Westin Lagunamar

[daynab]

Hello all,
I just made my reservation for Lagunamar for Feb 15, 2013. I was only able to get a studio villa. I was hoping for a 1 bedroom. Do you think I have any chance of a possible cancellation and being able to change the reservation? Do I need to call everyday? Or is there a waitlist procedure?

I prefer a one or two bedroom as the kids are getting older and it offers more space and privacy. Will I truly be disappointed in a studio? We have cruised and done all inclusives where we only have one room, but having the kitchen in the same space with a dining table, is there really enough room? We have never had a studio with a kitchen.

Also, looking for some good family type restaurant recommendations.
Which day excursion is better Xel Ha or Xcaret?

Excited for our first trip to the hotel zone, and to the Westin Lagunamar.
We have always stayed in the Riviera Maya. Any advice woud be greatly appreciated. We became owners a few years ago and have loved SVV,WKR, WKORVN, but have always had a 1 or 2 bedroom. Please ease my mind.

Thanks

 

[DeniseM]

Only Elite Owners can wait list - for a cancellation, you will have to call every day. The most likely time to get a cancellations is at 61 days out, because owners have to cancel before the 60 day mark to avoid having restricted Staroptions.

Just so you know, you can make Staroption reservations at 8 mos. out from check-in, (June 15 for Feb. 15) and you probably could have gotten a 1 bdm. at that time.

Link to Villas - http://www.starwoodvacationownership.com/westin_lagunamar_ocean_resort/villas.html

 

[daynab]

Thanks Denise, just wanted to make sure of my options. I know I could have made a reservation earlier, but just got my vacation approval for the week. It's a highly competetive week to get approved.

 

[Westin5Star]

Instead of Xel Ha or Xcaret, might I suggest Selvatica
http://www.selvatica.com.mx/
You can check it out on Trip Advisor. My family and I did it last year and it was awesome.

For meals, you have many great choices but it really depends on what you like. My family and I love Harry's and usually eat there 2-3 dinners per week while in Cancun. Puerto Madero is good as well. If you like seafood check out Fred's. For Italian we like Cenacolo. There are many decent Mexican food places that vary greatly depending on what you like; you can talk to the concierge at the hotel and they can hook you up.

I also agree with you on the 1Br being much better than a studio. My boys are 7 and 9 so I always rent a 1Br or 2Br instead of a studio. We can be ok with the smaller 1Br at HRA or WKV but we really prefer the larger full 1Br.

WLR seems to have pretty good bulk deposits with II. As a TUG member you could just check this daily and know when 1Br or 2Br are available. Another option is to put in an II request for a 1Br at WLR.

Enjoy you visit to Cancun.

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks Denise, just wanted to make sure of my options. I know I could have made a reservation earlier, but just got my vacation approval for the week. It's a highly competetive week to get approved.

It only costs $29 to change your reservation, so it would be worthwhile to make the Resv. at 8 mos., and change it later if necessary.

 

[daynab]

Denise, I recieved a call from Starwood Resolutions today in response to a survey I completed about the Villa Resort Availability finder on the mystarcentral website. Due to the confusion in the availability they cancelled my reservation of the studio and gave me a 1 Bedroom. The man on the phone could not have been nicer or more accomodating. He really wanted to make me happy. They said there have been gliches and he apologized over and over for the confusion.

Thanks for the restaurant and activity recommendations. You are always so helpful.

Now I am even more excited about our trip. The one bedroom changes the whole experience. I will make sure to book early next year and change if we have to. Good advice.

Thanks again

 

[stevens397]

We are getting ready to leave for the airport after a wonderful week here. I'm really glad you got the one bedroom because I think a week in the studio with two kids would have been no vacation at all! Unlike a lot of other Starwood timeshares, at Lagunamar, the studio is much smaller and has no living room. It is NOT for families.

That said, what a beautiful place. The water is so gorgeous you just sit and stare at it. The facility is wonderful and everyone who works here goes out of their way to help and make you feel welcome and valued. We will most certainly return.

Enjoy!

 

[Ken555]

We are getting ready to leave for the airport after a wonderful week here. I'm really glad you got the one bedroom because I think a week in the studio with two kids would have been no vacation at all! Unlike a lot of other Starwood timeshares, at Lagunamar, the studio is much smaller and has no living room. It is NOT for families.

The studio at Lagunamar is almost identical to those in Hawaii.

 

[stevens397]

Important Internet Advice!

Hi all-

Read a lot of reviews before we got to Lagunamar and there were many complaints about internet wireless speed. Last year we went to Harborside at Atlantis and had read that there was only wired internet in the rooms. Because of that, we purchased a portable wireless router that worked fine in Atlantis and brought it with us to Cancun.

We had absolutely no problem at all with the internet while using our wireless router:

http://about.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=737324123/search=travel+router

It is really tiny and I know we paid under $50 (I think uner $40 but not sure). Excellent investment that seemingly saved a lot of grief this week. I'm sure there are plenty of others you can get and I'm sure they all work but this is the one we have.

Happy and connected travels!

 

[DeniseM]

We are getting ready to leave for the airport after a wonderful week here. I'm really glad you got the one bedroom because I think a week in the studio with two kids would have been no vacation at all! Unlike a lot of other Starwood timeshares, at Lagunamar, the studio is much smaller and has no living room. It is NOT for families.

None of the studios have living rooms - the studios are all one room units, however, some Starwood resorts have a small one bedroom, instead of a studio, and they do have a separate living room.

 

[stevens397]

None of the studios have living rooms - the studios are all one room units, however, some Starwood resorts have a small one bedroom, instead of a studio, and they do have a separate living room.

The two SVO's I own are Kierland and Mission Hills. Both sides are really one bedroom suites - one larger and one smaller. It's one of the things I like most about the units. Brought my daughter, son-in-law and their 4 year old twins last year to Kierland and having two rooms on the other side of the wall was indispensable. Yeah - I'm spoiled!

 

[daynab]

Thanks for all the great feedback and advice. I will check out Selvatica online. I am glad I got the 1 bedroom also. I am thinking of purchasing one of those portable routers. Great idea.

If anyone has any restaurant recommendations, that would be great.

Also, how do we go about renting a gold cart on Isla Mujeres and what are some places to visit for the day there?

 

[Henry M.]

I'm going to be at WLR this coming Sunday.

Last Sunday, I tried to make airport transport reservations at www.usa-transfers.com based on some positive feedback I saw elsewhere on TUG. I never got a confirmation e-mail from them, and when I tried to call this morning, no one picked up the phone, not even an answering machine. Would anyone here happen to know if they are still in business?

Would it be better to just call the resort and let them arrange transportation for 2, or is a taxi just as good? What is the expected cab fare from the airport to WLR?

 

[grgs]

Would it be better to just call the resort and let them arrange transportation for 2, or is a taxi just as good? What is the expected cab fare from the airport to WLR?

We used the pre-booked shuttle service through the concierge desk last June. It was $35--there were 4 of us, but I think the fee may be the same for 2. A taxi probably would have been cheaper and worked fine, but there is something to be said for the convenience and certainty of having it pre-booked (especially after a long day of travel). Someone was there waiting for us--they called for the van, and it showed up in a few minutes. It all went very smoothly.

On the way back, we just caught a taxi. I don't remember how much that cost.

Glorian

 

[jarta]

emuyshondt, ... I have almost always just walked out of the airport terminal and into the mob and found a taxi or shared van. IMO, reservations are not really necessary.

But, if you want something waiting for you, just call the Lagunamar concierge desk. It will be uncomplicated. It will not be the cheapest way to get to Lagunamar. Salty

 

[jkrischt]

I'm going to be at WLR this coming Sunday.

Last Sunday, I tried to make airport transport reservations at www.usa-transfers.com based on some positive feedback I saw elsewhere on TUG. I never got a confirmation e-mail from them, and when I tried to call this morning, no one picked up the phone, not even an answering machine. Would anyone here happen to know if they are still in business?

Would it be better to just call the resort and let them arrange transportation for 2, or is a taxi just as good? What is the expected cab fare from the airport to WLR?

That would be really disappointing. I just used them in May and they were great as usual. I even setup a weird hotel to timeshare trip in the middle with a stop at Wal-Mart and everything went perfectly. I will say that they have been slow sometimes getting back to me over e-mail and on the website. Hopefully they eventually get back to you. Please let us know...

Brad

 

[malyons]

I used them in August and everything was fine. Great service, hope they're still going strong. I've also used cancuntransfers with good results. I'm sure it's possible to just run the gauntlet and find a ride out there when you arrive, but i much prefer having a reservation. Once I see the guy holding a sign with my name my vacation can begin and i don't have to fend off the guys trying to get me into a timeshare presentation, you get enough of that at most resorts.

 

[Henry M.]

I guess there must have been some sort of glitch. I called usa-transfers again this afternoon and reached someone right away. They did have a record of my online registration and resent the confirmation e-mail to me. I got it and all is set up.

 

[stevens397]

Thanks for all the great feedback and advice. I will check out Selvatica online. I am glad I got the 1 bedroom also. I am thinking of purchasing one of those portable routers. Great idea.

If anyone has any restaurant recommendations, that would be great.

Also, how do we go about renting a gold cart on Isla Mujeres and what are some places to visit for the day there?

Isla Mujeres - ok but nothing very special. A good diversion for a day outside the resort. Went to the Turtle Farm (actually interesting), the Mayan Ruin (one small bldg but had a beer overlooking the water, and drove the island. Had lunch in the center of town before heading back. NOTE - the ferry goes back every hour on the half hour, but I believe 2:30 there is no ferry. Lots of us did not realize it and were stuck for an extra hour!

Restaurants - Best was Savios, owned by the same people as La Dolce Vita. Understand that none of the food was exceptional. Here is was good and the atmosphere and service were wonderful. If you sit outside and the mosquitos start biting, ask for their spray. Two other good ones were Fred's Fish and La Habituela. We had a very nice meal at the main restaurant at the resort on one of the nights that was not a themed buffet.

Have a great time!

 

[Henry M.]

I don't have a router with me, but I was able to set up my MacBook to share the Internet connection over WiFi.I'm using that connections with my iPad as I type this. I just plugged in my MacBook's Ethenret port and went into settings to enabled sharing.

The hotel wireless was out for a couple of days. I haven't checked it today. Before, you could connect and sign in, but as soon as you tried to go to any site you'd get a message that you were not connected. I have not had any problems once I started up my MacBook. Fortunately I can do most of my work on my iPad. A router would be nice if I needed to use my laptop more.

 

[jkrischt]

Isla Mujeres - ok but nothing very special. A good diversion for a day outside the resort. Went to the Turtle Farm (actually interesting), the Mayan Ruin (one small bldg but had a beer overlooking the water, and drove the island. Had lunch in the center of town before heading back. NOTE - the ferry goes back every hour on the half hour, but I believe 2:30 there is no ferry. Lots of us did not realize it and were stuck for an extra hour!

Glad to see I wasn't the only one to make this mistake! It was 100 degrees and humid when we realized our mistake. Not fun

Isle Mujeres is nothing special, but it was nice to go somewhere else on a little side trip. We hit up Zama Beach Club right by the Turtle Farm and enjoyed lunch there. Very nice place. I wish we actually spent some time on the beach there instead of running back to catch the non-existent 2:30 ferry.

Brad

 

[zentraveler]

Questions for next week...

Heading there next week. Have only a studio at the moment (through II with a Four Seasons ownership). Hoping to pay extra for an upgrade to 1 BDRM when we get there. Has anyone done this?

Can anyone give advice about the fitness center? Do they have exercise classes? Yoga?

Can one rent snorkel gear at the hotel? Near-by? We have our own and usually haul it but decided to just rent it this year?

Are there any good non-hotel restaurants walking distance? We will have a car, but prefer just to walk to dinner and not navigate a new city.

Thanks and any info.

 

[jarta]

Heading there next week. Have only a studio at the moment (through II with a Four Seasons ownership). Hoping to pay extra for an upgrade to 1 BDRM when we get there. Has anyone done this?

I have not, but if the resort is not busy, it could be possible. The 1-br is much more comfortable. I have no idea what the price would be or whether it would be much of a deal. Starwood has different flexibility than Four Seasons where you can change seasons for a reasonable fee (subject to availability) and split a week 4/3.

Can anyone give advice about the fitness center? Do they have exercise classes? Yoga?

When you check in, go to the concierge desk and pick up the weekly activity list. Fitness center is decently equipped and is on the lower level below the check-in area. I believe I saw yoga on the schedule the last time I was at LRA. Politely and firmly decline the offer to take a sales pitch.

Can one rent snorkel gear at the hotel? Near-by? We have our own and usually haul it but decided to just rent it this year?

None available at the resort. The surf by the resort beach is usually very rough. Cancun is not like Starwood's place in Ka'anipali on Maui. There is a large, modern shopping center (La Isla) right across the street from LRA. I don't remembear a dive shop, but I haven't looked for one. Most scuba and snorkeling is done at an off-shore island (Isla de Las Mujeres; maybe 10 miles?) which has a leeward shore. But, I do neither.

Are there any good non-hotel restaurants walking distance? We will have a car, but prefer just to walk to dinner and not navigate a new city.

The shopping center across the street has good Thai and Indian places. Most are ordinary chains (Hard Rock, Johnny Rocket's, Planet Hollywood) or not very good local places with good water, but blah food. There are lots of quite good restaurants a short bus or cab ride away. Prices can vary. Ask the concierege for recommendations at your price level. Buses stop right in front of the resort. Fare is about 60 cents each one-way and safe for Americans (but the drivers are a little crazy. Hold on tight! lol!) Cancun resorts are in a designated hotel zone that is safe. Not so sure of the non-hotel zone after dark unless you cab it both ways. The hotel zone is about 20 miles long on the barrier island. Cancun will remind you of Miami Beach, not Carlsbad or Scottsdale.

Thanks and any info.

Enjoy your trip. Customs is a bitch! Salty

 

[Henry M.]

There aren't any good places to snorkel along the main hotel zone. Besides the surf, there's just sand, so not much to see. The only place I found was at the southern tip, at the ClubMed property. Before Lagunamar was ready, I stayed at the Westin Regina. You could walk down the beach, past ClubMed and reach an area with a few reefs. It was interesting and much better than the snorkeling at Isla Mujeres. At the time it had suffered some hurricane damage, but still had a lot of life. We saw some large squid, a couple of feet long. You can also see the area where the "jungle tours" take you from here. Where the tours stop is also pretty damaged from excessive tourist visits.

When I was there a couple of weeks ago, the concierge offered a snorkeling tour to Cozumel that sounded interesting and was only about $75/person. This was not bad considering how far away Cozumel is. They would provide snorkeling gear, so no need to rent. The best time to go is when the weather is clear and there are few clouds.

I might go snorkeling to Isla Mujeres if I had never been there, but El Garrafon is pretty damaged from storms and all the tourists that go there. If you are a serious snorkeler and have been to other Caribbean locations you will probably find it disappointing.

When I was there, there was a small area fenced off near the ramp from the pool to the beach. Sea turtles had laid eggs and they were being protected. As the baby turtles emerged, the staff gathered them and in the evening let people nearby carry them in buckets to the ocean so they would not be picked off by the sea gulls. It was a pretty cool activity. Every day the number of signs in the cage would get smaller, as the broods would hatch. I don't know if they would all have hatched by now.

 

[Henry M.]

In terms of restaurants, I also liked Thai, right across the street in the shopping center.

I liked Puerto Madero and Harry's. They offer higher end steak and seafood and are located across the street from the Ritz Carlton. I walked there (turn left as you come out of Lagunamar and walk onthe right of the road). It took about 15 minutes walking, or you can just take one of the buses. I did not feel I needed a car to be in the hotel zone. The buses were more convenient.

Hacienda Sisal is a little closer, in the same direction, and supposedly good Mexican fare. I didn't try it but it was recommended by some friends.

Very near the hotel, in the same direction, is La Habichuela. The food was ok, but I liked their Maya show and the fancily served Maya coffee you get for free if you are staying at Lagunamar (several restaurants offer you a free drink or other goodies if you stay at Lagunamar, ask the concierge about it). I think there are limited days when they hold one show in the evening. I'd ask when the show is and plan to be there 10 or 15 minutes earlier. I'd even make a reservation to get a table outside near where the show takes place.

Next to La Habichuela is what looks like a taco stand called El Fish Fritanga. From the road level it is just a window where you can buy different kinds of tacos, however, there is a staircase next to it where you can go down to the lagoon and there is more of a sit-down restaurant. We didn't get to go to it, but many people we talked to recommended it. We could see the area from La Habichuela, and it was full with people obviously enjoying theplace. We will go next time we're there.

Many people like to go to WalMart to buy a supply of food and drinks. You take the Ruta 2 bus into downtown. Tell the driver "WalMart" and he will indicate where to get off. The WalMart is about a half block straight in front of the stop. To get back, the bus stops right onthe street you cross to get into WalMart. They have just about any food you might want there. There's also a Sam's Club next door but I didn't go in. The hotel also offers some sort of service where for 300 pesos a taxi will take you there, wait for an hour and bring you right back to the hotel where the bellman can take your groceries and take them up to your room. Very convenient.

One last item: if you start walking in the direction I mentioned, on the sidewalk across the street from Lagunamar, before you get to El Fish Fritanga and the first set of low buildings, you will go by some taller glass buildings. In the last building there's a sign over the door that reade La Europea or something like that. It is a small store with lots of European wines, cheeses, and other light food fare. There is not a lot of variety, but it is a good place to buy wine and cheese and other nice things to eat.