Looking for last minute vacation in Mexico through II. Top 10 recommendations?

[Quilter]

II has 10 pages of resorts. What is favorite location and resorts? All help appreciated.

 

[easyrider]

For us, it depends on what we are wanting to do. We like the Yucatan for snorkeling and scuba. Cabo for fishing and golf. Puerto Vallarta for people watching at the Malecon. Loreto for the natural beauty. Nuevo Vallarta for the long beach. For us, another factor are flights. We are near Seattle so some flights are shorter than others.

I did like Mazatlan but this is more of a real Mexican experience.

Bill

 

[nomadio]

I can only speak to Cancun and PV/NV. My recommendations are:

Cancun

Westin Lagunamar. Very nice, great reviews. 2 bdrms unlikely via trade.

Worldmark Isla Mujeres if you are a Worldmark owner, or can get access via rental as it's not in Interval. Not on the beach but nice small resort on a wonderful island. A week might be too long here.

PV

Sheraton Buganvilias (nice resort/hotel, good location walking distance to the romantic zone. Beach is crappy, pools are OK, good restaurants.)

Lindo Mar - traditional Mexican style resort at the south edge of PV on the beach. All units are ocean front. Small pool. Good restaurant on site. Well-regarded by owners who return yearly.

Ocho Cascadas - architectural beauty at the south end of PV. High up on a hill overlooking the bay. One of these days I will put in an ongoing request for any week, and if I get it I will surprise my DW and go. Bucket list place. Rarely seen on II.

Sunset Plaza - newer and decent reviews. Hotel zone, so not my preferred area.

Vallarta Torre - kind of like Lindo Mar, but in the hotel zone.

Villa del Palmar - hotel zone.

Casa de la Playa - bit of a hidden gem near the romantic zone. Very small, basic resort, beachfront. Beach may not be swimmable.

WIVC Conchas Chinas/WIVC Conchas Chinas - smaller resorts, similar to Casa de la Playa but up high above the romantic zone. You will likely be making good use of taxis/uber if staying here, unless you are a mountain goat.

NV

Paradise Village - beachfront, adjacent to the NV marina. Dated but immaculately maintained. Decent pools. Small mall nearby. Fantastic beach, boogie boarding heaven. Can walk for miles along the beach. Restaurants are so-so; unless you cook your own meals you will need to take taxis to restaurants (there are some options within walking distance).

Villa del Palmar Flamingos - newer, walking distance to Bucerias.

Rancho Banderas - more remote, towards Punta de Mita. Older resort recently taken over by Marival. Apparently adults only now. On a great beach. Not sure but unless you want to eat at their restaurants, taxi likely necessary.

Vidanta

Vidanta PV - beachfront in the PV marina area. Decent option if you are OK being in the marina area. Many restaurants in walking distance.

Vidanta NV - sprawling complex with a variety of resorts within. Excellent beach (very similar to Paradise Village as Vidanta is just to the south). Very nice, well maintained, beautiful pools, but in my view is akin to a fancy prison complex. Designed so that it is difficult to walk anywhere outside the complex, so you must use their restaurants. Yes you can walk 15 minutes down the beach to escape to an area where there are independent restaurants, but how often are you going to want to do this? Taking a taxi anywhere is also a huge pain in the ass. If you want a nice place, just want to chill, and don't care about seeing Mexico, this would fit the bill. Yes, I have stayed here (Grande Luxxe).

Sea Garden NV - mini Vidanta, not within the main complex, just down the beach. Would be OK for a cheap getaway.

Many of the Mexico resorts listed in II are mandatory all-inclusive (look for the blue cross symbol). The all-inclusive rates are exorbitant. As in hundreds of dollars per day per adult. If you want all-inclusive just book it through a regular travel site as it will be much cheaper.

Regarding all of the above resorts, no idea what might be available last minute. Vidanta for sure. Buganvilias, Villa del Palmar maybe.

PV is magical. If you stay in NV make sure you spend some time in PV. Have fun!

 

[dioxide45]

Most of the stuff you see on II in those 10 pages will be mandatory AI garbage.

 

[Quilter]

Most of the stuff you see on II in those 10 pages will be mandatory AI garbage.

I was really hoping you'd respond dioxide. However, I was hoping you'd tell me the few you think aren't garbage

 

[Quilter]

I found Villa del Palmar, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco in my timeframe. Any comments for that resort?

 

[dioxide45]

I was really hoping you'd respond dioxide. However, I was hoping you'd tell me the few you think aren't garbage

We have only stayed at the Westin Lagunamar in Cancun which is great, so our experience is limited. Do watch out for resort fees with a lot of the resorts. Vidanta (Grand Myanm, Grand Bliss, Grand Luxxe, etc), is notorious for high resort fees

 

[Quilter]

We have only stayed at the Westin Lagunamar in Cancun which is great, so our experience is limited. Do watch out for resort fees with a lot of the resorts. Vidanta (Grand Myanm, Grand Bliss, Grand Luxxe, etc), is notorious for high resort fees

Is the 1 bedroom at the Westin same as 1 bedroom portion of 2 bedroom? Similar to the Marriott lock-offs?

 

[dioxide45]

Is the 1 bedroom at the Westin same as 1 bedroom portion of 2 bedroom? Similar to the Marriott lock-offs?

Yes, the 1BR units at Lagunamar are pretty much the same as you would see in a traditional 1BR at a Marriott. The finishes are nicer, but size and layout are about the same. The studio units at Lagumar are much nicer than studios at Marriott resorts. The Lagunamar studios have in room laundry as well as a better kitchenette (dishwasher and cooktop).

 

[b2bailey]

Have you been to Cancun?

 

[b2bailey]

I wish there was a way to exclude mandatory AI when searching II.
Am I missing something?

 

[echino]

Mandatory AI is marked with a "+" symbol in the search results. Just ignore those. They are always available, and are never a good deal.

Non-AI in Cancun, Westin Lagunamar is by far the best. Everything else is kinda meh compared to it. The Westin Resort and Spa (not Lagunamar) is fine, but location is not ideal. Royal Cancun and Royal Islander are sort of OK. That's all for Cancun hotel zone - not much choice.

 

[b2bailey]

Mandatory AI is marked with a "+" symbol in the search results. Just ignore those. They are always available, and are never a good deal.

Non-AI in Cancun, Westin Lagunamar is by far the best. Everything else is kinda meh compared to it. The Westin Resort and Spa (not Lagunamar) is fine, but location is not ideal. Royal Cancun and Royal Islander are sort of OK. That's all for Cancun hotel zone - not much choice.

Used to be, in RCI, you could exclude AI from search results.
That's what I am asking.

 

[easyrider]

I found Villa del Palmar, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco in my timeframe. Any comments for that resort?

We were at the VDP PV for two weeks this winter. It is an older resort and the furnishings are about 8 years old. The bed and couch are comfortable. Internet was fast and free for all devices. The deck is large. The beach in front is nice. The food is decent a la cart. Uber to the Malecon is about $5. They are planning to demo the Villa del Mar this year. The VDM is next door to the VDP so I there could be noise depending on the room assignment.

We were also at the Bungavillias for two weeks. Both rooms we had outdated furnishings and it took a while to get use to the concrete foundation bed and couches. The resort grounds, restaurants and location to Old Town are what makes this place worth while. We walked the Malecon often. There are so many great restaurants in the area that it's hard to choose.

Both of these resorts ane not mandatory AI.

Bill

 

[bnoble]

Used to be, in RCI, you could exclude AI from search results.

I don't think there is any equivalent in II.

 

[Quilter]

Have you been to Cancun?

No. Never been to Mexico.

 

[dioxide45]

I wish there was a way to exclude mandatory AI when searching II.
Am I missing something?

The only way to do it is to search by resort codes. You could use the spreadsheet created by @youppi that is in the Sightings forum to create a list of non AI codes that you can then copy/paste into the search bos. Or you can manually go through the resort directory.

 

[dioxide45]

In Cabo, Grand Solmar resorts are considered to be top notch with Lands End the one that is most coveted. I don't know if it shows up all that often in II anymore.

 

[b2bailey]

No. Never been to Mexico.

I know there are many who love Cancun, I am not one of them.
The first time I went, I thought I'd been dropped on Miami Beach.
So many high rise buildings.
I gave it a second chance, thinking I had chosen wrong area the first time.
No, still didn't like it.

I've traveled to Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan several times. Like both.
Just this morning looked at a MZT week using A/C. $350 /week.
But airfare too high.

That's probably why I've been to Cabo , both San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, more times, more places than I can count. Airfare from CA is cheap.

Last year went to Loreto for the first time and liked it a lot.

I NEVER do all-inclusive. Not my style.
I don't drink enough to get my monies worth, and I like freedom to cook in room and/or try new places.

When are you wanting to go?

 

[nomadio]

The other thing to be concerned about these days re Cancun/Mayan Riviera is the sargassum issue. Massive globs of seaweed fouling the water and the beaches. Highly unpredictable as to when it will appear but apparently occurs mainly between March - October. I understand that most hotels have beach cleaning procedures in place. All very unfortunate.

 

[Quilter]

We have only stayed at the Westin Lagunamar in Cancun which is great, so our experience is limited. Do watch out for resort fees with a lot of the resorts. Vidanta (Grand Myanm, Grand Bliss, Grand Luxxe, etc), is notorious for high resort fees

Re: Grand Luxxe

II rep said $200/week for studio, $400/week 1 bedroom and $700/week for something. Is this right?

 

[echino]

Re: Grand Luxxe

II rep said $200/week for studio, $400/week 1 bedroom and $700/week for something. Is this right?

Those are old amounts, it's now a little lower.

Grand Luxxe at Vidanta Riviera Maya

Effective November 1, 2022: 0BED: USD 150. 1BED: USD 300. 2BED/LARGER UNITS: USD 450. Resort fee per unit/per week. Fee includes: Wi-Fi, maid service, access to gym, welcome cocktail, newspaper and internal transportation.

 

[dioxide45]

Re: Grand Luxxe

II rep said $200/week for studio, $400/week 1 bedroom and $700/week for something. Is this right?

There is a page in the booking flow when exchanging or reserving online that outlines all the fees. The fees may by location.

 

[douglasmhines]

For us, it depends on what we are wanting to do. We like the Yucatan for snorkeling and scuba. Cabo for fishing and golf. Puerto Vallarta for people watching at the Malecon. Loreto for the natural beauty. Nuevo Vallarta for the long beach. For us, another factor are flights. We are near Seattle so some flights are shorter than others.

I did like Mazatlan but this is more of a real Mexican experience.

Bill

well said and spot on. During this time of year I really love Loreto because the lower temperatures allow for longer and more enjoyable hikes around the property.

 

[douglasmhines]

Most of the stuff you see on II in those 10 pages will be mandatory AI garbage.

And this is why I have gone away from II and just use what I own. For me, it was a good thing because it made me realize the value in everything that I have. Eventually I will move on to renting resort time from other TUG users, but that time hasn't come yet.