Today, the Maroma hotel rooms:

feature local materials, like hand-painted Mexican floor tiles and mahogany bedroom cabinets. Beds are enveloped with soft white netting, and new guests find their beds covered in elaborate designs of local flowers. Though some of the older rooms are small, most rooms have terraces or balconies.

There are eight new Sian Nah suites (Mayan for House of Heaven) with private gyms, massage areas and plunge pools. Any seaside room -- new or old -- is more expensive than a comparable room facing the gardens, but the views are mesmerizing.

Just one thing to remember, the hotel only has TVs offered in the rooms upon request. And even then, the TVs can only play DVDs as there is no cable.

Fabrikant noticed mostly American tourists at the place with a sprinkling of Brits and South Americans. She also liked the room service which pretty much always arrived ahead of schedule.

The rates are expensive starting at about $480 a night. But to get your money's worth, we say go during January to April as that's when children under 16 are not allowed.

Related Stories:
· Riviera Maya, Mexico: Maroma Resort and Spa [NY Times]