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Sol Club Rio de Mares 03/12/02
Reviewers Rating:  Good
I would rate this resort somewhere in between good and great. The beach is beautiful and there are plenty of palapas and palm trees for shade. You do have to save a spot quite early (by 7:30 AM)if you want a palapa. There are plenty of chairs. You cannot walk very far in either direction on the beach but there is a nice nature trail for walking. You have to go down about 40 stairs to get to the beach but there is a landing between every 10 so it's not too tough. There are a few vendors set up on the beach on week days but they don't bother you. The prices are very reasonable. The pool is very nice with a swim up bar but it took forever to get a drink! The food is good. We preferred the buffet at the de Luna to the de Mares. The specialty restaurants are all quite good. There is something for every palate. The beach restaurant, Nina (?? I think that was the name)was our favorite for lunch. There is also a barbecue next to it with great burgers. La Pinta, the beach restaurant at the de Luna is also very good. We found the service slow at most restaurants and bars but this seems to be the norm for all of the Caribbean resorts we have visited. We found the best service for food to be at the restaurant behind the pool bar. The pizza and chicken there were both good. The beer and wine were both very good. Most other drinks were very strong, even though we asked for little alcohol. There are premium brands at the lobby bar. There are coffee, tea and sweets at the lobby bar every day at 5:00 PM. The rooms; well let's just say that they are adequate, nothing more. They need to be spruced up a bit. The bedspreads and curtains are old, faded and dull. The floors are stained and cracked. We had one whole day without water. There are only twin beds and the mattresses are quite thin and lumpy. The pillows, contrary to many reports, were fine. Most rooms have an ocean view but they are quite noisy because they wrap around the pool and entertainment stage. Even with our patio door closed, we couldn't hear the television over the music for dance lessons and the evening shows. There is a fridge which is stocked with bottled water and soft drinks. There is a safe but you have to pay $2 per day to use it. There is a large closet but only two small drawers for storage. The air conditioning worked fine but you must leave your room card/key in the slot to keep it running. Be sure to get an extra key when you check in. The rooms did smell musty until the air conditioning kicked in. The evening entertainment was the best I've seen. The costumes were beautiful. There are the usual resort activities: dance lessons, aerobics, volleyball, etc. Horseback rding is free for the first hour and $4 for each additional hour. Snorkelling equipment is available but it was too rough most of the time. There are kayaks, catamarans and a few paddle boats although they were not used often due to the wind and rough waters. The disco on the resort was very quiet while we were there but there is one in Guardalavaca, only a five minute taxi drive, and it is supposed to be more lively with local interaction. There are many tours to choose from including a dolphin show and you can swim with them. There is a train, $2 each way, to take you into Guardalavaca every morning around 10 and return around 12:30. You can shop at the market and walk around town but there is not much there. If you chose, you can stay on the train and visit a school, medical clinic and a plantation where you can sample the coconut, papaya, bananas and sugar cane. The cost for this is $10 and that incldues the return trip to the hotel. This was not advertised or communicated by our travel rep but a similar tour is offered for $34 per person. The only difference is that it includes lunch. I was told that the lunch was hardly edible so you're probably safer eating at the resort when you return. A taxi into Guardalavaca is less than $5 per carload. With the exception of the music around the pool/stage, this is a very quiet and relaxing resort. We had a very nice week and would return. However, I would not recommend this place to those looking for lots of action and partying.
Chantale
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