Info/reviews on Bahia Principe Tulum?

[Juanma Y Naty]

Me and my girlfriend are heading out to PDC in jan and staying a week at the Bahia principe Tulum/akumal. Any reviews on the Bahia??? (other than TAs)

[TAPPY]

I went to Bahia Akumal (2005) a few years ago and loved it.

My trip report and pics are on Playa Info .

http://www.playa.info/playa-del-carm...ip-report.html

OR

http://www.playa.info/playa-del-carm...s-barcelo.html

[Shammy]

I was there in 2005 as well. If you have a ton of time to kill, there's some info and photos in my report HERE.

Also, do a search for "Bahia Principe" in the All Inclusive forum - lots of reports, information, etc.

There are three sections to the Bahia Principe BTW - Tulum, Akumal and Coba. You'll be booked in one specific section and it should say on your booking confirmation.

[Juanma Y Naty]

I never understood if you can enjoy all of the 3 resorts or if you are limited with the one you were booked at. Can we use all the pools? bars? etc...

[TAPPY]

Originally Posted by Juanma Y Naty

I never understood if you can enjoy all of the 3 resorts or if you are limited with the one you were booked at. Can we use all the pools? bars? etc...

I believe you can use everything except the "Golden Club Section" - which is way off on the far side of the resort and may just consist of a small (adults only) pool that you are not able to use.
Shams probably has more info on this.

[Shammy]

Yes, you can use all of the resorts except for a few exclusions. Can't use the Premier area at the Coba, can't use the Golden Club at the Akumal, can't use the Hacienda section at the Tulum. You also can't use the gourmet restaurant in each section unless you are booked in that section. But because this resort is SO huge, you really won't find yourself using another section. If you are in the Akumal, you'll use the pools and beach there. If you're in the Tulum, you'll stay in that area. While the walk between them isn't miles, it is far and even if you take the tram, I just don't think you'd find yourself tooling all over more than once or twice. However, if you're in the Coba, you'll have to use the beach in front of the Akumal (closer) or the Tulum because the Coba section is set back into the jungle. Since you'll be in another section if you're on their beach, you'd probably use their restaurants for lunch, their bars for drinks and their pools if you want to swim or go to the swim up bar. But the Coba has it's own pools so if you don't venture down to the beach, you might also just hang out there. The Hacienda Dona Isabel complex is located up by the highway and you need to take the tram from your lobby to get there - there are shops, a sports bar w/ pool tables, an ala carte restaurant, internet cafe, disco and evening entertainment up there.

[MancDan]

Originally Posted by Shammy

You also can't use the gourmet restaurant in each section unless you are booked in that section.

Are you sure about that?? I have just returned from the Bahia Principe after spending 2 weeks there and we used 2 of the gourmet restaurants, one in Coba and one in Tulum where we were staying.
The official line we were told is that you can pick any 3 a la cartes for each week you stayed, in our case, 2 weeks = 6 a la cartes.

Anyway, we really enjoyed our stay there and would gladly go back again. I would also have no problem recommending it to anyone.
I would also advise people to take plenty of small amounts of dollar/pesos notes for tipping (usual was about $1 or $2 for each tip - cleaners, waiters, bell boy) as I found that you soon run out of small change in notes.

[Shammy]

Originally Posted by MancDan

Are you sure about that?? I have just returned from the Bahia Principe after spending 2 weeks there and we used 2 of the gourmet restaurants, one in Coba and one in Tulum where we were staying.
The official line we were told is that you can pick any 3 a la cartes for each week you stayed, in our case, 2 weeks = 6 a la cartes.

I stayed there in April 2005 and at that time, I am sure this was the case. Perhaps there is a difference between US tour operators and UK tour operators and the contracts they each hold as well. But unless something has changed (could be the case, would have to check).....

The Coba wasn't yet finished so the restaurants in that section didn't apply but - the only people that were allowed to use the international gourmet restaurant on the Akumal side (besides guests at the Akumal) were those staying in the Hacienda Club section on the Tulum side, and the only ones that could use the international gourmet restaurant on the Tulum side (other than guests in the Tulum section) were those booked in the Golden Club section at Akumal side. And if you stayed in either one of these upgraded sections, you were entitled to 4 ala carte visits per week instead of 3.

[MancDan]

No worries Shammy

Perhaps like you said they have changed the way the a la cartes work and maybe US and UK operators are different.

Its definitely a nice place as I'm sure we will both agree