Baha Mar versus Mayakoba
I've booked the Andaz Mayakoba for a week in mid-July, with a TSU and a second, adjoining room on the lagoon side.
We have four adults and three kids (under the age of 6) going, and those rooms are just big enough to handle us (we travel well together).
The more I think about the potential for seaweed, and the long ride/walk from the lagoon side to the beach, I started to look at Baha Mar.
Unfortunately, it looks like the TSU at Baha Mar gets you into a Grand King Suite, which is capped at two people (and has no pull-out sofa or much furniture at all). We can do the double/double for two adults and two kids, but then we are still stuck with leaving one kid in the car for a week if we get a suite.
Could do two double/doubles and squeeze everyone in, but I have TSUs just burning a hole in my pocket.
Having the lounge at Baha Mar saves some cash on breakfast/soda/water/light snacks, but Baha Mar food seems even more expensive than Mayakoba, so even with the breakfast savings, still probably paying overall the same or more at Baha Mar as in Mayakoba.
The beach at Baha Mar seems better (or at least less seaweed), but Mayakoba seems a bit more relaxed (we won't be out clubbing with the kids). The free kids club at Mayakoba may be fun for the kids. I suspect the kids place at Baha Mar is not free.
If I knew we would get upgraded to one of the one-bedroom residences, I'd probably jump at Baha Mar, but no way to know if that will happen.
We are pretty slow-paced and non-particular travelers. The kids don't eat much anything other than pasta/hotdogs/chicken/pancakes/cereal, so having incredible food options is not that important. I'm a hotel room snob, but no one else in the group is. The kids need good pools for playing, but the adults just generally take it easy by the pool and the ocean, with maybe a day or two of a half-day excursion here or there. For instance, we did Coconut Point last year, and it was pretty perfect for this gang.
So, what do you all think? Anyone have experience with Baha Mar and Mayakoba and want to weigh in?