My Review of Iberostar Cancun
Iberostar Cancun
Iberostar Hotels and Resorts, operator of seven resorts in the Riviera Maya, hasn’t had a presence in Cancun. Until now.
Iberostar Cancun just opened in December. While it is not a new build (it is formerly the Cancun Hilton) it was completely redone for the new opening. While we were there, the hotel was quite full because of a big gymnastics competition that had traditionally come when it was the Hilton, and decided to continue on with the Iberostar.
Pools at Iberostar Cancun
As you can see, it was a cloudy day the day we were there. Actually, when you’re touring hotels, a cool cloudy day is the best. Most days in Cancun are nice and sunny.
Looking out toward the beach at Iberostar Cancun
If you’ve ever been to Cancun, you might remember the very best part of the beach. It’s the part where you see that public beach where all the locals go. As you’ve passed it in your transfer between airport and hotel you might have pondered how they saved the very whitest sand and bluest water for themselves? Well, the Iberostar is next door to that beach. Simply beautiful.
Lobby Bar at Iberostar Cancun
In this shot of the lobby bar you can get an idea of the colors of the lobby.
Pools and Beach at Iberostar Cancun
Here’s another photo of the pools and looking out onto that amazing beach.
Guest Room at Iberostar Cancun
The standard rooms at Iberostar Cancun are Oceanview. Nice looking, right?
Finally, here is a video of our experience at Iberostar Cancun:
Review of Sens Del Mar
The Entry of the Sens Del Mar
Recently, we were invited down to visit all of the Oasis properties in Cancun. The main reason they wanted us to come was because of the re-opening of the property now called “Sens del Mar”.
Sens del Mar is a new name for this property. The owners put new investment into this property and have re-opened it as an adult oriented property. I say “Adult Oriented” because, while they don’t offer children’s rates or any facilities for them whatsoever, they do allow children. There were only a couple on property while we were there, but then again occupancy was quite low overall.
The lobby was very contemporary looking and was dominated by a large sculpture in the middle. Oversized chairs and sofas also dot the lobby. One of the hotels Smart Cars is also parked in the lobby to promote the promotion whereby guests staying in the VIP room category are entitled to the use of one of the fleet of Smart Cars. The Smart Cars are subject to availability and, in fact, we were told while we were there that there were none available. Also in the lobby a lobby bar.
Lobby at Sens Del Mar
Several of the restaurants are reached by taking a flight of stairs down from the lobby. We did ask and were told that there was no accessible way to reach the restaurants, so keep that in mind if anyone in your party has mobility issues.
Restaurant at Sens Del Mar
Speaking of restaurants, most of the food we ate at the restaurant during our stay was very very good. The hotel offers 24 hour room service as well. I did order it one night and found it quite acceptable. There weren’t printed room service menus. You call the room service department and they describe the offerings of the moment. I’m not sure if that will be the case permanently or if the printed material just wasn’t in place yet.
Room at Sens Del Mar
In fact, there was no printed material in the rooms at all. We were placed in the VIP section where each room has an amazing balcony with a jetted pool and lounge chairs. Since we were there in January, it was great to be in my room and have the big sliding glass door open and watching the sheer white curtains billow in with the breeze of the Caribbean Sea. That balcony really made the room. There is an interesting feature on the wall behind the bed. There is the “swoop” where they’ve installed a light feature that you can set to whatever color you want, or you can set it to change at whatever speed you set.
The room has a small dorm type refrigerator that is stocked daily with an assortment of water, soda and beer. If you want more than what is put there daily, there is a charge. I also used that dorm fridge to put my suitcase while I unpacked because there were no luggage stands in the room. Kudos to them, however, for choosing to have hangars that can be removed from the closet rod. (One of my pet peeves.)
The towels in the bathroom were nice and big. There was a built in hair dryer too.
My favorite part about the room by far was that, attached to the big flat screen TV was a cable box that allowed me to pause live TV. One of my biggest frustrations is that when I watch a show while in a hotel room is that I can’t pause it like I can at home. This was a fabulous discovery while I was in my room at night editing pictures and video. I know you probably won’t be spending hours editing photos and video while on your vacation, but you might find it helpful at some point too.
Overall, Sens Del Mar was a good property. The timeshare desk in the lobby was somewhat aggressive, but if you don’t mind ignoring that, you’ll have a great vacation at Sens Del Mar.
Pool at Sens Del Mar
Newly Resdesigned MiHotelito Category at El Dorado Maroma
On our recent trip to Cancun, we also took a quick trip down to a couple of our favorite resorts in the Riviera Maya. We were very excited to see the newly redesigned “MiHotelito Beachfront” room category at El Dorado Maroma.
I don’t know how they did it, but somehow the way they rearranged everything makes those rooms that used to feel so tiny, feel very roomy! I also love the Pineda Covalin scarves made into pillows for the bed. Each of those pillows probably costs hundreds of dollars.
The creamy yellow walls lend warmth and tie the whole room together. The beds are to die for, as usual. These rooms are the only ones in the whole El Dorado brand that don’t have in room Jacuzzis, but the private terrace and proximity to the pool, swim up bar and beach make these rooms a great choice.
Take a look:
ATVs at Paradise Maroma
While we were in Cancun this past weekend, we had the opportunity to do the ATVs through the jungle at Paradise Maroma. They gave us the choice between the ATVs and speedboats. Nicki and Erin decided on the ATVs.
I think the tour lasted an hour and a half. There were paths through the jungle where we followed the leader through the whole thing. Of course, Nicki was a wild person and was fishtailing whenever possible. I was the last one in the group, which was fine by me because I didn’t want to feel pressure to go faster than I was going. Much of the time I couldn’t even see the group because I was so far behind. They stopped every so often though to let me catch up.
The whole time I was riding I could only keep thinking, “It’s high season, I have no time to heal…”
They do provide a helmet, so I guess my brains would have been fine. Here are some pictures from our adventure.
Erin Getting Her ATV Unstuck
Erin and Nicki, Ready to Roll
Through the Jungle
Review of Renovations at Azul Beach Hotel
This past Saturday, myself and a couple of our agents went to see hotels in Cancun as well as couple in the Riviera Maya. One of the ones we made time to see is Azul Beach Hotel. I’ve seen it a couple of times as the renovations have been in progress and, now that they’re almost complete, I must say I continue to be blown away. Let me show you what we saw:
New lounge area off the main lobby of Azul Beach Hotel
This is a picture of one side of the new lounge area they’ve built right past the main lobby. It’s just beautiful and makes the lobby so much more open.
View from Main Lobby - Azul Beach Hotel
This is the view from inside the main lobby. See the ocean? Isn’t it pretty? The hotel is using this area as a “Plan B” venue for weddings in case of rain. Lots of brides are using this as their main choice of wedding venue, too!
Here are some restaurant pictures. Breathtaking, right?
Restaurant at Azul Beach
Italian Restaurant - Azul Beach Hotel
Then here are pictures of a family suite. The honeymoon suite is the same, except for no trundle bed and the honeymoon suites are oceanview.
Bathtub in Family Suite or Honeymoon Suite at Azul Beach Hotel
Family Suite or Honeymoon Suite at Azul Beach Hotel
Azul Beach Hotel has always been a favorite. Now it’s better than ever.
Travel Tips for Europe
Tips for Traveling to Europe
Recently I wrote a handout to give to people for whom we arrange trips to Europe. I thought I’d share it with you here!
As you prepare for your trip to Europe, please allow us to share with you some tips that we’ve learned from prior trips. These are all just suggestions. You might not find each of these items or suggestions useful, and there may be something else that you find to be vital. We’d love to hear your feedback.
Health:
Basic medicines – In a foreign country your familiar brand of cold medicine won’t be available. Even if something similar is available, you may not know it because the label may not be in English.
Travel Insurance - Your health insurance may or may not cover you overseas. Even if it does, you will have to pay out of pocket for anything that happens and hope to be reimbursed (at the out of network rate) upon your return.
Safety / Security:
Make color copies of your passport prior to your departure. Put a set in your suitcase and leave another set with a trusted friend at home. (Having these copies will speed the process of replacing your passport in the event you lose yours.)
European touring doesn’t lend itself to carrying a purse. Instead, bring a daypack or travel bag of some kind. When choosing this bag, keep in mind body mechanics and security. You can find bags that are reinforced with metal cables so that they can’t be quickly cut from your body by a thief on the move. I’ve never had anyone even try to cut a purse off my body..but you never know.
Consider a money belt. Wearing your extra credit card, your big money and your passport in a money belt under your clothes. It will be with you at all times and protected from pick pocketers.
Cost Savings:
You may save some dollars if you bring a water bottle with you and refill it along the way.
Beware when you rent a car. Only take additional coverages if you actually intend to. Car rental counter people tend to rush through the rental process and have been known to trick you into buying coverages that you don’t need. Find out what your own car insurance covers before you leave and make yourself familiar with the laws of the country to which you are traveling.
Get your cash from ATMs rather than “Cambio” booths. (Talk to your bank to find out what they charge for international transactions. Also, warn them and your credit card companies that you’re going to be out of town so they don’t fraud alert your card.
Comfort:
We’ve tried to arrange for perfect weather during your trip, but you might want to pack an umbrella or a rain poncho.
Depending on the type of place you’re staying, don’t count on the little travel sized toiletries that you find at the hotels here. Take a small bottle of shampoo, lotion, etc to make sure you’re covered.
Wash cloths are primarily an American phenomenon. You won’t find them even at very nice hotels in Europe.
Remember sunscreen and sunglasses.
In cool weather, dress in layers. Layers are easier to pack, and easier to take off and put on as your comfort requires.
Pack Ziploc bags of varying sizes. You will find them handy for all sorts of things.
Be sure the shoes you take to wear while touring are nice and broken in. New shoes may cause blisters.
Speaking of blisters, pack a supply of band-aids. We especially like the band-aid brand blister bandages. They are magical when you have a fresh blister and are looking at getting up and doing it all over again tomorrow.
Communication:
Call your cell provider before you go. Find out what your particular situation is with regard to voice calls and data. Add an international data plan if you need / want to. Turn off data roaming if you don’t want to use it.
If you don’t want to use your cell phone at all, http://www.lonelyplanet.ekit.com/ekit/home is a good way to keep in touch with home.
Energy:
Your camera and cell phone will continue to need power (probably more than usual!) while you’re on the road. Look at the power supply and see if it will accept European voltage. If you’re unsure, ask the manufacturer. If it will accept European voltage, you’ll only need an adapter to physically make the cord fit into the power outlet. If it does not, you’ll also need a converter to convert European voltage to US voltage.
Be especially careful with hair appliances. More than one client has burned hair from an overheated hair appliance, even one plugged into a converter. I’m not saying that every hotel room will have a hair dryer, but every hotel room in Europe I’ve ever been with has had a hair dryer. If you absolutely must use a straightener, I would recommend investing in one with dual voltage.
Logistics:
Bring a journal. You’d be amazed out how quickly you can forget the details! Writing down the name of the hotels where you stayed, the restaurants you enjoyed or the name of your gondolier, as well as other details, can help you recollect your trip more completely later. It also helps when you’re documenting your pictures later.
A laminated foldable city map is great to have. Most of them have a map of the subway system as well.
Finally, a small compass (even a small cheap one) can be a lifesaver when navigating around a city where you’re not sure which way is north.
River Cruising in Europe
Avalon Scenery in Burgundy and Provence
I sailed on the October 31st, 2011 sailing of the Avalon Scenery on the “Burgundy and Provence” itinerary. Since this was the last sailing of the season, this was a wine themed cruise. The Avalon sailings are usually booked as a cruisetour that includes a few days of land touring along with the 7 night cruise. We took just the 7 night sailing.
I have done independent touring in Europe several times. River cruising is superior to land touring in several ways. River cruising is a much more relaxing way to see several destinations during a week. Being on the ship means that all of the hassle of moving all of your stuff between cities is eliminated. I found that I was able to enjoy each destination more because I wasn’t worn out from the mechanics of moving around. While the captain is navigating the river between destinations you are blissfully watching the beauty go by. Or, maybe you’re taking a nap. Maybe you’re playing cards or another board game with some of your shipmates. But, what you are most certainly not doing is dragging luggage and trying to lift it onto a luggage rack on a train. You are not checking in and out of hotels. You’re not wondering about directions. You’re not lost. You’re enjoying yourself.
River cruising is also superior to ocean cruising in several ways. The size of the vessel, for one thing. The Avalon Scenery has a maximum capacity of 138 guests. Our sailing had almost that many people. This means that you’re never waiting in a line of any size. When you call on a port there isn’t a small army descending on the town. This also means that, by the end of the week, you know most of the people on board. The staff on board certainly knows everyone. You’re not anonymous from the moment you walk on board. You’re on a first name basis with the front desk people and the cruise director. You are truly a welcomed guest. You’re never lost. You don’t need a map to get anywhere on the ship. You can always pop back to your cabin for a forgotten item because it isn’t far from anywhere.
Another difference is the itineraries that are possible on river cruising as opposed to cruising on a river. On a river cruise, you usually see smaller cities for most of your itinerary. A river cruising ship just pulls right up to the town and parks. There isn’t a cruise ship terminal needed, and you never have to worry about if you’re going to have to tender in. You just step off, and there you are. Depending on how many ships are in town on a given day, they may stack them two deep, so you may have to walk through a ship parked next to yours and then out on to the street.
I was quite pleased with river cruising in Europe. I will do it again. Where to next?
Lessons Learned in France
Eiffel Tower at Night
We’re back from France. It was an amazing trip, and I’m sure I’ll write about it more in another blog post.. What I want to write about today are the lessons we learned along the way. Before the trip I wrote about the process of packing, and I’ll also write about how that all worked out. Today, though, it’s all about lessons. Maybe some of them can translate to every day life lessons too.
Here they are, in no particular order.
1) Learn the basics of the native language. We didn’t do this. I wish we had. If you learn the niceties of the language as well as a few useful things (perhaps having to do with food and things like the bathroom) people will perceive you less as an intruder and more as a guest. Go ahead, make some flash cards. You can do it.
2) Eat when you can. One day we were in a beautiful small town, but only for three hours. Because we wanted to digest all of our surroundings and record them in photographs, we elected to skip eating in the dining room on board and head straight for town. Our thought was that we would pick up one of the wonderful sandwiches that are at little shops everywhere and maybe a diet coke, and eat them while walking around. Sadly, the three hours we were there were the three hours in the middle of the day that everyone in small town France takes off in the middle of the day to go home and eat with their families. This means that every single thing is closed with the exception of the sit down cafes where you can expect it to take 90 minutes to eat.
Nice tradition, but it sure didn’t fit our schedule that day. We were starving. We did, however, find the worlds most legendary cream puff that day. There was one solitary bakery that was open straight through instead of closing. Probably not very popular with the locals to be open straight through, but were we ever thankful for those cream puffs.
3) Pee when you can. I always made sure I went right before leaving the ship. Even so, sometimes we were caught having to locate acceptable facilities. We usually found them, but even so, it took away from touring time and interuupted the enjoyment of the amazing beauty we were there to see. I will admit it was an interesting cultural experience to stand in line for the potty, pay a Euro and get a receipt indicating that we’d paid to go to the bathroom. It was also fun to put the Euro coin in the other bathroom later in the trip to gain access to the stall. Multicultural lessons abound.
This also leads to a related lesson which is, Have Change for the Bathroom.
4) Be aware of national holidays. The day we took the train from Paris to Arles (pronounced “Ar-La”) was All Saints Day. This meant that the tourist information desk at the train station was closed which meant we couldn’t ask about how to get from the train station to the ship. This also meant that everything was closed. When I say every thing I mean every.single.thing. Even the supermarkets and the pharmacies. Fortunately for us on this trip we overnighted in Arles so we got to fully enjoy the town the next day.
5) Be careful of standing in the street. We primarily visited small towns where the roads were so narrow that to most Americans it looks more like a pedestrian district than an actually street where automobiles would dare to roam. With fair regularity, cars would come by and the drivers would be quite frustrated that the tourists were standing in the street. This isn’t a problem in a major city. I don’t think anyone would make a mistake in thinking a Paris street was anything but a busy major metropolitan throughfare.
6) A photo will look better back at the hotel than it does while you’re standing in front of the actual object. My traveling companion and I both have intimidating cameras with which we digest our surroundings. (She is a much much more skilled photographer than I am. I just have the big camera and try hard.) One thing I noticed is that I would be standing in near this impossibly beautiful thing and would take the best picture I could frame up. I would look at the screen on the back of the camera at the picture I’d taken and see a poor represenation of the magnificience before which I was standing. Many times I hit the delete key on the camera. (Thank goodness for digital photography.)
Then I noticed that when I got back to the hotel and uploaded the pictures to my iPad with a bigger screen, and I was away from the actual object of the picture, I was much more impressed with the picture. So, save those pictures and delete them later while looking at a bigger screen. (Now this doesn’t apply if it’s clearly a picture of the back of the person who stepped into your shot, or if it’s blurry, or something obvious like that.)
7) Remember rush hour. Even though you are on vacation, there are many people around you who are simply moving through their normal lives. People around you are going to work, getting groceries for their familes and trying to survive.
At the end of our trip we had to get clear through Paris on the RER train and it happened to be at 5:30pm. We endured a crush of people surrounding us on the train for the two hour journey. Between really popular stops I had to close my eyes, breathe, and try not to have a panic attack. (I don’t have panic attacks, but I was seriously considering an exception.) If I’d been thinking, I would have stowed our luggage and had dinner in Paris and had a much more enjoyable trip later in the evening.
Remember electricity. I always travel with a power strip. This keeps me from having to crawl around a night stand to switch out my cell phone charger to my iPad charger, to my laptop cord. I have plenty of accessible places in which to plug things. My favorite purchase on this trip was a European power strip. I plugged it in and stuck my US adapters in the slots. This essentially gave me my normal power strip (at least for those things that didn’t need a converter – refer to my blog post about Electricity while traveling for more details.)
What lessons did you learn last time you took a trip? Share them in the comments.
Packing for France – In Flight
How do I pack for a European trip?
On this trip, we’ll be nine and a half hours in flight going over and almost eleven hours coming back. That’s a lot of time to try to be comfortable and entertained.
I’m carrying a lot more on board than I would if I were on a 2.5 hour trip to Cancun. Here’s a list:
Scottevest: This is more to carry things IN than an item itself
iPad 2: Movies are downloaded and ready to go. I also bought a headphone splitter so my traveling companion can be entertained too.
Larabars: Healthy snacks in case my hunger schedule doesn’t match the schedule on board. Plus..airplane food….
Stand and External Keyboard for iPad2: To stand the iPad up for easier viewing, or for typing blog posts if inspiration hits.
Paperback book and Photography Magazines: Reading material is very important. I also have books downloaded to the iPad, but you still need paper for before and after you’re allowed electronics.
Fold Up Blanket
Travel Pillow: (I have high hopes for this new pillow I bought.)
In Flight Kit: I put together this kit a few trips ago and it has served me well.
- Chap Stick
- Shout Wipes
- Pair of Fuzzy Socks
- Purell
- Floss
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Mini Mag Light (so you can find stuff when the cabin lights are down)
- Kleenex
- Cloth Hanky
- Hand Lotion
- Cough Drops
- Stickers
- Sleeping Mask
- Bleach Wipes
Of course, I’m hoping to sleep quite a bit too. Between sleep, what I’ve brought, and the two meals that will be served on board, I should be to Paris in no time. Right?
Do you have any more tips for me? Tell me in the comments.
Packing for France – Clothing
How do I pack for a European trip?
This is the part of packing that I really don’t like. I’m not that into clothes even at home, so deciding what to take a trip is something that I can find myself procrastinating until the last minute. Nevertheless, I felt it was important to force myself to think through everything and get it ready.
On this trip, I’ll need a set of clothes for each day. Daytime activities on this trip will be mostly walking around exploring and taking pictures. I’ll keep it pretty simple. I bought some new turtlenecks and fleece tops from Lands End in bright colors. I’ll wear them each day with a pair of jeans. Pretty simple.
It gets more complicated in the evening. Since we’re on a river cruise we’ll have to go to dinner each night and there are only 136 other people on the boat, so it’s harder to fade into the background. I don’t want to embarrass myself. On an independent trip, if you wear the same thing to dinner several times, no one but your traveling companion would notice. Depending on who your traveling companion is they might not notice either.
I’m a big fan of Chico’s Traveler Collection. I have a good assortment of the basic pieces, then a different way every night to make it seem different. Either a blouse, or a scarf or a jacket can make a big difference. Jewelry plays a big role too.
So, what I did was sit down and create seven different outfits (one for each night of the cruise). I took a picture with my iPhone of each outfit. By going ahead and assembling each outfit I was able to make sure I had everything I needed.
As far as the actual physical packing of the clothes, there are many places where you can read about techniques for putting clothes in suitcases. What I did with my evening clothes was make a big stack of them and roll them all together. Nothing I brought wrinkles badly, so I feel confident that this will do the job until I unpack in the cruise cabin.
For my daytime exploring clothes, I used an Eagle Creek Pack-it Folder. Incidentally, I always use Eagle Creek Pack-it Cubes for underwear and socks. Rather than having individual pairs drifting around my suitcase, There are all together and organized.
What is your favorite tip for organizing your clothing for a trip? Tell me in the comments.
