FAQ's
All of the wedding events will take place at the resort. Many of you won’t leave the resort unless you’re planning on going to one of the parks (www.xcaret.com) which are included with your stay or venturing out to explore the many cool places in and around the Riviera Maya. We may arrange an outing to Playa del Carmen for food/drinks but apart from that, once you get to the hotel you can kick back and not worry about a thing other than reapplying sunscreen, choosing lunch, and deciding on whether to hang at the pool or beach.
DOLLARS/PESOS
You won’t really need pesos unless you’re planning on venturing out to Playa del Carmen or other places on the Riviera. The best way to get pesos is out of a hotel or bank ATM. You can exchange money at the airport or hotel. However we strongly suggest having cash (dollars or pesos) to tip waiters, bartenders, housekeepers, etc. Give us a shout on tipping protocol but standard is $10-$20 per dinner and $1 -$2 per drink.
DO I NEED A PASSPORT?
Yes, see here for passport info- travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/how-to-apply.html
You don’t need a visa to travel to Mexico.
WI-FI/PHONES
The hotel has free wi-fi (which is sort of spotty) but we’ve always had solid cell service at the resort. Check with your provider on rates but I know for us (Verizon), there is no additional charge/fees for usage in Mexico.
IS MEXICO SAFE?
Just like any country, it depends on where you are and what you’re doing. If you have concerns, please reach out as we are happy to discuss but keep in mind that this area of Mexico has less crime than many major US cities. And further, the hotel itself is incredibly safe as they have security guards at the entrances.
ZIKA? IS THAT STILL A THING?
The Centers for Disease Control has no current Zika virus notice for Mexico. However, the resort does spray the property daily to prevent mosquitoes. Do your research as we of course don't want to make any uncomfortable.
HOW LONG SHOULD WE STAY?
As the wedding is on Friday, we are encouraging guests to arrive Thursday (or before) and stay until Sunday (or later). While the wedding itself will be a blast, we are hoping to spend another few days with all of you to celebrate and have fun! Meg and Tom will be there from Tuesday – Tuesday so come for some, come for all, just come and have some fun
DO I HAVE TO STAY AT HOTEL XCARET?
Technically no but one of the reasons we opted for the destination wedding is to get all of our friends and family together under 1 roof (more like 20+ roofs) for a long weekend of fun. As such, if you are staying elsewhere, you won’t be able to participate in many of the soft activities (read- hanging at the beach/pools, drinking, casual lunches, etc.). You would still be able to attend the actual wedding of course but it’s easier for us to have the vast majority of guests staying at Hotel Xcaret.
Because Hotel Xcaret is all-inclusive, they are very restrictive on non-guests being on the hotel property. If you stay somewhere else and want to come hang out the day before or after the wedding, the hotel will likely charge you a hefty price for a day pass. If you are planning on staying somewhere else, please let us know as soon as possible as we’ll have to make special arrangements to get you onto the hotel property on the wedding day. But keep in mind that almost all of our guests will be at the hotel for 3 or so nights so if you want to see old friends, meet new ones, or simply hang out with us, staying at Hotel Xcaret is the best way to do so.
CAN WE BRING THE KIDS?
YES! The hotel is VERY child friendly. There is an awesome children's pool area on the property with water-slides, as well as clubs for kids and teens. There are tons of fun activities to keep young ones busy and the parks are also great for the kids.
If you want to really cut loose at the reception, the hotel works with a local childcare company called Kangaroo the Babysitting Crew. They have sitters available 24/7 and depending on how many kids show up, we may arrange some sort of group babysitter. If you’re planning on bringing your kids, please let us know ASAP.