One of our all time favorite family friendly all inclusive resorts is opening a new location on a gorgeous beach in Cancun Mexico and there are villas and suites for a family of five!  The Iberostar Resort chain purchased the former Hilton Cancun Hotel property and has been busy renovating areas such as the lobby, restaurants and other areas to get them to “Iberostar” standards for the December 2011 grand opening.

The quick facts are this resort sits on a nice big beach and features rooms, suites and villas. There are seven infinity pools, tennis courts, soccer field, spa and gym facilities on site, as well as a 18 hole golf course. There will be 4 specialty restaurants including, Japanese, gourmet, steakhouse and Mexican. They will also be adding a kids club with small water park and youth program area. There will be 426 ocean view rooms, 23 suites and 82 private villas to choose from

For those of you that have experienced Iberostar Tucan or Quetzal or the Iberostar Paraiso complex south of Cancun, this resort will offer the same high standard of service, food quality and clean rooms and environment. The main difference besides location will be their Cancun resort is in more of a modern style complete with sleek infinity pools and more modern interiors in the rooms. And for those of you who have run into the problem as a family of five and having to book two separate rooms at the other Iberostar Resorts, there are private villas at this resort as well as interconnecting suites. This will be a fantastic option if you are a family of five or a family with teens who need more space.

We have sent hundreds of clients to the Iberostar All Inclusive Resorts with great feedback and are excited to have another fabulous Iberostar for families. If you would like help planning a family vacation to the new Iberostar in Cancun or one of their other resorts in Riviera Maya, Jamaica or Dominican Republic, give us a call at 1-800-321-7907. I can also be reached by email at patty@totemtravel.com

Click here for Slideshow

If you are looking for the best “adult only” all inclusive vacation in Riviera Maya, look no further than the El Dorado Seaside Suites Resort.  The El Dorado Seaside Suites is one of the best all inclusive vacation values in Riviera Maya and happens to be a favorite destination of many of our clients.

El Dorado Seaside Suites is conveniently located only fifteen minutes south of the fun town of Playa Del Carmen and yet the resort is close to several interesting and worthwhile off resort excursions. While El Dorado Seaside Suites is a five star, luxurious and gourmet “all inclusive” resort yet it is quite affordable and at certain times a year rooms start at as little as under $300 per night!  Whether you are looking for the most romantic place to honeymoon or the best place to celebrate an anniversary or just looking to get away with other couples, the El Dorado Seaside Suites is a fantastic choice.  Here is what some of our clients are saying about the resort:

Patty,

Just wanted to thank you again for making all of our travel arrangements. The resort was FANTASTIC! So beautiful and everyone was so friendly. They absolutely bent over backwards to be sure we were taken care of.  We are already scheming to find a way to get back there again soon. We met so many wonderful people and plan to continue to stay in touch. We even discussed getting together there again next year. The whole experience was better than I dreamed it would be.

Thanks again, Barb and Joe Sandegren

These are the sort of comments we receive when our clients return from this beautiful resort.  So if you are looking to plan that special trip, we would be happy to help you see what everyone is raving about.  Best of all, you have four El Dorado Resorts in Riviera Maya to choose from.  Give us a call at 1-800-321-7907 or you can book this beautiful resort directly on line. Get personalized help at no extra cost!

Click for a slideshow of the Garza Blanca Preserve

I recently had the pleasure to tour the Garza Blanca Preserve on the south shore of Banderas Bay, outside Puerto Vallarta. This resort is absolutely beautiful, brand new, and in a fantastic tropical jungle setting, on a private beach.

Garza Blanca Preserve is a contemporary hotel set amid the lush hills and mountains of a nature preserve.  Walking paths lead guests to the private, secluded beach below.  Garza Blanca Preserve is designed to complement its surroundings, with a relaxed atmosphere for families and couples seeking that stress-free Puerto Vallarta vacation.

With only 82 guestrooms and suites, Garza Blanca Preserve Resort is not a mega resort, but more quiet and intimate.  Guestrooms feature furnished balconies, marble bathrooms with separate tubs and showers, plush bathrobes.  Suites, 1 to 3 bedrooms, have full kitchens, living rooms, dining rooms, and laundry facilities.  The suite terraces are huge, with a wet bar, and are the perfect setting for family get-togethers, even a small wedding reception!

Within the Garza Blanca Preserve Resort are 2 swimming pools, one just for kids, a poolside bar, with snacks and beverages, as well as the gourmet restaurant Blanca Blue.  Baby sitting service is also available, so mom and dad can have that romantic private candlelit dinner on the beach!

If luxurious, beachfront, accommodations, in a peaceful setting, are on your wish-list, Garza Blanca Preserve Resort, in Puerto Vallarta is the place for you.  Whether for a family vacation, a wedding, honeymoon,  or a couples retreat, Garza Blanca Preserve Resort offers something for everyone!

Please give me a call, Sandi, 425-821-4100, or send me an email to start the ball rolling on your luxury vacation!

At Totem Travel you will get personalized help from a travel expert, at no extra cost!

Click for Slideshow of Dreams Cancun

I have just returned from a wonderful familiarization trip to Cancun and Riviera Maya.  While in Cancun, we were lucky enough to stay at the Dreams Cancun Resort.

Dreams, an all-inclusive family resort,

is on the north end of the Cancun hotel strip.  It was recently renovated and a new “Preferred Club” tower has been added.   Many of the suites in the Preferred Club offer Jacuzzis, 2 bedrooms (great for families) access to the Tower pool, and private concierge service.  The Presidential Suite (which is where I stayed….NOT!!) has a 360 degree view of the property and the Caribbean Sea, a private elevator, and meeting space for up to 12 people.

Dreams is a great destination for families.  A supervised children’s program is available for the young ones, where they will participate in age appropriate activities: crafts, games & water sports.  The smaller children have their own pool, too!  Of course, mom and dad will want to relax and enjoy the Spa facilities, including aromatherapy massages……I admit I did have to indulge myself!

A state of the art work out facility is available for those die-hard fitness fanatics.  Spinning classes, free-weights, treadmills and elliptical machines are all available at no extra charge.  Of course, a sauna, also at no extra charge, is a great way to end that work out.

For those who prefer a little more of the group participation sports, there’s always a volleyball game on the beach, a little kayaking or a game of tennis at the lighted courts.

At Dreams you can swim with the dolphins! The swim with the dolphins program is at an extra charge, but the 6 dolphins which are always willing to give you a little show when they are not “working”.  You can hear them chirping at each other throughout the day and they love chasing and playing with each other.  I was able to have quite a show right from my room terrace!  What a treat.

The restaurants at Dreams are quite good.  My favorite was the Oceana which serves freshly, caught today, seafood and the best steaks!  The apple tart was pretty good too!  Many will love the Asian cuisine served at Himitsu….a great variety of sushi, as well as salmon and other seafood options.  Seaside Grill is also a great choice for surf and turf, served right on the beach.  World Café serves buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner…..great food!  One of the great things about the restaurants at Dreams:  no reservations required!  We didn’t wait long for seating at any of the venues.

Oh, and shopping!!  Within walking distance of Dreams…….upscale shops and local flea markets and local night clubs…it’s all there.

Please call me to book your vacation at Dreams.  Sandi Moore, 425-821-4100 or 1-800-321-7907