would U stay at a brand new resort ??? | Debbie's Caribbean Resort Reviews Forums

I came across a opportunity… not sure if it’s a good one or not yet. I was checking prices on sandos playacar ( as that was the one i decided to go to for new years) and i forgot to put " mayan riviera" in the search engine and it brought up cancun… well when it did that i came across a "new" resort… villa del palmar… i know they are usually up scale resorts ( i can NEVER afford them,lol) and it was the same price as sandos….. I looked at pics, and it looks beautiful but i have read in many reviews about construction.. some it bothers and many it doesn’t… NOW would you take the risk and get a experience in a resort you know you will never be able to afford once complete? try something new??? especially b/c i have never actually stayed in cancun ( even though this one is not on the hotel zone)…. or do you stick with the tried and true resort???? opinions please…

Yes, I would and in fact we have several times! Three were in Cuba and one was in the Mayan Riviera. Mexico seems to handle newly opened resorts better than Cuba!Whether it works for you depends a lot on your personally and tolerance level. The reason the price is good is because the resort amenities are usually not all completed. For us, having fewer a la cartes, an incomplete fitness centre, etc is not a big deal but then these things are not a vacation deal breaker. For you and your family though, would not having a finished Kid’s Club be an issue?I do like the "newness" factor. Sleeping on a brand new mattress with new linens, first guests to use the room, etc. Important stuff like hot water, working AC were not a problem as everything worked. We also appreciated the fact that the new resorts we stayed at were at lower capacity, so no towel wars or other annoyances like loud music at the beach or pool (sound system was incomplete!). On the downside, the staff were still in the training phase and not everyone was up to snuff as to where supplies were kept or with the speed of service but we weren’t in a big hurry anyways.There was some ongoing "finishing" construction- it one case a tad bothersome in the other cases not at all so that can be hit & miss. Changing rooms is sometimes more difficult because the whole resort may not be open yet. Our experience has been that they try to get the more premium rooms done first so although we booked a basic room (lowest cost) we ended up getting an "upgrade" as a bonus.I would definitely take the "risk"- in fact think I’ll go check out the info on this new Villa del Palmar right now! Of course there’s nothing wrong with "tried & true" but unless there is a very specific reason for us to go back to a resort multiple times – think good snorkeling in our case- I find it gets quite boring going only to one resort in one location all the time.

Have fun with your research!

thx for that great insight! I keep thinking this may be a great decision to "take the risk" as we never have spent time in cancun only the mayan, so it’s a new experience to explore cancun for the day as well, eat and shop…. then this new resort is right beside the ferry for playa mujeres and we would like to experience that as well for a day. I agree that the towel wars is a huge turn off at many resort and that is a perk here…. the only thing is we will be there for new years, so i wonder what the plan will be for that? It stated on one of their sites that the "main" section of the building will be up by Aug and then the rest of it by the end of the year.. So another pool and a few more restaurants would be added…. that would be a huge perk if it was ready when we arrive but that’s the thing.. i wish there was a better way of knowing how the construction is actually coming along? is it on the timeline and be ready for the predicted dates or not? i know some actually do follow their predicted timelines and others are WAAAYYYoff…… Either or, i think i would be a nice change to do something different but i just don’t want to hear from hubby that i made the wrong choice in the end and should of stuck with a up and running resort…. considering they are the exact same price!

i sure did, every single one of them…. it seemed like more were very happy then unhappy. of course some seemed to find it too noisy, etc or they didn’t seem to know what was going on…. but if you do your research you shouldn’t be surprised.. right… more seem to go on about what a great deal it is for the place and i know once it’s 100% done i will NEVER be able to afford this resort….

You are so right about that. All resorts get good and bad reviews. Depends on what people are looking for and expecting but doing your research is key and if you go in with an open mind, knowing what to ‘expect’, you’ll be happy with your choice.

I say go for it!

We have done this on 3 different occasion (staying at new resorts) over the past 15 years or so

El senador
Playa real
royal Solaris

and none were disapointing…

We say go for it… and now I am looking at this destination for November 2011…but not before We get back from Maui …leaving on Friday

.but not before We get back from Maui …leaving on Friday

Have a great time! We did Maui in early April. Loved it!!!

I stayed at Valentin Imperial three years ago – there was construction next door for building more suites, but I honestly do not remember being bothered by the noise, and I am KNOWN for being bothered by noise. It was relatively new and somewhat low on guests at that time, and the best part? It was screamingly clean and new, with staff that were anxious to do well. The only down side was that it was in the middle of nowhere, but that is not an issue for people who just want to stay at the resort and chill; otherwise you would need a cab, rental car or book a tour if you want to venture from this resort to CUN or PDC. Cancun is great for shopping, although I found it was about 10% cheaper in Playa del Carmen. If you like tequila, the Luxury Avenue mall at Kukulcan has a great Hacienda Tequila Factory, with free samples, and there is a drugstore on the first floor that sells tequila as well. That plaza also has a mini casino (friend won enough money to buy a swanky bottle of perfume, so yeah, you can win), Chocolate City, a restaurant with every kind of chocolate concoction, and a beautiful stained glass ceiling that is very impressive. And that’s just the one mall.

Go for it – and don’t forget to write a review! Have fun!

for me, i just was lucky to find it this time. I have been to 2 newer resort opening 6-12 months after ( the 1st time it didn’t dawn on me that it was that "new", when we booked and that was for our honeymoon and our 1st real trip south anywhere….) this time i was just researching hotel and had my price range in mind and this one popped up… so i checked it out as the pics looked nice, once i started to research it a bit and read reviews etc, that’s when i realized it was a introductory rate and the place is BRAND NEW… I looked at other hotels with the same brand before and all were very very expensive…..so i knew in a matter of time this one would be priced accordingly too… it had since gone up and who knows if it will go back down… might on a seat sale but may just keep going up now as they are completing more each month…. by the time i go most should be done with the 1st phase and then i can imagine prices will be much much more… so i hope i grabbed it at the right time!

there has got to be a website or something that specializes in new resorts, etc i just haven’t been told of any such thing…..

How do you find out about the new resorts and the deals?

There are bulletins which can be sent trough email if you subscribe in any travel website

I came back to this thread since I just heard about the Sirenis Cayo Santa Maria, Le Mirage in Cuba *supposedly* opening this December. We would be looking at the last weeks of March. It would be nice to book a brand new resort but given the poor reviews when the Melia Buenavista opened, I am a bit leery. Maybe Cuban resorts need at least six months to get things to a satisfactory level…. Any specific thoughts on this one?

ohhh sirenis cayo SM…. wow.. i have wanted to go to this area for a few years now, and there seem to be a focus on this area now. Hopefully we will get good flight times next year and i can actually book it! this years left after midnight, way too late with a 5 year old!

I have done a newly constructed resort in Cuba before, Iberostar Daiquiri in Cayo Guillermo and it was heaven. Food was so-so as was service but it was great overall. Not crowded at the beach or pool, no reserving chairs at dawn or not getting a table at the time you wanted for dinner. Plus price is always at it’s best, so for me it’s worth it! Our trip this Dec will be our 4th resort that was new when we visited. all no more then 15 month old… I hope my next one will be all that i am expecting it to be, as it’s still so low in occupancy that it makes me worry a bit, even though the reviews are so good.

	Even though we have been to the RHE and MCSM, I think it’s really a shame that this area is being built up~from an ecology point of view. And that causeway is in terrible shape. What about the next hurricane that comes along to seriously damage it again? How will they get even more tourists out to the resorts?

	We actually stayed the Villa del Palmar last New Years just a week after it was open. We loved it and wern’t bothered by the noise. I found it great to be the first to use the rooms and the staff was more than attentive because the occupancy was so low. Sure there was a few bugs but nothing that bothered us. Enjoy

	thx i sure will. i am very excited as it’s still so new and seems to still have low occupancy! It seems like everything pretty much is done now…. i just would love to know what the plans for new years eve are and what is served food wise….

Travelchick, I concur – I was saddened to look down the beach and see building cranes on Cayo Santa Maria. I also found it disconcerting to travel a 50 km causeway to "Fantasy Island". I prefer more proximity to towns. This was my first trip to the area, and I am not sure if I would go back, only because of that causeway; driving past the Dolphinarium is a bit of a downer for me as well. I am hoping to return to Santiago next time, as it is so musical, friendly, and beautiful. I would like to try Trinidad as well.

In terms of new hotels, the Melia Buenavista was down the road from the Sol CSM and we were offered several times to be taken on a personal tour. We met tourists who had gone and they had been treated like royalty, with free drinks. The showers are outdoor showers, and colour me shy, but I would prefer my outdoor shower behind a stone wall or lots of greenery; these looked a bit see-through.

Leave a comment Cancel reply