Originally Posted by
kmklint
Great travel review. What made Banyan tree better than Rosewood?
Since your villa is set back from the beach (5 -7 min bike ride to the beach,)
do you still have the sense that your in a "special place" or on vacation? Or does it seem like you could be in some golf community in south florida?
Thanks
Hmm.. Good questions. I like BTM for several reasons:
1)
The value (BTM Spa Pool Villa pricing $692/night March 1-2 (just picked this date as an example): you get
3,466 square feet of space, your own private large swimming pool, your own private jacuzzi, outdoor bathtub) vs. Rosewood (Lagoon suite king $790/night March 1-2>$690 with $100 credit: you get 788 square feet of interior space, 1016 square feet of exterior space, a small unheated plunge pool, no jacuzzi, no outdoor bathtub, much smaller space). I don't mean to imply that the two rooms can be compared directly as I don't think Rosewood has anything directly comparable to BTM's Spa Pool Villa, but the fairly equivalent pricing of the rooms shows the relative value of BTM. Quite simply, I love the ability to have my own private villa, pool jacuzzi--I literally wouldn't have to leave if I didn't want to for the entire stay because everything is so self-contained.
2) The architecture, design and feeling of the resort is something special. It definitely doesn't feel like a golf community in South florida due to the Asian-inspired arches set in the caribbean-like climate and atmosphere of Mayakoba. I like the Asian touches, but others may not. This is a personal preference for me.
3) I love riding the bikes through the resort, along the paths that are lined with mangroves and lagoons, through the arid strip of land that takes you to the beach. I do admit, I LOVED staying on the beach in the 3-bedroom villa (I didn't even use most of it), and would prefer a beach location except for the fact that BTM doesn't have Spa Pool Villas on the beach. Having said that, a lagoon-view villa is still amazing and the lack of beachfront location of a villa would not preclude me at all from returning.
4) While the F&B is good at BTM (Saffron being the highlight), I give a slight edge to Rosewood for Casa del Lago. However, I would much rather stay at BTM and take some of my meals at the Rosewood, given #1 reason above.
Hope this helps answer your questions. Both are fantastic resorts, they just each offer something different and so choosing would depend upon your needs. If you like lots of space and private swimming pool/jacuzzi, BTM may be a better choice.