Wen-Chia Tsai Parker

Teacher, Author, Illustrator, Designer and Architect


1st time in Cancun at Westin Lagunamar Resort

We stayed for a week at the Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort Villas & Spa, Cancun for a week during Spring Break 2025.  We love the location and the view of the Caribbean ocean!  

The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort Villas & Spa, Cancun is an upscale beachfront resort located in the heart of Cancun’s Hotel Zone, overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The property features 580 modern villas, each equipped with a fully furnished kitchen or kitchenette, washer and dryer, and a private balcony with ocean views, making it ideal for families and longer stays. Guests enjoy direct access to a white-sand beach, multiple infinity-edge pools with waterslides, a kids’ club, mini-golf, tennis courts, and a well-equipped fitness center. On-site dining includes several restaurants and bars, along with a market and outdoor grills for self-catering. Unlike many Cancun hotels, it is not all-inclusive, allowing guests more flexibility in dining and activities. The resort is eco-certified and caters to both families and couples seeking a relaxing, amenity-rich getaway close to La Isla Shopping Mall.

We used our Marriott Vacation club points for the week stay and it was a great value.  We enjoyed the spacious room and cooked a few simple meals in our room, like scrambled eggs and ramen noodles and sandwiches.  The bed was very comfortable and the staff was friendly and helpful.  The downside was that room service was not included since we were not there for a full week, you have to book 7 nights to have a room tidy.  There is a washer and dryer in the unit so it was easy to do a load or two for our towels and clothes.  The food and drinks at the resort was pretty good and prices were about 20 to 30% less than what we usually pay in LA and Hawaii.  Also they gave us a discount card that we used at a few restaurants within walking distance in the area.  Also it was a short walk to a supermarket and xoxo convenience store that had great prices on fruit, snacks and beer.  Most exciting was how cheap the eggs were! Only about 30 pesos which is about $1.50.  The beach was a beautiful long stretch of white sand and clear crystal blue water, so it was easy to swim and relax and go for beach walks! We would love to go back to Cancun again and explore the neighboring towns!


Our Getaway to Cape Rey South Carlsbad

We did a long weekend and escaped the smoke and stress of the Los Angeles County Fires to stay 3 nights at Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach; a Hilton Resort & Spa, offers a luxurious coastal retreat nestled just steps from the surf in Northern San Diego. The resort provides an ideal escape for travelers seeking relaxation and adventure, with spectacular ocean views, an award-winning Ocean Crest Spa, and a range of amenities designed to rejuvenate guests. We were enjoying poolside services, beachside relaxation with complimentary Beach Butler Service, and indulge in spa treatments at one of the top 5 hotel spas in the U.S.  Our room had breathtaking sunset views.  It’s in a convenient location near local attractions like LEGOLAND and craft breweries, and Carslbad Beach and cute beach town restaurants.  Staying at Cape Rey was a memorable, fun and tranquil getaway experience.  We also took advantage of the timeshare preview package making it an affordable getaway just under 2 hours drive from home.  Would recommend staying here.  If you don’t want to pay full price for you room and can handle doing a 90 minute timeshare presentation with Hilton vacation club, then it’s totally worth it, our stay was about $250 for the 3 nights giving us more $ to spend on good food and treats! Let us know if you like our info we shared,  and will make more videos of my travel experiences.
https://www.caperey.com/