Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres Opening Delayed…

I got a call from Secrets this morning saying my Dec. reservation for the brand new Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres had been cancelled due to a delay in the resort opening.

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Kore Tulum–A Boutique Resort Often Overlooked

While Kore Tulum Retreat And Spa Resort has undergone an “identity crisis” within the past 5-10 years, it looks like it’s finally on the right path as an adults-only all-inclusive optional boutique resort.  With only 91 guest rooms and suites, this resort is actually located within the Tulum area making it incredibly easy to explore the art museums, stores, and beach clubs which have made this town a “must see” when visiting the Riviera Maya area.  Kore Tulum provides complimentary bicycle use as well as bicycle tours of various nearby attractions, including downtown Tulum, which takes out all of the guess work or advance research guests may choose to do in order to maximize their time away from the resort.

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Don’t Have Your VISITAX QR Code? You May Not Be Able To Board Your Return Flight…

Ok, I will admit it, like so many other international tourists I have not been paying Quintana Roo’s VISITAX fee since it was established in 2020.  Up to this point there has been no enforcement of paying this tax, so I figured I could get away with not paying it.

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A Cenote Day Club Experience…

Want to experience the best of both a day club and a cenote?  Then head to Buuts’ Ha’ Cenote Club.  If you want an idea of its location in the Riviera Maya, it’s south of Xel-Há Park and north of Dreams Tulum (about a 15 min. drive north of Tulum).

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Karisma Adds New Autism Concierge…

Karisma Hotels and Resorts has introduced the world’s first Autism Concierge at most of their Mexico resort properties.  An Autism Concierge will be the dedicated contact for all resort guests who either have autism themselves or are traveling with someone who has autism.

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Want A Sneak Peek At Secrets Tulum Beachfront Villa?

This brand new Secrets resort, Secrets Tulum Resort and Beach Club, will be opening Oct. 12, 2023.  The parent company has allowed the release of a sneak peek of the 5 bedroom Beachfront Villa.

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Plaza Paraiso–The “Shopping Mall” at Iberostar Paraiso Resort Complex

My last blog post was about the differences between the five resorts at the Iberostar Paraiso resort complex–this post is about the shopping area adjacent to the golf course across the road from the different resorts.  All resorts at this complex have access to this shopping area, you just have to decide whether you want to walk to it or take a golf cart shuttle from your resort to the entrance of the mall.

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Confused About What’s Included For Which Resort At Iberostar Riviera Maya?

If you enjoy vacationing at large megaresort complexes, you’ve probably read something about the Iberostar Riviera Maya property.  The resort as a whole is located about 35 min. south of the Cancun airport and is comprised of five separate resorts, a golf course, and a separate “shopping mall” complex right across the road from the beachfront resorts.  The individual properties, from the most expensive to the cheapest, are as follows: Continue reading

Excellence Now Has A Loyalty Program…

I’m a big fan of resort loyalty programs.  They work like many other loyalty programs– you can join for free and enjoy extra benefits the more you stay at resorts within a particular chain or brand.  Of course, some are better than others; I’ve saved several hundred dollars each time I take a trip staying at a Catalonia resort since loyalty members get a certain percentage off a new booking.  That extra money I usually apply towards an excursion like visiting a cenote in the area.

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