By GAIL LOWE
Confession: I love Mexican people. They’re warm, friendly,
hard-working and are grateful for even the meager tips Americans, Canadians
and Europeans are willing to pass out. It’s a major reason why, as an older
couple, my husband and I have chosen Riviera Maya as a winter vacation site in
the past few years. Because we’ve been to Mexico (the Mayan Riviera) multiple
times, we have solid evidence when it comes to comparing resorts.
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| At Hacienda Don Diego's authentic Mexican restaurant right at the resort. |
For instance, by far, the beach at the Wyndham Viva Maya
wins hands down for its beauty over three other resorts we stayed at in Puerta
Aventura and Cancun. When people talk about the "beautiful beach" at
the Viva Wyndham Maya, what they're really saying is that the sand is a creamy
beige and pillow soft, the water is a stunning Kodak turquoise and the wave
action on a windy day is both playful and rough but not dangerous with rip
currents. It's excellent for body surfing or simply jumping the waves, and I
must say the water temperature, instead of being bathtub warm, is refreshing on
a hot, humid tropical day. As winter turns into spring and into summer, the
water (and) air temperatures climb. We would return in a heartbeat for the
beach alone. In fact, in our opinion, the beach is the Viva Maya's best asset.
If first impressions count, then our first impression of the
Viva Maya was "ho-hum." There is nothing that suggests any kind of
luxury or dazzle when you walk into the hotel’s lobby. A reception counter is to
your left and across from that are a pair of guest services desks. We thought
there might be a welcome drink, but nothing was offered. The curious thing,
though, is that on another day, a waiter passed through the lobby with a tray
of drinks and they were offered to people checking in. I don't know why we were
overlooked when we checked in, but the same thing happened when a guest
services rep approached on check-in day to orient us to the resort, only to
disappear a few minutes later. We never did get an orientation, but it didn’t
really matter because the resort is small enough that you can walk from the
rear of the resort to the beach in a few minutes. And everything is easy to
find — swimming pools, entertainment area, buffet restaurant, specialty
restaurants, gift shop and gym.
We arrived at the resort at about noon and had to wait three
hours to be assigned a room in the 1100 block at the front left side of the
resort. There are no exceptions to this 3 p.m. check-in rule. Of course, we
were free to use the amenities, including lunch at the buffet or snack bar, and
that's what we did. We ate. Still, we were hot and tired after leaving Boston
before sun-up and there were no air conditioned spaces at the hotel where we
could cool off. The buffet restaurant, for instance, only has ceiling fans to
cool guests.
The lobby/check-in area opens to a central courtyard where
tables and chairs are set up. This is where most people access WiFi, but even
after paying $35 for the week service was slow and weak. Chalk this up to so
many people using their smartphones to check e-mail, headlines and the Dow.
This area also attracts smokers. When we sat there a few times, we had to keep
moving from table to table to escape the fumes. (I also found it odd that we
had to pay $14 for the room safe, but we didn’t want to leave any valuables
unattended.)
When we finally were assigned our room, we were given one
that had a king bed, small fridge and soap and shampoo (some rooms have no soap
or shampoo so we brought our own just in case). But unlike other guests, no one
stocked the fridge with water or soda or anything else. The room was adequate
for our needs, however, and was kept nice and clean every day. On days six and
seven of our stay, something strange happened. We were not given bath towels.
We asked the front desk on day six about it but still were not given any. We
had two choices: Make a fuss or make do with blue beach towels we were given at
the beach shack. We made do until, on day seven, the towels were delivered.
Still, there's a lot to like about this resort, starting
with the adult only pool located at the back of the property near the 3000
block of rooms. Though food is unavailable at this pool, drinks are. It's a
quiet space away from the hustle-bustle at the front of the resort, which is
near the "all ages" pool and beach. For people who crave action,
piped in music, crowd-pleasing games, dance lessons, yoga, water aerobics and even
classes to learn the art of trapeze, there's no shortage of things to do. At
the beach, there’s volley ball, a catamaran and jet skis. We also saw
parasailers high in the sky. But if you enjoy quieter activities, like reading
a novel or writing a book, then stay away from the “all ages” pool and action
area. It can be noisy, especially if there are a lot of kids around — or people
who've had too much to drink.
About the food: Other guests who have written reviews have
given thumbs down on the food offered at the resort's buffet. Well, maybe
they're gourmands, but if anyone went away hungry, it's their own fault. The
variety was excellent. A sample buffet menu is this (and more): A bread station
that included all kinds of croissants, breads and rolls; two soup stations; a
half dozen chafing dishes filled with authentic Mexican fare; a pasta station
that included three our four pasta choices; salad fixings;, chili; salsa;
guacamole; assorted cheese; pizza; vegetable and meat dishes and fresh fruit
(including mango, my favorite). Drinks included wine and beer, lemonade, iced
tea and purified water. If this isn't enough, there was sorbet and gelato for
dessert (absolutely yummy), flans, cakes iced with coconut frosting,
fruit-filled pastry, Jell-O molds and more. Service at the buffet was friendly
and quick. The snack bar near the "all ages" pool was a diluted version
of the buffet. This menu included hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, salsa and chips,
guacamole, pizza, soup, fresh fruit and desserts, all sufficient for a hearty
lunch. Breakfast also hit the mark with two omelet stations, breads and sweet
rolls and croissants, fresh fruit, cereal (including oatmeal), yogurt, bacon,
breakfast sausages, French toast, pancakes and on and on. There’s also a smoothie
station, which many people enjoyed.
As for additional amenities, a comment about the gym. I used
it once to walk two miles on the treadmill but would not go back. Why? No air
conditioning. If any one space inside the resort should have had AC instead of
ceiling fans, it’s the gym.
On this trip, we decided to forgo day excursions (we had
already been to Tulum and Xcaret) and opted instead for Cirque du Soleil's Joya
nighttime show. Oh, my, what a treat. We bought the champagne package (a little
expensive at more than $250 per couple but worth every penny). A lovely Joya
bus picked us up in front of Starbucks across from the resort and brought us to
the Joya pavilion, a truly splendid venue surrounded by a lazy lagoon. The
theater was small enough so that no matter where you sat, the view was excellent.
The price included round trip transportation, a bottle of champagne and
appetizers enough for two and tickets to the performance, which was
spectacular. A trio of musicians, including an awesome fiddler, opened the
show.
At the resort, entertainment starts at 9:30 p.m. and
continues for about an hour. We could have done without the disco show, but the
Latin show featuring snazzy, sexy costumes and awesome dance moves was quite
good.
The resort grounds were well kept, and workers were always
seen sweeping, trimming, polishing and serving. Kudos to them! They do a great
job and deserve every penny in salary and tips. In the center of the resort are
palapa walkways that lead to rooms on either side as well as restaurants Don
Diego’s and Portofino (both serve delicious cuisine served by excellent wait
staff. Our third choice was Bamboo at Azteca, another great restaurant).
All told, this is a resort that would delight families and
people in their 20s and 30s looking for an economical vacation. For older
couples, it’s not quite a good fit because most of us like a more sedate and
quiet getaway. What makes up for the missing frills and uneven service can be
found in what the resort has to offer and the people who work there — not to
mention, of course, that beautiful beach!
