I'm booked at the Wyndham Viva Azteca in Playa Del Carmen over Thanksgiving weekend. Does anyone have any experiences with Wyndhams' All-Inclusive properties at this or any other of their other locations? Is this a new Wyndham concept & product? I've never heard of Wyndham Viva all inclusive resorts before a few weeks ago (stay at their hotels a lot, but, go figure).
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Stayed at the Viva Wyndham Palace in the Dominican Republic and was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. The price was unbelievable, the room was terrific and the food was edible, but just. While food is often the focus of some of our vacations, it was not on this one but we don't regret it and are going back. Wyndham By Request amenities were generous and appreciated.
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I read somewhere that Wyndham and Viva have entered into a 10-year joint venture to give each other exposure in their respective markets. I think Viva is an Italian company.
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Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach
My husband and I stayed at Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach (Freeport, Grand
Bahama) 12/26/04 to 12/31/04 and overall, we had a nice stay. The property is still recovering from the back to back hurricanes this past summer.
The Grounds
The grounds are lovely. There are thriving hibiscus bushes everywhere you turn. The beach is a little spartan. Damage to the treeline is very visible in some areas but it doesn't impede on relaxation or enjoying the scenery. They were in the process of building a beachside bar. For those who drink, you have to hike back to the lounge area for drinks.
The Rooms
The rooms aren't anything spectacular. The website makes them look a lot better than they actually are. It's a pretty simple set up, two beds a desk, nightstand and tv. The bathrooms are at the entryway. It's a little odd because of the shutter styled ventillation (there is AC as well), you can hear everything that goes on on the walkway just on the other side of the shower. Conversely, folks on the walkway can hear your bathroom activities as well.
There's also a balcony. Ours was an ocean view room, and the view was quite lovely. The second part of the shutter system is on the patio, so if your neighbors are carousing on their patio, you'll hear that as well. on a brighter note, because we are By Request members, we had a lovely bottle of wine waiting for us in our room.
We toured the suites that are currently under construction for part of the Viva Vacation Club. These will be more like one and two bedroom apartments. The furnishings and appliances are conservative but decent.
Dining/Drinking
I'm sure that it's hard to please everyone, so feel free to take my comments about the food with a grain of salt. The dining hall is essentially a big buffet-style cafeteria. The architecture is an open-air style, so there are occasionally birds and/or flies flying about. Local Bahamians told us that its difficult to get good cuts of beef on the island, which explained why most of the beef we had (roast, fajitas, stir fry) was a bit on the tougher side.
The buffet offered different items on a rotating basis. Typically there was some type of soup, a rice based dish, a potato based dish, a noodle dish, fish/chicken or beef, and a prepared to order station that featured a specific fish each night (spaghetti, pork chops). Wine was available from carafes. Breakfast was rotated as well. Staple items included cereals, muffins, danish, bacon, eggs, sausage links, grits, oatmeal, rubbery pancakes, and an omlette bar.
Lunch consisted of rotated items such as hamburgers/hot dogs, french fries, a chicken/beef dish, cold cut trays, and a few other things to pick from. At lunch and dinner, salad bars were available along with assorted sweets.
There is an Italian restaurant at the resort, however dining is by reservation only and each day we were there, even our Wyndham By Request card couldn't get us a seat.
Overall, the food was filling although the breakdown of costs averages out to about $18 per meal per day if you're paying the going rate, I can't say that it was worth it even with the Friends and Family rate we paid, which was about a third of the cost. There were people from Germany, Netherlands, Mexico and all parts of the U.S. there, so again, I'm sure that the food had to be 'middle of the road' in order to satisfy everyone.
Also of note... the dining hall is only open certain hours of the day. If I recall correctly, breakfast was served from 7am to 10am, lunch from 12:30 to 2:30 and dinner from 6:30 to 9:30. Snacks are available at the bar after breakfast and after lunch. The snacks usually consisted of a single fruit tray and a a second tray of either fairly crude sandwiches cut into wedges or some other type of finger food. For late night snacks, you must visit the Italian restaurant after 11pm. There was supposed to be a 'healthy corner' available, which was the salad bar.
On to the drinks... the selection was good, however the drinks were very small. (approximately 6 oz cups). You simply MUST have a Goombay Smash or a YellowBird. The bartenders were knowledgeable and friendly. If you happen to be a BIG drinker, you may be frustrated with having to return to the bar often for more drinks, but you'll be met with a smile and a fairly prompt service each time.
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Part II as promised!
In General
As I mentioned before, the grounds are beautiful and the beach is very secluded. The resort is at the far end of the island, which is about a $25 cab ride from the airport. It's not near any of the 'touristy' sites such as Port Lucaya Marketplace ($15 cab ride) or the International Bazzar ($20 cab ride). Car rentals are expensive and renting a bike to travel from the resort isn't practical unless you're Lance Armstrong. Both are available for rent at a kiosk in front of the resort. If you're the type who must see and do a lot, either be prepared to spend a considerable amount for transportation or try out the busses (they travel on island time). Most of the tourist activities are a little pricey, and once you understand that the island makes nearly all of its money from tourism, you'll see why. You can, however, partake in scuba diving, sailing, horseback riding, the national forest and a few other things. My husband and I really wanted to just get away and relax--being out and about wasn't really on our radar, so the location was right up our alley. You pretty much get to see the entire island on the ride from the airport. We went out our second day there to the market place and to view a few of the other resorts--just a few hours was enough, there wasn't a lot to see. (Just as a side note, the rooms at the Xanadu were more in line with what we were expecting, they're VERY nice!)
At the resort itself, motorized water activities as well as scuba diving all incur an extra fee. There is a very small gym available. It has 2 or 3 elliptical machines, a treadmeal and an all in one weight machine (something like a Soloflex). There's also a dry sauna that seats 3 or 4 people. The gym is at the very far end of the property, if you don't specifically ask for it or go on a tour, you most likely won't know its there. There was supposed to be a 'spa' available. We never found it, I think the sauna is what they were terming as a spa. Tennis courts are also available along with a basketball court.
Each night, the international staff performs a differently themed show. There's also a disco. During the day, bingo, karaoke and a few other activities are available. There are things to keep kids busy so don't feel like you have to leave them at home. There were plenty of families there, and thus, plenty of kids for your kids to play with.
The advertised 'Business Center/Internet Stations' consist of 2 internet connected computers (no printers) in the liqour store. As a By Request member, you're entitled to 1 hour of usage for your entire stay. This policy was just being implemented during our stay so it wasn't strictly enforced. There were often long waits to use a computer though.
There's a convenience store on site. Prices are high and items like AA batteries are hard to find. Bring your own books/magazines, a simple paperback (not a best seller) will cost upwards of $15.00. The boutique carried standard fare: swimsuits, t-shirts, keychains, and hats. The prices are quite high, a better alternative is to do your shopping at Port Lucaya where you'll find plenty of 5 for $10 t-shirt deals and little shops that will allow you to haggle over the price.
The resort's website lists some things that weren't offered while we were there, such as:
local cuisine demonstration/cooking classes
make up lessons
fruit service on the beach and by the pool
pool & beach games with prizes
theme dinners and parties
2 restaurants are listed, but currently there is only one
3 bars are listed, but currently there is only one
there was no welcome cocktail, however you may walk up to the bar and request whatever you wish
Overall, we enjoyed our stay. We were understanding of the fact that they were recovering from back to back hurricanes (so we cut them a little slack). There are definite improvements needed and hopefully they'll be made over time.
As a final side note, we talked with a number of staff members who'd spent time at other resorts while Fortuna was under re-construction. We were consistently told that the properties in the Dominican Republic were geared more towards European tourists whereas properties in Mexico and the Bahamas are more 'Americanized'. The Dominican properties have more of a festive, community oriented atmosphere--that isn't to say that the other properties are unfriendly though. As an example... if you were playing volleyball at Fortuna, other guests would be more inclined to wait until your game was finished before moving onto the court. In the same scenario at one of the Domincan properties, other guests are more likely to join in your game rather than waiting for it to end. Beaches at the Dominican properties are also smaller, so guests are a little bit closer together as they soak in the sun. Living in Texas, I'm used to big open spaces and was glad to learn about the differences in the properties so that I wouldn't expect the same experience if I were to go to the Domincan Republic.
Where ever and whenever you go... have a great time!
What are the ByRequest amenities at these properties in the DR since everything is already included? Anything special?
We got a large plate of cheeses & crackers, two bottles of water, two bottles of coke, and a beach view room, but we had to wait four hours to check in!
Okay, it's been awhile since anyone posted on this thread, but a group of friends and I found a great deal on this property for early January, all-inclusive, from Wash, DC and Boston. Based on Trip Advisor and other sites, people seem to say "you get what you pay for" and it is not luxurious by any stretch. However, we are just looking for a nice beach and an all-inclusive to spend a long weekend relaxing. Any recent trips? Any particular rooms to ask for? Anything to say?!? Thanks!
We stayed at the Viva Maya last December. It's fairly close to the Viva Azteca, within walking distance. The Azteca is the better of the two resorts.
No complaints. Simple rooms, great beach location, and the food was good. I really enjoyed the chips and guacamole at the snack bar anytime during the day. You have rights to both resorts, but use the Azteca for breakfast and lunch. Dinner at the Maya restaurants might be nice for a change in venue
I noticed that Wyndham acquired another property in Cozumel. That's a fun day trip. Take the fairy over, rent scooters and you should be able to get access to that resort (check with the Azteca desk first). The beaches in the southern part of Cozumel are very nice for snorkelling and no crowds.
