Mayan Riviera Update:   Secrets Maroma and Zoetry De La Bonita

Story  and Photos by Tab Hauser  updated 5-10

Home Page www.tabhauser.com tab@tabhauser.com 

The Mayan Riviera is a beautiful region of beach front luxury and family resorts that start south of  Cancun and continues along 60 miles of the Caribbean coast. Taking a vacation on the Mayan Riviera is different from that of Cancun.  With Cancun you have many hotels in what is called the  “hotel zone” along with shops and Americanized restaurants.  The Mayan Riviera is famous for their resorts stretched out on many more miles of beaches.  It is quite peaceful, uncrowded and easy to get to.

This is an update on two hotels I had written on previously. One is the Secrets Maroma Resort and the other is called Zoetry Paradiso de la Bonita. The reason for staying at both hotels is because we volunteered to leave Secrets Maroma after three nights and go to Zoetry due to some overbooking. The reward to move was too good to give up as we got five free nights at Secrets Maroma to be used within one year. The hotel never pressured us to move but simply put a note in our “Secret’s Box” that we answered.

Part One: Secrets Maroma

Back in October of 2008 I had the pleasure spending my birthday at the new Secrets Maroma Hotel about 40 minutes south of Cancun on the Mayan Riviera. There were lots of things we liked about the place along with a few things we saw that needed improvement.  Recently I recommended Secrets Maroma Resort to my brother in law to spend his birthday there. He asked us join in on the celebration. 

     The Main Pool Secrets Maroma                                         Swim Out Suites on 1st Floor, Balconies with Soaking Tubes Above

I recommended a trip to the Mayan Riviera because we can leave from New York (or many  other major  cities)  in the morning and arrive to have a late pool or beach side lunch. For this trip we took carryon luggage and were off the plane and through customs in 20 minutes.  From there we were picked up promptly by Caribbean Rental Car. We rented a car because it was less money than four of us doing transfers and we knew we needed a car for some side trips during the 5 days here.

 Secrets Maroma is part of the adults only Secrets Chain of hotels.     Secrets is an all inclusive moderately upscale establishment where each roomy suite has a Jacuzzi for two, flat screen TV with just about every cable channel (including Playboy) as well large bathrooms.  On the first floor the suites are called swim outs because there is a small pool that one can walk out of patio and splash in to. The pool is accessed by several other swim out suites from the patio door so skinny dipping is not an option here.  The upper levels have balconies with a large tiled tub for two.  We checked into an upper level suite because we liked the ocean view.  For the first 3 nights we were in what was called an Ocean View Preferred Suite. This meant checking in and out at the Preferred Club where there was always with extra snacks top shelf liquor and the use of computers.  Ocean Preferred Suites are closer to the beach and pool, get upgraded bath amenities, an upgraded complimentary mini bar as well as “pillow menu” and free wireless.  Our building had its own concierge who was very attentive to our needs. It should be noted that resort had a full Spa on premises that we did not use.

 Poolside Cocktail Hour 9:45 (Bananas are morning fruit right?)             Beautiful Fine Powder at Playa Maroma

The grounds of this resort are very nice. There is a main building with a large lobby and a nice bar and a couple of shops.  Just off the bar there are chairs and cocktail tables as well as two large lounging beds where one can see and be seen while you wait for your dinner reservations to be called. In this building there is French, Italian, Asian and Mexican style restaurant for dinner on the top level with the buffet restaurant available for all three meals on the lower level.  Behind the main building where the pretty grounds start is a fountain flowing into a shallow pool that makes it way to the main pool. Flanked on the right and left side are several buildings holding the suites.  The main pool is front of the steak and seafood restaurants that serve a sit down lunch and dinner.  The main pool we found very inviting with lots of lounge chairs and umbrellas, a swim up bar and plenty of floating mats.  This pool is also the center for morning water aerobics, volley ball, floating blackjack and well as a swim up bar.    On the south side of the pool is a bar and adjacent to that is a place one can get lunch and bring back to the pool if you did not want to order off the menu and have it served to you. Between the main pool and beach is another pool that was more laid back.  All during the day waiters and waitresses cruise the area offering drinks as well as snacks and lunch. If pools are not your thing the beach is less than 75 steps away with plenty of lounge shares both open to the sun as well as shaded by large straw umbrellas.  There is a beach bar and grill with people walking up and down to serve you as well as 4 foot wide pan that makes paella or seafood pasta by noon that simmers all day until it is gone.  At the beach there were kayaks and Hobie cat sail boats to use anytime. The beach here offers 3 miles of fine powder sand to walk on.  When I was here several years ago the only hotel on this beach was the exclusive Maroma Spa and Resort. Now there are several resorts on this “Top 10 Beach” but no one was crowded.

                     Taking Part In Poolside Aerobics                                                        Taking Part in Poolside Bar

The guests at Secrets Maroma on both my visits ranged from their mid 30’s to early 50’s. There were a few older couples as well as few younger ones.  While there were activities being offered all day the main sport people were into was relaxing and sipping cocktails on the lounge chairs or floating on the mats.  You would see people at 10:30 floating or standing in the pool with a fresh Corona and lime or there “Tango – Mango” tropical drink.  What was nice is that with all the liquor flowing we did not experience anyone drunk or acting badly.  Speaking of drinks, as this was a moderately upscale place, the brands of spirits were also a notch up and improved since my last visit. On my first visit the high end vodkas, Tequila  and good Cuban rum were at the lobby, restaurants or Preferred Club. Now you can get them poolside but need to ask for it as Don Julio and Kettle One stay out of site.   

                          Mayan Show                                                                                                         Beachside Paella

Food here has been improved and broadened since my last visit.  One our first night the concierge recommended something new they were doing called Mexican night. It was an elaborate buffet of mostly Mexican food as well as steak, chicken and fish grilled on the fire. At first I was a little apprehensive as the last time we ate anything Mexican here it was bland. This time we cruised by the food being presented and liked the way it looked and smelled. We were very pleased with not only the taste but the diversity. The chicken tacos made “Sharma or gyro” style were wonderfully seasoned and after it was sliced from the rotating stick, it was quickly grilled to sear in the seasoning it was basking in. During dinner a pleasant mariachi band came by taking requests.   After finishing the meal we strolled around a make shift market but first was directed to a lady giving out free pottery shot glasses shaped like a mini pitcher offering samples of infused Tequila from different fruits or spices. From there we took seats in front of a stage that had a Mayan themed show complete with very ornate costumes.

Dinner during the rest of the week included a nice meal at the Italian restaurant as well eating pool side where the steak and fish places sit side by side. The fish restaurant had a wait so they sat us at the steak place. Being they sit side by side the waiter gave us both menus making both the surf and turf diners happy.  We did breakfast each day at the buffet where there was never a wait at the smiling chef omelet stations. We found the orange juice fresh squeezed, fruits fresh, and crepes very good. There are at least 30 things to decide on for breakfast.  If you did not want to go out you can have your food delivered via the “Secret’s Box” This is a box with a door on the outside as well as on the inside. The idea is that if you want room service you do not need to get dressed. Here the server opens the box on his end closes the door and you open it up on your end.  We were pleased to say the service at any bar or wait staff was excellent.  One last thing worth mentioning is that for $150 one can arrange the “Romantic Dinner” on the beach. I did this in October but not this time. For the fee the hotel arranges a 4 course meal directly on the beach no more than 25 feet where the light surf was sinking into the sand.   Here you get a steak and shrimp dinner (or steak and chicken for any non fish person), salad, soup, desert and a bottle of Mexican Sparkling Brut. It is very romantic and relaxing with candles set all the way down to the beach and torches to light the area of your own spot.  

  The Mexican Couple Of The Night            Lisa With 3 Tequila Pitchers                 Secrets Staff Babe Swaying To Beach Music

Secrets does have a dress code that should be improved a little.  They require men to wear long pants to the restaurants in the main building except for the buffet. The steak and fish place poolside allows nice shorts. What this mean was that on a tropical warm night I could not wear my stylish or proper looking shorts, boat shoes and a nice button down shirt but did see the occasional guy wearing old jeans, T shirt and sneakers.   Perhaps they should review this policy.

 People Watching in Lobby                                                    Hot Tub to Bedroom View                                                Fire On the Maroma Beach

What makes Secrets also shine is its staff we encountered on both trips starting from Andrea in reservations who made sure every detail was taken care of before we arrived.   Everyone we came across could not have been more friendlier. The best people we found were the “Secrets” Entertainment staff special.  These are some of the hardest working people I have met in the hotel business. We would see them from 9AM to midnight making sure the fun would never stop.  During our morning volleyball game two male and female staff members joined us to keep the game going for those that wanted to play. We saw the pretty girls in the morning in matching blue bikinis bumping the ball with us at 11AM and later at 11PM  in long dresses swaying to the music during  beach bon fire concert.    They would also cajole you into playing pool games, entertain you at night with different venues and have an unbelievable amount of what I would say happy energy. A few of them made it a point to always stop by our lounge chair just to have friendly conversation when not working an activity. They also knew when to leave couples alone who wanted to do nothing. My wife liked the stretching and water aerobics that was as much fun to watch from my chair as it was for them to do it in the pool. We also liked the group kayak trip to the reef.  

Secrets  has enough night life to keep guests entertained.   Both our visits had live music on the beach with a big fire and plenty of lounge chairs lined up along with a make shift bar for the event.  Another night we watched a “Fosse Review”.  We did pass on the “American Idol” evening but heard it was fun.  Besides a night club they have a  dance club.  On our first visit we commented on being able to sit in a bed like booth in the club feeling  you in the special “bottle” section without the large bottle fee.  If those private booths are taken there are plenty of chairs and cocktail tables. We also enjoyed the comedy night on both visits.  

Part Two: Zoetry de la Bonita

As mentioned earlier, Secrets Maroma gave us five nights free if we moved to either another Secrets Hotel or to a boutique resort called Zoetry that they manage.  I picked Zoetry because I remembered the place being very luxurious five years earlier.

   Pool Side Views At Zoetry de la Bonita

Five years ago I logged a story called: Upscale Mayan Riviera: (or this is not your college kids Cancun Trip!) This was about Paraiso de la Bonita and the Maroma Spa and Resort. Both places offer a peaceful and luxurious stay only 30 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Cancun.  Paraiso de la Bonita has changed and is owned by “Zoetry” but managed by the same owners of Secrets with a twist.  We are pleased that owners and managers improved this hotel, yet kept the same laid back luxury charm it had before but this time all inclusive.

Zoetry is only 15 minutes south of the Cancun airport.  It is totally all inclusive with the exception of spa services and premium wines. While on our last visit I complained about the high price of drinks and food, I am happy to say it is all included and there is no skimping on the meals or top shelf liquor.  When you book at Zoetry you get transfers to and from the airport, unlimited international calls and even laundry so you can pack very light.

      10 Minutes After Checking In                                   Waiting In Each Suite                    A Very Private Balcony Overlooking The Ocean

Check in was easy. We were met by two check people as well as two valets who emptied and   parked our car.  We were then escorted to the office and told our room would be ready in a hour. We did not find that a problem as we were pointed to the pool and told to make ourselves at home and get anything we wanted. Nothing to sign, no paperwork, just relax and come to the office when we were ready. This was a good start.

Beautiful Harp Music at Breakfast                             Warm Salt Water Spa Pool                                    Parrots Pets At Zoetry

After making ourselves comfortable on a couples king size lounge chair at the pool under an umbrella we ordered drinks, fresh guacamole and small wood oven pizza. This was followed by a plunge in one of my favorite pools.  A couple of hours we went to the front desk to get our key and was escorted by golf cart 100 yards to our upstairs two room suite called St Maartin.  This suite had a living area with TV and complimentary mini bar, as well as a half liter bottle of decent Tequila served with two large double blue shot glasses, salt and a few limes.  (for the record, good tequila should not be masked with lime and salt).  A nice bonus was a large sturdy straw beach bag that was included for our stay and to take home.  This held our reading material, swim mask, water, towels and anything else we needed to carry.  This suite had a large bedroom and TV with a large bathroom containing a small tub on one side and shower containing both overhead and wall sprays for two on the other side.  Last time we stayed at the Wza Zula suite which was on the first floor  complete with a plunge pool (which we did not use because it was open to everyone). The Wza Zula suite had a shower open air to the sky but completely private.  On this stay we liked the upstairs suite because it had a  private balcony just off the  living room overlooking the ocean only 75 feet away. The bedroom also had a small balcony to step out in.  We used the outdoor balcony on our last morning to order room service for breakfast as well as look at the stars the night before.

As mentioned earlier this place has one of the nicest pools we have been to.  It is in a pretty location with the ocean in the back ground.  The pool is composed of three sections where one you can swim in one area and a enjoy the jets in another area.  In between each section is a place to sit or walk. The three sections are connected by a shallow area between them.  There are a few built in pool lounge chairs here where you can read or lay about with your head resting up while the lower half of your body sits in the water.   

                                  Zoetry Beach Front  and under sail on hotel sunset cruise

Service at the pool was excellent.  We had lunch at our lounge chair both days with a choice of food from the restaurant or from the grill near the pool. The beach adjacent to the pool is good but not as nice as Playa Maroma because of the small rocks you occasionally have step over until you are waste deep.  I would not let this bother you as it is a beautiful beach where you can easily swim or take long walks on. There are no hotels adjacent to the Zoetry so there are no crowds.   On the beach there is also a dock. Here you can snorkel around the pilings and see all different fish. There is also a luxury catamaran where guests can take a free one hour sunset cruise six days a week. We loved the easy ride in the breeze.  

CLICK THUMBNAIL PICTURE FOR FULL SIZE IMAGE:  Tuna Stuffed Pepper, First Course Food Prep, Stuffed Dates, Tasty Shrimp

The food at Zoetry we found excellent.   It was a nice change not to have a buffet in the morning. We were offered a menu that was extremely diverse with plenty of fresh fruit and juices. The Mexican style breakfast was on target one morning and my pancakes in our suite were as fluffy as I would have made it. We had dinners in both the continental as well as the gourmet Mexican style places at opposite ends of the pool. Our group of four liked everything we tasted. The only two complaints would be that the service was little slow one evening and slower the next one. Also, the portions are smaller than what I would want so we would double up either the portion or order two main courses. My combination of grouper and baby lamb chops were worthy of any gourmet restaurant at on the north shore of Long Island. For beverages we stayed with premium cocktails as the house wine was not to our taste. The slow service for dinner was not a major detraction because we would linger and just chat the night away at our table.  Zoetry prides itself on being laid back so there is no night entertainment like you would find at Secret’s. Here at night couples may lounge at the open air bar until it closes at 11PM or retire to their room early with a movie from the library. The same applies for daytime events. While there was volleyball, yoga and a few other things going on during the day, no one was around to remind you of it so it was quickly forgotten and that was perfectly fine for us. My goal the last couple of days was to veg. My brother in law did take a resort course scuba trip on the nearby reef.

 See IF YOU GO Section below for information on this trip as well as the side trips seen below

Dos Ojos Cavern Dive: (See www.tabhauser.com and click Dos Ojos For More Pictures and Full Story)

Below is our Xcaret Fun Visit

     Xcaret Park

            Lisa At Her Mom/Baby Dolphin Visit

IF YOU GO:

Information on Secrets can be found at www.secretsmaroma.com. Rates can run between $450 per couple if you get an advance discount through one of the internet wholesalers to $1100  during a busy week. If you find a suite for around the $500 mark you will get a lot for your money.  You can arrange transfers through them or at one of the licensed desks at the airport.

Zoetry’s web site is http://www.zoetryresorts.com/Paraiso/index.html. Suites here list from $750 to $1700. During the winter season

Side Trips:

If you are going to the Yucatan and want more than a beach holiday I recommend some side trips.

We did these trips over a several year period so pace yourself.

Chitzanitza:  This is a place to see how Mayan’s lived. This UNESCO site has been cleaned up and excavated making it very tourist friendly.  It will take almost 3 hours to get here by bus so allow a full day here. The guides will point out the temples, ball fields (where they used the heads of people placed in a sack as a ball) and other important structures beautifully preserved. The highlight is the large pyramid which unfortunately cannot be climbed anymore.

Tulum: This ancient site is right on the ocean. Its pyramid is not nearly as high but has a majestic look on the cliff above the beach.  There is not nearly as many structures here as Chitzanitza and it looks a little more worn than it. These ruins are worth a visit if you are staying in the area. Also, seeing them would not take up an entire day.

Copan: I have not visited these ruins yet but will do so on a future visit. Copan is spread out and not as polished as Chitznanitza as there are trees all over the place I have been told. One highlight here is the pyramid. The one in Copan is taller than Chitznatiza and as of this writing can be climbed. To get around this large area one can rent a bike and pedal around or hire one of the pedi-taxis for the time you are there

Xcaret:  Xcaret is a nature type park near Tulum. Here you can float down a fresh water river through mini canyons, mangrove and tunnels. You can take part in dolphin encounter, see a horse show, view jaguars and other animals as well as swim, snorkel, “snuba” and do an undersea walk complete with air helmet and boots that weigh you down. There is also a Mayan show presented at 7PM each evening.  You can view events all the events at www.xcaret.com.  We found this place good for families with smaller children and in the future plan to visit their more adventurous parks. One thing to note is that you should buy the option upgraded option for $30 as this includes bottles of water and lunch or dinner. We were very surprised how good lunch was being that this was a park. The choices were very good and really tasty.

Dolphin Discovery Puerto Aventuras:

 www.dolphindiscovery.com/mayan_riviera/riviera-maya-location-overview.asp   It was the dream for my sister-in-law  Lisa to meet a dolphin and this company gives you the opportunity to do so. There are different ways to have an encounter listed on the web site. Lisa was introduced up close and personal to a mother and baby.

Cenote Diving (or Snorkeling)  If you are a diver I recommend trying a cenote at least once.  This is a very different experience from any ocean diving you have done. Here you literally jump into a cave that is now filled with fresh crystal clear water swimming among stalagmite, stalactites.  If you have a little bit of diving experience under your belt I would recommend trying the “Dos Ojos” cavern. I have done this twice now and both times you come out amazed. The person to use is Jose Castelazo of www.ecodivingtours.com.  I have had the pleasure of diving with him on a little visited reef 3 hours south of Cancun at the end of the road near a biosphere called Sian Ka’an where we were fishing.  He then arranged for the Dos Ojos dive for our group. On this trip recent trip I had arranged to meet him and the equipment. What I tell people is that one cannot describe this dive site. It has to dove.  Keep in mind that we always felt safe. There is a line to follow but you must follow the dive master. Dive masters are only allowed to take up to 4 divers so no one gets lost. On our dive Jose had another dive master follow us and do the heavy lifting of getting the equipment to and from the truck. Safety is paramount for him.

 For snorkelers, there are cenotes up and down the road from Cancun past Tulum that you can drive up to and jump in. A little research or asking the hotel what they recommend would be the way to do it. Jose can be reached at reach me at +52 984 87947 or toll free from US at 1 866 240 3392. See www.tabhauser.com for a separate write up on this dive shortly.  I did pull a  of You Tube video listed below if you want to get feel of the place.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrrJpZUrdvg

Common Sense Travel:  There have been many reports of how dangerous Mexico can be. This pertains to the northern borders where the drug wars are as well as areas of Mexico City.  We found ourselves perfectly comfortable anywhere we went over the last several years while in the Mayan Riviera.  This included renting cars and seeing sites up and down the highway. As with any place, common sense prevails. Do not go out at night in areas away from the tourist locations.  As for food and water, we are pleased to say we have not gotten sick while eating anything or drinking the water while at any of the hotels that said their water is filtered. We are warned not to drink or even brush  our teeth with the tap water at the hotel which is why you are given bottled water in your suites. The water at all the restaurants in any of the resorts have proven to be good. Off the resorts you may want to stay clear of non bottled water and ice.

One Last Hotel…

I stayed on Playa Maroma about 3 years ago before I started my travel web site at a place called La Maroma Spa and Resort.  La Maroma is a 5 star luxury resort 25 minutes south of the Cancun airport.  At the time we stayed there the luxury chain Orient Express had just bought it.  Here each suite was hand crafted by local artists and no two suites or rooms were the same.   We loved the beach here where sets of lounge chairs had a flag placed behind so when you lifted it you would be attended to within minutes.  Staying there we also “endured” gourmet cuisine for breakfast and dinner with wonderful lunches at our lounge chair.   La Maroma as far we were concerned set the benchmark for service and quality.  ( One afternoon there I took a break from my fresh lime squeezed margarita to order an old college drink, called the Tequila Sunrise.  This took a few minutes longer to make because they had to squeeze the orange and grapefruit juices to go with my premium brand Tequila)   La Maroma has received several awards from different magazines and from the from the Travel Channel.   One thing to keep in mind is that the hotel is not all inclusive except breakfast so the food and beverages tab can add up. My suggestion would be check the various forums for up to date comments on this place. For information go to:    http://www.maromahotel.com  

If you need help booking this trip or have any questions or feed back please send to to tab@tabhauser.com