Bel Air Collection; Cancun

When people think of Cancun, most will think spring breakers. With a wild nightlife, Cancun is the place to party. However, I was looking forward to going to Cancun for another reason. I wanted to unwind, relax, and have a romantic time with my boyfriend. We were going to the Bel Air Collection Hotel and Spa. The moment we stepped foot out of the car, there was someone there, walking us into the open aired lobby with beautiful white curtains blowing in the wind. It was a very quick check-in and then we were shown to our room for a wonderful reflexology and aromatherapy treatment on our bed. We opened the door to our ocean view room which had a king sized bed, very large Jacuzzi and rose pedals sprinkled throughout. It was absolutely gorgeous. I was amazed at the amount of work that went into preparing the room for the perfect ambiance. To top it off, we had a bottle of champagne waiting for us. We opted for the romance package, which surprisingly was very reasonably priced.

During our stay, we received a two and a half hour spa treatment, consisting of a facial and massage in our Jacuzzi, and a 55 minute full body massage in our bed. In addition, they included a private dinner for two and massage on the beach surrounded by candles. Be sure to make your reservations for the night you'd prefer on the first day because the time slots may fill up. Unfortunately, our schedule didn't allow for the beach massage, so we had it in the spa during the day, which was just as amazing. It's tough for me to silence all my thoughts many times during a spa treatment, so any masseuse who can get me into a deep state of relaxation is incredible!

In addition to the wonderful spa and in room services, their restaurants serve delicious Mexican style meals. I especially loved their variety of fresh squeezed juices such as cantaloupe, pineapple celery, and orange cactus. The restaurant staff, along with everyone else at the Bel Air Collection, was extremely friendly and eager to please. If you think you'll be having most of your meals at the hotel, you may want to opt for the all inclusive option.

Their concierge is very helpful with assisting you to find a great activity or restaurant in the area. I would recommend heading into downtown Cancun for an authentic Mexican meal. In the hotel zone, you'll find restaurants as well, but they tend to be more touristy. Along the hotel zone, you'll find outfitters such as Aquaworld, where you can rent a jet- ski, go parasailing, take their jungle snorkel tour, or take a ride on the subsea explorer. Delphinus also offers a program where you can swim with the dolphins, which always puts a smile on my face. There are a few malls and a buzzing nightlife with such bars as Daddy O's and Senor Frogs.

We rented a car so we could drive down to Playa del Carmen, which has a great nightlife as well. If you go to Playa del Carmen, be sure to go to Xcaret and see the Mexican Spectacular show in the evening. It is phenomenal. Plus, if you'd like to enjoy a delicious dinner while watching the show, they have a restaurant in the arena. If you think you're going to stay just in Cancun, there is a bus that goes up and down the hotel zone. Renting a car is very inexpensive, but you have to take out the liability insurance. For a week's rental, we paid $102 including the insurance. Another nice surprise was the service on Mexicana Airlines, which flies nonstop from JFK to Cancun. They actually served meals in coach!

I would highly recommend taking a ferry to Isla Mujeres, where you can rent a moped or golf cart to tour the island, which includes a turtle farm, the park, El Garrafon National Reef Park, and Dolphin Discovery. There is also great shopping and restaurants close to the ferry port. We got there later in the day, but if you'd like to get the most of the beautiful beaches, get an early start and spend the day.

So whether you're looking for a long weekend getaway or a week long vacation, the Bel Air Collection in Cancun in the perfect place to unwind, rejuvenate, and enhance your relationship.