Hotel Recommendations -Akumal

[sytech]

Will be going to Akumal in May.

Am looking for a nice quiet place with fridge/TV/AC in the $100 range and within walking distance of restaurants/food stores/dive shop.

Have narrowed down hotels to Las Villas Akumal and Villas Maya Bungalows. Any thoughts about these places (or others). Also would like recommendations for competent and helpful dive operation.

Thanks,


Sy

 

[Dive-aholic]

I don't know about either of the resorts you mention, but we just returned from a trip down there and stayed at Akumal Beach Resort. I recommend you NOT stay there. It served its purpose for us - a place to sleep. However, if we could have gone to a different resort we would have. They claim handicap accessible rooms. I've got bad knees and ankles, and my mother (who met us down there for the week) has bad knees. We requested ground floor, but were put in 2nd floor rooms (no elevators). There was no water pressure in the shower, or hot water. Fortunately, there was an outside shower at the end of our building that did have decent water pressure and hot water, but showering right next to the bar wasn't ideal. The AC worked but is located above the door and the only way to control it was by plugging and unplugging it from the outlet that was hanging out of the wall. We saw plates and glasses left on walls and walkways for days. And Monica, the guest relations person, was rude and kept talking over us when we complained. I'm currently disputing the payment through the company we made the reservations through.

Oh, and I do have photos and video of all these things if anyone is interested.

 

[driftwood]

At $100 a night, try getting a beach front condo from Riviera Maya Hotels, Resorts, Rentals: Mexican Caribbean Vacation. We will be there on May 9th and its running us $109 a night with taxes for a one bedroom. For dive ops,
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/trips-local-marketplace-mexico/227310-akumal-may.html, lot of opinions there, none of which I disagree with.

When we stay in Akumal, we always rent a car, the transfers from/to the airport and the cab rides to PDC more than cover the costs.

 

[Wakendive]

I've stayed at La Joya and The Reef on Half Moon Bay. They are nice enough for the price. In general the condos on Half Moon are nicer than the ones near Akumal Bay, although Akumal Bay has more to do and a better beach. I would suggest picking up the phone and calling the site operators of Akumal Vacations - Mexico Beachfront Condo and Villa Rentals/ - Riviera Maya Hotels, Resorts, Rentals: Mexican Caribbean Vacation or Akumal, Mexico Reservations and Travel Information - tell them what you are looking for and they will hook you up.

 

[Diana5531]

Also check out some of the internet web sites where the owners of the houses and condos list and rent themselves instead of the through the mgmt co. Example: ..VRBO® is Vacation Rentals by Owner® Vacation Homes Rentals by Owner. OR just do a google.

 

[sytech]

I will be staying either at Las Villas Akumal or the Vista Del Mar Hotel and thanks for the warning.

Also, in Akumal are water entries for diving off a pier or somesuch or are they shore entries?

Thanks,

Sy

I don't know about either of the resorts you mention, but we just returned from a trip down there and stayed at Akumal Beach Resort. I recommend you NOT stay there. It served its purpose for us - a place to sleep. However, if we could have gone to a different resort we would have. They claim handicap accessible rooms. I've got bad knees and ankles, and my mother (who met us down there for the week) has bad knees. We requested ground floor, but were put in 2nd floor rooms (no elevators). There was no water pressure in the shower, or hot water. Fortunately, there was an outside shower at the end of our building that did have decent water pressure and hot water, but showering right next to the bar wasn't ideal. The AC worked but is located above the door and the only way to control it was by plugging and unplugging it from the outlet that was hanging out of the wall. We saw plates and glasses left on walls and walkways for days. And Monica, the guest relations person, was rude and kept talking over us when we complained. I'm currently disputing the payment through the company we made the reservations through.

Oh, and I do have photos and video of all these things if anyone is interested.

 

[Dive-aholic]

The only shore entries in Akumal are at the cenotes. The reef there is really shallow, no scuba required. In fact, if you go vertical on snorkel, you'll be standing on the reef with your head out of the water. To get out to the diving areas you'll need to take a boat.

 

[driftwood]

Akumal Bay can be a good shore dive, beach entry. Sandy bottom with a few coral mounds. The big attraction are the resident turtles that hang out about 200m from the "Cannon House". If you are lucky, there is also a bait ball of silver sides that hangs out in the bay.

 

[Diana5531]

Regarding shore entry from either Half Moon Bay or Akumal Bay, both actually do have passes into and out of them, but are a swim. For HMB, there is a very specific point where the entrance in/out of the bay is. You should probably find it first snorekling one day if you plan on diving on the outside. And you really need to do this during high tide and once you get out there, it is often a good drift dive and you may miss the entrance point and drift down to another bay. This is obviously not for the novice diver or snorkler. But I actaully keep a battery operated skee-do down there and do this often snorkeling. That said I have ended up in South Akumal having to catch a taxi home!