Our Trip To Dreams Playa Mujeres-By Tom Brussow & Sophia Brussow

By: Tom Brussow and Sophia Brussow

July 6, 2018

If you are looking for a family resort that appeals to the younger kids, teens, and/or adults, look no further than Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort.

This is the spot my daughter (age 13) and I chose for this year’s summer vacation getaway. We thought we’d take a minute to share our experiences and provide a few insights that may be helpful as you consider the possibilities for your next trip.

Many of you may not be familiar with the Playa Mujeres area of Mexico. It is a relatively new resort area about 30-40 minutes north of the Cancun airport that is home to the Dreams Playa Mujeres, Excellence, the Beloved Resort and Secrets Playa Mujeres to name a few.

We arrived at the resort in our private Lomas Travel transfer vehicle and were escorted to the Preferred Club check-in. This was a short walk from the main lobby to a private air conditioned lounge with a bar, snacks, and a cold towel to refresh a bit. At Dreams and other AmResorts, the Preferred Club is a very nice upgrade that you may want to consider. For our clients, we always weigh the relative cost of the upgrade to ensure the value is worth the cost.

Here are a few of the Preferred Club inclusions:

• Personalized check-in and check-out at the Private Preferred Club Lounge
• Daily continental breakfast service, afternoon hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, exquisite desserts and fine liquors served in the lounge
• Á la carte breakfast at Maris Seafood Restaurant
• Exclusive access to the Lazy River at the Preferred Villa Section
• 20% off spa treatments
• Bali beds in the pool and beach area exclusively for Preferred Club guests
• Preferred Club area on the beach with exclusive access to the Hideaway bar

The Rooms:

We were blissfully assigned to an Oceanview Swim-up room in Building 6. This was close to main pool with a beautiful ocean view. This is a perfect room type for families as the easy access to your exclusive pool is great for the kids and adults who want a more private (and sometimes quiet) place to swim. It is also great for small groups as there are about 10 rooms all in a row with Swim-up access in this building.

The rooms are very nicely appointed with many updated amenities including a large flat screen, Bluetooth speakers and IPADs in every room. Also, we have to compliment the resort on the beds as they are VERY comfortable. This is important as we have definitely suffered though some less than comfortable resort beds over the years!

The Resort:

Dreams Playa Mujeres, like all resorts in the AMResort family feature Unlimited Luxury for all guests. 

The inclusions here are:

• Limitless access to gourmet à la carte dining options without reservations required
• Unlimited international and domestic top-shelf spirits
• Unlimited natural fruit juices and soft drinks
• 24-hour room and concierge services
• Pool and beach wait service
• Daily refreshed mini-bar with soft drinks, juice, bottled water and beer
• No wristbands required
• All taxes and gratuities
• Enjoy free Wi-Fi and free international calling to the US with Unlimited Connectivity. The mobile app also allows guests to view the schedules of all events, activities and restaurants at the resort, plus to learn about local destinations, excursions, and much more.

I’ve been to more than 100 resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean over the years so I have allot to compare to. As we got out and explored the resort, it was very clear that this resort will meet or exceed expectations in the key areas that people tend to look for when considering their vacation options. 

First of all, there is a very extensive network of pools that allow families with small kids, teens and adults to easily find a place that is best for them. Two of the pools have Swim-up bars with the main pool being more active with music, entertainment staff and a live band each afternoon. If you are there on a Thursday, definitely don’t miss the Reggae band which made for a very fun and relaxing party vibe for the guests at the pool in the afternoon.

If you are a beach person, you will be very happy here as the beach is fantastic and the ocean is swimmable. Also, the beach was pretty much free of seaweed. Another key feature of the beach is the Hideaway Bar. When you go there, make sure to say hello to Felipe and order up a Don Julio Margarita! Yes, even the beach bar offers premium liquor brands. ​
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If you are a golfer, you will not be disappointed by the Greg Norman designed 18 hole championship course on the property as it is beautiful and the greens fees are included. That said, be prepared to pay $60 per person for the mandatory cart, $60 for club rentals and $30 if you choose a premium tee time. 

The next thing you’ll notice is the Dolphin Habitat right there in the ocean on the property. Here you can walk up on the deck and watch the dolphins or book a Swim with the Dolphins experience with the Delphinus desk for an additional charge starting at about $90 per person. 

Let’s continue as were not done yet! How about a kid’s waterpark with two giant waterslides and a lazy river. We tested these out and we love it, especially the completely enclosed slide as the speed on this one was exhilerating. 

Finally, if the small kids are looking for a place to hang out while Mom and Dad get a massage or relax at the pool, the Explorer Club for Kids ages 3-12 is the perfect spot. And, for the teens ages 13-17 there is the Core Zone Club with lots to do including video games, climbing wall, bike tours, kayak tours and a snack bar. 

The Restaurants 

There is no shortage of excellent restaurant food choices. We loved the fact that no reservations were required and even during a busy time, we were able to find a spot to eat dinner without a long wait. The only exception to the reservation policy is for the Hibachi table at Fusion. Each day at 4pm the line forms in front of the restaurant for guests looking to book their time so get there early. 

Tip: It is important to check the daily activity flyer to plan your dinner selection as not all restaurants are open every night. 

We did a good job checking out all of the restaurants and found that Gaucho (Brazilian Steak House) and Maris (with several stops for Guac and chips) were among our favorites. Note too that Maris is exclusive for Preferred Club guests for breakfast. 

Sophia’s Perspective On This: 

Going to Mexico or any place can be a stressful. Things can sometimes go wrong (or at least in my experience) it seems that way. But, at this resort it’s different because there is no rush in getting into everything leaving plenty of time to explore this amazing place. The first night we went to Gaucho Grill, with amazing people (which really made the experience awesome) and great food…although I had 9 rounds of meat while my dad wimped out at 5, it was an overall amazing experience and it was worth every second. (I highly recommend the Chorizo Mexican sausage which was SO good). It’s a different environment and a place I would go again. 

While we surely enjoyed the various specialty restaurant choices…we LOVED Dolce! We made countless stops here for morning and after dinner cappuccino, gelato, pastries, and other dessert items. We would recommend skipping the dessert choices at dinner and heading over to Dolce for a treat. Also, the staff here was very nice and we always made sure to leave them a little “propina” for their service! 
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​IMPORTANT: Also, for the adults, please be aware that you have full access to the restaurants right next door at the adults only Secrets Playa Mujeres. 

The Bars 

As previously mentioned, we loved the two swim-up bars and the Hideaway Bar down by the beach. The lobby bar has a balcony that overlooks the property and is a great place to hang out while you wait for your table for dinner.

If you are looking for some nightlife or want to catch a game during the day, the Desires Sports Bar over at Secrets Playa Mujeres is the place to be! 

Ok, that is about it with just a few last notes, observations and tips…

• The staff at the hotel was fantastic. Always friendly, fun and attentive to the needs of the guests.
• The wifi at the hotel is free and is excellent pretty much everywhere in the resort. Be sure to download the Dreams Unlimited Connectivity app before you depart for your trip.
• There were ample chairs at the pool and finding a spot was easy. We also highly recommend waking up early and grabbing a Cabana Bed at the pool or down at the beach. These are first come-first served for all guests and provide a nice relaxing spot to enjoy the day. We really enjoyed meeting our Cabana attendant, Jorge, who was very nice and really took great care of us.
• This is a perfect resort for a destination wedding as the beach and other ceremony and reception locations offer many options for brides and grooms. Also, with the adults only Secrets Playa Mujeres right next door and full exchange privileges for the adults, this is a perfect set-up.
• Beware the Timeshare! This resort, like most, has an enthusiastic and effective staff of timeshare sales people. Don’t get caught up in this. If you are firm in declining their advances, they will leave you alone. Also know that the $200 resort credit you get at check-in is basically a ploy to get you to interact with the timeshare staff.
• From a safety perspective, our experience at the airport, on the drive to the resort and to down to Maroma for our Dolphin Encounter, and at the resort could not have been better. We were truly in vacation mode from the minute we arrived and there were zero safety concerns that impacted our trip.
• A Note About Tipping From Sophia: I am a kid and I maybe see things differently than adults. Most people tip with a little extra cash in their pocket or some plan it out in advance. I want you to think about tipping someone not always based on how good of a waiter they are, but on how hard they work. People here work very hard with not much time off and they deserve every penny they earn throughout the day. Remember, the little extra money you’re giving them goes to help their families and feed the people they love. (Plus, I think giving something back makes you feel good!)

Our Recommendation 

This is one of the best family resorts we have ever been to. I would not hesitate to recommend and book for families and couples looking for an active and fun vacation experience and a beautiful all-inclusive resort.