**Disclaimer: This review represents my personal opinions and not that of any business I mention. I have not been compensated by any business or website in exchange for this review.**
This should serve as the second chapter in the Mexico series I have been working on. As the title suggests, most of this post will be a review of the first hotel we stayed in, The Lodge at Chichen Itza. However, I will throw in a few personal money-saving travel tips and tricks along the way.
Once we were able to get on the road with our rental car, our first planned stop was Sam's Club. Yes, Mexico has this awesome bulk distributor too! The set-up of this Sam's Club was a little different than the ones I have been to in the US. The parking is UNDER the store. Then there is this escalator-like thing that takes you up to the store. It's like an escalator without steps. It's just one slanted moving rubber mat running each direction. When you leave, you just hold on to your shopping basket and go back down the escalator without steps. It's was strange to us. Anyways, this Sam's Club location was 5 minutes from the Merida airport and very convenient for us. I know this seems odd to stop by Sam's Club on vacation, but trust me, you won't regret it! We initially planned to stop in simply to grab drinks and a few snacks. Tip: Buying drinks and snacks in bulk this way can save you tons on any vacation. As you probably already know, the water in Mexico is not safe to drink. So you MUST stick to bottled water. Most hotels provide this at little to no cost. However, if you are doing excursions and touring ruins like us, many times bottled water is not complimentary and is often times even more expensive than soda or alcohol. The entire case of water was less than $2US and the case of Gatorade was $3US at Sam's Club. So buying in bulk only made logical sense. We also ended up buying a large cooler for less than $10US and used the ice provided by the hotels to keep drinks cool while we were out and about. We simply gave it away at the end of our trip. The real surprise to us was the super cheap liquor available at Sam's. We purchased a few bottles for gifts. There were also several souvenirs and Mexico exclusive candies and snacks for much cheaper than the gift shops. Tip: If you buy a few different bulk size Mexican candies and cookies, you can make little gift bags for super cheap! Trust me, Sam's Club is a smart choice if available near your Mexico vacation destination!
We chose to stay at the Lodge at Chichen Itza for 2 nights while we toured Chichen Itza and the surrounding ruins. The drive from the main road to the front desk was not what you would expect. You pull off the main road to a guarded gatehouse where you must provide your reservation information to be granted entrance. Once approved, you receive a little tag for your dashboard to identify you as a guest. The road is made of a mixture of dirt, asphalt, and bricks with leftover construction supplies off to the sides. The supplies aren't distracting or in the way, you can just tell they are constantly working to improve the area and make repairs. It's jungle to both sides of the road, which is beautiful. The closer you get to the hotel, the nicer and more complete the brick road becomes.
When you arrive, there's approximately 15 parking spaces in front of a large wood and straw carport with 2 desks, a vintage car, and some seating. An employee met us at our vehicle with a golf cart before we could even make it out of the car. He loaded all our luggage from the vehicle to his golf cart and then said he would take us to the main building for check-in. Tip: Bring some pesos or dollars in cash with you. Trust me, after receiving this kind of service, you will WANT to tip! Along the way, he pointed out the main buildings and was very polite and helpful. The hotel offers rides in a vintage jeep, horseback riding, and have a planetarium on site. There are also 2 pools. The grounds are breathtakingly beautiful! You have to see it to believe it!
This place is AMAZING! The service we received was top-notch! Every staff member we encountered was eager to help make our stay as wonderful as possible. We never felt lost or wanted for anything during our stay here. The location itself was one of my favorite amenities. It is located directly next door to the Chichen Itza ruins and offers a private entrance with access one hour before the public. The room we stayed in was a "Royal Bungalow with Loft". It was like our own private (air conditioned) jungle cabana. All the decor was hand carved. It included gorgeous stain glass window, mosquito nets (just in case), a porch with hammocks, and a jetted tub/shower combo. They even had handmade soaps and toiletries! There was a wonderful restaurant on site that offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets that were TO DIE FOR! The hotel even has it's own mascot, a PEACOCK! The mascot just walks around the main building and patio area displaying it's beauty. It didn't seem to be concerned with us or any other people at all. Our stay here was one of my favorite things during the entire 8 day trip, and I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking to stay in the area! As always, feel free to message me with any questions, comments, or concerns. I'm here to help!
I booked this room through booking.com and did not have to pay anything until I checked into the hotel. This was reassuring to me since I had never been to Mexico and had heard the horror stories of people who booked rooms that didn't exist or weren't as advertised. I didn't want to wind up in that sort of situation in a foreign country for sure! I've used booking.com in the US many times and have always been impressed. This booking was no different. The booking.com price was honored by the Lodge at Chichen Itza with no problems. I will definitely continue using booking.com for my travel accommodation needs.
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