Jes & Mike's Wedding Adventure
Official Unofficial Resort Info
Scuba Diving
You can easily book water adventures at the resort. Jes did two dives, and saw lots of cool animals!
Xcaret Parks
The entrance to Xcaret park is within the hotel grounds, so it is extremely accessible. Xplor is also in the immediate vicinity. Neither Jes nor Mike have been to these parks. Xcaret was described as very "culture" heavy, where Xplor is more exciting. Years back, Jes's family went to another Xel-Ha. This park feels like a "natural waterpark". Xel-Ha requires leaving the park, but is about 30 minutes away. You can purchase an unlimited pass to Xcaret and Xplor when you reserve your room. Alternatively, you can speak with a representative at the hotel who can arrange these tickets for you.
"A La Carte" Resort Restaurants
In regards to dinner, there are three options: a "fast casual" pizza/taco restaurant, buffets, or the "a la carte" sit down restaurants. In this case, a la carte does not reference a need to pay for things separately, but rather that you order off a menu. A reservation is required, as well as a nicer dress code. Getting a reservation is a bit of a pain. From 7a-1p, you can make a reservation with the customer service folks in person at the hotel. Jes did this once at the Mexican restaurant. Around 7:40, she waited for 30-40 minutes. There is a set # of reservations you get depending on how many nights you are staying. One person can make a reservation for multiple people, as long as they have the room number and total people. The restaurant was cute, the food was good, and it was nice to be waited on, but if we were in Chicago, would we wait 40 minutes for a reservation here? Probably not. But, if you don't mind having someone wait, it is nice!
Salt Water and Pool Swimming
So many options for swimming! Jes's favorite part was the ocean inlet and saltwater pool. If you have someone who can stumble to the ocean front by about 7:30a, you can score a wonderful swinging bed in front of the inlet. Bring goggles! In both the lagoon and the salt water pool, you can see pretty tropical fish. There is a bar at these locations. In addition to the ocean water, there are also several pools! There are different vibes throughout the different pool areas, but there can be a long walk to a bar. S/O to Phil Chow and Chris and Jerry for the idea of bringing a big travel mug to have the bartenders fill so you don't need to wait for a server or to walk to the bar!
Spa and Other Hotel Activities
As you might expect, there is a spa at the resort. Jes didn't get any service while there, but it seems like you can negotiate prices. There are also activities planned throughout the day. (Mostly) sober Jes didn't do anything, but hey would we do some aquarobics or salsa lessons after a few mojitos? Not no.
Evening Shows
There are different shows almost every night. Jes's favorite was the circus show (REALLY cool!!), followed by the Mexican night.