We returned from Akumal (unfortunately) a little over a month ago from our honeymoon. My husband and I spent a total of 7 nights there from July 8 - July 15. We got a superior ocean view room and were up on the third floor in the last building. What an ubelievable view!!!! When I show pictures to friends and family they are so jealous!
When we got to the airport we were immediately met by our Best Day tour people and put in a nice air conditioned van for our hour ride to the hotel. As soon as we got to the hotel the beautiful lobby simply took our breath away. It was a thatched roof, open air, gorgeous. Maybe it is because we had never been to Mexico and everything is beautiful on a honeymoon, but it was great. We were greeted and given nice cold drinks and before we could say anything our luggage was whisked away by a wonderful porter. The hostess (Veronica I believe) showed us to our room and when she discovered that I could speak Spanish was happy to converse with me in Spanish and with my husband in English. When we got to the room there was a beautiful swan towel sculpture on the bed scattered with read flowers. The room itself was very basic. We weren't expecting a five star and so we were not disappointed. It was a king bed, a rug, a counter / shelf, two nightstands and a tv in the ceiling corner. There was a huge sink area with separate rooms for the toilet and shower and a huge closet area with safe. What the room lacked for in looks though, it more than made up for with the view from the balcony. When we opened the curtain we knew we were in paradise. Sparkling blue water with white sand and rocks. Just gorgeous. We actually had had a very long travel day so we slept the first five hours we were there and woke up in time for dinner. Unfortunately the first full day it stormed all day (quite an adventure with a thatched roof restaurant) but after that the weather was pretty much gorgeous. We did have a problem in that our air conditioner was not working. But they immediately got people in there working and there was always a security guard with them. It was fixed by the middle of the next day after they installed a new motor. After that there were no problems at all.
The restaurants were nice. The buffet was always good with a wide range of food. Beware if you go, when fish is served it still has the head on it. I know that this is probably a European style and very appreciated but it did take me quite aback and make me lose my appetite. The guacamole is to DIE for. I never liked it before going there. I ate it every single lunch and dinner. And the view from the restaurant is worh every so-so meal you may have. In fact I keep a picture of the view from our table at my desk at work, I call it my relaxation corner. We went to the Mexican restaurant one night, the food was delicious. We never did make it to the Italian restaurant but we heard it was pretty typical Italian. I am a picky eater and could always find something to eat although if you are adventurous you will find SO much to eat. If you are a connoisseur of fine dining this is not the place for you. If you want good basic food with some specialties thrown in then go for it.
The bar is basic and not top shelf liquor but what do you want??? It is all-inclusive you're not having to tip, it's cold, it's refreshing and it's alcohol. If you are out to get smashed then you clearly are not having enough fun elsewhere on your trip. The service was always quick and the drinks did taste good.
The beach alone gives this resort a top billing. The hotel is parallel to the beach so it owns a huge strip of it. The sand is SO soft and the water warm and clear. You can snorkel right off of the beach and it is cheap to rent the equipment. A warning though, if you have not snorkeled and are claustrophobic this might not be for you as I unfortunately found out. My husband had a wonderful time too as did a couple we met. The trick -- take cereal at breakfast and bring it out snorkeling with you, sprinkle it in the water and the fish will come from everywhere. My husband saw a huge stingray and our friends saw turtles. I saw huge angel fish-type of creatures -- just gorgeous!! There are plenty of chairs but if you want a chair with fabric you must get out early! They get taken quickly. One trick, go down to the right of the restaurant. You can always find chairs and a palapa there and, if you so desire, it is more private for topless sunbathing. We never did make it into the pool the ocean was so incredible.
The staff was wonderful. Both the animation team and the regular staff. I did not notice at all people discriminating against us because we wore yellow bands. In fact I think more people tried to talk to us. It did help to speak Spanish and they were very courteous when my husband made valiant efforts to communicate in Spanish!! It was so much fun with so much offered during the day to do but you never felt too pressured to do anything but lay on the beach in the sun.
The other guests, yes some people were snobby but at the same time look at how a lot of Americans act!! We were there when a new group of Americans arrived and boy were they obnoxious!! Loud and brash so hey, can you blame anyone else?? I loved the opportunity to be in the minority for once and hear other beautiful languages. Plus I thought it was pretty neat to be able to identify where people were from. It became a game almost.
As for the entertainment, Lupo and Celia are the main bar entertainment. While we almost died during their rendition of "American Pie" their enthusiasm and energy made up for it -- as did her impression of Shakira (DEAD on) and his of Frank. There are shows to go to pretty much every night and by the end of the trip you MUST do the dance with the staff. It is addicting and almost required!! If you are looking for a thriving nightlife this is not it. We did not even get out to Cozumel or Playa, we were perfectly content to stay where we were.
We did take tours through Best Day to Tulum and Chichen Itza. I am a Spanish teacher so they were must-dos. I highly recommend Best Day because there were no more than 12 people per tour -- much better than the groups of 40 or 50 we saw. Prices were good, everything was wonderful.
Some things to consider:
If you are at all out of shape or not really fashionable it can be very intimidating to be there at times. The Italian men and women look like they have just walked off of a runway. If you own white linen, you must bring it. If you don't, go out and get some! At the same time, you don't need really fancy clothes at all.
Bring washcloths, there aren't any there. That would have been nice to know ahead of time.
Don't wait too long for breakfast or the palapas are gone when you are done.
If you want a good table seat at the bar area don't go past say 8 or 8:30.
If you stay in the 700 building, stay towards the 740 area. To the right is I believe their sewage area so when it is super hot and the wind blows just right you can get some unpleasant whiffs.
Bring TONS of film, you'll use it.
We absolutely loved it there and every single day we wish to go back. For a honeymoon, it was just what we wanted. I am sure other places would have been more luxurious or romantic but it was nothing short of perfect for us. If you want any information or a link to see pictures, email me and I'll be glad to help!!
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