Day of the Dead Package at Riviera Maya

Handcrafted Candy Skulls, Entertainment, Trick or Treating, Snorkeling And More

Riviera Maya, Mexico (July 5, 2013) – Mexico’s most celebrated and traditional holiday, Day of the Dead, is marked in grand style at the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya. From October 30 to November 3, guests can enjoy a package filled with holiday treats, activities and events ranging from trick or treating to hiking jungle trails. Highlights are snorkeling and exploring an authentic Mayan village at Xcaret, Cancun’s eco-adventure park, and the annual bash with face painting and traditional fare. Also included are all of the features of this luxury all-inclusive resort and roundtrip airport transfers.

Day of the Dead

All-inclusive rates include luxury suite accommodations, a la carte gourmet meals at a variety of specialty restaurants, premium branded beverages, 24-hour in-suite service, fitness center, taxes, gratuity and more. The All Soul’s Day Package at Grand Velas Riviera Maya starts at $339 per person, per night based on double occupancy and requires a minimum stay of three nights. Children ages four to 16 are $99 per night. The maximum suite occupancy for the All Soul’s Day package is two adults, two children under 16 and one infant under three years old.

Dia de Los Muertos, also known as The Day of the Dead, honors the lives of deceased loved ones and ancestors. Personalizing handcrafted marzipan skulls and constructing altars of food and other offerings for the deceased are part of the celebration. This tradition dates back to the ancient Aztec and Mayan cultures and is still revered as one of Mexico’s most important festivals.

At the Grand Velas Riviera Maya, families call a luxury suite in one of three separate ambiances home for a few days while celebrating this traditional fiesta. To kick off the Dia de Los Muertos, guests can bash piñatas brimming with treats and get their face painted at the resort while kids hunt for candy, collecting their findings in their handcrafted pumpkin or skull. In addition, guests receive complimentary transportation and admission to Cancun’s Xcaret Park where families can choose between the Xcaret Plus Package complete with full snorkel equipment, a buffet lunch, 10% off water activities, and a family locker and the Dia de los Muertos Night Show showcasing ancient burial customs along with cultural music and entertainment for no extra cost. The park offers traditional cuisine, over 350 authentic altars, art and photography exhibitions, a tropical jungle trail, beach, animal habitats, and more.

All packages are subject to availability. For reservations contact Velas Resorts at (888) 407-4869 or visit www.velasresorts.com.

About Grand Velas Riviera Maya:
Featured in Forbes’ roundup of the 10 Coolest All-Inclusive Resorts, the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya, an all-suites and spa resort located five minutes from Playa del Carmen, is the latest and most sophisticated iteration of the ultra-luxury, all-inclusive resort experience. This Leading Hotels of the World designated resort is the preeminent one of its class boasting 491 suites, each more than 1,000 square-feet, in three separate ambiances– premium ocean-front Grand Class Suites with terrace plunge pools for adults and families with children 12 and up, family-friendly ocean-view Ambassador Suites and Zen Grand Suites embraced by the flora and fauna of the Yucatan Peninsula’s jungle. The resort presents a gastronomic tour of the Yucatan, Europe and Asia offering seven restaurants with world-class chefs from France, Spain and Mexico; dedicated butler service for each guest, and the region’s largest spa sanctuary at over 89,000 square-feet specializing in signature treatments inspired by ancient cultures from around the world. The spa was named “Best Spa” in the world by Virtuoso and also earned a SpaFinder Readers’ Choice Award. The resort was designed by lauded Mexican architecture firm Elias and Elias and features the sleek and modish interiors that fuse the serenity of the Caribbean with the vibrancy of Yucatan cultures.