Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Our first vacation without the kids – and how lucky were we not to have to organize a single aspect of it, besides booking our plane flights; we were off to Mayakoba, a destination just south of Cancun in Quintana Roo, Mexico, for our friend’s 40th birthday, and he was the tour organizer.

To say we were in Mexico felt like a misleading description, however; Mayakoba is a 600 acre gated community with four resorts spanning a gorgeous coastline with interconnected man-made waterways enabling guests to seamlessly float between each property… lacking culture and pretty much anything Mexican besides the ever-present taco buffets and the occasional “buenos dias,” we weren’t disappointed, as Mayakoba delivered on what we were actually looking for: total relaxation.

The birthday boy chose to stay at the Banyan Tree Hotel, famous for its 3000sqft rooms complete with private pools, trained hawks that would ensure birds vacated the dining areas, and the infamous Thai restaurant, which all guests past and present raved about.

It was so nice to unwind with friends, unwind with Rachel, and savor the sweet Caribbean breeze transcending each and every moment the group of 16 shared while all of our children remained back home.

Josh secured us prime beachfront real estate each day, where we sipped coconuts in the morning, margaritas in the afternoon, and soaked up the sun in between. Lunch each day was here with the sand between our toes, and on our final day, after quite the late night, the only thing I craved was a club sandwich.

Alas, this item was not on the menu – but rather than make a scene, I simply asked the waiter for a club sandwich, and without hesitation he placed my order. I absolutely loved the fact they didn’t question the request and went off to fulfil my desire: that was service!

Banyan Tree went for the traditional club with a flare of taco ingredients, without the taco flavors. The same chicken, avocado, and lettuce that had blessed our tacos were sandwiched in-between a thick layer of cheese, sparsely applied bacon, and two heaping, doughy, slices of ciabatta. I so appreciated the creation of this club sandwich, but I couldn’t help but feel they were trying to cater to the unadventurous American diner, whereas all of the other items on the menu embraced the Asian-hotel-in-Mexico vibe the property ubiquitously exuded.

I finished half of the sandwich and all of the delicious French fries just in time to make it to our snorkel excursion. Immersed in full relaxation mode with no kids to upend the moment, Rachel and I agreed we need to do a trip like this every year!

And a major thanks to Josh for organizing such an adventure – not having to plan, and execute, the trip’s details is a gift he gave the entire group.