September 26-29
Please keep in mind that this report contains my own opinions and observations. I won't compare this resort to any other resort because I believe that each property must stand on it's own to earn its guests' business. Any comparison with other resorts would be too subjective to my own personal biases. Additionally, many people have not been to other resorts and would not understand any comparison.
Airport Arrival
The arrival into the Cancun airport was a bit different than my prior
arrival just 2 weeks earlier. During the last trip, we were through Immigrations
and Customs in 20-30 minutes or so. This trip took about 90 minutes. The delay
was in going through customs. I was told that several charter flights from
Europe arrived about the same time. Customs only had 2 of their 4 lines open.
For those who haven't been to the Cancun airport before or haven't been there recently, I'll give you a quick rundown. The original circular terminal is under renovation with a lot of the seating area removed and much of the food/drink/souvenir areas closed. There is a new terminal that is discussed below in the departure area. We landed in the middle of the afternoon on an American West non-stop flight from Phoenix. The immigration area was empty and the entry doors had to be unlocked to let us in. There were plenty of immigration officers and we quickly passed through. One point, if using a driver's license and birth certificate and your name isn't the same on both of them, be sure to bring other documentation like a marriage certificate (not the church copy), divorce decree, or other court papers that will affirm the name difference. After your bags are picked up you press a button that randomly lights up either a green light or red light. if it's a green light you are free to go, if it's a red light, you are subject to further inspection which is either a scanning of your luggage or a physical inspection. As you leave customs, there are many people who try to sell you transportation. If you have a prearranged ride, simply walk past everyone, exit the terminal and the transportation area is immediately outside. However, before leaving the building, make your pit stop because once you leave the building, you can't get back in the way you came.
The ride to the resort is about an hour down a 4-lane road once you leave the airport. The last 5 miles or so are on a 2-lane road.
Resort Arrival
Hidden Beach is a sister resort to the El Dorado resort located next
door. They share an access driveway. But Hidden Beach has a gated and guarded
entry to restrict access to Hidden Beach guests and staff.
Upon arrival you are presented with champagne and a cold towel. Registration is quick and a staff member takes you to your room. On the way, the major areas of the resort are pointed out and questions are answered.
Nudity is permitted anywhere once you enter the front gates. This includes the lobby, restaurant, disco and the grounds.
Room
It is difficult to describe the elegance of the rooms. You much check
out the picture album posted here.
The rooms have a mini-fridge stocked with water, juices, beer, and soda. They
are replenished each day with whatever you choose. You can also call anytime
during the day for a restocking. There are about 12 bottles of various kinds of
liquor along with a liquor dispenser on the wall. Shot glasses, drinking
glasses, limes, etc. are provided.
There is a TV and DVD player. The DVD player also plays audio CDs. The office has a selection of DVDs that you can check out for 24 hours. The TV offered satellite channels in both Spanish and English. Bathrobes and slippers were provided for use during the stay. There is an in-room safe. Turn down service is provided each night with the chocolate pillow treats included.
The bathroom had a full size tub and shower. A hair dryer was provided along with soap, shampoo, and conditioner. The room was air-conditioned with a remote control to control the functions. The room temperature was fine. Water temperature and pressure were fine, too.
Beach
The beach was very nice. Very clean and powdery sand that was raked twice a
day to keep it clean. The water was warm and the bottom sandy and had few rocks.
During the rain storms in the area, the surf was rough enough to have the red
flags displayed. Lounge chairs were
available the entire length of the beach with a dozen or so grass-topped palapas
scattered along the beach for shade. In addition, there are several larger
palapas that have a queen size mattress in them and pillows. Guests sleep on
these during the night. The beach faces generally to the east, so
the sun is available all morning and into the early afternoon. There
was a volleyball net at one end of the beach. The beach is on protected federal
land and there were occasional inspections by armed foot-soldiers. The beach is
also open to the public, but I didn't see anyone walking by. There is a wall and
security staff at the border with the El Dorado resort next door to limit
access. There is no development at the other end of the beach.
Pool
The pool is large and big enough to accommodate a full load of
guests. A volleyball net and basketball goal were featured. Towels were plentiful and always available
either in your room or in several locations around the pool. In the morning,
fresh towels were placed on the lounge chairs in the pool area. There is a swim
up bar.
Hot Tub
A separate round hot tub is a very short walk from the pool.
Swim-Up Rooms
The swim-up rooms are the 1st floor rooms. Next to your patio are steps
that lead down into what is best described as a river that connects the swim-up
rooms to the main pool. Each room has a seat and a small table in the river by
their room.
Bars
There is a swim-up bar in the pool and a bar located in the disco. There
is a small bar in the restaurant, but I never saw it open. Most of our eating
was outside on the patio and the pool bar was used at meal time.
Food
The food was scrumptious and plentiful. All meals are ordered from a
menu. Breakfast offered several egg options, fruit, cereals, and other typical
breakfast foods. Lunch featured soups, salads, various sandwiches and light
meals like chicken and pasta. Dinner selections included lobster, prime rib, rib
eye, caviar, salads, pastas, fish, and much more. In addition to the everyday
selections at dinner, each night was a theme night like BBQ, Seafood, Italian,
etc. A menu insert provided nightly specials. As mentioned earlier, most meals
were eaten out of doors. During inclement weather, there is an inside seating
area. See the resort
web site for a copy of their menu. Most people ate in the nude.
There is 24 hour room service from a special menu with a good selection of choices for the different times of the day.
Disco
The upstairs open-air disco opened around 1000p each night. It has a bar
and a pool table along with a dancing area. One of the entertainment staff acted
as DJ and played whatever people wanted to hear. There were some theme nights,
but nothing like at the Hedo resorts or even like Desire. Most people in the
disco were nude. I am waiting for the resort to send me a copy of the
entertainment list which I will post upon receipt.
Entertainment
There is no main stage and no nightly entertainment. The entertainment coordinators organized several activities
during the day. Participation ranged from minimal to moderate.
Tours
There are several tour options available with a tour desk located in the
main lobby.
Water Sports
Non motorized water sports are included. This covers sailing,
windsurfing and kayaking. SCUBA and snorkeling are available through an outside
contractor. Check
here for more information on SCUBA and snorkeling (note: this web site
appears to be up and down a lot).
Spa & Gym
I did not try any of the spa services. Spa services are provided at the
El Dorado resort next door.
Departure
Departure went smoothly. The room key was returned and a
short comment form was filled out. The
ride back to the airport was quick and comfortable. The airport has a large new
departure/ticketing area. After going through ticketing and security you enter a
large area with new shops and food courts. There is a variety of offerings to
help pass the time. Depending on your airline, you will either leave from this
new terminal via door stairs to your plane (ala Jamaica), or leave from the
older terminal through jetways.
General
Most of the staff spoke & understood English very well. However, the level of that
varied from very good to passable. Knowledge of some basic conversational
Spanish is useful. If you are interested in learning some
Spanish while there, the staff will happily teach you some key phrases. The
staff is always looking out for the guests. One rainy morning I received a phone
call asking me if I would like someone to come to my room with an umbrella to
escort me to breakfast.
Most people were nude throughout the resort including at meals and in the disco. It's not really a clothing optional resort.
When I was there the guests were almost all Americans. At no time did anything seem crowded. There was very little wait at the bars at any time.
Internet services are available 24 x 7 for no cost in the lobby. There is an exercise room with a nice selection of equipment.
The front desk operator will connect you to make collect or calling card calls. I'm not sure which pre-paid cards, if any, will work. Ask your vendor before you leave. Car rental is available at the front desk at the El Dorado. They drive on the right side of the road - same as in the US. Most road signs are in English as well as Spanish with international symbols used where appropriate.
Hidden Beach guests have access to the El Dorado resort next door, but you have to be clothed. There you will find additional dining options, two pools, a beach that is inferior to Hidden Beach's, a spa, gift shop, tour desk, transportation center, entertainment, and more.
Please email me with any questions that might not be answered by this report.