Originally Posted by
Charlie9
Great review! Wow!
We seem very similar, first time ever at an all-inclusive will be at SIM next month. Looking forward to it but unclear if it is going to wow me enough to come back to all-inclusive in the future (we left cruising behind years ago).
I assume you're globalist? Just wondering if you thought you got anything "extra" with that (obviously not room, you covered that)? I used a TSU as well (had plenty, don't feel like I necessarily wasted it) but would LOVE if a further upgrade occurred.
I'd ask more questions, but...you covered everything.
I am Globalist, which I don't think came with anything extra. They did give a little coupon book to us at check-in, but it wasn't clear who gets it, another couple who were checking in at the same time and I think weren't Globalist were getting the same presentation as us. Basically some coupons that can be used for $40 off a spa treatment, $10 off a paid bottle of wine (I didn't look closely at the lists on some restaurant menus but noticed the prices were in the high double digits and low triple digits), that sort of thing. I imagine if you are Globalist at SM you may get some benefits like access to the rooftop pool, but that's included for all at SIM.
And yeah I was kind of curious if I might have gotten the same upgrade without having used a TSU, and it's unclear. Also unclear if possibly I might have gotten a further upgrade above the TSU room if I hadn't specifically requested the slightly downgraded room I stayed in. The next category of rooms, the "Master" suites, sell for a lot more money even than the baseline high prices.
Originally Posted by
downinit
Thanks for confirming my suspicion that this place is indeed terribly overpriced (on cash, but not on points). The lack of a cocktail menu is honestly the most upsetting thing I read here, as it is a pet peeve of mine (it is 2023: unless you are a nightclub or a dive bar, you should have at least a few specialty drinks on the menu). Regarding the swimming, was there anywhere that was reasonably shaded? As I am prone to burn rather than tan, I usually prefer to swim in pools when the sun is not out, but this does not appear to be an option based on the hours I have seen for the pools. I tend to hit up the pool as soon as it opens or right before closing, to avoid the sun and the crowds. With 10 pools, it would be nice if at least one had some kind of canopy/tree coverage for those of us who aren't big fans of radiation and melanoma.
I will be there next month. It is my first (and probably last) visit to Cancun/PDC, as I prefer my tropical getaways to be a bit more isolated and peaceful. I will be saying adios to my GLOB status and I was hoping for somewhere with good recognition, but looking at the cash/points prices across the board, SIM was a no-brainer in terms of redemption value. The cash rates at the non-AMR properties were not terribly great, and there is no guarantee what value I will actually get as a GLOB at the GH/HR/Andaz, especially since it will be a busy time in CUN. I was hoping to make it there last year, when Healthcare Hero rates < $150/night were widely available all over PDC, but those plans fell through. Honestly, I can't imagine why someone would be paying $1500/night for a generic minisuite in a mega resort when they could get a private pool villa in Bali for 1/5 the price. For that kind of money, anything less than an overwater bungalow would be disappointing. Then again, money is relative, and people who flock to CUN don't think like I do.
As for swimming in the shade, there are definitely going to be some options ... there wasn't a canopy-covered area or anything like that, but there are lots of trees and structures around that inevitably cast shadows on some parts of the various pools, so I think you can find places that work. There are even a couple of pools that I think are supposed to give a cenote vibe that are surrounded by fairly high walls and would be pretty shady throughout the day, at least this time of year. At this time of year the sun moving behind the SM building also starts to cast bigger areas of shade across some of the pools by ~4pm.
And as for the price, generally agree with you, although obviously for people in the US there is a real convenience consideration for Bali or Thailand ... but I don't know why you wouldn't be staying at an extremely Bali-like expansive private pool villa up the road at the Banyan Tree for the same price.