Any Banyan Tree Mayakoba Brides Out There?

There have been so few brides who have posted about this property.  I am planning my Nov. 2011 wedding there. Does anyone have any feedback about this resort?  It's a beautiful property and they have been great to work with thus far.  I am just trying to find out if anyone else has had experience with them.

Thanks!

Hi KDay!

I totally agree, the property is beautiful.  The customer service their is outstanding and Brenda is great at what she does.  They have a very strong team of people working in the wedding department.  Happy planning

Hi KDay,

I have been working with Brenda and Katherine over the past few weeks in the hope of having our wedding there in December 2011.

I will be staying at the resort this weekend for the final negotiation and a possible contract signature.

So far everything looks perfect...I hope and think we wont be disappointed once we see it.

Chumba1982:

Thanks for posting.  My site visit is not planned until May so I would love to hear your insights once you return.  Katherine has been wonderful.  I'm still wrestling with budget and struggling with things like photographer, DJ, hair and make-up!  I thought having a destination wedding would be less expensive, but NOT! 

I have a feeling you won't be disappointed with the property.  I look forward to hearing about your trip!

KDay

Hi KDay,

I have been working on this wedding for three months with little success. We live in Mexico for work and were in Cancun already three weeks ago for sites inspection. I came back pretty disappointed. I saw about ten places  and unfortunately none made me think "that's the one", apart from Rosewood Mayakoba but due to their total inflexibility we didn't sign a contract. So this trip has to be successful.

And budget talking.... it is as expensive as everywhere else if you want a gourmet meal like, top quality location. We originally started the planning in Australia as my fiancee is from there and then switch to here thinking it would be easier (Cancun is close) and cheaper but forget it.

During the past few months I have been talking to many vendors so if you need any opinion or review let me know...have a few up my sleeve really good.

Will post my comments on Banyan Tree soon!

Chumba1982:

I can't wait to read your post about the visit since I won't be there until May!  Also, can I PM you about vendors?

KDay:

As expected, Banyan Tree didn't disappoint. This resort goes above any expectation from the entrance to the Mayakoba compound to anything else you can think of. During my previous trip I visited also Rosewood, thinking it was the place of my dreams, but Banyan Tree beats it in any possible way.

First, the resort is immaculately kept, a fusion of asian and mexican modern architecture, where every little detail is in place at all times. The main building has a unique charm with the banyan tree on the little isle in the centre and all the common spaces and restaurant amazinlgy decorated on the sides. If you are one of those people who appreciate the carefully studied little details and this kind of perfection you cant avoid falling in love with it. The rooms are villas, each with his own garden and patio and real swimming pool (not just a plunge pool). Again interiors are beautiful, especially the bathrooms!!!  It's the furniture, the colors, the decoration that make you feel in a luxury place, not the bose sound system in every villa or the huge flat tv.

Now food and bevarage...on Saturday night we ate at Tamarind. They probably put on a bit of a show for us but it really worked. The manager welcomed us at the entrance, showed us to our table and served with a waiter every course explaining what it was. We had a preset kind of tasting menu with wine pairing (put together by them, since it was not possible to do the wedding banquet tasting this weekend due to the short notice). I am Italian but lived abroad for many years and still like the mediterranean simple flavors. Food was beyond beautiful, not necessarily Italian, possibly continental classic with an eclectic touch, presentation impeccable, wines just perfect and customer service at the top....not the bill unfortunately...but at least now we are sure food is perfect. On Sunday night we had dinner at Saffron, where we just ordered a la carte. I was not as impressed with food. It was really nice but not over the top. And service is not as good as at Tamarind. We also had twice lunch at Sands. The menu is really simple and not particularly elaborated but nice for a quick lunch. Breakfast at Oriente is good, there is a good selection of everything from salty to sweet, from healthy to less so.

As for customer service, I would say it is really good. The experience at Tamarind and working with Brenda and Katherine in the last two weeks in particular really made it for us. All the staff is very helpful and accomodating, from the guy drinving the boat to the guys at the beach club setting up the beds for you. The only thing I would suggest being careful about when organizing your guests' check in is making sure they don't arrive before 3pm because there is little chance they'll get a villa before and risk getting annoyed waiting in the lobby because told to wait 10/15 minutes when maybe it is 1h wait or more.

Well, this resort definitely deserves being among The Leading Hotels of The World.

From a wedding venue perspective, it is just perfect. It has a romantic feel about it. Everything is excellent, so you know that your guests, travelling from very far, are in good hands. They have infinite locations for ceremony, cocktail, dinner, and after party. The quality of food is very high and you don't have to give up to an elegant plated dinner like in most of the resorts where they just do buffet.

I hope this review will be helful. Should you have any questions or want to know anything else, just ask.

Hi there!  I read your review and it was so very helpful!  I am trying to plan my wedding for November 2012 and I'm narrowing down my resort options to: Banyan, Rosewood Mayakoba, Fairmont Mayakoba, Le Meridian and the Tides (Viceroy).  We're going in two weeks to check them all out!  I haven't been able to get ahold of a wedding package or any type of prices from Banyan or Rosewood, but hoping to soon.  I am also doing a destination wedding because it is cheaper than doing it locally.  If you can share how much (maybe a range) your wedding was, that would be great!  And also, if you have any wedding photos/videos, or a list of vendors that you can share with me, I would so appreciate it! 

You can also PM me if you don't mind!  Thanks so much in advance!

The Mayakoba is a truly gorgeous resort.  I loved shooting there!  Here are a few pics to wet your taste buds but be sure to check out the FULL Shoot on MY BLOG!

Hi Galegirl3,

Congratulations on your engagement! the resorts you listed are the ones I am mainly considering as well for my wedding in the Riviera Maya. Did you settle on one? I'd love to compare notes with you, budget range, and so on... It's really difficult planning this whole thing! any help would be great!

thanks!