Just returned from the fabulous Moon Place Resort in Cancun Mexico.
We were part of an 18 member Golf Group. Played golf every day at what our team considers the best golf course in Mexico (bar none).
Golf Course: Three 9 hole courses, Dunes, Jungle, & Lakes. Four (4) sets of tees ranging from a rating of 75.6 and slope of 139 for Black tees to 71.1/129 for White tees. We played from the Whites all 7 days, they mix up the various nine’s so you can enjoy the entire golf course. It is a Jack Nicklaus design, somewhat difficult. "Jungle" (nine) yardage 3,600 yards at tips to 3,100 for whites, Lakes 3,400 down to 3200, and Dunes 3,600 down to 3,150 for white tees. I am an 18 handicap and shot in the mid 90’s each day. Not a great course for beginners, but definitely a great challenge for mid to low handicap. The service at the Golf Course is 2nd to none. The BEST I have ever experienced in the Caribbean. The staff at check-in (Laura) outstanding, very quick even for 18 guys every day, they store your clubs & shoes for free, clean them every day, give you a fresh ice towel at the end of the round to help you cool down after your game. Driving range, practice area, yardage books, tees, markers, towels all supplied and very good. The staff on the golf course with beverage & food carts cannot do enough to make your golf game enjoyable, plenty of selection of food & drinks, alcohol & non, bottled water, etc (all free) and if you want something from the restaurant they will be only too kind to take your order, go and get it and deliver it right too your cart one or two holes down the line. We asked for toasted bagels with smoke salmon, cream cheese, lettuce & tomato every morning from the golf course breakfast menu (very decadent) and the cart girls were only to happy to go and get the order, deliver it hot in packages with a big smile on their face. Every person you encounter at Moon Palace (golf course & hotel) always answer your thank-you with "It is my pleasure to serve you sir" without exception over 7 days in every bar, restaurant, including room maids, everyone you meet has this response. I have never seen better service and have stayed at 5*+ rated hotels throughout the Caribbean over the past 10 years and this is without doubt the BEST.
NOTE: If you are going for the Golf, book a golf package, we were told stand-alone golf cost $250.00 US$ per day. Incidentally if you were to play one day only you would find this price very reasonable for the class & style of golf course you will experience. Rental clubs appear to be Muzzuno. (Personal preference for 18 holes was the Dunes & Lakes combo).
Hotel: We stayed in the Nizuc, visited the Sunrise several times, both are equally GREAT.
Once again I will state the best in Mexico, and perhaps throughout the Caribbean. Almost every room has an "Ocean View" and not one where you need to stand on the roof of your unit or lean out the window to see the ocean, every room has an ocean view. Room come with King or two Queen’s and you can add a full size double (portable) bed too your room if you have a child or extra person. Each room appears to have a very LARGE Jacuzzi tub on the window side of the room facing the ocean, great for couples and honey-mooners. Not much use to an 18 person golf group of men rooming two to a room. Caution some of the rooms come only with a King bed, especially the rooms in the main building, if you want your own bed, request a room in one of the other buildings. Rooms are very clean, made up every day with fresh towels and linen, maids leave the normal towel animals every day, they get better & more complex as the week wears on. We took some small items for children from our local dollar store (crayons, colour books, marbles, etc.) to leave in the room for the maids, plus $2.00 US each day, and our room was always made up and spectacular. Again I repeat, their everyday response was "It is my pleasure to serve you sir"…………………….. Water, beer, pop, and a 3 bottle liquor bar in every room, stocked fresh every day, it you need more of one (beer vs pop), they were only to happy to accommodate your request.
Food:
The BEST…………….do you get the idea that I love this resort???? My wife & I have been on 3 cruises, this resort is like being on a cruise, only on dry land. You can eat 24 hours a day, plenty of choices, look at their web-site. Early every morning before 6:30 AM there is a full continental breakfast (coffee, tea, cakes, & fruit) available in the lobby bar, self serve. Plenty of selection for Lunch around the pool, in the main lobby, etc. Dinner choices equally plentiful, anything and everything you may want. Incidentally our Golf Group had lunch every day after our golf game at the Golf Course (which is also the location of the SPA) This in our opinion was the best location for Lunch in the resort, fresh made meat & fish dishes cooked to your order from a buffet style setting, not very busy, and again excellent service. The Golf Club/Spa doubles as an a-la-cart restaurant at night, line-ups are a bit of a problem (you cannot reserve) however quality & service & selection well worth the wait. This is the same at the a-la-cart restaurants at the Sunrise & Nizuc Hotels, you have full access to all……….This is the first vacation south in a long long time that I have not come home with some form of slight stomach up-set (if you know what I mean) after a week of fun & sun. Got home to the cold weather here in Canada in full health with no after affects. I do not think you will be disappointed with the food selection at this 5*++++++ Resort.
Overall: This is the 2nd time our Golf Group has been at this resort, once before the Hurricane (which we are told almost wiped the Moon Palace off the face of the earth) and now once after. It has only improved, post hurricane. Staff, rooms, pools, food, restaurants, & golf course the BEST. The only negative we could find, and we had to search was the ocean water, a little dirty and not very inviting to swim in. The Beach on the other hand is great, fast efficient service from your "It is my pleasure to serve you" waiter with plenty of cots, and shade (straw) huts. There is a tractor with a beach groomer going up and down the beach constantly cleaning up seaweed that might wash ashore.
We would recommend this resort without hesitation and will return ourselves many, many times. Hope to see you there.