Honeymoon Discussions

Secrets Maroma Beach

So we are planning our honeymoon for the first week in November and EVERYONE keeps telling us this is the place to go. I've never been to Mexico, I'm not opposed but I sort of feel like we should try to go somewhere "different". However, I am open minded. Have you been here? What are some tips? Dos and Don't's? I would love some advice! My FI is a very picky eater..will that be a problem? Is this a good value for our money?
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Re: Secrets Maroma Beach

  • What experience are you looking to have on your HM? What is your budget and where are you leaving from and for how long?

    I've been there, and I do think it's a very nice property, but depending on what you want from your trip, it might not be for you.

     







  • Jells2dot0, we just want to be pampered and relax. We might be interested in some stuff on the water (jet ski or boating maybe) but we just want to be by the pool and beach mostly. We are still working on a budget but I would say for an all inclusive and flights were are thinking about $7000-$8,000 or so. I would prefer less but we could do that.
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  • I don't have any specific advice for you yet, but we are going to Maroma Beach the first week of June for our honeymoon and I am so excited! My mom is a travel writer, and this is one of her all time favorite resorts. I stayed at Zoetry & Breathless in Punta Cana last year (all 3 are owned by the same company) and every employee that I talked to said that their favorite property to visit is SMB. So between those first hand recommendations, our own research & all the reviews I read on trip advisor & here, we were sold pretty quickly. 

    I'm not sure what pricing is at all for the time of year or where you are coming from, but we are going the first week of June for 7 nights in a Preferred Club Swim Out Suite, with direct flights from NY and it is just over $5000
  • I am a little worried about the bathroom situation; a lot of the online reviews I've read said there is no door and it's open to the room?
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  • hicoco said:

    I am a little worried about the bathroom situation; a lot of the online reviews I've read said there is no door and it's open to the room?

    I read this somewhere too, but we found upon arriving that our room had a glass door to the toilet that swung open. So not completely private, but not completely open.

    For us, SMB was a great value (although I didn't think the preferred club was worth the extra money). If I could do it again I would skip the preferred club and try to get a room on the highest floor (best views) or on the bottom floor (with a swim-out suite).

    The food is amazing. There were like 6 or 7 different restaurants with a variety of food (italian, mexican, french, seafood, etc.) and we enjoyed all of them. Wonderful service, too.

    Also, 24/7 room service is nice but don't use it for breakfast. You are going to want to go to the breakfast buffet every morning - trust me!


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  • beachyone15, my FI LOVES breakfast buffets so that will be good. I emailed my travel agent a bunch of questions, including about the bathroom, so I'm waiting to hear back now. Thanks for the tips!
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  • hicoco said:

    So we are planning our honeymoon for the first week in November and EVERYONE keeps telling us this is the place to go. I've never been to Mexico, I'm not opposed but I sort of feel like we should try to go somewhere "different". However, I am open minded. Have you been here? What are some tips? Dos and Don't's? I would love some advice! My FI is a very picky eater..will that be a problem? Is this a good value for our money?




    I am currently sitting on my balcony at SMB!!! Do it. You won't regret it. We didn't do preferred club, but booked an ocean view king and requested 3 or 4 floor in building 15.. I'll attach a pic of our view. Service is amazing, zero complaints so far!! The bathroom thing isn't as weird as we were expecting. The weird component is the jacuzzi tub just has a curtain that separates it from the bedroom. Otherwise the bathroom itself, toilet, and shower all have doors that separate it. Def not enough of a negative that I would steer you away. Any other questions please ask!
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  • tcnoble, thanks so much for taking the time to post! I actually have a few questions if you really don't mind..you sort of answered some but this is what I sent to my travel agent and she's on vacation so..


    -What is preferred club? Is it worth it?
    -What kind of room would you recommend? I don't think we want a swim out but I want to have a nice view and be close to the pool and beach.
    -Do I need travel insurance?
    -Is there a lot of seaweed on the beach usually? This is a complaint I saw a lot.
    -Can we book the hotel and flights separate? I was going to try to use points towards our flights
    -How far is the hotel from the airport?
    -Do they have a honeymoon package?
    -How are the restaurants?


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  • @tcnoble enjoy!! And please leave a review after, I can't wait to hear all about it!

    @hicoco I actually know the answer to a few of these, even though I haven't gone yet!

    - You can book the hotel and flights seperate, but look at the prices on different sites/whatever your agent can get you. We were originally going to book the resort first and then wait on flights, but everywhere we tried to price it out (over about 2 months of looking) it ended up being way more expensive than booking together.
    - They do have honeymoon packages. There is a basic one you can add on to any trip, and then there is one that is included if you stay at least 7 nights http://www.secretsresorts.com/maroma-beach-riviera-cancun/honeymoon-anniversaries



  • hicoco             I have never been to this resort but will answer your question about travel insurance. I get it for every single trip I take. It is usually very inexpensive, and I have used it several times - twice for medical expenses abroad and once when my family had to cancel a vacation due to a sick relative. You just never know what might happen and it's better to be safe than out lots of money!

    sames52915  about pricing out the options for flight/ hotel separately vs. together. You have to do your research to see which works out in your favor. I'm looking into a girls' trip to Cancun this summer and booking together is way cheaper. And then booking together prices vary a lot depending on website (I am using Bookit.com, Expedia, Orbitz, & CheapCaribbean.com).

  • Thanks guys for the tips and advice!!! I really appreciate it.
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  • GiaspoGiaspo member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment Combo Breaker
    edited April 2015
    Hi! I was just about to post a review as we just got back!  We absolutely loved SMB more than other AIs we've visited in Cancun (Dreams, Azul, etc.).  It was quiet, very upscale, the rooms were spacious and the food was great.  My H is a big foodie and even he was pleased.  Some things to consider:
    • Tell your H to bring pants and a collared shirt.  You can't eat inside at a few of the nicer restaurants without one.  My H brought only one pair and he wished he had brought another.  
    • People were dressed up.  H and I normally dress up on vacation too, but at the last minute we decided to be more casual this trip.  That was the wrong choice... in the end it was fine, we just felt a little under dressed.  
    • A few of the reviews mentioned having a room with a private pool that didn't get sun - this seemed to be true on the right side of the resort.  If you decide for a room with a private pool, see if you can stay on the left side of the resort (looking at the ocean), which works with how the sun progresses throughout the day.
    • Each night they have a live show in the theater, and on Thursdays they have live music on the beach... I loved it and it was my favorite entertainment there.  
    • I was surprised that the "no kids" factor had a greater impact than I would've thought.  It made it that much more romantic.  And I love kids!
    If you're looking for a bigger resort with more of a party atmosphere, this isn't the one.  It's small and quiet and private and romantic.  We had a great trip.  

    image
  • I'm going to try to answer your Qs:

    -What is preferred club? Is it worth it?  We did not do preferred club.  
    -What kind of room would you recommend? I don't think we want a swim out but I want to have a nice view and be close to the pool and beach.  We had a regular room with a King bed and it was fine.  We were in building 12 which is the first building next to the main building, which worked for us.  If you'd prefer to be closer to the beach I'm sure you could request that but honestly nothing is very far because the resort is so small.  
    -Do I need travel insurance?  We were married a few years ago and had to cancel & rebook our honeymoon 3 times because of hurricanes.  If it fits in your budget I'd say YES, just in case.  You won't have to pay all of the change fees for the flights, etc.
    -Is there a lot of seaweed on the beach usually? This is a complaint I saw a lot.  Yes, there was seaweed but it was fine.  The beach lounge chairs were not affected.  
    -Can we book the hotel and flights separate? I was going to try to use points towards our flights.  I would think you could do this so you could use FF points.  
    -How far is the hotel from the airport?   They told us 45 minutes, but it was only about 20.
    -Do they have a honeymoon package?  We were traveling on an award trip for my H's work, so I am not sure, but I saw a TON of people on their honeymoon.  
    -How are the restaurants?  H and I are big foodies and we thought they were great.

    HTH and enjoy!
    image
  • Giaspo, so glad to hear you had such a wonderful time!! thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, I truly appreciate it!

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  • tcnobletcnoble member
    First Comment First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited April 2015
    hicoco said:

    tcnoble, thanks so much for taking the time to post! I actually have a few questions if you really don't mind..you sort of answered some but this is what I sent to my travel agent and she's on vacation so..


    -What is preferred club? Is it worth it?
    -What kind of room would you recommend? I don't think we want a swim out but I want to have a nice view and be close to the pool and beach.
    -Do I need travel insurance?
    -Is there a lot of seaweed on the beach usually? This is a complaint I saw a lot.
    -Can we book the hotel and flights separate? I was going to try to use points towards our flights
    -How far is the hotel from the airport?
    -Do they have a honeymoon package?
    -How are the restaurants?




    I posted a lengthy review on trip advisor that should post shortly. To answer your questions here...

    1. We did not do preferred club, and based on speaking with other guests, I wouldn't spend the extra money. You get access to a lounge, and building locations closer to the beach. For us, we opted to spend that money on excursions and such.

    2. We stayed in an ocean view king. We actually discussed this on the way home and agreed we would probably go for a lower category room, maybe a partial ocean view, for our next visit. I enjoy sitting on the balcony and watching the ocean, but we really didn't spend much time in our room besides showering and sleeping. Given you want a nice view and good location (which were my criteria as well) you may want an ocean view king like we did. We requested building 15 in third or fourth floor and were granted third.

    3. We did not book travel insurance. I think this is a personal decision. Had we been flying out from a snowy location in winter, we likely would've done it. Just didn't feel it was necessary for us.

    4. Seaweed, you're at the mercy of Mother Nature. We had two days of no seaweed at all, and three days with a moderate amount because if winds. It is not a vacation ruining aspect, in my opinion. Secrets does a great job of cleaning it up.

    5. We booked ours separate. I didn't use a travel agent.

    6. If you do a private transfer (we used Canada Transfers) it's about a 30-40 minute drive.

    7. Yes, varies based on stay. We got a complimentary package that basically just offered a champagne breakfast in bed which you could essentially just order through room service. If you stay I think a minimum of 7 nights another package is offered. We only stayed 6.

    8. Restaurants were fantastic. We did not eat at the Mexican El Patio due to limited nights and we went in to PDC for dinner one night. The French was our favorite.
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  • tcnoble, wow thanks SO much!! you were very insightful. Once your review is posted, if you could let me know I would love to read it.

    Thanks!

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  • hicoco said:

    tcnoble, wow thanks SO much!! you were very insightful. Once your review is posted, if you could let me know I would love to read it.

    Thanks!

    It's posted! :)
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  • Giaspo & @tcnoble so happy you had a great time! And thanks for the great reviews/tips.
  • @tcnoble, I just read your review! it was great! one last question, what is the secrets box?
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  • hicoco said:

    @tcnoble, I just read your review! it was great! one last question, what is the secrets box?

    There is a two-way box in each room - one side opens to the hallway, one side opens to your room. Room Service can drop food in here, without disturbing you. We really liked it - super convenient for the early morning excursions when you need breakfast first.
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  • Hi Ladies,

    I'm a little late to this thread, apologies :)  

    It looks like FI and are down to Sandals La Toc in St. Lucia and Secrets Maroma Beach- and we're having a really hard time deciding between the two...

    We like SMB better, because it's a non-stop flight, and $1200 less than St. Lucia.  But FI likes St. Lucia since Scuba Diving is included there, and it seems like there may be more to do (hiking the national park at the tip of the island, for instance).

    We're so torn!  Is there anything to do outside of the SMB resort proper?  How far is it to town?  Scuba diving is not included at SMB- does anyone know how much it might be?

    This is getting exciting!!  But we're just torn- would love some advice.  Thank you in advance! :)
  • @soontobesyp Hey! When I was there, others on our trip went on excursions to see the Mayan ruins and zip lining. We went snorkeling and I saw people taking scuba lessons in the pool but not sure if there is an excursion to dive. I bet you could reach out to the concierge to find out. (Also, we are neighbors. I am in Motown. If you are getting married locally and have any questions please feel free to ask!)
    image
  • Thanks @Giaspo!  That was helpful.  Mayan ruins sound awesome!

    And I love Mo-town- I used to work at the Hyatt there.  Such a great, fun town.  I love Sona Thirteen and Urban Table :)
  • We were originally planning on just staying at SMB the entire time, but friends of ours just went to Dreams Rivera Cancun and went snorkeling with Sea Turtles. They said it was absolutely amazing! So I've been doing a little research, and there are actually some excursions that look really fun. I think we're going to do one day out of the resort. I actually found a lot of information about Akumal Bay Beach, and how a lot of people actually just go on their own to spend the day and swim with all the turtles. It seems like a great idea, probably will save money, and if we go early enough will hopefully miss all the tours (I found a lot of tips on trip advisor and google!) 

    But the Cenotes also look pretty amazing, and I don't think that is something we can do without a tour. And I have also heard the Mayan ruins are amazing. I think since we are so crazy with the end of planning we will end up just waiting till we get there to book something.
  • tcnobletcnoble member
    First Comment First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited April 2015
    @sames52915 Book an excursion through Edventure tours!!! We did snorkeling with sea turtles, swimming in the cenotes, and zip lining. 

    They took us to Akumal, and the benefit of a guide is they know where the turtles typically hang out and can get you there.

    It was seriously the best day of our vacation, their slogan doesn't lie. We made our tour private for an extra $110, which for us was SOOOO worth it. The company was great, our tour guide was the best, comfortable vans, etc. Well worth the money.

    We had 5 full days at SMB, and we spent our third day doing the excursion. It was nice to break up the days of laying on the beach.

    ETA if you know what you want to do - book it before. I found it SO relaxing to show up, know when our tour was, and not have to deal with anything while we were there. 
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  • @tcnoble  thanks for the tip!!  I cant wait to get there...37 days!
  • I am also considering this resort! When I was looking at pricing I was confused because it gives you two different price points: "standard" and "best available rate" Does anyone know the difference between the two? Thank you :) 
  • I am also considering this resort! When I was looking at pricing I was confused because it gives you two different price points: "standard" and "best available rate" Does anyone know the difference between the two? Thank you :) 
    Best Available Rate is usually cheaper and has a nicer cancellation policy. Check the rate details to be sure.
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