Adult/Couples Only?: No
Might some couples find the family atmosphere distracting?: I saw very few children at the resort during my stay. The clientele seemed to lean toward the more mature crowd. There was a high percentage of European guests during my stay.
Time of Year/Weather: This trip was taken in early March 1999 during Spring Break. The weather was sunny and around 85 degrees the whole time. It was wonderful weather; hot during the day and slightly cooler at night.
Length of Trip?: 5 days/4 nights
Was this an All-Inclusive Resort?: Yes
Approximate per person cost?: $750 per person from Detroit, MI (DTW) purchased through Apple Vacations.
Were there any hidden or extra costs?: No. The package included airfare, airport transfers, hotel, all food and drinks, and all taxes and fees including the Mexican departure tax.
Describe room accommodations (view, decor, cleanliness, etc.): The rooms were spacious and clean. Every room has a balcony and a view of a courtyard or pool. Very few room had lagoon or beach views. Each unit consists of a shared sitting room with sliding glass doors on the lower level and 2 hotel rooms upstairs, side-by-side (but not ajoining). All rooms have ONLY a king-sized bed.
Describe food/meals (presentation, quality, etc.): Most meals were served on the beach, or on a deck overlooking the lagoon, and were buffet-style. There was also a gourmet Italian restaurant that was included but required advance reservations. I found the food selection to be rather ordinary with few local dishes. I did not try the Italian restaurant.
Describe staff and service: The staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful but many of the employees did not speak English well and were not easily understood.
Onsite Activities: The resort offered a wide variety of activities including snorkeling in the lagoon, paddleboats, sailing (Sunfish boats), afternoon tea, water aerobics, themed dinners, entertainment with audience participation, and trips to different nightclubs. In my opinion, these trips and activities, except for the dinners, were not well-organized and often did not occur at all, especially the nightly trips to the nightclubs.
Offsite Activities: On this trip I managed to partake in some activities off the resort property.
I highly recommend the Jungle Tour trip. This trip consists of a guided jet-skiing tour out through the mangrove marshes to a protected coral reef. You pilot your own jet-ski that they provide. They will also teach you how to jet-ski if you do not already know how. Once at the coral reef you can snorkel about a half-hour. Then they provide you with cans of Coca-Cola to drink and you jet-ski back to the docks. It is relatively inexpensive and a very popular activity.
I also took a day-long cruise to Isla Mujeres. There are several options to get over to the island. I chose to go by catamaran. You sail almost all the way over to the island and have the option to snorkel for a while. Then they take you to the docks where you disembark and walk a short way to an authentic Mexican-style buffet lunch. During lunch you must purchase your own beverages but the food is included in the cost of your tour. After lunch you are free to roam the island for an hour or two. Then you get back on the catamaran and leisurely sail back to Cancun. The tour provides tequila slammers, free of charge, on the way over and the way back. If you prefer beer they have it available for sale on the boat.
Value for the Cost?: Good
Overall Rating (10 being best)?: 7
Additional Comments: The grounds of the resort were beautifully landscaped and had an authentic "Mexican Village" feel. There was even a main courtyard with a huge fountain in the center. Vendors often set up booths in this area and bargain for the sale of their goods and merchandise. Just remember, you must be comfortable with bartering in order to get a good deal. If you are looking for a resort with "atmosphere", Club Las Velas is for you. This resort is very beautful and would be an excellent choice if you are looking for privacy.
This package was purchased through Apple Vacations and there was an Apple tour representative available daily at the resort. I did encounter problems with the tour representatives and they were not very helpful. One of the representatives actually gave such poor, incorrect directions that I was forced off a public bus (because it was the end of the route and I had been told to get on the wrong bus by the representative) and stranded in a bad part of Cancun where nobody spoke English. I had to walk about a mile before I could even find a taxi. Fortunately, my Spanish is passable and I was able to get a taxi back to the hotel. The tour representative on duty at that time seemed to care less that I had been stranded because of one of their representative's errors. I filed a complaint with Apple Vacations, upon returning home, and received no response from them.
Cancun, Mexico
