Ok, After 6 trips to RM...Our 1st comparison to Pearl!

[it's all good!]

I'll save everybody the travel details......direct flight from Canada, 1st piece of luggage off the carousal...........then the last piece of luggage off the carousal, WTF. Hit the red light as always....thru the maze of "salespeople"....... pass by our Transbeach representative, as our name wasn't held up.....the Desire logo was!

Greeted by Arcos along with a welcome home! This resort just keeps looking better and better each visit!

Beach bar closed for renos, so the beach didn't have the same vibe! Nothing had changed from the service angle though, as Africa was still there to never allow your drink to get empty!
The pool was a little tame this trip for the first few days as most appeared to be in relaxation mode....nothing wrong with that!
The resort really does change personalities based on the people......all very nice, some into partying, some not. The beauty of this resort is it's all good!
Valentines Day was a little opposite of what we expected, very relaxed! Most couples seemed to enjoy the atmosphere and the closeness to each other that this resort can give! Now when Friday came..........................
Last night...body painting....rain......more body painting.....rain......disco..... ......showering off in the hot tub shower......pizza at, ( you all know the story ).

Saturday, after saying our good-byes to all of our favorite Mexican hosts, off to Pearl!

Upgraded to the Penthouse suite along the Ocean....room #88...........Fantastic
Resort was as described, beautiful!! Enjoyed our beach bed while our room got ready.......went up for a power nap.....got ready for dinner.
Pearl restaurant was beautiful and the resort was 100% capacity. Even at full capacity it somehow didn't feel full. The lounge area is unique and does not have the same ambiance but it is beautiful! Disco is nice and was busy until after the show, then quiets down reasonably quickly. Off to hot tub at midnight and didn't make our room til late.........
The next 4 days the weather cooled for a bit and then warmed up. The pool is great and we met some totally awesome people. Hot tub picked up and the 4:30 witching hour is still on........not the same PDA's though. oh, except for Spartacus!!!

For those that are considering it, the photo shoot is a must........unbelievable!

Apologies to those who had to witness our antics....... in the mistaken playroom, in the disco, on the disco ,at the hottub shower, under the hottub shower, on the hottub bar, on the pool bar, on the lobby bar etc ........two gorgeous blondes and two tall guys......uh oh!

I'll make this brief as to what we feel are the attributes both good and could be better!

Staff......GREAT AT BOTH...we know the RM staff extremely well, but we feel the quality of the people appears to be the same.
Rooms.....big edge to Pearl, we saw a few beyond our penthouse suite and liked better.
Pool.......size and appearance to Pearl, but atmosphere, entertainment, and being heated gives edge to RM.
Beach..... with C.C. at an open Beach Bar, and fewer walk by traffic on a much longer beach area....advantage RM.
Lobby Bar...No comparison RM. Pearl just has something lacking, anytime you have the check in and check out desks in a socializing area, kinda tough!
For those who have been already, imagine them taking out the swamp/water feature area after you walk through the lobby, and turning it into an out door gathering area somewhat like RM. Just sayin'
Hot tub.....Pearl.....bigger, can socialize if you want, or not. No stairs and when it was full, it was busy enough to feel action packed but not on top of each other. (Not that we don't enjoy the RM hot tub as well....but sometimes?!!)
Restaurants....Pearl......Pearl restaurant was fantastic, the beach restaurant was great and the food over all a little bit better at Pearl. We feel it needs one more though if your staying a week or longer. Not a big issue for us as we feel the restaurants at RM are fine.

Now the biggy...........Atmosphere!

We were at Pearl when it was busy, and we were at RM when it was laid back. RM still had a better vibe.... the entertainment was head over heels better at RM, the entertainment staff better at RM, and the layout of the resort for pushing ones boundaries we found better at RM.

Final tally.......................BOTH.........ARE YOU FRICKEN KIDDING ME! We are soooo lucky to have both....and I've not even written about Cabo from our trip last November!

"remember, it's all good, we'll see you in the hot tub!"

[miranda]

Great trip report and thanks for the comparisons! We'll be there (at Pearl) in about 2 weeks. Having stayed at RM numerous times, it will be fun to experience what Pearl has to offer. We're going with no expectations - we know we're going to have a great time!! Thanks again for the wonderful report.

[ms914]

Agree with your report. We've been to RM about 10 times and to Pearl once. We are returning to Pearl in 3 weeks. I believe the atmosphere/vibe does vary greatly at both resorts, depending on the crowd. I've experienced RM when it was very laid back at times and have seen both extremes at Pearl as well. I do agree that Pearl overall is a bit quieter.....but you can always take the short cab ride over to RM for a day if you want more action! The poolside buffet at RM is more convenient....but really not a big deal.

We enjoy both resorts and will continue to visit both.

Hope to see some of you in 3 weeks!

[Gunnert]

We appreciate the comparison. Our annual spring break week has been to RM the past 6 years and we're looking forward to Pearl in less than 3 weeks. Our last trip was cut short when I broke a leg during an excursion. We're really excited to be going some place new and have been absorbing all the comparisons between RM and Pearl.

[olderII]

Management at Pearl should consider filling in the pond next to the lobby. More room to have shows like at RM. Lowering the price to that of RM would increase occupancy and most of all listen to the repeat guests. They have excellent suggestions.