My husband, Myself, and four members of our family, traveled to Playa Del Carmen with the intention of visiting Chichen Itza during the Winter Solstice. (Which, as a side note, was amazing!!)

As members of Club Melia, the hubby and I used our "options" to stay at the Paradisus for one week.

The resort lived up to what we have come to expect from the gorgeous & unique style of the Paradisus family of resorts. It was stylish, modern, very clean, and very pleasingly aromatic.

The level of service we received at this resort was unparalleled to any other we have visited in the Caribbean, save for the Paradisus Cancun, of course.

The restaurants were out-of-this-world. They differed a great deal from the usual
"all inclusive" style encountered in the average Caribbean resort. Most have a modern, original flair about them, and it was evident that no expense was spared with their decor, as is evident with the architecture throughout the resort. (My sister-in-the-law, the architect, was extremely impressed at every turn, and couldn't stop commenting on many types of structuring. She was truly impressed!) The menus were vastly extensive and everything we tried (everywhere!) was simply devine in taste.

The rooms (we had a one-bedroom suite) are beautiful, contemporary, and clean. The beds are very comfortable, and a month-and-half later, I am still missing those pillows!! We had a jacuzzi on our terrace which was a really nice touch, but honestly, we didn't have a chance to enjoy it! Our travel companions stayed in studio units, which were as equally nice as our room, the only difference being the size, although their rooms were spacious.

The only complaint I have is about the beach. One of the main reasons I love visiting the Caribbean so much is for my love of sparkling, clear, turquoise water.

I was completely let down by what I encountered at this location! That beautiful water I live for was seemingly replaced by what I can only compare to typical Atlantic sludge. It was brown and murky... Very disappointing. But who knows, maybe it was just that particular section of the beach, on that particular day? The stretch of sand went on for miles, so there was plenty of room for anyone wanting to catch some sun, but, it wasn't very wide at all. In fact, it was extremely narrow, which was also disappointing, and not very asthetically pleasing.

Now, don't let this deter you from visiting Plays Del Carmen. In fact, if you take an excursion to the abcient Mayan village in Tulum, you'll encounter one of the world's most beautiful beaches. White sand, turquoise water, the works... Simply breathtaking. I implore you to visit Tulum and experience the temples and this lovely Caribbean gem of a cove.

The location of the hotel is in a very poor neighborhood, and it's not really nearby anything at all. Of course, once youre in the resort, you'll forget all about the surrounding poverished community.

5th avenue (the shopping district) isn't too far away, but you'll need to take a taxi to get there ($20 American for a resort van to take your entire group. Not bad compared to other places!) There are lots of shops and restaurants on this strip that are completely worth checking out and enjoying! (Including Señor Frogs!- nice beach there, too!!!)

All-in-all, our stay at the Patadisis Plays Del Carmen was more than enjoyable. Our group is very much looking forward to seeing what the Paradisus Palma Real (in the DR) has in store for us this July!