Description: This mega-resort is one of seven in the Palace family, all but one dotted along the Yucatan coast. Palace strives to give each a slightly different character, such as the family-focused Moon Palace in Cancun, or the more granola-flavored Xel-Ha Palace south of Tulum, with its thatched huts. The focus of Aventura is, naturally enough, the spa, and packages often include a massage, manicure and pedicure during your stay.
The Spa Palace is in Puerto Aventuras, 80 miles down the Yucatan coast from Cancun. As it does all along this coast, the highway serves as a border: to the west, the still largely untouched Yucatan jungle, crossed by few roads, and dotted with just a smattering of villages and cities; to the east, modern, un-Mexican resorts that, if they acknowledge the location at all, come off as a Vegas-like riff on Mexico, like the ‘Mayan Temple’ I stayed at one night at the Strip’s south end. The Palace was no different. Once off the highway, the lush and aggressive vegetation is contained, controlled, or exterminated. The replacement green grass feels lush, but oddly out of place, as it carpets the spaces between the concrete of this large complex, which holds over 1,000 rooms spread among zig-zagging buildings surrounding the long, snake-like pool.
Despite the waterfront location, this is not a beach resort. The Aventura Palace has a long section of waterfront, but it’s one of the few rocky stretches on this coast. Guests are strongly warned not to enter the ocean, and a man-made lagoon (complete with sandy shores) is provided as a substitute down at the waterfront.
Palapas and chaise lounges cover this area and surround the many pools. The construction of these is particularly elaborate, with arched bridges across them, waterfalls, and a variety of shapes and sizes. Bars are scattered among them, including a swim-up bar at the edge of the large, central pool.
Staking out a good location beside the pool or lagoon is a key part of each morning’s activity. We were here two weeks before Thanksgiving, and the resort felt busy but not packed. Even so, waiting too long before staking out a great spot (with enough chaise lounges for your party) might relegate you to a less than ideal location. We favored the ones under the palapas alongside the lagoon, which didn’t appear to be the source of too much competition (perhaps because it was a longer walk to the nearest bar), or the seats adjacent to the current pool, site of an energetic morning workout led by one of the staff each morning at 10. If you prefer a site in sun, shade, or alongside the roman-like indoor pool, you should be able to find one, but maybe not as close to food, drink or room as you might like.
Most rooms look out over part of the large pool complex, and many are a long walk from the central lobby and check-in area. The zigzag building shape incorporates balconies for all pool-facing rooms, each with enough room for a pair of chairs and a hammock.
The rooms are comfortably sized. Ours had a king bed, a small sitting area, and a spacious bathroom with tiled, walk-in shower. There were comfy terrycloth robes and bedroom slippers and an impressive array of shower and bath amenities (many of which are still cluttering up my bathroom cabinets). Each room features a wall-mounted liquor rack (which we left unused). I read a few complaints from guests who were in rooms at the edges of this resort, either close to the check-in area (and away from the pools) or at the north or south end. No matter where you are, parts of the complex will take some time to reach. At least one restaurant will be near your room, but if you don’t find it appealing (or wish to sample a variety) you might have as much as a 20-minute walk.
All the staff throughout the hotel were attentive and helpful, and added to making it a pleasant stay. We headed home after only four nights, unable to get the most out of our week-long reservation due to work. I don’t know that I’ll vacation this way often (or at all) in the future, but it was more fun than I expected.
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