We took a trip to the Mayan Riviera last week. Yep, the 4 of us. We travelled to Mexico with a couple of other families, all with very small children.
Fortunately we stayed at a ‘family friendly’ resort called ‘Sandos Caracol’. I recommend going there if you have kids 5 and under. Along with the Kids Club (which was mediocre), there was a splash park with lots of slides and fountains that they kids spent most of their time in. As parents, it was nice as well because there was a bar there and LOTS of lounge space. The place was not busy since most non-parents were at the beach/main pool.
There was a lot of restaurant fare as well so there was always something to eat for everyone.
Although I recommend this place for young families, I don’t necessarily recommend travelling with 2 or more youngsters. It is certainly not a trip for everyone’s liking. I enjoyed the trip (mostly) and I know for the most part everyone else on the trip did as well, but to travel with young kids (especially one that is < 2yrs) is an exhausting effort. The getting to and going from flights can and usually are nerve-wracking. Once there, be prepared to tailor your trip almost completely around the kids. This requires a significant resetting of expectations if you have been to resorts in the past without kids. Yet, fun can be had. Spending time with the kids alone is a great time, but you can also still have your fill of drinks and adult comraderie (we're all in the same boat!). The real differences come down to the routine itself: you won't unlimited or spontaneous moments to just lay down on the lounge chairs and relax. You'll need to schedule any activity you want to do well in advance. And be prepared to be on your feet a LOT of the time. As a whole, this vacation was well worth the effort and I won't forget it for all it's ups and downs. If we were to ever do this again while the kids are still very young, I would strongly consider a cruise. The amount of walking was SIGNIFICANT on the resort. Plus, a very good kid's club (that cruises usually have) would go a LONG way to finding some free time for yourself. See my kid's blog sites for details on what they did during their exciting adventure!