Paradisus Riviera Brides - POST HERE!

[nenamono]

Thanks so much for posting Neen. The way you worded your questions and her answers makes things so much clearer to me now. By cocktail Menu do you/Perla mean the appetizer menu or am I missing something? I never remember seeing a Cocktail Menu I only have seen the Banquet Kit. Between you and Melissa (when Perla responds) Im sure we will get most of the answers we are all looking for and confused on.

 

Im nervous with Claudia Photo now, she was a preferred vendor when I went on my site visit and that was the vendor Perla gave me so I better not get charged $300. How should I word that question to her without getting all Bridezilla on her LOL. Im going back to my emails to see if I have it in writing as well.

 

Oh and that DJ $55 charge thing is just craziness!!!! Craziness I tell you.

[MissyR]

Yeah 55 bucks an hour plus the $300 vendor fee and it's still cheaper!

 

Yes it is the appetizer menus - it just wasn't clear. On another note, I informed Perla that I was bringing my own photog as my guest who is staying with us and there is no fee for that ..

[neen]

yep, Melissa is right...when i say cocktail menu, I mean the appetizers options

 

here's how i understand the claudiaphoto thing. claudiaphoto is still their preferred supplier, but Claudia Rodriguez specifically isn't preferred anymore. she used to give the PRM a percentage of her fee in exchange for them throwing her the business from their brides. Now that she's established, she doesn't need their referrals anymore. But her junior photogs do, so citlalli shouldn't incur the extra $300. again, this is just how i understand the situation, but some things are lost in translation so of course i'll be interested to see how perla/elisa respond to your question.

 

new question - does anyone know how much the children's rate is? for some reason $90/night is in my head, but there must a "free" age, like kids under 2 or something let me know if any of you have any info on this...can't find anything specific on solmelia.com Thanks!

[MissyR]

I believe that it's kids under 5 stay free - but not sure because our rate included flight..

[nenamono]

Thanks for clarifying girls.

Neen according to my travel agent kids under 2 are free, ages 3-12 are a certain price, 13-17 another and 18+ is an adult.

Also for the packages and dinner options kids under 12 pay 1/2 price. I keep forgetting about that but I dont think we are having many kids 4 at the most but it helps.

[neen]

thanks ladies. we have our 10 nieces and nephews coming and they range from 6mos - 10 years old so we're just trying to clue in our sisters on how much they're looking at to bring all the little ones! i'll confirm with elisa/perla this week and post so the info is out there for everyone.

[becks]

Kids? Lemme tell you about kids at the Paradisus. We've got at least 11 of them coming. Possibly 16. Yup. 16.

 

Under 3 (meaning anyone who hasn't seen their 3rd bday) is free for rooms and for food. No cost anywhere. 3-12 is 1/2 price for meals, cocktail hour menus, open bar (yes, I know). 3-12 in the rooms is $90 per kid (if booked thru the hotel - a travel agent may do better). Anyone who has seen their 13th birthday is considered an adult, full rates on everything.

 

One thing to note, you can have a max of 3 adults (meaning 13+) or 2 adults and 2 kids under 13 in the rooms. If you've got a family with 2 adults, a 13 and 14 year old, they won't let them all stay in the same room. Same with 2 adults, a 14-year old and a 5 year old. (Here is where you lie about the age of the 14-year old...)

 

Also interesting. If you have a family with one adult and two kids under 12, it's actually cheaper to book it as a double room plus 1 kid than it is to book it as a single with two kids.

 

For those with little kids (say under 7) the family concierge rooms are AWESOME. All-day daycare (great for naptimes so mom and dad don't have to sit in the hotel room waiting for jr to wake up), with walkie talkies between the facilities and the parents in case they need you. Let's mommy and daddy have a vacation, too. For kids older than 7, it's probably not necessary because the kid is going to want to spend all day in the pool anyway.

[neen]

Thanks, Becks! I can't believe they even charge 1/2 price for the cocktail hour, but considering everything else, I guess its not a big surprise. I'll have to check with our travel agent to figure out the best rooming options...one of Dave's sisters has 6 kids, so this should be interesting

[neen]

about to cry...FI has just had it with the Paradisus (though to be honest, he hasn't really been doing any of the work so that just adds to my frustration)

 

anyway, turns out it's going to cost his sisters close to $10K to come and stay for our wedding because they each have so many kids. FI wants them to be able to stay where-ever we're staying because, after all, weddings are family events (understandably) so he wants to scrape the whole thing and start all over with the location and site search.

 

on the one hand, i totally understand where he's coming from. but on the other hand...the hand that did all the work on her own to research the different resorts and go on a site visit and create the save the date cards...that hand wants to bitch-slap FI!!!

[becks]

Oh no! What a headache for you! And I'm sorry you're going thru this.

 

You might be able to find cheaper, but honestly, I don't know if it will be much cheaper - at least not with the same level of service.

 

The problem is that when you've got 6 kids, no all inclusive is going to stay in any less than 2 rooms, and probably more likely 3.

 

Can you split the kids up and put some with aunts/uncles/grandparents? That's what I did. My mom is taking the 2 oldest boys in her room. And they're all excited about it (thankfully).