Mayan Palace vs. Sunset Fisherman

Yodgo · 06-14-2004

Am trying to choose between these 2 resorts for a trip next March. I understand that Fisherman has virtually no beach but is the water safe to swim in? Undertow? Coral? I understand it is difficult to access the water from the Mayan Palace due to rocks and coral but are there any access points within walking distance?
Is the construction going on at the Mayan Palace obtrusive? I am looking for some peace and quiet.
I will be renting a car so transportation will not be an issue. However it would be nice to walk into town for dinner, are these resorts within walking distance?
Any other thoughts or impressions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

chrisk · 06-14-2004

I took a tour of the Mayan Palace a few weeks ago (It was my wifes idea, and it's a time share). Anyway, if my memory serves me, the Mayan Palace is near Puerto Moralas. It does not appear to be close to anything.

The rooms were nice, but I personally would never consider taking a vacation there. 1) Its full of Americans. Why go to Mexico if you want to be around a bunch of American? 2) Not a single person was on the beach, they were all in the pool. Again, why go to Mexico. and 3) The place felt like it was set up to provide high priced services to captive guests.

caramba · 06-14-2004

Fisherman's had a perfectly fine beach when we were there in December. It's an easy walk (10-15 minutes) into town. We liked it.

Yodgo · 06-15-2004

Caramba,

Did you get in by timeshare? If so, is it mandatory all-inclusive? I am receiving conflicting reports. I like the looks and location of Fishermans but don't want to be tied into the all-inclusive part of it. I would prefer to sample the local fare. That is why I am torn between the 2 places. Mayan Palace does not reqire all-inclusive.

dbeauch6xx · 06-15-2004

From what I understand Fisherman's Village requires that you pay $35.00 per day for 2 meals and drinks. You can choose a minimum of 3 or 4 days. So you can pay $140.00 for 8 meals over 4 days and eat at restaurants in town the rest of the week.
We will be there for a week and at the Mayan Palace the next week so we can give you a full report when we get back in July.

DaveB

caramba · 06-15-2004

Yodgo,
My family owns a timeshare at Fisherman's so we did not have to go the AI route. We only ate one breakfast there, which was fine. But there are so many excellent restaurants in PDC that we ate out in town the whole time, other than the occasional sandwich, snack and margarita at our condo.
Fisherman's is a great location.

Yodgo · 06-15-2004

DaveB, If you could give me the rundown when you get back that would be great. I am leaning toward Fisherman but don't want to eat all my meals there. Thanks for your help.

dbeauch6xx · 06-15-2004

We will be back in early July and I will let you know how everything went.

DaveB

redheadbabe · 06-15-2004

We were there a month ago. Yes, there is very little beach at the moment, but the water is perfectly swimable. I would stay at Fisherman's over Mayan Palace any day. Mainly because I prefer the quiet small atmosphere to the larger, more heavily trafficked resorts.

redheadbabe · 06-15-2004

Fisherman's is also a very short, and pleasent walk into town, and a very quiet place.

Yodgo · 06-16-2004

Quiet I like. I just don't want to get stuck with the all inclusive plan. I shall wait to hear from DaveB

redheadbabe · 06-17-2004

Well, it's not really getting "stuck." It's two meals a day, and all the drinks you could ever want. You're actually saving money that way.

The food is great there anyway. Have a great trip, whatever you decide.

redheadbabe · 06-17-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbeauch6xx

From what I understand Fisherman's Village requires that you pay $35.00 per day for 2 meals and drinks. You can choose a minimum of 3 or 4 days. So you can pay $140.00 for 8 meals over 4 days and eat at restaurants in town the rest of the week.
We will be there for a week and at the Mayan Palace the next week so we can give you a full report when we get back in July.

DaveB

You don't have to go in town to eat. They just add it to your bill, and the meals are very reasonable. I've been there twice already, and will be going back again.

dbeauch6xx · 07-04-2004

My wife and I just returned from Mexico last night. We had 15 beautiful days in Mexico. The first week we stayed at the Albatros Royale on the beach and Calle 8. Perfect location. Very nice ,clean room for $80US a night. Good AC , TV with about 20 chanels , fridge, microwave, nice beach.
Our two sons and their six friends stayed at Fishermans Village during that week and we visited them a few times. Their room was on the 3rd floor with a view of the pool and the Caribbean. Real nice room with plenty of space for eight college kids. They told us the food and service were good. The pool and beach were very well maintained. Sandy beach, no rocks. Enough beach chairs for everyone around the pool and on the beach. The walk to town took about 15 minutes. There are a few houses on the beach on the way that jut out into the sea so you have to walk up to the street to get around them but the rest of the walk is by beach to Senor Frogs/Town. They paid $35.00 a day for two meals and drinks. They felt it was a very good deal.
Our 2nd week we stayed at the Mayan Palace. Two friends met us there. We had a two bedroom unit in bldg 7. The room was beautiful and the grounds are very well maintained.
After spending a week at the Mayan Palace and visiting Fishermans Village and speaking to our sons we would not return to the Mayan Palace where we own a time share.
The Mayan Palace is a cab ride away from all the good things that we like about that part of Mexico. The food was excellent but very expensive. Breakfast for 4 with tip was $50.00. Drinks at the pool bars were $4-7 unless you migrated from bar to bar when the 2 for 1 bell went off. Dinner with a bottle of wine and tip was $200.00.
My friend wanted to play the golf course at 7:00 AM one morning. He was told it was $140.00. He told them he only wanted to play 9 holes. They told him it would still be $140.00. At that time there was only one twosome on the course. He asked the starter if he could play the last four holes for $70.00 and was told that he could not. No golf.
The pool is huge and nicely laid out but the water temperature is between 90 and 100 degrees during the day. Not very refreshing.
The beach is nice and there are a couple of places where you can enter the water and only step on a few rocks. Or you can walk 15 minutes north or south to sandy beaches. I heard a few people complaining about not being able to find chairs on the beach and saw a few couples dragging chairs down from the pool area down to the beach.
One day I counted the number of steps it took me to get from my room in bldg 7 to my chair on the beach.840.
I don't think we are going to sell our Mayan Palace weeks yet. We belong to RCI so when we return to Mexico next year we will exchange our weeks for rooms at another resort, either Fishermans or the Continental or just stay at the Albatros Royale again. We love Playa del Carmen but the Mayan Palace is just too far from everything and too expensive. We made a mistake three years ago.
A couple examples the cost differences-a can of Modelo Especial (beer) in PDC across the street from the Albatros was 8 pesos which I drank on the beach 40 steps away. A can of Modelo at the Mayan Palace pool bar was 45 pesos which I drank on the beach 250 steps away. A bottle of American wine at the Mayan Palace store was 220 pesos. In Playa del Carmen the same wine was 140.

birdman · 07-04-2004

We've booked into the Mayan Palace, for several reasons but mainly because it is away from town & close to the real Mexico---(Puerto Morelos) & surrounding area We plan on spending as much time there as PDC. We use whichever resort we're in simply as a base for our adventures, we seldom drink or eat at the resorts facilities, but do cook some in the room. If this fits your plans then M.P. is a good choice, if you like crowded pools & beaches, swim up bars, ect then they all seem about the same to me only difference is price

06-14-2004	#1 (permalink)
Yodgo lost on fifth Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Durango, Colorado Posts: 24	Mayan Palace vs. Sunset Fisherman Am trying to choose between these 2 resorts for a trip next March. I understand that Fisherman has virtually no beach but is the water safe to swim in? Undertow? Coral? I understand it is difficult to access the water from the Mayan Palace due to rocks and coral but are there any access points within walking distance? Is the construction going on at the Mayan Palace obtrusive? I am looking for some peace and quiet. I will be renting a car so transportation will not be an issue. However it would be nice to walk into town for dinner, are these resorts within walking distance? Any other thoughts or impressions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

07-04-2004	#14 (permalink)
dbeauch6xx way into it Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Holyoke,MA Posts: 176	Mayan vs. Fisherman My wife and I just returned from Mexico last night. We had 15 beautiful days in Mexico. The first week we stayed at the Albatros Royale on the beach and Calle 8. Perfect location. Very nice ,clean room for $80US a night. Good AC , TV with about 20 chanels , fridge, microwave, nice beach. Our two sons and their six friends stayed at Fishermans Village during that week and we visited them a few times. Their room was on the 3rd floor with a view of the pool and the Caribbean. Real nice room with plenty of space for eight college kids. They told us the food and service were good. The pool and beach were very well maintained. Sandy beach, no rocks. Enough beach chairs for everyone around the pool and on the beach. The walk to town took about 15 minutes. There are a few houses on the beach on the way that jut out into the sea so you have to walk up to the street to get around them but the rest of the walk is by beach to Senor Frogs/Town. They paid $35.00 a day for two meals and drinks. They felt it was a very good deal. Our 2nd week we stayed at the Mayan Palace. Two friends met us there. We had a two bedroom unit in bldg 7. The room was beautiful and the grounds are very well maintained. After spending a week at the Mayan Palace and visiting Fishermans Village and speaking to our sons we would not return to the Mayan Palace where we own a time share. The Mayan Palace is a cab ride away from all the good things that we like about that part of Mexico. The food was excellent but very expensive. Breakfast for 4 with tip was $50.00. Drinks at the pool bars were $4-7 unless you migrated from bar to bar when the 2 for 1 bell went off. Dinner with a bottle of wine and tip was $200.00. My friend wanted to play the golf course at 7:00 AM one morning. He was told it was $140.00. He told them he only wanted to play 9 holes. They told him it would still be $140.00. At that time there was only one twosome on the course. He asked the starter if he could play the last four holes for $70.00 and was told that he could not. No golf. The pool is huge and nicely laid out but the water temperature is between 90 and 100 degrees during the day. Not very refreshing. The beach is nice and there are a couple of places where you can enter the water and only step on a few rocks. Or you can walk 15 minutes north or south to sandy beaches. I heard a few people complaining about not being able to find chairs on the beach and saw a few couples dragging chairs down from the pool area down to the beach. One day I counted the number of steps it took me to get from my room in bldg 7 to my chair on the beach.840. I don't think we are going to sell our Mayan Palace weeks yet. We belong to RCI so when we return to Mexico next year we will exchange our weeks for rooms at another resort, either Fishermans or the Continental or just stay at the Albatros Royale again. We love Playa del Carmen but the Mayan Palace is just too far from everything and too expensive. We made a mistake three years ago. A couple examples the cost differences-a can of Modelo Especial (beer) in PDC across the street from the Albatros was 8 pesos which I drank on the beach 40 steps away. A can of Modelo at the Mayan Palace pool bar was 45 pesos which I drank on the beach 250 steps away. A bottle of American wine at the Mayan Palace store was 220 pesos. In Playa del Carmen the same wine was 140.

07-04-2004	#15 (permalink)
birdman añejo Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Wa state Posts: 1,677	We've booked into the Mayan Palace, for several reasons but mainly because it is away from town & close to the real Mexico---(Puerto Morelos) & surrounding area We plan on spending as much time there as PDC. We use whichever resort we're in simply as a base for our adventures, we seldom drink or eat at the resorts facilities, but do cook some in the room. If this fits your plans then M.P. is a good choice, if you like crowded pools & beaches, swim up bars, ect then they all seem about the same to me only difference is price Last edited by birdman; 01-17-2005 at 03:18 PM.

06-14-2004	#2 (permalink)
chrisk lost on fifth Join Date: May 2004 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 19	I took a tour of the Mayan Palace a few weeks ago (It was my wifes idea, and it's a time share). Anyway, if my memory serves me, the Mayan Palace is near Puerto Moralas. It does not appear to be close to anything. The rooms were nice, but I personally would never consider taking a vacation there. 1) Its full of Americans. Why go to Mexico if you want to be around a bunch of American? 2) Not a single person was on the beach, they were all in the pool. Again, why go to Mexico. and 3) The place felt like it was set up to provide high priced services to captive guests.

06-14-2004	#3 (permalink)
caramba añejo Join Date: May 2002 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 3,513	Fisherman's had a perfectly fine beach when we were there in December. It's an easy walk (10-15 minutes) into town. We liked it.

06-15-2004	#4 (permalink)
Yodgo lost on fifth Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Durango, Colorado Posts: 24	Caramba, Did you get in by timeshare? If so, is it mandatory all-inclusive? I am receiving conflicting reports. I like the looks and location of Fishermans but don't want to be tied into the all-inclusive part of it. I would prefer to sample the local fare. That is why I am torn between the 2 places. Mayan Palace does not reqire all-inclusive.

06-15-2004	#5 (permalink)
dbeauch6xx way into it Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Holyoke,MA Posts: 176	From what I understand Fisherman's Village requires that you pay $35.00 per day for 2 meals and drinks. You can choose a minimum of 3 or 4 days. So you can pay $140.00 for 8 meals over 4 days and eat at restaurants in town the rest of the week. We will be there for a week and at the Mayan Palace the next week so we can give you a full report when we get back in July. DaveB

06-15-2004	#6 (permalink)
caramba añejo Join Date: May 2002 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 3,513	Yodgo, My family owns a timeshare at Fisherman's so we did not have to go the AI route. We only ate one breakfast there, which was fine. But there are so many excellent restaurants in PDC that we ate out in town the whole time, other than the occasional sandwich, snack and margarita at our condo. Fisherman's is a great location.

06-15-2004	#7 (permalink)
Yodgo lost on fifth Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Durango, Colorado Posts: 24	DaveB, If you could give me the rundown when you get back that would be great. I am leaning toward Fisherman but don't want to eat all my meals there. Thanks for your help.

06-15-2004	#8 (permalink)
dbeauch6xx way into it Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Holyoke,MA Posts: 176	We will be back in early July and I will let you know how everything went. DaveB

06-15-2004	#9 (permalink)
redheadbabe very sparkly Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 28	We were there a month ago. Yes, there is very little beach at the moment, but the water is perfectly swimable. I would stay at Fisherman's over Mayan Palace any day. Mainly because I prefer the quiet small atmosphere to the larger, more heavily trafficked resorts.

06-15-2004	#10 (permalink)
redheadbabe very sparkly Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 28	Fisherman's is also a very short, and pleasent walk into town, and a very quiet place.

06-16-2004	#11 (permalink)
Yodgo lost on fifth Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Durango, Colorado Posts: 24	Quiet I like. I just don't want to get stuck with the all inclusive plan. I shall wait to hear from DaveB

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06-17-2004	#12 (permalink)
redheadbabe very sparkly Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 28	Well, it's not really getting "stuck." It's two meals a day, and all the drinks you could ever want. You're actually saving money that way. The food is great there anyway. Have a great trip, whatever you decide.