Tucked away beyond the mangrove forests and far remote from the hustle and bustle of the 307 lives the beauty that is Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun. Maroma Beach is nestled on the eastern coast of Mexico, south of party-central-Cancun and just 25 miles north of Playa del Carmen. This was our first visit not only to a Secrets resort, but to Mexico in general, and it for sure won't be our last fiesta.
Two of our closest friends visit this particular resort annually in December and they'd been urging us for months to join them for this year's expedition. On Memorial Day the four us went to one of our favorite margarita drinkeries, Zia Taqueria, where after several tequila drinks we relinquished our frugal tendencies and finally gave a definitive YES. And so the countdown began. Side Note: is anyone else out there a countdown-crazed, "days to go" app-on-your-phone kind of person like myself? Seriously, it becomes an unhealthy and impatient "hurry the F up" obsession of rushing your life away...but whatevz..it's VACATION and one should be excited.
Departure day finally came at the budding tune of 3:15am. The flight to Mexico was a cinch and we'd have almost an entire first day there which made the early flight so worth it. The drive in could be a scene straight out of a blockbuster film. After turning off of Highway 307 and onto the bumpy, jungle-like road that leads to the resort, the scenery drastically changes. I joked with our driver that the roads weren't that bad and that we have worse here in South Carolina. The road seemed to be never ending to the point where you begin to question your safety (fortunately for us, we had seasoned visitors in tow, so we were never concerned). It felt as though it could be similar to the jungle-laden trek leading up to El Chapo's hidden mansion. Did he have one? I'm not sure, but you get my drift. Upon arrival we checked into our spa-like Preferred Club suite in the main building (bldg #11) to see this gorgeous view of the resort and ocean pictured above. Curious about the strange, yet familiar looking structure center-photo? Don't worry, so were we..and yes, most everyone visiting the resort is thinking the same thing. Quite the vision to wake up to each morning, I must say! The suite and balcony were spacious but my favorite part of the room was by far the bathroom. I loved the stone tile work above the vanity, the feature wall behind the large jetted tub was decorated with dimly lit candles and the rain head shower was spacious and noteworthy. All features felt spa-like and tastefully indicative of the Mexican culture.
Most of our days started with a quick work out in the resorts' gym which was conveniently located on the first floor of our building. We would then grab breakfast, head straight for the pool, spend hours sunning ourselves, ordering tequila frescas, lunch, hydrotherapy, short nap, dinner, drinks, repeat. We loved the overall feel of Secrets Maroma. It wasn't too large where you felt overwhelmed, and wasn't so small where you felt like you were ground level at an NSYNC concert...although that wouldn't be such a terrible thing for a fellow millennial. We loved chatting with people from all over the globe. We had great conversations with a couple from Canada, a younger newlywed couple from Malta, another newly married couple from Houston who needed a few days away from the oil and gas industry (and their two year old!). We even had some great conversation regarding wedding videos as they recently received theirs from their cinematographer in Texas.
One of the highlights of the trip was the celebration of both mine and my bffs' 33rd birthdays! We reserved one of the two presidential cabanas available that overlook the ocean and are in close proximity to the beach bar. For $150 you can have the presidential cabana from 9am to 5pm. Such a steal considering the top notch service that comes along with the rental. We had two gentleman, Raul and Pedro, who catered to our every need for the duration of the day. We never once were without a cocktail or some kind of munchie to snack on. We even lucked out with Pedro in particular as he was all about the photography and was insistent upon taking many, many photos of Francesca and I. Of course we didn't complain...it's all about the Insta, friends. One of my favorite photos from the trip is the one of the two of us with Pedro (below). He was a total rockstar!
Seven days flew by SO quickly but we made so many amazing memories and we will for sure be planning a future trip to Mexico very soon! Below are some of my personal favorites from the trip, some quick insider tips and things to keep in mind if you're lucky enough to visit this Mexican gem:
* The Secrets Box - have you ever stayed at a hotel and all you wanted was room service, but maybe it was really late at night, or super early in the morning or maybe you just flat out didn't want to be bothered by anyone coming into your room, laying the food out for you and making annoying small talk? The Secrets Box is EVERYTHING. Located adjacent to your door is a small box that can be accessed from the exterior of your room (of course by lock + key only by your concierge). Just order your room service, which is 24 hours by the way, from the tablet in your room and voila! Approximately 40 minutes later your food will appear in your Secrets Box. After eating, simply put your dishes back in the box and using your tablet you can schedule for them to pick up the dirty dishes from the box. Amazing idea with zero human interaction. I was sold.
* Breakfast at The Oceana - If you are Preferred Club, you MUST eat breakfast at Oceana located by the main pool. For the first couple of days we ate at World Café which was solid, buffet-style breakfast foods, but if you're like me, I prefer to have an actual sit down meal and be waited on while on vacation. The food at Oceana was delicious! Ask for the "green juice" aka "power juice." A great way to start your day...along with a donut or three.
* The Red Snapper - Almost EVERY day for lunch we ate the red snapper from Barefoot Grill located by the main pool area. I am SAD I didn't snap a photo of the red snapper but you get the entire fish and it is oh so scrumptious! If you've never eaten a whole red snapper before, don't forget to flip the fish over..you'd be missing out on more yummy bites!
* Shots, Shots, Shots! - Ask for a mini beer! The best little shot you'll ever taste and..it looks just like a mini beer...go figure. Also if you're looking for a little presentation in a shot, ask for a tequila boom boom. The bartenders love serving up these bad boys, and you'll soon find out why!
* Restaurant Faves - I personally loved Portofino, the Italian restaurant and Himitsu, the Japanese restaurant. The others were decent, but these two were the most noteworthy for me. Well, those two in addition to my many rounds of room service :-)
* Upon Arrival - you will soon find out the staff is very, very adamant that you take their 90 minute timeshare tour in order to get good spa deals, coupons, etc for your stay. A great deal if you want to spend the time and plan on taking part in all of the resorts' activities. This was probably our biggest gripe with the resort. The first three days we were there we were hounded by the same individuals each time we were in the lobby. We finally had to give them a firm "No, we're not interested and please stop asking." Sorry not sorry?..
So that's Secrets Maroma in a nutshell. Super impressed, we had a blast and she earns a 4.8 out of 5 stars from me! If you are considering a trip, or if you have any specific questions for me, just shoot me an email. Happy to assist!
XO
One point to mention is that there are many worthwhile advantages that come with booking the Preferred Club. Not only do you get your own private, streamlined check-in upon arrival, but there are several other perks we took advantage of. The 'Club' itself (a stunning thatched-roof hut) is only for Preferred guests and offers delectable eats throughout the day, a bar stocked with a wider selection of top shelf spirits than the others throughout the resort (my personal fave is the cream tequila..order it on the rocks and sip SLOWLY), you also have other private dining options that non-Preferred guests don't have access to. Above the rest, the biggest perk of the Preferred Club for me was the daily access to the spa's hydrotherapy. It was AMAZING. After a long day poolside it was the perfect way not only to relax but to soothe your sun-beaten skin. Hydrotherapy also reduces the effects of stress by increasing endorphin production, improves sleep, and prevents headaches. All travel must-haves for a quality vaycay, am I right?!
