The Spread:
Situated beachfront on the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Ritz-Carlton Cancun offers luxury at top-of-the-line pricing. After a $15 million renovation, the resort reopened in September 2006. All 365 rooms have ocean views, private terraces or balconies, 400-thread-count sheets, marble bathrooms, and three-times-a-day maid service. Along with a 1,200-foot beach, the resort features two pools, a tennis center, a culinary center offering cooking classes, and the Kayanta Spa, where massages and wraps incorporate Maya and Mexican oils and elements.
Why Families Love It:
If you want pampering, you’ll find it here. Feel harried after your long flight to Cancun? Order a soothing soak from the bath butler who will ready your room tub for your arrival. Surrounded by slices of lime, adults soak in a Maragarita-themed bath brew ($50) and kids splash in a bubble bath filled with floating toys and balloons, followed by milk and cookies ($35).
The resort’s three “Itzy, Bitzy Ritz” rooms mitigate the hassles of traveling with tots.
These deluxe digs include a crib, changing table and chest of drawers, mini-hangers, and a phone programmed to light up instead of ring so as not to wake a sleeping baby. In addition, guests who book these rooms are asked ahead of time how they want the room stocked. Swimming diapers, formula, infant seats, and other items may be ordered, thereby decreasing the burden of what parents usually have to pack and haul.
At the Kids Camp, ages four to 12 bake cookies, make piñatas, paint T-shirts, go on treasure hunts, and splash in the pool. Full- ($65) and half-day ($45) programs operate Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. During Kids Night Out, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. ($55), youngsters eat dinner, play musical chairs, sing Karaoke, do arts and crafts, listen to stories, and play games in an outdoor tent on safari nights. Register children by 7 p.m. for the following day’s children’s program.
Special Events & Activities
Visit Xcaret, an 80-acre eco-park with an aquarium, dolphins, flamingos, swimming, and evening folkloric shows.
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