Presidente Intercontinental Cancun ***** EP

Need to add that is our favorite beach and it is not located at KM 6, (Riu Caribe)

Presidente is located at Km 8

 

I am re-posting my Cancun trip report into this new forum. There is general info about Cancun....but includes some of the details about the Presidente Inter-Continental. I would not hesitate to stay there again!...The sooner the better! :lol:

My Trip Report- Cancun July 23-28, 2004

This was our first visit to Cancun. It won’t be the last! It was absolutely beautiful!

We stayed at the Presidente-Intercontinental. I had originally planned to stay at the Gran Melia but changed my mind after some comments from Ana, from this board and the rating of 5-star beach on Mapchicks’s Cancun map. Wise decision. The beach was truly 5-star. The sand was not sugary, it was actually powdery. It was the finest sand I had ever seen and we have been to several of the islands in the Caribbean. It is true that it does not feel hot on your feet. The water was very clear and very shallow for many yards to the buoys. Then it was a darker blue. Words just can’t describe how beautiful it was. Pictures don’t do it justice. You just have to go there. We sat and floated around in the shallow water for hours. The water was really warm. I am guessing lower 90’s in the shallow areas. If you swam out to the buoys the water was cooler.

When we arrived we were informed that we were upgraded from a garden view to a lagoon view. I was hoping for an ocean view, but actually the lagoon view was beautiful at night with all the lights from the hotels on the strip. When we go back, I will actually book a lagoon view over the ocean view. Our 23 year-old son and his girlfriend were traveling with us and they thoughtfully put us in adjoining rooms. A note to those of you booking through Expedia….a resort fee of six dollars per day per room was not included in the Expedia package. No biggie, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Our hotel was nice and clean. The staff was constantly working to keep it that way. There were always people in the lobby, out by the pools and in the beach area. They even scrubbed the umbrellas down by the pool every morning. If you see the 5 swirls by the pool in the internet photo and think they are just painted designs, they are not. They are whirlpools that share the water from the pool. Nice surprise! We spent a lot of time in them. There were rocks arranged between the two pools with a stream flowing through that was home to 4 or 5 iguanas. They were fun to watch and to photograph.

There were plenty of chairs for everyone and I didn’t have to deal with the chair-hog, rat race every morning. Each morning we went out and there were plenty of “tiki huts” for everyone. I am speaking of the thatched roof, umbrella type things with lounge chairs already in place. They had ceramic tile tables for your drinks, books, etc. The mornings were quiet and then around noon, when the swim-up bar opened, we had a variety of music to enjoy. The wait staff was always nearby to get your drinks and lunch. Every afternoon someone came around offering ice cold washcloths to wipe your face. They smelled like a tropical fruit and were so refreshing.

Our room was simple but very clean. It had stucco walls and a rough tile floor. The bed was firm, not rock-hard like I have read in past reviews. The bedspread and rugs were in bright Caribbean colors. Everything was clean and fresh. It was interesting to watch television there. I was surprised to see Dr. Phil...... The room had a mini bar that we did not use. I had some snacks in my suitcase. I am glad I brought some things with me because they were pretty strict about bringing food in. They asked that you only bring water.

We ate breakfast and lunch there on most of the days. The food was good, but expensive. A hot dog and fries were $7 US, hamburger and fries, $10 and a delicious “fresh catch” piece of fish (grouper) prepared "tik n xic” style was $14. It was served with several types of toppings and was so good we ordered it the next day, too. The breakfast buffet was $17, we both ordered from the menu and it was around $20 with a cover charge added. I think my husband said it was 60 or 80 cents.

We went to the Shrimp Bucket, The Rain Forest, Chili’s, The Taco Factory, and Mango Tango for our dinners. I would not hesitate to recommend any of them except The Taco Factory. We didn’t like the taste. The top of the list would be Mango Tango! (We saved $24 with Brant’s 2 for 1, it was $6 off per person) Next is the Mango Tango SPOILER….do not read the rest of this paragraph if you want to be surprised……….Most of the tables are outside with an adjacent stage. Palm trees everywhere with pretty lanterns. You can see an island off in the distance with the beautiful sunset. When you walk in they ring a bell. It signals every one in the restaurant to shake their maracas to welcome you. 5 waiters came to our table to introduce themselves. They were all very friendly. The price was $59 pp for steak and lobster, 3 hours open bar and dinner show. The food and service was exceptional. The show was a Caribbean variety show and was very good. At one point during dinner I felt something on my leg, I looked under the table, saw nothing, felt it again, looked again, it felt kind of sharp. The waiter walked over and asked me if everything was all right. I said I felt something on my leg. He explained that they had been looking for their iguana. I leaped out of my chair to a roar of laughter. They got me good! It was really funny. After the show they had dancing and a conga line. Everyone had balloons and it was a colorful, party atmosphere. It was a blast!

We shopped at the Forum and La Isla. La Isla was very nice and reminded me of a mall in Vegas. The Forum area was the nightclub area with small shops with somewhat aggressive venders. We felt uncomfortable and didn’t stay very long. There is a large store on the street by the lagoon called the Mexican Outlet. We bought most of our souvenirs here. The prices were reasonable.

We didn’t go to any of the nightclubs, but our son and his girlfriend went to Coco Bongo. They got their bracelets early and it was $32 for open bar and show and light show. They went at 10:15 and stayed until 3:00. They said it was awesome and was one of the highlights of their trip. They went to Dady-O’s also. They liked it, but it didn’t compare to Coco Bongo.

We all went to Xel-ha with Brant’s tour. It was a blast. The weather was cloudy and we got some sprinkles, but it didn’t put too much of a damper on our day. The “getting organized” part when we first got there was a hassle, but once we got situated, we had a blast. We floated down the river and snorkeled. We floated down the river on rafts. We jumped off the cliffs of courage, well, I didn’t, but the rest of my group did. They had two ropes across the water, one for your feet, one for your hands, and you try to walk across. It was hard and fun to watch. People were cheering for each other to make it. There were caves to explore and underwater passages to swim through. There were huge fish by the floating bridge. We did the AI so our meals and drinks were included. I would have to say, the food was just average. The area was beautiful and I would highly recommend this tour to others.

I will stop here, I know this is getting long, but I just want to add that Cancun is not just a place for partying. I was amazed at the beauty and had a very relaxing, rejuvenating trip. I was at peace sitting on that beach. I wish I could bottle that feeling and bring it home with me. There was a tear in my eye when I had to walk away from the beach on the last morning.

 

This hotel is closed until at least early December, according to the website.

 

Thanx. Will repost that in the Cancun Info forum.

 

Many of you know that this use to be my favorite beach in Cancun, well after Wilma the beach & sand INCREASE some meters and is better than before.

 

any news on this hotel? I've got an early March booking! is it just wishful thinking to hope the rooms come out even nicer ?

 

cofekan this is the reply to your PM on the 15 of January.

No what I mean is that they have more sand and more space to walk or sum bath, their beach is awsome.

Ana

 

Presiednte still having the most amazing brach on Cancun

 

How is this hotel for spring break???

Thanks!!!