Posts tagged COUPLES
HOTEL XCARET ARTE REVIEW
 
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Lobby

HOTEL XCARET ARTE REVIEW

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate Links for products I’m currently using, by using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!


To start I just want to say how AMAZING this hotel was and I CANNOT wait to return! Also, I was not paid for this review nor was the hotel for free. We actually used credit card points for this booking.

My husband and I just finished our stay at the brand new adults-only all-inclusive Hotel Xcaret Arte. We booked the Jr Suite Ocean Front Adultos Room in Casa Artistas. Our room was number 2615.

I definitely recommend to use a travel advisor when booking this property! Seriously, there is so much that is included and so much to know about this property that a travel advisor will be super helpful to you! (And you’re supporting a small business, win-win!)

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

We arrived at the airport in Cancun and met with the Xcaret hotel representatives that were waiting outside the terminal for us. Transportation is included with your stay at both Xcaret Arte and Xcaret Mexico. If you book in Casa Artistas, then you receive a private transfer for your stay that is in a Mercedes mini-van. The ride was super comfy! From the moment we arrived, to the moment that we were in the van and on our way, it was probably 5 minutes. We were also offered refreshments for the journey! (It would be nice if they had some beer, but alas, they did not!) The transfer from the Cancun airport is about a 45 minute drive depending on traffic.

 
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Upon arrival at Xcaret Arte, we were greeted by the bell boys that took our luggage. Next, we were escorted by a personal concierge that welcomed us. She took us to grab a freshly made popsicle and then showed us to our room where we were greeted by our two butlers, Roberto and Jose. Roberto and Jose welcomed us and privately checked us into our room (inside of our room). We were then given a room tour and shown where everything was and how to work everything. The amenities that were offered in our suite were great. Our luggage was delivered to our room immediately after checking in. Roberto and Jose, our butlers, were amazing throughout our stay and were so helpful with every request that we had! The very first night, they walked us to our first dinner reservation at Tah-Xido as we had just arrived and had no clue how to get around the resort. They were awesome!

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Premium liquor in Jr Suite Ocean Front Adultos in Casa Artistas

Pro-tip: email the hotel to make your restaurant and park reservations 30 days before your stay! (If you are using a travel advisor, then they can do that for you!)

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Tah-Xido Restaurant
 

The first night, we had dinner at Tah-Xido. We chose to do the hibachi, but I would love to go back and try just their normal menu. The hibachi was so delicious and my husband even liked it (he doesn’t care for hibachi)! It was probably the best hibachi that I’ve had at a resort!

The next day we chose to relax at the rooftop exclusive pool that is just for guests of the Artist building. They had so many pool servers it was crazy! The bartender made me a delicious drink, a cucumber spritz, and Jazmin and Maria were amazing at constantly keeping us hydrated and fed. The Artist pool has a menu of poolside snacks that you can order. The chicken tacos were delicious and so was the guacamole!

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Rooftop pool for Casa Artistas Guests
Hotel Xcaret Arte: View Rooftop pool for Casa Artistas Guests
 
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Sunrise view from Ocean Front Jr Suite in Casa Artistas
 

We didn’t experience any of the parks unfortunately (they are all included in your stay with the hotel as well as transfers) because we have a newborn at home so we used this time alone to recuperate. Xcaret has 8 adventure parks that are included with your stay. The thing to know is that some of these can be reserved by emailing the concierge 30 days before your stay while others do not require a reservation. Xcaret, Xplor, and Xplor Fuego do not require a reservation while the other parks do. Also, Xcaret and Xel Ha parks have optional extras that are not included in the ticket price of admission. These optional excursions have to be booked and reserved for a specific time at the park.


RESTAURANTS

The other restaurants that we ate at were Arenal, Encanta, Kibi-Kibi, Cayuko, and Chino Poblano. (you can see my blog post here on Arenal). Arenal was seriously amazing (we ate there twicelol!). Feel free to see what we ate and my thoughts in full detail in the blog post. Arenal had just opened a week before we arrived so the service was a little slower than I would’ve like (it took us 2 hours to eat) during our first visit. Also, this restaurant was outside and there was no breeze because the wind was blocked by the lagoon. I also got eaten up by mosquitos, but the hostess had bug spray so it was all good!

Encanda and Chino Poblano are both tasting menus. They are super accommodating with food allergies and specific diets (e.g. vegetarian). Chino Poblano was my favorite as it was a Chinese Mexican fusion that melded into such amazing flavors (the mole sauce – omg yum!). Encanta was an 11 course tasting menu that was also fantastic! I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I was eating like this at an all-inclusive resort!

 

We had breakfast at Kibi-Kibi, Mercado San Juan, and Cayuko.

Kibi-Kibi is such a unique experience and exclusive to the guests that are staying in Casa Artista. The chilaquiles were so fresh and flavorful and the almond pancakes were amazing! Mercado San Juan is so beautifully decorated and has a ton of options to choose from. We loved it here! Cayuko was our least favorite. It was just a buffet by the main pool and they didn’t have a ton of breakfast options available. Also, it felt as if there were not enough servers.

Restaurant Kibi-Kibi

Restaurant Kibi-Kibi

Additionally, another really cool thing is that this resort has a speakeasy! They have nightly entertainment and the area is huge! It was a really fun adventure to try and find the speakeasy too.

Lastly, check out was a breeze and made super simple by our butlers! They had the bell boys come to our room and grab our luggage and then they escorted us to checkout from our building. We were then taken to the front of the hotel and placed into our private transfer for the return trip to the airport. We were so sad to leave the resort and we cannot wait to go back!

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Lobby
Hotel Xcaret Arte: Lobby

If you made it to the end of this review, congrats, haha! Check back soon for my guide to this resort!

Again, I cannot recommend enough to use a travel advisor when booking this property. As you can tell there are a ton of things to know! If you don’t have one, you can reach out to me and I would be happy to help you book. My email is lauren@thatblondetravels.com!


 
 
 
HOTEL XCARET ARTE: EATING AT RESTAURANT ARENAL
 
Hotel Xcaret Arte: view from jr suite oceanfront room in Casa Artistas

EATING AT HOTEL XCARET ARTE: RESTAURANT ARENAL

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate Links for products I’m currently using, by using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!

Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal

My husband and I just finished an amazing stay at the brand new adults-only all inclusive Hotel Xcaret Arte. It was seriously one of the most amazing all inclusive experiences that I have ever had! (and that’s saying something as I have been to a ton of all inclusive resorts haha!) This post is just about their comfort food restaurant, Arenal, but a full review post on the resort will follow shortly!

ARENAL

This was some of the best food that I’ve ever eaten in my life. (Seriously!) The burger was so good that I had it again the very next day!

Every restaurant had a special welcome drink and Arenal was no different. They brought out a special watermelon spritzer that was so refreshing and not too sweet or too watermelon-y. My husband actually enjoyed it and he hates watermelon!

 

For starters, the chef prepares a special sample that is different everyday. Ours was a fresh shrimp mixed in a spicy sauce, layered with a piece of dragon fruit on top, and placed on a piece of jícama.

It is also important to mention that this resort does an amazing job of dealing with food preferences. They have a vegan restaurant and have alternatives for the tasting menus that don’t involve meat! I thought this was so awesome!

Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal daily chef prepared starter

Appetizers that we ordered:

Black Cocktail - Chiapas shrimp with cocktail sauce and avocado. This was so yummy! The cocktail sauce was a mix of like a spicy mole sauce. I really enjoyed the unexpected twist on a traditional cocktail sauce that normally comes with shrimp cocktail.

Yellowfin Tuna - this was a yellowfin sashimi served in a lime emulsion sauce and topped with pickled green papaya and pumpkin seeds

Tubers - vegetables sautéed with a pumpkin seed and coriander and served topped with pine nuts on a bed of honey ricotta pesto. Magnifique!

Grilled corn - fresh grilled corn that was topped with a dry chili mayonnaise and fresh cheese. They had this precut into shareable portions that made eating this very easy!

Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal appetizer black cocktailr
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal appetizer black cocktail, tubers, yellowfin tuna
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal appetizer black cocktail, tubers, yellowfin tuna
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal appetizer grilled corn elotes

MAIN COURSE

My husband ordered the roasted chicken with white recado and the French fries. The fries reminded me of those potato sticks in a jar from when I was little lol. The herb infused olive-oil on the side was my favorite over the gravy. I ordered the burger (two days in a row!) that was topped with caramelized onions and mozzarella cheese. The sauce that was on the burger was so smoky in flavor that the onions and cheese just all blended so deliciously together. It was divine. The fresh potato wedges were like the super yummy ones that you get at a gas station, but make it fancy! I really enjoyed dipping them into the olive oil that was a little spicy in flavor.

Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal main course roasted chicken
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal main course beef hamburger

DESSERT

My favorite dessert by far was the Maria cookies with soft toffee! This was served with a homemade popsicle. The other desert was a corn sponge cake with salty caramel sauce and Dutch cheese ice cream. I didn’t care for this one as it was a little salty and I was not a fan of the texture.

Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal dessert corn sponge cake
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal dessert maria cookies with soft toffee
Hotel Xcaret Arte Restaurant Arenal dessert maria cookies with soft toffee

If you are contemplating a trip to the new Hotel Xcaret Arte, then DO IT ASAP! You will NOT regret it! You can find a link to the full menu for Arenal here.

I do recommend using a travel agent when booking as you are supporting a small business and secondly, the resort is very confusing during the booking process. Also, there are so many added things that you are unaware of when booking yourself, so save a headache and let someone else do all the work for you!


 
PIN FOR LATER!

PIN FOR LATER!

 
 
GREECE LUXURY HOTELS
 
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TOP LUXURY HOTELS IN GREECE

Disclaimer: This Luxury Greece Hotels List contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!

ATHENS

ATHENS CAPITAL CENTER HOTEL

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PAROS

PARILIO

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MYKONIAN UTOPIA RESORT


Contact me to plan your Greece getaway today!


PIN FOR LATER!

PIN FOR LATER!

 
TRAVELING WITH A BABY: BEACH EDITION
 
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Traveling with an infant requires a ton of preparation and planning. We have taken two trips with our infant now to Mexico. Here are the things that we used most while at the beach and I would say are essential to enjoying your vacation!

Disclaimer: This Beach Baby Packing List contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees but support me to keep this site running!


ESSENTIALS TO BUY IF YOU DON’T ALREADY OWN THEM

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ESSENTIAL PACKING LIST


Download your free checklist here!


PIN FOR LATER!

PIN FOR LATER!

 
LODGE AT GULF STATE PARK, GULF SHORES, AL: HOTEL REVIEW
 
Gulf Shores, Alabama

Back in July, we took a short trip to Gulf Shores, AL. The beaches here are beautiful! We were originally planning on going to Mexico during these dates but my work instituted a 14 day quarantine for anyone returning from an international trip. I then planned a road trip to California and also thought about Florida, but these were also meet with the 14 day quarantine requirements.

We decided to spend a short 5 days/ 4 nights at the Lodge at Gulf State Park. This hotel is in between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, AL making it convenient to get to both places. When looking at hotels, we decided on the Lodge because it was brand new and in the state park so more isolated than the other hotels with crowded beaches.

Let me just say that this hotel was close to 500 per night and not worth it. The walls were super thin to were you could hear your neighbors having a normal conversation. The hotel was brand new and things were already broken and falling off the walls (more than likely, they were never installed correctly to begin with.) I really hate to write negative reviews, but I would not recommend this property (especially for the price!).

Although, aesthetically pleasing in photos, this was not the case in person. We didn’t let this ruin our trip, however. We really enjoyed eating at the restaurant in the state park that had tons of great food! It was called Woodside Restaurant and they had live music on the weekends with a ton of outside games. It was a really neat place. If you’re heading to Gulf Shores anytime soon, then you should definitely check it out!

Gulf Shores, AL

 
EXCELLENCE RIVIERA CANCUN: OUR GIRL'S TRIP + HOTEL REVIEW
 
EXCELLENCE RIVIERA CANCUN, mexico

Excellence Riviera Cancun is located right outside of the hotel zone and only about 20 minutes from the airport. This hotel is relatively small compared to other all-inclusive resorts that are in the area. We just returned from a 5 day/4 night stay in one of their Jr Suite Rooms. This was our annual girl’s trip (7 of us went) and it was well..excellent (pun intended lol) This was my second time here and I will definitely be returning!

 
Excellence Riviera Cancun; That Blonde Travels, Mexico Vacation. Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico
 

When we arrived, we were greeted with an ice cold glass of champagne by the bellman. They took our luggage and we proceeded to the check-in counter. We arrived very early so we were not able to check-in right away, which was fine, because we went and had lunch at the buffet and then headed to the pool.

 
Excellence Riviera Cancun; That Blonde Travels, Mexico Vacation. Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico
 

Excellence Riviera Cancun has 7 different restaurants of which we tried all but the French. All of the food is phenomenal, my favorite is Basmati, the Indian restaurant. I know what you’re thinking, “Indian food in Mexico..”, but take my word, it was delicious! With there being 7 of us, it was at sometimes difficult for us to get a table at restaurants during peak times, but the hotel staff was very accommodating in getting us seated in a timely manner. If the wait was going to be awhile, we headed to The Flavor Market, Spanish tapas restaurant, for some yummy tapas and sangria.

The only restaurant that we thought we were not going to be able to eat at was the hibachi grill because they only take reservations the day of. One of the hotel concierges ended up helping us out on the last day since we had such a big group. The hibachi show is not to be missed! The chef on the grill was very entertaining and did some unique things that I have not seen at other hibachi restaurants so it was really fun!

Excellence Riviera Cancun; That Blonde Travels, Mexico Vacation. Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico
Excellence Riviera Cancun; That Blonde Travels, Mexico Vacation. Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico

On Friday night was the Mexican Fiesta. This was a blast! We ended up getting several tables to do shots with us and the seven of us finished off a bottle of Don Julio. Miguel and Edwin were so fun and Miguel was such a sport with dancing (It was hilarious!)

Last but definitely not least, the drink service at the beach was outstanding! Armando took such great care of us (all 7 of us!) and gave us the nicknames of Sirenas and Cowboys, haha! He was so fun! I can’t forget Ivan either who also served us at the beach and would anticipate our orders before we even asked for it!

Excellence Riviera Cancun; That Blonde Travels, Mexico Vacation. Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico

Image C/O Crystal

Image C/O Crystal

Image C/O Crystal

Image C/O Crystal

Excellence Riviera Cancun; That Blonde Travels, Mexico Vacation. Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico
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This was definitely a girl’s trip for the books! We had such a great time and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Excellence Riviera Cancun!

 
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Contact me to book your stay at Excellence today!

 
MUST EATS IN GRANADA, SPAIN: MIRADOR DE MORAYMA
 
 
Alhambra
 

MUST EATS IN GRANADA, SPAIN: MIRADOR DE MORAYMA

If you have been following along on my Instagram and blog, then you know that I just recently returned from an amazing trip to the Andalusia coast of Spain + Mallorca.

While in Granada, we ventured to the ancient Moorish quarter, the Albayzín, where we had an incredible dinner at Mirador de Morayma. If you go, then make sure to request a table with views of the Alhambra.

C/O Trip Advisor

C/O Trip Advisor


We walked here from our hotel, Hospes Palacio de los Patos, which took about 25 minutes. As I said earlier, you walk through the Albayzín. On your way, you pass down this super narrow street that has so many shops on it. It feels like a bazaar. It was so cool! I wish that we would have had time to stop and check out some of the shops but we didn’t. We would have went back the next day, but I drank too much and proceeded to stay in bed until 1 pm :p.


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WHAT WE ORDERED:

I ordered the roasted suckling pig while Jarad ordered the grilled beef tenderloin with pumpkin and potatoes with spices.


Alhambra at sunset

If you’re heading to Granada anytime soon, then I definitely recommend checking this place out! You can thank me later!

MIRADOR DE MORAYMA

C/ Pianista García Carillo, 2
Granada 18010
Spain
WEBSITE
PHONE: (+34) 958 22 82 90 - 958 22 48 12


ABOUT ME:

I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!

I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!

Follow me: @thatblondetravels


 
MUST EATS IN MALLORCA, SPAIN: CAS X'ORC
 
 
 

MUST EATS IN MALLORCA, SPAIN: CAS X'ORC

If you have been following along on my Instagram and blog, then you know that I just recently returned from an amazing trip to the Andalusia coast of Spain + Mallorca. This region of Spain has some of the most breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains with interspersed villages beautifully located along the winding roads.

When we were in Mallorca, we had so many amazing meals. The one that we had a Cas X’orc stands out as one of the best meals that we had during our entire trip! Cas X’orc is a local Finca (or hacienda or plantation) that is located at the top of the mountain and overlooks the valley below. The views here are incredible!! We made a reservation at their restaurant, which is a converted olive oil mill. The restaurant is so quaint and when you walk in they had a roaring fire going (this was during the fall - I’m sure that would not happen during the summer months!).


Cas X’orc was amazing, from the food and the atmosphere, so I’m adding it to my must try list when visiting Mallorca. Located on a hill between the artists’ village Deià and the picturesque Sóller lies our romantic Mallorcan gem at the edge of the Tramuntana Mountains. The carefully restored 18th century estate is characterized by olive groves, lemon trees and flourishing Mediterranean gardens. [Cas X’orc]

View from Cas X'orc in Mallorca

View from Cas X'orc in Mallorca

WHAT WE ORDERED

ASSORTMENT OF HOMEMADE BREADS

This fabulous assortment of homemade breads, including sourdough - my fav! This was served with an herb butter, aioli, and fresh hummus. Don’t forget about their fresh homemade olive oil!

Mughal chicken korma served with Pappadum and spicy rice

This delicious dish was the perfect medley of chicken tikka masala with a Mediterranean flare.

Carob Waffle, Almond Ice Cream and “Palo” Sauce

If you’re ordering dessert, might as well go all out and get the coffee too! Please don’t be like my husband though and stay up all night when you have a 6 am flight..lmao.

Assortment of homemade breads

Assortment of homemade breads

Carob Waffle, Almond Ice Cream

Carob Waffle, Almond Ice Cream

Mughal Chicken Korma

Mughal Chicken Korma

Cappuccino

Cappuccino


If you’re heading to Mallorca anytime soon, then I definitely recommend checking this place out! You can thank me later!

CAS X’ORC

Carretera de Deia, 56.1km
07100 Sóller Islas Baleares
Spain
WEBSITE
PHONE: (+34) 971 638 280

See my review on Yelp!


ABOUT ME:

I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!

I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!

Follow me: @thatblondetravels