My husband and I went to Excellence Playa Mujeres from 7/20-7/27. We have been to several other 5* all inclusives in Mexico and Punta Cana so we know what to expect from a 5* resort in Mexico. We are also repeat customer to the Excellence chain, so we are familiar with their level of service. We arrived at the new Cancun terminal and had no problems getting through the airport. We booked private transportation through Entertainment Plus and we could not have been happier with the service. There was a rep waiting right outside the airport door holding a sign with my name on it. He didn’t have to leave us to get a car, he just radioed somebody and two minutes later we were off. It takes about 25 minutes to get to the resort (by the way, their drivers are very proficient in English and they do not drive insane like most cab drivers).

Check In: After going through three security gates, with the last one checking for your name on a list, we arrived to cool citrus smelling cloths and champagne. We went to the front desk and were told that we were going to be granted our request for building 8 and that it would be ready in about an hour or so (we arrived at the resort about 10:45). They give you a pager so you can go explore the resort and don’t have to hang around the lobby. We checked out the resort, ate lunch, and then our room was ready…room number 8306.

Room: We could not have been happier with our room. We booked spa/pool view and we thought the location we got, with an ocean view if you look off the balcony, was really great. We were also really close to everything as well. The room itself was beautiful. We were celebrating an anniversary so they had put a banner on our door and there was a bottle of champagne chilled on the coffee table and towel art and roses on our bed upon arrival. The room is everything people say it is. Shower is awesome with two different heads. Bathroom is really not private at all, which is fine with us, but may be a problem if you were to go here with just friends. Walk in closet was nice, and there were plenty of drawers in the room.

Grounds: The grounds are very beautiful even though the plants are young. There is a very modern flare to everything, and you will find interesting sculptures throughout the resort. At night, the resort grounds are lit up so beautifully.

Pools: There are plenty of pools for anyone’s taste. The main pool (with the swimup pool bar) was the rowdiest pool. I believe it was having some filter issues while we were there because it started to turn a murky green about day four of our stay (have heard they cleared up the issue right after we left.) That didn’t bother us, because I would not have hung out at that pool anyways. We like more of a quite atmosphere. We hung out by the pool that winds in front of building 8 and 7. The lazy river type pool around the spa is very nice too. However, it was a little too quiet over there for us. The other pools behind buildings 8 and 9, were not used very much. Every time we walked by there was never more than four people in them. The pool in front of building 9 was used for water sports in the afternoon.

Food: Breakfast at Barcelona was unbelievable. They have everything and anything you can think of for breakfast. Made to order eggs, omelets, pancakes, french toast. They also have tons of fresh fruit, bakery, cereal, crepes, etc. We tried lunch at all three places. Barcelona was nice to be able to get pasta made to order. My husband got chicken fajitas there a lot. They have a grill where they will make you pretty much anything. The only thing I wished they had there were french fries. The best part about Barcelona is the dessert buffet which also has a section with different selections of ice cream and toppings. The Grill had several Mexican type entrees and other sandwiches and stuff on their menu. The Lobster House had a lot of sandwiches. I got the club there and it was really good. For lunch there is also the grill that they fire up near the main pool in the afternoon. They will make you burgers, chicken, steak, etc. and they also have nachos and pico de gallo there. You can walk right up in your bathing suit and then take the food back to your lounger. For dinner we ate at all 8 restaurants. Agave was my favorite and that is where we had our anniversary dinner (had a feeling it would be my favorite so I chose that one in advance.) They have a live mariachi band which is very romantic and they do the Mayan coffee in that restaurant. Make sure you ask for one, it is a great show. Definitely do the teppanyaki room at Spice, it’s very entertaining. Flavor Market was nice for some appetizers. You would have to eat two of everything on that menu to be full though, so plan on going to two restaurants that night! Room service menu was plentiful. You could get anything from nachos and pizza to steak and fish. We ordered room service several times and it always came within 30 minutes or less.

Service: The employees here go out of their way to make you happy. Not once did I encounter a rude employee. Our room was cleaned early each day (before 11:00) except for once (around 4:00). We received turn down service every night except for our last night. Pool service was excellent. There was always someone taking drink orders poolside during the day. Also, the staff spoke English very well. We always tried to speak in Spanish when possible because I think they really appreciate the fact that you try and speak their language. Tips are technically included however you will want to tip the staff here. We always bring about $300 in ones and fives to tip and this time was no exception. We used it all because the staff is so great.

Spa/Gym: We did the Excellence Massage together in the spa. With the anniversary package we got a 15% discount, but if you aren’t going for your honeymoon or anniversary, watch the daily newsletter for specials at the spa. The excellence massage was nice, however that massage includes some reflexology stuff that I could have done without. Remember to go to the spa at least an hour early to do the marine wellness circuit which comes with any spa package. The gym is well equipped. Next to the gym is a room with balance balls, yoga mats, and small free weights. They use this room for yoga and pilate classes.

Included activities/shows: We did the bike tour that is offered every day. They take you to the golf course area and then to the area near one of the security gates where they have a small selection of animals. It was a nice activity to do in the morning before lounging around the pool all day. We also used the hobie cats a few times. You have to go down to the beach and sign a waiver and then you can just take them out unless you have never used one, in that case they will give you a lesson. I thought the shows were not as lame as people made them out to be. There was a circus show one night that had some pretty awesome acrobats performing. Also, the entertainment staff put on a show one night where they had couples compete against each other and it was quite hilarious. The casino night was pretty lame however.

Anniversary package: We were there for our 4 year anniversary which we mentioned when booking the package. I also emailed them a week before we went to remind them. They did a great job helping us celebrate. Besides the decorations in our room the day we got there, they also made up our room the night of our anniversary. Some people I talked to didn’t get this, but I think it is because you have to talk to your “personal concierge” about it. We had a message on our phone one day from our “personal concierge” (there is a personal concierge in every building). He wanted us to come down and talk to him about the anniversary package. I told my husband it wasn’t necessary because I already knew about the details, but he insisted so we went to see Donavan. He told us that he wanted to know what night our anniversary was and what time we thought we would be back at the room. They used this info to make up our room (filled Jacuzzi tub with bubble bath and roses, balloons were placed near tub, flower arrangement on our table, towel art, etc.). So when we got to our room that night we were pleasantly surprised with the decoration.

Misc: Be sure to read your newsletter that you get with turndown service. It has the schedule of which restaurant is closed, activities, spa discounts, etc. If you don’t get turndown service for any reason, just go to the front desk to get one. (Even the night we didn’t get turndown service they slipped one under the door). Also, be sure to try the drink of the day. It was nice to try a new drink every day. The smoothie bar near the spa pool is really great for a morning drink as well. At night, make sure to visit the X-Lounge. It is so relaxing to sit there under the stars and listen to the ocean.

All in all this resort was really great. We would go back in a heartbeat. People always ask me which resort I like the most out of the Excellence chain and I can’t answer that because there are things about each one that make it special in it’s own right. So try them all!

First of all, thanks for the many people who answered my questions and left posts in the past few months so that I could be informed on my vacation at EPM.

We stayed at EPM from July 5-12 through Signature Vacations from Toronto, Canada. We were the only couple staying at this resort from Signature. This resort is absolutely gorgeous with friendly staff that goes way beyond your expectations.

Our charter flight arrived early in Cancun (9:30am); so we got a full day upon our arrival. Our room wasn’t ready so they gave us a pager and we had lunch. By the time we finished our room was ready. We were celebrating our anniversary and they decorated the room very nicely. There was an anniversary banner on the door with the swan towel/roses on the bed and a bottle of sparkling bubbly chilling. Our room was 7202 and we overlooked the lazy river/spa/Revive Bar. Wow! July in Mexico is hot, but since it is off season there seemed to be less people around.

Pool: We chose the same cabana and covered bed all week. It was so tranquil here that we only saw 5-6 couples every day. I kid you not! A lot of my pictures look like no one was at the resort! It was pretty much like that through the entire resort. Most of the activity is centered around the main pool/beach, but there are so many pools behind the buildings and lazy rivers that wind around the property. It you don’t thoroughly walk all through the resort you will miss some of the pools and cabanas. Anyway, the lazy river near Mille Spa was my favorite getaway.

Service: This was our 1st time at an Excellence resort. The staff couldn’t have been more accommodating. Bar/pool, concierge, wait staff are wonderful. We can’t say enough about Jocobo (Martini Bar- who works from 9-5), Nazzario, David, Theresa (Martini Bar-during the evening. I’m sure there are wonderful resorts in Mexico, but it is the staff that really put a stamp on this property. They make you feel like you are the most special couple in the whole resort! Let your concierge know that you are celebrating your anniversary-they offer small touches that make the difference. We had a champagne anniversary breakfast in on our patio one morning. During our last night they put a beautiful floral arrangement in our room to send us off.

Food: We love to eat! Our favorite was Chez Isabelle, Spice and Toscana. The service in this restaurant is quick and entertaining. The sea bass is incredible. I ate seafood at every meal and the fish is done to perfection---so fresh! My husband said except for one meal in Chez Isabelle---that the meat was tough. Steaks have very little fat on them so the flavor and tenderness is not that appealing. Agave was ok (ceviche was great). However, the Mexican buffet night is a lot of fun and the food is fantastic. Didn’t eat at the Flavor Market. The grill is nice at lunch as you can sit right by the beach. Went to the lobster house and it was ok for an appetizer. Definitely a different type of lobster than what most Canadian/Americans are used to. I actually ate a lobster tail here as my “appetizer” and then we went to Spice for our main dinner. Breakfast is great in Barcelona-lots of variety and juices/fruit/omelets are very tasty. Room service-we loved the 24 hour room service whether it was for a late night snack or breakfast. Again, very efficient service never waited longer than 20-30 minutes for room service! They also have snacks around the pool (loads of great salsa & guacamole with baked tortilla chips), and snacks by the martini by in the afternoon with coffee service. The portions are good because there is so much food available to you throughout the day! I’ve read that some people waited a long time for meals, but I never found this---waiters were right there with everything.

Spa: Loved the hydro circuit…even if you are not doing a package, just pay for the hydro circuit because it is so relaxing. Book when you get there as they offer daily specials & 25% off for anniversary couples. We enjoyed being pampered here and soaking up the atmosphere. The massage was not the best one I have had in my life (I like more pressure) but it definitely was the most memorable one.

Activities: towel folding class, handicraft class, air rifle, walking to the zoo area, scuba diving near Isla Mujeres through Aquaworld in the hotel($99usd for a beginners class + 1 hour dive-worth it for beginners), maintenance tour. Some of these things I did by myself since my husband was nursing a hangover some mornings! They took me on a tour of the kitchen and the maintenance of the behind the scene areas of the pool/water/electrical/heating/air areas. It is so interesting to see all the staff behind the scenes working. They have a board which ranks every employee in the hotel and their area based on a point system. If your area is not doing well in service in shows point tabulations in red. So obviously, someone is always watching the service standards. The employees work hard here. Look out your room before 8am and look at all the workers painting, washing down walkways, setting up bars, cutting grass, etc. (which was all being done in 32 degree Celsius weather)?

Off property stuff: we took a taxi to Puerto Juarez ($8usd) and the ferry to Isla Mujeres. A fun day! Rented a golf cart for 4 hours and toured the island: check out Punta Sur, Garrafon, Playa Norte (the beach is so white & the water is beautiful!), turtle farm, lighthouse, shopping area & cemetery. This was a really nice trip that is not too far from EPM. When we came back by taxi from the ferry, we saw El Meco-a very small Mayan ruin and small pyramid structure (350 pesos)---no where near the size of the ruins throughout Mexico, but if you haven’t seen anything then it’s better than nothing! We were the only ones looking around when we went. Again, don’t expect to be blown away from these ruins; I enjoyed it because it was so private and quaint. We also went to Mercado 28 ($12usd), a very large handicraft flea market. If you love to haggle over $, then this place is for you. It exhausted my husband by the end!

Pet Peeve: If I can say that something didn’t measure up, it would have been the inconsistency of housekeeping. I definitely do not think they have enough staff. The rooms seem to be done very late in the day---almost when you are getting ready for dinner. Turndown service seems to be the problem. They come when you are getting ready for dinner, or don’t come at all & merely put the next day’s activity paper under your door. I often had to request clean towels for the next day’s morning shower. We did get an older lady 2X during the week who was incredible-she cleaned & straightened up to perfection. Hint: if you are leaving things when you check out like shampoo/lotion/bug spray (pool float that we didn’t use & that you are not dragging home)…leaving it for the maid with a note authorizing that you are allowing her to have it-they can’t take it off property without a note. We brought a bunch of stuff from Canada that we really never used so instead of repacking it we left it there for them.

This is definitely the place for you if you want:
1) Serenity & relaxation
2) Romance- because it is 100% couples oriented
3) To be pampered

We're just getting back to Colorado and missing that beautiful beach at EPM! This was the best resort ever when you take the whole package into account.

We've stayed at the following resorts:Aventura/Spa Palace, XPU-HA Palace, Royal Hideaway, Excellence Riviera Cancun, Secrets Capri, Excellence Punta Cana, Colonial and a few others with our kids. The Excellence Playa Mujeres surpassed them all!

Rooms: The best rooms EVER! Spacious, beautiful, loved the jetted tub. We didn't care about the bathroom setup, as we're not shy about things. The toilet area wasn't a problem for us, but someone can always hang a beach towel over the door and ask their significant other to enjoy the balcony for a while. I wouldn't recommend this place for a trip with your mother or sibling, though. Our room was nicely decorated for our anniversary when we got there. Email the resort if you're celebrating any special occassion and they will make it special for you. We thought the maid service could have been a little more attentive (floors were dusty, dirt on back of couch was there when we got there and could have been wiped down), but it didn't at all detract from the beauty of the room. Great storage space, too!

Food: We liked most of the food and thought it was very good. If you don't like something, go to another restaurant. We went everywhere but the Flavor market, as the menu did not interest us. The best atmosphere was the French place, the best food was the Grill/Lobster House/Agave. The Barcelona was okay, a lot of seafood (I'm allergic, unfortunately). The Italian was good, but service was as most people say, "Hit or miss." They didn't seem to have enough help in some places on some nights, but you're not in a hurry anyway. Buffets were always excellent with plenty of choices. We were treated extremely special at some places and treated like we didn't exist at others. We thought it was funny, though, and always tipped regardless. My husband loved the Lobster...said the Chipotle butter was the best. I watched him eat and enjoy all that lobster!

Bar Service: Ask for the brand you want in each drink. Some were too strong for me and I had to ask for less alcohol...go figure.
Some drinks were great, others were not...who gives a flying rip...just order another!

Pools: The pools were great, not crowded and plenty of places to lounge. We enjoyed the private pool by building 7 & 8 because it had its own bar and hardly any people.

Beach: I guess we happened to be there on the best week out of the year. We found the beach to be stunning and the best we've enjoyed in that entire area. The water was clear and warm and the sand was soft and clean. We didn't experience beach grass that much and the water was amazing. We had sunny weather every day!!! Lucky us! You could walk this beach forever and my husband snorkeled right off shore and enjoyed the barracuda he saw. Good thing I missed those guys!

Service: People are people, so some are amazing and friendly and others are bothered and rude. Just expect that the service may not be amazing at every turn. Most of the service is great, some is laughable. We didn't care. We still tried to be friendly and understanding no matter what. Sometimes they would forget what you ordered and not bring things. Just ask again, no big deal. These folks work 10 hour days under stressful situations, so be a big boy or girl and roll with it. We never experienced anything totally outlandish, so we were okay with a few mistakes here and there.

Spa: We did a couples pedicure (fun) and the couples massage on the beach. Both were relaxing and fun. The prices are out there and the experience isn't as good as what we've had before, but fun nonetheless!

Entertainment: This is the most lacking part of this resort. The shows were below cheesy and the live music was junior high quality or less. It would be great to see them get some real talent in there and pay those folks to use real musicians and not computerized, techno type music. I wonder if those folks have managers that find them places to "perform." Maybe the caliber of talent is as bad as it is because they get what they pay for. Come on, Excellence, pay for some quality entertainment! The shows never start on time and by the time the disco is open, it's usually close to midnight and we were too dead to enjoy. Don't expect much here in entertainment!

We had turn down service each night, except the night before we left (guess they figured why bother.)

Overall, this place was the bomb! We had an amazing time and enjoyed everyone. This is truly luxurious for the price and you will feel special and pampered!

We stayed at the Excellence Playa Mujeres from 17/07/08-31/07/08. We knew what the Hotel would be liked as we had stayed at the Excellence Riviera Maya last July.

Accommodation: The hotel was lovely, rooms were very spacious and nicely furnished with plenty of storage space. We had a large balcony which was sea facing. We stayed in block 7 which was centrally located for all the amenities. Our concierge, Cindy, was extremely helpful and friendly and couldnt do enough for us.

Food : The food was good, we especially liked breakfast and lunch in the Barcelona restaurant. The waiters were very professional and attentive. Dinner was good, with Spice and the Steakhouse being our favourite two restaurants. We never tried Flavor Market of the Lobster House so are unable to comment on them.

Pools & Beach: The pools were amazing and plenty of sunbeds were available with towels placed on them each morning. The main pool was never overcrowded as there was a good variety of pools to choose from and each block had their own pool. The beach was great, although not as big as the beach at the Excellence Riviera Maya.
The bar service around the pools and beach was excellent. The waiters were always coming round to offer you a drink.

Gym: The gym is very well equipped with five treadmills, three crosstrainers, three exercise bikes and also a variety of weights to use. Cold bottled water and fresh fruit were always available.

Entertainment :The entertainment staff were excellent, Gaston, Clara, Adrian, Luis, Roberto and Issac. Thanks so much to Gaston who was amazing and hopefully see you next year. They were always around during the day if you wanted to participate in games and sports. The evening entertaiment was a bit bland and would benefit from more variety, although some of the shows were quite good. The shows start at 21.00 which is far too early for a lot of people who are still at dinner. Som