Resorts to Avoid

[2010 Bride!]

Hi everyone,

 

My fiance and I have decided that the Mayan/Cancun/Playa del Carmen area is where we want to get married and we have looked at so many places and have narrowed down the list a bit, but we're having a hard time narrowing the list further. I was wondering if anyone has heard of any Resorts that we may want to avoid just in case they are still on our list. Maybe I haven't read enough on the forum yet, but it seems most people are pretty happy with the choices that they have made. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks

2010 Bride!

[bridej9]

Trip advisor was helpful and asking around to friends & forums like this was very helpful.

[NaM]

I don't know if there are that many resorts to avoid persay...you've got to figure out what you DO WANT and then go from there in my opinion.

[2010 Bride!]

We're not sure whether we will have kids or not, so we're looking at options for both. We went through travel magazines first, chose some resorts and then reveiwed them on tripadvisor. Most of the reviews were mixed so that's why we're still stuck!!!

[Tifuhhknee]

The best way to narrow it down will come down to the nitty-gritty things. Think about the resort's policy on outside vendors/photographers if you are wanting to bring someone in. Consider the beach (decent snorkeling right off the resort beach was a must in our choice). Do you want a secluded area with strictly the resort where you have to taxi everywhere, or would you prefer it be in a small community where you can walk to do other things? Some places require all inclusive wrist-bands, others do not. Do you even want all inclusive? Some AI resorts require reservations for all meals in restaurants outside of the buffet, others do not. Be sure there is a wedding setup that fits your needs/likes at the resort as well.

 

I hope I helped at least a little. I loved about 10 resorts and finally settled on one based upon those things.

[NaM]

I think you're ALWAYS going to get mixed reviews about each resort...I doubt there is one that EVERYONE loves and one that EVERYONE hates. Make a list of say the top 5 or 10 things most important to you and narrow it down from there.

[marak]

The outside vendor fees of some resorts were a HUGE turnoff for me on principle alone. Too bad, as the listed resorts were my favorites before I found out their policies.

 

I know a few, if anyone else would like to expand or correct...

1. All of the El Dorado ($500 and 3 night stay of vendor)

2. Azul resorts ($500 and 3 night stay of vendor)

3. The Royal PDC (not sure how much, they just hopped on this bandwagon)

4. Barcelo Maya ($500 and 3 night stay of vendor)

5. Palace Resorts - do not allow outside vendors

 

I think the other girls are right though, it is a personal thing what will be prioritized.

 

Some common things I hear as priorities are:

Price in general

Price for guests

Geographic location - travel effort for guests or simply the vibe of the area, think Cancun v/Tulum...totally different.

Adults-only or family-friendly

Level of privacy for ceremony/reception

How many weddings are performed p/day

"High Heel" friendly &/or appearance of gazebo

% of guests that MUST stay at the resort

Quality of the beach (seaweed heavy, rocky or the other end...Maroma-style)

Activities in the area

 

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

Good luck hunting for a location! I'm right there with ya

[2010 Bride!]

Wow - that's a lot to think about and consider for a place that I won't be able to visit beforehand! And I thought that having a destination wedding was going to be minimal stress! Thanks for all of your help. My fiance and I are looking for good food, good beach, nice rooms - modernized and not outdated, things to do, walking distance to other places. Our friends got married at The Royal PDC and it was perfect - but we don't want to have it at the same place as they did only because I'm sure that the guests would like to see another resort. But I loved that the Royal was walking distance to 5th Avenue, was not too big (wedding guests easily found on the premises), had a sister resort across the street for guest with children, and great food! I'm looking for something like that. I'm kind of skeptical of the resorts in the Mayan that are surrounded by jungle because of the walking requirements on the resort and the fact that you need a cab if you want to leave the resort.

[Tifuhhknee]

Sounds like the best thing for you to do is go area by area. Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Playacar, Puerto Aventuras, etc.... see if you like these communities and narrow down your resorts from there.

 

The Royal was an option for me until I found out it was Adults Only. My MOH is going to bring her daughter with her, so it's important I have family friendly. I think the Sandos Playacar has a beautiful beach wedding setup, it kept pulling me back. A friend of mine is getting married at Grand Sunset Princess resort, which looks awesome. I have previously stayed in Puerto Aventuras and LOVE the area, so I chose a resort right next door to where I have already been. I'm not sure it if is fantastic that we have SO MANY amazing resorts to choose from, or if it's just a headache! It took me 5 months to choose. Good luck and let us know if you need any help.

[sasse75]

Along with the obvious of having a beautiful, fantastic resort......one of the biggest things for me was making sure that it was affordable for my guests while giving them plenty of notice to be able to secure the time away.