El Cid will open its seventh property in Mexico in November. Ventus at Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort Cancún Riviera Maya is a sister property to Hotel Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort.
“We are so excited to unveil our newest property, and look forward to providing our guests with offerings they won’t be able to find anywhere else in Mexico,” Carlos Berdegué, president and CEO of El Cid Resorts tells Travel Agent. "As we continue to grow the El Cid brand, we look forward to offering new and exciting resort experiences for our guests."
The new 290-room Ventus is located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Rooms and suites range in size from 575 to 2,854 square feet.
Resort features include El Cocay Spa, which will offer a Temazcal steam bath experience, other Mayan-inspired healing therapies plus ocean-front massage cabanas. Additional amenities include a 2,088-square-foot fitness center offering spinning classes, TRX training, functional training and yoga classes. Two infinity-edge pools are designed to look as if they’re merging with the ocean. There’s also a children’s section in the main pool, plus two adult-only Jacuzzis.
Onsite travel company Pronatours will offer tours to Tulum, Chichen Itza, as well as area cenotes. Guests with families can utilize the resort’s babysitting services, a kid’s and teen’s club. Also onsite are medical care, valet dry-cleaning and laundry services.
Ventus hopes to attract the destination wedding market with five different venues that can accommodate up to 400 people. They include the resort beaches, the El Cid Marina Jetty, an ocean-front gazebo, the Arrecife catamaran and convention center salon. The convention center can be split into six breakout rooms for business meetings and other events of up to 500 participants.
Guests of Ventus at Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort can use the amenities of Hotel Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort. That includes access to pools, an array of restaurants and bars.
Also in the news is Temptation Cancun Resort. Soft-launched in August, it held a grand re-opening celebration this week. The event kicked off Cancun Travel Mart, and Travel Agent was one of the invited guests in attendance.
Temptation was rebuilt from the ground up, with the addition of a new seven-story tower, several new dining venues, a spa and extensive fitness center. Billed as “The Playground for Grown-ups,” the property is all about a modernist, curved design: Minimalistic corridors lead to futuristic-looking rooms. Inside, rooms feature evocative wall paper patterns and seamless, shiny black storage units affixed to walls. They open to reveal closets, safes, coffee machines, mini fridges and TVs from which to order round-the-clock room service. Bathrooms feature colored plexi-glass shower doors and mood lighting, among other amenities.
“The renderings didn’t do the hotel justice,” Mario Cruz, concept manager for Original Group, tells Travel Agent. "That’s why we’re so happy to have guests here to see for themselves. We’re proud of all the facilities. It’s very disruptive. It’s very colorful. It’s very different from what we had before."
Temptation Cancun Resort is one of the Original Group brands.
Rooms at Temptation have balconies or patios. All feature views of the Caribbean, and some include Jacuzzis and private bars. With a price point for top suites ranging from $600-$1,500 per night, the brand is aiming for a high-end clientele.
It’s a distinct niche. The property is topless optional in certain areas. Some venues, such as the “Sexy Pool,” are lively and loud, thanks to themed activities such as pole dancing competitions and pajama parties at night. But, it isn’t Spring-Break rowdy. Guests (primarily in their 30s-50s) are respectful and rules (such as no pictures allowed), are strictly followed. Those interested in a lower-decibel experience can request rooms near the “Quiet Pool.”
“We provide a safe space for clients to be themselves. We want them to feel free to enjoy themselves. We’re working hard to send the message to the agent community globally,” said Cruz.
The Temptation clientele is primarily from the U.S. and Canada. But, the hotel is making a big push to bring in guests from the U.K. and from within Mexico itself. And they’re hoping to lure younger guests, as well.
Though closed for nearly a year for renovations, many of Temptation’s original service staff members returned. Some have been with the company for decades, and it shows. Service levels are top-notch.
“We made a considerable investment, some $58 million dollars on this project. But, we believe we will recoup it within three years, which is good news. We built the first hotel in Cancun in this spot. Like Cancun itself, we are reinventing ourselves. There is nothing else like Temptation,” Original Group CEO Rodrigo de la Pena tells us.
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