I rarely go to a beach resort twice. It?s my job to try out new places, after all. But last week I ended up back at the?Rosewood Mayakoba?in Mexico, a 40-minute drive from the Cancun airport. I was there for the same reason as last year: to speak at?an annual conference?held next door. Last year I was wowed enough to call the resort?my favorite tropical beach getaway,?but this year I discovered several new niceties. While I’ve seen one or two at a resort before, I’ve never seen all of them in one place. These unusual touches make life so much better for guests that you’ve got to wonder why they’re so unusual to begin with. In hopes that other hotels will copy them, I thought I’d share them with you:
– On the beach and poolside they recharge your iPad (and other electronics) for you?with portable power chargers.
– On the beach and poolside they clean your iPad with cloth and a spray. They clean your sunglasses too.
– You don?t lose your Wi-Fi signal anywhere on the sprawling property?including on your boat in the lagoon or on the golf-cart ride between your overwater bungalow and the lobby. That’s because 35 (invisible) antennas are placed around the resort. The Wi-Fi is free, of course.
– Every room comes with a bicycle, for biking on the nature paths around the property or simply to and from the lobby, beach club, and restaurants. The bike is free; it sits outside your door so you can jump on it whenever you like.
– When you want to watch an outdoor movie, the hotel will set up a movie screen on your private terrace so you can watch it while sitting in your plunge pool. They bring popcorn too.
– Ice cubes are made of the same liquid as the drinks they?re served in, so your beverage is never diluted. Grapefruit juice, for instance, comes with ice cubes made of grapefruit juice. Vodka martinis come with vodka-martini ice cubes?with green olives inside them no less. You could even try grapefruit ice cubes in your vodka if you like.
– Parents will appreciate this: The poolside complimentary sunscreen comes in two types?one for adults, the other for kids. As a mom, I?m also happy to report that not only is the supervised kids? club free, but so are all meals, snacks, and drinks for children under five. Non-motorized water sports are free too?not just for kids but for everyone.
I also learned that every butler at the resort carries an iPad for snapping photos of little hotel details and moments?say, a gorgeous sunset, or a spoonbill spotted on the lagoon?that the hotel then posts on its Instagram page.