Reviewer
from Knoxville, TN - October 26, 2004
Ok, We've just been back for 3 hours and I couldn't
wait to get up here and write this review. My husband
and I took our late honeymoon (got married 4 years ago),
to Xpu-ha for 5 nights and let me tell ya, stay longer.
There was just so much to do, yet the beach is so gorgious
that you don't want to do anything but enjoy it.
We brought way too many clothes! I overpacked as I
always seem to do. pack lots of t-shirts, shorts, coverups,
stuff like that. We woke up every morning, put on our
swimsuits and shorts and t-shirt, went to breakfast
and hit the beach. We dressed a little better for dinner,
but I brought my husband alot of jeans and pants and
he never wore them, he said it was too hot. He just
always wore a nice pair of cargo shorts and his sandals
since there is no dress code, which we think is nice.
We stressed a little too much this first day about
trying to plan our activities for the week. I think
that when you work you butt off at home and finally
get a vacation it takes a little while to chill out
and not try to be on a schedule. It's hard when you
first get to the resort and it can be overwhelming with
all the things there are to do. Relax and take each
day as it comes.
The staff at Xpu-ha are wonderful people that genuinly
wanted you to have a good time and went out of their
way to please you. We left tips even though it didn't
make a difference in the service. Carmen, the server
on the beach was awsome everyday, we tip her, she works
her booty off because she's the only one. Jesus, one
of the activity directors was pure entertainment. That
kid was everywhere! On the beach playing soccer with
the kids, handing out snorkeling gear at the kayaking
place, performing at the shows, you name it he did it.
He even sat with us at the lobby bar one night for an
hour giving us "spanish lessons", this was
already after he was off the clock, so sweet. It was
little things like this that made this the best vacation
I've ever had.
Don't stress about the room. I did before we got there,
but when we got dropped off from the airport and saw
how unique the lobby was, just the whole atmosphere,
I just knew that any room would be fine, I didn't even
make any "special request". But Carlos at
the front desk did hook us up with an upper floor room
in the crocodiles section just beside the snorkeling
inlet, we couldn't see it, but we were'nt in the room
that often anyways.
Already planning to go back next year with friends
and a few years later when our kids get older!!!!!!!
Reviewer
from Columbus, Ohio - October
22, 2004
This place is awesome!!! We were so entirely impressed
that we are already planning to bring some friends back
next fall. We stayed at Xpu Ha for four nights and at
Iberostar Tucan for four nights and the whole time,
we were wishing we'd just stayed at Xpu Ha. I swear
my new hubby was going to break into tears when we passed
the entrance on a different tour.
First things first: This is not the place for barbie
or other princess-type people. The grounds are enormous
and you will need to walk, hop on a tram, or grab a
bike to go places. Although we thought that was part
of the fun, it could get old after a while. We met a
couple who'd been there for 2 weeks and they were somewhat
tired of it. If it rains, you either walk in the rain
or get room service. It's VERY casual and you'll often
see people walking and dining in their swimsuits and
cover ups. No need to bring your heels. Some comfy shorts
and t-shirts are all you really need, though to dress
up a sundress is plenty.
The rooms were really unique. The jacuzzi in our room
was used several times and came in handy after a long
day of snorkeling, swimming or other activities. They
provide the bubble bath. The maid service was good.
We left $1 or $2 a night. Our lady didn't speak English,
so if you need anything in particular, you should call
the front desk. We wished they had restocked our mini-bar
more often, but with alcohol plentiful at every bar
and restaurant, it wasn't a big deal. The rooms were
a bit musty and the AC never really got it COLD in there
but it wasn't enough of a nuisance to worry about. The
beds are definitely firm but the ones at Iberostar were
downright torture in comparison.
The food was great - though I can't say much about
the a la carte restaurants since we stuck to Ragazzis
and Caletas almost entirely. Ragazzis probably has the
bigger selection, but Caletas was just so perfectly
situated by the lagoon and ocean, that you just enjoyed
sitting there. And the grilled fish, shellfish, and
steaks to order were great. I liked breakfast a lot
- the egg man made up whatever you wanted. Toppings
aplenty. We found the service at the bars and restaurants
to be fantastic. We noticed that we got much better
service after smiling, saying gracias or thank you,
and being patient with language difficulties. We gave
a $1 tip when someone was serving us for a long time
at a bar or was extra helpful at dinner. It didn't seem
expected or necessary though.
The snorkeling inlet was fun. We just started snorkeling
so it was a good place to get used to it. We brought
our own (cheap) snorkeling gear from home but the resort
has its own equipment as well if you don't want to pack
or carry it around. We also went to Xel Ha for a longer
day of snorkeling.
The evening entertainment was limited but enjoyable.
Go to the Lounge Bar after about 8:30 and they have
a show, games or live bands for you to see. They do
offer to take you to a night club for the late night
crowd, but since we spent almost every day waking early,
getting to the beach or snorkeling, eating til we felt
like puking, and having too many pina coladas, the only
thing we wanted to do late at night was go to bed to
get up early again.
It seemed to us like half the guests were American
or British and the other half were Spanish speakers
from all over the Americas and Spain. There were a few
kids but none that we saw under the age of 5 or so.
I don't know if it would be a great place to take small
kids but I think the older ones would have a blast.
LOTS of honeymooners.
Well, since we stayed at two resorts down there, I'll
give a bit of a comparison. Iberostar Tucan/Quetzal
was much more 'touristy' and crowded. MANY more children.
The beds were just torture. The Iberostar pools and
beach were so close together that it was just one big
rush of people compared to Xpu Ha's space and relaxed
atmosphere. I actually think the food was better at
Iberostar but the whole hassle of making dinner reservations
at the a la carte restaurants was weird - the buffets
were great. The service was definitely more friendly
at Xpu Ha. We did enjoy the swim up bar at Iberostar...
very deadly!
We just can't wait to go back to Xpu Ha!!!!
Reviewer
from Bury St. Edmunds, England
- October 13, 2004
We have just returned from what was without doubt the
most amazing, unique holday experience. From the moment
we we were greeted at reception with a glass of champagne
to the second we departed we couldn't find anything
to complain about. The staff were all superb with a
special mention to William in the Mariacha restaurant
and Carlos at the Ragazzi.
The accommodation was impeccable, we were situated
in the 'Mammals' section with an upstairs room, having
heard the stories on this site of 'musty smells' and
'insect problems' in the rooms we were well prepared
with plug in repellent and scented candles, needless
to say they were not needed. The room was spotless on
arrival and was maintained throughout our stay to that
standard.
The restaurants were all superb, the food was fresh,
cooked perfectly and the service was friendly and efficient.
Stories of watered down drinks at the bars proved unfounded,
having worked my way through the cocktail menu I can
confirm the alcohol content was as it should be!
The beach was beautiful, crystal clear water and powdery
white sand. We sat on the beach early one morning to
watch the sunrise, awesome! Lounging around by the pools
was lovely, with staff on hand to serve drinks the only
energy spent was moving from the sunbed to the water.
The surrounding environment is something you can't
tire of, the jungle is obviously home to all sorts of
different animals too many to list here but the highlight
had to be the raccoons. Before going out of an evening
we both applied insect repellent and between us we only
received 5 bites.
A concern we had before arrival was the huge amount
of walking we would have to do. We found that to walk
around the full perimeter of the site took approximately
20 minutes, so don't worry you don't have to an Olympian!
If you don't like walking then just ask for centrally
located accomodation or use the golf buggies that transport
people around the site. The longest we had to wait for
a buggy was 10 minutes.
This resort is just amazing, a unique experience. If
you want to stay in a luxury 5 star resort with elevators,
sliding doors etc. don't go here, pick one of the thousands
of hotels that give you that. However, if you want to
stay at a luxury 5 star resort with a difference you
can't go far wrong at XPU-HA PALACE. Why have a concrete
jungle when you can have THE JUNGLE!?
Reviewer
from Los Angeles, CA - August
8, 2004
We just got back last week from the Xpu-Ha Palace. This
place was great. We were only gone a week and I came
back relaxed like I was gone a month. This resort is
about an hour south of Cancun, away from all the hustle.
However, it's only about 20 min. away from Playa Del
Carmen. It's situated in an eco-park, which basically
means it's carved out of the jungle.
We bumped into a few guests who didn't research their
vacation and were upset by being too close to nature.
If chilling on the beach, hanging out at the pool, taking
walks, listening to wild birds, crossing paths with
local fauna (boas, iguanas, racoons) isn't your bag,
this place is not for you.
Xpu-Ha beach is awsome. The water is a clear tub, sand
is clean and white, and with a cold frosty in hand you
become the Corona commercial.
The food and service at this resort was better than
it had to be for an all inclusive. I think all the Palace
resorts take it to another level. They have buffet's
going on all day and a couple order off the menu restaurants
for dinner, which we usually hit. I liked eating outside
at the Caleta (inlet) the best. They had grilled shrimp,
langostinos, and Salmon filets to order, throw a little
hot salsa on top and go to work. They also had steaks
and chops off the Q as well, the rib-eye was the most
tender. Breakfasts had a big variety, eggs to order,
hotcakes, french toast, etc.., lunch was a my least
favorite presentation. However, there is always something
to eat at any time of day or night.
As far as the activities went, we did nothing most
of the day except become one with the ocean. My son
and I played volleyball and soccer on the beach. My
wife and I read books and hung out. I'm a scuba diver
and the snorkling at the facility was weak. However,
if you are a beginner, you can snorkel the inlet and
the lagoon (estuary) between 9-5. I saw a really big
sting ray and a barracuda in the inlet one day, but
for the most part the snokeling was boring. They have
scuba diving available at the resort, but I wouldn't
recommend it, the scuba sites had nothing good to say
about the company (Aquaworld). I highly recommend Tank-Ha.
I went with them after researching the various reviews
and was very happy. They even picked up my cab fare
to their dive shop in PDC. They also have a shop 20
min walk down the beach at Club Maeva. I did a two tank
dive in the Cenotes (sink holes) one of the best dives
I've ever done. I also did a two tank dive on Cozumel.
They are the only company from PDC that have their own
boat. Saves a lot of time, less than an hour each way.
Coz had incredible visability and beautiful coral. However,
I gotta say I like the fish in Hawaii better. Keep in
mind you want to make sure the dive company in Mexico
is safe.
Palace resorts also lets you visit their other hotels
during the day and use the facilities. We stayed put,
not motivated to leave our paradise. It did kind of
suck that many guests from the other resorts came to
Xpu-Ha and took up beach space.
You can also go on various excursions to Tulum and
the ruins. It was hard to drag me off the beach to go
diving, much less deal with crowds and the hot son at
the pyramids. However, I got a lot of positive reviews
from other guests that went.
My wife loves to shop and there is a good gift shop
at the resort and some shopping fun in PDC. We live
in So. Cal, have been to Mexico many times, not real
excited about shopping in Mexico. How many hammocks
and blankets can you own?
Our son brought his scooter, which was great to get
around in. Should have gone to Toys R US and bought
Razors for all three of us. We read the trams were slow
and that it was hard to get around the resort. After
the first day, you get dialed into where the trams go
most often and we had no problems getting around. There
are also bikes to snatch everywhere. My advise is don't
be impatient, don't be afraid to walk, and when in Rome,
do as the Romans. Keep in mind YOU ARE IN MEXICO! IN
THE MIDDLE OF A TROPICAL JUNGLE! It's not America, although
with the new resorts, restaurants and Sam's Club, it's
still 2nd world. SLOW DOWN, YOU ARE ON VACATION. Don't
expect them to rush it for you, it won't happen.
One thing really pissed me off during the trip. A few
of my fellow Americans were rude, loud and obnoxious
to the staff. These people are trying to show you a
good time, bring you drinks and entertain you. It's
ok to say please and thank you. You might want to try
a couple of simple cordial words in Español.
You don't have to remind them that you can do it better
in America. You don't have to take the illegal alien
problem in America out on the resort staff. They are
trying to work hard and earn a living just like you.
The abrasive attitude won't bring your drinks any faster
or cook your steak more well done.
Last, as far as the rooms go, Reptiles and Reefs section
are the best, closest to the beach, pools, inlet, lagoon.
All Xpu-Ha Palace rooms are nice, equiped with double
jacuzzi, big shower, firm beds, but get on the waiting
list to those sections when you check in. Be cool to
the staff at check in and follow up. They hooked us
up with a great ocean view room in reptiles the second
day. Also the rooms can get a little musty, due to climate.
My wife brought some Febreze, which oh so freshened
things up.
Hope this helps and welcome to Jurrasic Park.
Reviews from TripAdvisor.com.
