Meet your neighbors: Alberta Kosik

Originally from Chicago, Alberta Kosik has been a Royal Resorts member since the early 80s and first stayed at The Royal Mayan. She says, “I fell in love with it,” and she purchased her first unit. Memberships followed at The Royal Sands, The Royal Cancun and The Royal Haciendas and she now has a beachfront unit and an ocean-view unit with a plunge pool at Grand Residences where she vacations with her children and grandchildren.

Alberta says, “My favourite words are ‘Welcome Home’. People here really mean it when they say it. All the Royal Resorts are beautifully kept and beautifully clean, I am amazed at the standards, they are impeccable.

She adds, “I usually bring my family and there is something for everyone here. We enjoy the beach and pools; the resort is large enough to walk around, we go out when we want to and the kids enjoy the bike rides into town.

“My Concierge and Cathy Duda first told me about Grand Residences and I bought pre-construction, I couldn’t say no. It is wonderful. I originally purchased a beachfront unit and then I found out that an ocean view unit with a plunge pool and lawn was available so I exchanged some weeks of my beachfront unit and purchased it too. So now I have weeks 12, 13 and 14 in the beachfront unit and weeks 51, 52 and week 1 in the ocean view unit.

“I love the private pool and the little garden. I am a keen gardener and I enjoy watching the gardeners at work around the resort. It is so lush and beautiful here, and the fresh flowers in your bathroom and bedroom are such fine touches.

Alberta admits, “I have to say that I love the Nespresso machine so much that I bought one for home. There are so many memories that you take home with you of relaxation and enjoyment that it puts a smile on your face as you sip your coffee.

“People are wonderful here and so polite,” Alberta adds, “I went on the back of house tour once to see behind the scenes and I saw the laundry where people come in and change into their freshly laundered and ironed uniforms. It is a well oiled machine and people appreciate what you do for them and the staff.”

When asked what she likes best about Grand Residences, Alberta replied, “The fact that once you get here you want for nothing! It is paradise. Everything is taken care of; it is magnificent. We have brought friends down with us and the typical comments they make are: ‘this is the best place we have ever been to. ‘I’m speechless, it is just so beautiful.’

“This year, we have been snorkeling and the grandchildren signed up for the cooking classes. We enjoy the resort restaurants and think that they are wonderful. We love Mexican food so Flor de Canela is our favourite; it is outstanding. We love El Faro Grill for breakfast. Everything is perfection and all so well prepared.

“We love the location and the amenities here, and the beach of course. You keep it so clean. I spend a lot of time at the pools and particularly like the lap pool.

“The staff are the best,” Alberta muses. “They are all quality people at Grand Residences and Royal Resorts as a whole. They are very polite and we’ll sometimes see them off duty in the local supermarket and they’ll say hello. I love Mexico and the Mexicans are very courteous, and that’s something I have noticed back home in Chicago too.

“My favorite spots in Puerto Morelos?” Alberta says, “I love the pier and the way that the fishermen go fishing from there and later unload and clean their catch. They feed the pelicans and gulls that gather to wait for morsels. It is entertaining to watch them.

“I think that once you have stayed at Grand Residences everything else pales in comparison. This truly is a Hotel of the World, right up there with the best of the best. The size of the units, the handcrafted furniture, the drapes, the terrace, everything is so magnificent and so well put together.

“I tell everyone to go to Puerto Morelos and to stay at Grand Residences. I always say that when I die and go to heaven I will be terribly disappointed if it isn’t like Grand Residences!

Alberta had this to say about perceptions of Mexico, “There’s never a moment that I don’t feel safe. We are very well looked after at the resort and we have never seen anything amiss in the area. It is important to remember that bad things can happen anywhere you are in the world.

“My favourite staff? That would be Griselda, my Concierge, and Catherine Duda, both of whom are lovely. Alberta adds, “Rudi, a long-time member of the Royal Resorts sales team, is also a friend and always checks up on us. All the beach staff are phenomenal. They give us fresh towels even after it rains and are on hand during the day to hand out water, cooling spray and snacks. Everybody is wonderful here.”

Alberta’s secret to getting through the year back home after her vacation is simple. She says, “I start planning my next trip on the flight back home. I’ll soon be back for week 13 and 14 and I’m always looking forward to it.

She explains, “I love the flexibility of Points, if we need larger units to accommodate a bigger group we can arrange it. We have had 12 people here at Grand Residences and we once had a family gathering of 17 at The Royal Haciendas. And the improvements at Cancun Airport mean that getting to the resort is quicker than ever.

We would like to thank Alberta Kosik for talking to us and we wish her many more happy vacations at Grand Residences.