Location: Grand Bahia Principe Runaway Bay Jamaica
Dates: February 2013
Purpose: R & R!
It was the time of year where most Canadians are sick of winter and are looking for that sunny getaway!
And we found the perfect place. It was slightly last minute and we had our reservations about Mexico, but we thought, we only have 7 days, let’s make the most of it!
We stayed in the tourist popular hotel zone of Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico at the ME Cancun (by Melia). It was the most beautiful, luxurious resort I’ve ever been to. The food was amazing and the drinks were plentiful. If you read reviews about this hotel on Trip Advisor (as I did), I was a little worried, but the “complaints” I read about were far from reality.
The staff were kind and ready to help at every opportunity. I can’t say enough great things about the food! And the party was exactly what I wanted!
The nightlife in Cancun was on another level. I’ve partied the nights away in Bangkok, New York City, Montreal & Toronto – but this was different. You spend the day as you do at an all inclusive resort. Break for power nap/shower and dinner. Then party at the clubs on the strip until the wee hours of the morning. Repeat until you can’t! We met great people at the hotel bar and pool and just decided it would be easier to go out in groups to the clubs. We went to a different place every night, even though we wanted to go back to Mandala. Mandala was by far the best, but we had good nights at The City beach club, Dady O’s, Senor Frogs. We were lucky to have a hotel that hosted parties as well. Never a dull moment.
Based on this vacation, I would go back to Mexico in a heart beat! The ME knows how to make you feel like a million bucks and I only hope that I do win the lottery so that I can rent out the ME Suite and fly my friends and I down for an amazing time!
A week anywhere in the Caribbean is amazing, but Aruba was very different form anywhere I’ve been before. It was a land of pure relaxation, eating and drinking.
We spent 7 days at the Westin Resort & Casion Aruba. And thanks to the power of Twitter and SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) we got an upgrade to a partial ocean view room on the 17th floor. Room 1727 would be our home. The hotel is in an area called Palm Beach, a very tourist rich area with bars, restaurants, shops, clubs, and anything else you can imagine. The Westin is within walking distance of all of this stuff but is also just a short drive or very inexpensive bus ride into Orangestad, the Capital & largest city on the island.
Although the hotel did have an all inclusive option, we went without it. We bought booze at Duty free and picked up mix and snacks at the grocery store!
It was economical that we did this, and we weren’t committed to eating the hotel food and only drinking there. If you left the hotel with an all inclusive bracelet it didn’t matter as you’d have to pay for food and drinks, so it worked out very well.
Having been to many beautiful beaches in the past, I was excited to see what Aruba’s beaches were like. I had heard nothing but great things, and it did not disappoint. The water was beautiful and crystal clear and the sand was soft and white.
Same Same, but Different 