The new Paradisus Playa del Carmen (La Perla and La Esmeralda)

[asabatino]

Any recent paradisus brides out there?  There are not that many wedding reviews out there,

[zillakas]

Dear brides,

i need your help!! our wedding date is reserved at the paradisus playa del carmen. i'd like to know how some past brides and future brides go about with booking rooms. for a few months now, we have been working with travel agents who are preparing a room block for us. the resort provided them with room rates, and the flights need to be purchased separately. when i look at expedia prices, they are significantly cheaper because expedia offers "package deals." My mom's friend who is also a travel agent, is telling me that she can match expedia prices and offer me the protection that a travel agent offers, all without having a room block. The agents who are working on our room block said that we can get 1 free room for every 10 rooms booked, or some room upgrades. However, I'm starting to question if this makes sense financially. I have doubts that our guests will book through our room block if they can find cheaper prices else where. Then i'll be left liable for those rooms. Any advice??? I'm seriously considering not to sign the contract and not do a room block. People can book themselves through expedia or through an agent who matches expedia prices. 

Please answer asap because this contract needs to be signed (or not) soon. 

Any input is appreciated. Thank you !!!!

@@asabatino & @@KimmyA & @@Catfoxinabox --- you all seem to have a wedding date reserved already. please take a look at my above post & share how you guys are booking rooms. thank you!!!

Edited July 10, 2014 by zillakas

[Catfoxinabox]

I am booked for my wedding Oct. 26th, 2014.

 

I booked a room block through a travel agent (found on this site) back in February.  At the time they were able to offer 75% the charging rate of what the hotel could offer in their room blocks. This 75% of the rate also includes all of the goodies that the hotel was offering back in February as incentives to book.

 

In reading the contract, I saw that I could release as many rooms as I wanted up until July 14th.  After that, there would be some kind of fee.  So, I sent reminders to my guests over the months and this week sent them a note saying they either book through the travel agent by July 14th, or they will be responsible for their own booking.  Some guests did book through expedia or some other site that they found a better deal.  The travel agent did say they could usually match the better price if presented to them.

 

If you can't release rooms from the contract free of charge to a certain date, I would be extremely leary of that room block.  Right off the bat of sending out information about my room block I had guests booking through other sources even though they were counted towards the block.  Yes, I too get 1 free room for every 10 booked through travel agent, up to 3 and room upgrades for myself so I encouraged everyone to go through them (also makes it easier making the list to send to resort of who is going and dates and all too).

 

Hope that helps!

[zillakas]

@@Catfoxinabox thank you SO much for your quick and amazing input. I will tell them that we refuse to sign a contract that doesn't offer us the release of rooms with zero penalty by a certain date. I felt like this contract would be a trap for me if people wouldn't book through it. I don't understand why the hotel doesn't give everyone the same contract. If they don't agree, we simply will book without a room block. Once again, thank you thank you thank you !

[KK2013]

@@Catfoxinabox thank you SO much for your quick and amazing input. I will tell them that we refuse to sign a contract that doesn't offer us the release of rooms with zero penalty by a certain date. I felt like this contract would be a trap for me if people wouldn't book through it. I don't understand why the hotel doesn't give everyone the same contract. If they don't agree, we simply will book without a room block. Once again, thank you thank you thank you !

Yes, I agree totally.  I was able to release rooms up until 2 months before my wedding.  The room block is the best way to go.  For one, the hotel requires you to fill out a form with all of the arrival and flight information for the guests (which the travel agent will give to you, rather than having to hunt down all the info from your guests, and therefore removing one more thing from your to do list). Plus, you get the free nights credited back to you, and I got a free 1 hour cocktail party for all of my guests included! Plus room upgrades that we were able to give to our parents as a special thank you.  Please call Wendy Hicks from Wright Travel (she is on here) and she will do such a great job for you.  She made my life so much easier.  She also provided me with updates on who had booked periodically. 

[asabatino]

@Catfoxinabox  I'm also using Wendy Hicks from Wright Travel.  Although I recently just started working with her she seems really knowledgeable and has always been available for any questions.

@@KK2013 do you have a detailed wedding review on this website or blog that we could read?

[KK2013]

@@asabatino I'm so sorry, I do not, but I would be happy to answer any questions you have.

[asabatino]

@@KK2013 thank you.  I plan on doing the tailor made package and I'm trying to figure out any extra cost outside that package.  I can only think of flowers, photography and DJ.  Are there any major cost that I may be missing?

[zillakas]

@@asabatino we are doing the tailor made package as well. as of now, the extra costs seem to be -- flowers & decor, photography/videography, venue upgrade & time extension (if you choose to do it), audio equipment rental (lighting too, depending on which room) and dj/musicians. i'm hoping that's it! are you going to visit the resort before your wedding?

 

so far my experience with blue lens is good. i only spoke to them through email but you can negotiate with them and they are reasonable. we are excited to meet with them for our visit. the audio company JSAV is also very on point with answering emails. i dont have a final quote from them yet but we also dont need too much from them (only equipment) since we're bringing our own musicians. but i like that they answer emails quickly!

 

can anyone share your experience will alquimia? i got some unreasonable prices for sample photos that they sent me. i sent them some photos with centerpieces that i would be interested in and am waiting for a quote. i hope that they give us some reasonable options or else we'll have to look for an outside vendor. 

[KK2013]

@@asabatino are you using JSAV for DJ or bringing someone else in?  Outside vendor fees are $1000 per. 

Dear brides,

i need your help!! our wedding date is reserved at the paradisus playa del carmen. i'd like to know how some past brides and future brides go about with booking rooms. for a few months now, we have been working with travel agents who are preparing a room block for us. the resort provided them with room rates, and the flights need to be purchased separately. when i look at expedia prices, they are significantly cheaper because expedia offers "package deals." My mom's friend who is also a travel agent, is telling me that she can match expedia prices and offer me the protection that a travel agent offers, all without having a room block. The agents who are working on our room block said that we can get 1 free room for every 10 rooms booked, or some room upgrades. However, I'm starting to question if this makes sense financially. I have doubts that our guests will book through our room block if they can find cheaper prices else where. Then i'll be left liable for those rooms. Any advice??? I'm seriously considering not to sign the contract and not do a room block. People can book themselves through expedia or through an agent who matches expedia prices. 

Please answer asap because this contract needs to be signed (or not) soon. 

Any input is appreciated. Thank you !!!!

@@asabatino & @@KimmyA & @@Catfoxinabox --- you all seem to have a wedding date reserved already. please take a look at my above post & share how you guys are booking rooms. thank you!!!

I HIGHLY recommend using the room block with a travel agent.  If your guests book through expedia, then you will have to track down the info for each person to provide to the resort.  It's just one hassle off of your list when it gets close to the wedding.

@@KimmyA I'm thinking about flying in my own dj from NY. I'm currently looking into prices for equipment rental.
@akimmy when I signed the initial contract they told me I didn't have to make a decision on a package yet since it was based on the number of people. I would think you could change it.

 

@@KimmyA I'm thinking about flying in my own dj from NY. I'm currently looking into prices for equipment rental.
@akimmy when I signed the initial contract they told me I didn't have to make a decision on a package yet since it was based on the number of people. I would think you could change it.

@@asabatino I believe my equipment rental cost was around $2000 (including a TV to play a slideshow).