New to BDW - Would love any suggestions on Mexico Venues

[NicoleR]

Hi everyone!

 

My fiance and I just got engaged about a month ago.  And now that all the excitement of the engagement has calmed down a little bit, I realized we should probably start planning! 

 

We definitely know we want to do the wedding somewhere in Mexico.  But, I am sure as you have all experienced searching the internet can be very overwhelming.  We really want the wedding to feel like a fun vacation with all of our nearest and dearest with a few wedding events thrown in. 

 

We think we will end up with about 80 - 100 people (inviting ~125).  So we are looking for a boutique hotel/small resort that we can take over and have the majority of the guests be part of our wedding group.  So far we have been looking at Playa Del Carmen, PV, Sayulita, and Tulum.  But, have found so far that the hotels are too large or too small for what we are looking for. 

 

Does anyone know of any boutique hotels or relatively smaller resorts that would fit this criteria?

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated

 

Thank you!! 

[Samuel Luna]

Hola Nicole! Have you looked into Ceiba del Mar? It's a small resort, some minutes south Cancun Airport. It has everything a big All-Inclusive has, but it's small and intimate. I love it's quaint, mexican-caribbean style, plus their WC staff is just wonderful. Here is a blog post for a wedding + day after session in the nearby town Puerto Morelos, small fishermen town, hope it helps:
http://samuellunablog.com/weddings/lisa-jason-ceiba-del-mar-puerto-morelos-riviera-maya/

[Moments That Matter]

Welcome NicoleR - and congrats on your wedding ! Lots of great info on this forum, so you're sure to find helpful advice. All the best, and happy planning.......

[JessiTaylor]

azul beach is smallish for an AI in the riviera maya - it has 98 rooms. so youd have about 50% of the guests? for an AI its about as small as you can get

nto sure about boutique hotels!

[jello]

I looked for almost the same thing as you — a small boutique hotel in Mexico that we can take over.  My group is a little smaller, about 60-70 people, but most of the venues I looked at can host a wedding for 80-100.  Here are my suggestions:

 

Ana y Jose Hotel: this is where I'm doing my wedding in Tulum!  PM me if you want all the details.

Las Ranitas: another lovely venue in Tulum, however it has no AC.  If your guests don't mind that, could be a great choice. 

El Pez: El Pez is also in Tulum.  Amazing reviews on Tripadvisor, affordable, and stunning.  However, like Las Ranitas it has no AC. 

Le Reve: a beautiful boutique hotel on a quiet beach in Playa del Carmen, I think around 25 rooms.  There are lots of other accommodation options nearby if not all your guests fit at the hotel. 

Hacienda del Mar: this is not a hotel, but a 11-bedroom villa near Playa del Carmen that you can rent out.  It looks gorgeous. 

Esencia: If I'd had a bigger budget, I would've done my wedding here.  It's the most beautiful and luxurious 29-room hotel, and it's won all kinds of Traveler's Choice awards.  Pricey though. 

Aventura Mexicana: At the other end of the price spectrum, this super affordable boutique hotel in Playa del Carmen is not on the beach, but it has two nice pools, lush gardens, and a great restaurant. 

 

Happy venue searching, and let us know what you book!  Once you've made this decision, all the rest is MUCH easier.

[Martoca]

Have you tried the west coast? Puerto Vallarta is an extremely romantic colonial city with actual Mexico style of living that dates back more than 100 years. If you want to feel a bit more of Mexico and get on the beach just as well try somewhere on the pacific coast. www.martoca.com is a great venue or there are many other villas and such. DO you want a resort? Most weddings nowadays are using the resort as a place to have the guests for the week but they take them elsewhere for the reception. It works as a "tour" off the resort and it gives them absolute privacy as well.

There are many articles of this on our posts and by other venues on BDW. Have fun planning!

JImmy

[mandjphoto]

I would second Ana y Jose in Tulum. I shot a wedding there and the hotel staff and the planner did an amazing job. I was very impressed.

 

Here is a link to give you an idea of the grounds, rooms and the look of the place.

 

http://latinjourneys.net/2011/08/27/ana-y-jose-charming-hotel/

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hmfseattle]

I had my wedding in May 2012 at Esencia, and I swear, I almost hesitate to recommend it to anyone because I want to keep it a special, private secret all to myself. There really are no words to describe how incredibly amazing it was. The beach is the most gorgeous beach in all of Riviera Maya, the staff is beyond compare, the food - oh my God, the food - was unreal, the rooms impeccable, the entire experience was just PERFECTION. We rented out the entire resort for three days so it was just our party there and it was so intimate and wonderful. The guests all got a chance to know each other before the wedding, and we got a chance to spend quality time with all our guests before the wedding, so we were able to relax and eat and enjoy our reception - no table hopping or forgetting to eat. They did so many lovely things for us - orgnanized trips to Tulum and to downtown Playa, diving excursions for our guests. My husband and I got four complimentary spa treatments (don't even get me started on the spa - it's unreal) throughout the week we were there. Our guests are STILL talking about it and it was three months ago. We are already planning to rent it out again for a reunion of all our guests!

 

You will not regret having your wedding here. I can't imagine ever having had mine anywhere else - it was simply beyond compare. PM me if you want more info! Good luck!