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Happy Tuesday! It definitely feels like a Monday, but we are not complaining about a shorter week! We are sharing a much requested topic: what to wear when traveling abroad. If y’all are like us, you probably overpack, and get so much anxiety when it comes to packing for any kind of trip, especially when it is overseas. It can be so overwhelming because you may not know what kind of stuff to bring or how you will fit ALL of it in just one suitcase! This romper is a great option for traveling because it is super comfortable, can be re-worn several times (over a swimsuit or just with flats), and doesn’t wrinkle easily. We paired the romper with these platform wedges (super cute with shorts or dress) and are the perfect heel height (3″). FYI-We have the “night taupe” color, but all colors are super cute! Also, can we talk about this basket tote? It is SO cute for summer, and has a longer strap to carry over your shoulder, too.And, now for our tips:
Bring a romper for dual use: as a cute, casual outfit, or over a swimsuit. PLUS: most materials don’t wrinkle easily!
We had the incredible opportunity to stay At Grand Velas All-Inclusive Resort and Spa recently, and had the MOST incredible time. We had never stayed at any of the Velas resorts before, but this will definitely not be the last time. We already have a trip booked to the Cancun location for our birthday next month.
Everything from the moment we arrived was nothing but incredible. Out of all of the inclusive resorts we have stayed at this far, this one has been our favorite. Don’t get us wrong, they have all been amazing, but this one was amazing. We only got to experience this resort for two days, but every part of our trip was great. We wanted to highlight some of our favorite parts of this resort (and be sure to check out our story highlights on Instagram for more of the resort!)
THE GROUNDS:
The Grand Velas Riviera Maya is a AAA Five Diamond, ultra-luxury all-inclusive resort that is in the middle of the beautiful Riviera Maya beaches and jungle. They have three different ambiances where you can stay:
-Adults Only Oceanfront : Grand Class Suites
-Family-Friendly Ocean View : Ambassador Suites -Zen-Like Tropical Setting : Zen Grand Suite (where we stayed)
THE ROOMS: The rooms were GORGEOUS! We had a chance to see all three room ambiances, and each one was stunning. They all have a very similar look and are super spacious (1,100 square feet!) with gorgeous bathrooms. We have never seen ceilings so high in a room before, but we loved it because it feels so much more open! They bathrooms all feature L’Occitane amenities, a spacious jacuzzi tub, and walk-in shower. They also have a separate vanity for doing your hair and makeup, which we appreciated!
The beds were super comfy, and the room had a fully-stocked mini bar, as well as a Nespresso coffee maker.
THE BEACH:
The beach was beautiful and they have some chairs set up out there and some beds. The sand was white, just like in the Caribbean. They also have waiters out there if you want drinks! The water was pretty warm, too!
POOLS:
What we loved so much about this resort is that they have THREE pools (one at each ambiance). The pool where we were staying (Zen Pool) is so tranquil and calm. They also offered refreshing cocktails and snacks at the pool. They were super accommodating with our orders, too!The main pool in the Ambassador suites is a gorgeous infinity pool that overlooks the ocean. We loved going to that one because they had fun activities and good music, but it wasn’t overly loud!
RESTAURANTS:
This resort has eight incredible restaurants! We didn’t have a chance to eat at all of them, but will share them all for your reference!
They have three all-day restaurants:
-Azul (this one we LOVED). They offer a buffet with an amazing spread! We ate there for breakfast and lunch the whole stay.
We were in heaven! They have everything from omelettes, fresh fruit, pastries, sushi, salads, breads, incredible dishes, pizza, ceviche station, panini station, and the list goes on!
-Bistro
-Chaka
They also have five other restaurants that are open for just dinner.
-Frida: rated 4 diamonds by the AAA. This one is Mexican cuisine and so delicious! The atmosphere was gorgeous, and so was the food!
-Sen Lin: Asian Fusion
-Lucca: Italian-Mediterranean
-Piaf: rated 4 diamonds by the AAA. This restaurant is traditional French cuisine, and we were surprised by how much we enjoyed it! Everything was plated so beautifully, and the atmosphere was gorgeous, too!
-Cocina De Autor: rated 5 diamonds by the AAA. This restaurant is unique because it is a creative cuisine, meaning that the chef asks you what your favorite foods are and then prepares a large course meal for you!
We also used their 24-hour room service every day. They had a huge menu to choose from including ceviche, salads, burgers, guacamole, grilled chicken, and desserts! They were also super accommodating, and even the room service food was presented beautifully!
BARS:
-KOI: sports bar and nightclub: can watch all sports games and then has dance floor at night for club atmosphere!
-Karaoke Bar
-Sky Bar: has gorgeous view of the ocean indoors.
-Piano Bar: listened to live music by the beach before dinner!
FOR KIDS:
We have never stayed at a resort where so much thought has been put into kids and families. They have a kids’ club, as well as a teens’ club full of activities for kids of all ages. They will watch and entertain your kids all day and feed them for dinner, so parents can have an actual vacation, which is great! They also have a baby concierge, as well as offer strollers, bottles, and a ton of baby equipment in the suites, so you don’t have to bring that all with you!
SE SPA:
Their spa, Se Spa is incredible, and the minute you step foot in the spa, you immediately feel relaxed! It is over 89,000 square feet, and has an amazing 7-step water journey that we got to experience first-hand! You go through a steam room, dry heat, clay, an ice room, hot and cold showers, and a huge infinity pool with massaging faucets, and chaises with jets that you can lay on. Simply AMAZING! We had a long day of travel, and left feeling so refreshed and moisturized! They also have a ton of spa treatments, including facials and massages.
FITNESS CENTER AND ACTIVITIES:
This gym was probably one of our favorites at any resort we’ve stayed at. It was HUGE and was filled with all of the highest quality gym equipment. They had every machine imaginable (just like your gym at home), and a bunch of free weights, kettlebells, and cardio equipment! They also have cold towels to use after your workout!
In addition the resort offers some fun activities like these below:
-Eco-Tour
-Mini Golf
-Yoga Classes
-Cooking Lessons
OTHER AMENITIES:
-24 hour butler service
-personal concierge service at pool and beach
-Complimentary WiFi throughout entire resort
-Water sports (kayak and boogie boars)
LOCATION:
The resort is located about 35 minutes from Cancun International Airport, and 15 minutes from Playa Del Carmen.
Overall, we would say this Riviera Maya all inclusive resort compares to the quality of a Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons. The service, atmosphere, and quality were all on point, and we will definitely be back. HIGHLY recommend this property to you!
It is spring, and ALMOST summer, so that means lots of travel plans! We wanted to share a comfy, but still cute look to wear for traveling. These Nike React sneakers are one of our favorites right now! Not only are they super comfortable, but they go with even non-workout gear, which we are all about. You can take them from gym to street, or wear them on your flight and then wear them on a run or to the gym. These sneakers are like walking on a pillow, AND they come in the cutest colors, too! We have this light cream color, but they also come in this pink and this lighter pink. They launched on 4/19, so snag yours before they sell out because they are going quickly! When traveling, we like to choose something comfortable, but also cute and put-together at the same time. Sometimes we will travel in workout gear, but other times, we want to look a little more fashion-forward. We love paring a sneaker like these Nikes with a comfy hoodie like this one, these jogger capris, this adorable jumpsuit, this camo hoodie, and this super cute comfy dress.The color of these is a great neutral and can be worn with joggers, shorts, jeans, or dresses. You can pair these with almost any color like blacks, whites, greys, and any bright color, which we love!When traveling by car or plane, we love bringing a smaller carry on to carry some things you may need for the plane like ipads, laptops, books, change of clothes, jewelry, etc.These sneakers run about a half size small on us, so we sized up to a 7 for reference!
We are SO excited to share our stay with you all at the El Dorado Royale Cancun Resort and Spa. We can honestly say it was one of the MOST incredible trips we have had in a while! From the moment we got off the plane in Cancun, to the moment we were dropped back off at the airport, it was nothing but incredible!
Before we get into the review, we wanted to say how amazing the ENTIRE staff is. From the housekeeping, to the waiters and waitresses, to the lawn workers, we have nothing but amazing things to say. Every person had the biggest smile on their faces, and were so glad to help in any way!
When we arrived in Cancun, we were greeted by our driver who drove us to the short, 30-minute drive to our resort. When we arrived at El Dorado Royale, we were greeted by the head concierge who talked to us about the property.Since the resort is pretty large (and actually has three resorts in one: El Dorado Royale, El Dorado Casitas, and El Dorado Generations), they have golf carts to take you around the property if you would like, or you can walk easily to most places, which is what we did! One of the very sweet bellmen showed us all the hot spots on the property on our way to our room!
THE ROOM:
We were staying in the Royale Jacuzzi Suite that have been renovated, and we absolutely LOVED it. It had a huge flat screen TV, spacious tub and separate shower, plenty of outlets (very important, haha), super comfy beds, and a beautiful bathroom! We were greeted with some yummy snack and a bottle of champagne from our personal concierge.
Our room was very close to the beach and about an 8-10 minute walk to the lobby and other restaurants nearby, or like we said, you can always take the golf cart, which comes by every 15 minutes at the most to take you where you want to go!
A lot of the rooms have a swim-up pool right off your room, so you can just hang out in there all day, and never have to leave to go to the pool or beach, if that is more your style!
PERSONAL CONCIERGE:
If you are staying in the villas we stayed in, you get a personal concierge/butler that can help you with anything you need during your stay: dinner reservations, excursions, some water for the room (we requested a ton of sparkling water and hot tea!), etc. One of our butlers, Alberto, and some of the others were super sweet and always left some sweet treats in our room at night. They also helped us book some of our dinner reservations (more on that later).
And, one of our favorite parts: the pillow menu and aromatherapy. For this, you get to pick out a specific pillow you would like (we both chose a more firm, memory foam pillow) and some aromatherapy (they all smelled amazing)! we had never been to a hotel that had this option, so we were ALL about it!
RESTAURANTS:
On property, they have a TON of restaurants (14 + room service!), which is a lot for an all-inclusive resort! We ha a chance to try a good amount of them, and can honestly say we did not have a bad meal.
For breakfast, you can eat at Cocotal, Sante Fe Grill, La Isla, Spot, and Health Bar. We ate at Cocotal for breakfast, which has a buffet and menu option. We LOVED their buffet. They had a TON of healthy options like fresh fruits (so fresh and flavorful), omelet station, guac and pico, (of course!), pastries, chilaques, hot teas, pancakes and waffles, yogurt, etc. The waiters were SO sweet and helpful and we had such a great experience there. For lunch, there are a lot of options: Jojo’s, Kampai, Spot, and La Isla. There are also some other gourmet corners: La Cabana Pizzeria, Health Bar, Loss Olas, and Bar 32.
We ate at Jojo’s several times for lunch, as well as the La Cabana Pizzeria. At Jojo’s they have a lot of healthier options and a whole menu just for burgers. We ordered the salads a lot to start, and got the ceviche (so good!), lots of guac with raw veggies (so accommodating!), the whole fish, and the salmon filet with steamed veggies.
At the pizzeria, they had some really yummy-looking pizza, but we ordered some guac and pico and then also tried their chicken fajitas, which were really good!For dinner, the options are: La Isla (Mediterranean Cuisine), Kampai (Pacific Rim Cuisine ), Sante Fe Grill (Grill), Rincon Mexicano (Mexican Cuisine), Jojo’s (Caribbean Cuisine), D’Italia Casistas and Villas (Italian Cuisine), Cocotal (Worldwide Cuisine), and Fuentes (Culinary Theatre).
We dined at La Isla the first night, which was very good! We had their Greek salad, Catch Of The Day, Grilled Chicken, and Eggplant. We had the chance to try Sante Fe Grill, which was also yummy! We got salmon and they were super accommodating, as always! On our third night there, we went to their Mexican Fiesta Party, which was probably the highlight of our trip! It was SO cool, and you really got to experience the culture and food in the best way. They have this event every Tuesday, and the whole staff gets into it. They greet everyone with some margaritas, and then they have a bunch of long tables all set up and decorated. Outside, they have a little Mexican market to buy some authentic gifts, and our favorite part: the food! They had a HUGE buffet spread of every authentic Mexican food you can think of. Let’s just say we left very, very full! They had everything from tacos, to millions of salsas, roasted chicken, pork, steak, salads, shrimp, soups, and tons of desserts! After the meal, they had a bunch of performances from dancers and Mariachis, which was so cool to see live! At the end of the performances, they introduced all of the staff and chefs, and it was so cool to see them so happy to be there. They truly seem like they love working there, which reflects on the guests!
We also had a chance to eat at Fuentes, which is their Culinary Theatre. It is set up like a live cooking show, and they have a set menu, depending on the day of the week, and for this one, you do have to make a reservation. You can also pay extra for the wine pairing, which is incredible with the food. They have a chef cooking the entire dish in front of you, while you actually eat it, which is so cool, and you get to learn a lot, too! The menu when we went was Mexican-themed, so we got to try stuff like a tomato salad (right from their own greenhouse), some tuna tostadas, a chicken breast roll, a pork belly, and a churro! We also wanted to mention that ALL of the restaurants ask if you have any food allergies ahead of time, so if you’re sensitive to anything, they really take it seriously!
There are also several bars on property, too, and they will make you any drink you’d like! They also have these super cute swings at some of them to enjoy your drink in!
ROOM SERVICE:
We LOVED the room service! They were, again, SUPER accommodating. We literally ordered guac and veggies every night and it was amazing. They had a ton of options, and even with all of our modifications, they got the orders completely right! When they brought our food in, they would go over each thing we ordered and made sure it was correct. You can also call them once you’re done eating for them to pick up your dishes!
THE BEACH:
Having only been to Cabo, we weren’t expecting a huge beach, but were pleasantly surprised by it! They did have a little bit of seaweed while we were there, but they had a ton of workers cleaning it up. The water was really clear and warm! They also have plenty of places to lay out on the beach up and down the whole property, so you can always find a spot.We had the pleasure of using their Bali Beds one of the days and had the sweetest Butler, Moises. These beds require a reservation and are so fun to rent for the day! They will bring you any drinks you’d like, as well as food, or anything you may need!
They also have these super cute swings on the beach that are definitely an instagrammable spot! They overlook the ocean, so they are a perfect spot to enjoy your cocktail!
THE POOLS:
They have several pools on property, and most of them are very quiet. The main pool is a little more loud and they have some fun music and a lot of activities to keep you entertained like volleyball, water polo, towel art lessons, ping pong, dancing lessons, and spanish lessons. It is like summer camp for adults, haha!
We liked laying out here if we were in the mood for something more upbeat, and the staff was super helpful in finding us a chair when it was pretty packed!
THE GYM/FITNESS CENTER:
Of course, we spent our mornings in here, and it had a great variety of equipment. They had some cable machines, a good amount of cardio machines, free weights, barbells, and a lot of space to move around. They also had infused water and fresh fruit!
In addition to the gym, they also have a fitness center, which offers a ton of classes throughout the day, which is so fun! We had the opportunity to take the yoga class overlooking the beach one morning.
It was so relaxing and peaceful, and the instructor was amazing. They also offer classes like aqua fit, crossfit, functional training, and a 5K run.
THE NAAY SPA:
We didn’t have a chance to get a spa treatment while we were there, but the spa seemed incredible! The staff was so sweet, and we heard the massages (which you can get outside overlooking the ocean) are amazing!
HORSEBACK RIDING:
This was such a fun experience, and since the hotel is in the middle of the jungle, we didn’t even have to leave the property. We got to tour the Bonanza Ranch on horseback, and then swim in the cenote, which is like a natural spring. The experience was so fun, and the staff was all super sweet and welcoming! We also got to learn a lot about the property and culture!
As you all can tell, we are basically booking a trip back there ASAP. We honestly have nothing negative to say about the resort, and would most definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of going to Cancun. We met SO many people there that have been coming to this property for years, so that in itself speaks volumes!
To get $150 off our stay, use code ABelbelBGKH . You can call their Reservations Centre at 1-866-KARISMA (1-866-527-4762). The discount is valid for all Karisma Hotels when booking a minimum of 4-night stays!
In case you’re headed somewhere warm for vacay or spring break, we have you covered! We had a few requests to do a beach packing list, so here it is! We are sharing all of our favorite pieces + must haves for the beach/pool.
BRIGHT SUNDRESS:We love wearing a fun, easy sundress for lunch or dinner. This one is causal, but also cute! You can also wear it over your swimsuit the next day!
TINTED MOISTURIZER: We hate wearing a ton of makeup to the gym or beach/pool, so we love using this tinted moisturizer to give a little bit of coverage and also sun protection.
SUNSCREEN:This one has SPF50, which is a must, especially for your face!
DENIM SHORTS: You can wear these over your swimsuit, or with a cute tank or top for dinner or lunch.
WHITE DENIM: Another great bottom option to throw on at night for dinner with a tank or blouse and some wedges.
NEUTRAL FLAT SANDALS: We wear these ALL of the time. Great for traveling in, and wearing to beach/pool, or running around the city!
LIP MOISTURIZER: This one is one of our faves because it is moisturizing, but also gives a little bit of color that is not over the top.
FRINGE EARRINGS: We love these earrings because they can be worn with swimsuits, or with regular clothes. They are also not too heavy, which is a plus!
CARRY ON LUGGAGE: We usually try to carry on our bags, if possible! This one is a super fun shade, and has great reviews!
POM COVER UP: How adorable is this cover up?! Dying over the poms!
Anyone headed on a trip coming up? If you are, we are super jelly! We had some requests to share some of our tips for traveling, specifically overseas. These tips can really apply to any trip you’re going on, though. Before we head out on a trip, we always like to try and pack at least one carry-on bag. We absolutely hate having to wait for our bags at the luggage carousel, UGH. Especially if we are going overseas, we always bring a carry-on bag to bring some necessities, which we will highlight in a little bit!These Jon Hart Design bags are the PERFECT bags for traveling overnight, for a weekend, or even overseas. They can fit SO much in them, and they are personalized, which we love. They make a great gift, too. Can we talk about how CUTE this new pink color they have is?!The smaller one is the Daytripper, which is perfect for day trips (like the name, haha), or it makes a great gym bag. We love using this one to go to our boyfriend’s place for the night or weekend because it is a perfect size!The bigger one is the Weekender Bag. This one is a great carry-on bag for traveling because it holds so much and it has a long strap to carry on your body.And, now for our tips:
Travel size items in your carry-on bag to freshen up after the flight. We recommend: