CANCUN< Mexico -- Sol Melia, the Spain-based hotel chain, has
long had a presence in Mexico, especially on the Riviera Maya.
When its newest property, the Paradisus Riviera Cancun in Puerto
Morelos, opens in November, Sol Melia will have five hotels in the
region.
Each property has its own distinct personality.
The five-tower, 700-room Melia Cancun Convention Center Beach
and Spa Resort was built to resemble a Maya pyramid, with an
impressive courtyard lobby filled with green plants and
flowers.The hotel features a 28,000-square-foot convention center, a
nine-hole golf course, a spa with a fitness center, swimming pools
and five restaurants.
Dining was a memorable experience at the Melia Cancun, with the
presentation rivaling the quality of the cooking.
Another key selling point is service, which was professional,
graceful and enthusiastic throughout.
The guest rooms provide everything one could need, right down to
the hair dryers and upscale toiletries.
Rack rates start at $219 per room, double, in the summer
season.
The 450-room Melia Turquesa in Cancun also resembles a Maya
pyramid but on a smaller scale. Its interior, however, is pure
European-style boutique material but with Mexican flourishes.The hotel is close to the city's shopping district and features
a 4,350-square-foot ballroom, tennis facilities, a swimming pool,
three bars and live entertainment nightly, including a popular
Mexican fiesta on Tuesday nights.
The attractive guest rooms are decorated with Mexican curios and
feature plant-filled balconies.
Rack rates start at $177 per room, double, in the summer
season.
The 147-room Paradisus Cozumel All-Inclusive Beach Resort Golf
and Country Club features a blend of European and Mayan
architecture.The family-friendly hotel has a kids activities program called
Iggie's Club and offers grown-ups a choice of horseback riding,
windsurfing, kayaking and canoeing.
There also are two swimming pools and three restaurants.
Golfers will find the hotel attractive, as guests of the
Paradisus Cozumel will have free access to the new $12 million
Cozumel Country Club.
Developed by the Nicklaus Design Group, it includes an 18-hole
golf course that will be open for play in August.
Newly renovated guest rooms include marble baths and in-room
safes.
Rack rates start at $110 per room, double, in the summer
season.
Sol Cabanas del Caribe is the smallest Sol Melia property on
the Riviera Maya. With just 48 rooms, the boutique hotel caters to
laid-back guests who appreciate refined simplicity enhanced by
attentive, but not intrusive, staff.The hotel features a restaurant, two swimming pools and a water
sports center.
Guest rooms include balconies with hammocks.
Rack rates start at $86 per room, double, in the summer
season.
The 500-room Paradisus Riviera Cancun in Puerto Morelos,
scheduled to open in November, will include a 9,000-square-foot
ballroom, two swimming pools, an open-air amphitheater, a
children's program, a spa, six restaurants and four bars.Guest rooms will feature telephones with dataports, marble
bathrooms and Mexican artwork.
Rack rates have not been determined.
For additional information or reservations, call Sol Melia
hotels at (800) 336-3542 or visit the company's Web site at www.solmelia.com.