We were *supposed* to go to a hotel in Playa Del Carmen, but they had some hurricane damage a few weeks before we were scheduled to come, so we changed at the last minute and went to (gulp) Cancun, the JW Marriott.
I found it on tripadvisor.com. If you've never been to that site, go. It's really cool, and has reviews from real people who've visited the different hotels all over the world.
While it was a magnificent hotel, the beaches absolutely reaked of exhaust fumes from the wave runners and boats that took the parasailers out. I couldn't even sit on it after the first few days because it smelled so bad. And you could smell it at the pools, too. At one point, I counted 12 wave runners, one big smelly boat and one medium smelly boat, all right in front of our hotel. The boats that took parasailers out rode literally within yards of swimmers heads, to pick up passengers. Very uncool. It was loud and it stunk, and it ruined my beach time. I'm not the back-packy granola type, but it was just too overrun and concrete for my taste, and it felt like we were vacationing in a big giant mall.
I brought every piece of clothing I own, every shoe, every sandal, every purse, every hair product, nail polish, you name it, I brought it. When you drive, it's no biggie, but when you fly, which I hadn't for some time, it's embarassing. I don't know what to bring, so I just bring IT ALL. I saw people with these little tiny suitcases for a whole family. Then there's me, standing there with my piano-sized suitcase. I think I learned my lesson.
You are soooo right about the wearing of the same things over again. Why is that?
But, no, I didn't bring my kitchenwares with me this trip. We ate out every meal, the room didn't even have a frig.