Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Farewell to Generations and Riviera Maya

It was time to say goodbye to Generations Resort.Roberta and I were glad our flights weren’t until the afternoon because we were in no hurry to leave Riviera Maya.

We started the day with our last room service breakfast. I loved the idea that Generations Resort lets you get pretty much anything you want for breakfast in your suite. 

We loaded up our omelets (me with veggies and Roberta with seafood) and enjoyed the fresh baked goods.

I decided to enjoy the swim-up suite one last time and relaxed in the lounge chair in the water on our patio for a leisurely breakfast with a view.

Roberta headed out for more exploring and shopping at El Dorado Royale , the adults-only sister resort next door.

When she came back we ventured to the Riviera Maya beach one last time and had the waiters deliver some nachos to us for lunch.

With my ankle injury limiting my standing, 

I took advantage of the butler Generations Riviera Maya provides guests to help me pack. 

Before we took off in our van for Cancun Airport, we took some final pictures of Generations Resort and said goodbye to the staff, who went above and beyond (with wheelchairs on demand J) to make our visit special.

At the airport, Roberta and I said our goodbyes as she boarded a plane to Nashville and I went to Dallas.

I know I probably should have gone for something more local before I left Mexico, but I couldn’t resist a Johnny Rocket’s burger, malt, and fries to take with me on the plane. 

It was a favorite treat when I lived in NY and I hadn’t been in years.


Here are some more photos from a great trip to Riviera Maya.

Thanks again for the hospitality, Karisma Hotels.








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Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Relaxation and Culinary Theater in Riviera Maya

It was my third day as a guest of Karisma Hotels in Riviera Maya and I couldn’t have been more relaxed.

Every morning my friend Roberta and I had talked about breakfast at one of the Generations or El Dorado restaurants.

The room service options were just so convenient, included in the all-inclusive plan, and offered many delicious choices we couldn’t resist indulging in breakfast in bed.

I started my day with a veggie-filled omelet, fruit, a croissant, and coffee.

Roberta went to explore the El Dorado Riviera Maya properties and do some shopping while I relaxed. I was nursing an ankle injury so I was content to relax on one of the lounge chairs in the water behind our swim-up suite.

When she returned, we ventured out for the short swim to the bar for some drinks. It was a beautiful day and the water felt great in the hot sun.

We didn’t want to leave the pool area so we just ordered lunch from Palms Gourmet Terrace.

I had loved their carnitas tacos on the first day at Generations and we both decided to order them.

After lunch, we decided to head to the beach. Generations, as well as its sister resorts El Dorado Royale and El Dorado Casitas, is located on a great stretch of sand.

For my time down at the beach, I put on a tankini Eco Swim by Aqua Green had sent me. I really loved the fit and style. I was comfortable walking around in it and protected by the built-in SPF.

Eco also sent me a really comfy hooded cover-up to further shield me from the sun as I got comfortable on one of the Bali Beds on the beach.

I wished I could go in the water as I watched Roberta wading in the blue sea, but I couldn’t complain about the view from where I was sitting.

We had a very special dinner for our last night. We were lucky enough to be in town for one of the Culinary Theater Banquets at Fuentes Restaurant at El Dorado Royale, the adults-only resort next door to Generations.

El Dorado Royale invites a guest celebrity chef in for the night to work with one of their partners. In this case, it was Jackson Family Wines.

When we arrived, there was a mariachi band and wine waiting for us.

Inside the tables were formally set with a five wine glasses in front of us, one for each course.

Our guest chef was Eli Kirshstein, the Chef Partner of The Luminary, Atlanta. He was also a participant on Top Chef: Las Vegas.

Working with him as he made and explained every course was Elyse Kudo, Division Vice President for Jackson Family Wines.

While explaining everything, Chef Eli Kirshtein put his photo up on the wall with the other chefs who have put together these unique culinary events.

Here was our menu for the night:

Local Fish Ceviche & Tigers Milk
Avocado Salad*
Freemark Abbey, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2012

Beef Tartare with French Onion Dip, Caviar & Chips
Matanzas Creek, Sauvignon Blanc, Helena Bench, 2012**

Spiny Lobster with Sweet & Sour Puree, English Peas
Chicken substituting for lobster*
Gran Moraine Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton 2012

Duck Breast with Beets, Swiss Chard, Pickled Strawberries
Donna Olimpia, 1898, Rosso, Bolgheri, 2010

Cinnamon Panna Cotta with baked fruit cake, honeytuile, and a fruit sorbet
Kendall Jackson Riesling, Vintners Reserve, Monterrey County, 2013

Between courses, Chef Kirshstein and Elyse Kudo were happy to answer audience questions.

It was a fun evening, but we were happy to have an employee take us back to our suite in Generations Riviera Maya when it was done.

When we arrived, my bed was made up with a towel elephants and roses for my final night. I was looking forward to one more night of falling asleep to the sounds of the ocean.


*These items were substituted for me since I have a seafood allergy. 

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Exploring Generations and El Dorado in Riviera Maya

I always enjoy Riviera Maya, but this trip was especially good because it was all about checking out resorts. I didn’t have to follow a crazy schedule, I just had to relax, and I was going to take advantage.

My friend Roberta and I started the day with room service breakfast in our suite at Generations.

I ordered when of my Mexican favorites, Chilaquiles. I had some fruit on the side and coffee on the side and I was ready to start my day.
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Roberta took full advantage of theroom service menu at Generations Riviera Maya All Inclusive by ordering an omelet filled with salmon, shrimp, vegetables, and sides of bacon and sausage.

The one thing we did have on the schedule was a tour of Generations Resort and the two properties next door, El Dorado Royale and El Dorado Royale Casitas, all of which belong to Karisma Hotels.

Sales Manager Veronica Zapata Castillo took us around the properties in a golf cart. She told us that Generations had 144 suites, in 10 different categories. 

The resort is all suites and every one has a butler.

Since I was dealing with an ankle injury and using a wheelchair for distance I was especially aware how accessible the place was, with ramps and elevators to everywhere. 

They even have portable wood ramps to put any place that isn’t enough.

We talked a lot about destination weddings and, with a trio of resorts together, Karisma Hotels was fully prepared for a variety of wedding styles on the beach, in the Sky wedding venue, and even in their very own Catholic chapel, which also does nondenominational weddings.

There were many different options we saw as we headed from Generations to El Dorado Casitas , where there were plenty of Bali Beds, and lounge chairs, in a laid back adults only environment.

We stopped at Naay Spa, where we toured the Memorable Moments Bridal Floor, the only one of its kind in Riviera Maya.

It was certainly set up to make a wedding day special, with room for the bride and a large group of family and friends, getting everything from hair, to makeup and nails done. And, of course, massages.

Roberta and I made arrangements to come back for our own treatments later in the day before getting back in the cart to El Dorado Royale, the next property in the group, which was also adults only.

El Dorado Royale is where you can find another unique feature only Karisma has – a huge greenhouse complex where vegetables, fruits, and herbs are grown for all three resorts. It’s extremely environmentally friendly and set up for compost.

El Dorado Royale is a much larger resort, with 430 rooms. It also has an upstairs gym and spa that offers sky massage, overlooking the Caribbean Sea. El Dorado Royale also has some unique amenities, such as complimentary bikes and hammocks.

Roberta and I got back to our suite at Generations. She went for a walk and I swam from our patio to the swim up bar for a mudslide. There were some kids there enjoying smoothies and I relaxed for a while before we headed to lunch.

Veronica had suggested we go to Kampai at El Dorado for lunch. I don’t get to have Asian often because of my seafood allergy, but she said they were very allergy friendly.

I took advantage of the fact that the chef promised to keep my food away from the fish and ordered an assortment of Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Indian. It was all delicious.

We relaxed on the beach for a while before heading back to Naay Spa. It was a heavenly afternoon as we each indulged in the Nourishing Rituals.

Mine was Coco y Cocoa (coconut and chocolate). It included a mask of cocoa butter applied to my body, face, and hair, followed by a coconut milk bath, and a massage. I felt smooth, silky, and ready for a nap!

Dinner was at D’Italia Restaurant at El Dorado. It was a delicious Italian meal.


We were exhausted from a busy day in Riviera Maya and thoughts of staying up for some music didn’t last long – we were both in our beds and asleep very quickly.