The good and bad of all inclusive

Posted by Staff in Luxury Monday, Mexico

Mexico is one country where luxury can be found on a budget; the downside is that what might look like a fabulous resort via the Internet can turn out to be a dump in real life.  I thought this was going to be the case when I booked a four-day all inclusive package trip for my husband and I to the Riviera Maya in Mexico, for only $700, including the flight. Our destination was the Occidental Grand Xcaret Resort…it looked fabulous, but at this price there was no way it could actually be as nice as the website portrayed.

Arriving in Cancun and seeing the rows of hotels piled on top of each other I was glad I made the decision to journey an hour south along the Mexican coastline…once in the taxi though I started to wonder if I had done the right thing.  The drive down to the Riviera Maya is sprinkled with dilapidated resort entrances that looked as though hurricane Wilma had just flown by a few days earlier; every once in a while there would be one that seemed okay to enter…I figured at the price I paid I would be entering one of the more rickety entrances.  But to my surprise our taxi turned the corner into a plush beautiful entrance that led to a gorgeous open-air lobby filled with singing parrots and overlooking a coastline of jungle and sea.

Tres Chic in Mexico City

Posted by Staff in Luxury Monday, Mexico

Hotel Habita is a chic way to visit Mexico City (or DF as the locals call it). The hotel is located in the district of Polanco, DF’s swankiest neighborhood. The very modern hotel attracts the jet setter types and the roof top bar Area is a popular hangout for the beautiful locals…its amazing how many of them look like they popped out of Spanish Telenovela! Room prices range from $310-400…so it is not for the budget conscience…but a fun alternative to the traditional architecture Mexico is famous for.

hotelhabita.com, Avenida Presidente Masaryk 201, Polanco, Mexico City, Tel: +52-55-5282-3100

Live like Zorro

Posted by Staff in Luxury Monday, Mexico

When traveling to Mexico there are tons of huge luxurious resorts to stay at…but consider experiencing the real Mexico, instead of spending your days sipping Piña Coladas at a nine-acre mega-pool.

A perfect place to set the tone of a “real Mexico” vacation is the Hacienda San Angel. Perched on a hillside in Puerto Vallarta’s Old Town, above the famed Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Church, sits this beautifully restored cluster of haciendas.

The resort consists of five colonial style homes, all connected by charming gardens and cobblestone paths. The first hacienda on the property was purchased from Richard Burton, who originally bought it as a Valentine’s Day gift to his then wife Susan. Each hacienda is retrofitted with all the modern luxuries one needs….but decorated with antiques and old-world charm.

The hotel is perfect for romance or the glamour seeking roombody (a.k.a homebody on vacation)….as dinner can be served on your private terrace and spa services are done in the comfort of your room….this Hacienda really lets your inner Howard Hughes shine.

The property has three swimming pools, each with it’s own unique vantage point of Puerto Vallarta, and in keeping with the authentic ambiance, the Hacienda host a nightly complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cocktail hour set to the music of a live Mexican trio.

The beauty of this luxury gem is that you don’t have to have a bank account like Hughes to lock yourself up for the weekend….rooms start at $290. To book visit haciendasanangel.com