First and foremost, let me mention that I pain painstakingly researched and planned this trip for over two years. Comparably to the cost of other Caribbean locations, Mexico's Excellence Riviera Cancun offers luxury at a reasonable price. Upgrading to an Excellence Club room guarantees you an ocean front view, in addition to other perks. The ocean front view alone is worth the extra expense, to me. If you're going to vacation along the coastline, why not be able to see it from your room everyday when you wake? It was such a calming experience, crawling out of bed as the sun is just rising, and opening that sliding glass door to the song of the sea birds, waves lapping at the shore, and the salt air caressing your senses... beautiful! Many mornings, I left my husband to comfortably snooze in bed while sneaked away to enjoy this treat. Other mornings, my body finally adjusted to "vacation time" and I actually took the opportunity to sleep in!
THE GREETING & EC LOUNGE:
Yes, we did receive the cool towel and champagne. We sat a short while in the lobby (which is stunning in person and quite palatial), while we waited for our personal bellman to escort us to the Excellence lounge for our private check in. After a few minutes, we were taken to the Excellence lounge where we had an effortless check in and told a little bit more about the resort, its facilities and building lay out.
The EC lounge offers 3 Internet terminals and printer for EC guest use, bar service with top shelf liquor, snacks, cappuccino/coffee maker and private concierge service. Books and DVD movies are available for check out at no additional cost. The selection of movies are not too current, but some good titles for choosing, none-the-less.
We arrived on my husband's birthday and the concierge was good to remember to wish him a happy birthday. After which, the bellman brought us to our room. Most staff members we encountered throughout our stay were very friendly.
THE EC ROOM:
We were in room 7363, which is a corner suite on the highest floor in one of the three EC buildings 7. It overlooks the EC pool, bar and beach. We had booked the anniversary package and I also had prearranged through email correspondence for them to acknowledge my husband's birthday on the day we arrived. The staff, as promised, had decorated our room with multi-colored streamers and balloons strewn across the canopied bed, in addition to the towel art and rose petals decor for our anniversary. We also had the anniversary banner on our door and the bucket of champagne. A birthday cake, complete with a "happy birthday" message and candle was promptly brought to our room, following our arrival as well.
FYI: If you do book an EC room, you CAN substitute the mini bar liquor with other choices. For instance, I switched out the whiskey and gin for rum and another bottle of tequila. I also switched out the wine. The EC concierge can provide you with a list of what alcohols are available for substitution (anything on the list is available at no extra cost). If you do not like your bed pillows, call the EC concierge, they can provide you with feather/down pillows and therapeutic pillows at no additional charge as well.
ROOM SERVICE:
Top notch! The menu is very vast and if you stay in an EC room, your menu is extended and offers even more choices. The first day we arrived, we were too tired to get all dressed up to go down for dinner, so we ordered numerous items from the room service menu and had a FEAST in our room. I fell in love with the nachos, as I am a cheesy kind of girl and probably ate them an additional 3 times in our week stay (I gained about 5-7 lbs. to prove it. You know us Americans and our affinity for cheese :P ~ fellow T.A. Forum readers will understand this jab).
The guacamole and pico di gallo that they serve with them was so fresh and very flavorful. I've lived in Texas for 30 years and I have had my share of good guac and pico... this stuff was excellent. For the rest of our stay, anytime we ordered room service, it was prompt (it would arrive literally to the minute of when promised, or earlier), and it was always hot or cold, appropriate to the type of dish.
My husband and I laughed about the staff that would take your order because they were so accommodating and would continue to ask "Is that all? Anything else? And what more?" as you ordered that you didn't mind throwing in one more thing... you know, like "Oh, ok... make that two chocolate mousses instead please."...hehe. We ordered at all hours of the day and night and had no problems. They will leave the food for you in the "X-box" if you request it as well. That was nice when you thought you might be indisposed when they arrived.
The ONLY disappointment we experienced was on two different days, food was brought to our room when we didn't actually order. This really isn't that big of a deal, it just so happens that both times, we were otherwise "engaged" and one time actually had the "do not disturb" sign on the door, and we still got a knock. Keep all your locks and latches down, and you needn't worry. Wasn't really a big deal... once I told my husband as he scampered to the door to send them away, "Well, see what it is they have?!"...lol. Just kidding... wouldn't want to take any one else's nachos!!
GROUNDS:
As most reviewers have stated, the grounds are impeccable. The garden staff is constantly trimming, pruning and fussing over the landscaping. The fountains throughout the resort are artistry for the eye and also lend to the feel of relaxation (something about the trickle of water).
One afternoon and the following morning, quick rain showers moved through and as soon as the drops stopped falling, the staff was out literally sweeping up the excess water with brooms and large dust pans and laying out "slippery when wet" signs. They are very attentive in this way. Still do take your time walking in some areas when wet, as they can be slippery (just common sense).
POOLS:
There are pools meandering throughout the resort. Some are more "party" zones with music, drinking and that general party atmosphere. Others, further away from the swim up bar and central area of the resort, are more secluded and quiet. It was nice to have both environments available, should you desire one or the other, depending on your mood. The EC pool area is quiet and relaxing, as well as the beach area. Lounge chairs are ample, however shaded areas near the pools are nabbed early (I'd say by 8am for certain). We never had trouble finding a palapa to sit under on the EC beach though, even when only getting to the beach by noon.
The upkeep of the pools was pretty good. I felt the water at least appeared clean, for a public pool, but as other guests have noted, there are some areas where the grout and/or tiles are in need of some attention (not grossly neglected, but noticeable). The temperature of the pools, I felt was perfect. A bit cool initially, but after sitting in the blazing sun, they offered a welcomed refuge from the heat.
Floats are almost non-existent, I guess people do hoard them. I think during the 8 days I was there, on two occasions I found one for use. Bring your own float if this is important to you. One afternoon around 4pm, they ran out of towels and after inquiring to staff about this, we just got a nonchalant, "Yes, we ran out of towels.", with no real effort to amend the problem. It did just happen once, so we feel it was forgivable.
THE BEACH:
The water here is a beautiful blue color, but it is a bit foggy. There were times where it was somewhat more clear, but over all, it's cloudy. I'm not much into swimming in the ocean and just prefer to walk along the shoreline, so this really isn't an issue for me.
The sand was better than the sand at Waikiki beach, in my opinion, sugary white and so soft; really very nice. The hotel did their best to keep the sea grass at a minimum. It didn't bother me. I thought its color (black) actually added some contrast to the blue water and white sand and made for a pretty landscape. I saw plenty people swimming who didn't seem to mind. The couple times I walked knee deep in the water, I didn't notice any rocks.
TOPLESS WOMEN:
I have absolutely no problem with this, however some folks do, so I thought I'd mention it. I did see a few women laying out at the EC beach area topless. I'd say 5 individuals or so, one or two on any given day. These women were just laying out, sunning, reading... it's not like they were bounding around on the beach flaunting themselves. I really don't see what the big deal is, but never-the-less, they are there, if it's something you don't care for.
CLEANLNESS & HOUSEKEEPING:
The resort is very clean and public restrooms always well maintained. Seemed like, at times, the staff may have had a bit of trouble keeping up with the empty water bottles and discarded drink glasses from guests left at the beach area, but this could be helped by the guests actually taking the initiative to clean up after themselves a bit (just a pet peeve of mine).
Housekeeping was very good for us. We had requested our room to be cleaned at 12pm and it always was around that time. Toiletries were replenished without fail and we always had an ample supply of towels. No towel art following our first day there, but I don't know if it's a general practice for them to do that or not?
We requested our turn down service to occur at 7pm, and unlike the daily housekeeping, this was not done as consistently. Out of 7 nights, we received the service twice.
We did have the tiny ants in our room on occasion. We only found them in the sitting area of the room, never in or around the bed or bathroom. We did our best to keep any food that we weren't going to immediately consume in the mini fridge and our dirty dishes and empty soda cans in the "X-box" for pick up. This practice probably helped to keep the insects at bay. Had they ventured near the bed, I probably would've called for an exterminator or a room change, but they really were not that invasive. We noticed them here and there, but never were they out of control.
BED/LINENS:
The bed is very firm. If you do not like a firm mattress, you may not be too fond of the beds. My husband and I do fortunately prefer a firm mattress. I felt the pillows provided had seen better days and weren't that comfortable, but a call to the EC concierge for some feather and therapeutic pillows cleared that issue up! Those pillow were more than comfortable. The linens, however are not the best. I'm fairly easy going, but admittedly am a bit of a sheet snob. I like at least 300 thread count and I don't think their linens fit that bill. They were a bit on the scratchy side.
The room at night felt humid and the sheets a little damp, as a result. We realized that if you significantly lower the AC temp. in your room at night and just pile on the extra blanket, that this helps with the humidity. (The ocean is just feet from your room, what do you expect?) The AC can be very loud, but I like "white noise" when I sleep, so it really didn't bother me. It's not annoyingly loud, like a knocking/dripping sound, just runs very loud. Over all, we slept very well!
RESTAURANTS/BARS:
The food was very good in some restaurants and just 'ok' in others. The buffet breakfasts at Barcelona and Toscana were great, with lots to choose from, you were sure to not go hungry. My favorite for dinner was probably Spice. The Teppanyaki table was fun and the food very good. I'd say Toscana was actually our second favorite for dinner. The pasta dishes were very good. Chez Isabelle, 3rd favorite. We had the Chateaubriand. I've had better, but it was a good piece of meat. Over all, I was very pleased with the food and selection. I just wish we could've stayed longer so I could try more dishes!
I felt like the portions were more than enough. I know some people have mentioned that they're too small. The great thing about an AI resort is that you can order all you want! You've already paid for it! Double up if you're really hungry!
As far as the dress code, breakfast and lunch are more casual and the outdoor restaurants (The Lobster House & The Grill) will even tolerate DRY swim wear w/ women in cover ups and T-shirts for men, beach shoes 'ok'. Men, be prepared to dress it up a bit in the evenings though with slacks, golf shirt and close toed shoes or elegant sandals (no rubber flip flops, etc). Women can get away with sun dresses, capris w/ nicer tops.
The bars are plentiful and will make you just about anything you can think of... they don't have some top shelf liquors, i.e. Grey Goose vodka (however the EC lounge did), but they have some pretty good labels. Be sure to ask for your brand, or you'll get a lower end brand (just like at any other bar).
Try the X-lounge after dinner one night to see the stars over the ocean. The night we went was a bit windy, so we decided to leave earlier than planned, but I could see how this can be splendid on a clear, calmer night.
Ask for a Mayan coffee at Agave. They did their best to serve me one up the night we ate there, but the wind was gusty again and I only got an abbreviated show (the fire kept going out), but the waiter tried SO hard!
We normally ate early, like in between 6 and 7pm and had no wait at all. If you go between 7-8pm, you may encounter a wait. Go grab a drink and relax... your buzzer will go off in no time! If in between main meals, you eat room service, you won't be hungry! I ate around the clock..lol. You could get soft served ice cream at the Kafe Cafe bar and "ball park" nachos at the EC bar. All the restaurants are non-smoking and bars allow smoking.
WHAT TO DO?:
There are daily activities that happen all day long from water aerobics to archery. Your nightly newsletter tells you what is scheduled. They had nightly entertainment at the Stars theater. They ran movies, had X-box games like, Guitar Hero, a "Romance Night" that featured singers and dancers performing, what else... romantic songs (felt it was a bit on the cheesy side), and a magician who opened up for the Circus group who did Cirque du Soleil type performances on a lesser scale. That show was very entertaining, I thought. Over all, if you wanted to get out and about, instead of just sitting around in your room, there was always something going on for entertainment.
The Alegria bar offered your "disco" atmosphere, with the thumping dance music and disco lights. We went to karaoke night once and that was entertaining. The place was packed... definitely where you go if you want the party atmosphere.
They also offer a billiards area with shuffle board, a covered area with two pool tables and ping pong table (We had fun here. Try chasing around a small ball after a couple drinks...hehe).
They have two car rental companies on location and tour agencies as well, if you want to plan your excursions on site. My husband and I rented a car from a Puerto Morelos business (Executive) and they picked us up and dropped us off at the resort. You can valet park your rental car at the resort for no parking fee. We traveled to Chichen Itza one day and left by 6am to beat the crowds and heat. The 24 hr. room service was GREAT at 5am!
I highly recommend driving to Chichen yourself if you're interested in going. Taking the toll roads, you get there in just over 2 hours and you can be back at the resort by 3PM, vs. an ALL DAY trip dropping/picking up other guests on a tour bus. We had no trouble navigating the roads or with police. Just drive the speed limit and be aware when purchasing gas (be cautious and use common sense on your trip and you should be fine).
THE SPA:
I had an 80 minute Excellence massage, after which, I completely forgot I was a tired Mom of a 2 year old...haha. Very relaxing and worth the expense! The spa prices are a bit high, BUT it's to be expected, resorts generally are overpriced. If you book with an anniversary package, you do get 15% off, which is nice, but take note that those services have to be booked for before noon to get the discount (it says so on the welcome letter you receive, you won't find this information on their website). My husband also had a massage.
We both showed an hour early to take advantage of the free water circuit treatment. That was well, an "experience". Personally, it wasn't really relaxing for me, but at times, it was invigorating... a cold water dip, followed by a hot steam sauna, etc... They run you through different treatments and basically you get beat to a pulp by jetted water, showers, buckets of water, etc...lol. As I say, it is an "experience". My husband and I probably laughed harder during this treatment than we have in a long time. It was good for this, but I would probably not pay for it. Give it a try though, I think it's free with most spa treatments. Remember, it's just my opinion... you might love it!
THE GYM:
The gym is not huge, but big enough, I thought. It offered your basics to stay in shape while on vacation. There were stair stepper-like machines, treadmills, stationary bike, free weights, weight machines to work most major muscle groups, exercise ball, and covered outdoor yoga hut. The restrooms offered a shower and free keyed lockers for use. There were also your basic toiletries like deodorant, shampoos, soap, feminine products in the women's restroom. The water and towels were plentiful. We used the gym twice during our week and it was never crowded. We did visit in the afternoon, though. My guess it that it's more crowded in the late evenings and/or early mornings.
INSECTS:
No bed bugs. I checked. The mattress was spotless. I mentioned the ants already, but honestly wasn't that big of a deal. We encountered two bees while there. One took a nose dive in my husband's strawberry smoothie (the bee's loss, our gain, we got a fresh drink), the other buzzed around a bit and then took off. Both came around while eating at the outdoor restaurants. You're outside surrounded by flowers... could happen anywhere in that kind of environment! They weren't aggressive at all though! We never were bit by ANYTHING... no mosquitoes, no no-seeums, nothing. Take bug spray, just in case, but while were there... night and day, no problems.
TIPPING:
The place is all inclusive, don't tip if you don't want to. This is a personal choice. I did not see where the service differed as a result of tipping or not. We tipped, just because the staff does work so hard and we know they don't get paid too much otherwise. We took $150 in US one dollar bills and tipped $2 for breakfast, $3 for lunch and $5 for dinner. $1 for every other drink or so at the bars. $2 a day for housekeeping & $1 to mini bar staff every other day or so. Definitely tip your therapists at the spa, however, they are NOT part of the AI offer.
LITTLE THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE ERC BETTER (IMHO):
Would be nice if they had at least one more elevator (not like it's a necessity, but at times there was a very long wait. When this happened, we opted to take the stairs, which after all those nachos, probably was a pretty smart choice. The one elevator sees a lot of action, especially because it is used by guests and staff. Maybe if they installed a service elevator for staff to use? The staff might appreciate it as well).
I'm one of those people who has to visit the bathroom very often even after just one alcoholic beverage! Would be nice if there were a few more restrooms available in close proximity to bars and pools.
If I could give ERC 4.5 stars, I would because it was near perfect. If everything went off without a hitch, which it almost did, it would get 5 stars from me. I would go back, but I may try another Excellence resort if given the opportunity for another vacation any time soon. Excellence PM looks really nice! Feel free to message me if you have any questions.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
