Hidden Beach, Riviera Maya: Phil - June, 2015
PICTURES
Hidden Beach Trip Report June 13th to 20th.
This was our second trip to Hidden Beach, First was March 2014
Arrival
We like to organize our trips to Cancun around the 7am American Airlines from Miami to Cancun which gives us a full first day. We either travel the day before to Miami and stay in the hotel that is in the Miami airport or do like we did this time and went to South Beach for 3 days of attitude adjustment at the Delano ;-) Flight leaves Miami at 7am and you arrive Cancun at 7:20 (time change) you breeze straight through immigration/customs, all the timeshare folks are still in bed J so you are standing outside awaiting your ride before you know it. The way in which we book our Hidden Beach trips includes private transportation which is provided through Lomas which is a big operator in Cancun. Our ride was a brand new fully loaded Lincoln Navigator. Trip to Hidden Beach is a little over 1 hour on a pretty nice highway. Arrived at HB room wasn’t quite ready so headed off to breakfast.
Resort
Hidden Beach is a 44 room nude resort situated across the driveway from the much larger 400 room clothing resort El Dorado Seaside Suites. Hidden Beach guest have full use of El Dorado (with clothes) but El Dorado guest can only come to HB with a high priced day pass. The 44 rooms are arranged in a two wings, two stories tall, shaped like a “V”. All first floor rooms are “swim out” to a large pool area that includes the swim up bar and restaurant. Behind the restroom are bathrooms for the pool area that are as nicely appointed as any 5 star hotel. Travertine marble, no paper towels here you dry your hand with rolled single use cotton towels. Next to the bathrooms is the newly constructed “disco” that includes stage, dance floor, bar and hot tub. On the other side of the bathrooms is the gym.
Rooms
We had a first floor swim out. You walk in door. Bathroom was to your left, bedroom to the right. Bathroom has a shower that is probably 3 by 5, a double vanity and a separate toilet room. All beautiful travertine. Bedroom area includes a large closet, king bed, chest of drawers, flat screen TV, Fully stocked minibar (4 full bottles of liquor, wine, champagne, two types of American beer and two Mexican beers, variety of soft drinks, juices and snacks. There is a small dining table and 2 chairs and the Jacuzzis tub that looks out the back window/patio door at the pool. Head out patio door and there are two lounge chairs and table overlooking pool and beach.
Pool/Beach
Pool area includes a medium sized pool. Large enough for a full game of volley ball with room on the ends for “non volley ballers” and a shelf area that will hold 4 or 5 lounge chairs. The swim up bar is probably 30 feet long with 15 seats built into the pool. Bar is fully stocked. Crown Royal, Johnnie Walker Red and Black, Don Julio Tequilas (blanco, reposado and anejo), Bacardi regular and anejo and Jamaican rums and name brand liquors for mixing. Most drinks even at the pool are mixed in plastic barware (fancier than you are used to) not disposable plastic cups and include garnishes and plastic stirrers.
To one side of the pool is a Jacuzzi maybe 15 feet in diameter will hold upwards of 20 people.
The beach itself is nothing to write home about the sand is very coarse mainly crushed coral. Beach is very narrow and the water is not very user friendly, very rocky. Along the beach are several palava huts with daybeds and tables for beachside dinning.
Restaurants
The Hidden Beach side includes one restaurant which overlooks the pool area. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Outside near the pool area there is a grill area that serves lunch. For breakfast, you can order from the menu or choose the breakfast buffet. The buffet includes everything you would expect including cook to order omelets. Same variety that you would see at hedo just in smaller quantities. Things are served in pots and trays that are frequently restocked which is actually more appetizing than a half eaten large tray that has sat out all morning. Lunchtime, the pool side grill fires up. Menu changes by day of the week and always includes chicken, beef, pork, fish, hamburger and hot dogs along with vegetables, salads ect. You can also order from the menu at the restaurant which includes 2 varieties of ceviche. Dinner is all from the menu, candlelight poolside. 24/7 room service is also available.
Guest also have the option of putting their clothes on and taking the 30 second stroll across the driveway to the restaurants at El Dorado which include Mexican, Italian, Japanese, International and a tapas style restaurant called the “Pub” The food in these restaurants is not what you are used to. These resorts are run by Karisma and are marketed under what they call “Gourmet Inclusive”. There is a fantastic variety, it is as artfully presented as you would find in any stateside gourmet restaurant and very, very taste. Ceviche and grilled octopus are some of my favorites and I ate in abundance ;-)
Daytime activities
Typical day time activities of pool volleyball and games advertised by the entertainment coordinator. One event that was really nice for the week was that a couple celebrating their anniversary brought in a rock band from Cancun that played poolside for 2 ½ hours. Great time for everyone and many folks have approached management to make it a weekly event – we’ll see.
Nighttime activities
Sorry I’m not more helpful here. We typically go to dinner, a night cap then bed because I particularly like early mornings with a cup of coffee at the pool looking at the beach. But nightly entertainment is available at the clothing resort and at least twice a week there is a band either on the pool deck or in the disco. Every other night there is a DJ in the disco. Disco has a full bar and an indoor hot tub
Crowd
All great people. The reason after going to our first nude resort almost 20 years ago that we kept going back. You meet so many nice people from all walks of life. I’ve gone to clothing resorts were you leave not knowing anyone, but after a week of Hidden Beach you know everyone because at some point of the week you have enjoyed a drink and a conversation with them. The crowd is typical of our experience at nude resorts, majority of folks are in the early 40’s to early 60’s age range and all bodies types and very comfortable to wear the body God gave them ;-)
Departure
Ride back to the airport was a Lincoln MKX limo –sweet. One thing that I love about Lomas is when the drop you off at the airport is that their representative walks you through getting checked in. They take your passports, take you to the kiosk and get you checked in with the speed of someone who has done it hundreds of time. They also have some sort of deal with the baggage drop persons because they step in front of everyone else and check your bags and you are off to the gate for which you don’t mind giving them a nice tip.