The monkeys are quiet here.
So are the lemurs, the flamingos, and the crocodiles. No traffic sounds or sirens break the silence, except for an occasional bird song or lap of waves against the shore. This is not the Cancun of cruise ship passengers and shopkeepers shouting about their wares, or policia sirens of vehicles working crime stops in that city.
This is TRS Yucatan hotel, tucked away hours from the Cancun airport in a lush mangrove forest situated by itself in a contained and beautiful oasis by the sea. It is private, it is self-contained and guarded from civilization, but it is an enormous island of beauty, luxury, privacy. . . and quiet. A paved jogging path of more than two miles going around the perimeter of the complex and completely enclosing it allows runners to meditate on the stunning scenery of the oasis.
TRS Yucatan hotel is part of a complex of four hotels; a sort of city off by itself, with 6 à la carte restaurants and 6 bars exclusively for guests, a hydrotherapy spa, multiple swimming pools, a wellness center, a gym, an orchid nursery, and at the other family-friendly hotels a dive center and baby and child activities clubs.
It’s a very long, winding road into the complex so by the time you reach the front desk, you know this is a different sort of all-inclusive. There will be no hysterical dancing on the beach to a megaphone blast of music or public outdoor parties through the night at this resort. The only loud music you’ll hear is if you choose it by signing on to one of the Chic Cabaret Show and Restaurant thrice-weekly, three-hour shows. These include a multi-course dinner with energetic entertainment from professional singers and dancers and Cirque-du-Soliel-style rope climbers, in a sound-proof, enclosed theater.
You can dine one night in a Thai restaurant, another in a Japanese sushi and teppanyaki establishment, and a third in an Italian trattoria. Or you can have one of the most romantic dinners ever conceived in a resort: a candlelit meal set up in a cenote, the latter a natural limestone sinkhole that exposes groundwater. The dinner is set upon a table and delivered to you course by course, followed by — if you wish — a private swim right there by yourselves.
Other swims can be done in the lovely infinity pools, which have waterproof chaise lounges for your complete in-the-water relaxation, or you can do laps in the saltwater pool next to the ocean. You can take a fun spin course in the infinity pool, which is much easier biking than on land.
Some of the more luxurious suites have their own pools, and for these, a breakfast butler can bring your breakfast on a tray and set it up in the pool, — they call it a “floating breakfast,” — scattering everything with rose petals for more romance.
An immense hydrotherapy spa uses water for treatments that relax and rejuvenate the body, including saunas, hydromassage tubs, hot and cold tubs, swan-neck massaging showers, and a calm, winding river. As we were massaged by the swan-neck shower the attendant brought us an icy cold mango smoothie, the perfect drink after all of these treatments, which can continue on if you wish, to regular massages, facials, and the like.
The buffet restaurants have more items than most, and they are more luxurious; From Capricho Restaurant, a breakfast of Huevos Motulenos, the Yucatan version of huevos rancheros, is added to the huge selection of fruits and beverages, meats, and cheeses. And a buffet choice at Helios Restaurant offers Taco Al Pastor, seasoned pork with “annatto” spice made from achiote seeds and pineapple sauce, or mojito salmon with vegetables and mint and lemon chutney, or sea bass with hummus, tapenade and eggplant paella, or Caesar salad with a quail egg. Of the many nighttime dinner restaurants, El Gaucho Argentinian steak house was our favorite. The chef made a most delicate and tasty ribeye steak and served it with a crisp green salad, creamy spinach, and rolls with deep-fried battered Camembert cheese with tomato marmalade. Wherever you turn, a bar or waiter is offering a fruit drink with your favorite alcohol in it or creating one that you’ve not known before.
There is no need to leave the complex during your whole stay, as between the four hotels you can enjoy a variety of water sports right here. Gift shops are not in your face; there is a small jewelry shop hidden well in the back of the lobby of TRS Yucatan hotel. Quiet golf carts and vans shuttle guests silently to and from their cabanas to all of the activities.
And, sorry Mexico, but thankfully, nowhere can the sound of a mariachi band be heard.
