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Traveler Hotel Review:
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Reviewed by:
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Robert
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From: San Antonio, Texas
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Resort: Occidental Grand Xcaret Resort
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Trip Date:
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Aug , 2006 |
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| Here is Robert's Occidental Grand Xcaret Review |
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" I reluctantly give the overall rating of "needs improvement" instead of "poor" because The Occidental Grand Flamenco Xcaret would probably be OK if one knew what to expect. My experience was not what I expected because it was not what I was led to believe I would be getting by the resorts web site and photos. Others may experience a different level of satisfaction due to different expectations.
To be extremely fair, my primary excuse to myself for indulging in this vacation at this location was to snorkel, swim, and sit on the beach. After-all, I was going to the beautiful Carribean, home of the best snorkeling around! I even took my own snorkeling gear with me to avoid the need to "rent" less desirable and used equipment. I need not have bothered. There is NO BEACH here. There is NO SAND, save for the cut-out, medium pool- sized area of water and sand (which I suspect MUST be loaded in periodically) which is separated from the ocean by fencing that allows nothing larger than small fish in or out. Except for that small hole of water there is no snorkeling. In fact, the place does not even offer fins for use...there's no need, the area they call a "Beach" is too small to need them. (I'm sure people with small children would appreciate this feature, though) On my first night there, I went to this "beach" at approximately 7:30 PM to get wet and snorkel in the waning daylight, and was confronted in a few minutes by a "guard" who pretended not to understand english sufficiently to explain his statement that the "beach is closed". (More on this same guard later)
The "adult pool" near the rocky shoreline, featuring rip tides and red warning flags, is a stinky smallish hole of salt water that is fed by the ocean. It is not what one pictures when contemplating a "pool" anymore than the "beach" is a beach. When it was pointed out that there were children in the area, which is supposed to be off-limits to children, I suppose in light of the optional topless sunbathing, the "guard" first pretended not to understand the complaint, (he liked to feign the inability to understand english), but when spoken to in spanish and realized he couldn't carry off the pretense of not understanding, he responded with "I'm watching them, and they are not IN the pool".
IF one does not care about seeing a beach, and you don't mind the water temperature in the actual pools being tepid, the pools are fine. The pool water, surprisingly, was the most cool (never cold) in the area featuring the swim-up bar, which was always full of two-fisted revelers who mysteriously never seemed to need to leave the water to use the facilities.
The rooms are adequate. The best that can be said is the Air Conditioning does work, and it does not mandatorily turn off every time you leave the room, as do the lights and ceiling fan. The air conditioning is truly a blessing, if nothing else than after swimming through the heat and humidity to reach the third floor room by stairs. The "fully stocked mini-fridge" in the room came with two bottles of water, two cans of soda, and two cans of beer. When I inquired about the "fully stocked" representation, I was reassured that the fridge would be restocked "every other day". The bed was hard as a rock, and only on the third day, after, literally, a tearful complaint, did they offer a mattress pad, which did make the remainder of the stay relatively comfortable. My room faced the jungle, got scant breeze, and the balcony had no roof so that when it rained, anything left to dry got wet again, or more precisely, wetter. The signs in the room ask you to participate in the new-age ecologically conscious practice of re-using towels, which was impossible, since the humidity made it impossible for anything wet to ever dry out.
On a positive note, the breakfast buffet at the "beach bar" was very good. Otherwise, the meals were so-so, each "specialty" restaurant (which require, without exception, reservations in advance, though I never saw one full at any time) apparently rotates its turn to feature the menu of the evening at the regular buffet. There's lots of food; it's just that none of it would really qualify for any stars.
The "beef" that I was served, (at the reservation specialty restaurant) which I'd requested medium rare, was served still moving, and my request to have it cooked a little was protested. The chef over-ruled my server and agreed it was not cooked at all, and replaced it. However, when ultimately a properly cooked entree was served, I found that I could not repeat the experience of smelling it again. I'd been warned that beef in mexico "tastes different", and it may be that it would have been OK had the first exposure not been so nauseating. The waiter was so overwrought at the fact that I had not enjoyed the meal that I finally gave him money to make him stop hovering and apologizing.
The best that can be said is that the staff was extremely friendly, and attentive, and apologetic for all shortcomings, which they are apparently used to extending. Exceptions: they will change your dollars to pesos, but not back again, the various shops are inconsistent about what currency they will accept, and there are no stamps for purchase.
There's a mention on the web site that it's a short walk to Playa del Carmen. This is totally untrue and unrealistic, both in terms of distance and safety.
Once again, I'm sure that had my expectations been different, my opinion would be different. I sincerely believe my expectations were unfairly created by the site's pictorial and written representations. I don't want to go all the way to the Carribean and not be able to walk on a sandy beach and snorkel in and around a beach at my hotel. If you are looking for a reasonably priced swimming pool vacation, I'm sure you'll be satisfied. I, on the other hand, will certainly never stay here again. I'll find a resort with a beach! " - Robert, from San Antonio, Texas
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