This week's article is about one of my wife's and I favorite places in Mexico to spend some leisure time.  We stayed one of the best resorts int the world back in 2009 and 2010.  I hope you enjoy our thoughts about this fine place.

Le Blanc Spa Resort

If Le Blanc is good enough for GW, it is good enough for me.  Ok!  What does George Bush have to due with this article?  Well let me give you some background. 

When we became a member of Palace Resorts, we knew we bought a vacation experience among the best in the world and we knew we could stay at Le Blanc.  However, we didn’t know much about this Cancun resort.  Besides, it was always just off the radar screen when we considered vacationing in Mexico, since it was more expensive then the other resorts included in our membership, and especially because we always vacationed, further south of Cancun, along the Riviera Maya.

Then we heard that former President George W. Bush stayed at this resort when meeting with Vicente Fox, the former Mexican President a few years ago.  That piqued our interest.  Le Blanc is so upscale that it advertises only in the most exclusive travel magazines.  To learn more, I had Palace Resort send me a brochure, since their website didn’t provide much information.  There was this mysterious exclusivity about Le Blanc. 

That mystery spurred us to investigate further.  We found that this all-inclusive spa and resort experience was one of the premier resorts in the world.  We re-looked at our contract and found that it was just a click away on the Internet for us if we entered a specific code.  Therefore, we made that click, learned more, and made a reservation. 

Cancun, Mexico has many resorts that range from fun filled family getaways to wild and crazy spring break madness.  Some cater to honeymooners and others focus on keeping guests at play.  Le Blanc, however, pampers guests in line with Robin Leach’s “champagne wishes and caviar dreams.”  Nestled between the stunningly white beaches of the Caribbean and a peaceful portion of the Nichupte Lagoon in Cancun, this is a luxurious resort unlike all others. 

            Le Blanc as an adult-only all-inclusive resort offering sophisticated style and luxury gives.  The environmental decor is both contemporary and minimalist.  Its ambiance is exquisitely elegant.  Its Spa is one of the best in the world designed to rejuvenate and wash away the stress of the world.  Its restaurants provide haute cuisine that can compete with the best in the world.  It is a resort meant to revitalize relationships between spouses, provide peace and relaxation, or be the perfect place for a wedding and honeymoon.  Indeed, young or old, working or retired, world traveler, corporate executive, or a world leader all will find Le Blanc Spa Resort the best kept secret in Cancun.

  This breath taking resort with its fine dining, restful pools and lounge, and wonderful spa are located in the heart of the Hotel Zone in Cancun.  Additionally, guests are just steps from some of the finest shopping and aquatic adventures in Cancun.  One might say, “There are many resort hotels that offer these things in Cancun.”  However, it is better to say, “There is an intangible wonder about Le Blanc.”  

            A crisply uniformed attendant greats guests and extends to them a cool and refreshing towel.  Then they climb the steps and enter through the sliding doors.  There they come upon a simple and expansive lobby with several desks on one side while comfortable chairs and sofas are on the other side.  Looking straight ahead, at the far end of the lobby, the blue waters of the infinity pool beckons all to the Caribbean.  Checking in at the front desk, the vacationer receives a refreshing drink to sip as the enthusiastic and smiling concierge describes the coming days.  This is the beginning of total immersion into luxury.

            When we first visited Le Blanc, we took a brief tour of the resort to absorb both its gentle intimacy and friendly social charm.  Once we got to our room, we found our luggage, and a friendly Butler contacted us.  We discovered that he is always available and made a point of greeting us daily since his desk is by the elevator on our guest floor.      He called on us now because he wanted to make sure that we knew each other so he could determine how best to serve us.  We soon realized he would ensure that we had everything we needed--even anticipating our needs.  This included scents and herbs to enhance the aroma of our room.  He offered us each evening an assortment of specialty pillows that included aromatic enhancements with just the right comfort.  He would even run our Jacuzzi tub water and provide invigorating bath salts of your choice.  Plus, he is full of information about Cancun, the resort and the things that might interest you.

All the guest rooms at Le Blanc look out to the beach and Caribbean Sea.  Several types of Liquor and a bottle of wine or champagne are always available in the room.  Each room receives a tropical floral piece daily.  The view of the ocean is magnificent through large picture windows, sliding doors, and a small balcony.  While, you probably do not want to stay indoors much when in paradise, you can be quite content lounging in your room, if you choose, and enjoy its comfort as a guest at Le Blanc.

            When we travel, we usually arrive early in the afternoon.  After the long trip, we often are eager to get to our room, quickly unpack, and change into our bathing suit so we can get our first taste of the sun and pool.  Le Blanc offers you choices.  There is the infinity pool with a swim up bar.  Indeed, this is the opportunity for another drink at the busier and perhaps more socially oriented pool.  Alternatively, we can saunter over to the Lagoon side and get a drink at its smaller swim up bar and lounge quietly in the late afternoon sun until sundown and the time to get ready for dinner.

            Dining at Le Blanc is something to look forward to each day.  The Breakfast Buffet is a daily feast.  Guest can enjoy an assortment of fruits, breads, yogurt, cereals, eggs, and meats in traditional Mexican and American style.  This includes eggs made to order in whatever form desired.  Lunch offers a wide variety of cheeses, beef, poultry, pork, and fish is prepared to order along with a variety of international buffet offerings supplemented with fruits, vegetables, and deserts.  Wine by the bottle or glass, as well as other beverages are available.  Around the two pools, burgers and hot dogs, along with various Mexican foods like guacamole and chips are prepared for snacking while still in the sun relaxing or playing.  By the way, all day long, at the pools, a friendly and very attentive pool butler continuously circulates around the pool deck to bring water, snacks, and drinks.

            Before dinner in the lobby every evening, there is a musician playing a violin, or piano, or harp in the lobby bar.  That music sweetly resonates through the lobby and lounge and sets the tone for the evening.  It is just right for romance or quiet socializing as you recap the adventures and joys of the day before going to dinner.

Dinner is more formal.  The shorts and the bathing suits stay in the room.  Slacks or dresses for women and long pants for men are required.  The menu offers a choice of Asian, Italian, French, Mexican, or Steak House fare or pizza and wine at an outdoor cafe.  All the food is excellent.  With the meals, wine if offered.  Indeed, a knowledgeable sommelier is available to make suggestions and offer from a well-stocked wine cellar some of the finest wines in the world.

            At virtually anytime during the day, guests can visit the Spa and receive the magical touch of well-trained masseuses ready to help remove your stress.  There are nineteen spa suites to help suspend time while enjoying one of the many assorted massages.  In the Spa, steam or dry saunas with chromotheraphy, hydro-reflexology, Jacuzzi, and lagoon pools of varying temperature are available.  All this is provided under the caring watch of the Spa Butlers who are ready to assists at any moment.

One of the most wonderful joys of Le Blanc is the little thatched roof cabana that sits at the end of a pier jutting into the tree-lined lagoon.  Each morning, at 9:00 am, Petra (with fitness center staff) leads guests who desire to learn about Yoga or continue their practice while on vacation.  For an hour, she guides her students through Hatha, Pranayama, or Vinyasa Yoga depending on the day of the week.  Her style, even when the yoga is intense, is gentle and caring to ensure that maximum pleasure and spiritual renewal is experienced.  There are few other peaceful pleasures like a Yoga session outdoors while hearing the rippling water of the lagoon and the birds chattering.

While staying at Le Blanc, as a member of Palace Resorts, guests can visit of their resorts in Cancun or south along the Riviera Maya.  They also have a resort on the nearby island -- Isla Mujeres.  During those visits, all can dine, play golf, and enjoy the variety of entertainment of those resorts.  In addition, the concierge at Le Blanc can arrange day trips to snorkel, scuba dive, or visit Mayan Ruins.

All that I have described only touches on some key facts about the Le Blanc experience.  We have not touched on the intangible.  I dare to say that I can never describe that intangible character of Le Blanc.  In reality, it is impossible to explain.  It can only be experienced!  It is about people, sight, sound, and scent.  It is the ambiance.  It is about the way a guest is treated.  It is the blend of all these and more because when the right mix of all these elements come together a remarkable thing occurs.  It is Le Blanc.

I opened this article with a reference to former President Bush.  We had a chance to see the rooms he stayed in while at Le Blanc.  In spite of their expansive size, for he had a Governor’s suite, as well as the wonderful view, I wonder if he was able to enjoy Le Blanc the way we experienced it.  I somehow doubt it.  I can only imagine that he was so involved with preparation for discussions and responding to his large entourage about domestic and world affairs that it would be extremely hard to experience the true essence of Le Blanc. 

Nonetheless, he must have gotten a slight sense of what Le Blanc is like.  For besides the ambiance, much of what I touched upon in this article relates to people.  It is people, who make a place special.  I truly believe that Le Blanc has some of the friendliest and best-trained staff.  They are focused on making their guest’s stay at Le Blanc memorable and pleasant.  I am sure that Mr. Bush must have experienced that.  

We all can say is, “Thank you GW for putting Le Blanc on our radar screen!”  We know that we will return often to experience the luxury and pleasure of this magnificent resort.

Written By John D. Roach, Spring 2011