# Westin Lagunamar



## Transit (Mar 20, 2012)

​Hit WLM 3-11-18. We Absolutely loved this resort. On this trip we didn't cook much, just breakfast in the room and some reheated leftovers .Every meal we had in Cancun was good. One Restaurant we especially enjoyed was 'LA Parilla" in downtown Cancun.

​ Transportation in Cancun was very good. We used public buses and taxis. We used the Westin Shuttle service to and from the airport with no issues .We probably could have saved a few dollars securing our own transportation but the sevice was carefree and accurate.The Cancun Airport was very nice and modern. Getting through customs both ways was annoying.

We did the tour to Chichen Itza and had a blast. The guide, bus, service and stops were all very good We used the Westin desk to book it (111 per person). There were discounts if your did an owner's update .We opted out.​
*Safety*

Just wanted to add that not at any time during this trip did we feel Unsafe

Pros
Fabulous resort
proximity to La Isla Mall
Food 
Mexican hospitality 
Great rooms
Good location

Cons

The new section pool and the upper pool were slightly warmer than the lower pool but for me all the pools were still cold.
Internet was terrible WI FI was unuseably slow and ethernet was on and off .
Hot tubs weren't  hot just warm (This was a pro for me personally because the pools were too cold)
We had a 2 Bedroom lockoff and the staff blundered seperating the room charges. Not a big deal because I was with my parents and we worked it out easliy.

*Old guy in the fountain*


We arrived about 2 hours before my parents did so we went by the front desk around the time we thought they would be arriving.
I see an old guy sopping wet an disheveled with a towel on his shoulders standing with the manager and a lifeguard checking him out. Of course it was my father.
​When my father got out of the cab he was talking to the driver and was distracted by the overwhelming surroundings.He backed up and tripped over the small curb surrounding the Fountain and fell into it ....completely.He injured his shoulder a little but he's ok. His laptop however did not survive.The next day we saw 2 guys painting the curb .We laughed it off and had a great vacation.


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## Maui_ed (Mar 20, 2012)

Transit said:


> *Old guy in the fountain*We arrived about 2 hours before my parents did so we went by the front desk around the time we thought they would be arriving.
> I see an old guy sopping wet an disheveled with a towel on his shoulders standing with the manager and a lifeguard checking him out. Of course it was my father.When my father got out of the cab he was talking to the driver and was distracted by the overwhelming surroundings.He backed up and tripped over the small curb surrounding the Fountain and fell into it ....completely.He injured his shoulder a little but he's ok. His laptop however did not survive.The next day we saw 2 guys painting the curb .We laughed it off and had a great vacation.


:rofl:Too funny.


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## siesta (Mar 20, 2012)

Thanks for sharing Frank, I was there last mothers day and took my Mom and her sister and their friend. 2 had never been to mexico, and my mom hadnt been since the late 80s (montezumas revenge, and she swore shed never go back to mexico). I assured her things have changed.

They loved the resort, the beach, and most of all the mexican people! They are bugging me to take them back. They too enjoyed chichen itza, although unlike in the past, nowyou are no longer permitted to walk to the top. I didnt want to see any of them fall so was kind of relieved they couldnt even be tempted.

Glad you had a great trip and glad your dad is ok! You guys must have had a good laugh when you realized it was just a bump and bruise.

FYI, next time you are in cancun check out www.cancun-discounts.com

You can get the chichen itza tour for $53 pp, it is typically $99 from most tour vendors when you book thru them, of course westin tacks on a few to make it $111. But dont overpay, its the same tour! That is the same for all tours.


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## Transit (Mar 20, 2012)

siesta said:


> Thanks for sharing Frank, I was there last mothers day and took my Mom and her sister and their friend. 2 had never been to mexico, and my mom hadnt been since the late 80s (montezumas revenge, and she swore shed never go back to mexico). I assured her things have changed.
> 
> They loved the resort, the beach, and most of all the mexican people! They are bugging me to take them back. They too enjoyed chichen itza, although unlike in the past, nowyou are no longer permitted to walk to the top. I didnt want to see any of them fall so was kind of relieved they couldnt even be tempted.
> 
> ...



Funny you brought up Montezumas revenge.

 I was fully prepared for it and had a bunch of OTC medications just in case .I haven't been to Cancun since the 80's also and was just sure I would get it. I got so sick the last time i was there. I ate and  drank everywhere there and didn't worry about it because I just knew it would happen.  It didn't happen and no one else in my party got sick either.


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## ThreeLittleBirds (Mar 20, 2012)

We are a Lagunamar right now.

I knew Cancun would be a tough sell for us, because we are Maui folks, but it is nice enough. The resort is typical Westin in style, which is nice.

The pools are very cold, but I am also a wimp when it comes to cold water. The warm hot tubs make up for it.

We ate at the restaurant at the aquarium across the street yesterday. Was very good, but my 4 year old son was very upset about the dolphins being in the tanks. He kept exclaiming, "It's not right! They don't belong there! We need to get them back in the ocean!" I guess between all of our trips on the Pacific Whale Foundation boats, and watching Finding Nemo on the way here, he is picking up on a thing or two about marine life.

We bring our own router (apple airport), and the internet speed is the same as at home.

Tonight we are eating at a restaurant, but we are unsure of the name (not even sure it has a name).  We were told to walk toward the Domino's Pizza, and just before, walk down some unmarked stairs. Apparently, the food is very good, there is a mariachi band, it's right on the water, and there is a playground for kids.

We are thinking of heading to Isla Mujeres on Thursday or Friday, but undecided as of yet.

As for food...we eat out half of the time, and at the villa the other half. We brought an entire suitcase of food with us. When we got through customs, we were pulled to the side and they asked if we had baby food. We said yes (goldfish are baby food, right?). They pulled our one suitcase to inspect, and it happened to be the one with our clothes. They then searched through our one carry one bag and sent us on our way. So, we were good to go with pasta, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, rice milk, coffee, cereal, and other dry goods. We are just buying some things we need at the store here because it is not worth the $$ to go to the Walmart.


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## K&PFitz (Mar 20, 2012)

ThreeLittleBirds, The restaurant you described is named El Fish Fritanga.  It is our favorite in Cancun, and we went there twice in a week the last time we were at Lagunamar.  There is a little carry out stand at street level that will have the  name on it.  You just walk past it and go down the stairs.  

I'm trying to remember the meals we had.  I know one night my wife had a seafood stuffed fish, probably flounder (terrible memory) that had a delicious buttery  sauce.  Really good.  I really like the octopus fritanga, but you have to like the texture of octopus, and it is REALLY spicy.  

They really know how to mix a drink there, also, if you're so inclined.  They gave me a complimentary shot of tequila, and it was suprisingly good.  I asked the brand and was suprised that it was Herradura, which is a quality name.  

Another plus is that the restaurant is reasonably priced for the hotel zone.

I hope you enjoy your dinner.


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## jarta (Mar 20, 2012)

"We are just buying some things we need at the store here because it is not worth the $$ to go to the Walmart."

Don't you mean time - rather than $$?

The bus is 60 cents per person each way and has lots of tourists on board.  It stops right in front of the resort.  If you don't want to take bags on the bus coming back, it's $10 for the cab ride back to Lagunamar.

Have fun!   Salty


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## Ken555 (Mar 20, 2012)

I can't believe what I'm reading. Two reports of cold pool temps at this resort?!?! Again! I thought they solved this problem.


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## jarta (Mar 20, 2012)

Ken,   ...   I was at Lagunamar in January.  The pool is heated.  It is so big that, despite the heating, there are warm and cool spots.  

Also, there are nights after cloudy and windy days when the heater is on all night.  The pool is warm.  However, when the weather is better, the heater is turned on less those nights and, actually, the pool is cooler the next morning.

Overall, much better than it was at Lagunamar.

Just came back from WMH (February) and WKORV (March).  Both had pools with noticeable variations in temperature from day to day.  Heat costs money and raises MF.  Salty


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## ThreeLittleBirds (Mar 20, 2012)

I'm a cold water wimp, so always take my pool temp reviews with a grain of salt. 

El fish fritanga is now officially our favorite restaurant in cancun. Had the folks at the pool not told me three times to just walk down the alley and it really is there, I would have never found it, but glad I did. The one small welcome margarita was significantly stronger than the two happy hour ones I had at WLR, and the food was excellent. Sunset views were a definite bonus.


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## VacationForever (Mar 20, 2012)

The description of food does sound great at El Fish Fritanga. When I was there last year the concierge sent us to El Fish Fritanga.  We reached there and went eeek... and left.  We are just not into open air or lagoon smell.  We are wimpy when it comes to restaurants, we only eat at indoor restaurants.


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## GregT (Mar 21, 2012)

Just to confirm, does cold water refer to the Westin pool or does it refer to the ocean water?

Thanks very much!

Greg


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## MommaBear (Mar 21, 2012)

sptung said:


> The description of food does sound great at El Fish Fritanga. When I was there last year the concierge sent us to El Fish Fritanga.  We reached there and went eeek... and left.  We are just not into open air or lagoon smell.  We are wimpy when it comes to restaurants, we only eat at indoor restaurants.



Too bad! You missed a great restaurant. La Habichuela Sunset two doors down from there has indoor (and outdoor) dining. I live so much of my time inside because of our weather and my work that I eat outside every chance I get.


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## ThreeLittleBirds (Mar 21, 2012)

GregT said:


> Just to confirm, does cold water refer to the Westin pool or does it refer to the ocean water?
> 
> Thanks very much!
> 
> Greg



Pool. Red flags up so we have not been in the ocean yet


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## bobpark56 (Mar 21, 2012)

MommaBear said:


> Too bad! You missed a great restaurant. La Habichuela Sunset two doors down from there has indoor (and outdoor) dining. I live so much of my time inside because of our weather and my work that I eat outside every chance I get.



We like the original La Habichuela (downtown) even better, and the prices are less there, too. Once you learn how to handle the buses, it's not a bad walk from where you get off the bus. Best to have the concierge give you a map. And if you let them make the reservation for you, you will get free Mayan coffees as well! That's a show in itself.


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## sungandjudy (Mar 21, 2012)

I was there on March 4-11/12.
I think the best time to jump into the pool is around 11 am to 1 pm, if the sun is out. That's when the sun heats up the pool the most. 
By 3-4 pm, the sun is already on the other side of the building and the temp. starts to drop. 
If it's cloudy, then the pools seems cold no matter what the actual temperature is. 

Peter


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## mitchandjeanette (Mar 22, 2012)

Heading to WLR in a week... :whoopie: 
I was searching for the grocery store option other than walmart and i can't find the thread...  
I believe it was just south of WLR...   
I am sure someone here can point me in the right direction...  
thanks
mitch


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## clsmit (Mar 22, 2012)

The XOXO is a convenience store nearby. Pretty much everything else needs a cab or a bus. Personally I like Soriana better than the one the WLR concierge was pushing people to last year (it's a small grocery store and doesn't have as much stuff as WalMart/Sams/Costco). You can take the bus to any of these and a taxi back.


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## siesta (Mar 22, 2012)

clsmit said:


> The XOXO is a convenience store nearby. Pretty much everything else needs a cab or a bus. Personally I like Soriana better than the one the WLR concierge was pushing people to last year (it's a small grocery store and doesn't have as much stuff as WalMart/Sams/Costco). You can take the bus to any of these and a taxi back.


 actually its OXXO


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## golf4hrs (Mar 23, 2012)

*Room Request*

Is there a need and a process to request the best ocean view?  I am doing an exchange through II for Thanksgiving week. I thought all rooms had an ocean view with very few exceptions.  Just wanted to double check.  If there is a way to put in a request, there how far in advance and who do you call?

Thanks for any help in advance!


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## mitchandjeanette (Mar 23, 2012)

I found the post I was looking for...  


levatino said:


> *Costco:*
> 
> No.  With the Walmart in the same plaza with reasonable prices and not requiring huge quantity purchases, why bother with Costco?  Although see my note below for an even better alternative to Walmart
> 
> EDIT: Closer to Lagunamar, right off the the main Cancun drag (Kakulkan), where it intersects with Boulevard Tulum, is a Shopping Center (Plaza Las Americas) with a much cleaner, equally reasonable Supermarket called Chedraui.  I remember that in my last trip, I much preferred Chadraui  and would avoid both Costco & Walmart in the future.  I was told about Chedraui by Lagunamar's senior manager.  She is right.


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## ada903 (Mar 23, 2012)

Never mind found a map


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## leejaime97 (Apr 4, 2012)

*Looking for things to do...*

My wife and I are thinking of booking at Lagunamar in November. We just got back from the Bahamas and we had a blast with excursions, swimming with dolphins in Atlantis, feeding wild iguanas and stingrays near Allan's Cay and wrangling sharks!  

Are there similar activities in the surrounding area of Lagunamar?


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## jarta (Apr 4, 2012)

leejaime97 said:


> My wife and I are thinking of booking at Lagunamar in November. We just got back from the Bahamas and we had a blast with excursions, swimming with dolphins in Atlantis, feeding wild iguanas and stingrays near Allan's Cay and wrangling sharks!
> 
> Are there similar activities in the surrounding area of Lagunamar?



leejamie   ...   Yes.

Google "Cancun Attractions" or search the TUG Lagunamar threads for same.  See what comes up.    Salty


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## ada903 (Apr 4, 2012)

We are here now.  Pool is very pleasant temperature.  Ocean is pleasant too, waves are big but yellow flags so we can go in the water.  Slanted beach sadly makes it difficult to take long beach walks. 

Lots of activities for kids, volleyball, soccer on the beach, great location with lots of shopping and restaurants.

Internet speed is much better if you plug your router into wired connection and then connect to the router, instead of using the resort wifi.

Service is slow - called four times for extra blanket that never came, restaurant service very slow, bath sink collapsed and it took multiple calls and a final call to our concierge to get them to come up and fix it.  But I am not stuck on those small service things, doesn't matter much to me.

Lunch at Oceano is affordable and good - only service was a bit slow.  20 percent discount for Starwood owners.

Presentation incentive is 6,500 points or $100 credit for owners, but we never attend these.


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## sclark (Apr 4, 2012)

We visited in December and LOVED it. We're currently considering buying a biennial suite, then taking a trip each year with one room. We didn't have one bad experience the whole time. 

Especially after we discovered the Mayan Xtabentun.


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## loucor75 (Apr 4, 2012)

leejaime97 said:


> My wife and I are thinking of booking at Lagunamar in November. We just got back from the Bahamas and we had a blast with excursions, swimming with dolphins in Atlantis, feeding wild iguanas and stingrays near Allan's Cay and wrangling sharks!
> 
> Are there similar activities in the surrounding area of Lagunamar?



leejaime97

Dont forget to visit chichen itza...it will take your breath away...

loucor75


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## leejaime97 (Apr 4, 2012)

*thank you*

Thank you everyone!


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## tmwilkin (May 20, 2012)

Just came back from this place.   Yes pool is still cold, and I like cold water. Either way we had fun.

Wandered for dinner a few times, telum ruins, dos ojos cenotes diving.  Outside of a little rain this 5 day stay was very nice.

We ended up getting the explorer package to go back and use the points for a cabo vacation later in 2014.  With all of that we are thinking of looking for a Atlantis or Legunamar timeshare on the market, but no decisions yet.


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## Ken555 (May 20, 2012)

tmwilkin said:


> Yes pool is still cold



What?!?!? How it can it *still* be cold, after so many reports that they've fixed the problem, it's warmer, etc. After so many years of this problem, every time friends tell me they're heading to Mexico, I immediately wonder if their pool will be warm or not... :hysterical:


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## tmwilkin (May 20, 2012)

Ken555 said:


> What?!?!? How it can it *still* be cold, after so many reports that they've fixed the problem, it's warmer, etc. After so many years of this problem, every time friends tell me they're heading to Mexico, I immediately wonder if their pool will be warm or not... :hysterical:




I should add it was a cooler semi cloudy week,  with some rain and mid 80s.  I suppose sunny and 95 my perceived temperature might be different, but yeah I thought it was cool for a pool.   Only slightly warmer than cold the lap pool I train in.


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## zentraveler (Nov 27, 2012)

> We bring our own router (apple airport), and the internet speed is the same as at home.
> [/QUOTE
> 
> Fabulous advice. My husband bought one for $50 before we left and it is like lightening compared to the Westin's.


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## zentraveler (Nov 27, 2012)

> mitchandjeanette said:
> 
> 
> > Heading to WLR in a week... :whoopie:
> ...



A good alternative to Walmart if you are planning on Costco also. There is a very large grocery/clothing/pharmacy store next to Costco (they share the parking lot) called Mega Comercial Mexicana that is open 24 hours/day (per the web). The grocery store was quite good, huge variety and had fresh fish and meat departments. We ended up buying most of our food there because it was so easy to get "2 person" quantities, and then went to Costco for the rest. Costco just like home, down to the lettuce brand. (Good wine selection, though almost all red; they don't seem to drink much white here.)


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## LisaRex (Nov 28, 2012)

My husband needs to check in with work when we are traveling.  Can you please explain what you mean by bringing a router when you travel?  I assume this is to get better wireless connectivity, since it's so slow. What about securing it so others can't use it/see your data?


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## Larry (Nov 28, 2012)

Transit said:


> ​ We Absolutely loved this resort. On this trip we didn't cook much, just breakfast in the room and some reheated leftovers .Every meal we had in Cancun was good. One Restaurant we especially enjoyed was 'LA Parilla" in downtown Cancun.
> 
> ​*Safety*
> 
> ...



We just returned this Sunday and we were in Cancun for 10 days including the last seven at the Westin Lagunamar and we just loved the resort for all of the reasons you listed.

We also had a 2BR lockoff and were in building 7 fourth floor with very nice view of pools and ocean. My wife had broken 3 toes after falling in a pothole one night while walking from car to house after hurricane Sandy, when there was no power anywhere on our block. So she wore a orthopedic boot on her right foot and I rented a wheelchair for her for 10 days in Cancun.

Because of her injury we basically just stayed at the resort or went across the streel to La Isla for dinner and went to a movie one night at the mall. Saw Argo which was a great movie and the rest of our time was just hanging out by the beach and pools all day. Between the days without power at home and our ten days in Cancun I read about 8-10 books which is what I usually read during a 8 month period. My wife could not even go in the water for fear of someone stepping on her toes since the resort had about 1,000 people there during thanksgiving week plus about another 150 kids and teenagers.

All of our meals at the resort plus La Madonna at Isla were very good to great. Our only bad experience was across the street MR. PAPA's were they tried to overcharge us plus the fish we had was not fresh and was pre-cooked and just reheated. When I asked to see the manager when receiving the bill the waiter said he was the manager and took off all the overcharges but refused to remove an added 15% automatic gratuity. I usually leave 20% but wanted to give him zero for his terrible service and flagrant attempt to overcharge us. He also had them put bacon on our baked potatoes with sourcream after we told him we were vegetarian. He alos took him so long to give us our bill plus come back with the corrected bill that we missed the 7:30start time for our movie and had to come back at 10:00PM for the next showing.

DO NOT GO TO MR. PAPA'S unless you want bad food lousy service and don't mind them trying to rip you off by overcharging you on bill.

Sorry for the rant but we did love our stay in Cancun and the Westin were everyone else was super nice!!!!!


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## gnorth16 (Nov 28, 2012)

Not to derail the thread, but can someone recommend a router (non apple) product.  Unless you are talking about taking a home wireless router?, then I will just unplug the one at home and pack it up.

Or is it something like this??? (USB Stick)

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/prod...spx?path=31898e2ff0608a5ed21a1c1461903ee6en02


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## Henry M. (Nov 28, 2012)

LisaRex said:


> My husband needs to check in with work when we are traveling.  Can you please explain what you mean by bringing a router when you travel?  I assume this is to get better wireless connectivity, since it's so slow. What about securing it so others can't use it/see your data?



Lisa,

The wireless network at Lagunamar is very slow. It is better if you connect to their wired connection, but then you are stuck to sitting near the place where the connection comes out of the wall. 

You can buy an inexpensive wireless router, like you might have at home, to make your own wireless network in your room. There are several brands, like Linksys and Netgear, that make routers. You could even bring the router you use at home, if nobody will miss it while you are gone. You connect the router to the cable coming out of the wall, and then it lets your computers connect to the WiFi network you set up. This gets you more direct access to wired network of the hotel, rather than relying on their slow WiFi access points. 

You can set up a network name, password and security/access rights from your computer. You can set those up while you are still at home. The process is similar to what you do to set up a home WiFi network. If you wanted to take your home router with you, you would not have to do much more than plug it in.

When I was there recently, I didn't have a router. I mostly used my iPad, so what I did was connect my laptop to the wall and enabled Internet Connection Sharing through its WiFi port. The laptop shared its wired connection over its WiFi adapter. I then had a WiFi network hosted by my laptop that my other devices could connect to. I did not need to take extra hardware. The laptop could do it all on its own. However, the laptop itself had to remain near the connection to the wall.


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## bobpark56 (Nov 28, 2012)

*Router: where do you get its input?*



zentraveler said:


> > We bring our own router (apple airport), and the internet speed is the same as at home.
> > [/QUOTE
> >
> > Fabulous advice. My husband bought one for $50 before we left and it is like lightening compared to the Westin's.
> ...


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## Henry M. (Nov 28, 2012)

gnorth16 said:


> Or is it something like this??? (USB Stick)
> 
> http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/prod...spx?path=31898e2ff0608a5ed21a1c1461903ee6en02



You could pack up the one at home. The link you posted is for an adapter for a computer that doesn't have WiFi capability built in. If your laptop can already connect to a WiFi network, you would not need the USB adapter.

Any of these should work. 

I'd set it up at home first, to make sure you can connect to it from your laptop and that it can connect to your broadband connection.


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## BLUE AYES (Nov 28, 2012)

Two separate devices. A home router that allows you to get wifi in your house by plugging into an ethernet is known as a wireless router. Yes, you can unplug your router and bring it with you. A second device is a wireless travel router, size of a deck of cards ($30-$60) does the same thing. It allows you internet in your house or suite untethered to the ethernet cable. wifi. The Apple product ( I own one) is not $50 as stated above but $99. It works great for all products but is especially great for Apple products. You download an app called "Airport Utility" and it will set up a wireless secures network for you. (you are prompted to type in a password the first time you use it).

The real reason to have one is a business traveler use. Spotty wifi in the hotel room where there is an ethernet cable and/or some hotels charge for wifi but not ethernet. 

Any of these items should be set up at home first.


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## Henry M. (Nov 28, 2012)

bobpark56 said:


> zentraveler said:
> 
> 
> > What do you plug your router into? If it's the ethernet, how does that give you faster service than plugging your computer into the ethernet?
> ...


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## Westin5Star (Nov 28, 2012)

I don't like Apple and I don't use any of their products except for the Airport (access point / router).  I used to travel with a small Linksys device but honestly the Apple product is smaller, easier to setup and use, and even seems faster (we usually connect to 5-7 wireless devices in our room); thanks Ken555555555555.  The Airport is more expensive but worth it in my opinion.  

Maybe one day I will be happy and buy a Google / Android router!

BTW, the reason that I generally do not like Apple products is due to their desire to control everything which results in inflexibility (i.e. hardware, software, battery changes, etc.)  With that said, I often recommend iPhones & Pads to friends and family as their products are dependable and often easy to use.


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## zentraveler (Nov 28, 2012)

Agree with all of the internet posts. The hard wired ethernet connection works fine, but if you want decent wi-fi in your room all of the posts about a portable router will help.


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## zentraveler (Nov 28, 2012)

*Rio Nizuc Restaurant - a real find*

Back to food. For anyone with a car and a modest spirit of adventure there is a great, mostly local waterfront seafood restaurant about 2 km south of the Westin Hotel/Club Med area at the south of the hotel zone. It is beyond where the hotel buses turn around. A little hidden, but a sweet place for a much more local feel. We had a terrific lunch (shrimp tostadas, seafood quesidillas, really good salsa and guacamole, beer etc). All tasted very freshly made; be careful if you get the really picante sauce . Mains about 100 pesos. Beer 28 pesos. Cash only. We sat right on the water and watched the boats go by. We were the only ones there on a Wednesday at 11, but there were a lot of tables so I assume they have their busy periods.

To get there: 

1. It is located south of Club Med around Kukulcan 22 km

2. Going south, as soon as you cross the Punta Nizuc bridge, find the next "returno", loop around and go back about 1 km to _just_ before the Nizuc bridge.  Turn right and park over to the left in the parking areas. You will see some lovely looking wood boardwalk that looks like a small park. The road goes around shortly and you see a desolate look parking lot that had a rope across it. 

3. Walk through the parking lot to the back left and you will see a path and then some  wooden planks that lead around to the open air restaurant. 

4. None of this is complicated and the walk from the car to the restaurant is about 5 minutes. 

Note: the restaurant has no electricity in the dining area so they close at sunset. Be there before 4:30pm. Think they open at 11 am.


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## gnorth16 (Nov 28, 2012)

Thanks for the help guys/gals.  I do have a new router at home that works great and will bring it along.  I assumed what everyone was suggesting was way more complicated.


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## Ken555 (Nov 28, 2012)

Westin5Star said:


> Ken555555555555



I need to change my name.


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## grgs (Nov 28, 2012)

zentraveler said:


> Back to food. For anyone with a car and a modest spirit of adventure there is a great, mostly local waterfront seafood restaurant about 2 km south of the Westin Hotel/Club Med area at the south of the hotel zone.



Thanks for the tip.  Sounds just like the kind of place we like!

Glorian


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## Transit (Nov 29, 2012)

Larry said:


> We just returned this Sunday and we were in Cancun for 10 days including the last seven at the Westin Lagunamar and we just loved the resort for all of the reasons you listed.
> 
> We also had a 2BR lockoff and were in building 7 fourth floor with very nice view of pools and ocean. My wife had broken 3 toes after falling in a pothole one night while walking from car to house after hurricane Sandy, when there was no power anywhere on our block. So she wore a orthopedic boot on her right foot and I rented a wheelchair for her for 10 days in Cancun.
> 
> ...


Wow it sounds like you guys really needed to get away.Your wife's a trooper for traveling with broken toes. Glad you had a good trip.


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## zentraveler (Nov 29, 2012)

*Puerto Morelos day trip -  Jungle Spa Massage and La Pepita Lunch*

Another suggestion for the adventurous and those with a car (you could do it by bus or taxi but would be expensive or too much of a hassle)  who like body work/body treatments. We drove down to Puerto Morelos for the afternoon, had a great lunch at La Pepita (start at the north east corner of the plaza, walk north on the street that runs on the east side of the plaza and it is about 1/2 block to the north on the left - not on the beach, but great food). Cute little town and a bit of a relief after several days in the hotel zone. Has a used/new English language book store on the plaza with a great selection. 

The we went to Jungle Spa (http://mayaecho.com) which is a non-profit outfit on the non-ocean side of Rt. 307. It is, as the name suggests, in the jungle area and not fancy, but we had wonderful 60 minute massages for $40 USD. Mine was with an aloe facial for +$10. They have other body treatments and types of massages. It was not only a great massage, was in a screened-in outdoor palapa and I liked that the money goes mostly to the women. We just showed up without and appointment and it was fine, but you can also call or email. [If you like fancy hotel spas, this is not the place for you!]

It is a little tricky to find. The map on the website is fine - but you need to know to just keep going straight on the road after the last turn until it becomes a dirt road. 1/2 km or so later you will see Calle 1 and then Calle 2.


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## zentraveler (Dec 1, 2012)

> K&PFitz said:
> 
> 
> > The restaurant you described is named El Fish Fritanga.  It is our favorite in Cancun, and we went there twice in a week the last time we were at Lagunamar.  There is a little carry out stand at street level that will have the  name on it.  You just walk past it and go down the stairs.  /QUOTE]
> ...


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## Sea Six (Dec 1, 2012)

I'm at Lagunamar now, and not experiencing any problems with the Wifi connection.  I am streaming video thru my iPhone to the LG TV, watching NetFlix, HULU, and DISH TV with no buffering delays.  Steady streaming. The local channels here are an assortment of English with Spanish subtitles, Spanish with no subtitles, or just news channels.  Classic example of 39 channels and nothing to watch!


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## jarta (Dec 1, 2012)

Sea Six said:


> I'm at Lagunamar now, and not experiencing any problems with the Wifi connection.  I am streaming video thru my iPhone to the LG TV, watching NetFlix, HULU, and DISH TV with no buffering delays.  Steady streaming. The local channels here are an assortment of English with Spanish subtitles, Spanish with no subtitles, or just news channels.  Classic example of 39 channels and nothing to watch!



Broadcasting the local Cancun channels in Spanish is very thoughtless of those locals.  Broadcasting in Mexico should be tailored for gringo tastes.  

You are quite lucky to be able to do all that steady streaming.   Salty


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## heathpack (Dec 1, 2012)

Sea Six said:


> I'm at Lagunamar now, and not experiencing any problems with the Wifi connection.  I am streaming video thru my iPhone to the LG TV, watching NetFlix, HULU, and DISH TV with no buffering delays.  Steady streaming. The local channels here are an assortment of English with Spanish subtitles, Spanish with no subtitles, or just news channels.  Classic example of 39 channels and nothing to watch!



Hi Sea Six, looks like we just missed you, we left Lagunamar today.  Our wifi was so bad as to be effectively non-existent.  We were in building 6, pretty far from the wifi towers.  We had perfect wifi in the lobby waiting for our owner update, frustratingly inconsistent wifi by the pool, and decent wifi in one particular spot on the beach.

We commented to the TS saleswoman on the bad wifi & she responded back, "yes, it's really terrible."

Today we checked out a day early to move down to the Grand Luxxe (a planned early departure, not a dissatisfaction thing).  The guy checking us out commented on us leaving early.  I told him we were checking out because of the bad wifi.  He looked alarmed until I added "just kidding". But the he did say, "I'd believe it".  

I definitely got the impression the wifi was rather an infamous problem amongst the staff- I'm sure they hear many complaints per day.

So count yourself lucky you can use your wifi.  We were very frustrated by it- I am veterinarian and need to be in touch with my office on a daily basis.

Will post a full review when we are back.  We loved the beach & ocean swimming (maybe you saw me bobbing around in my blue inner tube), but the resort left us a little cold.  I think we'd go back but not 100% sure.

Enjoy your stay!

H


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## Ken555 (Dec 2, 2012)

So, Lagunamar has really bad wifi and barely warm pools. At least the showers don't leak any longer, from what I hear. 

This resort is still on my do not visit list.


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## heathpack (Dec 2, 2012)

Ken555 said:


> So, Lagunamar has really bad wifi and barely warm pools. At least the showers don't leak any longer, from what I hear.
> 
> This resort is still on my do not visit list.



I LOVE swimming in the ocean in Cancun, so beachfront Cancun is very, very appealing to me.  But even we're not sure we'd return.  

Excerpts from the TUG review I just submitted:


Westin Lagunamar Review

This is a lovely oceanfront resort but the truth is, it left us a bit cold. Would we return? Maybe, but mostly because our non-AI choices in Cancun have recently become more limited.

The units themselves are quite nice. We were in a 2BR unit even though it was just two of us. There are 2BR each with one heavenly bed and nice linens. One small living room with tight seating for 4 (3 on a small sofa and 1 in a chair)- perfectly adequate for us but would have been tight for any group larger than 2...

...Great beach with loungers, palapas and umbrellas. Unfortunately the palapas (which we prefer) are placed close together, making the beach less-than-relaxing unless you like inhaling other guests' smoke, listening to their static-y radio, or hearing their conversation. We eventually found that choosing a palapa at the far end of the resort worked well...

So what left us cold? Three things: the food, the service, the wifi. 

First the wifi- I need to access email for work purposes several times a day. We were in building 6 and the wifi is so poor that it should essentially be considered non-existent...Quite annoying was the fact that you'd be unable to use the Internet when your device would indicate that you were connected with good signal strength. So you would waste tons of time thinking you were connected, trying to retrieve or send an email or load a web page, only to have your activity fail because of an inability to connect to the server. We contacted the front desk, but of course they could do nothing about the problem as it is one of inadequate infrastructure.

The second issue was the service. We really like Mexico and have spent a month vacationing there in the past 2 years. So we fully understand service differences between the US and Mexico, but in the past we've really enjoyed excellent service at Royal Resorts, Welk Sirenia del Mar and Grand Mayan. Here at Lagunamar, every interaction with staff seemed a bit trying...One example: When we ate at the breakfast buffet, we had to ask three times for coffee and then when we got back from the buffet found another party had been seated at our table. I ordered chilaquiles with eggs at the omelette station; the plate was handed to me with no eggs & when I pointed this out, the cook could not understand me. No big deal, I'll get some off the buffet- nope, the buffet is out of eggs. Seeking a waiter, he requests eggs for me from the omelette cook who clearly says he is too busy. Eventually the waiter brings out eggs (relatively quickly), but it would have been preferable to have them with the chilaquiles...A very long wait for an opportunity to request the check. The waiter would even visit adjacent tables but not so much as glance our way. Continuing the theme of waiters not glancing our way, there was a pool bar waiter who would make his rounds very rarely through the beach area. But he would walk through the area looking straight ahead- not scanning the loungers for thirsty patrons but instead taking orders only from those who happened to be in his path...It is noteworthy that in 5 days, we only managed on two occasions to obtain a drink on the beach by the normal mechanism of a waiter approaching us.

And finally the food- it wasn't bad (except for the Hawaiian pizza), it just wasn't good or particularly interesting...Caesar salad, hamburgers, chicken fingers, club sandwich, tacos and the like. Unlike the food at Westin Kierland, which we thought was interesting & excellent.


Read the full review in the TUG Review section if you like.

H


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## VacationForever (Dec 2, 2012)

Heathpack, 
I am very sorry to hear that you did not feel like you had a good experience.  Poor vs. good customer service make a whole of of difference to a vacation.  When I last stayed at WLR I was only there for 6 days and ate at the hotel every morning.  There was a waiter who was there for 5 of the 6 days who took care of all of our needs.  He was super attentive, he ordered eggs from the omelette station, brought food and drinks from the buffet bar to our table for tasting and for additional servings without even been asked.  The one day when he was not working we were seated in an area where we were not too visible to the waiters and we could not even get a waiter to look in our direction for coffee and such.

We thought the food at the hotel was good during breakfast but so-so for dinner.  

My room experience was not good - poor wi-fi (we have to execute payroll when we are traveling so that was a challenge), poor housekeeping and maintenance.  The land line was just as bad for us as the wi-fi.

Still, I look forward to returning because of the great pool, great view, that one waiter who may no longer be there and great restaurants in the hotel zone.

SP


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## zentraveler (Dec 2, 2012)

> Sea Six said:
> 
> 
> > I'm at Lagunamar now, and not experiencing any problems with the Wifi connection.



What floor were you on? We were on 8 and it was really weak. It was fine in the lobby. 

Thought pool temps were just fine; certainly not too cold. Also thought service was very good for everything we did or needed. Staff very attentive. Overall really enjoyed our week here.


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2012)

heathpack said:


> Hi Sea Six, looks like we just missed you, we left Lagunamar today.  Our wifi was so bad as to be effectively non-existent.  We were in building 6, pretty far from the wifi towers.  We had perfect wifi in the lobby waiting for our owner update, frustratingly inconsistent wifi by the pool, and decent wifi in one particular spot on the beach.
> 
> We commented to the TS saleswoman on the bad wifi & she responded back, "yes, it's really terrible."
> 
> ...



We left a week ago on Sunday and found wifi in room to be OK early morning and late at night and non-existent any other time. Wifi at Pool and beach was pretty good.

Don't know how far we were from tower but we were in last two BR unit in Building 7 close to building 8.

Loved the resort!!!!!


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2012)

heathpack said:


> I LOVE swimming in the ocean in Cancun, so beachfront Cancun is very, very appealing to me.  But even we're not sure we'd return.
> 
> Excerpts from the TUG review I just submitted:
> 
> ...



Sorry to hear about your service issues and we found the service to be outstanding!!!! We have also been to several grand Mayan resorts and found staff to be far nicer at the Westin Lagunamar. They really went out of their way to accomodate us and I intend on writing a detailed TUG review. Front desk was awesome, Pool and beach attendants were superior and at first refused my tipping them but then appreciated what I gave them. Waiters were all fantastic at restaurants on property.

We also have been to the Royal resorts and although their service was good it was nothing to rave about and although I enjoyed both of our stays I think their overall reviews are way over rated.

We will definetly go back to the Westin. I already commented regarding wifi shortcomings so will not repeat myself.


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## heathpack (Dec 2, 2012)

Larry said:


> Sorry to hear about your service issues and we found the service to be outstanding!!!! We have also been to several grand Mayan resorts and found staff to be far nicer at the Westin Lagunamar. They really went out of their way to accomodate us and I intend on writing a detailed TUG review. Front desk was awesome, Pool and beach attendants were superior and at first refused my tipping them but then appreciated what I gave them. Waiters were all fantastic at restaurants on property.
> 
> We also have been to the Royal resorts and although their service was good it was nothing to rave about and although I enjoyed both of our stays I think their overall reviews are way over rated.
> 
> We will definetly go back to the Westin. I already commented regarding wifi shortcomings so will not repeat myself.



Glad you had a great experience.  It seems like its maybe a bit hit-or-miss on the service.  We were there on an XYZ, so the value was great.

We are at the Grand Luxxe now and the service in fabulous.

H


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## fasha39 (Dec 2, 2012)

We are here now in building 14 - internet is ok, Pablo our concierge (who is awesome) acknowledged it is "intermittent" but no issues for us.  We have eaten in Oceano a few times and found the service to be very good.  The staff in the swim up bar, Westin Workout etc. have all been very friendly and attentive.  Insofar as the pool temps.  <FULL DISCLOSURE> we live north of the 49th parallel and found them to be temperate, not warm but not cold.  Is our blood thicker?…….I will say the hot tubs aren't hot but warm.


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## fasha39 (Dec 2, 2012)

duplicate post


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## Sea Six (Dec 2, 2012)

zentraveler said:


> What floor were you on? We were on 8 and it was really weak. It was fine in the lobby.
> 
> Thought pool temps were just fine; certainly not too cold. Also thought service was very good for everything we did or needed. Staff very attentive. Overall really enjoyed our week here.



I'm on floor 8 building 6, and the wifi is just fine - consistantly good enough to stream video.  The food and the service have all been very good.  The service was a bit slow at Duna but the poolside bar service has been better than anything I ever got at St John.  The water is cool, but it is December.  My only issue has been trying to get the cheddar cheese I ordered on my pre-stock.  We are apparently waiting for a delivery to the store.


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## BLUE AYES (Dec 3, 2012)

Did they change out the top floor slat balcony roof for a solid roof ? ( it rained om the balcony)

Be there for two weeks starting 12/22.


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## Sea Six (Dec 3, 2012)

I have a solid roof over the balcony. They all look the same to me.  I guess that was fixed.


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