I had the luxury of traveling to Cancun this week in the Summer of 2024.
A nice resort, tropical weather, steak, scotch, luxury hotel was all I needed to relax from burnout and continue going strong.
My trip was from August 12 to August 15. I heard of talks about a “hurricane”, but the weather was absolutely beautiful. High eighties to nineties, clear skies, and very humid and tropical weather. I was able to enjoy delicious steak every night and completely relax at the resort.
With hurricane season and Hurricane Beryl, it almost seems like it’s not the move to make to go to Cancun, which is all the more reason to go. Beware that traveling during hurricane season does present its risks so make sure you’re protected for your stay and look into plans that offer you a refund.
I didn’t see myself needing to eat or drink the week away so I did not choose an all inclusive resort option. This turned out to be the right choice for me.
It felt like all my worries just melted away.
August 16, 2024 by Kazu Fujimoto
Uber to and from the airport
I use Uber to get to the airport. It was about a 15 minute uber ride and left early morning. I make it a habit to get a few hours before my flight, even earlier than the standard 3 hours for international and 2 hours for domestic. I always account for things like potential traffic, accidents, forgetting things, hiccups at the airport and this mindset has been such the lifesaver. When you rush for things, you essentially are not in control.
Going back home from LAX was a bit hectic. I opted for Uber Black and waited about 20 minutes till my driver showed up because traffic was hectic. After getting picked up from my driver, it was smooth sailing and getting home was easy.
The reason why I ultimately choose to opt for Uber Black is because you avoid having to take the shuttle to the Uber/Lyft area in LAX. Taking the shuttle to the Uber/Lyft area can also be pretty hectic and can add another 15-30 minutes or even longer for you to get home. When you once arrive at the Uber/Lyft area you then have to call for an Uber, which can take additional time as well. The cost savings of going this route is very negligible.
If you’re on a time crunch and can’t get someone to pick up or drop you off, uber is always a good option. Although it may be expensive, it is totally worth the convenience.
United Airlines Flight to Cancun
LAX to Cancun
I flew United Business to Cancun from LAX.
I have Global Entry from having a Chase Sapphire Reserve card, and TSA Pre-Check along with it. Getting past TSA was a breeze.
After passing TSA, I do what everyone else does and check to make sure that the gate that my plane is leaving on is there.
As a benefit of flying business in United airlines, they provided me access to the United lounge, based in LAX.
I got to the airport a few hours early, hung out in the lounge, did some work, and took a meeting I had.
As it was time to board, it was a relatively easy and smooth process being in Group 1. No long line to wait and seamless entry.
The seats for a United flight from LAX to Cancun was not a lay flat, but is quite the upgrade from typical economy class.
I mostly spent my time reading on my kindle and napping, switching back and forth between the two.
The meal I had consisted of bread, butter, salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and a chicken parmesan like meal with some type of cheese and broccolini.
Cancun to LAX
Again, I flew United Business from Cancun to LAX.
I arranged for private transportation, as I will be describing below.
No lay flat seats, but was comfortable and boarding was relatively smooth as I was in Group 1.
I got to the airport in Cancun a few hours early, got past security, did some shopping, and then proceeded to hang out in the Mera Business Lounge in Cancun International Airport.
The interior was more earth / wooden decor based than a typical airport lounge is, but it was nice to hang out. It felt more relaxing to hang out in the lounge as opposed to hanging out in the terminal gate area. To me, the terminal gate area has too much going on and can get overwhelming when it gets crowded.
Transportation from the airport to the hotel
I opted for the private service that the hotel provides. Although this does add as a cost, it’s one less thing for me to worry about. When you arrive at the airport in Cancun and get to the transportation area, it is hectic. Tons of drivers are opting for you aggressively to use their “cheap” service. To completely not deal with this, I opted for the private shuttle so that I have my transportation completely set. Although many will disagree with me, this is value.
The ride from the airport in Cancun to the hotel was about 20 minutes. It felt very quick and was seamless. Normally when traveling, the journey from the airport to the hotel is hectic, but it was seamless.
From landing off the plane in Cancun to getting to the hotel, it took about 1 hour more or less. This included some window shopping at the duty free store and things like getting past immigration and customs.
JW Marriot Resort and Spa – Cancun Hotel
I stayed at the JW Marriot Resort and Spa. It was a very good stay. The inside screamed luxury and the staff was very hospitable. Almost too hospitable, but the service and attention was nice. Any help you needed, and it was available. The other guests were also very friendly, a benefit that I usually come across when staying at more elevated places.
Most of the staff speak English, so it was very easy to communicate and get things across. If you have the time, leeway, and interest, I recommend you learn Spanish so that you can connect and build relationships with some of the locals, but overall it is not necessary.
The resort area was perfect to do exactly what I was planning – relax and a little bit of business.
Room
I had a 1 bedroom with a king size bed, with an ocean view available on the balcony. One of my favorite things to do is to read or scroll through my phone on the balcony. I also enjoyed just sitting on the balcony and taking in the view, giving my fried dopamine receptors a break.
The decor of the room was very pleasant and completely gave beach luxury.
Let’s say it was hard to get used to the furniture coming back home after being surrounded by luxury!
Restaurants
I had the pleasure of attending two restaurants along with checking out the restaurant based in the outside resort.
Bravio
A luxury Modern Spanish cuisine based restaurant.
I had dinner here 2 nights and both times had the Grilled beef tenderloin, confided piquillo sauce, with smoked potatoes.
For whatever reason, the first night, the meat was not as tender and juicy as I hoped, even when I asked for the meat rare, but the second night, the place delivered. Absolutely devoured the steak after a long day.
Gustino
Gustino is an Italian style restaurant also based in the JW Marriot Hotel in Cancun. I was reading online about review such that you need to make a reservation and book way in advance to eat here, but luckily I was here during the week and the restaurant was pretty empty. The staff was very hospitable and took good care of me.
I had the Prime Angus Beef, porcini, and portobello mushroom risotto and it was excellent. It was a very enjoyable dining experience with a wide range of textures and flavors topped along with a juicy tender steak. To drink, I had a glass of Macallan 12 year single malt scotch whiskey neat and after dinner had a delicious lemon drop martini on the house. I’m not much of a martini drinker, but after this night, I may have found a new favorite martini.
Best places to take pictures in JW Marriot Hotel
A picture is worth a thousand words, and you should be making it a point to take photos on vacation.
Make sure that you are in them though!
The resort JW Marriot Hotel Resort and Spa has many places to take photos, but the outdoor area with the pool and the hotel in the background was one of my favorites.
Broadening worldview
What I am really appreciative and have come to realize time and again after I travel is how grateful I am to be from the United States. It almost feels like being born on third base relative to locations in the world that may not be as fortunate. Of course, being born and working in the United States comes with its challenges, but I am extremely grateful and appreciative of what I can do.
However, just because I am from the United States does not automatically make it such that I am happier than others. Money is not happiness, but it can be used as a tool to get you there.
I’m glad I’m not an Epsilon, said Lenina, with conviction. “And if you were an Epsilon,” said Henry, “your conditioning would have made you no less thankful that you weren’t a Beta or an Alpha?
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
I offer plenty of services to get you to that next level in life and I continue to grow and build every day.
Join me.
Click to see options to 10X chances of elevating your life and enjoying the finer things
About the author
Kazuyoshi Fujimoto, PE
Founder | Engineering Career Coach | Principal Mechanical Engineer
Kazu oversees all of ultmeche’s engineering services. He provides consulting such as resume reviews, rewrites, mock interviews, and all services career related. Additionally, Kazu performs consulting work regarding Oil & Gas, Automotive, and Aerospace & Defense. Kazu is licensed as a professional engineer in the state of California and has 9+ years of experience in Oil & Gas, Automotive, and Aerospace & Defense.
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