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As guests drive away from the busy Cancun airport towards the
Riviera Maya, some nod away to dreamland while others look expectantly
out the window to the jungle beyond the well-paved road. The dense green tangle
is pierced intermittently by large gates heralding resorts set at the end of their
own private roads— one of them is the enormous Aventura Spa Palace, an adults-only getaway with a spa built to rival
the bathhouses of ancient Rome.
The winding driveway deposits visitors in a spacious lobby, luggage is whisked away
only to reappear in the appropriate room and a cool drink is administered by smiling
greeters as the short check-in process begins. The layout of the Aventura Spa Palace
may be a bit confusing given its size, but conveniently a small map is handed out
with the room key. There are two grand, lowslung wings, North and South, two lobbies,
two pool areas, 1,266 rooms, seven restaurants.… Electric carts ferry guests from
one end to the other, or walking is just fine in the shade. The major difference
between the two: the North is home to the spa and tends to be quieter; the South
is where most of the resort action and water activities go on. The beach on the
north side is a stretch of white sand with a quiet “pool” of fresh seawater, where
the waves are broken by a rock wall. Standing in the water with a piña colada in
hand watching the fish swim lazily by is a favorite pastime. Tell clients to ask
for a piece of bread from the pool bar—there’s nothing like being in the middle
of a gentle feeding frenzy of tropical fish.
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stop is home base—no matter what category of room, they are all spacious and all
have double jacuzzi tubs decorated with flower petals and plush “towel” animals
the Mexican chambermaids are so proficient in. Turndown service is standard. It’s
a nice, welcoming touch, letting guests know they will be well cared for. Palace
Express, of course, is on hand to help with anything by way of a quick phone call.
The closet opens up to reveal plush bathrobes and a discreetly placed ironing board
for touch-ups on those tunics after a long flight; the bathrooms are stocked with
the Silk Therapy line from Farouk. The mini bar, on the other hand, is stocked with
cold beer, soda and water. Just above it, liquor dispensers ensure guests won’t
have to leave the room for that cocktail before dinner, one they can drink on their
own private balcony while swinging in the 2-person hammock and admiring the sunset.
The weather: warm, tropical, wet, sunny, hot. Sundresses, bikinis, shorts, sandals,
think thin, cool, wispy, sexy, cotton, white against a great tan.… Little nothings
that can be rolled up in a carry-on. The silver can be bought at the jewelry shop
onsite.
Dinner comes in many guises. With seven restaurants, it’s “take your pick”
night every night. Besides the usual pool, snack and lobby bars, each wing has its
own eateries. On the North side, the poolside Greco with its open-air atmosphere
serves Mediterranean fare (and a scrumptious buffet breakfast complete with handmade
tortillas and all the Mexican goodies you’d never thought you’d try). The Oriental
MoMoNoHana is adjacent to the lobby; the dinner-only La Huerta serves
light California fare, and the Italian La Trattoria welcomes dinner-only
guests, as well. On the South side, the outdoor Mundaca serves steaks under
the stars (as well as breakfast and lunch); Ventanas graces the indoor pool,
serving breakfast and dinner buffets; and La Hacienda serves Mexican gourmet
dishes in the evening. Casual elegance is welcome for dinner-only restaurants. Going
south for dinner? Gussy up a little more and dance off the excess calories at the
disco— it’s open till very, very late.
Any shred of a late night (or very, very early morning) can be easily alleviated
and (almost) forgotten with a grand day at the grand spa. With 95 treatment rooms,
there’s a good chance a morning call will make an afternoon appointment. Just the
hydrotherapy room is a treat all by itself. Hot whirlpools, cold plunge pools, two
different steam rooms (herbal and not), two dry saunas (eucalyptus and not), Swiss
showers, pressure showers and hydro reflexology (i.e., a whirlpool especially made
for the feet) get guests off to a good start.
The scented candles, mood music and soft lighting of the rooms are an added bonus
to the variety of treatments and packaged goodies guests can receive at the hands
of the well-trained therapists. The Holistic Plan, for example, combines a marine
body scrub, a holistic massage and a refresher facial for $200 (100 minutes). A
good 80 minutes of a Therapeutic Massage ($148) works out kinks and knots using
various techniques such as acupressure, reflexology and body stretching. Couples
can enjoy tandem treatments from the Spa Golden Celebrations menu. Computerized
fitness assessments, personal trainers and individual fitness testing will make
sure guests make the best of the stateof- the-art gym facilities. Outdoors, a Zen
walking labyrinth and a yoga hut and meditation garden lowers blood pressure, while
the 10-ft.-high climbing tower and the 12- obstacle training course will keep the
heart pumping.
Note for couples wishing to tie the knot: The property offers free, superior and
deluxe wedding packages (including vow renewals) and has expert wedding planners
on hand to help with every detail.
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