Mayan Palace Resort Vacation Escape Into Riviera Maya Cancun

Some alternative entertainment ideas for when you’d like to step off your 5 star luxury resort:

“Their are so many more places you can visit. I found beauty and adventure in everything we did. The buses are very safe, however will make most people feel very uncomfortable. I’m used to it… nothing to be afraid of. It’s a bus with people in it. When you’re on the bus and you’re drop off destination is very close, you must stand up and walk to the front of the bus so the bus driver knows where you want let off. Other wise he’ll drive right past where you want to go…. Yes you could say I know this from experience! Unless your final destination is the bus stop, well then…… Bus ride is $2.00 a person. Taxi’s from the Mayan Palace to Playa Del Carmen were $20.00, for everyone, not per person. The vans can be cheaper, but I forget the price. A taxi to Cancun is about $35.00. If you’re that high strung about how much money you’re spending you can even bargain with the taxi drivers. It does work sometimes.”

“Nite-life at the Mayan Palace is great except for the fact that all the bars close down at 11:30p.m. I think at least one place should stay open later than that. Which brings me to my next tip…… def go to the store on the resort, or into Playa Del Carmen to the MEGA or Wal-Mart and buy your snacks, beer, liquor, etc. At night when everything closed down we’d have our own alcohol to drink on the beach or along the pool. You will not get into trouble for this. We’ve been doing this since we’ve vacationed here every time. Their is construction going on but I not once heard any noise the whole time I was here.”

“I love the Mayan Palace more and more each time I stay here. What ever floats your boat, right? Well I hope this helped and if you have any questions feel free to reach me.”

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Luxury and More Around Mayan Palace Riviera Maya Cancun

PLACES TO VISIT if you want to expand from your 5 star luxury vacation:

Xel-Ha. I love this place. Xel-Ha’s got restaurants, bathrooms w/showers, locker rooms, they supply the snorkel kits, inner tubes to float in the water, and amazing fish! By far one of my most favorite places to visit. You’ll also see tons of Iguana’s, and you can swim w/Dauphin’s as well, extra charge.

Tulum’s beaches and Mayan Ruins. The beaches in Tulum are remarkable and one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. I enjoyed the Mayan Ruin’s, but my Husband however didn’t really care. The beaches are worth seeing and swimming in, even if you don’t care to see any ruins. And I’m a big history buff, so I enjoyed the whole package.

Island Mejueres is a quaint, little Island off the coast of Cancun. The boat ride is approx. one hour. You can rent scooters, golf carts, bikes, or just simply walk on this tiny Island. There are several little shops and restaurants for you to enjoy. You can snorkel the calm, beautiful sea, and the beaches are very nice. So many adventures to take on this authentic little Island.

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Luxury and More Around Mayan Palace Riviera Maya Cancun

The restaurant we frequented most often was the Balche - located along the main pool. They had delicious food. We were always very satisfied. The prices are very reasonable. Havana Moon was an excellent place to go and have drinks at the bar and dance to what ever band was playing. Havana Moon is a fun, trendy, beautiful building. You must wear semi-casual clothing, but mostly men. No plain white, work t-shirts or cut off t’s. I never ate there but will next time I visit. I was there in the evenings just to drink! Del Lago is a huge buffet style restaurant. I think every night they have a theme night and buffets. They are also open for breakfast too. Can be pricey….. but worth eating at if you’re going to eat a lot! I’ve only ate there a few times. Tramonto’s is an upscale, very nice restaurant. Never ate there, but did go to check out their prices. Not bad at all. I thought for it being an upscale restaurant it would be expensive, but it’s not. Some meals were $10.00 -$30.00 and up, that I can remember looking at. You must dress up, again…… mainly men. Room service was our second most popular choice for food. We’d usually order room service while getting ready for what the night had to bring. Room service prices are also very reasonable and very, very tasty. Brio the health food bar is my absolute favorite!!! All natural and organic smoothies, juices, wraps, salads, and muffins! We usually went there every morning for our juices and brunch. DELICIOUS! It’s located up where the gym and spa is. Also reasonably priced and no need to dress up.

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Marriott’s Grande Vista at a Fabulous Rate!

I absolutely positively don’t run around promoting Timeshares - my folks lost their shirt with one. I look for how to have great vacations in different locations, (without having to go through elaborate swapping and trading nonsense)… and keep my money in my pocket.

Wouldn’t you love to save $1,598.00 on a full week at the Marriott Grande Vista?

Cool waters sparkle at every turn from the warm, clear waters of four separate pool complexes, to a quiet lake where boats of every size bob and beckon. You’ve got easy access to the popular Faldo Golf Institute by Marriott. Enjoy spacious living and dining areas with full kitchen.

When comparing the exact same size unit (1 bedroom) and dates, here is what you’ll pay elsewhere for a one week stay without a membership:
Expedia - $2279.55
Hotels (dot com) - $2279.55
Travelocity - $2197.12
Orbitz - Unavailable

GRN price for it’s members is only $599.00 for the exact same “everything.”

That’s a minimum savings of over $1,598.00 for just this one week.

These savings are yours for a lifetime - because you pay once for your membership and then take your resort vacation where ever you want! If you know you want to stay somewhere not yet in the membership directory, you just call the office and they go strike the deal at the resort you DO want to visit.

If you ask me, it’s the ideal way to vacation!

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Large Vacation Resorts Calling You? Marriott’s Grande Vista

Marriott’s Grande Vista, one of the largest of all the Marriott Vacation Club resorts. The distinctively designed guest rooms and one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas feature private balconies, panoramic views, wireless Internet, and DVD players. Spacious one, two and three bedroom villas of everything from 884 to 1,710 square feet that accommodate 4 to 12 people.

Even in the one-bedroom you’ll have plenty of room for yourself and your traveling companion. It will have a king sized bed as well as a pull out couch, a nice kitchen area, and a screened in patio. Or get one of the villas that overlook the golf course. Separate king-size bed bedroom with a TV and a jacuzzi and a screened in porch overlooking the golf course.

Master suites feature a king size bed, sitting area and whirlpool tub. Guest rooms contain a bar-sized refrigerator, sofa bed, cable TV and a VCR. Each villa includes a washer and dryer, high-speed internet access and a private balcony or patio. You’ll find fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher, oven, microwave, full-size refrigerator, cookware and dinnerware, breakfast bar, and dining area. And that means you can choose whether you’re eating out or taking care of meals and snacks on your own.

By the way if you get a suite overlooking the golf course take frequent peeks out the window. If you keep your eye on the stream you really will see an alligator.

The grounds are well-groomed with 5 pools, including a lap pool and two children’s pools. They’re all gorgeous and you’ll never have a problem finding a chair. As with most resorts these days, one has a poolside bar. The pool drinks at Copa Loca are great too. A little pricey, but worth it. Try the strawberry dacqueri/pina coloda mixed one.

Cool waters sparkle at every turn - from four separate pool complexes to a quiet lake where boats of many sizes bob and beckon.

For all the essentials, the Village Center offers the MarketPlace convenience store. There are three on-site restaurants, a 24-hour fitness center with steam rooms and saunas, plus outdoor lighted tennis and basketball courts.

It’s heaven for golfers. There’s the Faldo Golf Institute by Marriott and Marriott’s Grande Pines Golf Club. 9-hole course on site, plus 35-acre practice range, putting green, a state-of-the-art digital video analysis swing studio, professional instructional staff and golf shop

There are plenty of family and children’s activities on-site, including table tennis, water rockets, arts and crafts, beach campfires, boat rentals and more.

Play, swim, relax or workout. Whatever your passion, you’ll have a lot of options at Marriott’s Grande Vista. Staying at the resort puts you near the area’s best attractions. You’ll only have a 20-minute ride to Disney World and you’re within walking distance of Sea World.

If you want small and intimate this isn’t the resort you’ll want to spend time at. Yet if you want a vibrant exciting vacation resort, this will meet and exceed all your expectations.

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Playa Linda Resort comments 3

And here are some more comments for your enjoyment:

“Is the Playa Linda special? It’s special because the people who go there are really enjoying themselves. It’s special because it’s located on a nice section of Palm Beach where everything is convenient. Are the rooms or pool or beach that special? Probably not. But the overall experience at the resort is special and that’s probably all that matters.”

“Just stayed at the PLAYA LINDA RESORT in Aruba . And loved every minute of it. Yes it is a time share resort and yes the rooms are not all updated.. But let me tell you they are clean , amazing views of the ocean and the pool. You have a full kitchen you have wireless internate access. You buy a card and it is 35.00usd.for 1week … Let me tell you mexico was over 100.00usd so this is really cheap. For the people who need internate access you can connect also at the pool area.. They also have to computer at the lobby.
We stayed for 1 week with our family a 2year old and 5 year old. So the room for me were really important they really had to be clean ..Foe the people who love the beach this is the place for you it is amazing . very clear and clean … The kids were at the beach from morning till late afternoon.. You need to have a chickee cause the sun is really hot… The wind is the best part cause you always have a breeze and that really helps.There is a kids club age 4 and up … very save and fun for the kids . They do little activities and the girls are really nice… The pool area is also very nice not a big pool but you are in ARUBA why would you be in the pool… The grounds are well kept and the beach area is one of the best ones around even better then the holiday inn and hyatt which is all next to each other..”

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Playa Linda Resort comments 2

I keep hearing how fabulous this place is!

“Aruba is a really easy island to visit and has all the conveniences of home. The hotels are only 15 minutes from the airport, the island is safe, very “Americanized” and there doesn’t appear to be too much poverty. The Arubans are welcoming which is really nice when visiting a Carribean island. Aruba is crowded and their beaches are crowded so it you’re looking for peace and quiet, head to the US or British Virgin Islands. However, if you’re looking for fun, night life and a convenient location with pretty beaches, then Aruba is your place.”

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Perfect Snow for “Le$$”

Did you know that the demand for Timber Run  at this time of year are the highest of any season.  When trying to book online, most all major travel providers do not even have access to this beautiful timeshare resort property.

Gaining access is one challenge (without a membership) - the price itself is another.

Vacations Inc. - one of the few that even showed access to this ski resort - was quoting $2,865.96 for your stay… RIDICULOUS!

When comparing the same size unit (3 bedroom) and the same dates, your special GRN membership price is only $799.00 for the exact same “everything”.  This is your total cost for an entire 8 days and seven nights.

That’s a minimum savings of over $2000 for just this one week at this beautiful Colorado resort

These savings are yours for a lifetime.

Enjoy Life!

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Ski Vacation? Try Timber Run

A colleague mentioned “The condo at Timber Run was perfect for me and my family. My first time to Timber Run, I found it’s not absolutely centrally located but I learned very quickly that this was another plus…peace perfect peace…complete with log fire, outdoor hot-tub and regular ski-bus every 1/2 hour from 0800-2300 to Lift areas and Downtown Winterpark.”

Prepare yourself for a fantastic week that you and your family will remember for a lifetime.  Winter Park Colorado creates the perfect winter resort ski vacation.

Personally, I’m an avid skier and mostly making quick hops up to Mammoth Mountain in California. I’ve really enjoyed the variety of Snowmass in Colorado, and Sun Valley Idaho. Timber run is a wonderful change of place and pace.

Winter Park Resort is Colorado’s longest continually operated ski resort featuring over 3000 acres of award-winning terrain.

It’s conveniently located in a secluded mountain setting and has magnificent views of the Continental Divide, with great skiing far into April.

By the way, there are great summer activities the rest of the year. Summer at Winter Park features plenty of activities for the whole family. They’ve got Colorado’s longest ALPINE SLIDE, a scenic chairlift ride to the top of the mountain or you can cruise down the mountain on your bike. And take your kids to enjoy mini-golf, a human maze and much more.

Anyways, let’s get back to your winter vacationing!

Timber Run itself is just a 2.5 mile drive to the lifts at Winter Park Resort via the free resort ski shuttle bus that stops to pick you up right below the condo.

Personally, I don’t want to ski for a straight week, I love to take time off the lifts and skis to just stroll. When I’m done on the slopes, I appreciated being able to just hang out on the private balcony, along with all the conveniences of home in a relaxing rocky mountain setting.

Caroline from Bonnie Scotland in the UK and I had a chance to chat. She works for British Air and gets to see many fabulous ski resorts in her travels. She and her husband and 2 children (ages 13 & 14) stayed at Timber Run and she commented that “although it is a wee bit out of town we had the most fantastic skiing holiday.”

At a very high altitude (12,000ft) you’ll experience both cold, as well as some very sunny days. Either way, the snow every single day was absolutely perfect. (Caroline has skied in many places around the world and can vouch for the fact that the snow here is ace.)

Another colleague mentioned “My first time to Timber Run, I found it’s not absolutely centrally located but I learned very quickly that this was another plus…peace perfect peace…complete with log fire, outdoor hot-tub and regular ski-bus every 1/2 hour from 0800-2300 to Lift areas and Downtown Winter Park. The condo at Timber run was perfect for me and my family.”

You’ll love the steam showers and access to common outdoor and indoor hot tubs. Make a point of requesting to stay in the Dogwood. It was in great shape and actually has an outside hot tub. The Condo has a washing machine.

Walk or mountain bike to Winter Park’s extensive trail system and enjoy the peace and serenity of unforgettable mountain beauty when you stay at this great winter resort for your ski vacation.

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Vacation Resort with Verve! Playa Linda Beach Resort in Aruba

Every once in a while I want a vacation resort that’s full of energy. I think I found the one I’m looking for! I just heard from friends who stayed at Playa Linda Beach Resort in Aruba and their experience was great.

They know I’m usually out and about - not much inclination to read more than a chapter at a time at pool side - I can do that at home!

This resort is centrally located in one of the best beaches in Aruba. Unlike many of the resorts at Eagle Beach, where you need to cross the street to get to the beach, at Playa Linda you have direct access to the beach. The good news is that the water isn’t rocky so it’s easy to go in the water.

My friend went with his wife and their daughter not knowing what to expect and the results were very positive. They stayed at the Playa Linda the first week in July and had a great time. Most of the guests have been coming back for years and my friends could tell how excited they were to be back.

They appreciated having a full kitchen and a table with 5 chairs. The kitchen was perfectly fine for the unit. The balconies overlook the pool and/or the beach but are pretty small and confining. She warned me that if there are more than 2 people staying, be sure to get a 2-bedroom as the 1 bedroom is pretty small. It’s hard to maneuver with 4 people. The rooms don’t matter that much because It’s clear that most people spend their day at the pool and beach.

The pool area’s nice with pretty waterfalls are and they have aerobics classes in the pool each morning. The classes are fun and many people ( and even kids ) enjoyed taking the class. The beach is narrower in front of the hotel than at many other of the hotels on Palm Beach.

If you’re looking for peace and quiet, head to the US or British Virgin Islands. However, if you’re looking for fun, night-life and a convenient location with pretty beaches, then Aruba is your place.
Do you like lots of activity and energy on the beach? You’ll have it here. It’s between two jetties with boats constantly leaving with tubers and water skiers. They create a wake and it may be a little noisy, but it’s perfectly fine.

There are huts on the beach, called chickees, that provide great shade from the strong sun. My friends rented floats and noodles and spent much of our time in the water. For those who must have their fluids, there is a great beach bar on the beach where drinks are $3.00 all day. The staff by the beach are incredibly helpful.

By the way, watching the sunsets on the beach of this vacation resort was special. Many people were still on the beach at 6:30 or 7PM to enjoy the sunsets. Frankly, I’m following them to the Playa Linda Beach Resort! I hope you’ll join me there too!

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