A visit to Atelier Playa Mujures Mexico

THE CHARTROOM
Twice a month travel news from Charting Memories Travel

A visit to Atelier Playa Mujures Mexico

Today is your last chance to vote in this year’s presidential election. I try to avoid politics in my professional setting so all I will say is make sure that you are informed then go out and vote.

Now on to the fun stuff. This week I want to share a little about my recent trip to Cancun Mexico. At the beginning of October, I was fortunate to be given the chance to join 18 other travel agents from around the country to stay at the Atelier Playa Mujeres for a week. During that time we experienced all our resort had to offer, were given tours of several other resorts, and took a catamaran excursion to the Isla de Mujeres.

I must say that the Atelier Resort is beautiful, and the service was impeccable. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit of a beach snob since I live so close to some of the most beautiful beaches that I have seen anywhere in the world. That said, the beach was clean, soft and the water was warm and calm. It was not one of these beaches that were hundreds of yards deep, but there was plenty of room to spread out, the sun was warm, the breeze as calming and the loungers were very comfortable.

Those of you who know me well, know that I love to cruise. I like having places to relax, quiet places to reflect, good food, entertainment, and places to meet new people. The Atelier had all that in an All-Inclusive setting. The resort did not have big stage productions like most cruise ships, but it checked off all the other boxes that a cruiser like me enjoys. For me, the biggest positive of the resort over a cruise was the room. The average cruise cabin is rather small. They are comfortable and functional, but most people are there to enjoy what the ship has to offer rather than spend a lot of time in the room. The rooms at the resort were spacious and beautiful. I stayed in two rooms during my stay. The layout of the rooms was nearly identical, but one had a balcony overlooking the mangroves and the ocean while the other had a swim out pool.

I am happy to share more about my experience but for now, I thought that I would just leave you with a few take-aways from my trip.

1. Cancun is a wonderful place to visit. It was easy to get to, the people were friendly and safety precautions are in place to make you feel comfortable but not restricted
2. Tipping may not be required at an All-Inclusive, but it is appreciated. The service was always good, but it went to another level if you gave the workers a couple of dollars. One employee told me that he could buy about 10 meal servings for his family for each US dollar.
3. If you are going to upgrade your room for part of the trip, try to purchase the upgrade for the end of your stay instead of the beginning.
4. Learn at least a little of the language. The employees spoke English very well, but you could tell that they appreciated it when guests gave Spanish a try. We are guests in their home country, and it is a simple sign of respect.
5. When given the opportunity to try something new, go for it. Be honest but polite when asked how you like something. They remember and will try to match your style the next time. You never know what you will or will not like until you give it an honest try. One of the best parts of travel is the opportunity to experience new things so don't pass up a new food or experience.

If you are looking for a place to visit, Cozumel should be on your list of options. It is open and welcoming to visitors.

Let me know where you want to go next and keep Charting Memories!

Drew