I spent four glorious nights at Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa on Mexico's Riviera Maya earlier this year. I highly recommend it to honeymooners -- with just one caveat. Here's why I think it's so fabulous:
1. From the moment you enter the beautiful, elegant lobby, the resort's sophisticated atmosphere envelopes you. From the lobby building, take the grand outdoor staircase to the outdoor courtyard and admire the lush greenery on the way to your room.2. You can select from a number of different accommodations -- basic "Hacienda" rooms decorated in typical Mexican colonial style or the refurbished, contemporary "Dreams" suites that feature a separate living area. Or go really big with an ultra-spacious Presidential Suite. All guest rooms and suites have marble bathrooms, MP3 docking stations, and private terrace or balcony.
3. The resort is all-inclusive, which means all of your meals, snacks and drinks are included in your room rate. Theme parties, nightly entertainment, fitness classes and non-motorized water sports (for fun, try the ocean trampoline and "iceberg climbing wall") are included, too. Best part ever: Unlike most all-inclusive resorts, you don't have to wear any tacky wristbands!
4. The Dreams Spa by Pevonia is absolutely gorgeous. Before or after your treatments (massage, facials, Vichy showers, wraps, etc.), relax with your mate at the co-ed whirlpool. If you're so inclined, the on-site fitness center features treadmills, free weights and strength-training machines.5. Dining is out of this world. Choose from seven distinct restaurants -- including the casual World Cafe international buffet, the elegant Portofino Mediterranean restaurant, and the Seaside Grill on the beach. Pack a cute little dress and fancy flip flops for the adults-only, candlelit French restaurant, Bordeaux. Another huge bonus: Reservations are never required at any of the eateries.
6. If you want to get married at Dreams, you can choose from an oceanfront location or a charming, on-site chapel. The knowledgeable, friendly wedding coordinators help organize hundreds of destination weddings a year, and they're pros at designing you the wedding of your dreams - at Dreams!7. You can have someone else pay for your Dreams Tulum honeymoon! The resort's website (see below) has a registry, where friends and family can log on and pay for your room rate or extras on your vacation.
8. If you happen to be honeymooning with children -- or you have a destination wedding here with young guests -- be sure to introduce them to the humongous kids' club. It's truly one of the largest resort "camp" spaces I've ever seen, with supervised, age-appropriate activities, and lots of room for them to run around.Now, here's my caveat: Dreams Tulum is located in the southern end of the Riviera Maya. The main international airport in the area is in Cancun, which means that it can be about a two-hour transfer to the resort. If you'd prefer immediate resort access right after you de-plane, you'd best look at some Cancun-area properties. But, if you don't mind the lengthy ride at the start and end of your vacation, by all means, consider this Tulum resort. It's also a quick cab ride to the world-famous Tulum Maya ruins and not far from some other popular area attractions, such as the ecological water park, Xel-Ha.
