Akumal Caribe Hotel or Vista del Mar?

[Kit]

We have our Playa hotel booked, now for Akumal. We always stay on Half Moon Bay but Akumal Bay may just have better snorkeling. Vista del Mar is next to Le Buena Vida which is our favorite hangout. I wonder which of these hotels has the most comfortable bed. A comfortable bed is KEY!!! Both hotels have contacted me, now it is my turn to decide which one. Any input?

[Nerak936]

Originally Posted by Kit

We have our Playa hotel booked, now for Akumal. We always stay on Half Moon Bay but Akumal Bay may just have better snorkeling. Vista del Mar is next to Le Buena Vida which is our favorite hangout. I wonder which of these hotels has the most comfortable bed. A comfortable bed is KEY!!! Both hotels have contacted me, now it is my turn to decide which one. Any input?

As I mentioned in my PM to you, I sent an e-mail to the people at Hotel Akumal Caribe and asked for a "mattress topper" (at the suggestion of a helpful peep at L.G.). HAC complied and I think it made a world of difference in the comfort level of that as-usual verrrrry firm Mexican bed! (for the record... we loved HAC and wouldn't hesitate to stay there again!!) We lucked out for May 2011 and managed to get rezzies at an often-quickly-booked studio on the water - or else we would be staying at HAC again.

[Kit]

Awesome Narek, I just contacted HAC and wait now to hear back from them, I also asked about the mattress topper. Are some rooms better than others? Some floors better for the view. I see you stay in a room with 2 balconies, did it really make a difference? Thanl you so much for all your hepl.

[daydreamer]

What is HAC? I might want to stay a night or two in Akumal on my next trip.

[Wilfam]

We stayed at a Double Room at HAC and we loved it, I would have loved to be on an upper floor, but it just wasn't in the cards for our past trip.

The snorkling was fantastic, the Lo Ha Restaurant was fantastic, pricing and taste. I did not mind our beds, but I am that odd person who likes a rather hard mattress, but soft pillows and it fit the bill for me.

Nice kitchenette and bathroom with a small basket of supplies.

I stopped counting the turtles we saw off the beach, we were up early and had a coffee while waiting for the Dive Shop to open as we did not plan to stop and turtle watch so left our gear at home.

After hearing from an Akumal friend we thought we had better reroute our trip and stop. Turtle release at 7pm and then walked down the beach to see a Great Green lay her eggs (one of the most amazing moments of my life so far) had a sleep woke early snorkled with the Greens and Leatherbacks (I think leatherbacks) 2 Greens and over 20 others as well as many rays and sea life.

Afterwards had a shower and a swim in their clean pool and a rest before resuming our ruins trip.

This was my first time to Akumal Bay and I do not think I will return to Half Moon again, I really like this area, which I thought was not really tourist friendly and is it ever tourist friendly.

[Nerak936]

Originally Posted by Kit

Awesome Narek, I just contacted HAC and wait now to hear back from them, I also asked about the mattress topper. Are some rooms better than others? Some floors better for the view. I see you stay in a room with 2 balconies, did it really make a difference? Thanl you so much for all your hepl.

Hi, Kit: We've only stayed there the one time last May, and I never saw any other rooms other than ours. We stayed in #408 which was a corner room with two balconies on the 2nd floor. The front, ocean facing bacony was very small and we pretty much didn't use it except to look out from time to time. But we totally LIVED on the side balcony which had a built-in (concrete) sitting area and then a table and two chairs. Our view was facing the southside of the bay, but since the room was at the front of the hotel, we essentially saw the front of the bay too. We faced the pool. We didn't have a kitchenette. Room had a coffeemaker (small) and a fridge and a 5-gallon water dispenser. There is no TV is any of their rooms - FYI. But we didn't miss it (although we'd have had it on if it were there). We were just always so tired at night - up early and generally to bed by 10ish (they do kinda roll up the sidewalks in Akumal - not much nightlife - which is fine for old fogies like me and David! (If you haven't already done so, click on the link in my signature for last May's trip report, and you'll see tons of pics from HAC/ABay)

Originally Posted by daydreamer

What is HAC? I might want to stay a night or two in Akumal on my next trip.

Hotel Akumal Caribe. Google them and check 'em out. They're very nice to deal with!!

[daydreamer]

Thanks for the info, Karen. I'll check it out.

[Nerak936]

Originally Posted by daydreamer

Thanks for the info, Karen. I'll check it out.

If you have any questions, give me a holler. I'll be happy to help you out if I can.

I can't waaaaaaaait to be back on Akumal Bay (April 30th come quickly, pleeeeez!!)

[Kit]

[quote=Wilfam;
This was my first time to Akumal Bay and I do not think I will return to Half Moon again, I really like this area, which I thought was not really tourist friendly and is it ever tourist friendly.[/QUOTE]

Wow, everytime I have been to Akumal it has been very laid back and tourist friendly. That is why we like to start our vacations there to unwind then jack them up at the end with our stay in playa del Carmen. Maybe the time of year that you go would make a difference, we always go in the winter and everyone there seems like our American money. I also bring school supplies. One night I could not sleep so my daughter and I went out to enjoy the full moon, the local security guy hung out with us for hours. We did not speak much Spanish so we drew pictures in the sand, my 18 year old loved this, she is generally shy but she could draw pictures.
I always found it easy, you smile, they smile.

[Wilfam]

I guess that did not come out right...

What I meant is following and I spoke with the owner, Laura on this subject as we were having a glass of wine...

Tourist Friendly is signage and information for a first time visitor, imo.

If you enter Akumal as a first time visitor who does not have driving directions an invitation from a hotel or person the entry of Akumal is not really that welcoming. For this reason we just kept driving, we did not want to shop etc, we were looking to snorkle and have lunch after snorkling so we headed off to the left. We ran into Yal Kool Lagoon, loved it and then Buena Vida for lunch. We have returned many many times since this, but we kept going back to what we found our first trip as it worked out, the swimmng and beach infront of Buena Vida is not our thing, the boys have body surffed but not the greatest snorkling when we've been there and we have personally brought to these two establishments and stores around over 50 people over the last 6 years.

Everyone we have met from then to now has been just beautiful, but my comment on not tourist friendly was meant for people who have absolutely no knowledge of the area. Doing as many of us have done just took the left at the 307 junction looking for a welcoming place to stop and view the area.

As we spoke, the owner and a few others at the table at Lol Ha (not lo ha sorry for the incorrect naming of the lounge/restaurant) asked why I had not been to Akumal Bay in the past. I gave my explanation as stated above and was actually agreed with by a few others at the table. AS we discussed this the following was discussed and actually changes are being made regarding information available for Akumal Bay and access.

Now, everyone wants business and wants to know why they are not receiving day travellers business. Also keeping in mind the parking etc is for visitores to the hotel complex, even though the beach is open to everyone and the restaurant is open for non hotel guests, the signage to Lol Ha and Akumal Bay is not really apparent. The Restaurant Lol Ha is huge with the most beautiful view.

So unfriendly is not what I meant what I meant was lack of information for someone who is not at all familiar or enters the area totally unprepared and finds alot to look at and a small amount of time to make a decision to continue right, left or straight ahead. Often the decision is made on signage and information that makes one comfortable and the information which is available in that split second.

I have been to few places in Mexico that the people are not friendly, that was not my meaning in any way. My apologies for implying that people were not friendly, not my intention at all.

Akumal Bay was just one of those places we have been driving by for years, nice to have found the others, but now I have a new favorite.
We came to Akumal Bay and Hotel Akumal Caribe because a friend of a friend had been contacted for us to change our travel plans and view the Great Greens Nesting, if I had entered the area alone, I would not have known where to find where I ended up, I would have drove aimlessley for a bit looking for signage etc.

Ok I sure hope I cleared that up. Gawd, I need a vacation 16 days n counting.