How to Write a Mexico Resort Review (... and get $20)

My husband and I are fun, easy going, and NOT professional writers, or editors.  If you choose to send us a review the very first thing we're going to do is dance around our office yelling "Fabuloso!!  We got another one!".

Writing a review is easy, just follow the guidelines below.  Your review does not have to be professionally edited, grammatically correct, or spelling error free.  It just has to tell your story about how your holiday REALLY went.  If we accept it for publication (i.e. it follows the guidelines), we'll send you $20. The big travel sites depend on tons of free content provided by people just like you!  But if you take the time to write a great review, wouldn't it be great to be paid for it?

*** Just remember, We LOVE paying aspiring travel reviewers! ***

Send all reviews to editor @ sarasmexico.com [remove the spaces]

Don't see the resort you stayed at listed?  As long as its a 4, 5, or 6 Star resort in Mexico send it to us for consideration.  The only exception is that we won't accept reviews for brand new resorts (i.e. open less than 3 months) because we believe that they need time to work out the usual kinks that NEW services and facilities inevitably have.  Regardless, please check with us before writing a review on a resort we do not currently list in the directory.

Our Super Easy Writing Guidelines

How to Write a GREAT Review in 20 minutes.  Easy as 1, 2, 3!

Writing a SarasMexico review is easy!  Just remember that there's no wrong way to write a great review!  Don't worry about grammar, punctuation, or style (we'll take care of that).  Write as you would speak.  Keep it conversational - How would you describe the experience to a friend in a letter?  What was Good, Great, and what could have been Better. Give us facts.  Tell us your stories.  Your review can be as short as 3 or 4 paragraphs, but, generally speaking, the more detail the better.  What's the point of reading a 2 line "review" like you find on the big travel sites anyways?  People LOVE details!  Give them some!

1. Reviews must be written from your RECENT personal experience (i.e. you should have visited the resort in the last 6 months).

2. Do not plagiarize any portion of your review.  Please make it your own original content.

3. Here are a few things you may wish to write about (only items in the Introduction and Conclusion sections are required, otherwise you can choose any or all of the other topics):

    

   Introduction

   • Your Name, City and Country (unless we hear otherwise, we'll only include your first name, city, and country in the review.)
   • Your age, and marital status (others can then compare their situation with your experience)
   • Hotel/Resort - Name and Location
   • When was your stay
   • Capsule Summary & Rating Out of 5 Stars.  (e.g. What a Great Resort! We had the best time!! 4/5 Stars.)

    

   You can write about ANY or ALL of the following topics.  This will form the body of your review:

   • Travel: air, ground, etc. [How did you get there?]
   • Arrival / Check in
   • Hotel Overall
   • The Room
   • The Hotel Grounds
   • Bars
   • Beach / Water Sports
   • Pool(s)
   • Entertainment
   • Restaurants / Food and Drinks
   • Extra Hotel Services and Facilities
   • Excursions / Tours.  What to do outside the resort. [recommended]
   • Nightlife
   • Family Activities
   • Shopping
   • Taxis / Bus
   • International Visitors / Where do the other guests come from?
   • Check Out / Leaving
   • ... And anything else that you feel is relevant to your stay

    

   Now, sum up your vacation experience with a Conclusion:

   • Give us a tip that will make another vacationer's trip easier, more enjoyable, or memorable. [recommended]
   • Do you have pictures you'd like to share (eg. hotel, grounds, beach, excursions, etc.).  Please send us some to include with your review. [recommended]
   • Conclusion: Would you go back?  Would you recommend this resort to a friend? [necessary]

    

4. Write in language that your mother would be happy to read (i.e. no profanity, slurs, etc.)

5. Don't level accusations at specific people or places.  They can't defend themselves, and this is not a court room.

6. Reviews that are overly negative or positive are usually seen as somewhat biased, so try to be balanced in your observations.  Above all, tell us what you really thought about the experience.

7. Use the example reviews below to see what a great review may look like.

8. We have the right to accept, edit, or refuse any review submitted to us prior to publishing

Here's a Microsoft Word Template you can use for your review. (right click to save to disk)

Here are some example reviews. Essentially they all have the same format: they tell a vacation story from the vacationer's point of view.  One is a "short" review, and the others a little longer.  You can write a review length that is comfortable for you, but it should contain enough detail so that it looks like one of the examples.

Example Reviews:

Sara

Edmonton, Canada

33, Married

RIU Las Americas, March of 20XX

Our Rating: 4/5 Stars ~ Only because nothing is ever perfect!

 

Overall feel of the resort:

The resort can be summarized with one word "breathtaking!"  A short 20 minute trip in from the airport brought us through the hotel zone.  As we reached the resort everyone in the van was oohing and aahing.  We were delighted to find that from the first moment that you enter (off the main busy street) into a beautiful wide lobby that has a gorgeous view of crystal blue waters to the last moments a week later, we felt relaxed and taken care of.  Check in was quick and we were upgraded to a suite that overlooked the ocean.  The resort is beautiful with marble and artful details everywhere.  My husband and I were there for just a quick break and so we planned to do nothing but catch up on some reading, eat and sleep.  We had every opportunity to do all three.  The rooms are very nice and have some extras that you don't always see in a resort in Mexico, like toiletries and face cloths!  The bed is hard but there are plenty of other places to grab a soft siesta like the beach!  We liked the hard bed as it gave us more motivation to get up in the morning and not waste the day away sleeping in.

 

Pools and Entertainment:

Although the "entertainment club" did do some coaxing to get us to participate the first day, they left us alone after that and just partied with those that were for it.  We even sat by the entertainment pool each day and did not find it too noisy that we couldn't still read our books.  The beach itself was nice white sand and although it seemed short with rocks on either side, there was plenty of space to swim in front of the hotel.  There are enough pools at the resort that you could also find a more secluded spot to hang out in.  At almost every turn there is a bar and no matter where you sit there are wait staff coming around to offer you drinks and chips/salsa.  Not every resort has poolside service so it was a nice treat.  We made sure that we took some cash down to give them tips periodically.  This is a nice to do and certainly not expected.  Every night before and after dinner we spent having drinks in the main lounge inside.  It has a beautiful bar and a piano player.  You really felt like you were in the lobby bar of a high-priced hotel sitting there each night.  Any drink we wanted they somehow found a way to make.  We only took in the nightly show once when it was "Grease" and it was as cheesy as one would expect.  They do try hard but do not expect any kind of award winning performance.

 

Food:

Each and every evening there is a theme with the central lobby hosting some type of a drink to coincide and the large buffet restaurant decorated and serving food along the same theme.  We only ate in the main restaurant for dinner once as we wanted to try all of the a-la-carte restaurants.  Surprisingly enough our favourite was the Japanese restaurant.  The presentation was gorgeous and the food actually quite good.  Being from Alberta we saved the Steakhouse for last expecting to be disappointed.  The waiter steered us in the right direction and told us what cut of beef to get that night.  The most disappointing restaurant was the Tapas style.  We had to laugh as their piped in music played traditional Christmas tunes ~ yes we were there in March!  The tapas themselves were nothing exciting and we both left feeling hungry.  Every breakfast and lunch was the same but there is always something to find to eat.  When we got bored of the lunch smorg we headed out to a nearby place (there are hundreds in the area) for some appetizers and drinks.  The only drawback for most people to the a la carte restaurants is getting line in the mornings to book your table.  I enjoyed doing this as it got me up at 7am.  I quickly dressed, grabbed a cap for my hair and headed down to be one of the first in line.  Some people got upset when they couldn't get the reservation they were hoping for, and to them I say RELAX!  The staff are not being paid enough to listen to you shout and complain about something so trivial.  After I made my reservation I would grab a coffee and head out to beach to leisurely stroll and enjoy the peace and quiet of this beautiful place.

 

Shopping:

The hotel itself has a few stores which are fun to browse through but if you really want to shop just head across the street to the shopping mall.  We have been to Mexico a few times so we weren't interested in any trinkets but I did find a couple of nice jewelry stores and purchased some small silver souvenirs.  Across and to the right is a large yellow building (sorry, but I can't remember the name) that sells all sorts of junky souvenirs.  We got some fun things for friends.  Behind the mall is a series of market stalls that will barter with you throughout the day and evening.

 

Travel Tips:

• I had looked on the RIU website and registered as a RIU Class member (does not cost a thing) and two weeks before we left I sent them an email (also found on the website) to request an upgrade using my RIU Class membership number.  I received a response within a week saying they would do what they could do depending on how full they were.  Upon arrival we were upgraded to a suite.

• We were told to head to the old downtown to the large market to get some real deals but found that this was just a waste of a taxi ride.

 

Conclusion:

We would definitely go back to the RIU Las Americas and next time would like to stay for two weeks and maybe get out to see more of Cancun.

 

Lisa
Edmonton, Canada
28, Married
RIU Cancun, August 20XX
Absolutely Fantastic Resort!! 4/5 Stars

 

My husband and I flew from Calgary directly to the airport in Cancun, the humidity hits you as soon as you step off the plane onto the tarmac. There was a bit of a wait to get through customs as they only had 2 staff to process our whole plane! This was a first time to Mexico for my husband and I and so we ended up tipping some guy who had a luggage cart ready for us even though we didn’t need it. SO, if you don’t want to pay for someone to pass you a cart just walk on by, another cautionary tale ~ don’t stop at the counters in the airport itself. They call you over to "help" you but as it turns out they are trying sell package deals, again if you don’t want that (you are better off dealing with your vacation company i.e. Sunquest that you booked with) keep walking. Just head directly outside and find the person holding up the sign for your vacation provider. Remember a big portion of their income comes from tips, so I recommend bringing lots of dollar bills!!

 

The resort itself was beautiful; the foyer of the RIU Cancun is gorgeous, marble floors, domed ceiling with hanging vines, beautiful bright colours and amazing staff. Checking in was a breeze, we were with a group of people so while some of us were checking in the remainder of our groups were offered drinks right away….now that’s service! We stayed on the 10th floor and had an ocean view; the rooms are clean, air conditioned and the beds firm (don’t forget to tip your maid). It took me a while to get used to the fact that the mini bar in our room was free! You are provided with plenty of bottled water (the water in the hotel is not potable so don’t drink the tap water), Corona’s and pop. Even though the sign said the mini bar was replenished every other day, ours was done every day. Oh yeah, did I mention that you have hard liquor in your room as well!

 

There are 4 bars in the resort, so no long line ups, although I have to say that when we were there the outside bar had an unpleasant odour, which wasn’t helped by the heat and humidity. The beach is great, the white sand is so soft and unlike any sand I have ever experienced, it also never burns your feet. If you plan on sunbathing, you want to make sure that if you want some shade you get up early and reserve your spot right away as they tend to go very fast (no later than 8 am). The resort has plenty of fun activities to get involved in, they usually divide the teams into countries (the main groups being the English, Americans and Canadians). The water sports were held in the main pool (or busy pool) outside that has the swim up bar, there are several pools so if you are looking for a more shaded quiet pool that is available also. Don’t be surprised to see topless sunbathers, while not in the majority there are plenty around. The hotel did have entertainment, everyday at 4 pm there was a movie that played so that families/kids could sit and enjoy or even the married couples (like myself). Every evening they put on shows that involve the audience, the best by far had newly married couples up on stage doing several "competitions" that were hilarious but definitely not a family show. They also had musicals, so plenty to do for everyone.

 

There are 3 main restaurants in the hotel, 1 of them you have to make reservations for…should be done very early in the morning as they tend to book up fast (around 7 am seems to work). The other 2 restaurants are great, plenty of selection for every meal with a different theme every night for supper. If you don’t like authentic Mexican they do have North American food…but when in Rome! I can’t say enough about the hotel staff, you will never see people here in Canada as happy to serve someone as they were there especially for the amount they get paid. Generally, you are not to tip the staff in the hotel, but if you do have exceptional service you can certainly tip them discreetly. Outside of the resort there is plenty to do, if you like shopping check out La Isla Mall, while the majority of the stores are fairly pricey there are some deals to be had and it is great to go there in the evening. It has an open air market feel right on the ocean, you will want to take a taxi there make sure you ask the cab driver how much it will cost before hand (they don’t have the meters like ours do) to avoid any extravagant cab costs ~ should be about 80 pesos from the resort. For nightlife nothing beats Cancun! I went to a club called Coco Bongo you do have to pay a fair amount for the cover (about $40-$20 USD) but you get unlimited alcohol once you get in and you are treated to an amazing show ~ similar to Cirque de Soleil. Plus there are great tunes to dance to, dress light as the heat and humidity are amplified in the club.

 

As for tours, my husband and I did Chichen Itza which is a tour of the Mayan ruins. We booked through Sunquest (our vacation provider) and made sure we booked a bus with a bathroom (it’s a fairly long bus ride), we had a super tour guide operator (Martin) and we were provided with breakfast and stopped at a local Mayan restaurant where we ate and saw some of the local kids doing traditional dancing. You also get to stop at a Mayan market, I didn’t really find anything there that I hadn’t already seen at the local stores around the hotel but we did purchase a silver necklace made by the local Mayan metal smiths where you can get a name put on in Mayan hieroglyphs. This is an all day event so make sure you are prepared. I am an avid historian so this was amazing for me, might not be the best for young kids (not sure of many that find old stones interesting) or the elderly…the heat is tremendous and there is a lot of walking involved. You are given a guided tour but are left to your own devices for about 1 ½ hours, this was well worth the money (we spent about $90 USD each).

 

I would go back to Cancun, particularly the RIU Cancun in a heartbeat (I’m already saving to go back!), this was an amazing vacation my only regret is staying one week instead of two!

 

Here's an example of a longer review:

Christy

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

27, Married

Eldorado Sea Side Suites, Nov 20XX

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars - the resort was "wonderful in every way!

 

My husband and I were in the Mayan Riviera at the El Dorado Seaside Suites (5*) in November of 2006.  Just a quick preface - we stayed for two weeks in celebration of our first anniversary, in addition it was our "babymoon" as we were expecting our first child, and I was 5 1/2 months pregnant when we were there. We traveled with Signature Vacations and flew direct from Edmonton.

 

This resort was wonderful from start to finish. When we checked in, we were greeted with trays of frozen drinks and neck massages. I couldn't have the alcohol, so they rushed off to mix me a non-alcoholic version of the drink. Check in took very little time considering the number of people arriving at the same time. Within half and hour we were into our room and heading off for supper (we arrived around 7pm, and not having eaten since "breakfast" on the flight around 8 hours earlier, we were starving!) We were pleasantly surprised by our room - we had booked a garden view but received an upgrade to a swim up suite for our first anniversary package. It was fantastic!

 

We also got a free dinner on the beach - which was lovely - the baked Alaska we got for desert was our favorite desert of our stay. The salmon I had was very good, my husband's beef was okay. I don't think we would have paid the $140 for this dinner, but it was nice.

 

All of the restaurants were wonderful, our favorite being the Italian. We stayed for 2 weeks, so we ate at each restaurant several times and did not get tired of the menu until the last couple of nights. Service was fantastic in all restaurants, although sometimes a little slower at lunch at the Sandwicherie, but we were on vacation and did not have issue with taking our time at meals. My favorites included: pizza at the sandwicherie, the corn soup at the International, the veggie lasagna at the Italian and the ice cream (at any restaurant). I always found well rounded meal options, breakfast we usually had the buffet, as it was quick and easy.

 

We didn't have any issues with food while we were there. We only ordered room service once for breakfast, and it took a very long time to come, so we did not order again. The food was okay, but we felt it was easier and quicker to eat at the buffet. Others around us had better experience with the room service, I think we might have ordered on a bad day (there was a lot of room service being ordered which went by while we were waiting for our food). Anyone who writes that there is not enough food must be the hungriest person ever. We were so stuffed after every meal, that we could do nothing but go to bed. Each restaurant has from 3-5 courses plus desert, and we made the mistake of ordering all 5 courses at the Italian the first time... we could barely make it through the pasta course, and felt horrible wasting food! They are always willing to bring more food if you just ask for it, and the portions were usually quite large. Some appetizers could have gone for meals for me, and I'm eating for two! The food quality was also very good - quite rich, but much more flavorful than food in other places I've been (Cuba, Dominican Republic).

 

The drinks were good (both alcoholic and non alcoholic - for my husband). Only once did I order a drink with no alcohol and received one with. And I had my fair share of virgin daiquiris etc, during our stay! Just had to say no alcohol, they didn't understand "virgin" drinks.

 

The resort itself was beautiful. It looks just like the pictures.  The animation team was really friendly, we had a fun time learning Spanish from Bamboo, Javier and Diana. The personal concierge was a nice touch too - we never had difficulty getting a dinner reservation for the time we wanted, as we booked at least 1 day ahead of time, and usually booked for 2-3 days ahead if we knew what our plans were for excursions.

 

The ocean was not the greatest for swimming - we didn't ever just go swimming in it. However, the snorkeling there was fantastic and was much better than the snorkeling we experienced at Xcaret. We saw some pretty amazing stuff just off the pier! Water shoes are nice if you have sensitive feet like I do! The water is shallow for miles I think, so no need to fear getting over your head! We don't swim with flippers, since it makes too much dust and you can't see as much, and this is especially true in water that is only 2 - 3 feet deep!

 

The pools were nice - we didn't swim in the lap pool. We had to request extra cleaning of the swim up pool at our suite, it was a little windy and so I think very difficult to keep clean. They were diligent at it, but there were a few days where I would not even stick a toe in on account of the scum and bugs. But nothing bad enough for us to let it damper our vacation.

 

We always managed to find a beach bed, although sometimes we had to go down near the pool side rather than the beach side. If the towels were rolled up and no other items were on the bed, we considered it fair game, and never got told otherwise by other guests.

 

Our signature reps (who changed a couple of times while we were there) were all helpful and friendly.

 

We accepted the offer to listen to the Exotic club spiel - but only because we got $150 USD in return (which we used to purchase our trip to Chichen Itza for basically free). It took an hour, and no matter what they say, it is basically the same as a time share, you just don't own any property. Basically they sell you a membership to a discount club, whereby you get 30% off travel. I'm not sure, but when its high pressure and when the deal is only on the table until you leave the room, it says scam to me. However, we were pleased to get our "reward" and felt it was worthwhile. We heard other couples only got a beach bag as a reward, and had that been the case, we would have felt differently. Our invitation said we would get $150USD to use for excursions or in the spa or gift shop, and that is what we received.

 

We did many excursions - and for very cheap. From this hotel, if you walk to the highway you can catch the local transport (completely safe) called the Collectivo. It runs from Playa del Carmen to Tulum, and costs $2USD per person per ride. We took this 15 passenger white van to several places - Tulum to the Mayan ruins, to Playa to do shopping, and to Xel-Ha. It definitely beat paying the package prices which cost around $20 each for transport, when you can knock that down to $4 each. Definitely the way to go! We saw the ruins at Tulum for $17 (for both of us), Xel-ha for $68 (both of us together) + $14 for lunch and $2 for a locker. We also took the collectivo to Xcaret. It was convenient, and flexible, and allowed you to get to these places before the mass rush of people (and actually get pictures of stuff without 2000 people in them!). The only tour we took was Chichen Itza because it was a 3 hour bus ride, but well worth it.

 

We used the internet in the lobby, it was very fast, were able to check and write emails just like at home. The evening shows were okay, we didn't go to many, just not our thing.

 

There was a lot of progress being made on the new buildings, which were coming with another swim up and another bar. I'm not sure how the restaurants will handle another 80+ suites, as they were busy now, but like I said, we didn't have any issues. I'm sure they will figure something out, perhaps add another restaurant.

 

Overall, the resort was beautiful, well kept, and we would highly recommend this resort to anyone!

 

We look forward to receiving your review, and seeing you published on our pages!

Sara Tharakan