The Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun sits on beautiful white sand beaches that blend into the crystal clear Caribbean Sea, and it is where you will find sophisticated, but relaxed luxury.

 While you will be staying in a luxurious room, relaxing in a four-poster canopy bed, taking advantage of their spacious Italian marble bath area, and relaxing in their whirlpool Jacuzzi, you can also ask for any assistance you need from your personal concierge (there is one on each floor).  Each room comes with furnished balconies as well, which give you ocean or garden views and you can also take advantage of the daily stocked mini bar in your room.

Their swimming pool sits as the centerpiece of the Secrets Capri property, surrounded by lush gardens and warm weather.  Available at the pool is the swim-up bar, the outdoor Jacuzzis and wait service.  For those looking for activities on the ocean, wind-surfing, sailboats, kayaks and snorkeling gear are available beachside.  And for those looking to stay on land, there are endless activities such as golf, tennis, beach volleyball, dance lessons and more.

The Spa at Secrets Capri offers more tat 30 services, treatments and therapies that use the healing power of water, alongside expert hands.  Their exclusive spa garden is situated outdoors within a tropical setting, and their mineral water whirlpools are warm and relaxing.  Also available for use are their private Vichy and Swiss showers, steam rooms, saunas and a relaxation lounge.

The culinary staff at the Secrets Capri uses only the finest local and imported ingredients integrated into their menus of their five different restaurants.  First of which, the Portofino, serves flavors of the Mediterranean, also is:  Oceana, which serves fresh seafood in a quiet, romantic setting; Himitsu, which specializes in a fusion of Pan-Asian and Hibachi; La Riviera serves casual continental breakfasts, lunches and dinners; and The Seaside Grill serves light snacks and dinners beachside.  You can also be served intimately on a private balcony, or take advantage of their 24-hour room service.  Not only can you enjoy the nightlife here with their theme and casino nights or musical and stage shows, but you can visit one of the resorts five bars or lounges as well.  Their bars serve premium brands, and you can choose from their vast selection in their wine cellar.  Also, you can visit the Desires Night Club for dancing, or the La Habana piano lounge and cigar bar for a smoke.

 With a grand opening in May of this year, Secrets Maroma Beach is all anyone can talk about.  This all-suite, unlimited-luxury, adults-only resort is located only 30 miles south of Cancun, in Riviera Maya, and offers a more private stay in this beautiful area.  Located on the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, on 500 acres of white sand beach, surrounded by rich tropical foliage, you are able to walk out of your lavish suite, right into paradise.

 All 410 suites offer luxury amenities such as a king or queen four-poster bed , an armoire with his and her closets, double Jacuzzis, a plush sofa, a 30 inch satellite TV with DVD player, a furnished terrace or patio, and a daily refreshed mini bar.  They also offer special swim-out suites that give you direct pool access.  You can also enhance your personal luxury by splurging a bit, and being part of the Preferred Club, and you won’t regret it.  As part of the Preferred Club you get VIP status, upgraded toiletries, concierge service, complimentary newspapers, pillow menu, free, in-suite internet access, and afternoon snacks.

 On the grounds they have twelve personal plunge pools and two expansive swimming pools, which feature the Manatees swim-up bar, which is surrounded by water on all sides.  They also offer many daily land and water activities such as snorkeling, windsurfing, beach volleyball and tennis.  They also have a game lounge, full of pool tables, ping-pong tables and more.

 Their world-class spa and spa garden stretches for more that 21,000 square feet and combines hydrotherapy and indigenous treatments to create peaceful and relaxing indulgences.  Their state of the art fitness center houses a range of exercise equipment, such as treadmills, lifecycles, step machines and free weights.  For those on their honeymoon, the resort gives you extra perks, such as private concierge check-in, fresh flowers, an exotic fruit basket upon arrival, and a champagne breakfast in bed.  They also have more that 8,000 square feet of dedicated meeting and event space, separated into storage for service and set-up equipment, a breakout and foyer area, a private boardroom, and three individual meeting rooms.

 When it comes to dining, you will have many choices, such as El Patio (open for dinner only, serving Mexican cuisine), Himitsu (which fuses Pan-Asian and Oriental specialties together), Portofino (serving Italian), Bordeaux (which serves fine French cuisine), Oceana (where you can have a romantic dinner under the palapa), World Café (which serves casual international cuisine, and the Seaside Grill (which serves grilled favorites by the pool with an ocean view).

 In Mexico, on the white sand beaches of Tulum, lays Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa.  Right on the beach, bordered by brilliant waters and tropical landscape is where you will find this luxury resort, a sanctuary where you can relax, worry-free.

 The luxury features are fit to accommodate anyone, from singles, to couples, to families.  And they let you know you appreciated, with perks and activities available all throughout the resort, and even meeting you with welcome drinks and cool towels at check-in.

 Their 431 luxury suites and guest rooms are decorated in authentic Mexican style, featuring accents such as Mexican handicrafts, original paintings and handmade wood furnishings.  Almost all of the rooms provide full views of the Caribbean Sea alongside views of your lush surroundings of the Yucatan Peninsula.  The rooms integrate contemporary accommodations into the rooms, such as:  a private balcony or terrace, unlimited mini bar, DVD/CD system, marble bath with personal amenities, and a concierge desk on hand, where you can request whatever desires you are left without.

 Within the resort you will find features such as the Internet café with wireless Internet access, watersports gear (such as kayaks, paddleboats, sailboats, boogie boards and snorkeling equipment), an on-site dive center (where you can get PADI certification with scuba lessons in the pool), an on-site movie theater (featuring blockbuster films, popcorn, candy, sodas and more), an open-air screen on the beach (which shows movies at night as well), and live performances of music and dance.  Children will also enjoy the Mayan-themed Explorer’s Club for kid age 3 to 12.  And while the children are enjoying supervised activities, the parents can visit Spa Journeys by Pevonia, and delight in treatments (both indoor and outdoor) such as Swiss showers, rejuvenating facials, deep tissue massages and more.  Also on-site is a fully equipped fitness center, a hair salon, and a traditional Spanish wedding chapel, where couples can romantically and memorable take their vows, with the help of the resort’s professional event specialists.

 Throughout the day you can dine at The World Café, which features a buffet of continental, Mexican and international dishes, Portofino, which incorporates the flavors of the Mediterranean into their dishes, have contemporary Mexican cuisine at El Patio, Pan-Asian at Himitsu, French dishes by the light of candles in Bordeaux, or simply order from the 24-hour room service that is available.  And throughout the night you can watch as top entertainers take the stage for live performances, mingle with others at the Rock n’ Roll beach party bonfire, visit one of the many outdoor bars and lounges, or dance all night at the Desires music lounge.

 Sol Melia has seven brands and more than 350 hotels around the world, but only two of their brands, Melia and Paradisus have all-inclusives.  These all-inclusive hotels are in Mexico in locations like Cozumel, Ixtapa, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Maya.  Among their resorts, Melia Puerto Vallarta, Melia Cabo Real, Melia Cozumel, Melia Azul Ixtapa and Paradisus Riviera Cancun are all-inclusive.

 Included in their all-inclusive plan is breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, night shows and entertainment, daily activities (like bartending lessons, aquaerobics, and dance classes), non-motorized watersports, access to the fitness center, kid’s club with supervised activities throughout the day, and taxes and gratuities.  Also, the Paradisus Riviear Cancun also offers ‘Life Enriching’ classes, such as candle making, painting, photography, wine tasting, Zen philosophy, star gazing, flower arranging, and tango classes.  They also have shopping trips to cancun throughout the week.

 Mexico has a lot to offer when it comes to nature and eco-friendly attractions.  Cancun and its surrounding areas are top destinations for international travelers.  Here you can find the Northern Hemisphere’s largest barrier reef off the coast, natural springs in the Yucatan, mangrove swamps, salt marshes and thick jungles.

 The Yucatan is mainly a flat limestone slab with jungle and scrub atop it.  If you are looking for animals specific to this area, the woods and waters off the coast is where to look, here you will find great blue herons, anteaters, the Yucatan rust rump tarantula, giant iguanas, ocelots, and manatees, along with many other animals.

 There are also eco-parks available, such at Xcaret and Xel-ha.  Xcaret is the more developed of the two, and is sort of like a U.S. water part, but features a walk-through butterfly pavilion and areas where you can swim with the dolphins and manatee.  The Xel-Ha is centered around a huge lagoon, filled with electric-colored fish, where fresh spring water meets the saltwater.  There are bike trails and a spring-fed river where you can swim or float down in an inner-tube; Xel-Ha also features chances to swim with dolphins.
 
 A bit farther from here you will find the UNESCO World Heritage Sit, Sian Ka’an Biosphere Refuge, which holds everything from offshore coral reefs to beaches, lagoons, cenotes and tropical forests across its 1.3 million acres.

 Another popular thing in this region is flamingo-watching.  In the city of Marida, in the northwest part of the Yucatan Peninsula, you will find two of the best spots for flamingo-watching; the villages of Celestun and Rio Lagartos.  Celestun is on Yucatan’s West coast, and has only two main roads, a handful of restaurants and a few hotels, but when going here, bring cash, as there is no ATMs in town.  And Rio Lagartos is usually easier for people to reach when coming from Cancun.  This area is home to tens of thousands of flamingos, and is where they land to socialize, feed and mate.

The all-inclusive AMResorts are currently undergoing their growth plan in the Caribbean and Mexico.  This plan will double its number of resorts, and is investing over $80 million to renovations, expansions and improvements to its three brands – Secrets Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. 

They are developing another seven Secrets Resorts, which will still offer the same adults-only experience, with rooms and suites will 24-hour concierge and room service, many a la carte restaurants and lounges and spa.  Opening in May 2008, the new Secrets Maroma Cancun will have 410 condo-style suites, with all of the ground-floor suites having direct swim-out access.  Also opening in 2008 is the 43,000-square-foot Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun, which will consists of gardens, pools, tennis courts and fitness center, a wedding gazebo, seven restaurants, seven bars and a spa.  Mexico’s Secrets Huatulco will open winter 2009 with 215 ocean view suites with private balconies with Jacuzzis.  In fall of 2008 in the Dominican Republic, the Secrets Punta Cana and Secrets Casa del Mar will open.  And AMResorts will get their first hotels in Jamaica with the two Secrets Resorts in Montego Bay, that will offer 350-rooms, private concierge on each guest floor, 14 a la carte restaurants, 14 bars and lounges, a dance club, a spa, open-air theater and activities such as horseback riding, scuba lessons and snorkeling.

The five Dreams properties (located in Cancun, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Tulum ad Punta Cana) offer 24-hour concierges and room service, a la carte dining options, and full-service spas along with family-friendly amenities such as Explorers’ Clubs.  These are programs for children ages 3 to 12.  And the Dreams properties have staff members that are certified in Red Cross CPR, First Aid and Toddler CPR, supervising all childrens activities.  Some Dreams Resorts also offer nature-based activities.  Such as Dreams Cancun’s “dolphinarium,” where guests can swim with dolphins, and Dreams Puerto Vallarta, which operates a baby sea turtle release program.  Also added to the Dreams group is Dreams Riviera Cancun and Dreams Huatulco.

And the Sunscape Resorts and Spas, which offer the same amenities as Dreams Resorts will undergo renovations.