Houston, TX
2017-09-27
Very Enjoyable Stay With Just a Few Peeves
Husband and I just returned today from a 7-night stay at the Ritz. It was an enjoyable and relaxing vacation! What we enjoyed:From the moment we stepped out of the Taxi, we were welcomed by every single RC employee --> from the front door staff to the maintenance people. Not a single employee failed to make eye contact, smile, and tell us good morning or good afternoon (in Spanish).Check-in was a breeze, and our room on the 3rd floor was very nice with a larger-than- normal-sized balcony with 2 chairs, a table, and 2 padded lounge chairs. The view of the beach was pretty. It was not ocean-front; but we did not pay for ocean front; just ocean view. It did not disappoint. The a/c worked wonderfully well. I like it COLD! No humidity; no musty smells (and I'm fussy about a smelly room). The room looked updated and was beautiful. The bed was very comfortable. For the most part, it was pretty quiet when we were in the room with just the occasional closing door from another room close by (and I'm fussy about noise). I did, however, use my IPhone to listen to white noise to sleep at night; which helps me sleep soundly. So that helped with any exterior (hall or outside) noise. A small piece of Mexican pottery was waiting for us as a "welcome gift" by the side of our bed. The safe, while a bit small, was lighted when opened. There were complimentary robes and slippers in the room. Maid service was very, very good. The hotel amenities in the room were first class. The little touches like water bottles every day, cappuccino machine in room, potpourri in the closet and bathroom, mouth wash, distilled water for the iron (husband used it for his CPAP machine, and thank you very much RC, because we would have otherwise been searching for distilled water to buy). The shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body lotion were of good quality. Plenty of towels, hand towels, and wash cloths in the room. Chocolates were left on the door when we chose not to have evening turn-down service. The pool staff and pool restaurant staff were very, very attentive. I won't single out any one employee, because they were ALL FRIENDLY, PROFESSIONAL, AND PROMPT.The pool staff were constantly handing out cold glasses of water for us to drink while lounging, fruit popsicles, very cold, yummy-smelling wash cloths, and a cool spritz for our faces. Lemon or Lime infused ice water and plastic cups were always available at two areas near the pool, as well as complimentary sunscreen and aloe vera lotion. If we wanted shade, umbrellas were happily provided by the pool staff --> sometimes one, sometimes two, and once we even asked for THREE (while on the beach), and placed exactly to our satisfaction. Flags were placed on the lounge chair to "raise" when we wanted pool staff's attention. The staff were ALWAYS watching the pool and beach guests, talking among themselves on "walkie-talkie"-type devices making sure everyone was being looked after. The loungers at the pool area were padded, which I always look for before booking a hotel, as I have a bad back and MUST have a padded lounge chair.I think a few of the pools were heated. The spa was pretty large in a rather secluded part of the hotel ocean front. The occasional iguana would meander around the spa for a bit of sun. They were not intrusive and added to the tropical feel. The grounds were lush and well maintained. There is a beach life guard watching at all times from a raised lifeguard tower. Plenty of lounge chairs around the pools and on the beach. Very attentive staff constantly walking back and forth on the beach making sure guests' needs were taken care of. Extra touches like an air conditioned poolside bathroom with padded anti-slip mats on the floor and hand towels were noted and appreciated. The beautiful natural stone flooring surrounding the pool area had anti-slip edges on each step, which I've never seen at a resort before. A nice "safety" feature. The white-sand beach and turquoise water made for a beautiful and tranquil view. Pelicans would dive for dinner near sunset. Fun to watch. One night, several couples were having dinner under private/individual palapas (a nice-sized shelter with thatched roof) on the beach, and a saxophone player was serenading them (and anyone else in the beach area or on the patios). Very relaxing. We almost never left the pool area, so we mainly ordered from the pool grill. A favorite was chicken quesadillas with spicy habanero sauce and sour cream. When we checked out at 4 a.m. this morning, we were asked if we enjoyed our stay. The answer was "YES!"There were just a few peeves:The hotel was not crowded. I assume it's non-peak season. There were probably 20 palapas on the beach, and since we are shade-seekers AND I have a bad back, I would have thoroughly enjoyed "camping out" under a palapa on the beach every day. However, I didn't want to spend the approx. $180 per day to rent a palapa. Granted, we were told they come with fruit, water, and guacamole; but I could not justify paying that much. I noted very few were rented the entire 7 days we were at the RC. Perhaps management should consider lowering the price during non-peak season so as to encourage more people to rent them while earning a bit of revenue (versus having almost all palapas EMPTY every day). We were also surprised that the wooden loungers on the beach cost $25 a day. We paid the fee one day and enjoyed our time on the beach, but chose to spend the rest of our days poolside in the padded FREE loungers. There are MANY plastic loungers on the beach that are free. I just can't tolerate them (my back can't). Another peeve is that I am not a tall woman, and almost NOWHERE in the pool area could I lounge and SEE THE TURQUOISE WATER beyond the beach. There were only two small areas (near the spa) where 4 lounge chairs could be placed where I could SEE THE WATER FROM POOLSIDE. I asked my husband why he thought there were so many short stucco walls around the pool which blocked my view when I was in a lounge chair, and he suggested it was a safety feature. I mentioned replacing the walls with plexiglas, and my husband asked me if I realized how hard it would be to keep the plexiglas clean. Ok, then why not wrought iron? Did those few peeves ruin my stay? Absolutely not! Would I stay at the RC Cancun again? YES! It is a stately, lovely hotel on a lovely beach serviced by lovely and friendly people.