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Cancun & Cozumel Hotel, Resort & Villa Reviews
AdvenuraSpa Palace and Xpu Ha palace 02/01/2004
Reviewers Rating:  Excellent
January 15-22-04 ASP. Our first time.
Getting through the Cancun airport was a breeze even though there were lots of tourists and locals coming in. We arrived at 1:45. Our transfer company, Chaza, were there waiting for us.
After a few miles of four lane divided highway it turns to a two line and is interesting how they pass other cars. They go down the middle line and the other cars on both sides move over.
Our check in at the ASP was fast and friendly. We were taken to the third floor, room 3008 on the Adventura south side, overlooking the sea. Rooms are a little above average with a fridge stocked with drinks and a safe. A balcony overlooks the water.
Our first dinner was at Mundaca which was very good. We ate our breakfast there every morning which was very good. We tried all the restaurants including the Vegetarian, our least favorite and our favorite was the Italian in the South Lobby. The Mexican was our second favorite. These are both sit down with great steaks at the Italian. Don't expect Mexican food to be the same as in the States although the Mundaco and the Elgreco on the beach has Cassadias and stuff to make your own tacos, ect. The service could not have been better.
Most of you have probably heard about the man made lagoon. Not too much going on there except a few people lying around it. There is no beach on the Sea. You can take a sea kyak out on it or snorkel. We took a Collectivo on the highway a couple of times to X-PU-HA beach, only five minutes away. The cost was 10 pesos each. The beach is great with beautiful water. Most of the people at the ASP were from the USA and England it seemed. Only saw one or two topless and none at the pool.
After getting to know the property, we found it very easy to get around. The South lobby where we were is where all the shows are at night, either in the lobby court or in a theater.
They have a shuttle every ten minutes to and from the South and north lobbies.
There was no rain the time we were there and the temperature was perfect. Very warm in the daytime and most nights were warm. A couple of nights was long sleeve weather.
The waiters and others bent over backwards to serve us. The only complaint was that every time we stooped at a service desk to ask a question they would look you up in the computer and see that you had not been to the sales pitch to get your 100 palace bucks. Unless you are interested in a three hour sales pitch, just say no.
A couple of times we walked over to Puerto Adventura which is a twenty minute walk or a five minute bike ride. We walked, IM not made for those seats, ouch. That is where the dolphins and the manatees are in and around a harbor. I used the Internet for 1 peso a minute. Worth a visit. The beach at the Omni hotel in Puerto Adventura is very nice.
All in all, on a scale of one to ten I would give the ASP a ten.
JANUARY 22-29 XPU-HA, (esshpooha)
Left the ASP and transferred over to the XPu-Ha. You immediately enter a jungle type atmosphere. Two story bungalows in groups of about five. Very nice rooms with large balconies. Check in was smooth and friendly and a driver drove us to our room on a golf cart.
We got a top floor in the reptile village,(GEKO) with our balcony overlooking the sea just a few yards below with the waves crashing on the rocks. The balcony has a large double lounge chair and hammock. Trees and bushes all around the bungalows up to your balconies.
We were only five or six minutes walk to the beach and beach restaurant on a nice walk beside the sea. On the West side of our bungalow only about two minutes walk was a large lagoon surrounded by Jungle where you can take a sea kyak out or snorkel. Beautiful and relaxing.
Again after getting to know the property it was easy to get around. You could either walk or wait for a golf cart which comes every few minutes.
The XPU-HA beach is great. I would say about 2 miles long, with beautiful water. We would take the four mile round trip walk every day after breakfast. You walk past the Cococabana hotel and the last one is Robinson hotel. Most of the Europeans were on the South end of the beach opposite of the xpu-ha. That is where you would find a few topless. Only saw one at the xpu-ha beach. None were walking on the beach.
On the paths at xpu-ha you will see crocodiles, flamingos, and other wild life. Along the path on the sea you will see large iguanas once in a while. There is a large bird sanctuary.
The food did not seem as good as at the ASP but was good enough. We ate breakfast at the beach every day and it was great. our other favorite was the Mexican just ten minutes walk from our room. Again the service was great and the staff extremely friendly and ready to help with anything.
On a rating of one to ten, again I would give the xpu-ha a ten. I would recommend both the ASP and the Xpu-Ha. its kind of a toss up which one we liked the best but we think we would prefer to stay at the xpu-ha and visit the ASP or vice versa.
Getting out of the Cancun airport was no problem. But would you know that when we landed at the Dayton Ohio airport, we landed in a snow storm and the temperature this morning in five below zero. Am have a time trying to warm up. BRRR
Bill and Gerry Azusa@aol.com
Bill Scudder
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