ASP Trip Report 12/3-12/10/03

[guy822]

Just got back from a 7 night stay at the ASP and we had a great time. We were impressed with the place from the second we arrived on the grounds. Check-in was a piece of cake (although my wife was a little disappointed that she didn't get her promised champagne. Nobody was manning the cart and the bottle was empty.) and we headed to our room. It seemed a little small, but that was probably because of the huge jucuzzi tub (which we used just about every night) :lol: The bed was a little hard, but that was soon fixed by a pillow top that was brought up immediately upon request. I can't say enough about the service we received at ASP from the waiters, the maids, the guest services people, and the entertainment staff. If you go, try to make an effort to get to know your waiters and the other staff. They are very friendly and full of good information and humor. As far as food and drink at the resort, all I can say is if you can't find something you like here you might as well stay home. The only resturaunt we didn't try was La Huerta and the only one we didn't really care for was Ventanas. The other four resturaunts we both thought were excellent. No matter which one you go to, the atmosphere and service are top notch. We tipped quite often but I noticed quite a few people didn't. I could tell that staff appreciated the tips but didn't get visibly upset when they weren't tipped. Everywhere you turn at this resort there is a bar so there is no problem getting just about any kind of drink you can think of. The Miami Vice (1/2 pina colada, 1/2 strawberry daquiri) was my favorite, but they make a mean Mudslide too. Our stay included a manicure, pedicure, and back massage and they were great, especially the massage. I've never been so relaxed in my life. The hydrotherapy area of the spa is amazing and better yet it is free to use as much as you want! We took 2 of the included tours: Chichen Itza and Xpu-ha/Tulum. If you haven't been to Chichen Itza, you need to go. It was unbelievable. Well worth the 2 hour bus ride each way. Tulum was impressive, but kind of a letdown after Chichen Itza so if you do both, try to go to Tulum first. The only faults I could find with the resort were the noisy hallways (it sounds like people are in your room with you when they walk down the hall) and the lack of a real beach. There are plenty of real beaches close by, though. Puerto Adventuras is only a short bike ride away and is a very nice little resort town. You can access the beach through the Omni hotel and watch people swim with the dolphins and manatees as well as do some shopping. All in all we had an awesome trip and I would recommend the ASP to anyone.