OK TRIP REPORT FOR PLAYACAR MEXICO ENCOMPASSING HOTEL RIU YUKATAN RIU TEQUILLA AND THE RIU PALACE RIVIERA MAYAH
TRAVELED ON 24TH MAY FOR 1 WEEK WITH THOMSONS AND THE COSTINGS WERE £535 PER HEAD

Flight very much empty,service with thomson flight crew very very good, enjoyed the food and made full use of the in flight upgrade for a paltry £5.00 enabling you to stop start and pause all programmes and having a much larger film library.

Landed at Cancun and very swiftly through customs and on to Playacar resort which is about a 45 minute transfer.

Not a lot going on at playacar,one small road outside hotels that leads to Playa del Carmen
Wlaking times to carmen were approximatly 30 minutes.
VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO WALK AS THE HUMIDITY WAS HIGH AND TEMPERATURES IN THE HIGH 90'S
Taxi from the 3 hotels to carmen were all priced at 5 dollars
No meters were being used.Its worth noting that even a short half mile run was also 5 dollars.

The weather for the week was stunning, take no notice of any weather reports both in the press or
on the net as they were ALL worthless.The report for our week was t storms and heavy cloud,it never rained once and not a cloud hardly in sight!!
Totaoly useless service

Booked in at Riu Yukatan which is a beach front hotel based on a hacienda type style.
I though the food drinks and service on offer was of a very good standard indeed.

Gardens well maintained with lots of strange creatures doing the rounds which we nick named squir-rats.
(self explanatory)

A very nice beach front location with swim up bars.
No hogging of sunbeds as resort was only about at half capacity

Only critisism I can offer of this hotel was the fact that there was no A/C anywere except your rooms to escape the hot sun.
Also I think the resort in general is ready for upgrading and does in places look a little tired.

After 3 days we tried to upgrade to the Riu Palace Riviera Maya and our Thomson rep Carlos managed to secure this for us for a miserly 62 dollars for 2 people
GOOD EHH

Damn if i dont love thomsons,used them now for over 30 years on and off and never once dissapointed me.
WELCOME TO MY WORLD LA LA LA LA LAAAAAA

The Riu Palace Riviera mayah really IS a 5 star !!!

I never can understand the rating systems and how they appear to work
How can the Riu yukatan be 5 star and yet the Riu Palaces also 5 star.
No correalation whatsoever.
The Palace Riu hotels are their flagships and as such are first class throughout.

ThE WHOLE PLACE IS NOTHING SHORT OF OUTSTANDING.

CHANDALIERS PIANO BARS JUNIOR SUITES INFINITY POOLS ECT ECT ECT

THIS IS HOW A 5 STAR PLACE SHOULD BE RUN,ALL DRINKS ARE ALSO PREMIUM BRANDED with AT LEAST 5 QUALITY RESATAURANTS

Called in at Riu tequila on the day it re-opened which was the 30th may.
Very similar layout to the Riu yukatan.
Were it differed though was that the Tequila had obviously recently undergone a full face lift.
All the buildings had a fresh lick of paint and there was new upholstery and fittings all round.
A very smart looking resort indeed.
The tequila also benefited from a large a/c sports bar with four pool tables air hockey and gaming machines with wall mounted plasma tv's for sports events. Snacks were available in here 24hrs.
A courtesy mini train transported guests to the yukatan beach front every half hour.
All guests at the tequila were free to use the yukatan facilities.
All in all a much nicer looking resort than yukatan but minus a beach front location.

Beaches at ALL hotels were very good and not heavily eroded as in other places.
Both used whale bags which were not as other reviewers have commented ugly.
They are there for a reason to protect the beaches.

THE PLAYA CARMEN RESORT Good selection of shops but be prepared to be hastled at every opertunity.

You can catch the ferry to Cozumal island here and the price is 18 dollars
Really good location for snorkling.

Whilst on the subject of dollars dont take them Use pesos as change is allways given back in pesos from dollars at a very bad rate.
You will need your exit money for leaving the country which is currently 52 dollars each.

FINALLY ANYONE PREPARED TO COMMENT ON HOW A COMPANY CAN FLY YOU TO MEXICO, PUT YOU UP IN A GENUINE 5 STAR HOTEL,TREAT YOU LIKE A GOD FEED YOU LIKE A KING AND WAIT ON YOU HAND AND FOOT PLYING YOU WITH THE FINEST PREMIUM BRAND BEERS FOR £560 PP ALL IN.

UNBELIEVABUBBLE BUT TRUE

Hope this trip resort helps

Happy days !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!