Editor's Note:  This resort was closed for a total renovation after Hurricane Wilma struck and was purchased by the Palace Resorts group. It will remain open as Club Tulum until August 2007, at which time it will be enlarged to accommodate more rooms, a spa and a convention center.  Go now!

Club Maeva Tulum opened about 30 miles north of Tulum on the Yucatan peninsula in 1994. As a pioneer in a coastal wilderness, the Mexican-owned Maeva resort group had the forethought to buy a lot of land, feature an unusually broad and long stretch of gold sand (much of the Riviera Maya is picturesque coral and stone coastline) and build 300 spacious hotel rooms in unobtrusive three-story units.

Today the battle is to keep up with the Joneses – in this case, the Riu, Iberostar, Sol Melia, Wyndham Viva and several other international chains that have built several sprawling all-inclusive resorts nearby.  These may be newer, boast more marble, have Jacuzzi tubs or waterslides, but none can match the tranquil oasis the Maeva has become. With lush scarlet flamboyan trees, palms and towering hibiscus, coatamundis and geckos scampering around the clusters of mangrove and thatched huts, the Maeva epitomizes the “tropical paradise” you may be seeking.

Maeva’s beach is especially stunning and the warm, calm clear water is perfect for little ones. Introductory snorkeling and scuba clinics are available to guests at the large meandering pool. With its shallow kiddie-pool shelf and deeper areas, it is the focus of resort social life. It was startlingly warm at our visit; not as refreshing as one would hope after a day of visiting Mayan ruins but lovely for a sunset drink. My boys liked the jungle-view fitness room nearby, and were able to work up quite a sweat on the varied weight and aerobics machines, which they found to be top-caliber.

Our favorite aspect of this moderately priced all-inclusive is the terrific food, served primarily at the air-conditioned Buffet Tulum, an upstairs dining room overlooking the pool. We’re lucky to have a child who eats anything and especially likes Mexican food, so the grilled meats, fajitas, tacos and beans’n’rice dishes were his favorite, after the enormous breakfast buffet featuring tropical juices and homemade breads. However, children who are not so adventurous (and vegetarians) will find plenty of “all-American” fare, pasta, salads and a daily selection of international dishes.

A beachfront palapa serves snacks and what some consider the best thin crust pizza in the Yucatan. At night, it offers a special meal, typically a grilled lobster or seafood feast or a Caribbean BarBQ.  We always reserved for one of the 35 tables available in this quiet cottage on the sand.  Although there wasn’t the variety available at the big buffet, dishes were wonderfully prepared, service was excellent and being able to dine and talk while listening to the surf and watching the moon rise above our heads -- it was too delightful to miss. Our 12-year-old (and, seemingly, the many other well-behaved kids around) agreed.

At first glance, guest rooms seem ordinary in comparison with the spectacular grounds, but after a day or two, you’ll realize it’s the service-oriented staff who deliver more than we'd expect from a resort in this price range. At the active main bar, site of a games table and teen socializing, bartenders are equally attentive to requests for water or a pina colada. The staff is constantly tidying up the uncrowded beach, straightening the seaside shade umbrellas, even sweeping sand off the little lagoon bridges that connect the main restaurant and lounges to the room blocks.  This resort houses the Robinson Club, a Canadian vacation operator, so you’ll find many Canadian as well as European families in winter, and a broad mix including well-to-do Mexican families in summer.

Spacious and well designed rooms are clustered in three housing blocks; request one closest to the bar and restaurant if your family doesn’t enjoy a stroll. From sliding glass doors, the fresh air, sea breeze and the song of birds, combined with a ceiling fan, meant we never had to turn on the A/C.  The cool terracotta floors and floral print bedspreads provided most of the décor; a large dressing area with closets, vanity sink, and separate shower and toilet stalls, allowed communal preparation for meals and bedtime. The balcony of our second floor Coba unit, which overlooked the grounds and the Caribbean beyond, offered a hammock, towel rack and chairs so we could easily dry swimsuits and T-shirts without draping them over the railing. The clever configuration allows every two rooms to be made into a suite by closing an outer door.

The Maeavamigos present sports clinics, contests and more, day and night. Each morning, copies of the day’s schedule were available at breakfast and posted at the front desk and watersports hut. What a variety, from 99 Words in Spanish, to Mexican cooking classes, soccer, aquarobics, windsurfing, beginner golf or tennis, coconut bowling, salsa classes, volleyball and tequila tastings. And all this goes on until the staff changes for their roles in the evening’s entertainment

Surprisingly, the only disappointing thing about the resort was its disorganized and disheveled Mini Club.  In theory, it’s supervised by two counselors daily from 10am-noon, 4-6pm and 7:30-9pm to accommodate children ages 2 to 12 years; in reality, at our visit, the bright and well equipped facility kept odd hours. The afternoon we came by to interview the staff, I found a young woman in the middle of a popcorn fight with three or four young children. When I returned at opening time the next morning, there was popcorn everywhere, several children seated on the ground outside the locked facility, and no attendant in sight. Since we heard this was a fun program, with mask-making, sand-building and cooking among the offerings, we hope it’s running better at your visit.

With a seven-day stay in the fascinating Yucatan, you’ll want to explore the surrounding region. The front desk arranges excursions to the Mayan ruins at Tulum (30 minutes) or farther away to Chichen-Itza, a dolphin encounter at Puerto Aventuras, Xcaret or a visit to other environmental parks. The Yucatan is perfectly safe to roam on your own, and the Front Desk can book an inexpensive local taxi (economical for a family group and much nicer in the sometimes wilting heat). Or, you can walk down the winding driveway about 15 minutes to the principal Riviera Maya highway and catch a colectivo, or group taxi, or a public bus, for under US$2, and get all the way to Playa del Carmen (25 minutes) or even Cancun (80 minutes).

Club Maeva Tulum, Riviera Maya, Mexico www.maevatulum.com; 0052-984-871-3000 $$ - $$$ Children 0-2 years free; children 2-13 years pay 65% less; “kids free” periods in summer are a bargain.    A+    B+    B+    B Extra Credit:  The beach and tropical environment are intoxicating in a typically Mexican way. Comments:  Maeva’s other resorts in Manzanillo and Tampico are highly regarded on Internet bulletin boards.