It is hard to believe but it is about a month ago my husband and I left for our first vacation away just the two of us in five years. We decided to go back to the Bahia Principe Tulum as it was the first resort we vacationed to together back when we were just dating. In fact this is the fourth time we have visited a Bahia Principe resort. We tend to keep going back, or rather trying their resorts on different islands, because there is a level of quality that is consistent across all their properties. So far we have been to the Bahia Principe Tulum twice, Bahia Principe Punta Cana and Samana in the Dominican Republic.
I will be straight with you. We didn’t leave the resort for the entire week. With two kids at home all we wanted to do was sit on the beach, read, enjoy a few beers and just feel like we had zero responsibilities for the whole time we were away.
There are loads of reasons to head out on an excursion, the Tulum ruins, Xel Ha, shopping in Playa del Carmen. Still just sitting on the beach, swimming in the ocean, heading out for dinner and live music after was exactly what we needed.
JCREW Panama hat/dress & sandals Target/Belt American Eagle/Earrings Accessorize/Bag Home & Tribe
The Bahia Principe resort on the Mayan Riviera is actually made up of 4 different hotels, plus a golf course and residences. We stayed at Tulum which is spread out along the beach. Akumal is also on the beach but spreads out inland. Coba has the largest lobby but is not directly on the beach. You can jump the shuttle and there is a dedicated portion of Akumal beach for Coba. Sian Ka’an is the newest part of the resort and is the Adults only hotel. It is on the other side of the highway by the golf course and therefore far removed from the beach. Again there is a dedicated section of the Akumal beach for Sian Ka’an.
If you haven’t guessed yet the resort is HUGE. The largest in the Mayan Riviera. The beach is well maintained and gorgeous white sand. Since we were there the first time barriers were built in the ocean to reduce the wave action. There is also a break wall that you see above. The two work together to create a long stretch of swimable ocean. You do have to watch out for patches of coral, and there is a section where the bottom is more rocky than sandy. But if you stick to the Akumal end where the break wall is or around where the Bahia Principe Premium Club beach bar is situated (Tulum beach) you will have no problem getting into the ocean for a swim.
One of the fun things about the coral in the ocean at Bahia Principe Tulum (and Akumal for that matter) is that it attracts alot of different fish. And they are not shy of people. You can walk in the water and they swim right up, likely looking for crackers or banana.
There is also a portion of the beach that is roped off and protected as it is where the local sea turtles lay eggs.
We did our fair share of hanging out by the pool. I only checked out the pools at Tulum and Akumal and they couldn’t be more different.
The pools at Tulum are steps from the beach and the traditional round pools. There is a small pool closer to the beach bar and a larger double pool closer to the main lobby.
The Akumal pool is a lazy river pool. It’s not far from the beach either but to get off the beach requires a bit more effort at that end of the resort; climbing up a few flights of stairs and wandering over to the pool bar.
One thing I wasn’t too fond of was the Wifi section of the Tulum pool is for paying wifi customers only. It was not an extension of the free wifi in the lobby. I really think it would be a smart marketing tool to extend the free wifi and to eliminate the restrictions so that people could post pictures to Instagram and Twitter for free. Set up a hash tag and watch viral social media marketing work for you!
One of the reasons I had my heart set on Mexico was the cuisine. I know alot of Canadians are staying away from Mexico, but my attitude is that bad things happen everywhere. Be aware, don’t get yourself into stupid unsafe situations and chances are you will simply have a fantastic vacation. We did.
The plate above is a good example of what I had daily for lunch (and perhaps dinner). This was at the Tulum beach restaurant, which I thought had the best guacamole. They also had a selection of hot plates, hamburgers, hot dogs, roasted chicken and more Mexican dishes.
The main buffet had a wider selection with sushi, make your own pasta, grill, paella and more international foods. But it also always had salsa, guacamole, tacos and more Mexican dishes.
The food at Bahia Principe Tulum is not the best I have ever had in the Carribbean. That honour goes to the Mercure Simpson on St. Maarten. The French cuisine at that resort was amazing. But it was an entirely different set up in that it was a small resort and a small open air restaurant.
I will say that of the All Inclusive resorts I have gone to the buffet’s at Bahia Principe are better than most. I think because there are only 3 a la carte reservations per week they can’t just have a crappy buffet. Many people are relying on it as their main meals and expect good food. This time around I didn’t have any meals that I was disappointed in; just gorged myself on all my favourites. I didn’t feel like there was a huge quality difference between the a la cart restaurants and the buffet either. At this resort I would have been completely happy eating at the Tulum buffet all week.
Every night after dinner we went to the Akumal Bar, just off the main lobby at Bahia Principe Tulum. There was live music most nights, served drinks and great atmosphere.
Back when I was in my 20′s it was imperative for a resort to have a Disco (or night club for those who don’t speak island resort). There is one here as well, in a central location at the Hacienda. This is also where they have the nightly show and their internet cafe used to be there but we didn’t use that this time around as there is free wifi in the lobby.
I didn’t take any pictures of the room. I feel they are fairly typical of a 4 + star All Inclusive Resort. Marble tile bathrooms, King sized bed, TV in the room. We had a junior suite, so there was a little sitting area with a pull out couch. Balcony over looking the gardens. The rooms were being modernized. Less of the colourful comforters and more clean white bedding. But there is still a definite Mexican feel to the rooms.
But really the room doesn’t make or break the vacation. As long as the bed is comfy and I can get a good nights sleep, it is the beach, the food, and the weather that make the holiday. And all of that was perfect. I read 7 books and realized how quiet and peaceful it was while we were away once we were back to our full house at home.
I would have no problem going back to the Bahia Principe Tulum again or even trying out one of the new Bahia Principe resorts set to open in the coming years.
Have you been to a Bahia Principe resort?