Post by Christinko on Mar 16, 2008 13:01:36 GMT -6
Just got back from 3 days at the new hotel, Aura, in Cozumel (March 12-15, 2008). This small boutique hotel (86 or 96 rooms? can't remember) offers high-end service/amenities and luxury.
It opens as a Lifestyle resort in April 2008 and it's gorgeous! Robert McGinley of Lifestyles has made a huge investment in this project.
The hotel is topless now (I was the only one though), but potentially naked around the pool if they install hedges to block the pool view from the ocean (which is public and occasionally has children walking along it).
Food and service is high end. All meals are sit-down service with chi-chi-poo-poo stunning displays for each course you can order from a menu that ch-ch-changes daily. The wine is adequate.
Half the dishes are too incredibly tasty for words, the other half are just fine, but still beautiful to admire on the plate.
The main dining room permits indoor or outdoor comfortable seating and has a indoor and outdoor bar/lounge. The liquor is top shelf--order some Liquor 43 as an after-dinner drink (it's like drinking sugar cookies).
A beach grill/bar is also available with lots of seating around it or at adjacent tables along the beach (but your feet are not on sand).
Next door is a huge Wyndam resort with two restaurants where you can also eat (with reservations). Part of that resort is adults only, the other part is for families.
That hotel next door (VERY close and happily will cart you back and forth in a golf cart) also has a gigundous full spa with tons of high-end treatments and natural products.
The two pools at Aura are pleasant to lounge in (but no swim-up bar). One pool is a "river" type pool that wends its way by all the first-floor rooms (from which you can walk out on your back patio and enter the pool in a step or two).
Big comfy loungers are on the pool and beach. Umbrellas are available to block the sun. Beach towels are all poolside for the taking.
You can start a dive trip off the end of the pier (just ask the front desk staff to schedule) but its price isn't included. The hotel faces west so sunsets are pretty over the water.
The beach has slightly nicer sand than Hedo2's, but you need to step over rocks to get into the water that is a little more choppy than Hedo2's--thus you can hear it better at night while you dine in elegance beach side.
Water's edge sports lots of broken shells. The beach is wide but not shaded except under the few thatched palapas. Though the property is small you can walk a good distance down the beach past many other hotels.
Rooms are luxurious--beds are comfy with soft linens and down comforters and big sofa/living room area and dining table (24-hr room service with extensive menu).
Included turn-down service is nice too. The 3-story hotel has elevators and the rooms use key cards for entry (easily desensitized by being next to a camera).
Rooms have king beds, lots of lighting, tile floors with bedside carpets and carpet in living room, flat screen TVs, blow dryer, alarm clock, ceiling fan over living area, full length mirror, and good a/c controls included.
Every time my a/c kicked on it turned on the light in our closet (which has a motion detector)for a moment, which was only disconcerting if I was awake.
Wall-ceiling window (with sun-blocking drapes) at one end of the huge room opens to concrete patio with chairs and first floor rooms have a huge outdoor bed (waterproof) for lounging out of the sun poolside.
Bathroom has rainforest walk-in shower and big oval Jacuzzi bathtub that fits two snuggly. Bath products are all-natural (soaps made with tequila and lime, for example). The bath towels and even the toilet paper are soft and luxuriant. The toilet room has a phone in it. Bathroom has lots of ledges and drawers available for storing stuff
Closet has luxurious robes for the guests, ironing board, and room safe. Minibar (included) is stocked with pop and water daily and coffee maker works.
You can brush your teeth with the purified water from the tap with no problem but I still recommend actually drinking the bottled water supplied.
The disco is in construction (and expected to be finished by April) and offers a nice-sized dance floor and a smaller party room (for open sex) in the back.
My impression is that the guests will be encouraged NOT to have open sex poolside or on their room patios. But, like every new project, time will tell.
The property has a rooftop bar with two big spas (not built-in) (not swimup) and a hot tub (in the ground) is in the pool area and fairly secluded with plants. Our group of 5 had more than enough room if others had wanted to join us. The bartender brought us our drinks at the hot tub.
Although all-inclusive, tipping is permitted but not required and I didn't see any staff pushing for tips. The staff's use of English is excellent with some, and sufficient with others.
The property has free WiFi but no computers for public use. Calling locally is $1/minute. All service is found with one phone call (press 0) to the front desk.
Room rates for April start at $195/per person per night for all-inclusive if I remember correctly (which--for what you receive is great).
Some higher-end rooms include a rooftop swimming pool and dining room, etc. I think the cheap first-floor rooms are terrific.
I flew into Cancun, took a 1-hour bus (ADO line, $8) from the airport to Playa Del Carmen, then walked with luggage the 3 blocks to the ferry dock to take the 35 min. ferry ($11) to Cozumel, followed by a 20 min. taxi ($15+$2 tip) to Aura. I recommend flying into Cozumel instead.
I'll be curious to see what kind of lifestylers end up here--I hope it doesn't end up stuffy because it's so fancy. It doesn't appear to cater to bawdy. Time and crowds will tell. I sure enjoyed the pampering luxury though.
It opens as a Lifestyle resort in April 2008 and it's gorgeous! Robert McGinley of Lifestyles has made a huge investment in this project.
The hotel is topless now (I was the only one though), but potentially naked around the pool if they install hedges to block the pool view from the ocean (which is public and occasionally has children walking along it).
Food and service is high end. All meals are sit-down service with chi-chi-poo-poo stunning displays for each course you can order from a menu that ch-ch-changes daily. The wine is adequate.
Half the dishes are too incredibly tasty for words, the other half are just fine, but still beautiful to admire on the plate.
The main dining room permits indoor or outdoor comfortable seating and has a indoor and outdoor bar/lounge. The liquor is top shelf--order some Liquor 43 as an after-dinner drink (it's like drinking sugar cookies).
A beach grill/bar is also available with lots of seating around it or at adjacent tables along the beach (but your feet are not on sand).
Next door is a huge Wyndam resort with two restaurants where you can also eat (with reservations). Part of that resort is adults only, the other part is for families.
That hotel next door (VERY close and happily will cart you back and forth in a golf cart) also has a gigundous full spa with tons of high-end treatments and natural products.
The two pools at Aura are pleasant to lounge in (but no swim-up bar). One pool is a "river" type pool that wends its way by all the first-floor rooms (from which you can walk out on your back patio and enter the pool in a step or two).
Big comfy loungers are on the pool and beach. Umbrellas are available to block the sun. Beach towels are all poolside for the taking.
You can start a dive trip off the end of the pier (just ask the front desk staff to schedule) but its price isn't included. The hotel faces west so sunsets are pretty over the water.
The beach has slightly nicer sand than Hedo2's, but you need to step over rocks to get into the water that is a little more choppy than Hedo2's--thus you can hear it better at night while you dine in elegance beach side.
Water's edge sports lots of broken shells. The beach is wide but not shaded except under the few thatched palapas. Though the property is small you can walk a good distance down the beach past many other hotels.
Rooms are luxurious--beds are comfy with soft linens and down comforters and big sofa/living room area and dining table (24-hr room service with extensive menu).
Included turn-down service is nice too. The 3-story hotel has elevators and the rooms use key cards for entry (easily desensitized by being next to a camera).
Rooms have king beds, lots of lighting, tile floors with bedside carpets and carpet in living room, flat screen TVs, blow dryer, alarm clock, ceiling fan over living area, full length mirror, and good a/c controls included.
Every time my a/c kicked on it turned on the light in our closet (which has a motion detector)for a moment, which was only disconcerting if I was awake.
Wall-ceiling window (with sun-blocking drapes) at one end of the huge room opens to concrete patio with chairs and first floor rooms have a huge outdoor bed (waterproof) for lounging out of the sun poolside.
Bathroom has rainforest walk-in shower and big oval Jacuzzi bathtub that fits two snuggly. Bath products are all-natural (soaps made with tequila and lime, for example). The bath towels and even the toilet paper are soft and luxuriant. The toilet room has a phone in it. Bathroom has lots of ledges and drawers available for storing stuff
Closet has luxurious robes for the guests, ironing board, and room safe. Minibar (included) is stocked with pop and water daily and coffee maker works.
You can brush your teeth with the purified water from the tap with no problem but I still recommend actually drinking the bottled water supplied.
The disco is in construction (and expected to be finished by April) and offers a nice-sized dance floor and a smaller party room (for open sex) in the back.
My impression is that the guests will be encouraged NOT to have open sex poolside or on their room patios. But, like every new project, time will tell.
The property has a rooftop bar with two big spas (not built-in) (not swimup) and a hot tub (in the ground) is in the pool area and fairly secluded with plants. Our group of 5 had more than enough room if others had wanted to join us. The bartender brought us our drinks at the hot tub.
Although all-inclusive, tipping is permitted but not required and I didn't see any staff pushing for tips. The staff's use of English is excellent with some, and sufficient with others.
The property has free WiFi but no computers for public use. Calling locally is $1/minute. All service is found with one phone call (press 0) to the front desk.
Room rates for April start at $195/per person per night for all-inclusive if I remember correctly (which--for what you receive is great).
Some higher-end rooms include a rooftop swimming pool and dining room, etc. I think the cheap first-floor rooms are terrific.
I flew into Cancun, took a 1-hour bus (ADO line, $8) from the airport to Playa Del Carmen, then walked with luggage the 3 blocks to the ferry dock to take the 35 min. ferry ($11) to Cozumel, followed by a 20 min. taxi ($15+$2 tip) to Aura. I recommend flying into Cozumel instead.
I'll be curious to see what kind of lifestylers end up here--I hope it doesn't end up stuffy because it's so fancy. It doesn't appear to cater to bawdy. Time and crowds will tell. I sure enjoyed the pampering luxury though.
