Cancún International Airport (CUN) - Approximate driving time is 50 minutes and distance is 45 miles.

Mundaca - Located under a massive palapa, this south side restaurant serves breakfast and lunch buffets and ŕ la carte steaks and other grilled foods at dinner.

Mo Mo No Hana - This tranquil north side dinner spot features ŕ la carte Chinese, Japanese, and Indian dishes.

La Huerta - Adjacent to the spa, La Huerta offers healthful vegetarian cuisine such as zucchini flower crepes, chilled avocado-tangerine soup, and artichoke-tofu pie—all served under a painted dome ceiling and a chandelier.

Ventanas - Located in the south side lobby, Ventanas serves International dinner buffets.

La Hacienda - Also located in the south lobby, La Hacienda specializes in Mexican regional cuisine served ŕ la carte for dinner.

Snack bars serving fast foods such as hamburgers and nachos as well as tropical drinks are located next to both the north and south sides' pools. In the south lobby are two bars—one serving the nightclub bar after dark, when live music accompanies dancing, and the other offering pool tables for recreational relaxation.

Room service runs 24 hours a day as part of the All-Inclusive Plan.

Amenity highlights: The south side offers a huge, free-form pool and a deep pool for scuba-diving lessons, plus activities such as Spanish and dance lessons. The north side's water complex contains a big, square pool with a volleyball net. Next comes an enormous, liquid-sound free-form pool. One level below is a saltwater swimming lagoon with a white-sand beach furnished with thatch-roof palapas and lounge chairs. Nearby, sea-view palapas contain rooms for massage and body/facial treatments.

The spa and fitness facilities are extraordinary. The spa provides 103 rooms for massage and body/facial treatments, a full-service beauty salon, a juice/fruit bar, and men's and women's "wet" sides offering saunas, steam rooms, Swiss showers, pressure showers, and foot whirlpools. Treatments range from marine body scrubs to hot-stone therapy.

A two-story pavilion with a stained-glass ceiling houses a heated indoor pool and two eight-foot-diameter hot tubs with a cold-plunge pool between them. Fronted by a sea-view window wall, the state-of-the-art, air-conditioned fitness center contains a full cross section of 21st-century workout and aerobics equipment. Also available are an outdoor and indoor free-weight area, a meditation/yoga temple, a climbing wall, a fitness trail, a cross-current pool for cardiovascular and endurance walking/swimming, and a zen labyrinth. There's also a temazcal, or Mayan sweat lodge, shaped like an igloo and containing hot rocks perfumed by herbs. Singing and playing traditional instruments, a Mayan shaman presides as water is poured on the rocks for a soothing, detoxifying experience. A cool bath and hot tea follow.

Insider tip: Experts at the spa offer fitness and health assessments, including basic medical check-ups, cholesterol and blood sugar tests, body-fat measurements, and nutrition advice.