Urban Suburban Mommy

Tag Archives: kids club

Mayan Riviera for the fam

Posted on by Posted in Bon Voyage .

I love the fact that there are resorts out there for everyone.

Whether you prefer a big resort or a small one, a boutique or a chain, a good beach, amazing pools, quiet or active – there is literally a resort out there to suit everyone’s tastes and preferences.

Last week I had the opportunity to stay at Azul Beach Riviera Maya, a 5 star resort in Mexico. This family friendly resort has 148 rooms and is super small and compact. I loved that I could walk from one end of the resort to the other in less than 5 minutes. And if I forgot something in my room (which I always do) it only took me a minute to get there and retrieve my forgotten item. This is the beauty of staying at boutique resort.

One of the things I loved most about this Gourmet Inclusive resort is that the small size did not mean that it lacked services or amenities. With restaurants, pools, multiple bars and daily activities, there was always something to do if I wanted, or if I just wanted to ready my book, I could!

What I found most impressive about this resort was the quality of everything. The a la carte restaurants including Latino (Southern American/Mexican) and Roma (Italian) just to name a few – were all authentic to the cuisine that they served. By day 2, all the staff greeted me with “Hello Ms. Power,” and the bartending staff were familiar with my drink order and had it ready before they even asked me if I wanted a drink.

 

As for my kids, the experiences that they had was never-ending.

Day 1 we enjoyed the Nickelodeon Orange carpet event, followed by an amazing Character Breakfast the next day with some of their favourite Nickelodeon characters including Sponge-Bob and Patrick.

Every day the Kids Club offered activities like soccer on the beach, pool games, Piñata making, Spanish lessons – the list just goes on!

In the evenings there were always entertaining shows that appealed to the whole family.  As the resort is small and intimate, my children were able to make friends from other parts of Canada, the US and even some Germans that were visiting.

With the kids continuously being entertained, I was able to spend some time at the Vassa Spa without having to feel guilty that I wasn’t spending time with them. This spa offered all the services that you would expect from a full service spa.  If you plan on visiting, be sure to experience the Relaxation Ritual followed by a full body massage and facial. (That’s what I did and it was phenomenal.)

To say this was a relaxing resort would be an understatement. I loved that there was no pumping techno music at the pool, that I did not have to fight for a lounge chair or get up at 4 am to secure one, that my kids could walk around freely without having to worry that they would get lost, no line ups for restaurants or reservations required and no pesky little wrist bands to mess up with my tan lines.

Since I have been back I have consistently been asked if I would return to this resort and the answer of course is – YES!!

If this type of boutique resort suits your travel fancy, contact me at cpower@tpi.ca or 416.996.6849 to discuss in more detail. Right now if you book this resort with me for travel between August 12 and December 22, 2017 you will receive a $1,000 USD credit that can be used towards private beach dinners, a massage, room upgrade, character breakfasts and more.

Clara Power is a mother to 2 well traveled kids, Andrew and Lauren.  She is a Personal Travel Advisor at her own travel agency, Clara Power TPI, which is in association with Travel Professionals International.  As an active traveler having visited over 35 countries and almost every continent, (still working on Antarctica), Clara is no stranger in understanding the unique wants and needs of families travelling together making her your expert choice for creating those special family vacation experiences.  Her agency is also recognized as an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner due to her extensive knowledge and superior service.

Do not hesitate to call her today to learn about what she can do to help you plan a seamless and enjoyable vacation!
cpower@tpi.ca
clarapower.ca
facebook iconClaraPowerTPI

tpi

Originally published on Clara Power Restless Traveller

Maxing out in Mexico

Posted on by Posted in Bon Voyage .
FEATURE shane and sullivan pool oasis mexico

You always hear about people taking last-minute vacations – well Saturday my husband and I went into a travel agency with the muppets in tow, and asked to book whatever was leaving the next morning.

I will definitely try that again, because it worked out so well. There was no anticipation with the kids. there was no build-up. There was just 4 plane tickets to Cancun, Mexico with an all-inclusive 4.5 star resort at the other end.

mexico grand oasis palm

My husband often works 16-18 hour days and my 9-to-5 grind starts at 6.30 am and ends after the kids are in bed, the clothes are put away and the dishes are done. The days merge into weeks and into months. Spending time in an all-inclusive resort where the biggest decision is “beach or pool” was absolutely heavenly! Good food and bottomless tropical drinks were just a bonus, time with the family was all I wanted.

Time with the family and a swim-up bar.

shane and sullivan pool oasis mexico

We stayed at The Grand Oasis Palm. As far as luxury resort chains go, it was nice. Numerous restaurants, a few different pools, a decent beach and spotlessly clean. I couldn’t believe how we’d lucked out.

On day 3 we decided to check out Kids Club.

Kids Club!

I never knew that such a thing existed, but when it comes to all-inclusive resorts, you HAVE TO check out the Kids Club. It was definitely the most spectacular surprise.

Now maybe this shows how little we travel. We go to Great Wolf Lodge a lot, and we stay in nice hotels around the city for staycations, but we’ve never been to a resort as a family, and we had no clue!

Kids Club at The Grand Oasis Palm was a child’s dream come true. A big pool with two waterslides, a room complete with a dozen gaming systems – Wii, PlayStation, XBOX – and beanbag chairs for the kids to veg out on, an arts and crafts room, games room, theatre, a playground with climbers and a trampoline with harness, movie nights, a nap room and a huge staff of childcare providers to watch over the ensuing madness.

The boys couldn’t wait to go to Kids Club and hang out with their friends. They thought they’d found the best place on earth! And while we wanted to spend time with them, it was nice to take a quiet break by the pool and have a little bit of adult time. We even did a romantic dinner one evening at the fine dining restaurant on site. The boys went a few times over the rest of the week and have been telling endless stories about friends they made.

And to whomever invented Kids Club, thank you, you’re a genius.

Cancun is nice because the flight to Mexico from Toronto is about 4 hours. The hotels are under 25 minutes from the airport and, surprisingly, the boys handled the travel quite well. I think it has something to do with the in-seat personal screen with movies, shows and games for entertainment. They certainly didn’t have those when I was a kid!

We were even able to rent a car for the day and drive to Tulum to see the ancient Mayan ruins and go to the market. And because the Oasis is a chain, with a location in Tulum, we were able to visit the Grand Oasis Tulum and enjoy the facilities and our all-inclusive privileges there for the day instead of wasting the sunshine on the 2 hour drive back to Cancun.

Sunkissed and relaxed, a week away was just what we needed. We’re already dreaming about the next destination. What’s your dream vacation?