Making Memories One Vacation at a Time
We stayed at El Cid for a week in July. We really liked the property. The service was outstanding. The resort is very clean and well kept. We were in an ocean side one bedroom suite and it was great. Very modern, great shower, great bed and linens, oversized balcony, great mini kitchen. About the only thing they need to change are the old fashioned tvs.
The food was excellent. They really need some sort of beach grille though and another restaurant choice would be nice. We started to feel like we were eating the same thing all the time. Alcazar is truly a five star experience. The main dining room off the lobby was more like a mainstream buffet (loud and too bright) and just not our thing. 24 hour room service is great to have. We always had breakfast and lunch at the restaurant by the pool and both were consistently excellent and the service was outstanding.
The work-out facility is great. Cool view of the ocean as you run on a treadmill or hop on a stationary bike. The spa is also very nice. My only negative with regard to the spa is that you cannot use the locker facilities, such as the steam or sauna, unless you are having a spa treatment...unless you want to pay $35. Every resort I've been to allows you to use the locker facilities as a guest of the resort.
The pool is great. The "cliff jumping" is a lot of fun for kids and adults. They have plenty of chairs and service from the bar on occassion.
The beach is nice but not huge. Don't expect to go on any long beach walks. They do a nice job of "sweeping" the beach every day and keeping it nice, but it's just not very long. The color of the water is not what you see in Cancun or down by Tulum. It is more blue rather than turquoise. There are a lot of rocks in the water unless you stay closer to the Marina side.
With regard to tipping, they say you don't have to tip unless you feel you have received outstanding service. We did feel like that was the case and tipped some waiters, bartenders and maids. They really worked hard to make it a nice experience and we felt they should be rewarded for doing so.
We also never felt like the resort was crowded, even though the occupancy rate was in the 90% range while we were there. The resort is also easy to navigate since it is not as large.
Overall, a great place to stay. I would recommend it for families of all ages
Kim
My family and I spent five days at Beaches Turks & Caicos in May. It was a perfect way to celebrate the end of school and kick off summer. We had an amazing time! I was a little concerned that it might be too "kiddy" for my twelve year old son. That wasn't the case at all. He had a great time and quickly got used to the "all inclusive" aspect. He took advantage of the fruit smoothies everyday and loved the Pizzaria by the pool. Another favorite was the X-Box Oasis.