1elephant

it was ok. my review is somewhere around here. i think once you go on vacation with your closest friends and family and everything is 100% perfect, any similar vacation after just won't hold a candle....

Quote: Originally Posted by Jess I leave tomorrow for Dreams ladies!!! yayyy soo I was just reading a tripadvisor review that the Dreams staff opens the safes and someone got money stolen? this sucks and I really hope it doesn't happen as I'm planning on putting the rings and such in there we put all of our stuff - money, rings, etc. - in my purse, which i then put in my suitcase, which i kept locked. i did the same thing at dreams riviera cancun a few weeks ago. i had read the same review, and the bellboy was a little too eager to show me how to work the safe.

Quote: Originally Posted by Megan24 Okay I was kind of worried after reading Lauren review. But I asked some people on facebook if sushi was included as all inclusive and they said it was. Any sushi fans just though you should know that. sushi included, sake not. but you have to ask for a sushi menu - it's separate. Quote: Originally Posted by Megan24 I am not quite sure where the desires club is located at in the resort. By the terrace is outside of the desires club. Ana sent me a picture of it. It was not decorated so it did not look that pretty but I can see potential. desires is above the world cafe, next to the ballrooms and portofino. i saw a terrace, but didn't notice how big, etc.

on a good note, ana was busting it to get everything ready for one of the weddings - i don't know what they wound up doing b/c it was SO windy (right before storm). i wanted to say hi to her, but couldn't remember her name. the glass wasn't THAT bad, but i'm obnoxious and like to watch dh squirm. he'd get me back tho b/c there was no lock on the door...

no visible construction, but lots of workers traveling to and fro. the grounds were beautiful, but looked more like florida rather than mexico. when you don't leave the resort, you get the "disneyfied" version of mexico... i'm sure everything is related to being a new resort. i wouldn't go out of my way to recommend to friends and family JUST YET, so why would i recommend here, ya know? give it a few months....

no visible construction, but lots of workers traveling to and fro. the grounds were beautiful, but looked more like florida rather than mexico. when you don't leave the resort, you get the "disneyfied" version of mexico... i'm sure everything is related to being a new resort. i wouldn't go out of my way to recommend to friends and family JUST YET, so why would i recommend here, ya know? give it a few months....

hi ladies - dh and i just returned from the resort and i've written a review. http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...7/#post1054683

it's not a wedding review, but i know that there are several people looking into this resort. feel free to ask any questions, i'll try my best to answer. i have no pics b/c we never do anything with them anyway, so we don't even bother...sorry! Before reading on, please know that dh and I had a wonderful experience when were married at Dreams in PV. We knew that nothing would live up to having our closest friends and family on vacation with us, but also chose Dreams based on the amazing reputation AND our previous experiences. We got a great deal through Cheap Caribbean - less than $2k for air, all inclusive for 5 nights, transfers, and travel insurance. The deal gave us an upgrade to either an ocean view or a plunge pool. As most of you know, there is a huge difference between the “regular†guests and the “preferred†guests. We did not go with the preferred club because it would have meant an extra $1k+ and we wanted a great vacation for the least amount of money. Well, not being preferred meant waiting 2 hours for our room once we checked in. It was not a big deal because we were there early, but we do know that if we were preferred guests, we would have been up to the room within minutes. Note: we were told that the hotel was 50% full. Since we arrived on a Sunday, it was important for dh to watch the Eagles bash the Giants. We waited for our room in Desires, the music/sports bar. We were the only people in there, with the exception of a woman mopping the floor from the night before. Dh asked the woman to help him change the channel – she handed him a remote and said she didn’t know. When the bartender arrived, he yelled at dh for attempting to change the channel and basically told him that maybe someone would come help him change it. Then he disappeared. After waiting for 10 minutes, dh went to the front desk to find out if there was anyone who could help, as the man in the bar was unwilling to be of assistance. Finally, someone came, and changed it (of course, the Eagles game was the only game that they did not get in English, so we watched in Spanish – but a touchdown is a touchdown!). Eventually they turned the air conditioning on and brought us drinks. Immediately, we were unsure of the quality of the staff and their willingness to please (their “motto†– “it is a pleasureâ€). We had a good meal at the pool that night. I don’t remember what the show was, but there was some kind of fiesta in the pool area. We were exhausted and were in bed by 8:30 that night though. For the rest of the trip, we often felt invisible. We’d sit at an uncrowded bar and no one would come to us. We’d sit at a table and no staff would come greet us. I’ll break it down by restaurant. Note: we’re foodies and again, chose Dreams because they usually have good food. Himitsu (Asian-fusion) – the food was good. The service was awful. We sat outside and were later joined by 5 other tables. We ordered first and were the last ones to get our food because the waiter served our stuff to another table – and then willingly admitted it, smiled, said sorry and walked away. I asked for more wine, it took 20 minutes. More water never came. What should have been a 40 minute meal was almost 2 hours. We learned that the kitchen for Himitsu, World Café, Portofino, El Patio, and Bordeaux are the same. One kitchen – 5 restaurants……We also learned that the sake is not included - $20+ for a bottle. Also, you have to specifically ask for the sushi menu, as it is separate from the regular menu. Portofino – was ok. Service was alright, food was alright. Nothing memorable. Bordeaux – our favorite. We went twice. The first time, the service was atrocious. We never received our salads, and after waiting 45 minutes, we had another 2 hour meal. When we left, we walked around, did some other stuff, and came back to the bar. We discovered that the couple that walked in right after us had waited about 60 minutes to sit and were STILL waiting for their main course 2+ hours after sitting. That being said, this is the quietest restaurant (no kids) and the food is the best. Seaside/Oceana – I have to lump these two together because we only ate at either place for lunch. The menu is exactly the same (different shape menus) because they share a kitchen. We did not go to either for dinner, and Seaside was not open for breakfast. The service, again, was awful. The first time, dh ordered crab wontons and instead of telling us they didn’t have any, the waiter came out with shrimp cocktail and said sorry. Add that to no water, no drinks, very long waiting time, etc. The second time we went, he ordered them again and they were delicious. World Café – definitely lots of variety. Breakfast was good. Each morning, I got a crepe with peanut butter and chocolate, and omelet, and other assorted fattening goodies. Lunch there was varied as well – pasta/pizza station, Asian station, etc. They really tried for the “World†part of the World Café. We did not eat at El Patio. Desserts everywhere are disappointing. This seems to be common at all Dreams resorts. We sat at the poolside bar for 20 minutes holding money in our hands before ever getting a drink. Remember tipping is included? It still didn’t help. At the barracuda bar (down on the beach), I would get one drink for every two that other people got. I’m not a quiet person, but I did not want to be rude either. By the end of the vacation, I was exhausted from feeling invisible. The spa – don’t have your dh get a haircut. Their men’s haircuts are awful, but dh needed one and they told me that he’d be able to come in for hydrotherapy with me before my massage. Hydrotherapy is a cold tub, a chilled pool, and a hot tub. They bring you into the locker room and tell you to wait outside, but don’t turn anything on for you. I was the only person out there for 20 minutes alone because dh was told that he was NOT allowed to come in because he was just getting a haircut instead of a massage. (Um, then why were we told to show up 30 min early?) His “50 minute†haircut was 15 minutes and it was terrible. My 50 min neck, back and shoulder massage was ok. I wanted the 25 minute one, but we got some credits to use toward the spa, and the credits couldn’t be used on a 25 minute massage. The spa prices are ridiculous, so know that ahead of time. The rooms were stupidly designed, but aesthetically pleasing. There are no towel hooks, so you had to maneuver your towel during your shower. The doors to the shower and toilet are glass – mostly frosted, but partly see-through, so if you and dh aren’t all that familiar with each other’s bodily functions, you will be by the end of the visit. If you open the door to hear the ocean, the air conditioning shuts off, so no falling asleep to the sound of the waves. The plunge pools have NO privacy, as they are on the first floor of either building. Anyone can stand on their balcony and see people in the plunge pools. We chose ocean view, which wasn’t really ocean view. It faced the ocean, and sometimes we could see a glimmer of the ocean, but it was not an ocean view. If we had upgraded and were preferred guests, you can bet that we would actually be able to see the ocean from our balcony. There are several pools, but one of them is less than 1 foot deep, another is less than 3 feet deep. The former is set up with ping pong tables in it, and the latter is probably filled with pee from the little kids. Actually, I’m not sure how much chlorine is in the water, so they are all probably filled with pee. If there was an adults only pool, I didn’t see it. The infinity pool is gorgeous. Go down early and get a raft from behind the entertainment booth. Then bring your raft to the end and just chill. I did see the set up for two weddings. One on the beach and one at the gazebo. Both are in the middle of the resort. Literally – the beach wedding is in the middle of the beach, and the gazebo is next to the infinity pool (where people were swimming until 6-7pm). There is NO privacy for either place. I knew that a beachfront wedding at a resort would not be private, but in my opinion, accommodations should be made to make the wedding as private as possible. If my wedding was in the middle of the resort, I’d be upset. While we considered excursions, we did not go on any because we weren’t there that long, and are glad that we didn’t fork over the insane amount that they charge to go to Tulum or Xel-ha because it rained the days that we were thinking about going. There is currently a tropical storm heading toward Cancun, so the beginning/middle of November is still considered hurricane season. It rained for 2 of the 5 days, but was HUMID everyday. We also have mosquito bites in places that no one should ever be bit, so bring a lot of OFF because they charge $11+ for it in the gift shop. We had a good time. Would we recommend the resort? We still don’t know. It’s nice, it’s beautiful, but we think they still need to work a whole bunch of kinks out.

Quote: Originally Posted by kimberl07 Hi! We leave Saturday- the time is nearly here- that is unbelievable! Rebeca has been super accommodating. I email her nearly every day now with a question or a change. She is quick to respond and always so nice. The $1000 is the extra contract fee for having outside vendors; the DJ charge was another $400. It was not cost effective with the resort charge to hire the outside DJ, so we're going with theirs. The preparations for the legal ceremony were not too bad. We went to pick up our birth certificates and took them to get the apostille documents at our State building. The company that facilitates the legal ceremony will take care of everything else once we get to MX for the $350 charge. That pays the company and the Judge. They come to pick us up at the resort to get our blood work and watch the required video on marriage. The representative from the company also comes to the wedding and translates in case our Judge doesn't speak English. They also help get the papers processed. It would have been easier to have a legal day before the day, but for many reasons, we couldn't get that arranged. I'll let you know how it all works out.We are going home to Nebraska to visit families over the holidays and will have a private (parents and immediate families only) church wedding. We just discovered that we need to come up with a way to let the wait staff know which meal the guests have ordered. Has anyone got a good plan to do this? I am thinking that we may have to color or number code the place cards in some way... not sure... any suggestions? i know it's too late, but just as an FYI for others - our place cards were starfish and we used different color ribbons for different meals. the waiters just asked us what we ordered anyway.

Quote: Originally Posted by smith3576 Thanks Lauren! Do you remember if there was a little table or shelf space if we were to put stuff out? Not sure about the legal requirements AprilMay - we're doing the legal stuff before we go. i think there might be enough room for a narrow basket. if i remember correctly, it was just a sink, rather than a vanity. you could always put a larger basket underneath. i don't remember if i mentioned, but that bathroom is still public, even if your reception is private. we did legal stuff before we went. didn't take the special anything out of it.

Quote: Originally Posted by smith3576 I also say go with the mojito if you want it! Not everyone will order one, and they might use a mix anyway. Another random question and I don't know if anyone will know this, but which restroom would our guests use if our reception is on the Terrace? Does it have high general public traffic? I am trying to decide it I am going to provide things in the bathroom like lotion, oil wipes, etc. yes, there are bathrooms right by the pool. i didn't put anything in there b/c it's still public, plus i was traveling w/ enough!! i think there are 2 stalls (in the women's at least) and a sink.

this is a great website! you'll love all of the resources! congratulations!

april - yes, they're fabulous. HOWEVER - go for a dirty monkey - those are the best!

we have an awesome pic (in my slideshow maybe..) of other guests reading newspapers while we're getting married 20 ft. away - one of our best pics! apparently jumping in the pool is a trend now

Quote: Originally Posted by J&MWedding Yep, that's what I have too. Thanks Jess for that referral! Great job! I might take Lauren and the other girls advice then and maybe get a pedi before I leave, and just get a mani at Dreams. I REALLY want to make an appmnt for the Coffee Suduction Wrap, but even after using the $40 coupon, it's still $90 plus tip, so I'm not sure. I just scheduled my FI and mine free 25 min couples message (the one that comes with the package) - I schedule it for the day we arrive at night time, so we can relax after all the travel - should be nice. idk if you've ever gotten a swedish massage before - both of us wanted to crawl out of our skin. it's not a massage - it's just someone touching you. if we could do again, we'd try to upgrade to a deep tissue massage - don't know if it's possible, but would try...

or buy the polish so you can fix any chips...my toes were fine and i did them before i left. make sure if you're getting a french manicure, you specify that when you make your appt. otherwise they don't block off enough time.

jill, i know you have here's a pic - they were long and vibrant - perfect for the table.

Quote: Originally Posted by smith3576 I am considering having our bouquet's (provided by Dreams) do double duty as flowers on our reception tables. Has anyone seen what the bouquet's are like and would this be possible (i.e. - would they hold up without wilting)? And would they need to "stay together" or could I pull them apart? Or is this a bad idea? Thanks! i did this. my bouquets were enough for the table - there were settings for 10 ppl per table, plus candles plus the flowers = plenty on the table. they were bigger than those in the pic that was posted. Quote: Originally Posted by aprilmay Are you guys getting your make-up done by the hotel? Or has anyone had it and knows if it is good or not? Also, are you guys using the hotel photographer or hiring an outside one? Jess - thanks for all the info...... is that a cat or a dog?!?!!??! i know that you're a noob, and i REALLY hate to sound obnoxious, but read the thread!! it's here as a resource, not for the same questions to be asked over and over again. my review includes hair and makeup done at dreams salon. Quote: Originally Posted by smith3576 NEW QUESTION - Does anyone know if we have to pay to have our photog come onto the property? I know you don't for guests as long as they come within 30 min of the ceremony, but she'll be there before that to start taking pictures. Also, in our contract we have to provide her with food. Has anyone does this? Is it the same meal as you feed your guests (and same cost)? Or does the hotel offer a less elaborate meal? I understand the need to eat, but at the same time she needs to be taking pictures, not sitting down to a three course meal, to I'm not sure how that works. And WHERE does she eat? Do I make sure she has a seat at the table? Thanks!! Has anyone else become a lot less productive at work? i put in my contract that he would not have to pay but would be provided with a meal - he had the same meal as us (i didn't think it was fair to give him anything less, but he did not partake in cocktail hour or dessert). i think he just stood on the side and scarfed the food down, but idk. in the contract, i specified that he would be coming in to meet us and check out the grounds, and the whole day of the wedding AND for a TTD shoot the next day. technically he was only supposed to be there for one meal (during wedding), but he ate several meals with us. no wristbands = one full photographer

Quote: Originally Posted by *Rachel* Your cat is so pretty Lauren. Which one is this? thanks rachel! that's sake (as in the japanese rice wine). she's seriously a snotty bipolar beotch. we think she loves herself too much. the pics of the kittens make me want another!

triple post

double post

here's mine:

Quote: Originally Posted by KarenM Congrats Allyson! Kim, that's quite the list of florists! It'll be great to have that in case we want to buy any extras. Thanks Lauren. I feel a little weird contacting Kristin at Dazzling to get DJ contact info since I'm not using her as a wedding planner - any thoughts? Oh, & I found out about having the lounges for cocktails. Rebeca said they can set up 2 full living rooms for $350 in case anyone's interested. (like in post 594) karen- definitely get in touch with kristin. just mention dj in the subject. no worries about not using dd - we didn't.

Quote: Originally Posted by kimberl07 Thanks for the photos of the World Terrace and those of the beach receptions. It helps me to think about how some of my plans may need to change. I like the idea of the beach, but I just keep thinking how much more the weather could affect the event- it could be really windy on the beach. Thanks Lauren for pointing out the additional costs for the beach (grading the sand, etc.). And $950 to rent a dance floor! So many things that I wasn't worrying about last week are now on my mind. I'll just have to wait until Rebeca talks to her manager but am guessing that there is no practical way to put another few tables on Las Palmas. it's small, so the max is probably too many. we had 30, on one side of the pool and it was a little crowded. i wouldn't fit more than 40 on one side of the pool, and the other side is narrow - you'd have guests falling in the pool! Quote: Originally Posted by KarenM I emailed Rebeca today about hiring a DJ (if she has a list of people we should contact) & she said "you do not have to worry about, I will contact our DJ and program it for your wedding day, what you can do is send a list of songs you would like to listen that day". I know Lauren hired a DJ, but I tried googling him & didn't find him. try emailing kristen from dazzling details. she was my contact for him. Quote: Originally Posted by allyson779 Hey everyone... I just started planning our wedding at dreams for October 2010 and we are soooo excited. By any chance is anyone going to use the wedding gazebo for their cocktail hour... if so have you seen any pics or know how many people it will hold? a limited amount - i think it mentioned it in the latest attachment - maybe 5-7? the gazebo is more towards the center of the resort also, so therefore nor as private as the beach (which isn't private either).