Excellent flght - upgraded to Premier Class which was well worth the extra as hubby is 6'4" and needs the extra leg room. Transfer from airport was approximately 1 hour which was OK - it meant you could see a part of the countryside on the way there (very long straight road!) Check in was a bit slow but hey who cares, we're on holiday! We were taken to our room which was really nice with a huge jacuzzi in it! Have to say didn't use it once in the 2 weeks we were there - it made the room too hot! However, it was very handy for throwing wet swimsuits over!

Everyone was allocated a wrist band of different colours. It took us a few days to work out what the colours meant. Pink for honeymooners, Yellow for Europeans, Green for Canadians, Silver for part ownerships and Gold for Brits! We spent a few days playing "Spot the Brit" and when you did, you just had to speak to them so we made a few friends that way!

The room was spotless. The staff were there at every turn cleaning and making sure all the toiletries etc were stocked up. If you ran out of anything, they were more than happy to supply extra.The Hotel Spa Body Lotion was to die for! They love folding up the towels into various animals which were excellent. Each room had optics in it - again we didn't make use of it as we didn't drink any of the spirits provided. We asked if we could swap one of the bottles for gin but they said "no - everyone had to have the same" However, they were happy to deliver as many G & Ts as you want from room service! We did use a few of the beers from the fridge which was re-stocked the next day.

The first few days we got phone calls practically every hour on the hour from the PR staff making sure we were comfortable. A nice touch.

The food was excellent. Even in the buffet restaurants you could choose your meat or fish and it was cooked in front of you. The a la carte restaurants were excellent. The best for me was the Mundaca - I have never tasted rib eye steak like that in my life! The Italian restaurant I would say was the busiest, we only managed there once in the 2 weeks because there was always a queue. The Mexican and Oriental restaurants again were both excellent.

The staff were excellent - from the room staff to the restaurant staff and the waiters and bar staff - each and every one always had a big smile and a hello. The entertainment staff were the cheeriest around and always had time for a chat. They kept the fun going around the pool area every day.

The location of the hotel was perhaps not the best, situated on a man made lagoon with a wall separating you from the sea which was out of bounds. It was a half hour bus ride into Playa del Carmen for the usual touristy shops. However, we didn't venture out much as it was too hot! We spent most of our time in the pool.

The entertainment was a bit hit and miss. A couple of good shows, like the fire show and the usual Spanish dancing. There was also a circus show but I hate performing animals so we didn't stay for the whole show. Again, the shows were repeated the following week so if you missed something the first week, you could always catch it the second week.

During our stay, there was a corporate function of 400 delegates lasting 4 days which was a bit of a nuisance. Trying to get into restaurants at lunch time was a nightmare as you had to travel from one side of the hotel to the other (quite a trek in the heat). It was OK in the evenings as the hotel arranged their meals to be served al fresco either on the beach or a designated area away from the main hotel.

However, I have to say this is the best hotel I have stayed in to date (and I've stayed in a few!) everything about it was sheer luxury and we felt very spoilt for 2 weeks. I would certainly revisit this hotel at some point in the future.

If you've never been here then you must go! It is an amazing place with high standards.

Cleanliness - faultless. Room cleaned daily, towels changed twice daily, turn down service, pool towel service. Maintenance also superb, a problem with our toilet was fixed within 10 mins of reporting it.

Location - 20 mins south of Playa del Carmen, 75 Mins south of Cancun. On a rocky shoreline, 'beach' is man made with builders sand, and small man made sea lagoons for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking. Previously we used the idyllic beach at nearby sister hotel Xpu-Ha for beach days, but this is closed following last years hurricanes.

Food - Buffet food is good quality, variety, and choice. Steak Bar, excellent, but unable to access other four restaurants due to overcrowding.

Staff - Quite simply the best I've encountered. Leagues ahead of Europe and USA

Entertainment - Sports, Daily volleyball, water volleyball, water polo, water basketball, water aerobics, Live band in afternoon around the pool (great) and evening entertainment. The evening was not sampled much due to overcrowding and smoky atmosphere.

If you have been before I fear you may be disappointed as the secret is out about how good this place is, and it has become overcrowded and understaffed, in comparison to our visits in 2004 and 2005. We thought then it was so idyllic, that we even bought a 25 year membership. But popularity has changed it.

The good points.

Firstly let me assure you that there is no evidence that there was ever a hurricane here. It is back to tip top condition already.
The staff are without exception fantastic and the level of service they give could not be higher and they consistently do everything in their power to ensure your stay is enjoyable.

The pools are wonderful and animation crew are brilliant at entertaining during the day.
The spa is top class, though expensive. Take a massage early in the hol to get the full benefit of it.

The food quality is high, but has slipped compared with previous years. Eg Fillet steak and Ribeye, replaced by Beef Skirt and burger.

There is now wireless internet in the rooms - unfortunately they don