In my mind the Riviera Maya is the perfect place for a relaxing, luxurious vacation. It's the blend of powdery white sand Caribbean beaches, turquoise seas, flaming sunsets, intriguing ancient ruins and luxurious resortswith stellar service. We've just returned from a week at
Secrets Maroma Beach where we were spoiled with incredible, personal service, delicious gourmet dining and all-inclusive luxury at this gorgeous resort.
What can we say about the service at Secrets Maroma Beach? Warmth! Nothing is ever a problem. We heard over and over, "It's our pleasure" and "Welcome home!" Upon arriving at the resort we were met by Daniel our personal concierge. We were served cool cloths, the traditional mango margaritas and were made to feel completely at home. Service was always prompt which is a great plus when traveling internationally.
The suite
Swim up suites-bliss!
At Secrets Maroma Beach there are no wristbands to prove you belong (love that). There is, however, a secret passage, and a red button "do not disturb' for dining and deliveries so that the 'luvahs' and peace-seekers are not disturbed. Quite a thoughtful option we think!
And the dining...... there is something to be said for an All-Inclusive resort. Much to be said, in fact. Perhaps too much....too decadent? Why not have 5 courses of your superb dinner (it's already been paid for)? You liked that dessert? Why not have another (it's already been paid for)? Your money is no good here at the All-Inclusive. Do you need to tip? No-already covered (although we did add a little something on occasion). Why have just a mimosa with breakfast if you can have a pitcher of orange juice and a bottle of champagne? You get my logic here. For those of us who are used to a bit of penny pinching and sharing meals, this is full, unlimited, 24 hour room service....yes-unlimited options.....pure decadence.
I've made up my mind-I LOVE the concept!
Yes-there is a bathroom scale, NO, do NOT step on it!! That's what we call a buzz kill here in Paradise.
The swim up suites by night
The gorgeous spa!
The Secrets Maroma SPA by Pevonia is purely sublime. My husband and I shared a couple's massage in a cabana--a delight. The stone, candlelight and water sanctuary was incredible. Following the pure relaxation of a Swedish massage we were lead to the water circuit.....where steam room, sauna, and outdoor hot and cool pools awaited, as well as private napping loungers in the sunshine.
Image
During our weeklong stay we only took one trip "off campus" (yes, it was that perfect at Secrets Maroma Beach!). We headed into Playa del Carmen to soak up the local vibe. The beach was beautiful with loads of people watching and entertainment. Aldo was a great spot for lunch. During the day we were pestered by many vendors trying to coax us into their shops. We have a feeling going into town for dinner or nightlife would be the plan next time to avoid the hassles.
To Playa Del Carmen
(buying trip for the
Stylemindchic Boutique~watch for the Riviera Maya Collection coming soon!)
Busy beach at Playa del Carmen
Breakfast en suite is served!
Loved the birthday song from Andres at the Preferred Club!
Balloons, banner and champagne (thanks Daniel!) to celebrate a birthday!
A beach surprise!
Beach side birthday dinner!
He's fun!!
Gracias-the perfect birthday!!
We found the staff at Secrets Maroma Beach to be incredibly friendly, engaging and eager to please. Some of our favorites were Daniel (our personal concierge), Roberto (with Unlimited Vacations), Ruben (poolside concierge), Francisco ( waiter at the Steakhouse poolside), Andres at Preferred Club (who sang me a beautiful birthday song!), Freddy at the World Cafe, Francisco at Seaside Grill, and the two gentlemen that served us in the beach bungalow. The warmth and kindness of these staff members were exceptional.
Two of our favorite guys-Daniel and Roberto-Gracias!
Adios Secrets Maroma Beach!!
Fun with Instagram
Image
The AM Resorts brand, offering Zoetry, Secrets, Dreams, Now and Sunscape (coming soon Breathless!) is an All-Inclusive luxury resort concept. No wristbands required and we found the dining to be several notches above other All-Inclusive brands. Our experience was so enjoyable, in fact, that we joined Vacations Unlimited (see Roberto!) to spend more luxurious vacations with the brand. Since we will be traveling with Vacations Unlimited as club members I plan to do more reviews in Mexico and the Caribbean so stay tuned.
Cheers and Adios, Heather
Tales from Travel: My husband and I love to travel and adventure out as often as time and resources permit. One thing we have learned~something always goes wrong (it could be the train to nowhere and back for 2 hours in the South of France last summer, or the dropped camera on Elias Island in NYC 5 years ago, or the horrible hotel we had to ditch-but pay for-on our first trip to Paris). This trip was pretty seamless (ahh!) with the exception of the camera that went completely blank. By that I mean just the view finder, screen and all the settings-there was no viewfinder, no flash, no adjustments to be controlled at all. Basically we were just shooting in the dark and hoping for the best. With the exception of a few Pinterest images of Secrets Maroma (as labeled) all photos were taken on a broken camera or just my iPhone.....that is NOT good news for a travel/lifestyle blogger like myself. In the scheme of things....it could have been so much worse-so you just have to laugh. That said-a new camera will be arriving here shortly for our next trip. ;)
Map
|
|
| Map of Riviera Maya (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
.JPG)
.JPG)
