mayaflya
2nd October 2007, 12:40 PM
June 2006- Our week at Azulik
The wife and I had an incredible stay! We were put into Azulik #2, and it was perfect.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1243/1472893214_6809c380eb_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1085/1472041231_0f6da06d84_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1076/1472892974_e5a1f140cd_o.jpg
It had enough privacy to let us explore our "bohemian" side at a comfortable pace, and we both ended up with fewer inhibitions than we started with. The week revitalized our intimacy, and while we were sad to leave, (knowing the pressures that would return to), we knew that we were bringing the best part of the experience home with us.
We fell in love all over again. The corrosive stress of the last few years had been affecting our relationship, even to the point where we didn’t like each other all that much. This week changed all of that. It renewed the passion between us.
There were several things that happened (or didn't) while we there that, if we had let them, could have upset us. I had requested flowers for our room in my booking, but they weren't there when we checked in. I asked about them the next day, and the reception staff apologized and said that the flower shop in town was out that day. They promised to bring some the next day. We still hadn't received them by our next to last day, so I suggested to reception that we would be happy to have a bottle of wine instead. This turned out to be a request that needed 24 hours to process, but we had a lovely iced bottle of wine and two glasses delivered to our deck on our last night there. It ended up being a much better choice than the flowers, but a bit of a challenge to work out.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1371/1472889088_d9beedc4e8_o.jpg
We had the “touch for two” massage midweek, again an outstanding experience, but the massage table was left in our room and never picked up. I folded and moved it to the deck, and we mentioned it to reception on our way out to dinner. They promised to take care of it immediately. It was still there when we got back, and sat out in the rain all night. The next day when it was still there after our room was cleaned, I carried it reception myself, which was no big deal to me, but rightfully embarrassed the staff on duty.
Hot water and/or water pressure came and went periodically, but it only started to be a concern when we returned from our last morning's swim to find no water pressure. We decided we'd start packing, and hope it would come back in time to wash the sand and salt off before dressing to fly home. It did.
I mentioned some of my observations to management when we checked out, but the whole Azulik/EcoTulum property seems to suffer from a lack of effective management. Everyone was always helpful and friendly, but there never seemed to be anyone available with the authority to do anything. I realize that Azulik, in particular, is very small, and keeping reception staffed would be a challenge, but it did not seem that ANYONE was empowered to make adjustments for guests. Minor problems become major problems when no one responds.
Okay beds... I was prepared for a hard bed, because it seems a lot of people mentioned this, most of them commenting that this was as it was in Mexico. The wife and I did not find the bed uncomfortable, but we have a firm mattress at home. We each had a little trouble sleeping on various nights, but it didn't seem to be the bed's fault. I guess it boils down to we expected worse.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1044/1472039081_e072afcea2_o.jpg
As to the weather in June/July, I have to say that the heat and mosquitos were my biggest apprehension. I was not completely put at ease when we stepped out of our air-conditioned rental car in the parking lot, and my glasses immediately fogged over from the humidity. I was beaded with sweat just standing in the reception area while checking in. But, the minute that we came out from behind the cabanas and the ocean breeze hit us, the apparent temperature dropped. The location of the units on the cliff creates a "microclimate" when the wind blows, and we came to love that wind very much. It almost howled for the first two days and nights, which we Kansans were very much used to. It also, of course, kept the mosquitos back in the jungle. With the ocean front door open, it was very comfortable in the cabana...as long as the wind blew.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1122/1472890800_d571aac92d_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1357/1472041467_ff6dc47f6e_o.jpg
It blew a little too much on the third night, as a gust front preceeding a thunderstorm, blew the door open and back into the log tub hard enough to break the glass in the door. I had gotten up in the night to close the door when the wind started up, but in the dark, I had not properly latched it. It cracked the glass, but the glass stayed in the frame, so I did not realize that it was broken until morning. This was one case however, where the slow response from management worked to our advantage. I reported the damage to reception, and a workman eventually came by to look at it. We communicated, in my broken spanish and gestures, that he would tape the glass and then replace it "tomorrow". I had forgotten that we had our couples massage scheduled for the next afternoon, and I was worried that we would have somebody working on our door at the same time. I needn't have worried. It never even got taped while were there.
(to be continued...)
The wife and I had an incredible stay! We were put into Azulik #2, and it was perfect.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1243/1472893214_6809c380eb_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1085/1472041231_0f6da06d84_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1076/1472892974_e5a1f140cd_o.jpg
It had enough privacy to let us explore our "bohemian" side at a comfortable pace, and we both ended up with fewer inhibitions than we started with. The week revitalized our intimacy, and while we were sad to leave, (knowing the pressures that would return to), we knew that we were bringing the best part of the experience home with us.
We fell in love all over again. The corrosive stress of the last few years had been affecting our relationship, even to the point where we didn’t like each other all that much. This week changed all of that. It renewed the passion between us.
There were several things that happened (or didn't) while we there that, if we had let them, could have upset us. I had requested flowers for our room in my booking, but they weren't there when we checked in. I asked about them the next day, and the reception staff apologized and said that the flower shop in town was out that day. They promised to bring some the next day. We still hadn't received them by our next to last day, so I suggested to reception that we would be happy to have a bottle of wine instead. This turned out to be a request that needed 24 hours to process, but we had a lovely iced bottle of wine and two glasses delivered to our deck on our last night there. It ended up being a much better choice than the flowers, but a bit of a challenge to work out.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1371/1472889088_d9beedc4e8_o.jpg
We had the “touch for two” massage midweek, again an outstanding experience, but the massage table was left in our room and never picked up. I folded and moved it to the deck, and we mentioned it to reception on our way out to dinner. They promised to take care of it immediately. It was still there when we got back, and sat out in the rain all night. The next day when it was still there after our room was cleaned, I carried it reception myself, which was no big deal to me, but rightfully embarrassed the staff on duty.
Hot water and/or water pressure came and went periodically, but it only started to be a concern when we returned from our last morning's swim to find no water pressure. We decided we'd start packing, and hope it would come back in time to wash the sand and salt off before dressing to fly home. It did.
I mentioned some of my observations to management when we checked out, but the whole Azulik/EcoTulum property seems to suffer from a lack of effective management. Everyone was always helpful and friendly, but there never seemed to be anyone available with the authority to do anything. I realize that Azulik, in particular, is very small, and keeping reception staffed would be a challenge, but it did not seem that ANYONE was empowered to make adjustments for guests. Minor problems become major problems when no one responds.
Okay beds... I was prepared for a hard bed, because it seems a lot of people mentioned this, most of them commenting that this was as it was in Mexico. The wife and I did not find the bed uncomfortable, but we have a firm mattress at home. We each had a little trouble sleeping on various nights, but it didn't seem to be the bed's fault. I guess it boils down to we expected worse.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1044/1472039081_e072afcea2_o.jpg
As to the weather in June/July, I have to say that the heat and mosquitos were my biggest apprehension. I was not completely put at ease when we stepped out of our air-conditioned rental car in the parking lot, and my glasses immediately fogged over from the humidity. I was beaded with sweat just standing in the reception area while checking in. But, the minute that we came out from behind the cabanas and the ocean breeze hit us, the apparent temperature dropped. The location of the units on the cliff creates a "microclimate" when the wind blows, and we came to love that wind very much. It almost howled for the first two days and nights, which we Kansans were very much used to. It also, of course, kept the mosquitos back in the jungle. With the ocean front door open, it was very comfortable in the cabana...as long as the wind blew.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1122/1472890800_d571aac92d_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1357/1472041467_ff6dc47f6e_o.jpg
It blew a little too much on the third night, as a gust front preceeding a thunderstorm, blew the door open and back into the log tub hard enough to break the glass in the door. I had gotten up in the night to close the door when the wind started up, but in the dark, I had not properly latched it. It cracked the glass, but the glass stayed in the frame, so I did not realize that it was broken until morning. This was one case however, where the slow response from management worked to our advantage. I reported the damage to reception, and a workman eventually came by to look at it. We communicated, in my broken spanish and gestures, that he would tape the glass and then replace it "tomorrow". I had forgotten that we had our couples massage scheduled for the next afternoon, and I was worried that we would have somebody working on our door at the same time. I needn't have worried. It never even got taped while were there.
(to be continued...)