My husband and I stayed at the Cancun Palace from August 8-15th. I will start off telling you we are 33 and 34 yrs old. There was a nice mix of young and old at the resort. We had a fabulous time and would definitely go back again. The weather was beautiful but when we were leaving you could tell the bad weather was coming in. POOL/OCEAN The infinity pool was large and beautiful. Every morning there were workers wading in it and cleaning it. They worked very hard cleaning up debris. The walls in a few spots could have been scrubbed better, but it did not pose a problem. I never noticed any food in the pool—there was an occasional cup, but one can not expect there to be someone following every single person around and picking up their trash. People need to take some responsibility of their own. You definitely need to go down early if you want certain seats in the first 2-3 rows around the pool. I felt guilty doing it, but I had no choice or I wouldn’t have a seat. I would go down every morning in my terrycloth pj’s and then stop in the lobby for a cup of coffee. The ocean was beautiful and crystal clear blue. The first few days it was really calm. I recommend taking an inflatable raft with you and then just leaving it at the end of the trip. Toward the end of the waves got really big and rough (possibly due to the impending tropical storms). If the wave looks like it is going to knock you out, dive under it and you will be pretty well off. ENTERTAINMENT The nightly entertainment was fairly entertaining. We went to the Circus show (an attempt at Cirque de Soleil), the Michael Jackson impersonator, karaoke, and the magic show. We did not see the shows on the beach as we did not want to get sand in our shoes/clothes after we had showered. The entertainment staff obviously put a lot of work into the shows. FOOD/RESTAURANTS The breakfast buffet was very good...omelets, eggs, waffles and pancakes made to order. If you like mango, ask the waiter if they have any fresh ones. There were none at the buffet, but they will cut them fresh or squeeze you juice. The wait staff was fabulous, especially Damien. He is a very hard worker We just had pasta at the Italian restaurant (Leonardo’s). I had fusilli with pesto (more just like olive oil and basil, but tasty and hubby had penne with meat sauce. They will warm your bread if you ask. The Japanese restaurant (Miyako) was our favorite. The table side cooking was yummo and we also enjoyed the regular menu. If you get tempura, you may want to ask for 2 orders--only 2 pieces per order. The Steak was nothing special, in our humble opinion. Surf and Turf consisted of 3 shrimp and I believe a rib eye (definitely not filet mignon and lobster). Service was slow and the wait was rather long...not many tables. Also, when we were there all of the salad bar wasn’t replenished. Overall, the desserts weren't very good. Your best best is after dinner just going to the buffet to get some ice cream to go. The tempura fried ice cream at Miyako was tasty. During the day they have nachos, fries, burgers, and hot dogs at the pool bar, as well as some outdoor cooking station for steaks and paella. You can also get take out from the buffet--the tacos from the grill were awesome. We were greatly appreciative that the dinner dress codes were not enforced. You could easily wear shorts, polos, capris, sandals. Long pants were not necessary, just be smart and don’t wear your bathing suits. FITNESS CENTER The gym had Life Fitness equipment. 3 treadmills, 3 ellipticals, 2 recumbant exercise bikes, and 2 regular exercise bikes as well as a room for spinning classes. There were plenty of weights/equipment to do a full workout. The equipment was all new and well maintained. ACTIVITIES The activities staff made sure there was always something to do. There was water aerobics, pool and beach volleyball, beach olympics, ping pong, crazy games, TX hold ‘em. My husband always had something to do while I was able to relax. I took my mp3 player but ended up keeping it in the safe as they had fun and energetic music playing by the pool. BARS The drinks at the bars were all great. Make sure you try the Bob Marley (midori, oj and strawberry daquari). We took insulated mugs (Bubba Keg they were called—found in the automotive dept at Target). They have no problem filling them for you—you got a larger drink and it stayed frosty cold. If you want a premium brand, just ask for it. I did not notice them skimping on the alcohol at all—in fact some of the drinks were rather strong. ROOMS/ACCOMODATIONS We arrived at the hotel around 1 pm and only had to wait a half hr for our room to be ready. We had an oceanfront room on the 2nd floor. We had no problem with the location as we can sleep through anything. It was convenient to the outside, the lobby area, gift shops and bars. We never had to wait for an elevator. The TV selection was not as bad as some other resorts we have been in. They had CNN, the American Network, various HBO channels, Nickelodeon, Fox Sports, ESPN as well as some others. Make sure you check out Channel 40 at least once during your trip—it is good for a laugh. It is a constant replay of how to wash your hands. Not sure what the point was, but we found it rather humorous. The shower was fabulous—never had a problem with temperature. If you arrive in your room before the bellman arrives with your bags and to explain things, place your key in the holder by the door. This will power on the electric. On our second to last day we discovered there was a “courtesy card” which you could keep in the place at all times so you could keep your room cool and still carry all your keys with you. Just ask for one. Also, for privacy and maid service, make sure you click the appropriate button by the door. The free internet access is a bonus and had a fairly decent signal. You got the best signal in the lobby, but it was ample in the rooms as well. The safe was large enough to keep a laptop in as well as some other items. SHOPPING The hotel had a nice selection at reasonable prices. Make sure you take plenty of sunscreen (you can’t take too much as you will need lots of it) as it is almost $20 a bottle. I was able to buy silver necklaces cheaper than in town. Going downtown is a must. You can catch the bus right outside the hotel. It is 65 cents each way no matter where you stop—just tell them when you get on where you are going. We gave them a dollar for each of us and to them that was a generous tip. The R-1 and R-2 go right by the hotel and will take you downtown and to Market 28. They run 24 hrs a day and if you miss one, don’t worry as another one will be shortly behind it. The ride itself is an adventure. SERVICE The service at the hotel is outstanding. Although we didn’t have to, we did tip. A dollar is a lot to the workers. They work 6 days a week, 12 hr shifts and don’t make nearly as much as they deserve. It is not expected, but your drink will never be empty if you give them a buck or two. We felt guilty if we didn’t leave a tip as they worked so hard. We would go back to the room and get money and take it back to them. I hope this review was helpful. If you have any additional questions, please send me a message.
Steve2002 not at the same hotel as I was While we are all entitled to view things from our own perspectives it is important to have correct information to create that viewpoint. There are a few glaring inaccuracies that need correction in Steve2002 posting. I am a Palace member and have been to the Cancun Palace 5 times now with the last visit from 8/9 to 8/16 FROM THE TOP: Room Service is 24/7 with a full menu available up until 10:30PM after that they offer burgers, sandwiches and FF, but if you ask they will give you cake and anything else that is on hand. And it gets there in under 30 minutes. Mini-bar: I had 4 XX cans and two cans of lite beer with sodas and water. The thing was crammed to the gills and when I "Called down" to housekeeping and told them I wanted Vodka in the bar and more lite beers it got there the same day. YOU CAN"T TELL THE GIRL IN THE HALL ANYTHING IT WONT GET DONE ALMOST NONE OF THEM SPEAK ENGLISH IN THAT PARTICULAR JOB. They don't give food in the mini-bar that is what room service is for.... Top Shelf Drinks.... I have heard the too weak complaint several times here and at other forums... I asked for doubles and always got them at every bar including the pool bar and restaurants. And always got Absolut or Smirnoff as requested. Sensational Entertainment: There is a live show every night and a live band in the lobby bar after the shows (about 9pm) 6 nights a week they take Saturday off because most people go into town. The thing that does change is where the show is held. Nice weather they use the brand new ampi-theater that seats hundreds of people, some shows are held on the beach and when the weather is really bad they use the huge rooms in the new convention center. For these shows since the steak house is closed for bad weather they set up a full blown dinner buffet before the show. Any changes to the itinerary and they send people around the lobby and make calls to all the room to let you know about the change otherwise they have a PRINTED listing available at the lobby desk every day. Thursday was a Michael Jackson show which I saw last year at the Riu in playa. Other shows were; Anything Goes (this used to be the Mr Cancun competition and is the typical thing done at every resort hotel I have ever stayed at), Magic Show, Circus Show and more. Tours: OK these are limited to two depending on how you have booked your stay, as a member I have unlimited tours (sorry it is the perks of membership) and the recommendation made by Steve2002 to book early is valid as there are more people than seats on the tour. But every year we sit down the first day and work our schedule with Chaza travel, what when and where and have never had a problem. They tell you when drinks are or are not included for each tour. Some are on Palace properties some are not but it is a very good tip to bring the take out containers from the Hotel and the extra waters..... Gratuities: I have never had a Palace employee act like they expected a tip EVER.... they respond to my thank yous with My Pleasure and I often do tip a dollar or two for bar service and 5 or more in the restaurants because I want to and believe me they know who I am and go out of their way to make sure I am well taken care of, this is a place where tipping does bring value unlike here in the States. Non-Motorized water sports; I was a little disappointed that they moved this activity to Water World but it was NEVER available at the Cancun Palace it is at the Moon and used to be at the Sun. Read the brochure it tells you the where and when for this amenity, it isn't fair to grouse about something that isn't there in the first place. So I hope this is enough information to correct what Steve2002 claims are lies by the Palace. Now the Restaurants... There were mixed reviews in our group of ten people on the food, we all got things we liked or didn't like at the same seating, WOW what a revelation. But we all agreed that the food in the sit down restaurants was overall excellent. Fridas the Mexican menu restaurant is NOT BUFFET. At lunch it is Buffet, NOT at DINNER.... Leonardos, Fridas the Steak House and Miyako are all waiter service only for dinner. And yes there are around 20 tables in the steak house but that is what makes it exclusive and intimate eating around the third floor spa. El Mercado was not the only place open for breakfast during our stay in fact they opened EVERY restaurant for breakfast because the Palace was full to capacity and they had to handle the overflow this included the Miyako on the other side of the property. Snacks: There were grills going everywhere one on the third floor spa with a separate bar and they would grill fresh if you didn't want what was in the hot pots. They set up a grill on the patio weather permitting for steaks, burgers and half chickens which went from about 12 noon until dinner. The two pool bar grills had chaffing dishes full of burgers and dogs but I asked and they did grill fresh for me..... Steve2002 is right about the air and it was a pain but there is no drywall falling from the ceiling an exaggeration at best on his part. The sinks in the room have plenty of room to wash all you have to do is move the faucet from side to side and center it over the middle of the bowl. The handles on the counter are not a good idea as your hands are dripping when you go to turn off the water. Hot water did take some time early in the morning (as it does in every hotel I have ever been in and I stay in at least 20 a year) but with use that evened out and I seriously doubt that anyone would be burned by alternating temps it just wasn't that severe. We stayed on the 6th floor directly above the steak house and there was never any smoke from the grill, it is vented and away from the guest rooms and when the outside door is closed to the patio you can hear only the sounds of the sea. The bell hop explained the switches, safe and mini bar in detail and the system is rather sweet. Four switches at the bed control the whole room in four different patterns from all to minimal. Then there are just two switches for the bathroom and sink area, wow that was really hard to figure out. The key thing is unique but it does stop people from just walking out and leaving all the lights on and wasting tons of energy. And BTW the gym is not anywhere near any of the rooms it is beyond the ampi-theater in its own separate building. Tile in Mexico is what they have to work with it is everywhere so if you don't like tile and can't figure out how to deal with wet tile floors than Mexico is not for you. Stay or don't stay at the Cancun Palace I will continue to return there as it has been the best experience for me so far and each time I go back they make improvements over the previous year. I do think they should have torn down and rebuilt rather than renovate but that is neither here nor there they are working to make corrections on things caused by a little too much haste in construction but none of those issues were enough to distract from another really good time. Like anywhere you go if you time your meals and activities you can do things easily, if you wait until the peak times to eat etc. you will run into heavier crowds. Your vacation will be what you make of it, some people can never be pleased no matter what. Jim Miller
Spanky Thanks for the great report. After hearing Steves, I wasn't sure if we wanted to stay there. How can one report be so different from everyone else? Was he at the same resort? Has anyone heard about Beach Palace, as to when it may open? Thanks Sandy
Sandyjoanne - while there, we asked about the Beach Palace and they told us December (but I guess that will also depend on what happens with hurricane Dean!)
Re: Steve2002 not at the same hotel as I was Thanks Starjim, You saved me a lot of typing. I agree with your post 100%. I was there for a week in April. I am not a member and we had unlimited tours for the week.
re: Steve2002 not at the same hotel as I was Jim, I must agree with Sandy in thinking we went to different places. Maybe we had bad luck, or maybe bad timing, or maybe they just didn't "know us." Who knows. I will say that for the price we paid (US $180 per person per night, plus airfare), we were pretty dissappointed with the place. I don't think anything I said was glaringly inaccurate. Again, perhaps the result of bad luck, or simply not knowing that there is more available than what you see and that all you need to do is ask. I guess I relied on what I saw as a representation of what was available. Being a regular as you are, you are obviously more aware of the way things work than a first time visitor. Of course most people reading this forum are going to be first time visitors, so unless you are going to be doing some online tutoring, I fear they will run into the same shortcomings that we did. I did call the front desk about the minibar, and so did both of the cleaning people I talked to (from the phone in our room). They both spoke English, and both understood my request. The front desk just dropped the ball. If there was a live show every night, it was the best kept secret in the place. We did check out "Anything Goes" on our first night, but after that, we didn't see anything. The bar under the center spa had a DJ playing music and people dancing around every night, but no shows. During our whole stay there was never anything happening on the beach. One night, they did set up lights on the beach and we were really looking forward to whatever was going to happen, but nothing ever did. Yes, you are right, there were a lot of exercise things like water aerobics during the day. I didn't think of those as entertainment, I was referring to things to do after dark. As for the food. There is no way anyone could classify the food there as great. I will agree the tacos as Fridas were pretty good, but not great. Everything was just so bland, and nothing was hot, even served meals. An intimate dinner at The Steak? How is that possible? The tables are set up around one of the three spas, which were all consistantly filled with screaming kids. Intimate would have been tables set up on the beach, or private booths in a restaurant. There was nothing intimate about anything outside your room at Cancun Palace, I have never felt so much like a sardine in my life. I never actually ordered room service. I was commenting only on the items listed on the room service menu in the room. I didn't notice anything on it that said you can only order the things listed here after 10:30pm, but the sky's the limit before then. If that really is the case, then I apologize. Spanky99 brings up a good point about the dress code. Although she was happy it wasn't inforced, we were rather dissappointed. We brought lots of nice clothes because of the dress code specied on their web site. To look around and see people in flip flops, shorts and bikini tops really made us wish we didn't bother with the extra luggage. Yes, it is supposed to be a fun, relaxing vacation, but if you are going to post a dress code, inforce it. If you not going to inforce it, why have it? I never said there was actually drywall falling from the ac vents. None fell on or around me, however if you look up, you will see a lot missing. It fell on somebody, and there's a lot more that looks like it's about to fall. As for being able to "handle tile," come on. I don't have any problem handling tile, I mearly stated that when the ac vents drip water on the polished tile floors, they are like ice, and if you're not careful you could slip and hurt yourself. Yes it looks very nice, but when you have ac vents dripping, and people in wet clothes right out of a pool, you need to put a little thought into safety. Since no one else seemed to have trouble with their shower, I guess the problem was limited to room number 940. I can tell you absolutely, though, that the wild temperature fluxuations could scald you. This was likely due to the fact that the shower was obviously not functioning correctly. In hindsight, we really should have insisted that we be moved, rather than to believe that they would fix it. The faucets in the sink did not move with moderate force, I did try, but fearing I would break it, I didn't force it. The light switch setup in the room was definitely unique, and the idea of saving energy by using your room key to enable them is clever. I seriously doubt the key that housekeeping left in our room was a "courtesy" key as it had the persons name and photo on it (like an employee badge with a magnetic strip on it), and she was clearly very grateful that we returned it to her. I think that our bad experience was based on 2 things. First, obviously, we had some bad luck while we were there. They gave us the reject room, and didn't service it. Shame on us for not demanding to be moved. And second, I think our expectations were too high, based on the price they charged. Since you are a member of the hotel, you no doubt pay considerably less for your stays than we did, and at your rate, the place seems to meet your expectations. My only all-inclusive Caribbean vacation comparison was our last vacation to a Sandals, which actually cost a little less than Cancun Palace, and was absolutely mind-blowing. Just for a quick food comparison, while at Sandals, we ate lobster, rack of lamb, shrimp that could almost have passed for lobster tails!, filet mignion, conch, and more. So, I guess all I can offer to prospective visitors to Cancun Palace is be aware of what you are going to get for your money. It sounds like Jim is pretty savvy and could be a great resource for finding out what to do while there and how to do it. Hopefully Hurricane Dean doesn't inflict the devestation that Wilma did, and your plans are still on. Personally, I will stay at a different hotel next time we visit Cancun. Maybe it will be better, maybe not. You never really know, do you? Steve
Steve, Thanks so very much for your honest perspective. I am also a long term member of Palace Resorts and didn't experience any of the issues that you did. Having said that, we went in late April and the resort was not 100% full. I thought the Steak Restaurant was horrible and there were no kids or anyone in the jaccuzzis at the time. Our experience was negative because of a brand new waiter that couldn't for the life of him get any of our meals right and really poor quality steak. Every other restaurant was great! If you paid $180 per night, you actually got a better deal than even us members do. Standard online (orbitz, travelocity, traveldogg, etc offer $330 per night) The reviews of late here and on the "other" site are not as favorable as they were last spring. Again, I think it's due to them being at max capacity and not having enough staff to support that. There were some cons during my week as well - Turn down service only twice, mini bar not filled consistently, and we also had temperature fluctuations in the shower. Since it wasn't our first CP or other Palace experience, we shrugged it off as minor. You bring up a very good point, if it was our first time perhaps we would have been more disappointed as well. I hope your next trip where ever you stay is picture perfect. No one likes a disappointing vacation. Take care, Denise
Steve2002 RE: small details and info Steve the best thing I can say is do the research. Every year before we leave my wife trolls the forums looking for information about Cancun, the palace resorts etc. things change and she likes to know before we go. Doesn't mean we get it right every year either, last year we went to the Riu in Playa and didn't like that place at all.... Two items from your response regarding the steak house they do not allow the use of the spa once the steak house is open after 6pm. I ate there and it was very quiet and intimate. I cannot account for kids being in the spa while you ate unless it was earlier than 6pm. The lobby bar had live entertainment during the week we were there 8/9 to 8/17 except for Saturday as previously cited. It is possible that you had a DJ but when did you go? I am sorry you didn't have the best of times there, I'm sure it was one of those things that you can improve on for your next trip, just don't go to the Oasis next time, my daughter stayed there and it was not a good experience.
Cancun Palace - a paradise for me! We just got back from Cancun last Thursday. I have been wading through my 300+ photos and find it is taking me WAY too long, so in the interest of getting this report up, I am doing it without pix. I will post a link to my photos once I get them all captioned (and deleted the bad ones LOL!!! ) We left Newark airport slightly delayed but arrived at our 1st stop Baltimore (previously a non-stop flight on USA3000) on time to pick up the rest of the passengers. We actually arrived on time in Cancun to beautiful sunshine. The new terminal is beautiful and our group of 9 received the green light. While exiting the terminal there were no ladies handing out the bags of tourist info, but if you look at the wall to the right of the doors, there are the materials. I picked up "Cancun Tips". Chaza tours was there to meet us promptly and we were off in a van anxiously anticipating the new Cancun Palace. I had told the driver that my brother was arriving on a later plane and he was part of our reservation. We arrived very quickly to the Cancun Palace & it indeed was beautiful - no large steps to climb to get to the entry like before. We were greeted at the incoming desk with an ice cold towel to cool us and champagne (and a carnation for each female). They already had our packets ready and were given 4 rooms which would be ready in about an hour. All rooms were on the 6th floor which was perfect! Three rooms were oceanfront 649, 666 & 668 and the other was lagoon 628. I pressed for another oceanfront, but my son & his friends didn't care. Also 666 & 668 were connecting! My husband and I decided to take the ominous "666" room and gave my daughter & brother the 668 one. I was a little sad at first when I saw their gorgeous corner balcony, but was delighted and amused with all the reactions we received when we told people our room number! Before we received the rooms, we were introduced to our "representative" Yuki, who would handle booking our tours. We immediately booked the Paradise Snorkling Tour since it is new and gets sold out fast as well as made reservations for the teppanyaki table at the Miyako for 5:30 that night (this was ablut 11:15, so it is not that difficult to get reservations). We booked or free manicures, pedicures and massages at a later time. She wanted to book us on the "presentation tour" which is the infamous 90 minute tour of the property to try & sell us a membership, but we were hungry & not feeling at home yet, so we told her we would go eat and then see her the next day to talk about it - we had decided, after going there 5 times and then last year trying another resort, we wanted to purchase some kind of membership. She also explained that since the hotel was at capacity, they would also be using ALL the restaurants to serve breakfast. Regardless of whether you want to attend the "tour" or not, it is a good idea to see your representative so she can explain how things work. This is probably why there are so many people who never find the entertainment or know which restaurants serve what & where! We were given maps, entertainment schedules tour info & more. You can always say no to the tour - they don't bite! We then went to Fridas at 11:20 AM for their lunch buffet as El Mercado was not yet open. We saw a waiter we had known from a trip to the Beach Palace, Mateo, who has a smile a mile wide and is very pleasant & attentive. Not long after, my brother joined us and said he had shared a van with people from my home town of Howell, NJ! What a small world! We went to the pool area and found plenty of chairs, though not in the first 2 rows! There were umbrellas available so I didn't care! When our rooms were ready, we went to them and our luggage was brought up promptly. The bellboy explained the operation of A/C & lights through a slot where you insert your room card and the switches which operate a multitude of different kinds of lighting - including romantic mood lighting, as well as the safe, mini bar & liquor dispensers. The rooms themselves were beautiful. The shower was large, the closet could be roomier, because the new electronic safe (big enough for a laptop & more) is in there. The sink are 2 modern elevated ones with plenty of counter space. The double person jacuzzi is on the other side of the wall complete with bubble bath. To one side is your drawers and a shelf to put your suitcase on. There are only 4 drawers, so it was a little tight, but the unit also holds the liquor & mini bar behind a cabinet. There is an HD flat screen TV on the wall which has several channels in both Spanish & English. You either get a king bed or 2 doubles. The room is pretty tight when you order a rollaway (as my sons did) because it fits in between the 2 beds in front of the nightstand. There are 2 telephones in the room, one on the nightstand and one in the bathroom. They always call you to make sure you got the room service, make sure you got repair service if requested and to notify you of any change of location for the shows. The balconies are sufficient with 2 chairs.The toiletries were full sized Biosilk products (shampoo, conditioner, lotion & silktherapy) and they also included soap, a sewing kit, nail care kit, shaving kit, toothbrush & toothpaste, shower cap, mouthwash, slippers you could take home and 2 bathrobes (to leave). There is also a coffee maker with coffee, teas, sugars, splenda, raw sugar, stirrers, etc. We brought Maxwell House filter packs so we could at least get one cup of American coffee per day! The mini bar was stocked with Tecate light beer, regular XX beer, bottled water, soda & club soda. The liquor dispenser was stocked with four different upside down bottles (and if you didn't like the type, you could call room service to send up a different one! During our stay, there is only one day that they missed doing the turndown service and every day our mini bar was restocked. Sadly, we only received one towel animal, but hey, they were very busy! Each day at the front desk, there is a free newspaper called Cancun Today that has the daily dollar to peso exchange, weather as well as local and international stories. The halls & elevators are not air-conditioned, but comfortable. The halls can be noisy at night so bring earplugs. I didn't hear anything, but my husband heard a game of Marco-Polo at 4:00 AM (can't blame the hotel for this - just rowdy young people). The hotel rest rooms are a vast improvement with the same raised sinks and very private stalls. Even the ones by the pool and beach are the same. What a pleasure! The lobby bar is now also air conditioned which makes a world of difference. After unpacking, we went down to the pool and beach. The ocean was amazing - very calm and the weather was perfect. The pool bars no longer give straws with their drinks, I am assuming because of all the patrons who dropped them in the pool. They do give stirrers, though which actually fall to the bottom of the pool - not a good idea! Also their plastic cups have an unfinished lip on the top and irritate and possibly cut sunburned lips - I had an issue with this, but I used Carmex the rest of the stay. I did not notice any cloudiness except for much later in the day, probably from sunscreen, but not cloudy enough for me to not put my head under. The crew was constantly cleaning the pool and I felt it was plenty big enough for the resort. I never had to wait for a drink at any time during the day - whether I was at either of the pool bars, the beach bar or the lobby bar. While at my pool chair, I even had to tell the waitress no thank you for how many times she passed by! We always tip, but feel no pressure to. The service is the same. They are just so appreciative and work so hard. We went to the lobby bar after changing and enjoyed drinks, which were not weak or watered down, and snacks were plentiful: popcorn, chips, cookies, different kinds of flambe, chocolate fountain type chocolate in a chafing dish, candies, pastries. They also had a machine which dispensed frozen frappachinos & mochachinos. On some days, they would hold a Texas Hold'em tournament in there. We later went to Miyako for the teppanyaki and were seated immediately. The chef was capable & entertaining (though not as much in the US). It was a little slow, but we thoroughly enjoyed it - and the chef was even careful to omit onions and peppers from my husband's & brother's meals! We were too full for dessert, so we left & went to the new ampitheater to see the Michael Jackson impersonator show which was really spectacular! We actually had seen the same show last year in Playa at the Riu Palace Mexico. The guy who does it is great and I hope to see it again next year! After a brief trip to the lobby bar, we decide we were tired & went to the room. We found gentle music playing in the room, the beds turned down, water & glassed on the nightstand & chocolates. The beds were very comfortable (pillowtop) as well as the grouping of soft pillows. The room service menu is for 24 - hour service, unlimited times per day. The night menu is small (10:30PM - 6:AM): Mixed Salad Ham & Cheese Sandwich w/french fries BLT Sandwich w/french fries Palace Club Sandwich w/french fries Traditional Cheeseburger (one night we asked them for chocolate cake and they sent it, so the menu is not written in stone!) The regular service is from 11:AM - 10:30 PM and includes: Appetizers- Shrimp Cocktail Smoked Salmon Soups- Chicken Broth Cream of Asparagus (delicious!) Salads- Riviera Maya Salad Chefs Salad Snacks - Traditional Cheeseburger Palace Club Sandwich Main Course- Grilled Churrasco, served w/mushroom sauce Grilled Chicken Breast, served w/potatoes & mixed veg Fresh Fish Filet, served w/rice & veg. of the day Desserts- Strawberry cheesecake Chocolate cake There is also a very extensive breakfast menu that if you select it and put it outside your door by 3AM. you will receive it whatever time you select in the morning. We did and it came EXACTLY on time and it was hot and delicious! The next day, we got up early and got one chair in the pool and great chairs behind it by 7:30. We then got breakfast at El Mercado which is buffet with fresh cooked omelets, waffles, eggs, pancakes as well as all the buffet items like french toast, pastries, toast, fruit, juices, milk, hot chocolate, oatmeal, yogurts, cereals, bacon, sausage, condiments, mexican items and more. Luis was an attentive and amusing waiter. We also had him for our lunch the same day. The choices at lunch were great: fish, chicken, burgers, tacos, mussels marinara, pasta, fruit, salads, pastries, ice cream. In addition to the buffet items, they were grilling chicken, fish,tacos, burgers and more. For people who didn't want to leave the pool or beach, they were grilling poolside at each pool bar as well as at the beach bar serving snacks. There was also ice cream and fruit bars available. One day, they were delivering fresh fruit cups to people in the pool. They were also grilling near the Frida's restaurant (chicken, ribs, steaks, etc). There is no reason anyone should say there was any lack of food. The first 3 days of our stay was absolutely perfect weather - hot, humid, blue skie, calm ocean. Those days were basically spent the same way: pool, beach, eat & drink. There was entertainment at one side of the pool and my boys stayed there most of the day. My daughter took advantage of the wonderful gym they have near the theater. The fitness instructor, Alejandro was wonderful and very attentive. My brother finally went over there a few times (who wants to work out on vacation?) and was very impressed. My husband even joined them for a tai chi class one morning (my leg was hurting after dancing the night away the night before in the lobby bar ). Yes there is entertainment in there - a band who can even sing & play "Stairway To Heaven - they played each night except for Saturday during our stay. Other entertainment was held at various places. The "Anything Goes" show was held on the beach because during our stay there, the Cancun Beach Party was going on. They also held the "Fire Show" out there as well - that night it started to rain, so we ran back & watched it from our balcony - it was awesome! The following nights were iffy, so they moved the Karaoke, Magic Show & Circus Show into the main ballroom. They even put out a full buffet and had waiter service! Karaoke was a blast (should have been longer) My only complaint is that Phillippe, the entertainment leader seemed more interested in his own performing than the guests. My sons & their friends had a few complaints about him horning in on their women at the clubs. I was unimpressed with him when he did our cha-cha lessons by the pool - I have seen much better entertainment directors in previous trips. The Magic show seemed great but we arrived late & didn't get the best seats for viewing. We missed the Circus show as it was our last night and needed to pack and buy souvenirs - the shops at the Palace are the most reasonable I have ever seen. The schedule for the night shows is as follows (beginning at 8PM): Monday - karaoke - theater (convention center during our stay) Tuesday - Magic Show - theater (convention center during our stay) Wednesday - Circus At The Palace - theater (convention center during our stay) Thursday - Michael Jackson Show - lobby bar (theater during our stay) Friday - Anything Can Happen - theater (beach during our stay) Saturday - Drums Dance & Fire - poolside (beach during our stay) Sunday - Mexican Show - theater (changed it to a beach party during our stay) Each night after 10:00 PM, the entertainment crew took guests who pay $40-$45 to area clubs. My sons & their friends took advantage of this as they got in front of the line & were taken to VIP tables. It was all-inclusive, but watch out for the shot girls (they charge you $2 per shot). They liked all the clubs except Bulldog (which was a fashion show!). My boys complained to the entertainment crew and they did get one of their three entry fees refunded. The schedule is: Monday - Dady'O Tuesday - Sr. Frogs Wednesday - Pat O.Briens Thursday - Basic (new club - they LOVED this one - water shoots up from the floor!) Friday - Bulldog Saturday - The City Sunday - Coco Bongo One of my son's friends has a tip for the clubs - bring a flash light - the girls love them when the lights go out! Other daytime activities included: Spanish lessons (we learned a little), cooking lessons, ping-pong, badminton, beach soccer, paper planes contest, water balloon fights, towel race, dancing lessons, watermelon eating contest, pool volleyball, blackjack, texas hold'em, horse shoes, water polo as well as some beach fitness lessons and more. There was also a schedule for fitness classes at the gym: On Monday , Wednesday & Friday: 8:00 - spinning 9:10 - yoga 10:10 -Core Abs Legs Bumps 12:00 - Aqua aerobics (pool) On Tuesday, Thursday: 8:00 - Taebo 9:10 - Tai Chi 10:10 - Zumba 12:00 - Aqua aerobics (pool) Saturday & Sunday: 8:00, 9:10 & 10:10 - Circuit Training 12:00 - Aqua aerobics (pool) There were also a couple of people walking around the pool with a big iguana for pictures. Another day it was a parrot. We managed to eat dinner at each of the restaurants: Miyako - Teppanyaki - great Leonardo's (Italian) - good, attentive waiters, great wine steward, fish was a little dry for me, but the rest of the people enjoyed their meal El Mercado - was only buffet at night, not impressed, but later in the week, they served the Steakhouse menu when it was closed due to weather. Steakhouse - Quite good - steaks not like ours at home. Filet mignon was not thick. Nobody was in the jacuzzis while the steakhose was serving - and there were more than 6 tables! Miyako - not teppanyaki - absolutely the best meal we had. Great sevice and excellent food! Fried ice cream is not to be missed! Fridas - Mexican, but the waiter was overwhelmed with our table and got a few orders wrong, but it was good. We went on the presentation tour on Sunday. They told us to bring all our credit cards because if any of the last four numbers matched their posted one in any order, you win a free all-inclusive week. The posted number was 7427 which didn't change during our stay - and we didn't win! Anyway, the tour was less than 90 minutes, and I suppose if you just say no or buy immediately, you could get out in that time. Well we bought the lesser package, but counting all the paperwork, we were there 4 hours! We expected this though. For the tour we got $100 gift shop/tour dollars, $100 spa product dollars and $100 spa services dollars. For purchasing, we also got a lot more spa dollars, so we bought lots of products, had facial and a couples massage in addition to the free ones. My husband got a haircut & I got a eyebrow wax and a body wrap. My daughter had a hot stone massage and loved it. The couples massage and the facials were performed in little huts with an ocean view - very romantic! We cancelled the snorkling tour because the weather was iffy and we were so content at the resort. We only left one night to go to La Isla Mall to pick up some souvenirs and walk around (and to ride my favorite 65 cent busses!). We did also go down to the Sun Palace to check it out, but I still say it is way too quiet and small for my tastes. The WiFi service was bad for our laptop, but my hasband had brought the older one. My son's friend had brought his and it worked great. The internet room was convenient and only $5 for 1/2 hour. When it was time to book our return transportation, they try to get you there really early - which is really unneccesary. At first they told me 7:30 for our 11:20 AM flight, but I said no - they then offered 8:30 which was way better - plenty of time. They want you to shop at the airport which is VERY expensive. A small bottle of water and a candy br was $6. T-shirts were $16.99 compared to 4 for $20 at hotel. Even the duty free was up. A carton of cigarettes was $24 (still better than the US) and most of the liquor was cheaper but not as cheap as I remember. My daughter said the Kahlua at La Isla was cheaper. Our departure flight was fine, but it was extremely inconvenient to deplane in Baltimore and then go through customs. At Baltimore our flight was delayed further which made our day quite long. We finally arrived home about 8:00PM. I am sorry for the very long and a little disjointed report - I just am trying to be thorough as I have read and appreciated every trip report posted here before my trip. I will answer any questions you have, so ask away!
