The Viva Wyndham Maya, I Shouldn't Be Writing This.
Written: Oct 04 '04 (Updated Sep 04 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: This place is friendly, clean, safe and generous.
Cons: Nothing worth noting.
The Bottom Line: Though I shouldn't tell anybody, This place is a winner in many ways.
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| popsrocks's Full Review: Viva Wyndham Maya |
Silly me, I went and contributed a review a couple of years back about a wonderful stay we had at an all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic. Word got around about what a terrific value it was and now I can't get a reservation at the place it's always booked. The Viva Wyndham Maya is another all-inclusive that I can easily recommend as excellent value. Dare I write about it and get locked out?
Update 2007. Due to a hurricane last year I have read that the beach here has been devastated. There are sandbags trying to hold things together. This was before this years hurricanes to sweep the area. I suggest doing further research if the presence of beach is important to you.
end update
ARRIVAL
We took a cab from the airport in Cancun. The resort had their own service to the hotel but that was at an extra cost. That happened to be the only "hidden" charge of our stay. We saved about $80,round trip, by getting our own transportation instead of using their over-priced service. That was with four people, the limit, in a taxi. If you are only two, the hotel service may be just fine. The resort is about an hour drive from the airport.
We were dropped off, asked our names at the hotels lobby and our bags were put to the side. There was never any feeling that anyone working at the resort were looking for tips. They are included in the price and hands were never out anywhere.
As we approached the lobby we were greeted by Arely López Verdín. She had a very friendly smile and escorted us to the desk. It was noted that our names were on the Welcome Board at the desk. We are Wyndham By Request Members. Maybe this is why the names were there. Arely was friendly and helpful throughout our stay. We did some dinner reservation through her too.
We were assigned our rooms and escorted to them. This was the only part of the trip when I had a bit of apprehension. As we walked into one of the halls that led to a long corridor to our rooms I noticed chipped paint and some hand prints. It didn't look good. Thankfully it was only at that entrance area. I did point it out to a manager later in the week. I felt I had to because it was the only thing that was negative all week and the problem could be easily solved with a coat of paint in that small area.
The 400 room resort has two three level complexes, one on each side of the property with everything else between them. We were on the third floor. That was fine with us. I like the views from above. There are no elevators so if climbing is a chore or a hazard, be sure to get a lower room. The fact is the first and second levels both can come out even with the outside at the far ends of the buildings due to the inclined paths that lead to the beach.
SERVICE
The service is friendly and personal. People went out of their way to make us comfortable in every way. Check-in and check-out went just fine. Drinks were brought to us as we arrived. There was plenty of staff at all venues. I'll mention more about the staff as I continue on.
FOOD and DRINK
This is an all-inclusive. All drinks and food are included. The drinks were good and the food moderate to excellent with many choices of either buffet or fine dining. The main buffet dining room was a seat yourself and help yourself set up. It was hot in there the first night. There is no air-conditioning. Try and get a table by the windows. The breezes are wonderful. Another option is being directly under a ceiling fan. We were comfortable the rest of the week.
A few times we had to search for a table. The waiters here speak little English but do know all the key words. Trying to speak to them in their native language goes a long way to getting superior service. For dinner they have wine and beer. Any mixed drinks must be brought up by you from the bar downstairs. Plenty of soft drinks are available. The breakfasts here were very good with many stations offering a good mix of foods and a couple of stations for fresh omelettes. We never tried lunch at this place. It's far from the beach and during the day we rarely left the beach/pool areas.
Dinner at the buffet was also pretty good. They had changing menus and many choices. I have never found Mexican desserts all that good. I did like the flan though. Friday nights are Mexican Night at this restaurant. The Mariachi were fun. We aslo caught them while they did rounds at the Lobby Bar. They do requests. Though we didn't tip much during our stay, we did give these guys a few bucks after they played a romantic song for me and my wife. Most of their songs though we lively and upbeat. The guys had huge smiles and we personable.
Be sure to make reservations for all the other full service restaurants upon arrival. These restaurants were all excellent! We went to the, on property, Portofino Restaurant two times. Another one that is tied to the Viva Wyndham Maya is actually in the town of Playa del Carmen. I liked it and more important, my wife did too. You had to pay about five dollars a person to eat at this one. It was worth it and a good time to get into town.
About a ten minute walk up the beach from the Maya gets you to the Viva Wyndham Azteca. This is a sister property and you can make reservations to eat there too. We never even saw the property. Why leave a place that has all you need? We did hear that the La Scala Restaurant there was worth making a reservation for.
We had lunch at the pool grill everyday except for when we took our own excursions. They had a mix of burgers, fries and Mexican dishes. It was serve yourself. The guacomole was excellent with always available and perfectly ripe avocados. There is plenty of perfectly ripe fresh fruits available all day long at the buffet and grill! A soft ice cream self serve dispenser was a big hit for young and old alike at the grill.
The lobby bar by the dining room gives the best drinks, more top shelf items, and has the best waiters. There is entertainment there every night by single artists playing guitar or playing key boards and singing. Another bar is upstairs in the disco that opens at 11:00PM and stays active as long as someone is in the place. It had mostly a young crowd at night.
Everybody is issued a bracelet that must be worn at all times. It's also your ID getting back into the complex. If you are in a taxi, you show your bracelet to the security guard at the gate . If you are not wearing it the taxi may not enter. They took security very seriously and I felt my girls could walk around anywhere on the property at anytime. Youth under 18 had to wear a different colour band that designated them non-alcohol drinkers. Wyndham By Request members wore a different coloured wrist band. I wonder if it was because of this that the service was so good. It's free to join ahead of time and I have found Wyndham properties a good value with excellent service.
At the pool the drinks are not garnished as well as at the more formal bar. Let me mention here that the all tile area around the pool bar is very slippery. I almost went over a couple of times while walking barefoot.
A great asset and fine service was the fellow who came around to the lounges on the beach all day taking orders for drinks and generally keeping things neat and clean. This is when the all-inclusive surely makes it the way to go. There's no exchange of money and the guy was never looking for tips, though I did give him a little something upon our departure.
BEACH and POOLS
The white sand beach is very clean with plenty of room for lounges, palapas, and palm trees. There is a lot of shade offered. It is well maintained.
The pool was also in excellent shape. It was very clean and lounge chairs were available at most times. It would be a bit more crowed mid-day. There is a bar situated right between the theatre, pool, and beach areas. It was well designed.
I enjoyed getting up very early in the morning a couple of times to watch the sunrise. You see it coming up over the the Caribbean. A coffee pot would be on with some light rolls and pastries at the bar area. I would get my cupa and sit in a lounge waiting for the sun. I would read a bit and then fall asleep again. It was wonderful!
Little touches like guys coming around with fresh fruit on the beach, most afternoons, made the stay a bit higher scale than the ordinary. This place is not the Ritz, but they do give good service with a smile and have many people on staff to handle the needs of everyone there. I find the Mexican people to be friendly and warm.
There were plenty of lounge chairs but people would get up early in the morning putting towels and things on them thereby "reserving them" in spite of signs asking people not to. This meant that prime areas front and center near the bar were harder to get in the afternoon. Even so, there was some availability of these padded lounges and plenty of shaded areas on the property.
Everyone is issued a card that is turned in for a huge beach towel. Return the towel and receive the card back. The next day turn in your card for another fresh towel. Except for one late afternoon, fresh towels were always available.
EXERCISE, SPA and MORE
The hotel has a first class air conditioned exercise room and a very good spa too. We took advantage of a free massage for taking a one hour sales tour for "vacation time". We didn't buy. You will be hounded by the sales reps offering free gifts etc. You also have to learn how to say "No" to them or the sales people if you go on the tour. The Spa facilities were beautiful and calming. The only Jacuzzis are in this area too. It is a bit out of the way. No children are allowed in this area at all. That's good.
Also part of the all-inclusive is an archery range that is open at selective times as are the tennis courts, open most of the day, that were rarely used.
This back area of the property, that is a short walk from the main restaurant, also has a business center with Internet Service for a small fee. There is no service in the rooms.
Just outside the complex is a very nice little strip mall sort of shopping area where my girls were free to go a couple of times. My wife did some shopping there too. A drug store is also there that I felt to be quite convenient. There was a small store for convenience on the property too. It was overpriced.
ENTERTAINMENT
A second rate show, but fun entertainment, was put on by the workers every night in a huge open-air theatre. The young "team" members worked day and night making sure there was entertainment and things to do for adults and kids. Most shows were musicals that were lip synced and danced too. Disney and American pop culture took top booking at the marque. The adults liked the shows and the kids, including my girls, wouldn't miss a show for the world. There was a bond between the "team" workers and the vacationing kids.
They have a very involved staff at the kids club that gave an amazing amount of special attention to younger children, giving parents all day to be free. The kids performed in many of the shows at night.
WATER SPORTS
Water sports at this resort were excellent. I took out a Hobi-Catermaran everyday, no charge, and sailed the Caribbean Seas. OK, maybe I was just a half mile or so from the shore. My wife and I were close and personal with a huge sea turtle that I spotted in the distance and was able to sail to.
The guys who manned the water sports were willing to give lessons and help out in any way they could. Kayaks, paddle boats and sailboards were all available as all-inclusive. Nearby you could rent jet skis or get para-sailing rides for a fee. Be sure to sign up early for a time slot for sailing.
We went out on a snorkeling expedition. That did cost extra., about thirty dollars. Snorkeling was good, but not totally awesome. I've been spoiled by St John VI and the BVI too. Scuba is offered for a fee right on the property.
WORLDWIDE COMPETITION
All day long events were going on. Sometimes we would get involved and sometimes not. I got into a few extremely competitive volley ball games. Ha, even at my size I'm pretty good at the game. My girls were impressed.
This resort caters to Europeans, South Americans, and US and Canadian citizens. There is a mix of languages that are used by all the "team" players. German, French, Spanish and English are heard all day. It was mixed teams of people speaking different languages that could get together to play the simple rules of volley ball. I loved the competition as did many others. I liked that when the adults play, the kids have to stay clear. There is plenty for them to do and many organized events for them all day.
Dance lessons, pool aerobics, dart games, Bingo and such were played all day. Some included kids sometimes not. Though I had my girls at this place I never felt it outwardly as too children or family oriented. There weren't bothersome children breaking the mood of an area and such. I would even say that couples would be very comfortable at this place. I've been to other places where I would tell couples to stay away. You can still get a good sense of relaxation, romance, and quiet intimate time.
Hey, with all the Europeans around you know there is some of topless sunbathing. Just let the kids know ahead of time. Most are relatively discreet.
ROOMS
The rooms were all tiled floors with sliding glass doors opening to a small deck overlooking the grounds that had a small table and two plastic chairs.
Cable TV, iron and board, room safe, constantly stocked fridge that you did not have to pay extra for, a coffee pot and radio were in the nice sized room that gave open shelf space and a closet. No drawers were available at all. The decor was bright, light and attractive.
The A/C worked well and an overhead fan could be used too. the king bed we were able to get was a bit hard but comfortable with extra padding and scratchy sheets.
The bathroom was a nice size with very large towels and bathrobes. Counter-top amenities like shampoo, rinse, needle and thread, shower caps and a shoe buffing kit were on the roomy shelf. The shower/bath was easily adjusted with plenty of hot water and good pressure. The water is not for drinking and they restock bottled water by the sink throughout the stay. Again no charge.
Everyday the room was cleaned. Turn down service was spotty at about four of our eight days. Everyday towels were shaped into animals and left on the bed. This was a nice touch. We had a bowl of fruit in the room upon arrival.
WHY a Playa del Carman ALL-INCLUSIVE
While we were talking to a couple who were having as equally good time as we were, one of them said this is like a cruise but better! They liked not having to get on and off the ship for excursions. I will mention that the one thing some people may miss is gambling. We don't do it so we don't miss it.
I have been to a number of all-inclusive resorts. We like them when traveling with our children. Our youngest that still come with us are now 14 and 16. It makes things simple when they want to have time on their own. We don't have to worry about giving cash and watching prices. The resorts in Playa are self contained. They are very security conscious of who comes in and out. I find these all-inclusive resorts very safe where my girls can go wherever they like at any time on the grounds.
We also stayed at a different all-inclusive here in Playa del Carmen once before with mixed results as far as service and cleanliness but safety was first class. The positive thing on that trip and this one was that there was so much to do in this area. Playa Del Carmen is a fun town that's upbeat and has plenty of shopping and fun dining. It's the real deal.
Within a relatively short distance of Play del Carmen is Tulum and Coba, two Mayan ruins that are a must to see. We have been to X-Caret, a sort of Disneyland eco-park twice and we can't say enough good things about it. For those who like to scuba, Cozumel is rated as one of the best dive sites in the world. I wasn't impressed with Cozumel as a destination though, at least not as a day trip. There was more and better on the mainland as far as I was concerned. It's just a half hour ferry ride away from nearby Playa del Carmen
It's the proximity of the all these sites that prompted us to return to the Playa coast. After some research the Viva Wyndham Maya was our choice. Just a note. Some people who had dinner at the nearby Azteca, this resorts sister property, thought the Maya was superior in looks and service. Our research tended to match that assessment.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
The Viva Maya was taken over by Wyndham just a couple of years back. I don't know what the place was like before but it certainly is impressive now. Though I don't usually compare resorts in reviews I do want to in this instance. I compare it to Sandals in Negril, Jamaica, which was visited by us a few years back and the Barcelo Bavero Palace in the Dominican Republic that we went to twice because we loved it so much. The Sandals allows no children and the Barcelo had a very limited amount of kids. Both offered excellent service and a romantic atmosphere. We had stayed at the Renaissance Grand in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. It was very nice for the family but I would never suggest for couples as a romantic destination. This resort, the Viva Wyndham Maya, I can recommend to couples and families alike. Even though we had a poor experience at the Alegro property in Playa del Carmen years back, we returned here to the Playa area because of the town and all the other must see sites nearby.
Now please realize, my wife and I are not picky people and we will overlook small problems and look for the greater joys a place has to offer. If you are demanding and yearn for perfection, go to a five star resort. I found the Viva Wyndham Maya to earn three and a half stars for service. This was mostly due to my inability to speak their language but, all in all, I rate the place as a four star property with a two star price tag. Putting this all together, with my math, this equaled a Five Star Value.
other warm weather reviews by popsrocks
A bit more in Mexico
Discovering the Yucatan Peninsula Ancient Ruins, Culture, and Relaxation
Coba, the ancient city A site that is just being excavated.
Tulum, Mayan Temples on the Sea
Xcaret, an Amazing Park dedicated to Nature and Culture
CHICHEN-ITZA, the Grand Ancient Site of the Yucatan
Hotel MayaLand A wonderful, highly recommended, place to stay near Chichen-Itza
Allegro Resort, Playacar An all-inclusive in Playa del Carmen. Just six miles from X-caret.
Cozumel World Class Diving "Maybe", a day trip "No".
Other warm weather destination reviews by popsrocks
Barcelo Bavero, Dominican Republic Ya gotta love this place.
Sandals Negril A good romantic place for couples
Renaissance Jamaica Grand Perfect for the family.
Westin Resort, St. John, Virgin Islands The price was right
The Ritz Carlton, St Thomas Real class!!
Sapphire Beach and Marina A good value on St Thomas VI
Antilles@Sapphire Beach, St Thomas VI
Recommended:
Yes
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