Azul Beach Hotel Planning & Tips

All About the Extras
Azul Beach has loads of perks for families traveling with young children. It is not uncommon to see staff from the hotel wheeling around baby strollers or holding a sleeping child in any of the restaurants while mom and dad are eating. These are the little touches that make a stay at Azul Beach so unique. Staff will set your room up with a Pack 'N Play, monitor, stroller, changing table, bottle warmer, baby bathtub, and even baby food. Kids are met in the lobby upon arrival with a fruit smoothie (champagne for mom and dad) and they get a in a vacation book to personalize. Wagons are also available; we saw many parents racing their kids up and down the beach. In addition, restaurants are stocked with Fisher Price toys for your child to borrow while dining.

Babysitting
If you have a child under 4, you have the option of hiring a babysitter to stay at the kids' club, and sitters can take part in activities with your child at Azulitos. Babysitters are employees of the hotel and charge $15/hour and can be utilized throughout the day to watch the kids in the room, as well.

Family Movie Nights
Another cool activity they offer is a family movie night -- choose from a selection of family DVDs, which will be delivered to your room with popcorn and drinks.

Private Dinners
In the evening you can book a dinner on the beach, with your own private table (lit up with really cool blue lights) right on the beach, served by beach waiters.

Fitness Center
There is a fitness center with elliptical, cross-training and free weight equipment, and trainers who offer classes in Yoga. A new fitness center is currently under construction and is due to open in the summer of 2011.

Kids Free
Kids under 3 stay free at Azul Beach, and those 3 to 12 years old stay at half price when sharing a room with their parents.

Note
Azul Beach is a multi-niche hotel, meaning it caters to more than one niche, specifically families and weddings. So you will likely see many weddings and newlyweds while staying at the hotel; but the ceremonies take place in a corner of the beach and don't interfere with families hanging out. Azul limits weddings to one per day.

Getting There and Around
One of the things that is so appealing about Azul Beach for families is that it's easy to get to from the airport. It's about a 20-minute taxi ride south from Cancun International Airport, and taxis are readily available. Downtown Cancun is about 25 minutes, and Playa Del Carmen is about 30. Once you arrive at Azul Beach hotel, you won't be in a location where you'll want to do any walking around, unless it's on the beach. Taxis or organized tours are the best way to get around if you want to visit Xcaret, Cancun, Playa Del Carmen or the Mayan ruins.

The Art of Smart Timing
The average temperature in Puerto Morelos is 80 around degrees. February to May has the most comfortable weather; there is little rain, and the water is warm. Spring Break gets very crowded, so if you're planning to visit then, be sure to book well in advance. From June to August the weather becomes very hot during the day, and it stays warm well into the evening. It's also the rainy season. Hurricane season starts June 1 and ends November 30. While it gets hot in summer, Azul's beachfront location means cool breezes, and the sea just steps away provides quick relief from the heat. November through January are generally the chilliest months, but even then the daytime temperatures are very comfortable, usually in the 70s. Evenings tend to get chilly quickly, though, and the water isn't as warm.

For Mom and Dad
Take advantage of the kids' club and take an afternoon or evening trip to Cancun or Playa Del Carmen. We got a taxi to Playa Del Carmen ($12 each way) and did some souvenir shopping on 5th Avenue. It's a long street lined with shops and restaurants, where you can find everything from high-end watches and clothing to inexpensive trinkets made in Mexico. There are street performers, nightlife, and a beautiful beach. If you want a break from the restaurants at the hotel, Playa Del Carmen has some great dining options as well. The streets are lit up with white lights at night, and you can catch live music in many of the bars. While you could take the kids along, it gets crowded, and you'll definitely be approached by vendors pushing their wares.

While a full spa is currently in the works at Azul Beach, they currently offer beachfront massages in raised gazebos overlooking the water. Hearing the sound of the waves during treatments is amazing (much better than a tape recording of waves crashing on a beach, like in most spas) but the outdoor spa does have some limitations. It was a bit chilly the day we had our treatments, and also, privacy isn't easy to come by. There are a variety of massages available, including anti-stress, Swedish, sports, reflexology, and shiatsu, as well as facials, body scrubs, manicure, and pedicure. All treatments are also available in your room, which offers more privacy, less ambiance.