Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Places to Stay on Isla Mujeres


There is always Expedia.com and Travelocity.com for booking package deals on your own. Both of them offer package deals to Isla Mujeres. Just a couple of words of caution--the lower-priced package deals that appear first sometimes book you on Aeromexico and you fly into Cancun via Mexico City. You probably don't want to take this long, and round about journey. Travelocity and Expedia offer other flights/airlines but just maybe not at the lowest prices you first see listed on the website. Secondly, even though you list Isla Mujeres as your final destination sometimes the list of available hotels includes hotels in Cancun. If you are planning on staying in Isla Mujeres, make sure you don't inadvertently book a hotel in Cancun and play close attention to the flights you are choosing.

North beach is where our wedding ceremony and reception will take place. It is the downtown (see map below) side of the island that puts you within walking distance of the beach, restaurants, shopping and bars. Any hotel you choose on North Beach (Playa Norte) will keep you from having to take a taxi or rent a golf cart to attend the wedding festivities.



Below is a list of hotels in the immediate North Beach area -

The following 3 properties are situated next to each other, and surround the actual wedding site.

Privilege Aluxes Isla Mujeres Hotel - www.privilegehotels.com - 4.5 rating on Trip Advisor. Directly on Playa Norte. Has rooms as well as rooms/kitchen facilities.
We are currently negotiating a group rate contract with Privilege Aluxes. It seems to be the most popular choice among guests. Check this hotel out first and if you'd like to book here email me at Kimberly.kahanek@yahoo.com .  

Ixchtel Beach Hotel - www.ixchelbeachhotel.com - 4.5 rating on Trip Advisor. Directly on Playa Norte. Has rooms as well as rooms/kitchen facilities.

Nautibeach condos - www.nautibeach.com - 4.5 rating on Trip Advisor. Directly on Playa Norte. These are individually owned condos and each is decorated differently. This is a good alternative for families. It is an older property but by no means shabby. NOTE: If you check into Nautibeach Condos, email "Felipe", the Wedding Planner and he will get a good deal for you. The wedding site is actually located next to these condos. You may have to email Felipe a couple of times because the internet service isn't always working. His email is director@sunsetgrill.com.mx. He speaks good English. Let him know you are part of the Kahanek Wedding/Nov. 8th.

The following 3 properties are also on Playa Norte but a few more steps away from the actual wedding.

Na Balam Beach Hotel - www.nabalam.com - 3.5 Trip Advisor rating. This hotel gets mixed reviews. The outside grounds are very pretty and jungly. They have a really nice beach lounge area. From what I read, the pictures of the rooms look better than the actual rooms themselves. If you don't plan on staying in your room a lot but want nice outside areas and a restaurant onsite, this may be a good choice.

Cabanas Maria del Mar - www.cabanasmariadelmar-islamujeres.com -  3.5 Trip Advisor rating. This is an older property and I would call it "quaint". If you like quirky and quaint this is not a bad choice. Just a suggestion, if you book here ask to see some of the rooms upon your arrival and pick the best one. There are different sections of the same hotel and some appear to be better than others. It has beautiful beach access and the grounds are nice and shaded. Rates are all less than $100/nt. for 2 including taxes.

Avalon Reef Club (recently changed name to MIA Reef Club) - www.avalonreefclub.com - 3.5 Trip Advisor Rating. This is a hotel and condo property. It is situated on the edge of Playa Norte on its own private little peninsula. It is not a very far walk from the wedding site, but you cross over a bridge to get to it. My parents have stayed here in the past and thought it was very nice.

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Playa Norte isn't a private beach so you can stay anywhere and still have access to the beach. In fact, if you want to save a few pesos you can stay a few blocks away from North Beach and still be close to every thing. My parents are pretty economical travelers so this is what we have done in the past. You may or may not have a pool, may or may not have a beach view, but you are within easy walking distance.  They have stayed at these two places in the past, and were very happy.

Hotel Belmar - www.hotelbelmarisla.com - It is upstairs above a restaurant (Rolandi's) right in the middle of town. No pool or beach view, but very clean.  You get the whole "Mexican"feel with a darn good breakfast included in the room rates. Room rates are very reasonable. The restaurant is a good choice for lunch or dinner too.  There is inside seating or you can sit outside on the street.

Hotel Posada del Mar - www.posadadelmar.com - You can also book this hotel through Expedia. It is clean, has an onsite restaurant/bar, pool and is across the street from the beach area (but not directly on North Beach). I have stayed here and would definitely stay here again. It is a great price for what you get.

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We have never stayed at this place, but it is currently rated #1 on Trip Advisor for IM hotels. I would feel good suggesting it. It is just a short walk to North Beach.

Las Palmas - www.laspalmasonisla.com Check it out!

 PLEASE email me if you have any questions at all. If you are interested in a group rate discount, let me know and I will put you on the group rate list and get back with you on the details. Again my email is Kimberly.kahanek@yahoo.com



Next post: Flying into Cancun

Step 1: Obtaining A Passport

It takes 4-6 weeks to receive a passport via standard processing and delivery times.

The link below leads to a website that will tell you exactly what you will need when applying which is pretty simple--proof of US citizenship (such as a birth certificate), photo identification (driver's license) and a completed application that you may also print out there.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON APPLYING FOR A PASSPORT

When I applied for my passport I did it all at a post office. They took the picture, accepted the application and everything. It was very quick and easy. Here is a link to USPS that allows you to search for a location near you that offers these services:

US POSTAL SERVICE PASSPORT SERVICES

Please be aware, while applying for Harbor's passport I chose a USPS location that was listed and said you did not need an appointment to apply. I called ahead and was again told I did not need an appointment. When I arrived, I actually did need an appointment. Craig has to be present to apply for Harbor's passport and working around his schedule is pretty tough so I was not happy. Please call ahead and ask about appointment times so you don't waste your time like I did.