Westin Lagunamar

[sclark]

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.

 

[loucor75]

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

 

[leejaime97]

thank you

Thank you everyone!

 

[tmwilkin]

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.

 

[Ken555]

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:

 

[tmwilkin]

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.

 

[zentraveler]

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.

 

[zentraveler]

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

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.)

 

[LisaRex]

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?

 

[Larry]

​

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

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.

.

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!!!!!

 

[gnorth16]

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

 

[Henry M.]

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.

 

[bobpark56]

Router: where do you get its input?

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.

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?

 

[Henry M.]

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.

 

[BLUE AYES]

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.

 

[Henry M.]

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?

The wireless service at Lagunamar is extremely slow and was down most of the time I was there a few weeks ago. The wired Ethernet connection was better, so if you attach a router to it, you can use WiFi in your room without having to be near the wall plug. It also lets more than one computer connect. Even just my wife and I often want to use the internet at the same time, from different devices, like tablets and smartphones that get expensive when you roam outside the US.

 

[Westin5Star]

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.

 

[zentraveler]

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.

 

[zentraveler]

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.

 

[gnorth16]

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.

 

[Ken555]

Ken555555555555

I need to change my name.

 

[grgs]

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

 

[Transit]

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!!!!!

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.

 

[zentraveler]

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.

 

[zentraveler]

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]

Had lunch there today. Great food, < 10 min walk from WLM just past La Europa (which really does have a HUGE wine selection and broad price ranges). Several tables of locals there; not a tourist in sight. Lovely spot right on the water. Wish we had looked for it earlier!