Semi-resort for non-resort family?

Anonymous
Looking for mid-April. We are celebrating milestone birthdays before becoming empty-nesters. We are interested in Tulum for ruins and beach, or Puerto Rico (possibly Curaçao). No cruise.
Any suggestions/itineraries you could share? Thank you!!
Anonymous
Have no idea what this means
Anonymous
They want the ease and convenience of an all inclusive, but they are travel snobs.
Anonymous
Rosewood Mayakoba
Anonymous
Wyndham Rio Mar or pick a place in Tulum
Anonymous
Ritz dorado beach
Anonymous
Is this just two of you or with teens?

Budget? Time of year?
Anonymous
Puerto Rico, Ritz Dorado
Anonymous
Mahekal Beach Resort in Playa Del Carmen
Anonymous
We stayed at a Marriott resort in curaçao with our teens and liked it. Great pools, easy snorkeling from the beach. Drinks poolside, good birdwatching from the hotel. The restaurants were fine but our best meals were away from the resort. I’m not clear from your post whether you’re bringing kids. Food was expensive in Curaçao as on many islands and portions small, which I was aware of because we were traveling with teen boys.
Anonymous
For ruins have you thought about Belize instead of Tulum? The ruins as Xunantunich are amazing. And Belize has incredible snorkeling and diving because it is right on the reef (Cozumel also has great snorkeling too, though). I haven’t stayed here but I looked into NAIA Resort and Spa and it looked great.
Anonymous
It might also help if you say why you typically don’t like resorts and what you are looking for here…. If it’s because you think resorts are low brow, then mayakoba might be the answer. If it’s because you don’t like a big corporate feeling place, then you probably want a boutique resort.
Anonymous
OP here -thank you to those who offered specific suggestions.

The reason we are not interested in resorts is that we are not seeking organized activities or entertainment, pools, drinks, all-you-can-eat…
I am hoping for hikes to ruins and simple lodging from where to walk out onto a clean beach. If close to a city, beautiful architecture would matter, and in that case we’d spring for a historic hotel. Sounded simple enough to me, but maybe not.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:OP here -thank you to those who offered specific suggestions.

The reason we are not interested in resorts is that we are not seeking organized activities or entertainment, pools, drinks, all-you-can-eat…
I am hoping for hikes to ruins and simple lodging from where to walk out onto a clean beach. If close to a city, beautiful architecture would matter, and in that case we’d spring for a historic hotel. Sounded simple enough to me, but maybe not.


We stayed at a generic bungalow resort in Tulum that had individual huts (private rooms with beds and nothing else). There were multiple resorts like this to choose from. Beach was very pretty and nice to use but no better than the quiet end of Cancun which is easier to get to. Bathrooms were communal and it was Easter weekend so sanitation was neglected. Hotel restaurant was dull. Town of Tulum was kind of run down.

We visited the Tulum ruins but they didn't feel that special. They are quite ruined as ruins go. Mostly building outlines and a few places you can climb up on that are rampart-like. There wasn't a lot of interpretative signage. We went low end because we rarely splash out and it was last minute so everything fancy was marked up. That said, there was a huge line of hotels all down the beach. I don't think, however, that I would recommend Tulum even with better hotels.

The Chichen Itza ruins are far, far more interesting than Tulum. OP might like the historic wing of the hotel we stayed at in Chichen Itza. It is under new management, so check reviews. It was the "Mayaland". It is immediately adjacent to Chichen Itza. That was memorable and "worth it"

https://www.ikalchichenhotel.com/en/home
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:OP here -thank you to those who offered specific suggestions.

The reason we are not interested in resorts is that we are not seeking organized activities or entertainment, pools, drinks, all-you-can-eat…
I am hoping for hikes to ruins and simple lodging from where to walk out onto a clean beach. If close to a city, beautiful architecture would matter, and in that case we’d spring for a historic hotel. Sounded simple enough to me, but maybe not.


You didn’t articulate any of that.
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