Any Mahekal Beach Resort (former Shangri-La) brides or have info?

[LeslieJohn2010]

Hi girls,

 

I'm planning my wedding for Nov 27th and am trying to find a location that's beautiful and affordable. I was thinking The Royal, but haven't been able to reach anyone. I came across Mahekal and think it's so cute. Has anyone had their wedding here, planning their wedding, or been to a wedding here? Any info is appreciated. Thanks

[poohshek]

Hola Leslie,

 

We were at Shangri-La Caribe from 12.08.09 - 12.15.09 and it was fantastic (location, atmosphere, service & food). There were 34 of us and we totally loved it!!!

 

Here's the link for weddings at Shangri-La Caribe/Mahekal Beach Resort:

Shangri-La Beach Wedding Package

 

They are offering a name change special for 2010 and definitely worth looking into:

Shangri-La Caribe now Mahekal Beach Resort Rates

 

Shangri-La/Mahekal Name Change Special

Come and celebrate. Shangri-La Caribe changes its name to Mahekal Beach Resort. Limited time only!!! Enter your dates into the calendar to check availability or call 800-538-6802 for a reservationist. 40% off Garden View Pueblos. Discounts available on all room categories!

 

Send me a private message and we can talk over the phone if you are interested. I haven't had the chance to post any reviews for the resort but will definitely recommend it!!!

 

We had our wedding at a different venue but I have seen weddings hosted at Shangri-La Caribe and they were really nice!!!

[poohshek]

Found an old thread about Shangri-La Caribe. Hope this helps!

 

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...a-caribe-9368/

[shamim45]

Hi, Leslie

 

I posted the response below on Trip Advisor after our wedding on August 1st. Happy to answer any questions you may have!

 

My fiance and I booked our wedding at Shangri-la Caribe and can truly say that our stay exceeded every expectation. We plan to return next year and would not think of staying anywhere else in Playa del Carmen.

 

From the moment we arrived to the moment we checked out, the service was impeccable. We booked a penthouse room, but the penthouses were not available, so we were given a bungalow on the beach for the same price. There is a serene quality to Shangri-la that permeates the entire hotel. Any and every need of ours was immediately attended to with a smile.

 

The concierge helped us organize restaurant reservations, a snorkeling trip to Cozumel and a bar crawl on our last night in town. We also decided to do a self-guided tour of Tulum, the Mayan ruins. Our taxi driver drove us out and waited while we toured Tulum and enjoyed the beach. He drove us back to the hotel and offered to take us to the airport when we left. Sure enough, he was waiting for us when we departed the hotel. Incredible.

 

The Aventura restaurant was one of our favorite parts of our stay. Not only was the food incredible, but the staff was friendly and "no" was not a part of their vocabulary. Before our wedding many of them noted how excited they were about working at the wedding reception. They also provided us with tips on places to visit in town. During two nights, they set out an authentic Mexican buffet and then an authentic Mayan buffet. We thought the food couldn't get any better, then it did.

 

During our stay we got TWO massages and would have gotten more if we had more time. The hotel offered an hour-long couples massage for 50USD/person. Many of our guests took advantage of this offer and commented that it was one of the best massages they had ever had--we agree!

 

The hotel was populated by European families and couples. While they had a great bar and an awesome happy hour (that lasted an actual hour) where they offered two-for-one drinks, the atmosphere was very laid back. No crazy college kids, etc.

 

As for the wedding, it was perfect. Our coordinator, Tere, works with a travel agency called Maya Zone and plans weddings at Shangri-la. I basically coordinated everything with her via email, and everything came out better than we could have ever expected. The restaurant set up a Welcome Dinner for our guests, a cocktail hour by the pool, a sunset ceremony and a beautiful reception. They closed the main restaurant for just us and our 30 guests! Our photographer, Dennis Berti of Blue Lens Caribe captured our big day. He said he was the best and was not lying. Our pictures have blown all of our guests away.

 

This was simply one of the best vacations or our lives. I am imploring all of my friends and family to consider a vacation in Mexico, particularly Shangri-la Caribe. The people and the economy are suffering deeply from the paranoia and hysteria surrounding H1N1. All of our guests left happy, rested and relaxed, promising to return. I am very happy that Shangri-la will continue to remain open; it is truly paradise

[LeslieJohn2010]

Thanks shamim! It sounds like you had an amazing time- congrats! A few questions. Did you book your rooms through the hotel? They gave me a price list, but they didn't offer any special discounts for booking multiple rooms. Also, I'm a little concerned about alcohol not being included with the rooms. Were drink prices reasonable?

[shamim45]

Unfortunately there were no special discounts for our multiple bookings, but they have rooms at different price points. Alcohol is not included in the meal plan, but drinks were definitely cheap.

 

We paid for an open bar at our welcome dinner, cocktail hour, and reception--and it cost us about 1700 USD total.

 

Hope this helps!

[poohshek]

Hola Leslie,

 

Just realized this when I checked the rates again.

 

**Black Out dates for Discounted Rates: Nov 24 thru 27**

 

However, there maybe other promotions within the next few months your group can take advantage of.

[poohshek]

I second here. In a way, it is good that everyone is treated equally and there is no gimmick at all.

 

Cierra at Turquoise Reef Group was awesome and she made sure all our guests received the best rate based on the promotions offered at the time. I would highly recommend going through Playa del Carmen Travel Deals | Yucatan Hotel Reservations. This company is based out of Colorado and all the communication was clear via email/phone.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by shamim45 Unfortunately there were no special discounts for our multiple bookings, but they have rooms at different price points. Alcohol is not included in the meal plan, but drinks were definitely cheap.   We paid for an open bar at our welcome dinner, cocktail hour, and reception--and it cost us about 1700 USD total.   Hope this helps!

[poohshek]

Drinks are actually very reasonable at Mahekal Beach Resort (Shangri-La Caribe):

 

- Margarita - 45 Pesos (approx. USD $3.3)

- Mojito - 45 Pesos (aprrox. USD $3.3)

 

The drinks are strong/good and the bartenders do not water them down unlike some of the all-inclusive resorts. We had a welcoming margarita/mojito cocktail and a tray of 50 appetizers for 1.5 hours and it was not expensive at all.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by shamim45 Alcohol is not included in the meal plan, but drinks were definitely cheap.   We paid for an open bar at our welcome dinner, cocktail hour, and reception--and it cost us about 1700 USD total.   Hope this helps!

[rsage53]

Hi Sham!  I am hoping you might still check this site!  I have been trying to get some information, but have had little luck via Maya Zone.  Sounds like you had an OK time working with them.

Did they try to push another location on you?  Also, were they able to plan everything....flowers, etc. or did you have someone else do that.

Thanks!