As others have said nothing compares but here are my other favorites... 1. Vegas. The new vegas is nothing like the old neon, run down, focus on gambling vegas. Dont get me wrong, I like to gamble but the new vegas has a lot of the same qualities of Temptations, just toned down a little. You can stay at a nice hotel for a reasonable price, enjoy 90-100 temperatures and many hotels now have european style pools which allow for topless bathing and thongs. What we like better than temptations is they also usually have a great dj and it turns into a daytime club. Biggest negative is cost of drinks and minimums for lounge chairs. We like Bare at Mirage and Moorea at Mandalay Bay. Rehab (maybe you saw it on tv) at the Hard Rock and Wet Republic at MGM are others but much more for singles and is a pick up scene (not our thing). 2. Another favorite of ours is Lahaina Maui. There are several fun restaurants and bars in down town. Nice to be able to party in a tropical oasis. Of course this is way toned down compared to Mexico or Vegas but you really do feel like you are in a different world yet still have the creature comforts of the US. You can find some pretty secluded beaches too. Of course neither are the same as Temptations. Which is why for the first time ever we will be returning to the same place for two vacations in a row. Cant wait until end of Feb or early May. We are determined to make one of those happen.
Thanks for the input. We thought theyre old enough that we could stat at TTR and the kids could stay at the "family" resort...LMOA. We want to be in Cancun for the kids first trip anyway. We got bumped to the Blue Bay Club last Feb. Jen & Kyle, Im sure you remember that story...have to go thru some of the worst slums we've EVER seen so I really dont want to expose the kid to that just yet...
Bill we did Cancun Palace a few times, great family place for kids and friends. Top notch service and the entertainment staff is really good. The place is a little pricey though but its worth the extra money for the food and alochol.
We stayed with our 14 and 12 year old at the Princess resort near Playa del Carmen. It was nice, but LARGE- the beach and the main building were about 1 mile from each other. The kids loved the activities and meeting friends from all around the world. We were able to have either beach or pool and beverages, so we were good too
A bit pricey but Negril Jamaica is nice....we were staying at HEDO II (been twice now) and did the beach walk to check out the other resorts. The bigger resorts in Negril look awesome but the smaller ones are a definite no no in our books. Off resort activities are limited as it is a very poor area and may not be the safest to venture out on your own. We did Rick's Cafe twice (booked transport with hotel...DO NOT USE any taxis out side the resort) and did a a water taxi to Jimmy Buffett's Margarita Ville (tipped him a bottle of rum and we has drunker than a skunk on the way back and in the dark no less, lol). Definitely would recommend HEDO to anyone...an awesome resort and it's not just a swingers place (which we are not btw)
We went to Hedo III once. Just wondering how Hedo II compares? I know the beach in Negril is much better. We have found the resort staff in Jamaican resorts are far less friendly and helpful than Mexican resorts.
We have been to St. Martin several times always stay at the Esmeralda on Orient beach. Great beach, we have had a lot of fun their.
Never have been to Hedo III so I can't offer a comparison between the two. We found the staff at II to be friendly, not as friendly as TTR though, and the entertainmant crew was awesome (a different awesome than Chinos and the gang). Over all we were very satified with everything.
I've been to H2 in Jamaica a few times, going again in March, cannot wait...we've been wanting to visit Orient Beach/St Martin for years, I'm hoping in 2012!
Look at the Riu Hotels in Playa. They also have activities for kids and are reasonable and all inclusive. We have been to a couple before we found Temptations and enjoyed them
