Review: Secrets Excellence-Riviera Maya, Mexico, Dynasty Limo, USA3000-LONG!

Here is a quick review:

Dynasty Limo: pick-up and drop off service

-friendly drivers-we had oscar for the way there and someone else (don't know his name) for the way home
-they were on time (in fact early) for pick up and drop off
-clean limos-fully stocked bar
-easy to communicate with--did everything through FM
-would definitely use them again

USA3000 --never heard of this company before but they were great! we did leave 15-25 min. late both on departure and arrival---but I would fly them again

Secrets Excellence-riviera maya-puerto morelos

pulling up to the resort--it is beautiful! they hold your luggage outside until your room is ready and i was a little nervous about that but it turned out to be ok............we tried to check in but instead got a beeper that would tell us when our room was ready---i did ask to see if i could be close to my friends and they said they couldn't move me b/c the hotel was full (this was their first X)....since check in wasn't until 3 --i feel they could have definitely checked to see if they could have put me by any ( we were with mannnyyyy people!) of my friends----i was a little annoyed by that but moved on..............so i sat by the pool in my capris -kinda hot.....i could have gotten my swimsuit from my luggage and changed in the bathroom but didn't........anyway, at 2:30 i checked to see if my room was ready and it still wasn't (they told me to check at 2:30)..........so i went back at 3 on the dot and it was ready. (if it wasn't, they would have gotten it! since we were waiting since 11:30 and other people who arrived later got in before us with the same type of room).......i asked them if my friends who we flew in w/, room was ready and it still wasn't and they wouldn't even tell me what room they would be in( that's when they earned their 2nd X).........meanwhile the lady next to me was asking the same question and was told her friends room # from the other person working the desk--- i thought that was pretty annoying........their room was finally ready at 3:15........arriving at my room-----it was very beautiful...big.......clean.........but did have a musty smell to it........and upon further inspection noticed tiny tiny ants near the sink area in the bathroom (so bring bug spray w/u to spray the room) i only noticed them in that area..........we had a pool view which was pretty..........

the pools were beautiful and stayed near the swim up bar pool most of the time..........the chairs must be claimed early along with the floats and the beds that are under the grass huts (which are soooo comfortable!).........the chairs and floats are hard to come by unless you get them early which we always did................CAUTION: the pool areas get very slippery--even when walking slow and also the other areas around the hotel (tile) get slippery as well when wet----many, many people wiped out...........it usually rains for around 10 minutes a day and then clears up...........

the beach is full of seaweed and yuou really can't see your feet and some times it hurt my feet and also we saw some crabs floating around which was enough to make me go back to the pool!!
the beachh had cute huts with lounge chairs underneath them---cute and relaxing..............

we nevergot room service but our friends did and it took a while ( around 1 hour) and one of my friend s was supposed to have their room done w/rose petals, etc. and it never happened........we didn't get a massage but some of our friends did and said it was great.........the gym was good..........
one day it took them forever for our room to be made up which was annoying and on our last day we left our luggage in a frien'ds room who was staying one more day and their breakfast plates were still in the room at 4pm....yuck!.........
Food:
Hibachi: awesome food--a little salty for me(they kept pouring it on!)
French: good, small portions
Breakfast: good/////omelets, hash browns (my favorite), scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit, yogurt, bagels, french toast, etc..........good variety.............
lunch: under the hut by the pool: ok food---they had shrimp, filet, steak, nachos, etc. or they had a BBQ down by the beach..............

entertainment at night: was ok from what i saw! girls dancing in thongs on stage!! looked ok---i was at the bar near the theatre so i was not paying close attention
discoteca: cool, we filled up the whole dance floor so it was fun for me but if i wasn't w/that many people it might not have been!

catamaran sail boats : way fun!!

shuttle service through hotel: was fine since secrets is the first resort from the airport.........

the trampoline springs are shot.......we tried jumping on it and some of the springs were broken

they had vendors selling mexican goods: didn't really get to shop but they seemed to have nice things...........stores at the hotel are good too. you can definitely find something to buy and if you don't get it there, the airport has cute shops too

i think they are under new management already and according to people who have been there before, it was better before........the service overall was ok........the bartenders need to move faster! it was annoying to have to wait so long for a drink........ my friend's room didn't have a hair dryer but was brought one after she asked.........at night it is pitch black so you can't swim at night-although we did!! but be careful b/c it's hard to see!
you cannot make reservations for dinner--so try to get there early so you don't have to wait so long.......house wine is included but if you want something more,you'll have to pay for it........they also put cute honeymoon/anniversary banners on your door.........OH they also knocked on two of my friends doors one at 9:30am and the other at around 11am to tell them not to forget to check out at 12---i thought that was weird, they were woken up! to me, not cool!! and also i am not sure if it was the maids or my neighbors, but u could hear noise (banging of the closet doors)..........AND they over book so be careful---i don't know how they over book bu t they do.........be firm if they ask you to move to the hotel next door---if u r firm you probably won't have to move.......i even heard that they were offfering money off at the spa if u would move to another hotel for the 4th of july!!! to me a 5 star resort should not over book and ask their guests if they would be willing to move............overall, i had a blast and it definitely had to do with the following: my friends, the food, the swim up bar, the rafts, the pool, the bed grass hut---i totally relaxed this vacation unlike my other vacations-----
the sun is strong---so don't forget to apply strong sunblock............

oh and IMHO, i wouldnb't upgrade to butler service (which on e of my friends did) it was the same room as me witha butler or for that matter swim out room (save your money!) especially if u plan on staying by the swim up bar........the swim outs don't have swim up bars or any bars!........the difference is a jacuzzi tub outside on your porch overlooking the pool and yyou get 2 lounge chairs outside your room and a hammock........ i would most likely stay at the punta cana secrets next time........i don't like to go to the same place twice.........if anyone has any questions feel free to ask! i hope this helped somone!

Message edited 7/13/2006 11:54:12 AM.

Re: Review:Secrets Excellence, Dynasty Limo, USA3000-LONG!

a few more things i just thought of!
my dh left the door open to go to a friends room and i didn't shut it and our sliding door was open (this is while i was packing) and i didn't notice but the floor became wet from the a/c and outside humidity---so i slipped a little and had to put towels down, so don't leave your doors open!!

the other thing was, they don't serve coconut drinks in the coconut shell anymore b/c from the hurricane their aren't anymore coconuts on their trees (this was the story)

all of the guys we were with played water polo and one of the mexican workers that played with them (i guess they are responsible for the water activities) commented to one of my friends something to the affect "white boy" blah blah blah........anyway, to me that was unprofessional and innapropriate and if that was said on the street my friend would have ripped him a new one!

oh and the shuttle to the resort through apple vacations was fine---it is just that we were the first couple in the van and had to wait 20 min. for i t to fill up (when i spoke to the amstar repres. they said as soon as you get in the van, you go and don't wait---but i guess once u r there they got ya and youre stuck)