head for a little R&R without the kiddos? Not a
problem, Heaven is adults only with restaurants, bars and pool just for adults!
You can still use the family side of course!
Wifi is free! I can’t tell you how many resorts that is not the case! But
it is quite a few!! It is vital for me to stay connected and wifi is a major
selling point for me. Also included are unlimited international phone calls,
children under 3 stay and eat free, fitness center, tennis, 24 hour room
service and so much more!
Hard Rock Cancun, as you can see, is gorgeous! I would recommend it to
anyone looking for rest, relaxation with a side of fun! If you want to chill
out and veg, you can. If you want to be entertained and on the go, you can!
So whatever your family wants for your next vacation try taking a look at the Hard Rock Cancun! MMT should be heading to Hard Rock Punta Cana this fall so be sure to subscribe to our blog so that you get the information you need to make your next vacation amazing! And as always, use a travel professional!!
So you have decided to take your family to an all-inclusive
resort. Congratulations! You will have a fabulous time bonding and making lots
of fantastic memories! But when should you go and how far in advance should you
book your vacation? Great questions, let’s take a look at these.
Sandals Whitehouse
As a travel planner, I get calls all the time for family
vacations during those famous school holidays! You know, Christmas holiday,
Thanksgiving, Spring Break or any week from mid-June through mid-August. These
are Peak Weeks! Steer clear!! If you are able to be flexible with your dates
then choose dates that aren’t quite as obvious for school-aged children.
September, for instance, offers summertime weather and rock bottom prices. Most
resorts are recuperating from the busy summer and offer a much friendlier,
personal trip. Late October through mid-November also offer fabulous times to
hit
Beaches Ocho Rios
the tropical beaches of Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican. A fairly short
window, but decently priced and a great respite from the cold, is early January
for about 2 weeks.
So as you can see, when you go plays a huge role in how much
you are going to pay! Keep that in mind when you are deciding on that awesome
tropical vacation. Now, I mentioned how far in advance you should book. Well,
typically 4-6 weeks is a good time to book anything. But with today’s economy
it has become necessary for more and more people to book and plan in
Azul Beach
advance. I
am a planner. I have to work on my family’s vacations for months at a time and
would love that same opportunity for yours. Airfare won’t be available until 10
months before but resorts can be booked up to 15+ months in advance. So, if you
are working with a travel planner, book that resort, get the perfect room with
the best view. Start paying on it and add the air in later when it becomes
available and you feel like you are getting the best possible rate. It is
again, going to depend on when you are traveling as to when you should add air
to your vacation.
Azul Sensatori
You see, a travel planner is a great option to help you with
payment options, information about the destination and if you choose the right
planner, guides you on the best resort for you and your family. Remember, it’s
all in the plan!
An
amazing way to vacation! That is what an All Inclusive Vacation is! You pay for
your vacation before you go, you’ve paid for your room, dining, alcohol and
water sports. There are adult only resorts and family resorts, there are even
clothing optional resorts.
MackeyMouse
Travel is very fortunate that we have been able to visit many of these resorts
and have many more to go! We can tell you which beach has sugary sand and which
resort will put you to sleep! Nightlife? Most have nightly entertainment and
some have theme nights.
No
need to board a ship, keep up with a card, pay for your alcohol. You can relax,
play in the sand with your kids, drop them off at the kids club and have a
fabulously romantic sunset dinner on the beach!
We
are here to help you navigate your way through all of the choices. You will
need a passport so go ahead and apply for it! You are going to want to do this
vacation, and soon!
For
the cost of gas, snacks, groceries, condo at PCB, those outrageously overpriced
rides, dinners out, and so much more you can have a relaxing, worry free
vacation that truly lets you snuggle in with your main squeeze and/or your
babies!
One of the many perks of being a travel agent is FAM trips.
Familiarization trips that wholesalers or resorts will provide to travel agents
so we can get firsthand knowledge about their product.I was very fortunate to go on one of these
trips this August. Funjet Vacations paid for about 12 of us agents to stay at
the El Dorado Casitas Royale in the lovely Riviera Maya. I have never been to
Cancun so I jumped at the opportunity. The cost of the trip was very small for
me because my sweet wonderful hubby works for an airline so I fly stand-by. I
usually get to the airport check in then go to the gate and wait. This time I
checked in and had to pay taxes. I smiled and handed the wonderful Airtran
agent the money. Although secretly counting what I had in my pocked!
Flying stand-by is never a non nerve wracking experience! But this time
I was able to get on the flight (which happened to be the last one for the day)
and in business class. This was starting out great! I had been battling a
horrible cough and pretty much sucked on halls the entire flight! It has been a
few years, 10 plus, since I have flown internationally and forgot about customs
and immigration forms. They were easy and I was ready. I love landing in a new
place! The sights, the views it makes the trip so much more exciting!! We
landed, I grabbed my carry-on (no checked bags for stand-by if you can help
it!) and it was off to the races, which came to an immediate halt at customs.
They were nice, didn’t ask me any questions, just checked their computer,
scanned my passport and sent me on my merry way. There is this weird button you have to push
and it shows up green or red. Red is bad, very bad LOL you will be checked if it’s
red! Weird!
I walk out into the airport in Cancun and immediately wanted to
hyperventilate! Did I mention this was my first international trip in 10+
years? Well, I didn’t mention it was my first SOLO international trip! And it
was to Mexico, you know the crime ridden, drug infested Mexico! I nearly
freaked. I went to the restroom, had a pep talk with myself and came out ready
for what lay ahead. As I’m walking out people are asking me if they can help
me, did I need a taxi, a car, a hotel. All the hotels and resorts have shuttles
waiting whether it be with their name on it or through a shuttle company. Well,
your travel agent extradonaire forgot to find out which shuttle company. So as
I am reading every sign without making eye contact because I didn’t want them
to ask me questions, one nice enough gentleman asked me if I needed help. I
said yes I’m looking for the shuttle for the El Dorado Resorts. He pointed me
in the right direction and Lomas Travel was waiting for me! I was on the list
and the board and missed the sign in my desire to not make eye contact! It was
at this point I sorely missed Magical Express!!!
I was ushered into a private SUV and we made the drive to the
resort.My driver thought it was funny
that I was taking pictures as we drove, but that’s what I do! Thousands of
pictures!! One thing I noticed and wished I had gotten more pictures of, were
the green road signs. Here in the U.S. the green road signs are road names or
exit names (again, usually road names). Not here, they had the resort names!
They were huge signs with resort names. What an easy and awesome concept!!
Several tourist cities should take notice!!
In about 30 minutes we arrived and checked in through the security gate
for the resort and started our drive down the driveway. My first impression was
how gorgeous, shaded, and so very Disney like! We arrived at the front door and
I got out, the bellman got my suitcase and the driver was on his way.
Immediately an 8 seater golf cart drives up and they ask if I am Mrs. Mackey
(they pronounced it MaKEY), that my room was ready and he would take me right
to my room. How very prompt and nice! They were waiting for me! I didn’t have
to ask, I didn’t have go to a desk and check in with my credit card in tow.
Very luxurious and something I could certainly get used to.
My driver took me to the Casitas talking the entire way! Asking how my
flight was, if this was my first visit. Where was I from? The usual, but very
friendly questions. In fact every time I was shuttled anywhere the drivers were
very friendly and curious, I’m sure it’s part of their training but a very
personal touch. We pull up to the
Casitas “front desk” so that I could get my safe key and sign in. I put “front
desk” in quotations because we were in the center of the Casitas and it was nowhere
near the front desk. A very laid back
atmosphere where they had been radioed that I had arrived so when I came
through the door Mrs. MaKEY got all of the attention!
Within in 5 minutes I was ushered back to my room, Casita # 2704. It
was on the bottom floor and when I opened the door, I literally gasped. My
first impression was the size, the beautiful dark woods and the canopy bed. The
curtains to the sliding glass door were open so I could see the pool and off in
the distance the Caribbean Sea! The room was nice and cool (which was a
wonderful welcome, more later about the heat!). Everything was perfect!
I quickly put my things down and started taking pictures. I went into
the bathroom and discovered this very strange sliding glass door leading to a
patio that went nowhere. How strange?! I found out later that was my outdoor
shower! I never tried this feature out, but it was wide open at the top of the
wall and the window in the inside shower had no coverings!! I have to admit I
spent a couple of days taking a shower in the corner of the shower so no one
could see in! The last afternoon I was there, I figured out the wall to the
outside shower was over 10 feet tall so there was no way that anyone could see
in! You can take the girl out of the country…well you know the rest!
We had a meeting time of 4:30 so I didn’t have a lot of time to check
the resort out. I ended up going to the lobby then on to our meeting place. I’m
not much of a beach bunny. In fact my family always begs to go to the beach and
I always hesitate! I can think of 1000 things I’d rather do then sit in the
heat on the sand and burn! This is unlike any other beach I have ever been to!
I mean there is sand, there is the ocean and there is more than enough heat!! But there are so many options for a non beach
bunny to do and see that you could go the entire trip and never touch the sand J it was my goal!
Our group meets up and we start our tour. I click so many pictures I
look ridiculous. But that is what I was there for. The grounds are very plush
and Karisma takes a lot of pride in their upkeep and grounds. I talked with the
bar tender before everyone arrived and found out they employ at least 500
during the slow season. They were cleaning, repairing, and replanting the
entire time I was there. Every single employee took such great pride in their
work no matter what they were doing. It was absolutely amazing to watch and be
a part of. Kudos to Karisma for hiring, training and expecting the best!
After our tour, we had a wine tasting. I have never been to a wine
tasting. Normally I go for a Reisling and don’t try other things. Very in the
box! We tried 4 wines and I hate to admit this but I liked them all. I tried
raw tuna for the first time, I literally opened and popped it in!! It wasn’t
bad, but I can’t say I really tasted it. Our dinner was full of conversation
and getting to know one another and of course trying things we don’t normally
eat. Quite an enjoyable evening.
If you have ever done an all inclusive you know that room service is
24/7 and is included. Well I felt the need to try it! I was back in my room at
around 8 so I had plenty of time. I ordered a couple of things and have to say
it was all very good! The options are plentiful from hamburgers, tacos, nachos,
to Asian noodles. The desserts were yummy although crème brulee needs to be
eaten warm. All of our food was excellent. I tried breakfast in Cocotal, the
main restaurant and the selection on the buffet was awesome. At least 10 fresh
fruits, tons of cheeses, meats and breads. The warm selections were very good
and my favorite by far was the flautas or taquitos, not sure which they called
them, but they were excellent! Mexican for breakfast, who knew?!
I’m not much for drinking unless at a party or for a meal so I didn’t
try drinks unless we were eating a meal, plus I don’t like being around people
who are toasted so I didn’t try the bar scene. Some trip report this is going
to be! The drinks are fruity and very yummy. Each resort has their favorite or
I guess signature drink. You can order your favorite or try something different
every time. Quite amazing. Again, I have never done and all inclusive so it was
a treat.
Now, I promised to mention the heat. REALLY?! I have been to New
Orleans in July, Houston June, July and August and Orlando every month of the
year. I have never and I repeat never experience heat like this. I’m not
telling you this to dissuade you from going to the Riviera Maya or Cancun, I am
simply telling you this to prepare for it! August is the most humid month of
the year in that part of the world. So, make your plans accordingly!!
Day two was spent in a conference room learning all there is to know
about Karisma and Gourmet Inclusive. Gourmet Inclusive is not just meant for
the food and drinks, it is meant for the level of service you receive, the
level of accommodations you enjoy and everything in between. I have to say it
is quite inclusive in every aspect of their resorts. I believe in their concept
and think they have perfected it. We were able to tour their greenhouse which
is about 100,000 square feet. OK, we didn’t tour the whole thing, but we did
walk the perimeter which in 3,000 degree heat that is quite a challenge! They
grow their own vegetables and have a palm tree plantation so that they can
provide a higher level of service and it shows on their plates in on their
grounds. Well done!
Our last full day was spent speeding from resort to resort. By the end
of the day they truly were blending together. But each has their own unique
touch. One thing I learned from a fellow agent is that each resort has a
different beach/ocean. Some have stronger under toes, some have better lagoon
type oceanfront and then there are the ones with great waves for body boarding.
These are things a truly schooled agent should know! I can read about the
accommodations but knowing that is very beneficial too for anyone who hasn’t
been to the Riviera Maya. But something about being on the ground, eating the
Gourmet Inclusive cuisine, meeting the amazing staff, smelling the salty air
for myself helps me understand the immense attraction to the all inclusive
resorts and to the ocean itself. I can’t say when I will make it back to El
Dorado Casitas Royale but I can say that I will make it back. I can’t wait to
share these beautiful resorts with everyone I know! They are truly not to be
missed and I think once you go you won’t be able to stop! One of the agents on
our trip with us made a very poignant statement: these honeymooners are setting
the bar high! Once they get a taste of Karisma they are going to have a hard
time trying many of the other all inclusive options!
Thank you Karisma, thank you Funjet and thank you KHM! You all made
this travel agent see the light when it comes to the all inclusive vacation.
You haven’t converted me from Disney, but you have shown me that multiple
vacations a year is a must and Karisma needs to be one of the options!
Hard Rock Cancun, as you can see, is gorgeous! I would recommend it to
anyone looking for rest, relaxation with a side of fun! If you want to chill
out and veg, you can. If you want to be entertained and on the go, you can! 
