traveling_consultant

I just booked a points stay a couple of days ago. Doing a search on the website, it continues to say to call in order to make a reservation (as it did when I was successful).

thaliajen

I tried booking on points here but was told that none of the dates show openings. I'm going anyway, just to try it out. I'll go one night to Le Meridien Cancun (my FAVORITE Cancun Hotel) and then 3 nights at Lagunamar. I loved it when it was a Sheraton and it's nice to not worry about upgrades. I booked a one bedroom villa so IMO, that's better than a suite.

The website says it has room service and I didn't know they had it, so with that and the pool, I think a relaxing weekend is ahead. I'll leave an updated report when I get back.

mikeycanuk

My call wasn't successful. Looks like you got in just before they ended nights on points. It would have been nice but the wife didn't care as she really liked the gym @ Le Meridien.
Only staying there 2 nights after 2 weeks in a house in Akumal. So nice to be only 15mins from the car rental office and airport. The morning drive up from Akumal/PDC is well know as likely to get you pulled over for some mordita treatment as the police know you've got a flight to catch. Plus Cancun is fun, for about 2 days anyway.

A funny story about our last stay at LM. One morning I noticed someone sleeping in a chair on a balcony over at the Ritz. Looked like a dummy. 2pm, still there. 5pm still there. So I tell my wife that it looks like there might be a dead guy over at the Ritz. We are not sure what to do. Anyway around 8pm I look again and I guess he woke up to go party the night away. Crazy

thaliajen

Other than the villas, I don't find much right about this place. I loved it as a Sheraton and wish it had stayed that. From the moment I arrived (no one helped me with luggage, just pointed me to desk) I felt like an insignificant speck of dust.

No special treatment for Plats, and that meant no special line for Plats SPGs. The lobby was full of luggage carts b/c the luggage room was full. So full that I couldn't even leave my bags and go use the pool while I waited for my room.

I checked in and was told that it would be 4pm before my room was ready. As huge as that place was, I found it hard to believe but sat down in the lobby and waited. At 3:30 I checked on my room b/c I saw that other people were getting their keys. I was told it wasn't ready. At 4pm I went up with my luggage, expecting my room. Nope. Not ready! By 4:30 I was pretty angry, and that's when the room was finally ready. The lady told me to take the elevator to 2nd floor and walk all the way down to building number 9. I did that, but couldn't get through. It was the FOURTH floor that went all the way through. It turned out to be about a 10 minute walk from the room to the lobby. So I got to my room at about 5pm, a whole afternoon wasted. It was my own fault b/c I'd spent the previous night at Le Meridien and I HAD a 4pm check out. I was stupid not to stay there until 4pm.

The villa itself was very nice. It's really one of the few nice things I can say about this property. The kitchen had a full-size fridge/freezer, cabinets all full of dishes, etc., and a microwave/confection oven for popcorn and reheating food. The bathroom was great with a huge jacuzzi tub which I used twice a day, and a walk-in shower. The living room was nice, but the balcony was small. It had just a small table and chairs and could be approached from living room or bedroom. The view was of the new phase which is under construction. Once it is finished there will be pretty pools to look at, and it will be a better view. It was an ocean view and very close to the beach, but the size of the balcony and how it was shaped made it pretty useless.

The pools are gorgeous. I did find it difficult some days to find a lounge chair, and when I did I would inevitably be near smokers. I've never been to a resort with so much smoking! There were 2 couples there on separate days who were very much bothered by it and we suggested maybe they (the resort) could have a smoking section so we didn't need to breathe in that awful smoke. And this was a Westin!

The location was great. It's across from La Isla Mall where you can find just about anything. The gift shop in Westin Lagunamar is quite pricey. But at least you have the mall if there's a rainy day or something.

This is not a BAD resort. It's just not personal. I'd come from Le Meridien where they treated me like a princess. As a Plat I had late check-out, appetizers at night, bottle of water every day, fruit basket and bottled water from management, room ready when I arrived and continental breakfast daily. The staff remember my name, my last stay, even my son's name! They only want to make your stay wonderful and go all out. I left LM for Westin LGM and it felt like leaving a castle for a hut. No one at WLM cared about me. And check-in was 4pm with a 10am check-out. If the Vacation Ownership lady hadn't told me, I never would've known about the 10am check-out.

Due to the snow-stormy weather in the East I had to stay in Cancun an extra night and I knew right away that I was switching back to LM. And also, LM takes points for stays and has cash/points, etc. Being mostly a vacation ownership. Westin Lagunamar had no points options for weeks before and after my stay.

The time-share people deserve a thread of their own and I had a unique experience with them. But the bottom line is that as pretty as the pools are, as nice as the villas are, the people there, the staff, just rubbed me the wrong way. The lack of smiles and kind words stuck out especially after I had just left LM where they always had a smile for me. And I like the privacy, or rather, private feel of LM over this huge Westin.

I'd also add that the beach wasn't impressive at Westin LGM. I found it rocky and rough compared to Le Meridien's. And we had one hilarious afternoon when a woman walked around topless for hours and posed for pictures in the water as her "friend" photographed her. I've been to beaches in Europe where people go topless (and sometimes bottomless!) but this was different. People were yanking kids off the beach, men were gawking, and this woman was loving it. She posed and posed and thrust her attributes in the air, and I just hope she got the pictures she wanted b/c she created a huge spectacle. Personally, I thought it was hilarious (and her chest was as phony as a rubber nickel!) but some of the people with kids weren't so forgiving. Still, it made for interesting conversation!

I'm glad I tried it out, but I won't be returning to Westin Lagunamar. If I was an owner, it would be different, but not getting the special treatment Plats get at other properties, not having a spa, plus the staff's attitude and long walks to get everywhere, and the worst room service breakfast EVER (how can you mess up eggs?) convinced me that the resort is just not my style. So I'm praying LM stays with Starwood for many years to come!!!

sbtinme

POINT OF CLARIFICATION: The Westin LagunaMar was NEVER a Sheraton.

The land it sits on today was once the site of a mid1970s Sheraton hotel that was ultimately bulldozed (after having been shuttered for many months) right down to the ground.

After all of the dust settled, the Westin LagunaMar was built on that site.

normandy7

Noticed this morning that you can book award nights online instead of having to call in.

sc flier

They have lots of C&P awards available online, too! ^

mikeycanuk

Thanks! It wasn't that you had to call to get an award night, they just wanted to tell you NO, there isn't point availability. I'll take the change though!

mikeycanuk

Anyone use the gym? We are more interested in equipment and weights than cardio machines.

thanx

bizaro86

The points availability seems to vary. I was able to book cash and points online over New Year's, which I felt was pretty good value. There were definitely some service issues, although the facilities are definitely nice. The fire alarm went off one night, and they didn't get it turned off for ~20 minutes. When I called to ask about it (and whether I needed to evacuate) the woman was quite rude. I also found the check in staff rude, and check-in took FOREVER, even though I was arriving on a weekday when timeshare owner's don't check-in. There were also some issues with the building maintenance. The door to the stairwoutside our room wouldn't stay closed, so it would slam open and shut in the wind. I finally went out and tied it open. The illuminated exit sign above that same door fell off the next night and was banging in the wind. This time my call for maintenance was heeded quickly, and they came by and cut the sign down.

On the other hand, the room I received (a studio) was basically oceanfront, and it was nice to have the kitchenette facilities. It also has a huge pool, and I deeply enjoyed spending my afternoons reaading in a hammock overlooking the Carribean sea. All in all, I'd go back, but I wouldn't pay regular price for the experience.

Michael

mikeycanuk

Just switched by point stay from Le Meridien to the Lagunamar. Just have to make sure we leave the Wal-Mart before dark. Last year I managed to drive back safely that night after shopping but it was TERRIFYING in the dark. I'm still surprised I didn't get hit by the utter chaos on the roads.

The Lagunamar is also much better point value. 10,000 or $250/night vs the same points but $159/night for LM.

flyerdoc

Full disclosure. I am an owner, but I am what they refer to in the SVO parlance as a "world traveler." This means that I own multiple weeks more for the purpose of converting them to points for use to travel the world than to actually use at the resorts. That said, my daughter had a week of time before returning to college that we could steal away somewhere, so we went to Lagunamar in early January. I, too, as a Platinum have come to have expectations at a Starwood property that were not met at this location. But, I think that much of this is related to it being a timeshare which has already captured a significant portion of the guests they have there, and not a hotel where they are competing for your business. I think that the room layouts are terrific, and the one bedroom is much better designed than the larger one bedrooms at the Ka'anapali. There are two issues that bothered me the most. First, allowing smoking at this Westin property makes for a difficult pool experience for all. Also, can't they boost the wi-fi so it works throughout the property? I was originally supposed to be in bldg 1, but at the last second was told that the wi-fi doesn't work out in bldgs 1 or 9. We opted to change to bldg 2 which was only marginal. It mattered to me with an iPad as I have no way to use the wired internet. This is a problem that Starwood should definitely fix as it is not up to the standard of a property at this level.
I also have a problem with the lack of a grocery store out on the "7." We paid 250 pesos to have a shuttle take us to the Wal-mart in town, wait for us to shop, and load/unload all of our groceries. When you are buying tons of water, that is very helpful! But, it is a long drive into town so it is not something that you do more than once in a week. That means that having fresh items gets dicey later in the week. The prices in the onsite store were exorbitant! If anyone knows of a decent alternative in the hotel zone, please let me know.

There are actually tons of great restaurants across the street in La Isla mall. Thai is one of the nicest restaurants in Cancun. Elefanta (Indian) was also great. La Madonna had wonderful Italian food. The restaurants are expensive by Mexico standards. It was worth it though as it is a great self contained entertainment plaza right outside our door. It even has a movie theater with the movies in English and subtitiled in Spanish. It felt so easy that I offered it to my daughter and her college friends for spring break. Guess what? The other girl's moms want a parent there, so I'm going back in early March. Not what I had planned on!

When thinking of whether to use my points to stay at LM or not, for me the answer is simple: If I am looking for luxury, Cancun would not make my list.
For ease getting out of the frozen tundra, it serves its purpose.

Boraxo

As I'm not a Plat my expectations for service are pretty low at SPG properties. FYI this is par for the course at most resorts in Mexico (at least IME at the many I've used over the years). Owners get similar treatment - we have often had to wait for rooms because they pre-assign them and the prior tenant doesn't always checkout on time (or the room may just be randomly lower on the cleaning list). ThIn any case, not usually an issue for us because our flights from the West Coast never arrive before 4pm though it can be a pain if you are moving over from another resort. However, as you note, this is easily resolved by spending the day at the pool at your prior hotel.

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+1 IMO this is a cultural issue (like Europe) where our expectations for service as Americans are different than the norm. If people want RC or Four Seasons treatment try one of their USA resorts.

I share your complaints about smoking and wi-fi -- easy to fix if somebody cared.

The gym is much better than your average SPG property and should meet your needs, but don't expect the variety of weights that you'd find at Golds.

JFKSFOLAX_friend

So so stay. Cannot recommend. On a 1-10 scale, property gets a 3.

Pros:

1) Nice breakfast buffet. Great service. At the omelette bar, they let you pick your own toppings and then you hand it to the cook. I've never seen that. It was nice. I must be easily amused. And, the chicken fajitas on the buffet were YUMMY.

2) Larger room nice. Full refrigerator. Full washer & dryer.

3) Great shower pressure/consistency of temperature.

4) I used the hotel shuttle. $35. I am sure there are cheaper ways to get to the property, but it was easy. They hold a car with your name. I was on my way in minutes.

5) Location across street from mall to pick up essentials.

Cons:

1) At about 11 AM, front desk called the room even though DND was on the door asking when I want housekeeping to clean. So, obviously, housekeeping called the front desk and asked to have the room called. But, what if I was sleeping? What's the point -- definition -- of DND? What do the words "Do" "Not" "Disturb" mean when read together? It's pretty self-explanatory, right? It does not mean "Do not disturb (unless we want to disturb you)."

2) My partner found a dirty tissue in one of the robes. I guess they don't clean them between guests. Gross.

3) Housekeeping did not reset the alarm clock from the previous guest. On our first night, we did not have a 9 AM flight so did not need to be woken up at 6'ish AM.

4) Card system for towels. We were given two cards at check in. When we went to get towels, we were told one towel per card. So, if you jump in the pool/ocean, you have to use your chair towel to dry off. Had to go to front desk, wait in line, give room number, etc. to get two more towel cards. Warned several times that if the card is lost, there will be a $30 charge per card. The card is a simple piece of plastic (no magnetic strip, etc.). So, that might cost $0.01 - $0.03 per card. The towels were worn/thread bear/non-lush. They may have cost $5 each max. They were old. So, how does the property come up with $30? That's some mark up. And, not very classy for a Westin resort.

5) Towels in the rooms are very worn/rough. I thought I was drying with a loofah (spelling?).

6) Bed sheets very rough. I am sensing a trend.

7) Horrendous wifi speed

8) Pretty woeful gym. Only one single rack of dumbbells. Mostly cardio and many of the machines's screens were broken. This is a huge property. Having one rack of dumbbells (maybe 20 dumbbells TOTAL), two benches, and some cardio machines (many of which were broken) is not acceptable.

traveling_consultant

We just completed a stay during the first week of March and I was actually rather happy with the Lagunamar. I'd give it an 8 out of 10. We redeemed points for a 1 bedroom (rather than a studio) suite... I think it was an extra 1,500 points per night -- well worth it.

My experience was quite different than the prior review, except that I can confirm the wifi is pretty pathetic (and I did not use the gym... as I was on vacation!):

- Room was clean, bed was comfortable (though the pillows collapsed flat like most hotels -- I hate that). Never used the robes.
- Towels at the pool that we received were of good quality. As were the ones in our room. The card system is pretty annoying -- do people really steal hotel towels?
- Overall, the room was very spacious, comfortable, and with top-tier furnishings for a timeshare location in my experience.

We also used the hotel-coordinated transportation option ($35 one way or $65 round-trip cash). Very nice SUV on the trip in (van going back), but a cab would be cheaper (300 pesos). For us, it was worth it and the guy that picked us up was very friendly.

Pool area is fantastic, but I would not recommend the waterslide as a full-grown adult -- the water is too shallow, a few of us went down it and all of us hit some part of our body on the bottom of the pool. Once was enough to learn that lesson.

We also enjoyed the location across the street from La Isla and a short walk or quick cab ride from a number of other restaurants.

Everyone we dealt with on the property was friendly, and they made only one passing attempt to get us to do a timeshare presentation -- and when they saw my negative reaction they backed off immediately.