If you're in search of a serene and idyllic destination, Mexico is an excellent choice right now. I highly recommend considering Mexico for your next destination, both now and in the future.

As the sun was setting tonight in the ever-cloudy skies of Chicago, I was dreaming of the sunny beaches of Rivera Maya. I really want to pack some bags and whisk my children away for some additional family fun, sun and sand.

Last week I traveled to Mexico with Karisma Hotels for a Parenting Media Tour hosted by Fisher-Price. Karisma and Fisher-Price covered my expenses for this press trip.

Mexico offers paradise to you on a silver platter. Not one single spot in my heart was sad while I was there relaxing with the sun shining on my face. The endless sunshine, the warmest smiles on faces, the perfectly chilled drinks, the most gorgeous white, sandy beaches with the softest sand and water that is so relaxing you simply want to float in and on it for hours. Why would you ever want to come home? {I didn’t, by the way}

Where I Stayed In Mexico — Generations Maroma and Azul Sensatori Hotel

While I was in Mexico last week, I had the opportunity to stay in two of the Karisma Hotels: The gorgeous Generations Maroma and the stunning Azul Sensatori Hotel.

This beautiful beachfront, boutique hotel is pure paradise. It is so stunningly beautiful, you will feel as if you have been transformed into a dream. This 30-room hotel opened June 2013 and we were among the first guests to stay there. Generations Maroma offers 1, 2 or 3 bedroom suites or a 5-bedroom private villa and has full butler service for each guest.

It offers Gourmet Inclusive to all the guests with one restaurant, Chakay Restaurant, servicing this hotel. It is steps away from the El Dorado Maroma adults-only resort and all adult guests can enjoy the amenities of this resort as well when staying at Generations Maroma. The baby amenities include a stroller, pack and play, bottle warmer, bottle sterilizer, baby food, baby changing tables and monitor. Think of all the packing this saves families with small children.

If you are unfamiliar with a Gourmet Inclusive Resort, the concept is quite simple. Gourmet Inclusive offers the freshest foods grown in their own 70,00-sq. ft greenhouse, excellent service, and are pioneers in the going green trend. Your Gourmet Inclusive services include beach butlers, personal concierge, 24-hour room service, premium beverages and Gourmet cuisine. They truly do create an unforgettable vacation experience.

Generations Maroma, by Karisma is located directly on the spectacular Maroma Beach, in Riviera Maya, Mexico. You can enjoy the signature Beachfront Sky Massage in total privacy on the beach on a beautifully designed, raised palapa, surrounded by nothing but ocean and air. Then return to your room and enjoy the exotic, outdoor, private shower in your suite that allows for complete privacy to lather up under the stars or the blue skies. This outdoor shower is an experience not to be missed.

Azul Sensatori Hotel

If you are looking for a hotel that has something to offer everyone, Azul Sensatori Hotel is the perfect choice. Continuing with the Gourmet Inclusive concept, Azul Sensatori lavished me with pampering service, delicious cuisine and spectacular amenities. There was not one detail left out. I couldn’t even think of something I may have needed as everything was perfect.

Attention to the needs of every member of the family begins at check in where children can select from a menu of Fisher Price toys, enjoy a smoothie or shake and get a high five from Little People characters. I was able to select my pillow firmness and aromatherapy scents for my room as well, all while enjoying a delicious drink of my choice.

Fisher-Price Family Suite Ideal for families is the Fisher-Price Family Suite that offers an over sized suite that has Little People décor from top to bottom, including pillows, robes and towels for your own little people. Your Fisher-Price Family Suite will be equipped with pre-selected Fisher-Price toys, CDs, and DVDs based on the age of your children. There will be no need to pack an extra suitcase filled with toys because your room will already be filled with them.

There is an adults only pool for couples or parents who need a bit of a breather. Additionally, there is a premium section on the Azul Sensatori that offers extra amenities and extra perks for guests who wish for a bit more privacy.

Azul Sensatori has six Gourmet Inclusive restaurants that are all equally delicious and offer the freshest ingredients from their greenhouse. Each restaurant has all the Fisher Price amenities that your room offers you as well. You are able to select toys for your table and have numerous options from the extensive children’s menus that are offered. There is unlimited Gourmet Gerber Baby Food, which are all complimentary, available to families if they choose. If you are looking for fun after all this delicious food, there are seven bars serving premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including the Mojito Lounge featuring 31 specialty mojitos.

If this isn’t enough, Azul Sensatori is home to Vassa Spa where you can indulge in a variety of treatments in a Zen-inspired environment. The spa also contains a fitness center, a hydrotherapy suite, and special suites designed specifically for couples, brides, or children(the Perfectly Pink Spa I mentioned above).

Incorporating local ingredients such as obsidian and honey, treatment options range from manicures and pedicures, facials, chocolate body wraps and diamond-dust scrubs. You can also have your massage beach side if you like. I can personally attest to health benefits of a massage at Vassa Spa. My mind and body were completely revived and I felt wonderful for the remainder of this press trip because the endorphins were released during the massage which helped ease my body into relaxation.

Here is a great tip . . . have your massage and then on the way back to your room, stop off at Mojito Lounge for a delightful drink and enjoy the magnificent view.

Rivera Maya Activities

I was able to sneak away from the fabulous Azul Sensatori for an adventure filled afternoon at Aktun-chen Natural Park in Rivera Maya. I swam in an amazing 131 yard-long cenote, ziplined in the canopy of the jungle and walked in a cave that was home to stalactites. I snorkeled in an underground cenote with the most refreshing, clear water I have ever had the pleasure of swimming in.

I hung upside down through half a mile of the jungle at Aktun-chen and it was liberating. Lastly, I walked 656-yards through a cave where I was awe-struck over magnificent stalactites, stalagmites and columns and a 39-ft deep natural well of crystal water. I can’t wait to bring my children to Aktun-Chen to enjoy all this natural park has to offer my family.

Mexico’s Mayan Riviera is a terrific area for families and Karisma Hotels is the perfect location that gives parents the exquisite vacation of their dreams. Karisma Hotels offers attentive amenities to help families enjoy their time while traveling with their children.

For more information on the Generations Maroma and Azul Sensatori and the rest of the Karisma Hotels and the El Dorado Resorts, visit the Karisma Hotels & Resorts website.

Karisma: Gourmet Inclusive Family Vacations in Rivera Maya