Well, we’re home…and what the hell kind of a greeting is this? 60 degrees and rainy? Psssh! While I’m trying to assimilate back into this gringo climate of ours, I’m going to do so slowing by reminiscing via blog for the next few posts. I hope you don’t mind :)
This first one is for anyone who’s curious about/considering (or actually even going…ahem, Mindy!) to Tulum in the near future…yes, there will be photos!
All in all, our trip was wonderful…glorious…spectacular! At the outset of this experience, we were both all-inclusive virgins. Keeping in mind that this was only our first time, we both agree that we are probably not the types for whom an all-inclusive is fundamentally designed. That said, here is my review of Dreams Tulum…
First, here’s what we really enjoyed:
Food and beverages at Dreams were covered in our package, and it was fantastic not having to worry about paying for anything, aside from tips (which we gladly gave, especially since the service was always excellent).
We only spent about $350 USD total during our time in Mexico, and that includes our car rental, gas, tips for resort staff, admission fees for the places we visited, wine (beyond the gratis house selections), and other food/incidentals at airports, etc. That’s less than we would have spent at home during the same amount of time!
There are 7 restaurants/cuisines from which to choose: Mexican, French, Italian, Pan-Asian, Sushi, seafood grill, and World Café (buffet/cafeteria). We also took advantage of 24-hour room service on (way) more than one occasion! There are also 4 bars, including a premium bar, located throughout the property.
There is an itinerary each day of programs to suit every age, from yoga on the beach (which I promised myself I’d do at least once, but always slept through it L) to Spanish lessons to SCUBA and snorkeling training. There is also the Explorer’s Club for kids that people said was great. They offer excursions for which you could pay extra to see nearby ruins, swim with dolphins, go deep sea fishing, etc. Each night, there is an event usually starting around 9p.m. Some of these included a beach party complete with BBQ and limbo, stargazing on the beach with live music and a show performed by Mayan dancers (our favorite):
There is also a spa onsite that was offering all kinds of specials for Mother’s Day weekend. I didn’t venture there myself, but I guess I should have because I overheard another woman say that it is hands down the best spa she’s ever been to. Here are some massage tables on the beach...mmmm:
Overall, Dreams is an upscale resort that caters to couples and families. Things were pretty quiet…no spring breakers here. There is also a disco, but we didn’t go.
The resort itself is only about 7-8 years old and is beautiful; the grounds are impeccably kept. The views of the ocean from the restaurants, pools and beach are jaw-droppingly gorgeous:
Our room, a Dreams Junior Garden Suite (just below the deluxe Ocean Suite), was perfect. It was spotless, roomy, well air-conditioned, and the bathroom featuring a Jacuzzi was particularly nice:
We stayed in the new section of the resort, which was just completed last year. The service was consistently superb, whether it was offering us champagne upon our arrival, getting our car for us multiple times a day, or bringing us drinks on the beach. Every time we passed one of the hundreds of staff members, he or she would always acknowledge us with a friendly “hola”.
The location of the resort (a 1.5-2 hour drive from the Cancun airport, depending on traffic) was actually a positive for us. You can see that Tulum is beginning to undergo the level of development that the rest of Riviera Maya has already experienced, but it still maintains a more off-the-beaten-path feel compared to more commercial areas like Cancun or Playa del Carmen. The center of the “town” of Tulum is quaint and authentic, with nothing bigger than a bank and a pharmacy/grocery store in it. This was refreshing after having driven past the Maya Shopping Center, boasting a Sam’s Club, outside of Playa del Carmen. I would definitely recommend renting a car to anyone thinking about it – we were a little wary, but ended up so glad that we went for it. Our car got great mileage, gas was incredibly cheap, and the main road is in surprisingly good shape. Going southbound, it had been freshly paved.
Tulum itself is also a great locale for eco-friendly activities of all kinds. Highlights for us were the Mayan ruins at Tulum (a 5 minute drive from the resort) and swimming in a freshwater cenote just off the main road outside of town. We also took a long drive through a relatively closeby biosphere reserve and saw kilometers of beautiful beaches, and lots of interesting flora and fauna.
Now for the minor downsides:
Quality of food was one of the concerns and stereotypes that we had about all-inclusives, and in this case we were unfortunately spot on. Having our meals and drinks covered was offset somewhat by the fact that…well, it wasn’t very good. Generally speaking, we like good food, but we’re no snobs. Our palates aren’t so sophisticated that we’re incapable of liking a simple cheeseburger or fast food, believe me!
The range of choices available was appreciated, and while nothing was inedible, most of what we ate was just extremely bland or overcooked. The few exceptions were the guacamole (which I ate more of than I’d like to admit, thank you), the spring roll appetizer and coconut red snapper that I had for our anniversary dinner at the Asian restaurant, Himitsu:
and the sushi at Gohan:
And even these weren’t terrific; they were simply not bad.
In fairness, I will say that we never ate at Bordeaux or Portofino, the French and Italian restaurants, which we read in reviews were the best. The reason for this brings me to another negative about our stay: the dress code. This wouldn’t have been such a big deal, had we been aware of it prior to our check-in. Some of the outdoor beachside restaurants are ok with shorts, cover-ups and flip flops, although none will allow only swimwear, which is fine. The others range from allowing Bermuda-length shorts and sandals with collared shirts to requiring long pants and dress shoes for men and long skirts/dresses for women. Bordeaux and Portofino are both formal, and neither of us were prepared with what we had packed. For Matt, the idea of long pants and dress shoes in 98 degree weather was ludicrous (and I have to say that I agree with him), and the only long “dress” I had brought along was basically a beach cover-up. I understand that this type of a resort would have a certain standard of dress for one or two of the restaurants, but formal on a beach seemed a little over-the-top for me. And again, had we simply known beforehand, it wouldn’t have been an issue.
The drinks were overall ok. We were always able to ask the bartenders to make ours a little stronger, and there was a premium bar available at an extra cost, if we’d wanted it. I had one great margarita at El Patio, the Mexican restaurant, but otherwise they were pretty intolerable. We stuck mostly with Corona and pina coladas:
We also had mojitos that weren’t too bad. Basically, it was nice not to give a second thought to paying for our food and drinks, but we also would have gladly shelled out a few pesos for some authentic and flavorful fare from local restaurants.
As I mentioned, the programs available are wide-ranging and some, like the Mayan dancers, we really enjoyed. However, the ones like “Dreams does American Idol”, in which resort guests basically sang karaoke in front of the gathered audience, were lame. I probably could have done without seeing a semi-drunk guy from Alabama who thought pretty highly of himself belting out a Creed song (shudder), but I suppose it did make for a memorable anniversary night :) I made the assumption that most of our fellow travelers were American (and they were), but on the Mayan night they polled the audience and there were indeed guests from all over Europe, the U.S., Canada, and Central and South America. Even so, it felt very homogenous, IMO.
The other snag about the resort is that the beach itself is great for laying around, but swimming is practically impossible except in a tiny area, which is usually crowded. This stretch of ocean is full of coral, which makes it good for snorkeling, but bad for swimming. It’s extremely rocky and seaweed-y. Luckily, there are plenty of other great beaches with public access and the one at the Tulum ruins is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Just below the main temple is a crystal-clear beach and the views from it are spectacular. They’ve made stairs that are kind of cumbersome and steep, so be careful…but it’s so worth going to the ruins just for this beach!! And parking + admission is only about $8 total!
Ok, so here’s the take-home message: Dreams Tulum is an excellent value for an upscale resort with the service to match, and it’s in a beautiful part of the world. For us, the structure and homogeny that an all-inclusive offers – when there are such cool things to see and do and people to meet off the resort – is unnecessary.
But this was exactly why we rented a car, and it’s not like you’re forced to participate in the activities that the resort offers…they’re simply there if you choose to. We also fully realize that there are plenty of vacationers who just want to lay at the beach, who look at sightseeing as exhausting and who are content to never leave the resort…and that’s cool, too. Different strokes, right?!
We had a fabulous time at Dreams :)
We saw a lot of these guys running around. Sure, he looks cute here, but he will later steal a banana from another lizard. The jerk.
Then, just add straws and voila!
These kelly green 3-inch shorts:
A fabulously skinny gold belt:
And this mini, except in white with horizontal gold stripes that I guess is not available online. It's sassy:
So much for traveling light…
…and I am officially counting down the minutes!
I realized that I’ve never ever EVER been able to take a decent photo of my rings and I’ve always been inspired by Lajuanna’s talent for extremely cool ones, so I turned my attention to my diamonds:
