To start, I did not stay at this hotel. I visited it to see if I wanted to stay.

Lacking a standard definition, and an adequate advertising budget, anyone can claim a million star rating on a chicken coop. I go this quote from some website after I checked to see what a five star rating on a hotel really means.

Carnaval in Merida runs from Feb 10 to Feb 17, 2010 and I hate it. The street barriers, the noise, the beer stands and the crowds make this the most unpleasant time in Merida for me SO I want to go elsewhere for this time.

I have gone to several beach towns nearby and have not found anything that appeals. Yesterday, I went to the Reef Yucatan http://www.reefyucatan.com/index_ing.php in Telchac Puerto, a small fishing town about 40 miles from Merida.

Their ads and their website promised a wonderful experience. I took the bus to Telchac Puerto, then a moto-taxi to the hotel (50 pesos about $4 US). AS we turned into the Hotel Area, the beach scene was beautiful. The Hotel Zone consisted in one hotel: the Reef Yucatan.

The entry was incredible – a huge palapa (straw) roof about one hundred feet high surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens. The beach and ocean in the background added to the ambience.

The dining room was lovely – light, airy and with a nice e buffet.

Then I toured the place and learned:

1. The gym was not available for the weekend. Maybe this did not matter since I was not staying this weekend but…

2. The hot tub did not exist. When I mentioned that I had seen it in the website, they told me it was not in service. They did not mention WHEN it would be in service.

3. The website mentioned nightly entertainment and the clerk confirmed this but did not tell me what the entertainment was for the next few days. The theater appeared to be unused for a long time.

4. There were neither refrigerators nor coffee makers in the rooms.



I thanked the clerk and asked about a taxi back to Telchac Puerto. He quoted me a rice of 200 pesos (about $16 US). After I declined this, he finally told me I could use the employees´ bus back if I waited two hours!



All this in a five star hotel with a price of $100 US per day!

I think not!

Lacking a standard definition, and an adequate advertising budget, anyone can claim a million star rating on a chicken coop.

There is beach outside... :) Very nice hotel with nice employees... :)

My stay at Yucatan was great!
Service:The bellhop brought our luggage straight to the suite. The maid did not arrive on time.We were out until 8 pm.and the maid had just arrived.She quickly apologized and changed the sheets on time.Cleanliness:Dirt,sand,and the occasional spider.Plus,a wasp hive and a bee hive were right outside our suite.Location:Great is all I can say.Value:Great!It only cost $600 because we had half the Airmiles needed for the trip.The Lobby:A guest Spanish-cursed us but apologized.Rooms:Loud music from next door,and fear of bedbugs.Although we slept with long pants and long-sleeved tops whose sleeves/legholes had masking tape put on them to hide any skin,it was fine.Although I recommend washing everything thorougly after arrival (including the luggage.)

We heard about this place from another couple we met on our recent trip to the Yucatan and also saw an add for it in the Yucatan Today magazine. We missed the beach when we were in Merida so thought we'd do a day trip up to the coast and check the place out. To get there is pretty easy, head north from Merida into Progresso, then head due east along the coastline until you see the sign for the resort. It's maybe 1 to 1:15hrs from Merida. They are an all-inclusive resort and offer daily and overnight specials. We stayed there for the night since they had a pretty good deal. Basically, for 995 pesos/pp (~$75US pp), you had a room on the beach, all inclusive. The real value was that if you get there around lunch time 1pm, lunch and dinner that day are provided, and so is breakfast and lunch the next day.

The resort is small compared to riviera maya standards, and very quiet. so come here if you plan to relax and not party. The beach is nice, very calm and shallow water. you can rent jet skis for 350pesos/30mins (cheap compared other places) and use their kayaks for free. The drinks are good, made by friendly bartenders who offer to fill your glass the moment it is empty. We were the only 'gringos' there, the few other people staying all looked to be locals. The also host conventions and company outings, we got a laugh watching a company team building event being held there. laughed more later that night when they all sang kareoke :)

The pool area is nice, once again small in comparison to other resorts. we enjoyed our time there, nice to check out the atlantic coast of the peninsula, and interact with the locals. There;s a lot to see nearby as well. There are some mayan ruins a couple miles away, plus bigger ones just north of Merida. The countryside is very different as well, think marsh and wetlands. Lots of bird life. Stop at Motul on the way back to Merida if you can and take a carriage ride to their cenote, nice swim.

Oh, and there is a spa onsite at the resort. They offered reasonably priced treatments including a 800peso couples massage for 50mins, which also added to our relaxed frame of mind :)