Riviera Maya Update - Lindsa_m

April, 2015

Lindsa_m has shared with us a review and photos of his first visit to Riviera Maya. Read his comments and enjoy his photos. Others who have shared with us their experiences this year include Riviera Maya Update - Nick, Riviera Maya Update - Boots and Riviera Maya Update - Bill. Lots going on in Riviera Maya. Also, don't forget.....seasonality impacts all the beaches, which accumlate seaweed, as it does all over the world. Enjoy his comments and photos!!

Hello Bob:

My preferred method is to provide an elaborate write up with several inserted pictures. Unfortunately I don't have time to develop such a document so I thought it best to send you a variety of pictures that you can select to post if of interest to you. The highlights of the trip are the following:

1. It was my first time to RM. I had been to NV every year for the past 7 years. We stayed in a 3-Bdrm Spa unit while in RM. We were a party of 4 (parents with 2 kids) so the accommodations were extremely comfortable. No need to provide more pictures when the new Vida website did such a professional job photographing all the room types.

2. We went to an adventure park called Xcaret. I included a map of the park. I thought the place was fantastic. Similar to a Sea World in California or Florida. It's about a 30 minute drive down the highway. We also visited Tulum and went snorkeling at the same location.

3. They are slowly building Lofts and possibly new Residence units below. From the pictures the Lofts are above a single story unit. The map signs claims the units are Loft / Residence rooms, which is why I think it will be a Residence unit below the Lofts.

4. The beach has undergone significant investment, time and effort to restore its original beauty. Unfortunately the amount of seaweed entering the water and within is deplorable. It really is un-swimmable under these circumstances. The problem is the abundance of seaweed and kelp, not the rocks. I was given two reason for the abundance of seaweed; 1) The turtles no longer feed on the Kelp because of all the tourism, hotels and growth along the coast, 2) The seaweed is seasonal. I can only hope its seasonal!

5. The new Grand Luxxe Club and pool area is very nice and clean.

6. They are building show room models of the Loft, Spa and Grand Luxxe rooms on the beach next to the Grand Luxxe Beach Club. Not sure I included those pictures but I could.

7. The Joya facility across the highway is over the top. Truly impressive! Both the exterior and interior are fabulously appointed. The pictures do not provide justice for its grandeur.

8. The new Grand Luxxe Gym and Spa was opening the following month. I only have nearly completed pictures. Its fully opened now so construction pictures are probably irrelevant.

9. The new French Bistro is excellent. The marketplace is also very nice, but not as nice as the new marketplace in NV. To be fair very few on resort stores are the equivalent of the marketplace at NV. Not to many places sell diamond rings and chocolate shaped roosters within 50 feet of a whole leg of lamb!

10. I actually prefer the 18 hole par 3 course over the full length course at NV. Its very well appointed and challenging, plus the surrounding wild life is more interesting. I'm a 18 handicap and my score was higher on this par-3 than NV's full length course. I guess I need to work on my short game.

11. The biggest difference between NV and RM is the height of the buildings (RM is limited to 3 floors), and that the layout for NV traverses the coast line, whereas RM is built away from the beach into the jungle. It's a more pleasant walk to all the buildings in NV, but you would not have a reason to walk back into the jungle unless your building is located that way.

My quick synopsis.

Following are photos of Mike's first visit to the Riviera Maya property:


BEACH - OCCASIONAL SEAWEED Beautiful parts of the beach are covered by Palm trees. Then nature comes into play and fills the beach with castoff seaweed. We have seen this before, and resort personnel work very hard to clean it up as quickly as possible. Thanks to Beach Walker Bob, who caught one of the staff members with his wheelbarrow in October 2014, we know keeping the beach clean is a constantly recurring chore.

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BUILDING FOUR - NOT MUCH CONSTRUCTION. Building Four has not progressed much. The photos in this post appear to show a clean construction area. Could be because the photo was taken on Sunday. Regardless, it would seem there would be more equipment and materials in the area.

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Compare these with photos we received from Beach Walker Bob in 2014 and 2013:

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CIRQUE DU SOLEIL. Cirque du Soleil is well received. The show is fun and full of energy. Add to that the fact that the theater is unique.

The Show:
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The Theater:
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GOLF - EL MANGLAR COURSE - PAR 54. Its a short course, but one filled with challenges. Lindsa_m says he enjoys this course because of the challenges. Score? Not as high as in Nuevo Vallarta. Pretty, very pretty course!
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PROPERTY VIEWS. The walkways, beach, buildings, new beach club and golf course make the Riviera Mayan property unique. It is completely different from its sister property in Nuevo Vallarta. Pools are beautiful, ocean is clear and buildings are not as tall. It is clear why the property is so popular. Following are Lindsa_m's photos of the property:

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SHOPPING AND RESTAURANTS. Shopping is conveniently located in the center of the beach and pool area. Restaurants are there too. All are attractive and accessible. Of course, there are walkways that link the building areas with the beach and activities area. In addition, there are the familiar golf cart trains for moving about the property. Enjoy:

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SIGNAGE. The signage on the property is clear. But, there is one sign that makes everyone scratch their heads: It says Lofts and Residence and the sign points in the direction of Building 4. Very interesting, and certainly not clear at this time. We will all have to.....stay tuned...

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SPA 3 BEDROOM UNIT. Lindsa_m also share his photos of the unit they occupied while on vacation in Riviera Maya. It is clear they are similar to the units in Nuevo Vallarta.

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Thank you Lindsa_m. Great photos and insight.

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