Stephanie Farr

Travel Professional,

Rank: 4

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Age: 24-35

Xpu Ha Villa
(Playa Del Carmen - Accommodations)

Luxurious Seclusion meets Paradise

Located about 1.5 hours south of Cancun and only 25 minutes south of Playa Del Carmen, Xpu Ha is an 8 bedroom haven located in on the exclusive beach, XPU HA. Xpu Ha beach has to be one of the top beaches in all of Riviera Maya with well manicured beaches and beautiful turquoise waters. Although Xpu Ha Beach is now a popular Kite Boarding beach, it’s still a hidden gem and yet to become mainstream to the general tourist.

The above description describes the layout of the property but keep in mind that most of the staff only speaks Spanish so you’ll be paying top $$ to brush up on your Spanish or Spanglish for that matter.

The villa rents for an average of 10, 000 USD per night and although the most expensive rustic house I’ve seen, you’re mostly paying for privacy and seclusion and for one of the best beaches I’ve seen (around the world)

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Stephanie Farr

Travel Professional,

Rank: 4

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Age: 24-35

m:brgr
(Montreal - Restaurants)

5:brgr 7:dsrt 9:srvc

So we decided to take my aunt out for her birthday here at M:brgr. This is my second time at the resto, and first time I think I ordered the Tuna Asiatic Salad, but can’t really remember. As you can see the taste left a lasting impression…not.

We ordered Mac & Cheese as an appetizer…it was nice and creamy, basically a heart attack waiting to happen. As my main dish I ordered the tuna burger with plain bread, cheddar cheese, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes and lettuce. For some reason, I was expecting a piece of seared tuna but instead my burger consisted of a tuna patty which somehow disintegrated into a paper thin fish flavored specimen upon biting into it. So the burger was enhhhh…nothing special. I’ve had much better burgers in Montreal and cheaper….burger king? Ok no, just joking but I was serious about tasting better burgers in Montreal.
The dessert is a completely different topic. We ordered the chocolate chip cookie which comes out on a mini-frying pan, garnished with 2 big scoops of vanilla icecream. The cookie is to die for as the hot raw texture combined with the melting ice cream harmoniously melt in your mouth!!!

The service was absolutely excellent….the waitress was constantly checking up on us.

Worth checking out for atmosphere, good service and great desserts but don’t get your hopes up on the burgers!

Stephanie Farr

Travel Professional,

Rank: 4

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Age: 24-35

Coffee Cafe (removed)
(Playa Del Carmen - Restaurants)

Heaven Brewed into a Cup

Coffee Cafe, AKA my SECOND HOME in Playa, is not just your typical “coffee cafe” but rather it’s a Lifestyle celebrated over music, coffee, people and even work. People congregate here to have business meetings, first dates, social gatherings…You have the regulars that eat, work and almost sleep in the same chair day in and day out and you have the new-bees who submit their order and can be in & out within 5 minutes.

Coffee Cafe offers a variety of different coffees, teas, lattes, frappuccinos…a wide assortment of desserts and even a lunch menu with excellent sandwhiches served with a side order of pickles and chips :-)

Once you step foot in Coffee Cafe you really do feel like you’re stepping into familiar territory…a home away from home. As cheesy as it may sound, it’s definitely true!

Enjoy unlimited Free WIFI and if you don’t have a laptop to schlep with you, Coffee Cafe has 3 complimentary computers with internet access as well.

Hope to see you there but you better not be sitting in my seat. (it’s the first table to the right as you walk in)

Stephanie Farr

Travel Professional,

Rank: 4

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Age: 24-35

Villa Turquesa
(Playa Del Carmen - Accommodations)

Villa Turquesa - STELLAR LOCATION, VIEWS & DESIGN!

Located in Phase 1, Playacar, Playa del Carmen, VIlla Turquesa is located directly across from what I consider to be one of the most secluded beaches in all of Playa del Carmen. Moreover, it’s conveniently located only 10 minutes walking distance from the heart of Playa’s main district LA Quinta (5th avenue)

This 4 bedroom haven has ocean views from 2 of the master bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and rooftop pool and palapa.

This property caters to all types of guests – Families, romantic getaways, group of friend…the beach across the villa is also a perfect location to host weddings.

If you would like more information on Villa Turquesa – contact info@mayaluxe.com
They can help you organize your entire vacation in Playa del Carmen.

Stephanie Farr

Travel Professional,

Rank: 4

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Age: 24-35

Mamitas Beach Club
(Playa Del Carmen - Nightlife)

Mamitas and Papitos no longer?

My first experience at Mamitas was 2 years ago, and this consisted of Crystal on ice, beautiful woman trying to outdo each other with the skimpiest THONG (is that even possible?) and plumpest buttocks, jacked guys lounging on the daybeds, flexing their abs and almost non-existent biceps.. swarmed with these beautiful “brazilian model type” women dancing around them, to the beat of cool house tunes…

It was without question, the place where the WHO’s WHO hangs out…and if you used the word MAMITAS in your vocabulary…you were instantly cool!

That was 2 years ago….

I think it’s fair to now say it’s the HAS BEEN place to go. Mamita’s now caters to mostly national tourists from Mexico’s main cities: Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City. It’s now where the COOL WANNA BE’s go. Most of the guys will be wearing their Vilebrequin trunks that are way too tight on the crotch…maybe intentionally to create the illusion of a bulging package? Who knows….

I just know that Mamitas has lost it’s cool and upper echelon status.

Nonetheless, it does host some pretty amazing events such as the 3rd annual BPM festival which is raving mad with the ultimate party-goers from around the world.

It’s also SUPER bumping during both Xmas, NYE and Semana Santa (holy week)

We’ll see how long this popularity contest holds up, as Satanera, one of Playa del Carmen’s most popular night clubs is building their own beach club just a few hundred meters north of Mamitas.

Stephanie Farr

Travel Professional,

Rank: 4

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Age: 24-35

OM
(Playa Del Carmen - Nightlife)

OM Is Where the Heart Is

Conveniently located in the heart of Playa’s nightlife district: 12th St and 1st Ave, this trendy bar usually consistently packed with party goers, either in transit from the beach bars to Santanera or Dubai or Cocobongo…It’s a great place to socialize and to start the night with some chill/house music.

The name OM says it all….for some reason, it’s very harmonizing and self fulfilling to have your first few drinks of the night here.

The prices are reasonable and the service is quite good, complimented with some respectable DJs/

There is also an OM in TULUM and usually hosts the FULL MOON PARTIES. Actually, there’s one this Saturday night which I’ll be attending!

Stephanie Farr

Travel Professional,

Rank: 4

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Age: 24-35

Bel'Ha
(Playa Del Carmen - Accommodations)

BEL HA - Garden of Eden

Bel Ha is most definitely located on what’s considered to be one of Riviera Maya’s best beaches: XPU HA. Located only 25 minutes south from Playa del Carmen and 1 hour 25 min from Cancun airport – you feel like you’ve discovered an oasis once you set your feet in the silicon white sand and feel the cool breeze so delicately brush your skin….the location truly is paradise.
The Villa itself is a typical mexican design with white walls, and sparkling clean white floors with Palapa roof tops. Very simple yet very posh.
The staff is amazingly sweet, friendly and accommodating but be weary of your personal belongings.
I left my purse on the outdoor couch while going for a dip in the pool and my camera went missing. Just a fluke? Another chick that was staying at the villa also lost her camera. Coincidence that we lose our camera in the same day? Some will argue yes, but I know 100% that my camera was poached out of my purse the moment I went for a dip in the ocean.
So besides locking up your valued belongings and not trusting the staff, this is a great villa with amazing location!

Stephanie Farr

Travel Professional,

Rank: 4

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Age: 24-35

St. Viateur Bagel
(Montreal - Restaurants)

Hot Out of the Wood Burning Oven

Another local mecca in Montreal, St. Viateur Bagels is forever imprinted in my childhood memories – picking up fresh hot bagels and eating them in the car while my mother is running her errands where not to long after she scolds me for getting sesame and poppy seeds all over the car seat. And of course, after a big night of partying, picking up fresh bagels at 4 am and choosing from their variety of Cream Cheese spreads is also a Montreal tradition!

I know this may sound bizarre, but I love eating my bagels half raw, so I would wait for a new batch to hit the oven and have them take a couple out early. Of course I would get a few weird glances, but I didn’t care…it’s sooooooo worth it! Try it sometime.

Stephanie Farr

Travel Professional,

Rank: 4

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Age: 24-35

Schwartz's
(Montreal - Restaurants)

You can't call yourself a true Montrealer until you've been to Shwartz's!!!

Schwartz is a Montreal mecca not only for the locals, but I think it’s now actually a “tourist attraction”! Maybe this restaurant should be listed under sites and activities because watching tourists stand in line in the heart of winter just t0 taste the legendary “Schwartz” truly is a sight to be seen and in fact standing in line is truly worth the wait.

Of course the signature dish is smoked meat, but my brother who lived in Texas for over 5 years and knows his steaks, attests that their steaks are the cheapest and just as tasty as his Texas grills!

Don’t forget to pick up a bottle of Schwartz’s steak spice before leaving….once you have a bottle, it won’t be too long before you find yourself obsessively, compulsively seasoning not just your steaks but eventually ALL your cooked food with Montreal Steak Spice!!! A quick fix for bland cooking!!!

Stephanie Farr

Travel Professional,

Rank: 4

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Age: 24-35

Trinity
(Montreal - Restaurants)

Trinity for the Trendy

The first time I went to Trinity was Thursday, September 18, 2008 – I know the exact date because that’s when my boyfriend and I of 4 years broke up over Skype and I was ashamed to show up at the restaurant and meet my girlfriends with puffy eyes!!! I made it to the restaurant around 11 pm and although my friends already had a table, the security guard still made me wait in line until I was able to convince him that I was alone (and vulnerable) and already had a table. The few minutes that I was waiting in line, I couldn’t help but notice the restaurant busting at the seams with montreal’s trendy of the trendy.
I missed dinner but had a few drinks…very much needed…and didn’t appreciate the atmosphere much because of my state of mind but it was definitely THE HAPPENING Place on a THURSDAY NIGHT

The second time I went to Trinity was last week on a Thursday again with my same girlfriends! Fortunately, the only drama for the evening was that my Blackberry wasn’t working. I finally did get to taste the food but we only shared about 10 starters amongst the 5 of us and refrained from having the main dishes, as my friends who have eaten at Trinity before confessed that the main dishes were weak but the starters were tasty.

I have to say that the vibe and atmosphere was definitely not as bumping and packed as the first time I went last year, but still quite entertaining when they brought out the belly dancer. The restaurant emptied out at about 1 am.

Stephanie Farr

Travel Professional,

Rank: 4

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Age: 24-35

Milos Restaurant
(Montreal - Restaurants)

Milos for Lunch

I’ve been to Milos quite a few times with my family for dinner, but yesterday was the first time I went for lunch for my mother’s bday.
Milos has a complete lunch menu where you choose your starter, main dish, and dessert for $21.00.
We showed up at exactly noon, and there were just a couple of tables filled but by the time we finished at 1:30 the restaurant was almost completely full.

For a pricey restaurant, the lunch menu is great value for the average businessman or group of friends looking to have a nice lunch.

I’m not quite sure whether they mix up the lunch menu every so often, but there were 4 choices for starters and 4 options for main dishes with 2 options for dessert.

I had the greek tomato salad and the tuna burger with zucchini french fries and spicy mayo. Quite tasty but the portions are a little on the slender side…that’s just gluttony kicking in though. The portions are perfect actually!