HANDS UP FOR
THE NEW CLUB MED YUCATAN IN CANCUN
Remember the old Club Med? Those resorts with so much singles’ sex going on that
a lot of us were “created” there?
Well, now the kids are already here – and the singles are mostly gone. Club Meds
everywhere are changing over to family-style children-allowed resorts catering
primarily to couples.
No longer will part of the night-time entertainment be watching singles chase
and bed each other. Now, married couples can stay in their rooms with their
kids and watch the large plasma TV.
Mon Dieu!
Another major change: the Clubs are no longer basic and rustic. Au contraire!
They’ve become so upscale, that their claim to be the most exclusive of the
all-inclusives is indisputable.
I
saw this change the minute I got to my room when I recently went the Club Med
Yucatan in Cancun, which was being reopened after having been severely damaged
by Hurricane Wilma. Where once guests at a Club Med were lucky if they could
find a tiny sliver of soap in their bathroom, now it’s filled with upscale
amenities.
The closets even have irons and hair dryers, because the old style unkept
wrinkled and crinkled hippy guests aren’t here (or wanted) any more, thank you.
Even the doors have changed. Once there weren’t any locks (and if there were,
they didn’t ever work), so that you wouldn’t have to carry a key around. It was
almost a badge of honor to have at least one thing stolen from your room during
your stay. But now the doors have workable locks, and if you forget your plastic
key, you have to go all the way to the front desk to get another one. Progress.
But while some will miss the old Club Meds at first – I did-- you can’t help but
fall in love with the new one. I did.
This “new” club is spectacularly beautiful, like all Club Meds. Get their
ubiquitous catalogs and thumb through the color photos of the “villages” all
over the world and you’ll already be planning your next vacation.
The food is also still superb, and while it always was at Club Med, the buffets
are now far more extensive-- and expensive. (Not that you pay for them; while
the old way of paying for drinks by beads is gone, you still get all meals and
drinks for free.)
The restaurants also offer far more varied cuisine than they used to, so unlike
some all-inclusives, here you never get tired of the meals. There are gourmet
buffets that would put an all-you-can-eat Las Vegas buffet to shame. There are
also separate dining areas with Mexican buffets, Mexican- French fusion meals,
and there’s even a new dining room overlooking the ocean that serves tapas each
night.
Another area where there’s more variety now than there used to be are the
rooms. No longer are they all pretty much the same – and you were assigned one
once you get there. Here, there are 384 rooms in 3 categories (some with
connecting rooms for families) and they’re all comfortable and attractive.
That’s especially true in the new upscale Jade building, where there are 18
ocean view suites offering concierge service, room service, free internet
access, fresh flowers, priority housekeeping, private cab to the hotel, and
more.
You also get the feeling of luxury and comfort in the lounging areas, especially
near the large freestyle pool. There are plenty of luxurious beach loungers--no
plastic stuff any more – and 6 large comfortable Thai style lounge beds.
You’ll also find a unique third place to lie down here; underneath a thatched
hut are large puffy pillows on the floor where you can relax and look out at the
water.
The hut also provides a bit of shade, as do the large decorative sails nearby to
give you a bit of protection from the bright Cancun sun. At night, they focus
colored lights on these sails, turning it into a stunning kaleidoscope slide
show.
Who would ever want to leave this resort?
Actually, many don’t. This little piece of paradise is away from the 100 or so
other resorts in Cancun and it’s situated on 22 acres with three beaches so you
never feel crowded.
It’s between the lagoon and the ocean, but you’re more likely want to stay near
and stare at the peacock-blue Caribbean. The water laps up against
equally-pretty postcard-looking white powdery sand which, by the way, had to be
trucked in after losing all of it in Hurricane Wilma last year.
Those who’d
rather go under the water than in it (or look out at it) will soon find another
piece of paradise. Few know this, but Cancun has the second largest coral reef
in the world next to Australia.
Water sports are just one of the reasons people come to the Club Meds. This
one, like all of them, offers an enormous amount of activities (at no extra
cost) from the traditional to a more unique trapeze-training area.
But if you want to leave the property – why?—the Club also offers a number of
side trips. My favorite places to go to in this area are the
eco-amusement-parks: Garrafon in Isla Mujeres, and Xcaret
Water Park.
If you want to go out and eat out one evening – again why? -- an indispensable
book containing detailed descriptions of the 475 restaurants, clubs, bars and
hotels in Cancun based on the experiences of hundreds of Cancun tourists is
available at
www.peopleschoiceguide.com. It’s probably the best guide to Cancun
available.)
But you’re unlikely to want to go away for long once you get here.
When I finally had to leave
from my long weekend, convinced that what had replaced the old Club Med was far
better, my only regret was that I missed hearing them sing the traditional
“Hands Up,” one of the signature songs of the Old Club Meds.
But perhaps in homage to our memories, as the buses pull out to go to the
airport at the end of the week, the GO’s (employee/guests) come out and wave
with their hands way up.
A
nice reminder, but the new upscale Club Med with children is so spectacular; one
almost needn’t be reminded of the old place any more.
Club Med. Mexico
Club Med. Puntz Nizuc,
77500 Cancun, Quintana Roo -- Mexico
Reservations 1-800
CLUB MED
www.clubmed.com
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