We traveled to CPM for 8 days, May 27 to June 3, 2014.
There were five of us in the group, my husband and I who are in our 40s, a 21yr old and two 18 year olds. We booked through CheapCaribbean.com and had no issues other than the 4 days of rain.
Room - Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by the bell hop, who asked our names, whisked us over to the lobby bar to order our welcome drink and away we went to the privileged check in which is near the back of the resort, close to the pool and shops, and also close to the privileged buildings, 4, 5 and 6. We waited close to about 15 minutes to be checked in, which was not a big deal as it is a lovely room with cold air conditioning and cold drinks. Upon being checked in, we were given our bracelets, the resort map and a rundown of the restaurants and amenities. We had asked for building 6 (because that is what everyone does right?), and were given Building 4. Not a big deal, it is literally a sidewalk away from Building 6… I had requested adjoining rooms, one with a king and the other with 2 doubles and that is what I got. Was not too sure about the ground floor, but in the end I loved having the ground floor. No issues with bugs and the coati’s passed me by daily. The rooms were large, more modern and the air conditioning was cold and the showers were hot! The maid service was sporadic with times, but they did a fantastic job cleaning the mess we made and stocked the mini fridge daily.
Beach – The beach is fantastic, wonderful white sand and turquoise water. When coming down to the beach from the bar and pool, to the left is the privileged side (which is roped off with a sign) and has the palpalas for cover and to the right is the regular seating section with plenty of palm trees for shade. The beach was always clean or being cleaned. The animation crew do organize some beach games, but not that many in my opinion. The beach is relatively quiet. HINT: if you see the guys walking around picking up empty glasses, those are the waiters who will bring you more drinks!!! Pretty quick too if you tip like I do. Also, you do not have to play the towel game, there were plenty of chairs.
Pool – The pool is kidney shaped and has different depths, which I loved. Zero depth entry is great for the little ones to have a little independence, but I like deep water. Again, I believe the privileged side of the pool to be the side with the cushioned chairs and sun sails, close to the juice bar and hammocks. Those chairs do go fast. Drink service by the pool too, just ask the guy picking up the empty glasses. The creperie is located next to the pool/beach bar. They do get long lines, as they serve crepes, ice cream and shakes. I tried them once and they were good. I only spent one day at the pool and there was bingo, yoga, water aerobics, some crazy games and the music can get loud at certain times of the day.
Buffets – The main buffet at the front of the resort does have a privileged seating section. The food was okay. I mean, it is a buffet after all that is catering to a world of different tastes. It is the typical fare and usually the same fare at that. My kids loved the grilled pork chops at lunch. Breakfast was my favorite. Never had the buffet for dinner. ALSO, there is ANOTHER buffet near the pool for the privileged patrons. It is at the Tortuga restaurant. It is open for lunch and has a small lunch selection such as pizza, burgers, hot dogs, salads, lunchmeats and cheese, breads and a Panini press.
Main Restaurants – the Terrazza is the open for breakfast and lunch (menu) for the privileged patrons and overlooks the water and beach. Really, a good choice, but it does take forever! It is located over the pool/beach bar. At night, it is the Tapas Restaurant, which is included for one night for privileged and is an extra charge for non-privileged. It was delicious. We did not care for the Italian at all. We really enjoyed the Mexican and Steakhouse. The filet and rib eye were the favorites at the steakhouse. Everything at the Mexican was good too. Just remember, these ala carte restaurants take forever. In addition, if you have a larger party (5 and over), you may not be able to get into a restaurant as they do not take reservations and if they are full and have a waiting list, you do not get in. Plan accordingly.
Food was really my only issue. It was hit or miss, good or bad. I do not know if it was the chef that day or what, but some days everything was just horrible. If they could make the food more consistent and tasty, I think it would make a world of difference in the hotel ratings, as I loved everything else about the resort.
I did not see any shows. I never had any issues with drinks such as weird tasting, or running out of liquor. Try the tequila poppers in the main lobby.
Overall, I enjoyed my trip (other than the rain). This resort is beautiful and kept extremely clean at all hours. I have noticed a hello and smile goes a long way. I had no problems at all regarding rude people (European or American), everyone was extremely friendly and I believe I heard more English being spoken than any other language.
In addition, besides the coati running around, there is a monkey who hangs out sometimes near the main buffet and an iguana by the pool. Do not forget to visit the butterfly house next to the theater too!
If you have any questions, drop me a line.