My boyfriend and I (ages 27 and 26) stayed at Aventura Spa Palace the week of July 13th. With this being our first all-inclusive vacation, we had a general idea of what to expect, but ASP exceeded all our expectations.

Location - The resort is located about an hour from the airport. We specifically choose this resort because we wanted to get away from the "hotel zone" of Cancun and be somewhere a little quieter to "get away from it all."

Resort - This place was huge! We didn't stay long enough to experience and get a feel of the entire resort. The resort is divided in two - North and South. The North is the quieter side of the resort. If you want quiet, request a room on that side. The South is definately the more lively side - especially during the day, with all the music and activites by the pool.

The resort is along the water, however, there is no beach. They have created a man-made lagoon, where the ocean water flows into. You can still swim, snorkel and kayak there. And the sand - well...you can't sink your toes into it. You may need to wear sandals or watershoes of some sort.

Room - We had a room on the 2nd floor of the Marimba building, which happened to be on the South side. We didn't have the best view, as our balcony was facing construction. We probably could have requested another room, but I liked our location, as we were right by the pool. The bed was big - california king (i think). I read reviews that the bed was hard - it wasn't and we both slept fine. The shower was huge. Definately built for 2 (or 3,4) people. LOL. There is no fan in the bathroom, so if you're really worried, bring air freshners with you. Wasn't so much of an issue for us though. The vanitly area was well lit and the hairdryer they have there was sufficient. The jacuzzi was large, but did take some time filling up. Nice addition to the room, but only really used it once the entire stay. I also have to say that you really don't need to bring any toiletries, unless you're very picky about your products. The resort provides you with everything - Biosilk shampoo/conditioner, soap, hand/body lotion (large enough bottle for an entire week), toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors and even q-tips and cotton balls. If you ever run out of anything, just leave a note requesting more and the maids will leave you some when they clean your room. The same also goes for the mini-fridge. If there's a particular drink you like, leave a note inside the fridge, and they will refill it.

Service - The service here is wonderful. The entire staff was courteous and always had a smile on their face as they passed you by. We were greeted everytime we passed by someone. The maid service was also good and always left items that were requested. Drink service around the pool was okay. There weren't enough servers for the amount of guests by the pool area. Your best bet in getting your drink right away was to go to the swim-up bar. Not a big deal if you're in the pool most of the time. The waiters were also exceptional, whether you were eating at a buffet during lunch or at a sit down restaurant for dinner. They try their hardest to please the guests.

Activities - There are daily activites during the day at either end of the resort, generally by the pool area. The resort provides nightly activites and/or shows - though most of them end by 11 PM. The best one we saw was the fire show. It was amazing. The resort does have a "night club," but it was often empty. I noticed that most guests stayed in the lobby, getting drinks at the bar or at the billiards (pool) tables. As a promotion, the resort is offering certain tours to the guests. These tours must be booked a day in advance, but guest services is able to assist you with that. We took advantage and went on the Tulum (express) tour. It was great. Got to see ruins and experience a wonderful beach. We also went on the kitchen tour the resort offers. It was very informative and made me feel at ease about the way food is handled and prepared there. My boyfriend especially enjoyed the tour, as he is a chef where we live.

General - Because this is an all-inclusive resort, I noticed that a lot of people did not tip, but I would strongly urge you too. The staff doesn't expect you to tip them, but they work hard! We tipped most of our waiters at the a la carte dinners ($3-5) and tipped the maid service ($2) and who ever refills the mini bar ($1-2) on a daily basis. It's only a few dollars. If you can afford to go on this type of vacation, you can spare a few dollars to show your gratitude.

Overall, this was one of the best vacations I've been on and plan to return to ASP next year.

We stayed at Aventura Palace for our 1st anniversary, June 19-26. We chose to stay here because we had previously stayed at the Moon Palace for our honey moon a year earlier and loved it! We had heard great things about Aventura while we were there and when we were planning this trip.

First I will say that we had read all the reviews and did lots of research and I would say if your travel Mexico you should remember that you are in Mexico not the USA!

When we arrived in Mexico we knew what to expect from having been there a year earlier. We booked though our travel agent and with worry free so we knew to just walk through the people inside the airport and find the worry free people that are waiting outside to show you to your transportation..... watch out for the taxi drivers if you have included transportation because they will try to get you to go with them and it could end up costing you quite a bit! We had to wait a little while for the worry free people to fill our van with people going to resorts in the same direction as ours... it was full but really for being free/included I wouldn't complain! we were drop off first and it took about an hour in the van. Once there we checked in and were brought glasses of champagne, I was also given a flower! We were then taken to our room by cart and the driver made sure the room was ok and we had everything we needed. Our room was located on the South Side, which is more active and somewhat louder which we liked. We then walked around the resort...lobby to lobby walking is about 20 min....at moon we tried and ended up getting nowhere for 1hour!... there is a bus you can take that travels back and forth from lobby to lobby all day and late into the evening. Then we checked out the lobby bar which was awesome....everyone was so fun and friendly! We recommend trying the flaming mexican flag shot and the bumblebee shot!! We had a great time which I paid for the next day!
Pool and Lagoon
we snorkeled in th south lagoon and hung out in the south pool. There is no beach but we knew that when we booked....(we wanted to see fish...moon had a great a beach but nothing in the water except for seaweed)... We had a great time and loved it, just remember sunscreen! There was food most of the day everyday out at the pool burgers, hot dogs, and my fave there cheese nachos!
Tours
we booked though the resort because we took their free travels last time and loved them( highly recommend seeing chichen itza and isla mujeres which we did the year before!) This time we paid extra for our tours which we loved! We went to Xel-HA, Xcaret and Coba mayan adventure.
Xel-ha was awesome we paid extra to do the sea trek which as walking underwater with this helmet on your head and we got to pet stingrays...it was a lot of fun. We also got to see sea manatees and snorkel. We didn't get to everything cause we ran out of time, there so to do! This was an all inclusive deal so all the restaurants and domestic (to mexico) drinks were included. They take your pictures as you snorkel and around the park with beautiful birds which they have for you to purchase at the end of your day. Bring extra money if you want to buy these!
Xcaret is more of an eco park and has underground rivers you can swim in and snorkel. The rivers were ok but we loved seeing all the animals. This is not all inclusive and we purchased the "plus" package which included coupons for a buffet meal, water/pop and chips, locker and towel rentals. I highly recommend this cause the buffets them selves would have cost as much as the upgrade did! They do this history of mexico show at night that was amazing very worth staying for....show up early so you can get good seats and if you have the money book the meal and show package...they serve you dinner while you watch the show...wish we would have done this! they also take pictures though out the day and have them available for purchase at the end of the day....buy before the night show cause after is just crazy to try to find yours!! So glad we did this it was nuts after the show!
Coba was a great end to our trip! We got to see the coba mayan ruins....the only one you can still climb...take a bike taxi they are great and very kind! then we went to the spider monkey reserve on land that the government gave to the mayans. we canoed across the lagoon, zipped lined across also and hiked back to the reserve to have a traditional mayan lunch. After that we participated in a mayan ceremony and went to a different location to repel into a cenote and float around in it! Highly recommend this it was an awesome trip and we learned so much!

Playa del Carmen
We took the bus that was offered by the resort to Playa del carmen. Show up earlier than they say about 45min cause it fills up fast and they won't take another bus unless there are so many more people! We had a blast, bring lots of money there is so much to buy ! We ate at the Playacar palace which was free for us since we were staying at another palace resort. they had a great beach that actually had waves rolling in and I was able to pick up sea shells. If you don't want to wait for the bus to return you can just take a taxi back which wasn't much...but make sure you set the price before you get in to the taxi....we didn't take a taxi but ran into some people who had.

Food
we ate a lot at the stake house because it was right thereby our room but in the mornings it had the best food! For lunch we liked the el Greco which is located by the north side pool. The La Trattoria was horrible in service (I think they may have been short on people) we sat for over 2 hours for our full meal when you can normally eat in less than an hr if you like. Over all the food is good but we aren't very picky eaters.

Spa
We did a spa day and loved it! We had the romance package included and upgraded to hour massages. Go early so you can do the hydro therapy...you will feel so good after words! The massage was great and my husband loved it! I also had a pedicure which was great. they are awesome and will try to accommodate your every wish! Spa is a little spendy so plan for that if you want to get anything done!

Extras
-There is a photographer that is located in the south lobby in the evenings and will take your pictures at sunset or by the ocean if the day isn't best for sunsets! We did this and have gotten so many people saying how great it was to have those!
-Bring bug spray...at night when we would eat outside I would get bit my the mosquitoes and ended up with huge red bumps where they would bite me....my hubby never got one though.
-check out the night shows!! The fire show is the best!!

Over all this was an amazing trip and we highly recommend the Palace resorts....They take such good care of you and really you don't have to worry about a thing but what you want to do while your there! We would love to go back again next year!!

My husband and I stayed at the Aventura for our honeymoon and it exceeded all of our expectations. The service was exceptional, the rooms were clean, and the pool was amazing. Don't let a negative review dissuade you from staying at this place. It was great and it would recommend it to everyone!

This is my 3rd stay at Aventura and I must say, there is always something new and exciting to do. And yes....I am a premiere member.

Airport pickup: not bad at all....about an hour. We drop a couple off at another resort that was on the way.....on average our trip was not beyond an hour and a half, but if you get unlucky...you might be stuck with more than one stop.

Check in: a breeze and always with a greeting of smiles/drinks/ welcomes.
Pick up map of the resort and resort passport that tells you about the excursions date and time. They will ask you to see your representative or your rep will call you in your room. At this point they will ask you if you would like to make an appt. to view the resort and of course it is a salespitch appt. to purchase a timeshare. They will offer credit to the spa or golf. If you do decide to go....remember saying NO is an option. They are very good and yes they are aggressive but never in a nasty manner. Understand your purchase if you happen to be interested in it.

Now, the fun: The Resort has a South and North side. South is where the action and activities are especially in the pool.....North is a bit more mellow with the indoor pool and juice bar....get the wake up cocktail....very refreshing. Gym is right above and you get a gorgeous view on the tredmill.
Rock climbing area is cool.....but I never got to use it....next to it is what a call a little sport jungle area......please wear mosquito repellent if you decide to go in....got bitten just walking through the place.
Laguna is cool and relaxing.....snorkeling is fun and you can kayake....they have warning signs if there are any stingrays or jellyfish......laguna is connected to the ocean....therefore these conditions changes.

Excursions:
Ask them about ziplining that is available but wasn't listed.
Chichen Itza is a long ride....but worth it if you want to see one of the world's wonder. No longer allowed to climb because we heard 2 theories...someone got hurt or the latter sounds better...that the climb cause weather condtions to the pyrimid.
We stop at a restroom area where they sell stuff......warning...way overpriced. Even though we were not recommended to buy in Chichen Itza park because they don't pay rent/tax..the price diff was $100 vs. $15 for the same item and I'm not kidding...I can bargain. Be wise. Don't buy at your first stop unless you don't like a good bargain and you know they jack the price for us tourist.
Bring umbrella/sunblock/mosquito....it's hot. Good lunch at the same spot we stop for restroom. Great nap on the bus back.
Tulum Express is cool....a beach nearby so bring your bathingsuit and towel if you want to take a dip.....bring umbrella.
Isla Mujeres snorkeling is another long trip and snorkeling itself is short. Shopping if you like....but not my preference. These excursions are free and if you want to pay for better excursions...feel free.

Food:
Hacienda hands done the best there. Mexican it is. The worst was MoMohana the Japanese......sorry I'm from NY and I love sushi...not good....but I know it's just my preference because I heard some really like this so try for yourself. Everything we tried on the menu at Hacienda was never a dissappointment. La trattoria had great steak,,,,,not so good pasta. Huerta is decent. Mundaca steak is not so good but okay.
Breakfast was always good.....great variety. Never had lunch because had snack bar by the pools with nachos/sandwich/ice cream.
Sweet and Coffee shop had good flan and fruit tart and crepes....get Cappuci and ask for Kahlua on the side to pour in to taste...delish.
Get familiar with the scedule so you know what time is open for breakfast/lunch/dinner/sweets.

Spa: get the massages....don't get facial......the spa hydrotherapy is worth heading an hour earlier than appt time.

Night entertainment: Thai lounge/Shows/live bands/pool tables

Shuttle bus: only one pick up time....make a day at Playa del car palace resort. Food was great there at dinner buffet mexican night. Cozumul Resort was okay but if you are there do snorkeling or watersports...lots of shop.

It is a wonderful experience if you allow it to be regardless of where you are. But I must say.....the staff here are the best. You cannot find service like this anywhere. So much to write and recommend
BTW...if you want to book a stay at any palace resort....book it with a member......much cheaper rate as stated my members and non-members. Shop around.....if you have any inquiry....send me a message. Be more than happy to oblige.
Namaste