| had the best time |
| Hotel Sandos Caracol Eco Resort & Spa |
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karen >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Jul, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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I hear all the bad things about royal elite but in really life. My husband and myself went they in early 2009, after a 6 week trip to jamaica that end witha friend getting hurt. We had a great time and did buy a one bedroom, since then we have had a couple hickups but all has been worked out. We returned to sandos caracol in december and had no problems. no problems booking or with are stay. the have changed thing and are working hard to make it all right. we love the staff and the staff loves us no are money. like we found in jamaica they love your money not you.
cant wait to get back there |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
| lots |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
| clean and nice |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
| fast, good and clean |
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| Rooms |
| nice clean and cleaned everyday with towel animals on the bed |
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| Splendid resort.... |
| Hotel Iberostar Paraiso Beach |
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Yvan >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Jul, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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| What a delightfull pleasure to have chosen this resort. We have travelled to many Iberostar resorts, this one being one of the best we stayed at. |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
We went shopping to Playa del Carmen with the shuttle from the plaza of the hotel, 4$ each way for a 20Km trip very reasonable I would say, found the presents we needed on 5th avenue.
We took the visit to the ruins of Tulum, I was impressed with the place, ruins and by the knowledge of the guide we had for our trip. you must remember that it is very hot there, dont forget to bring water. They also gave us about 1hr to enjoy ourselves on the beach at the bottom of the hill.
Since there are no secure place to leave your things, keep an eye open, I noticed many.... people looking for an occasion to pilfer.
All and all a very pleasant and instructive excursion. |
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| Arrival |
We arrived via Westjet airlines from Toronto, my spouse being somewhat apprehensive about flying, this trip was superb, smooth all the way, nice updated aircraft, exit row seating with tons of leg room, video display in every seat which gave us a choice of various tv or movies to choose from.
We arrived Cancun ahead of schedule, after baggage reception and clearance through customs, we proceeded to the chaos outside the terminal, IMHO, very poor service from Best Day travel as far as arrangement of transportation, we had to wait outside in suffocating heat, for our transport to be ready, even though the bus was in place and air conditioned, they made the group wait until complete before boarding. |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
The beach is very nice, lots of huts and chairs for one and all, a few large rocks near the entrance of the beach, however, the water being so clear, it was easy to navigate around them and never did we have any problem with them. Unfortunately the first two days of our stay, the beach had a red flag waving, the water was quite agitated and not recommended, we still had the choice and I realy enjoyed the large waves/breakers comming to shore. Did not do the pool, as a general rule, since it is secluded and protected from the ocean by vegetation, way too hot for my liking and during the late afternoon much too noisy for us, the animation crew and pool bar were the culprits.
As all the IB resorts we have visited, the grounds were impeccable, an army of groundskeepers were at work everyday it seems everywhere to make the looks of this place so great. |
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| Other Comments |
I would greatly recommend this resort to anyone that wants a clean, well maintained and pretty quiet place to relax and enjoy a vacation.
I would certainly return in a heartbeat.
We hope everyone enjoy the place as much as we did. |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
We were given 4 restaurant choices, we made the gourmet, japanese, italian and steak. All were excellent, the food always hot and cooked to order, if a complaint was to be made, the Italian restaurant is situated in one of the pool snacks, not air conditioned so a little uncomfortable but nevertheless, the food was very very good.
The Buffet breakfasts were what we are accustomed to having in all the resorts, excellent choices of fruits, pastries and the omelet bar was manned by a lovely lady for our entire week, she made it a pleasure to see her smile every morning.
Suppers at the buffet was always thematic, changed every night and the food was always good, the catch all was always there, if you did not appreciate anything being served, the pasta bar was excellent.
This was our 6th visit to an IB resort, we have never been let down anywhere by the food. |
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| Rooms |
| We arrived the resort 20 mins later, to the friendly Iberostar reception, well organized, the check in took no more than 5 minutes, since we are many times guests of an Iberostar resort, they even gave us a free upgrade to a junior suite, the staff being polite, friendly and spoke english and french quite well. We even took time to go to the concierge desk to make our restaurant reservations for the week all in less that 15 minutes we were taken by cart to our room, building 31, very near the beach to a wonderfull room with good a/c, clean and well prepared, everything we have been accustomed to by the Iberostar chain. The maid service for the week was of all thing done by a male worker, what a pleasant surprise, superb service, the fridge always stocked full, and room decorations, figurines and flowers galore. My wife was in awe for the entire week. Of course, daily gifts and a couple dollars must surely have helped. Clean, well air conditioned, no bugs. |
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| Fantastic Vacation |
| Hotel Dreams Resort and Spa |
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Derek >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Apr, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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| The Dreams Riviera Cancun was a perfect blend of service, atmosphere and enjoyment. Yes there are children at this resort but we went as a couple knowing this and were able to still have a wonderful vacation. |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
| Lots of energy and activities if you wished to participate. Not overly agressive to gather people for events and the noise from them was never really annoying. |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
| Beach was unfortunately not that great due to the weather during our stay. Winds were strong and had a storm front for a few days of our vacation. |
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| Other Comments |
| Excellent service, attention to detail and memorable experience. Would highly recommend and we plan to return soon. |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
| Food was excellent...we really enjoyed the Japanese and French. Plenty of bars to accomodate a thirst of any nature. Good selection of liquors availble. |
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| Rooms |
| Exact replications of what they portray on their websites. We found them stunning and almost all have some sort of oceanview. |
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| Your Arrival |
| Nice and close to the airport with about only a 30 minute drive. |
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| Fabulous hotel, but be careful! |
| Hotel The Royal Playa Del Carmen |
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john >
1 contribution(s) United States of America |
| Apr, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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Truly one of the most beautiful hotels staffed by the best employees I have ever encountered. the only complaint is we get roped into a timeshare presentation under slightly false assumptions. The salesmen are extremely aggressive and I actually signed up for what I thought was a good deal. when I got home, I researched "Club Real Timeshares" and started to read the horror stories. I immediately sent in a cancellation notice. the contract indicates you have 5 days for a full refund. I am not getting any response from them at this point.
Enjoy the hotel, but DO NOT ATTEND THE TIMESHARE MEETING! |
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| Unforgettable!!! |
| Hotel Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort |
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Sandra >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Mar, 2010 | Leisure | With Group
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| This is the second time I stayed at this resort and I will definitely be returning. We departed Ottawa on March 7 for 2 weeks and we all had the time of our lives, I know you can give 5 stars but if it were possible I would give the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya 10 stars for excellence. |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
We didn't do any excursions out of the resort but there were many to choose from.
They also have a beautiful spa and gym. You can take a nice walk there (about 5min) or you can have your concierge call the shuttle for you. The gym is state of the art, we went everyday around 3pm and there was always something available to use. They also provide you with water and towels.
The spa is without a doubt beautiful and the staff is very nice.
The shows in the evening were by far the best entertainment I have seen in Mexico and the animation team is fantastic. Always getting everyone involved.
The Disco at this resort is also very nice. You need to take a shuttle to ge there but it is a 5 minute ride an well worth it! |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
We spent most of our 2 weeks at the beach, however the pools were equally beautiful. The beach can be a little bit rocky but not enough to need shoes although we saw some people wearing shoes.
The pools and the grounds at this resort were imaculate, there wasn't one minute of the day that we didn't see someone cleaning it, very well kept.
There is also a lazy river at this resort, very very fun and a perfect place to get a beautiful tan. They provide you with a floatation device and it takes you through the river very nice touch. |
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| Other Comments |
I would have to say that the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya excels in every way.
A special THANK YOU to the Managment of the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya you have created a world class resort. We thouroughly enjoyed our vacation and will be returning without a doubt next year. THANK YOU again and see you in 2011.
Adios!
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| Restaurants and Bars |
There are 8 a la carte restaurants to choose from:
Italian, Mexican, Mediterranean, French, Japanese, Steak House, Cajun and Brazilian. We manageg to go to all of them because we were there for 2 weeks and they are all VERY VERY GOOD! My favourites would have to be the Steak House and the French restaurants.
The Buffets are equally good. I never had a problem finding something to eat and everything I ate was very good. Excellent!!!!
The staff at the bars are very nice they go out of their way to make everyones experience enjoyable. Look for Gabriel and Joakin these guys know how to mix a drink!!!!
There is also a coffee bar at this resort and you can go for a coffee at any time of the day, very yummy! |
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| Rooms |
The rooms are spacious, beautiful and very clean, nothing to complain about.
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| Your Arrival |
We arrived in Mexico around 12:30pm and went through customs security very smoothly. We had to wait awhile after we got our luggage to go through security but we were in paradise so we didn't mind. We took a bus to the hotel that takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Check-in at the hotel was seamless. The bell boys were very friendly and assited us with our luggage. We were then greeted with a glass of chamapgne and guided to reception to check-in. The reception staff were very accomodating answering our questions and helping us fill out all the necessary paper work. We were then given our bracelets and our rooms keys. We then went back to the bell boys and we were driven to our rooms and our luggage quickly followed.
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| Wonderful Experience |
| Hotel Grand Palladium Royal Suites Yucatan |
| User Rating:
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James >
1 contribution(s) United States of America |
| Mar, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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| We had the most wonderful experience in Mexico imaginable. THe service was excellent as well as the facilities. We had a small complaint and it was handled immediately. We have stayed at the Royal Suites 3 times and each time it seems to get better. So good that we bought 420 nights at the Palladium Travel Club. It's a bit like buying a car with the saleman but all went well. Sice we had been there 3 times, given the cost of these vacations, we should have bought years ago. We look forward to the future stays for us and for our friends and family. |
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| Closest thing to Heaven on this Earth! |
| Hotel Gran Bahia Principe Tulum |
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Allison >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Mar, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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We have stayed at various resorts in the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico and this one is by far our favourite. The weather was perfect, the room was clean, neat, tidy and always refreshed to within inches of its life. The staff at this resort are more than just a couple of notches above others. We recently tried the Barcelo Palace, RIU Maya and Gran Bahia Principe Coba, but the Tulum was so much better when we were last there, we rebooked. Now that we are back, we cannot wait to go again.
Highlights included the theatre (even Circus night was incredible); the food (the servers make you want to go back - incredible as it is, our favourite server was Manuel in the buffet, who remembered our names when we went back there on the second day for breakfast); the manager, who sought us out at supper one evening and presented himself to personally address any concerns, as it was out third time there); and a host of other issues.
For a huge hotel, this place is all about personal, and I do mean personal, service to each person. They make you feel like you are the only person they have to deal with at that time and they just want to make everything good for you. We took advantage of the spa and enjoyed that personal touch. We enjoyed the a la cartes (we did not use all we were offered, as we wanted to enjoy the buffets as well).
We have toured the ruins, pyramids, cenotes, zip-lining, jungle tour, Xcaret and other off site trips in past visits, so this time we stayed on our resort with a few hours in Playa del Carmen for some shopping. Oddly, the shops at this resort were dynamite and we preferred them to the shops in Playa for quality and value.
We will be there again next year if God is willing...
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
The shopping in Playa del Carmen is not as good as on the resort for trinkets and take home things. Value at the hotel is better. We went to Walmart in Playa. I needed dress pants since I packed in a hurry and forgot some items home on the bed... So, I bought the best dress pants I could find at Walmart. They set me back $12.50, which would be $50 at home, I would guess. I will see after they are washed this weekend. If they fit my little brother, then...
There is lots to do on the resort, if you want. Our lives go 90 MPH at home, so we went away to slow down. There were a few Mayan Monkeys and several vino tintos, though. Another drink I discovered is called the Riviera Maya. It is go-o-o-d! |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
Clean.
Pools were a bit cold but after you were in, they became fine. The bathtub water was nice and warm in our room... I guess I am a bit of a wimp...
The beach water was cool, but again, I like a bathtub...
The grounds are impeccable. We watched the groundsmen pick weeds from the gravel beside the walkways... I felt bad for them, but they always were nice, smiling and saying Hola to us...
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| Other Comments |
| Just 340 more sleeps til we go again! I can't wait! |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
Waiters and waitresses were wonderful! Cheers to Senor Manuel Kuk in the buffet. His wit, charm and personality was welcoming and he is a reason why our experience was so great in the buffet restaurant. The food was always good. The a la cartes were excellent, especially the Don Pablo and the Japanese restaurant.
The bars are always good. |
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| Rooms |
Always cleaned to within a whisker of perfect.
Towel art was plentiful.
The chamber maid was very friendly.
Only downside was the biting insects that were out on the deck. When I spent some time there, my legs did get bitten.
Bed was two doubles pushed together but we got to accept that and they put an egg crate mattress on the top for us so it was a little softer. We slept great! |
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| Your Arrival |
| Our check in took about 90 seconds. The people were great and the welcome drink was welcomed. Our room was ready and though the bed was two doubles pushed together, the hotel was booked solid and they would move us in a day or two if we would like. We declined as we are the type who will make do and if that is the worst thing that we have to deal with, then we must have had one HECK of a great vacation! |
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| Fabulous Wedding ! |
| Hotel Barcelo Maya Beach |
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Louise >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Mar, 2010 | Leisure | With Group
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We were 22 people at the Barcelo Maya Beach from March 6 to March 13 2010.
We got married on the beach on March 11.
Resort: The rooms are spacious; they are nice and very clean.
They always fill up the fridge with beer, water and pop.
The beach: Best beach of the 5 resorts, it was well groomed and the water was warm and blue.
Food:
The buffets were average. The lunch buffet was excellent but at dinner it was bland and everything tasted the same.
The restaurants:
The Mexican was very good and we paid extra to go to the Palace, La Brasserie and it worth every penny.
It was delicious. We were told by some friends that the Steak house and Spanish was also very good.
The Wedding:
The Wedding coordinator Xhail & Karen were fantastic, everything was perfect. They were professional and really make sure that this day was a special day. We took a package (mint), it was very affordable and we had a private dinner reception where there was 7 servers taking care of us (for 22 guests), we were spoiled. There was a nice bar, we had brought our own music and they provide us a music system, it was fun. The food was excellent and the cake also.
Thank you very much to Xhail, Karen and Roberto at the reception.
Overall, we would recommend strongly this resort to get married and to spend a wonderful time on the beach.
Louise & Derek |
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| Spoiled for Life |
| Hotel Secrets Maroma Beach |
| User Rating:
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Leslie >
1 contribution(s) United States of America |
| Sep, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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| My husband and I have been to Secrets Maroma Beach twice. The first time the resort was not finished. Unhappy you ask? Yes a little. However, on our second visit all the bells and whistles were finally finished and boy was it worth it!
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
| Activities! Well you could never get bored. There is tequila tasting, wine tasting, salsa making, volleyball, water polo, kayaking, snorkeling, game room, etc. If you want to pay a little money there is excursions that can be booked and when you arrive they will let you know where and when to book. You can go shopping in Playa del Carmen, although you can grab a cab and do it yourself and its cheaper! You can go to Xel-ha, which is a ecological tourist trap...but I have to say it is fun! Worth the money? Nah but still fun! Tulum is awesome..I would say its a must if for nothing else but the view of the beach and the swimming. There are booze cruises and bar hopping tours. Trust me there is a ton to do on and off the resort. If you do nothing else check out playa del carmen..no matter how you get there! |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
What would a mexican getaway be without beaches and pools. If you don't know Secrets Maroma is situated on one of the 50 most beautiful beaches in the world. I for one believe every word of that! The sand is soft and white and the water is so so blue! Nothing is better than getting a kayak and paddling out first thing in the morning! By the way the Kayaks are included and they can be found on the beach under a tiki hut. The beach is calming and soothing to one's soul. Magical!
As for the pools. I loved the pools. Sometimes the beach gets really hot so being able to hop into the pool is a great feeling. There are two pools. There is an infinity pool and the regular pool. The only complaint I have about that is that the pools are divided by a walkway and I would have preferred to have a bridge or something you could swim under to get to it. Other than that they were awesome! However, during the day at certain times they play pool polo and volleyball. if you don't want to get hit by a ball or don't feel like being pestered about playing I would stay away from that area during that time. |
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| Other Comments |
| Amazing trip and I intend to take a third!!! OlaH!!!!!! |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
| Ahhh my favorite part..eating and drinking! The swim up bar..seriously how can that be bad? A lot of my afternoon was spent drinking margaritas at the swim up bar! All of the restaurants are good. Some are better than others of course. My favorite was the italian and french restaurants, Bordeaux and portofino! The fiesta night is good too its all authentic mexican food and a pretty much a big party. The international cafe', I believe its called, has different themes on differents nights. You will be left the " Sundial " each night for turndown. The "Sundial" is a piece of paper that will tell you what resturants are open each night, the drink of the day, and what activites are going on and at what times. Check that little piece of paper otherwise you probably wont know what is going on at the international cafe' ... and it is definatly not something to miss!! All the meals I had there were great! If you are a sushi fan the Asian restaurant is GREAT! The best I've ever had! As for the lobby bar, the drinks were good and it was very relaxing! |
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| Rooms |
| The room! Whats not to like? It was very modern and old school charming as well. The bed is HUGE and so comfortable. The shower in the bathroom area is small but very conveinent for us ladies who need to shave our legs before going out to beach, due to its bench seating! The vanity is huge and perfect for applying makeup before dinner! The mini bar has everything you could ever want, beer, soda, and juice. All of which you are able to have. Whatever you use they replace the next day. Plus, if you don't want a certain item just leave a note and they will replace it with what you want. For example, we don't drink Diet Coke so we asked them to only bring regular and they did! We had a Garden view room. We had a swim up room. A swim up room means that you have a private, well semi private pool outside your room. That was a great feature especially first thing in the morning before getting breakfast. You can just hop in the minute you get up..its very refreshing. However, although your little cove is private you are sharing the stretch of the pool with the other people who have the same types of rooms. All in all the rooms are the best!!! |
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| Your Arrival |
| Upon our second arrival we were greeted by the same bellman we had been greeted by before and get this he recognized us! Although, we had been there twice in one year. We were also greeted by a wonderful cocktail and nice cool towels...ahhh home, at least for the next 7 days. The bellman whisked away our luggage and then we were escorted to our room! |
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