We arrived into the Managua airport at around 11pm and met by a Mukul greeter after we went through customs. Our party of 4 went outside with our host and were directed to a car that was too small to accommodate the four of us, our luggage and surfboards. Apparently, they had the wrong info for our arrival and thought we were 3 people and not 4. They were very sorry for the confusion and had to call for another car to transport the surfboards to the resort. While this did not affect us, it was an added expense for the property for the additional transportation.
There is a 2 hour transfer from the airport to Mukul. Got to the resort at 12:30AM and went straight to our bohios. The bohios were lovely with beautiful appointments and a plunge pool and beautiful deck. The bohios are up in the tree area of the property and overlook the ocean. They are remote which was very nice for privacy but not very convenient to the rest of the resort. You need to call to the guest services desk to have a golf cart sent to pick you up whenever you want to go to the resort pool or common areas. The bohios have their own plunge pool so if you want total privacy, you needn’t leave your bohio. We, however, needed easier access to the beach for surfing so the next morning requested to be moved to an ocean front villa.
My clients had arrived a day earlier than us and had booked the bohios as well and also decided to move to an ocean front villa for convenience.
For our next room, they were going to put us in a 2 story villa but the a/c needed to be fixed so our party of 4 were set up in 2 ocean front villas for 1 night. Then we moved to the 2 story Villa on Monday. Upstairs bedroom had 2 double beds and the downstairs living area had a sofa bed and living space and full kitchen. Great patio area, hammock, outdoor seating and pool. Beautfiful ocean front view. A much better accommodation for our family of four as we could just walk out to the beach, pool and restaurants whenever we wanted.
On our 5th night we had to move from the 2 story villa back to one bedroom villa for our last night. Lots of moving around but not the property’s fault as we changed our mind on our reservation once we got here.
The resort is quite lovely – The Wow factor is high when you arrive as when you walk in the entrance there is a huge woven light fixture hanging from the ceiling in the common lounge area – It is magnificent and spectacular at night as well. The feel of the resort is very much understated and relaxed but luxurious.
There is a pool area right off the main lounge and restaurants and looks out at the ocean. Very attentive staff ready to accommodate any request.
There are 2 restaurants – A more casual dining outlet that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is where we ate most meals. Food was delicious. There is also a very cool cigar room in the main lobby which the men in our group partook in one night.
The resort was very sparsely occupied during our stay however, the staff informed us that Halle Berry had just left and that Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones were guests the previous week. One of the attractions of Mukul is the privacy factor as once you are at the resort, there is not much to do off property close by.
On property there is a fitness center, beautiful spa with individual treatment buildings that are each unique. The spa is definitely worth going to. I think that the idea is to spend the day in your individual spa room and relax and enjoy multiple spa services. One of the rooms/buildings has a gorgeous view of the ocean. The spa is up by the bohios.
As far as activities are concerned, the resort has a partnership with Tropic Surf. Tropic Surf sends one of their employees to manage the water activities – surfing, paddleboarding, body boarding. Our surfers had a fantastic time with Gavin from Tropic Surf. He took them to a variety of surf spots. Theyalso surfed everyday right in front of the resort.
There is also a golf course that my client played several times and really enjoyed.
We took a hike one day with a naturalist and saw howler monkeys.
One day we were taken by van to a private beach spot that was set up for us for a gourmet lunch. It was a nice change of pace and very relaxing.
Our one off property outing was to Granada where we had a guide and toured some of the Colonial buildings and churches and had a terrific lunch. This excursion was approximately a 90 minute transfer each way.
Overall the resort is definitely one I would recommend. However, I would make sure that all quotes are in writing and that the sales contacts and the reservations department are copied on the offers. We had a situation with my client where I was quoted a rate for their stay and when they checked out it was significantly more than that. Luckily, I had forwarded my client the email that confirmed the rate and he was able to pay that. However, once we got home, I was contacted and asked to go back to my client for $2,000 more dollars! I would not agree to this and provided written support of the agreed upon rate. Theywithdrew the request. Unfortunately, it was an unpleasant ending to our delightful stay at this gorgeous property.
Mukul is best for clients who do not want to venture out from the resort and want to relax in casual luxury in a beautiful setting and enjoy the surf and surroundings.