Recently my colleagues Hannah and Erin were able to visit AMResorts Secrets, Dreams and Sunscape Resorts. To give you a more personalized insider’s view of each of these resorts, I asked Hannah and Erin to give me the scoop on what it was really like at these destination hot spots without all the PR-ing that you would get from a press release.
In this post you find reviews of Secrets Capri, Dreams Tulum, Dreams Cancun and Sunscape Puerto Adventuras.
Erin: The decor at Secrets Capri is designed to match the Riviera atmosphere. The floors are marble and there are large white columns throughout the property. The space is compact and all amenities are close together. All details are very new, as the resort only opened three years ago.
Hannah: The rooms were beautiful and mine had a small patio where one could sit and relax or sunbathe. The view overlooking the ocean was beautiful—65% of the rooms at Secrets Capri have an ocean view and the rest have a garden view. The bathroom was marble with a separate shower and Jacuzzi.
Erin: All of the staff I spoke to were very friendly, they always said hello when walking by ( I think thats so important) and went out of their way to accommodate guests with the smallest of needs. There’s a concierge on every floor from 9am-5pm and at bedtime a rose is delivered to the room with the schedule for the next day’s activities with a plate of chocolates for dessert.
Hannah: There were 5 restaurants at this location and I ate dinner at Oceana. The Beef tenderloin and jumbo shrimp were amazing. The resort offers theme nights so that the guests have a different dinner option every night of the week.
Erin: The atmosphere at this resort is romance. The entire space is very romantic and intimate. The rooms, dining tables, chairs, etc. all have a very special appeal for couples.
Hannah: Every part of the property that I saw was extremely clean and elegant looking. Also, guests are given their own private concierge table for check in/out, which makes the experience very personalized.
Erin: The Riviera Maya was gorgeous. The water is sky blue and the sand was pure white. The neighboring properties are currently being developed, but there were no construction taking place too close to the resort property.
Hannah: The resorts location on the Mayan Riviera is naturally stunning. Most guests venture off the property once or twice during their stay to see the local attractions. Most of the couples staying at the resort were between the ages of 30-60. There were many couples that came there on their own, as well as couples who came with other friends or with both sets of parents.
Erin: The Spa was clean and luxurious. It is located next to the fitness center downstairs in the main section of the building. It’s not a huge selling point for the resort, but they are building a new spa where the tennis courts currently are.
Hannah: I wasn’t able to witness a wedding at Secrets Capri, but the area where they hold weddings is beautiful.
Erin: I witnessed an evening wedding on the beach that was beautiful. The wedding services they offer are very impressive. The resort hosts an average of 3 weddings per week and during their busy wedding season, they often host 2 weddings a day.
Erin: The decor was simple, classy, clean and elegant. All decor included dark wood and marble with small hints of Mexican culture. The focal point of the property included the main building, which opened at the end of December 2006. The previous Dreams Tulum buildings are in the process of being repainted to match the new d�cor.
Hannah: The new rooms are very luxurious and spacious compared to the old guest rooms that are much less modern and as one guest put it, “more like a 3-star hotel.” The junior suites, where I stayed, had a king size bed, marble floors, a small living space with desk and futon and a balcony. The room included an ipod deck, flat screen TV, DVD player with a DVD library available at the concierge, a mini-fridge that is restocked with various beverages twice a day, 24-hour room service, air conditioning and an electronic safety box.
Erin: All staff members were extremely friendly and helpful. They all seemed to have a positive attitude.
Hannah: Everyday an activity list is available for guests at the front desk as well as posted on the activity board outside The World Cafe. The maid also brought us a list of the next day’s activities and the weather forecast.
Erin: The atmosphere is very casual and relaxed. Everyone is dressed in summer beachwear and flip flops. Almost everyone came with a family member or partner. The resort feels almost empty by 11pm, as most people go to bed fairly early here.
Hannah: The resort seemed incredibly clean and there were many landscapers working on the premises. The beaches were safe, spacious and not over crowded.
Erin: Check in/out was quick and easy. I arrived around 1am, but guests who arrive during the daytime receive fresh baked cookies and glasses of champagne with a cherry in it.
Hannah: The property was gorgeous and the beach and pool areas were beautiful. Local attractions are accessible for an additional fee and the resort seems relatively isolated from other attractions.
Erin: The guest rooms do not include internet access, which I think is key when most travelers’ cell phones do not work at the resort. I was informed that the resort will feature wireless internet service in the upcoming weeks.
Hannah: The trip from the airport was about 90 minutes, some of the areas on the way to the resort was unattractive, but nothing too bad.
Erin: Most of the guests at this resort were between the ages of 40-65. About 20% seemed to have children below the age of 10 with them. Many of the guests I encountered said they chose Dreams because their travel agent recommended it, they found it on travelocity.com or heard about it from friends who had stayed here.
Hannah: The Spa here was beautiful. It’s shaped like a circle with the men’s spa on one side and the women’s on the other. The doors can be opened for a couples massage. It offered a large menu of services, including the Spa Journeys by Pevonia.
Erin: There were more honeymooners here than wedding couples. The resort does hold weddings and most contain about 25 people, but the resort can accommodate over 100.
Hannah: It is definitely a great place for weddings and they have a Catholic Church on the property; it’s only one of three of its kind on the east coast of Mexico. They are in the process of building a ballroom and banquet hall for receptions and currently hold the receptions in their restaurants. According to a man spoke to there that was on his honeymoon after holding his wedding there, the wedding coordinators are A and he was very impressed with the wedding.
Erin: There are 7 restaurants here and my favorite was The World Cafe because it included an array of local cuisine mixed with traditional American favorites.
Hannah: I ate at Portofino, which offers Italian-Mediterranean cuisine. The potato gnocchi and filet mignon were delicious.
Erin: The decor at Dreams Cancun is Mayan and Mexican inspired. Throughout the properties there are sombreros and small Mexican accents. The structure of the Pyramid building and layout of the property has an ancient Mayan feel.
Hannah: The rooms were very nice, although not as luxurious as Dreams Tulum. I only saw the rooms in the Tower building where I was staying, and I thought they were beautiful. The color scheme was blue, green and white—reminiscent of the white sand and sparkling Caribbean below. The view from my room was spectacular—it was breathtaking. 95% of the rooms have an ocean view and those on the bottom floor of the Pyramid will soon be overlooking the dolphinarium.
Erin: The staff that I encountered were all very friendly and went out of their way to accommodate me. The food service staff was quick to take plates or fill up a drink.
Hannah: The maid brought me a list of the next day’s activities as well as the weather forecast. Beyond the regular activities the resort offers, there are additional activities and tours available for an extra fee.
Erin: This resort has 7 restaurants, one of which was not included, and 7 bars. The restaurants are themed varying from seafood, international cuisine to oriental.
Hannah: The atmosphere seemed very relaxed and a bit more family-oriented than Dreams Tulum. The lobby was filled with extremely bright colors and there seemed to be more activities taking place on the beach at this resort. Guests were greeted with fresh baked cookies and drinks upon arrival. The Tower building was much quieter than the Pyramid building, especially the private secluded pool and beach area for Tower guests.
Erin: The resort was spotless despite construction taking place for Dolphinus.
Hannah: Check in was a little confusing as I went to check in at the main lobby check-in area. I gave my name and was lead over to the Tower building check-in, which only had one concierge working at the time. I had to wait a while to speak to someone and then found out that my room wouldn’t be ready until 3pm when I had gotten there at noon.
Erin: The location of Dreams Cancun is beautiful. The resort is surrounded on three sides by beautiful Caribbean waters. It is walking distance from all local attractions including the Cancun Golf Club, fine restaurants, shopping and disco.
Hannah: The beaches were stunning, especially the private beach for guests staying in the Tower building. The color of the water was brighter than any other AMResorts I visited on my trip and the coral is visible from the shoreline.
Erin: The drive time from the Cancun airport to Dreams Cancun is a very quick 30 minutes. The majority of guests here were couples and families between the ages of 27-65. The Spa at Dreams Cancun is unmatchable. It is luxurious, spacious and spotless. The atmosphere is calm and serene.
Hannah: Dreams Cancun offers an array of wedding and honeymoon options. They already have 204 weddings planned for 2007.
Erin: The staff was pleasurable and happy. The concierge knew me by name and always referred to me as Ms. Haggerty. They went out of their way to make guests feel special and appreciated.
Erin: The Sunscape atmosphere is very art deco in terms of color. Everything is minimal and kid-friendly. This resort is intended as a family fun getaway.
Hannah: The rooms were pretty standard, although many of the rooms have stunning views of the Caribbean. Those rooms not facing the Caribbean have a marina view. All of the rooms have cable TV, in-room safe, a mini-bar that is refreshed daily and a terrace or patio. The resort offers the option of connecting rooms, which is a great feature for larger families or multiple families visiting together. Additionally, up to three rooms can be sectioned off from the rest of the hallway. If you book a week in the Superior Suite, the resort offers you a free wedding package.
Erin: There are 5 restaurants at this resort and I ate at The World Cafe where the quesadilla’s were fresh and unique. I also had a strawberry daiquiri at Barracuda bar, which was delicious with fresh strawberries.
Hannah: Everything about the resort was very casual and family-oriented. The beach and pool areas seemed crowded with a lot people and activities, but there was certainly something for everyone. There was, however, an adults-only pool where adults could go to get away from the hustle and bustle of the activity on the beach.
Erin: The resort was extremely clean. The staff was constantly picking up glasses and plates from the guests dining by the pool.
Hannah: The beaches were very clean and safe and the water was crystal clear. There were small nature pools for guests that were unbelievable.
Erin: The location of this property was gorgeous. The town was walking distance for the resort. The marina was visible from the rooms, as well as, nearby resorts. This resort also has a wonderful inlet for snorkeling.
Hannah: Travel time from the Cancun airport is about 30 minutes. The majority of the guests at Sunscape were families.
Erin: This resort hosts an average of about 10 weddings per month, although there is not a heavy focus on romance at this resort since it targets families.
Hannah: The Spa was very clean. There was an indoor area and an outdoor area where guests could receive spa treatments while overlooking the ocean.
Erin: The Sunscape staff was wonderful. All members were extremely helpful and friendly.
Posted by Shannon Nelson on March 27, 2007 11:12 AM
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