I absolutely love the appeal of all-inclusive resorts. Sometimes we take trips that are filled with activities; other times it is good to just pull into one location and set up shop for a week. We got married at a Sandals in The Bahamas, so we will always have a soft spot for that particular resort. For this trip, we opted for a Secrets vacation. After much research last March, we chose Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun.
One day in June, I was perusing the Twitter, which is one of my favorite time-sucks. I noticed several folks tweeting about Silversands. Apparently, there were financial issues and some major discord; this all ended up with armed guards on site and the resort closing down.
Ay caramba.
The most concerning thing at this point was that not one person reached out to us. If I were not a social media addict, who knows when we would have found out. Many, many phone calls, emails, and tweets later, we were re-booked at the Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya. I was a little nervous, to say the least. The resort is about an hour and twenty minutes from the Cancun, Mexico airport. (We paid for private transportation; I was a little surprised that Secrets didn't offer to help out with a ride, as this resort was a full hour further away than the one we originally booked.) The ride was perfect (Coronas and salty chips greeted us) and then we entered Akumal. I shouldn't have worried at all, this resort turned out to be just about ideal.
Eats
Have we met? I am a foodie for life. I should get a Tupac-style tat on my belly: FoodieLife. This resort has so many restaurants to choose from. We were a little worried about the no-reservations policy (the one exception is the hibachi restaurant) but we are sort of early birds, so most days we were seated immediately. Most of the restaurants were dark and romantic, so my pictures are not the greatest.
Just trust me when I say everything was next-level; there was an amuse bouche served with each meal, and the presentation of each dish, down to the tiniest detail, was spot-on. The food here was so much better than Sandals, it was kind of shocking.
It should also be noted that my sweet husband was the best-dressed man in the entire resort. The website stated that at some restaurants (like the above French location) require 'casual elegance'. It may not be a popular opinion, but it does irk me when people aren't dressed up at certain venues. Going for a taco and guac by the pool? For sure wear your shorts and cover ups. Going to a romantic meal or a broadway show? Polish it up a bit! Most places don't say anything anymore, I appreciated that Secrets didn't kick anyone out, but men wearing shorts (and their dates) had to sit outside.
Fun in the Sun
This resort had three pools. We ended up spending the bulk of our time (we basically moved into) the 'quiet' pool. It really was serene and clean, the water was perfect, and I want to go back to there right this minute.
We also enjoyed snorkeling in the Caribbean. I am proud to report that my skills are improving, and I am no longer using the snorkel equipment as a straw.
I read a lot (shocking) and swam around the pool countless times to see what everyone else was reading (and to see if I had already read it!) My stats were pretty good, hopefully I didn't creep anyone out with my curiosity.
Dranks
The mixed cocktails at this resort were the best I have ever had. Everything was top shelf, and all mixers were freshly squeezed and everything was made to order. The margaritas by 'our' pool were our favorite, those bad boys were beyond delicious.
We also had a tequila tasting with one dinner and learned a lot. We did Scooby Doo shots at a swim-up bar, because of the When-in-Rome-rule.
Romance
Everywhere we went, someone would ask..."Are you celebrating something special? Is this a special occasion?"
Hmm, how to answer.
This life we have made together, this little family of two, is special all day, every day, and we celebrate accordingly.
We don't wait for birthdays or Valentine's Day; we are super mushy on the daily. Every night is date night, every day is an opportunity to make each other feel special.
Places like this just make this non-fiction fairy tale a little more tropical.
We danced the night away, we enjoyed a Mexican Beatles tribute band, we played pool, we watched our Bucs win a divisional game on TNF. It was a magical week, indeed.
The only knocks on this place: the spa was terrible and during some events we felt pressured to upgrade or pay for extras.
Have you been to an all-inclusive resort? We are already planning our next getaway, I would love to hear your favorites.
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