Girls Getaway to Playa del Carmen - Day 1

When I got the invite to visit the Grand Velas All Suite & Spa Resort, Riviera Maya in May and an offer to bring someone, I asked my mom if she’d like to take a Mother’s Day trip with me to Mexico’s Playa del Carmen. She immediately said yes!

It took us less than two hours to get from Orlando to Cancun (thanks Jetblue). We arrived at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya and were incredibly impressed with the entrance to the resort, which made an understated statement with its white walls, turquoise water and white sandy beach in lieu of landscaping. The wooden doors slowly rolled open and we drove onto the property. I immediately felt a sense of relaxation as we meandered along the driveway and through the lush, green natural vegetation. We learned there are three hotels on the property: Grand Class (adult only oceanfront), Ambassador (family oceanfront) and Master (family/convention located in the jungle). Roger, our driver, took us to the Grand Class, which would be our home for the next several days.

We were so excited to be there and the gorgeous beach lured us straight to the water where we napped on the beachside beds. Although we were completely relaxed, we were getting hungry. The Grand Velas Riviera Maya works with acclaimed chefs from around the world, including Spain, France and Mexico, so we were looking forward to our dining experience here. All of this in an all-inclusive resort (yes, all food, drinks and alcoholic beverages are included)!

We headed to our first dinner at Grand Velas Riviera Maya’s Piaf, one of the resort’s eight on-site restaurants. Piaf is the French themed restaurant with an impressive gourmet menu created by the acclaimed French chef Michel Mustiere. Gourmet specialties include Chateaubriand, lamb filet with thyme sauce and ratatouille, sole meuniere, traditional French onion soup, and delectable desserts. We started with martinis, then ordered the tasting menu with wine pairings. Our taste buds had one awesome adventure with each course being better than the next. We quickly found out that the food tastes as good as it looks, and the presentation is incredible.

PHOTO: Dessert sampler at Piaf.