Adult/Couples Only?: Yes. Adults Only and Au Naturel.
Time of Year/Weather: This trip was taken in early August 2003. The weather was sunny, hot, sometimes humid, and around 95 degrees the whole time. It was very hot during the day and a bit more comfortable at night.
Length of Trip?: 7 days/6 nights
Was this an All-Inclusive Resort?: Yes
Approximate per person cost?: We were upgraded from El Dorado Resort & Spa but the room rate through the resort directly was $200 per person per night for our room category (oceanfront swim-up suite). This resort is now available as a package through Funjet 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.): All rooms have an ocean view and there are only 42 rooms for the whole resort. The ground floor rooms are swim-up suites with hammocks on the patio and the rest of the rooms are either 2nd or 3rd floor and have hammocks on the balconies. Each room has a mini-fridge stocked daily with Coca-Cola products, bottled water, and Mexican beer. There is also a liquor dispenser cabinet above the mini-fridge with Appleton rum, Cuervo Gold tequila, vodka, and whiskey. The rooms all have king-sized beds, TV with DVD player, a small table and chairs, as well as a built in sofa area. There is a video library available for the guests to borrow DVDs. The rooms are all well-kept and cleaned daily. Each room comes supplied with bathrobes and slippers for use while at the resort, as well as beach towels. You can get additional beach towels at the main bar if needed. The room decor is Mexican-style with decorative tiles and colorful bedding.
Describe food/meals (presentation, quality, etc.): Fabulous! The food is excellent and usually prepared to order. There is 24-hour room service available as well as 3 meals daily and snacks. Lunch and dinner is generally ordered off a menu but the staff is more than willing to prepare something else if there is nothing to your liking on the menu for the day. I can not say enough how great it was dining at Hidden Beach. We tried the restaurants at El Dorado but they just didn't compare.
Describe staff and service: The staff was very professional and yet friendly too. Often they worked quietly behind the scenes to make sure your stay was as pleasant as possible. If you needed something, all you had to do was ask. There was even personal bar service on your patio and pool-side during the day. The staff went well beyond my expectations and I am impressed with the quality of service we received at Hidden Beach. Tito does a great job of manning the main bar and making the afternoon and evening fun. Chavez tries to get everyone involved in games at the pool. I have never been at a resort where the staff tried so hard to make sure everyone was having a good time, yet didn't continue to bother you if you weren't interested.
Onsite Activities: Fitness center, sauna & steam bath, bicycles, tennis courts, beach volleyball, Vida Loco disco, pool, and many more activities.
Offsite Activities: All activities at El Dorado Resort & Spa are available to Hidden Beach Resort guests. There is also a Spa at El Dorado that has excellent, affordable services with packages available. Lomas Travel has a tour desk in the El Dorado lobby where you can schedule organized tour outings and trips, if desired. We did the tour of the ruins at Tulum, as well as the shopping trip to Playa del Carmen (included in package).
Local Points of Interest: Tulum (seaside ruins), Playa del Carmen (shopping), Xcaret (eco-park), Cozumel (scuba & snorkeling), Chichen Itza (ruins - about a 2 hour drive), Coba (ruins in jungle), Xel-Ha (eco-park)
Value for the cost?: Great. Hidden Beach is a bit more expensive but well worth the extra cost.
Overall Rating (10 being best)?: 9
Additional Comments: I would return to this resort again and again. Although we were hesitant at first to stay at an au naturel (nude) resort, we soon overcame our fears and had a wonderful time. If you are worried that everyone being nude will be a sexual atmosphere, it is not. This is not Hedonism (in Jamaica) where risque activities are often considered to be the norm. Hidden Beach has rules pertaining to "overt displays of affection" and these rules help to maintain an enjoyable atmosphere for every guest. I also wanted to mention that nudity at meals is not required. You can comes as dressed, or un-dressed, as you prefer to all meals. During our trip, most women wore pareos and/or thongs (or the provided bathrobes) to meals. The men mostly wore a towel wrapped around their waist or the bathrobes (provided) to meals.
Kantenah, Mexico
