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#55657 - 02/24/15 07:44 AM WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review
KrisComm Offline




Registered: 08/16/11
Posts: 328
Have you stayed at WorldMark Isla Mujeres? Here's your chance to tell other owners what it's really like. How big is the pool? How hot is the hot tub? What do you wish you had known before you left home?

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#58265 - 04/11/18 02:55 PM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: bthorman]
grantw7 Offline


Registered: 01/27/11
Posts: 28
Loc: Squamish, BC, Canada
I'm sure those tubs are cool tubs. Our was.

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#58225 - 03/21/18 04:25 PM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: bkirk]
TerriD Offline


Registered: 02/08/14
Posts: 1
Thanks for your description, we are going for the first time and I'm so excited! Can I ask which tour company you used for the Chichen Itza day tour? I'm looking online but would prefer a recommendation. Many thanks!

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#58204 - 03/12/18 03:38 AM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: grantw7]
bthorman Offline


Registered: 01/12/06
Posts: 191
Loc: San Francisco Area
How did you manage to get the 1 bedroom? &#128522;. Guess we were lucky to have a kitchen in our studio hotel king, weren't expecting it.
_________________________
Beth Thorman
Resorts visited - Windsor, Solvang, Bass Lake, Kihei, Indio, Angels Camp, Clear Lake, Big Bear, Reno, Coral Baja, La Paloma, Isla Mujeres, San Francisco, and South Shore Lake Tahoe.

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#58201 - 03/10/18 08:20 AM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: marianddion]
grantw7 Offline


Registered: 01/27/11
Posts: 28
Loc: Squamish, BC, Canada
Here is the review I promised:
Just coming to the end of 2 weeks here.
First off the resort was better than expected. The whole staff literally can’t do enough for you.
The only thing missing is a beach, just a yacht club so at least there is a waterway next to us.
We stayed in all 3 types of accommodation here so can talk about the pluses and minuses of each.
We spent the first week in a One Bedroom (thanks to the wait list). There are only 4 such units of the 24 units here which is unfortunate as it has almost everything we usually expect in a Worldmark resort (we have been owners for 26 years). Being on 2 floors there was a ton of room. We especially liked the private balcony on the 2nd floor in front of the bedroom. The cooling tub on that belcony was a waste. The large pool is just steps away and to keep the scum off the top meant running the pump which was very noisy so we turned it off after 10 minutes and did not use it.
After a week there we then moved to one of the 3 Compact suites for 2 days. One is on the 2nd floor (we had that one). The other two are on the third floor. The plus of the 3rd floor ones are that you will have a private balcony just like the one bedroom minus the cooling tub. The 2nd floor one is not as private as there are 3 other units sharing the walkway in front, but more private than those on the ground floor where the walkway is shared by everyone at the resort. The compact has a good sized bathroom and an adequate sized bedroom. What is missing is the living room that has a couch and table and chairs. This you will find in the 3rd type which is the majority of the room types- some with king, the others with 2 doubles.
We are now in the 3rd type. We miss the privacy and the larger fridge of the compact. The living room and the extra counter space of this unit is much appreciated though.
The biggest item that we miss not being in the one bedroom is not having a microwave to heat up the coffee (we drink slowly). I partially dealt with that by only making 3 cups at a time in the coffee pot. It just meant having to make coffee twice each morning. Remember there is always coffee at Reception anytime after 6 am. Easy for us as were were always in the closest block to Reception.
A coffee pot and a mini fridge is in all of the 20 non one bedroom units. I got styrofoam bowls and a sharp knife from Reception/Housekeeper as we like to buy fruit from the stores in the area. I would suggest you bring a paring knife with you if you do the same as the knife provided was large. A plus was being able to get all the coffee packets you needed from Housekeeping so we didn’t have to buy coffee and sugar during our stay.
We are surprised that other reviews have not mentioned the restauarant run out of the pool bar. The food is very good, the prices reasonable and the guys that work there are very friendly and helpful. Sitting outside to eat is very pleasant. We had a thunderstorm storm last night so it was great to be able to order room service for dinner.
Like all the Worldmark resorts most people here disappear all day so we have only averaged 4 other couples around the pool each day so it is very quiet. There are very few children here as there is nothing for them to do except use the pool. We came for peace and quiet and that is exactly what we got. If you want “activity” stay away from here and especially stay away from booking a one bedroom because We want it. wink
We have no idea why others keep raving about the Green Verde Restaurant. Yes, it is only just over a block away, but go a block further and you will get better food at a much better price. The building is pink and the sign says KASH. The staff is better and the seating is 100% better. We ate at Verde 3 times before we went to KASH so our review is based on more than one meal.
If you want good food, good prices and a superb view of the water go for a 15 minute walk to the other side of the island. It is a little cafe next to the Catholic Church of Guadalupe. It is right across the street from the Mango Cafe (did not go to Mango as a couple of American’s who come here often said it was way over priced) up the steps. It closes at 3 so go there for breakfast and/or lunch. Go a half block north of Mango and you will find Mike’s Pizza. Mike is fascinating (he is from New York). We had excellent pizza the first visit and plan to eat one of the many Italian dishes next time. If you go into town you must go the the North Garden restaurant. It is rated #1 because the food is fantastic and costs way less than Verde. It is always packed so be prepared to wait for the food (the drinks are cheap too so no problem). If the resort was closer we would eat there at least once a day. Costs us 70 pesos (tip included) one way into town. About $9 + Canadian (which is us) and about $6 -7 US return. We have also been told to not leave the island until we go to Rubens for a meal. Great food at a great price.
Almost forgot to mention the free Margaritas at 3 pm served between the 3rd and 4th blocks. Not much alcohol in it so saw it more like a free lemonade which is always appreciated when the temperature is around 86 (30C) degrees. Lastly, you can’t drink the water so they supply you with a 5 litre jug of water that you refill in Reception at any time.
We have already booked our next 2 vacations here in the one bedroom.
Just returned from shopping at the super market. Took 10 min to get there. Suggest bringing a backpack to carry the alcohol bottles.

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#58191 - 03/08/18 07:54 AM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
bthorman Offline


Registered: 01/12/06
Posts: 191
Loc: San Francisco Area
We're here now, just got in late yesterday. What a lovely surprise! I booked a king hotel suite. Website said mini fridge and whirlpool tub. We have a mini kitchen! No tub, but we'd rather have the kitchen! Boy is this going to cut down on our eating out expenses. We're in 1410 and the others around us don't have anything but a mini fridge. The only weird thing is that there's only a small closet and no dresser or drawers. However there's a place to leave your suitcases open. Works for us!

Update - we've also noticed that another of the units on our level (all seem to be studio kings) has a hottub on their front balcony. This is not the same as the one bedroom. So the configuration of the hotel kings varies quite a bit. We were lucky enough to get a kitchen &#127774;.


Edited by bthorman (03/10/18 02:37 AM)
_________________________
Beth Thorman
Resorts visited - Windsor, Solvang, Bass Lake, Kihei, Indio, Angels Camp, Clear Lake, Big Bear, Reno, Coral Baja, La Paloma, Isla Mujeres, San Francisco, and South Shore Lake Tahoe.

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#58185 - 03/05/18 04:58 AM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: marianddion]
grantw7 Offline


Registered: 01/27/11
Posts: 28
Loc: Squamish, BC, Canada
For Marianddion.
I am just finishing my first week in the King and will be moving to the Compact on Wed.
I plan on taking inside pictures of both. If you are interested in any of them contact me via my own email address: gwilson27@gmail.com
Weather is perfect right now.
I will send you a list of things you will need to bring to survive a non kitchen unit at the end of the week. I loaned my toaster to the couple next door for the week as I don`t use one and they usually have toast every morning.
The unit next door only had a mini fridge and coffee maker.

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#58159 - 02/22/18 01:49 PM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: marianddion]
grantw7 Offline


Registered: 01/27/11
Posts: 28
Loc: Squamish, BC, Canada
Arriving there next week. 1st week in the big one and on Mar 7 moving to the smallest. Will let you know what to expect.

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#58152 - 02/21/18 04:02 PM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
marianddion Offline


Registered: 01/29/12
Posts: 6
Has anyone stayed in a Studio Compact Unit?? Is it a King bed? Is there a patio/balcony? and is there a mini refrigerator? Any question answered will be greatly appreciated!! We are traveling Feb 2019 Thank You Thank You

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#57986 - 10/24/17 07:29 AM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
bkirk Offline


Registered: 10/20/17
Posts: 1
We just returned from staying 7 days at Isla Mujeres and could not have been happier about our stay. We had a group of 7 traveling with us so we booked two Studio Hotel King rooms to accommodate our group. Each room had a King bed that we found to be very comfortable and then a sofa that turns into a full bed. As our three year old was sleeping on the sofa we decided to just leave it as a sofa instead of converting it into a bed. We also had two infants in our room for which the resort was able to provide two port-a-cribs which we were a little surprised about considering that it’s a relatively small resort. Each room also had a table with two chairs, a coffee maker, a mini fridge, and a hammock on the patio. The bathroom had a jetted tub but we never used it so I can’t say whether it worked or not. We found the room quite spacious even with two port-a-cribs always set up. If we had used the sofa as a bed it probably would have been a little cramped but it was pretty easy to fold up so I don’t think it would be an issue for anyone using it as a bed.

The resort grounds were very nice. The pool is huge and we swam in it every day. I’m not sure how full the hotel was when we were there but the pool never got crowded, in fact it was rare when there was anyone else in the pool with us. Since we had three little ones we ended up spending a couple of days just playing in the pool. There is a pool bar that serves drinks and food as well as a restaurant onsite. Neither one are part of the Worldmark resort so you can’t charge to your room but they do take credit cards. We never ate at the restaurant but got lunch (chips and pico de gallo, nachos, and a club sandwich) and breakfast (chilaquiles, and scrambled eggs) from the pool bar and everything was very good. The restaurant and pool bar have the same menu and the pool bar food comes from the restaurant so I would expect that the food from the restaurant would be pretty good as well.

We rented a golf cart for our entire stay from Rentadora Joaquin. We talked to 3-4 different rental places once we arrived and ended up getting the best deal from them. There are several rental places near the ferry terminal so if you don’t reserve one in advance don’t worry too much about it, you’ll be able to find one within a very short walk. All of them were willing to negotiate with us but we got the best deal from Joaquin and they also took credit cards, most of the others we talked to did not. The taxi ride from the ferry terminal to the resort is only 50 pesos (~ $2.50) but we liked having the golf cart to explore the island.

On the island we visited the turtle farm which our three year old loved, went to Playa Norte on two different days, went to the ruins at the south end of the Island, and booked a snorkeling trip to the underwater museum through the resort. We also booked a trip to Chichen Itza and a cenote through a third party. The Chichen Itza trip took the whole day but we all agreed it was the highlight of our vacation and well worth it.

Almost every night we went to the northern end of the island to Hidalgo Street for dinner and to walk around. Hidalgo is closed to vehicular traffic and has many restaurants with excellent food and shops with owners willing to negotiate prices with you. We ate dinner at several different restaurants on Hildago but we also ate at the Green Verde (which is easily within walking distance of the resort) and Mango Cafe. Mango Cafe is about mid island, on the Caribbean side, and not really within walking distance of the resort so you would need to take a Taxi or have a golf cart to get there. There is also a food truck that was parked at the ruins at the south end of the island that had amazing food. There are restaurants all over the island that we wanted to try but we never had time. All the food we ate on the island was amazing but our favorite was Mango Cafe (the enchiladas were fantastic) although Chilaquiles from the resort pool bar were a close second.

We arranged round trip transportation from the Airport to Puerto Juarez (Ultramar Ferry) with Discovery Mundo a couple of weeks before our trip and we were able to get it for $64 total for 7 people. They were prompt and courteous and for an extra fee they purchased our ferry tickets for us so we didn’t have to worry about that. Would definitely use them again.

Hope this info helps anyone who is thinking about staying at this resort. We honestly felt that 7 days was too long to stay but that may have had more to do with the two infants we were traveling with than the island itself. Without them we may have ventured to more beaches or gone on more excursions. The resort was comfortable, the resort staff were great in trying to accommodate our many requests, and the people of Isla Mujeres were always very friendly.

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#57417 - 01/10/17 12:17 PM Re: Loved it! [Re: DangerBob]
Lee_Ann Offline


Registered: 01/08/17
Posts: 1
Great detail. Thank you!!

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#57197 - 09/11/16 11:55 AM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
lflint4 Offline


Registered: 10/02/12
Posts: 2
Just returned last week and had a fabulous time. We traveled with friends and we each had a 1 bedroom deluxe. The resort is beautiful, well kept and the staff was very helpful. We rented a golf cart for the week and enjoyed having it. The restaurants/food was delicious and we wanted to "try them all" so the golf cart was needed. I thought we would rent bikes and we didn't. Very few people were riding there. Because we ate quite a bit, are athletic and wanted the exercise, when our friends had the golf cart, we walked into town several times. It's about 30 minutes to walk to the edge of downtown (there is a nice wide sidewalk the whole way) and another 20 minutes or so to get to North Beach. Walking allowed us to slow down, see more of the Isla and work off the great food. The grocery store is a 10 minute walk to the south of the resort and a lot of fun to explore. We mostly purchased breakfast food. The also have liquor, sunscreen, everything else you need and they do take credit cards. Don't purchase too much. The restaurant food was so incredible and we ate out most meals so that by the end of the trip, I was sleeping in, skipping breakfast and going straight to lunch. There are several gelato stores in town, which also made for a nice lunch when we just needed a bit of a snack and were saving space for dinner.

We swam with the whale sharks with Ceviche Tours - incredible experience and highly recommended. We wanted to go twice, but the weather did not cooperate and no more tours were going out for the rest of our time there. We ate at many of the restaurants mentioned in other posts - GreenVerde, Mango, El Varadero, Rubens, Soggy Peso and Mininos. Never had a bad meal. We celebrated a birthday while there, purchasing a cake at the grocery store (Chedraui) and taking it to El Veradero early so our friend was surprised. They did an incredible job of creating a special evening for us. Mininos is in town and to the left and several blocks down as you exit the ferry - we ate there multiple times. My suggestion is to share meals so you can eat both lunch and dinner out each day. Meal sharing was perfectly acceptable.

Regarding shopping - I'm de-cluttering and am not one to purchase the many trinkets they rent in Mexico, however, if you are looking for artisan type items to remember your trip, I highly recommend a shop called Aztlan Galeria on Hildago Ave (there are many shops on this street, which is several blocks east of the main street on the west side of the island.) The owner is an artist and has some of her items for sale, the walls are filled with painted wood carvings, unique gift items and no one sitting outside trying to get you to come in - no pressure. Look them up on Facebook and stop by if you want a break from the many shops renting the same tourist trinkets. I purchased a beautiful carving for my patio and my friend purchased a mask.

We also had a massage on the beach ($30 each for two people), rented paddle boards at North Beach and visited the turtle farm - fun and worth the visit.

My best advice is to PLAN ON USING PESOS. Other owners suggested bring US$ in small bills and everyone will accept the $, however, you will get a better value by using pesos. You can bring US$ and exchange them once you get there or go to an ATM machine in town at one of the main banks and get a good exchange rate. Do not use the ATM at the resort unless it is an emergency. The front desk folks advised that the fee is high. During our trip, the bank (HSBC or other main banks in town) had a 17.5 pesos to 1$ exchange rate. Most of the restaurants and shops DO NOT TAKE CREDIT CARDS and used a 14 to 1 exchange rate if we paid with US$. I don't like paying more than I need to. The bank does not charge to exchange dollars for pesos, but did require a passport to complete the transaction. We used the ATM at HSBC and it charged us a $1 (17.5p) fee. I used my credit card to purchase art at a shop that accepted them and got a 18.8 exchange rate from my credit card company (but most places do not accept credit cards). HSBC bank is across the street and to the left as you leave the ferry. There is a safe in your room.

We would definitely come back!! We looked at the smaller units and they would have worked fine for 2 people. We cooked a hot breakfast for the first half of our trip, but could have easily had yogurt and fruit from the grocery store in the mini fridge. The food was so good and inexpensive (most meals were less than $10 for a beautiful grilled fish or seafood dish) that cooking in our unit was not very appealing and we only ate in for breakfast. Towards the end, I was still so full from dinner, that I skipped breakfast in anticipation of lunch smile


Edited by lflint4 (09/11/16 11:57 AM)

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#56862 - 05/06/16 12:21 PM One of our best vacations ever! [Re: KrisComm]
GrandBistro Offline


Registered: 05/04/16
Posts: 7
We got home last night from a 7-day stay at the WorldMark property on Isla Mujeres. I promptly booked rooms for next year!

There are not a lot of reviews on this board about the property, although I found several on TripAdvisor. There were just enough "this property needs freshening" sorts of comments that I was a little worried about what it would be like, especially since we were taking another couple with us. I was worried for nothing! We loved this property. Yes, it is different from the typical WM property - most units don't have kitchens, there is no laundry on site, no BBQ grills (but with no kitchens, that makes sense!), no video games area, etc. So, just manage your expectations a little bit, or, if you really need those amenities, simply don't use this property.

We had two studio hotel king units. They were identical:
-large patio with table and 2 chairs and hammock
-sliding glass doors and sliding screened and louvered doors (glass to keep A/C in; louvered for privacy)
-ground level sitting area with round table & chairs and a fold out sofa (didn't open it - was comfy to sit on)
-mini refrigerator, plates, cups, glasses, cork screw, utensils
-coffee maker
-a sound box or CD player (didn't use it, so not sure)
-flat screen tv with basic cable and HBO
-up three steps to the split level sleeping area
-king size bed with reading lights
-ceiling fan in both areas
-beyond the bedroom, a separate room with toilet and sink
-closet and dresser area (4 large dresser drawers, iron, ironing board)
-large bathroom with huge jetted tub with shower, sink with large countertop

Everything was in good repair, the A/C worked great, their were two ceiling fans, they brought fresh towels whenever asked, the grounds were immaculate, the pool was every bit as inviting and refreshing as it looks in the photos, the drinks at the bar were reasonably priced, and all of the staff was friendly and professional.

This property is about a mile and a half to the north end, where most of the shops, restaurants, night spots, beaches and the ferry terminal are. That makes it wonderfully quiet and serene in the evening. If you want noise and activity at night, you'll need to go off property or stay somewhere else. It's a quick five minute and $65 peso ride into town. Taxis are plentiful and easy to flag down or call. We rented a golf cart for the week, which was probably more expensive that just using cabs, but it gave us the freedom and mobility to explore at our leisure, or to tote our purchases. If you rent a cart, do some research. Most carts seat 4, but the back seat is backward facing. We got one with two forward-facing bench seats and a cargo area in back. That suited our needs very well.

One of the islands best restaurants is a walk of 700 feet: GreenVerde. We became regulars there. Very good, with high marks on TripAdvisor. Also, the island's supermarket, Chedraui, is 1/3 of a mile away, just south on the main road. You can get anything you need - food, beach stuff, pharmacy, alcohol, clothing, toiletries.

You get to Isla Mujeres by ferry. There are a couple of options, so do a little research. We booked a van that picked us up at Cancun airport, took us to the ferry, gave us our pre-purchased ferry tickets, and picked us up at the ferry for the return the the airport. Total cost for the private van both ways and the round trip ferry for four people was $140.

We cannot recommend this property highly enough. This was one of the most relaxing vacations we've had in years. If you are looking to slow down, enjoy long and sunny afternoons, visit beautiful beaches and eat wonderful food, this just may be the place for you. Happy travels.

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#56816 - 04/16/16 04:15 PM Loved it! [Re: KrisComm]
DangerBob Offline


Registered: 08/18/09
Posts: 17
Loc: Seattle, Wa
The Unit: 1 bedroom Deluxe

The room was very nice (mildew smell you get used to/to be expected in this climate). All rooms face pool/cleverly arranged for privacy from each other when outside on patio. Free wifi – no password.

Downstairs was a living room with fold-out futon/Dining table for 4/Kitchen/Bathroom with shower/TV/outdoor covered patio with hammock and chairs/great air conditioning.

Upstairs was all master bedroom/huge master bath with Jacuzzi tub/private outdoor patio with jetted spa tub (slightly cooler than the pool)/TV. Got hot in the evenings until we learned to keep the blinds closed during the day

Kitchen: Full size frig/two burner stove/dishwasher/sink/toaster/Microwave/blender/coffee maker/pots and pans /no oven/limited counter space/resort has ice machines

Laundry: No facilities on premises/Laundry service provided at what we were told would be about $1/pound (never used it)

Pool: nice/comfortable temperature/fountain in pool (great for back massages)/swim up bar (happy hour 2 for 1 drink-of-the-day specials 3-5PM). Register a card when checking in and you’ll be able to charge things to the room. Light meals and appetizers can be ordered around the pool. Reasonable prices.

Sleeping: Upstairs king bed is awesome….downstairs futon was terrible (bar in the middle of back)…guests had to eventually order twin beds to be brought in (which they did, no charge). Idea: air mattress would have been nice for the futon sleeping.

Phones: Couldn’t use cell phone to make calls like we did in Acapulco until we learned to dial +1 first for US +52 first for local. (We had AT&T)

Island Transportation: Cabs are very easy to hail anywhere you go. Never paid more than $5 USD anywhere we went for all 4 or us. Price of golf cart from resort was $60 for 24 hours…we never bothered since we never figured we do more than 12 cab rides in a day…but if you intend to explore the island in detail, it might be handy. Parking in town might be a challenge though. As stated in other reviews, use the resort name ‘Villavera’….few cabbies know the name ‘Worldmark’ yet.

Grocery store nearby…easy walk there and $2 cab ride back with heavy groceries. We enjoyed breakfasts and a couple taco lunches/dinners in the room that way. Fresh tortillas/produce/wine/beer/cheese/packaged rice/refried beans/packaged taco meats, etc can make a great meal. (Charge OK)

Money – We spent a week there and never exchanged for pesos. But bring LOTS of small bills..10’s 5’s and 1’s. Also, all cabs and most restaurants want cash, not expensive at all, but will eat up your cash quickly. Cash machines dispense in either Pesos or Dollars, but watch the fees (I got charged what turned out to be 14% on the only one I used downtown, so it’s better to just have the cash). We heard that the ATM’s downtown were better than the ones at the resort, although we did not test that.

Shuttle to/from Airport: About a 40 minute ride each way to the Ultramar ferry (Puerto Juarez). ‘Supershuttle’ was a good service at the airport (all 4 of us for less than $95), but they tell us if you book in advance on-line, then you can pay less ( Supershuttle https://www.supershuttle.com) and BE SURE to follow instructions and set up your return pick-up from ferry dock at least 24 hours in advance. (Charge OK)

Ferry to Isla Mujeres: Leaves from the Ultramar terminal dock (Puerto Juarez) – See schedule at Ultramar Ferry http://www.granpuerto.com.mx/en/rutas-y-horarios-2/puerto-juarez-a-isla-mujeres/ Cost is $10 per person – round trip. (every 30 minutes from roughly 5AM to midnite). (Charge OK)

Shopping: The downtown area has lots of shops…some of the larger ones take charge cards. The main downtown is fairly contained and walkable (several blocks in any direction). Be careful walking…sidewalks very uneven.

Nightlife: Tons of great restaurants at reasonable prices. Trip Advisor is a good resource for finding good ones and getting directions to them. To find nightlife we found Trip Advisor to be misleading….best to just walk down the streets and listen for the commotion. We found surprisingly little for a Saturday night though.

Massages: On the beaches north and west on the edge of downtown – negotiated down to $25 each per hour

Restaurants we tried and liked:
Greenverde: very near resort, breakfast lunch and dinner, all good, guacamole was awesome, so was the cucumber lemonade, skip the fish tacos/burritos unless you like your fish battered and fried in popcorn-sized bits. Poor exchange rate, 14 pesos per dollar vs. about 16.

El Varadero: Also near the resort…on the water, but you need to go out to the main road and down a couple blocks to get to it. Was hard to find even with directions from Trip Advisor. Watch for the name on the wall and walk down a long driveway to get to it. It’s worth the effort though. We had the ‘surf and turf’ platter for 4 (or 8) and it was great Cuban food…and lots. Beef/pork/chicken/2 kinds of white fish/calamari/seasoned rice and more.

Rubens: downtown but worth the cab ride. Very unassuming but yummy.

Faynes: Also downtown….one of many in the heart of town….guitar serenades.

Soggy Peso:
about a $3 cab ride toward town on the main road. Margaritas were way strong (and good). They have one menu item per day posted outside on the street. I heard Fajita Tuesday was the best. Friday, shrimp tacos. Saturday Baby back ribs. Wednesday hot wings. Thursday Cheeseburgers. Place was recommended by local gringos.

Lolo Lorenas: If you are a ‘foodie’ and want some gourmet French cuisine there is a bed and breakfast very near the resort that serves a very highly rated 5 course meal each night by reservation. Look her up on facebook…she has quite a following with lots of pics posted. We didn’t try it, but it looked interesting.

Stuff to see and do: This was a ‘chill’ vacation for us. We didn’t feel compelled to go do everything we could….enjoyed hanging out at the room/pool a lot.
Tortuga: Turtle Farm is a definite must. $5 cab ride from the resort. Afterward walk north up the beach a short bit to the Ice Bar….$15 entry per person includes two tasty drinks of your choice and a shot. Refreshing….but wear the fur poncho they give you. Also had what looked like a nice buffet and live music in the rest of the warm part of the bar (no cover there).

Scuba Diving: Second biggest reef in the world….very nice easy dive. Also an artificial reef made out of sunken sculptures called MUSA. Not a lot of sea life there yet…but interesting none the less. Not a deep dive either place, so dive certification was not always required (they do your check-out dive and instruction on the way). I used the company called ‘Mexican Divers’. They were fine…but bring cash even though they don’t tell you that you have to. ATM’s outside had abusive fees and 10% fee inside to use a card. Also….if you order a GOPro underwater camera, make sure they check with the dive master to make sure he has it on board for you! I was disappointed when they didn’t have one for me.

ENJOY!

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#56578 - 01/17/16 07:03 AM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
isitrainey Offline


Registered: 03/30/08
Posts: 4
Has anyone stayed in the "back building"? I want to book a 2 bedroom, but seem to miss the window each time. However there is availability in the the 'back building' (I think building 2?) What are the problems/issues?

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#56437 - 11/15/15 11:05 AM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
mrfizban Offline


Registered: 06/29/04
Posts: 21
Loc: Portland, Oregon
I think csuarez did a good job with this review as well. Clearly it was newly a Worldmark property and not really the traditional experience as you might be used to seeing.

I will say I was expecting the worst, partly because I knew it was a new property to them, and the last time I stayed in a new property, they purchased it from someone who was bankrupt and couldn't afford to maintain the building, and they signed a covenant to the local community that only allowed Wyndham to buy it if they didn't do upgrades for a period of time (like a couple years). That place was almost dangerous it was so run down, so I was expecting something in pretty bad shape and no working A/C, leaks, etc. And our unit was more than I was expecting.

No kitchen unit in the studio we had, but it did have a fridge. No leaks, but the A/C did seem to quit working on the second to last day, then they changed the thermostat and the A/C worked better than any other day after that. So maybe it's permanently fixed for that unit (?). Gutters were a little noisy, could probably use rain chains, but I think it's just a matter of WorldMark getting a lot of good advice from owners and throwing some money into over the next couple years.

Pros
- Great location to get away from the tourists if you want to get away from the tourists. But golf cart is a must given it's in the center of the island and while that's great, the golf cart is what makes it work perfectly.
- Small, intimate property. I'm guessing no more than 25-30 units in all, so you get really good customer service and have the place nearly all to yourself. It's also gated off from the roadway, so you're nearly in your own safe and quiet complex there.
- I also have to recommend that pool. Never had more than 5 people in it at any time, and 4 of them were at the swim-up bar drinking. Might be because there are really no kids there since this isn't really a "kid vacation" type of location. But for a couples get-away, the pool is pretty private and a really nice pool area.
- The staff were great. Diego was super-helpful and seemed like the 60 pesos I gave him for helping me get the luggage into the room and coordinating our golf cart arrival was worth making sure I was pleased any time he could help out. They were all super-friendly.
- Great proximity to the grocery store, just a few minutes walk or a 30 second golf cart drive into the indoor parking lot and you're in the one-stop-shopping store that has everything you could need.

Cons
- Really needs a grill. Maybe even if they added a central BBQ grill down by the pool somewhere. No microwaves in the units and no grills allow for no functional way to heat up leftovers or food purchased from the grocery store. So this really needs to be improved to bring this up to Worldmark customer standards, but it's just a matter of time before they fix this.
- In general just a little bit of a downgrade from most WorldMark units. As noted, ours only had a fridge and no kitchen unit. I would guess just the couple end-cap units are the one-bedroom units with kitchenettes. The unit beside ours had an outdoor jacuzzi, and nearly all other units except our unit had hammocks and some type of front patio with furniture, but our unit had no patio. The locks were also hard to use on the outer doors, so I always just locked the inner screen doors with the key. And as I mentioned earlier, the A/C barely worked until our last day, and the gutters get pretty loud when the downpours happen. So it's not a high-end, highly-tuned resort, but it wasn't like we couldn't enjoy ourselves or they didn't address items that needed fixing, and I'd like to think by the time I go there next, Wyndham will have done most of the standard fixes to bring it up to their traditional standards (or at least have added BBQ units to cook food!).

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#56368 - 10/21/15 07:16 AM Re: WorldMark Isla Mujeres Resort Review [Re: KrisComm]
csuarez Offline


Registered: 09/29/15
Posts: 6
The resort left a lot yet to be desired. It certainly was not the best one I've stayed in, yet it wasn't quite the worse. All things considered, being a newly-acquired property in an international location... I think Worldmark did good by picking Isla Mujeres. I would come back for the location and not primarily for the property, if that makes sense.

Thankfully, what Worldmark lacks, the island makes up for in beauty and charm.

PROS
- Isla Mujeres is a great choice in location for a new property
- great pool... you'll almost have it all to yourself since people prefer the beaches in an island as small as this. Still, it's a great size and wonderful to jump into in the humid weather.
- can order food from local restaurants and have delivered to your room

CONS
- the rooms are aged a little bit... I can live with the decorative theme, but the poor condition of the lattice work decor doesn't do the room justice
- the amenities are bare and unattractive (pool table, weight room)... need key from front-desk to access
- no water available at check-in... would be nice to have something cool after traveling so far
- A/C had issues for 3 of the 5 days we were there... thank goodness for ceiling fans
- it rained a bunch while there and the bathroom ceiling leaked

Since this is a newly-acquired property, my hopes are that the following can be considered for the future:
- no typical instructions were given by the staff... something standard to Worldmark properties... linen exchange and available services, etc. I had to ask.
- there are almost no food establishments nearby enough to walk to (thank goodness for Greenverde, though... excellent food!) and some units that have no kitchens... how about a grocery service at an extra charge or a Chedraui (grocery store) shuttle for some starter necessities?

Bring your mosquito repellant and itch cream. It's an island after all.

Despite all that, it's a beautiful island and I will be back.

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