Heather Tarrant, our Personal Travel Consultant and owner of Travel With Heather, recently returned from an amazing trip to Mexico. She travelled with the team at RCD Hotels staying at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya for a week, all-inclusive.
RCD Hotels is a group of luxury hotels in different tourist destinations like the United States, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, each with their own personality. On this trip, there were around 150 agents from the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Russia and Ukraine.
Getting there…
We met at London Gatwick and flew, with British Airways, direct to Cancun where we swiftly made it through the airport and into our minibus transfers to the hotel. After a late check in at the Conference Centre, we went straight to bed as I was exhausted from travelling all day.
Our rooms were Mexican in design but didn’t have the feel of a Hard Rock Hotel. However, everywhere else in the resort did. The rooms were large and included everything you would expect and more, including a whirlpool bath in the room for that true ‘Rockstar Experience’.
All Included
The hotel consists of two sides; ‘Hacienda’ for families and ‘Heaven’ for adults only. We were able to access both sides of the property during our stay and I equally enjoyed both. Pretty much everything is included; dining at all the restaurants (except Awaken Your Senses), pools, classes and various activities including a music lab and fitness centre. Other activities such as bowling, laser tag and spa treatments are available at an additional charge. Plus, we were treated to a lovely massage in the beautiful spa – well worth a visit.
Incredible Restaurants
We enjoyed a couple of Mexican themed evenings, a 60’s and a 70’s night, which all had fantastic atmosphere. We ate at Umo, traditional Yucatan Mexican food, Zen, an Asian restaurant, and we had an amazing experience in Awaken Your Senses.
Awaken Your Senses is a culinary experience involving all your senses and is $150 per person. It was totally worth it! 12 people are seated around a table with projections on the table and around you, with smells, sounds and delicious food presented in a very unique way. We drank, ate and sang our way through the 2 hour ‘culinary journey’ and loved every minute of it. An amazing experience!
Visiting Chichen Itza
The resort is incredible! You could spend a week here without having to leave, however we did go out and about. We drove for approximately 2 hours to visit Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza was one of the largest Mayan cities ever built. it is one of the New 7 Wonders Of The World, and was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1988. It was a sacred city made up of pyramids and temples built around ‘cenotes’, to be used as calendars and for rituals. The Mayan people had incredible knowledge of mathematics, seasons and astronomy which helped them construct these amazing buildings.
It was hot, hot, hot at Chichen Itza so after stopping for lunch we visited a ‘cenote’. A cenote is a natural pit or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes underground water. This particular cenote is 60 metres deep and has steps all the way down to the water, toilets, showers, lockers and changing rooms. After a very hot morning walking around Chichen Itza, having the opportunity to swim here was an amazing experience. I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting the area as it really was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Hotel Hopping
To carry on our tour of the RCD Hotels, we also visited Hard Rock Hotel Cancun, Residence Inn By Marriott Cancun and UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya. Hard Rock Hotel Cancun was a typical Hard Rock Hotel with a real city vibe and rock memorabilia everywhere. On a beachfront location, this very cool hotel has so much to offer. I think it would make a great twin centre hotel with Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.
A quick stop at Residence Inn by Marriott Cancun which is an all suite residence property and ideal for people not wanting the all inclusive additions. It would be great for those travelling further afield and wanting a couple of nights accommodation after arriving at Cancun.
UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya is a stunning adults only property offering a new level of relaxed luxury. Set on the stunning white beaches of Riviera Maya, UNICO 20°87° immerses guests in the culture of the region, from the locally-inspired cocktails and cuisines to the art in the rooms. Three unique pools and a holistic spa and wellness centre offer a sense of relaxed luxury. While exciting pop-up events insert a touch of spontaneity into the experience. An absolutely beautiful hotel known for its amazing food and well-presented rooms all of which come with a ‘local host’ (butler).
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this educational trip as it was my first time visiting Mexico. Our itinerary wasn’t too jam-packed so we were able to experience what the hotel had to offer. A fabulous trip and it gave me a real insight into the area that I wasn’t really promoting before but definitely will now!
To learn more about Mexico and RCD Hotels, get in touch with Heather here.
