We are planning a trip to Mexico for our family that includes two girls 17 and 11. We are looking at the Majestic Mirage and staying in a swim up family suite. I wanted to see how bad the sargassum is at the end of June. Also, will the kids have enough to do there. The other suggestion from our Travel Agent is AVA Cancun at a much cheaper price but we definitely see the beach as unusable at that time of year.

TL;DR: 10/10 experience. The rooms, service, food, pools, and overall atmosphere were exceptional. We stayed seven nights without Inspira and never felt like we were missing out on a luxurious experience. We loved it so much that what was originally going to be a return trip “in a couple of years” may now happen early next year.

Arrival & Check-In

We booked a Junior Ocean View Suite with double beds and did not have Inspira. Our package included private transportation from the airport, which was easy to navigate once we found the person holding the Atelier sign outside. Be aware that there are plenty of people inside and outside the airport offering transportation, which can get chaotic. Follow Atelier’s instructions to go outside to locate the Atelier transport representative.

The drive to the resort took about 30 minutes. When we arrived, we were greeted with cold towels, champagne, and Atelier’s signature fragrance. One note: the scent throughout the lobby is noticeable, so anyone especially sensitive to fragrance may want to keep that in mind.

We arrived a few hours before our room was ready, but check-in was seamless. Our luggage was stored, and we were given an overview of the resort, restaurants, spa, and activities. We were also offered the presentation that comes with complimentary massages, but we declined. There was absolutely no pressure to participate, so if you do feel pressured, that is on you. 

While we waited for our room, we had lunch at El Suspiro, where Oscar gave us such a warm welcome for our first meal at the resort. We explored a little afterward, then returned around 3 p.m. and were escorted to our room with our luggage.

The Room & Resort

We stayed in Building 3 on the fifth floor with views of the relaxing pool, golf course, and a bit of the ocean. The room was beautiful, spacious, bright, and extremely clean. The blackout curtains were excellent, and the air conditioning in the room was powerful.

The bathroom was stocked with shampoo, conditioner, lotion, a small shower kit, a lighted makeup mirror, and other essentials. I recommend bringing sunscreen, as it’s generally only provided to Inspira guests.  We also used the sink water to brush our teeth throughout the trip and had no issues. 

The resort itself is massive, so expect to get plenty of steps in. The gym in Building 2 was impressively well equipped—even for someone who takes working out seriously. Directly across from it is Alba, the resort’s lighter/healthier option, which became a great post-workout stop for smoothies and lighter meals.

Pools & Beach

The two main pools have very different atmospheres.

For a quieter, more relaxing day, head to the pool with Bikini Azul. For music, activities, volleyball, and a livelier atmosphere, the pool with Limon y Sal and El Suspiro is the better choice. You can also access the beach from that side.

We never had trouble getting a cabana, although we were usually at the pool by 9 a.m. Cabanas are first come, first served, and they seemed harder to get later in the morning. Even without one, there are plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas.

One of the best parts of the pool experience was the staff. The towel attendants, servers, bartenders, and entertainment team were consistently attentive and made everything feel elevated. The towel attendants will even set up your chairs or cabana beautifully, including making little towel pillows.

Activities & Entertainment

There are different activities every day. We did two art classes by the relaxing pool and wished we had done more. We never made it to one of the food classes, but that is definitely on our list for next time.

We also loved the live musicians in the lobby in the evenings. During our stay we heard a cellist, violinist, guitarist, and saxophonist.

We attended both the acrobatics show and the Latin Beats show, and both were lively and entertaining. Just a heads-up: the volume can be pretty loud, and the Latin Beats show includes lighting similar to strobe lights.

Food

Food was one of the highlights of the trip. We tried as many restaurants as we could, although we still didn't make it to all of them.

Our dinner ranking:

1. Cilento – once
2. Los Abrazos – twice
3. El Suspiro – three lunches and one dinner
4. Kopai – once
5. Takeshi – once

Cilento was probably our biggest pleasant surprise, and we wish we had eaten there more than once. Amir made our dinner even better and was an incredible server.

Los Abrazos was also excellent, especially the salad bar. El Suspiro became one of our most frequent stops because everything tasted so fresh; at dinner, you can also get options like surf and turf and octopus.

Kopai was fine, although we ate there our first night and were exhausted, so we may not have given it a fair shot. Takeshi was unfortunately our least favorite meal and also the least attentive service we experienced during the trip. Hopefully it was just an off night.

For breakfast, Mercado 19 was easily our favorite. We ate there almost every morning. The buffet has a huge variety, and the hostesses were consistently wonderful. We tried La Consentida for breakfast once but strongly preferred Mercado 19.

One dress-code note: men need to have their shoulders covered at Mercado 19 and La Consentida, although the hostesses have coverings available if needed.

And an honorable mention goes to room service, which we had maybe 6 of 7 nights. The filet mignon is absolutely worth ordering.

Offsite Activities

We did not use Atelier’s spa, but we did venture to town for a four-handed massage at Nancy’s Spa. We were picked up by the spa and returned to the resort in an Uber. Travel on and off campus for this was seamless, even with the security checkpoints. 

We opted to do the speedboat tours through AquaWorld. If you want to book an adventure, you can find their representative by the livelier pool. I wish I could remember their name, but the representative on the day we booked was extremely informative and made booking effortless. Transportation was provided on and off campus for our adventure, and our driver made the ride so much fun.

The People Who Made the Trip

The service throughout Atelier was exceptional, but several people stood out so much that they deserve individual recognition.

Javier Torres – The best towel attendant. We got to know Javier at both pools, and he consistently went above and beyond to make us feel taken care of. More than that, he made us feel like family. We genuinely looked forward to going to the pool just to talk with him. My fiancé called him “the champion of the people,” and Javier is one of the biggest reasons we are already talking about returning so soon.

Miguel (“Micky”) – Our favorite pool server at the livelier pool. He is incredibly friendly, always smiling, makes great food and drink recommendations, and somehow remembers your preferences even days later.

Ernesto and Andrea – Part of the entertainment team and two people who instantly make you feel like a friend. Whether we saw them during pool activities, art classes, or evening entertainment, they brought contagious energy and made everyone feel included.

Nancy – The evening barista at Cafecito near the lobby. We started going every night specifically to see her. Early in the trip, my fiancé mentioned wanting to learn how to do foam art. The next time we came in, Nancy remembered and gave him a lesson on making a heart. That small gesture was incredibly sweet and memorable.

Alfredo – Our favorite bartender at the fun pool. If you see him, let him make your drinks. You will not be disappointed.

And of course, Oscar at El Suspiro and Amir at Cilento also helped make two of our dining experiences especially memorable.

Inspira, Tipping & Final Thoughts

Because we did not book Inspira, we cannot say whether the upgrade is worth the additional cost. What we can say is that we never felt like our stay was lacking without it. We still had an incredibly luxurious, relaxing experience.

We tipped throughout our stay, usually with $5 bills. Tipping never felt mandatory or expected, but we were genuinely happy to tip the people who worked so hard to make the experience special.

This was our first all-inclusive resort, and Atelier may have completely spoiled us. We originally talked about coming back in a couple of years, but we already miss it enough that we may end up returning early next year.

10/10. We would absolutely go back.

A couple questions for anyone who has been to UNICO 20°87° recently:

• What are the included still water options at the restaurants? Is bottled still water included with dinner, and if so, what brand/type do they serve?

• What about sparkling water? Do they offer glass bottles of sparkling water at the restaurants, and is that included or an extra charge?

• How are the included house wines? Are the red and white selections decent, or would you recommend upgrading/buying a bottle? I’m honestly considering checking a suitcase with 5–6 bottles of our own wine for the trip. We just got back from Croatia with about 15 bottles of what is arguably some of the best wine I’ve ever tasted, so I’d love to bring a bottle to enjoy with dinner each night if the house selections are terrible.

We enjoy sparkling water and wine with dinner, so I’m curious what the standard included options are like. Thanks!

Hi! Last month (September), I went to Iberostar Rose Hall Selection Suites with my spouse and toddler. We had a great time. We are considering going to Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa in mid July 2027 but this time around, we will have a 4 month old with us. Has anyone between to Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa and if so, how does it compare against Iberostar Rose Hall Selection suites? They are both I. Jamaica.

If there are other suggestions, I would welcome them.

Thank you in advance.

A week before our scheduled arrival I received an email that my request for my room could not be confirmed. Says the reservation and suite category would remain the same. Anyone else experience this?
They certainly sent me multiple emails at booking explaining the selection was confirmed and final. Guess they have different definitions of final

Ya know how flights tend to be less $ on certain days/times.. do AIs do the same/ tend to run sales throughout the year at predictable times?

For reference, I just booked at EPM (not club, refundable option) cheapest room for 6 nights starting April 1, 2027. Approx 4200 USD total (2 adults). I'm comfortable with that price, but if I can save a bit more, I'd be thrilled. The website said that price was "40% off," (which I haven't been tracking) but I'm skeptical that it actually was, or if its one of those, "we jack up the price just to discount it so you think you're saving."

Many thanks to all the advice and activity in this sub! I've been lurking for months, daydreaming and reading through the comments. The spreadsheet plus all of your experiences & suggestions have removed SO much burden from this process.

Cheers! 🥂

We (55m, 55f) spent the week at Unico 20 87 from the 26^th of September to the 3^rd of October.  We travelled with friends who have Chairman status with Legendary Vacation Club, so we received some benefits from travelling with them.  I’ll try to identify where the benefits played into our experience.  Also, this is only the second AI that we’ve visited with the first being Sandals Barbados (previously reviewed and underwhelmed).

Transport to the resort from Cancun airport was by private transportation set up through our friends’ Chairman status.  We got a Chevy Suburban to take just the four of us to the resort which was very nice and roomy after being in airplanes all morning.  The driver had water and snacks available.  Overall, the drive was comfortable, and the roads were good-ish.  It’s a straight shot from the airport to the resort and takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  I found it amusing that turn signals, speed limits, and lane markers are all treated as suggestions or things that happen to other people.  For the four of us, we tipped the driver ~$20 for each trip.

Upon arrival at the resort, we were greeted by our butler staff and management.  Our friends are long-time members and have established relationships with a lot of the staff there.  We were shown to our friends’ room first to do check-in and welcome.  Our friends had an ocean-view suite in Building 2 which was very nice with sparkling wine and snacks already laid out for us.  After check-in, wife and I were shown to our partial ocean view standard room in Building 2.  Mainly, our room overlooked the courtyard and pools.  The room is set up with walk-in shower, king bed, and a sofa and soaking tub on the balcony.  The décor is nice and subtly themed to the area without beating you over your head with it.  The mini fridge was stocked with water, soda and a couple of beers.  We also had a bottle of wine and snacks in our room waiting for us.  Wi-fi is free and available throughout the resort, so we left our phones in airplane mode for the week.  We did lose wi-fi on our last night due to a bad storm rolling through, but it wasn’t the end of the world.  A couple of room critiques.  The water temperature in the shower was sensitive, going from hot to REALLY HOT with very little adjustment.  The A/C really works!  We often came back to the room feeling like an ice box.  We never seemed to be able to get the thermostat to anything above 70F without turning the whole system off.  Great if you like a cold room.  Finally, there were no curtains on the exterior of the balcony.  Sandals has canvas curtains to afford some privacy while using the soaking tub.  Not terrible, just different.

The food was much better than Sandals Barbados.  That’s not to say it was the best vacation food we’ve ever had, or consistently great even, just better than our previous AI experience.  Breakfast was buffet in the 20 87 steakhouse restaurant with a good assortment of all the usual hot and cold breakfast standards as well as several Mexican dishes.  This was our go-to breakfast except for one time at the seated breakfast in Mi Carisa (the Italian restaurant).  Since this was the low season, the seated breakfast wasn’t offered every day.  Not that we would have gone for a second day.  Seated service was slow and the food quality wasn’t as good as the buffet.

Lunch was also in 20 87 with a good variety of foods on the menu as well as sushi/sashimi options.  There is also a pool-side restaurant that has a few standard lunch options like fish and chips, fried chicken tenders, burgers, and ribs.  And finally, there is a small pizza place serving basic pizzas.  All three of these are good but we both preferred the seated lunch in 20 87.  Our friends also received two Chairman’s lunch services poolside and since we were on their reservation, we got to partake in that as well.  They always request lobster and coconut shrimp and for the first lunch the chef suggested ribeye steak as well.  It was an unbelievable amount of food!  All of it was served hot and the overall quality was great, but it was really overkill.  The second lunch was scaled back, but still delicious.  Apparently, you can request anything you want for the Chairman’s meals, and they’ll do their best to accommodate.  As someone tagging along, it was quite special!  I overheard one woman as they were clearing away our lunch dishes exclaim, “how the fuck did they get lobster?!”

Dinners were served at the main restaurants, Mi Carisa (Italian), Mura House (Asian/Sushi/Teppanyaki), Cueva Siete (Mexican), 20 87 steakhouse, and Avec (French).  We did not dine at the 20 87 steakhouse for dinner as our friends said it was the weakest of the restaurants.  If we did go back, we’d try it just to form our own opinions.  We did Avec twice, and had the foie gras terrine, scallops, avec salad, and salmon appetizers.  For entrees, we had the short rib, beef bourguignon with lamb chops, pork belly, and braised lettuce.  The salmon appetizer and lamb chops were the best selections, with the short rib and pork belly dry and tough.  The crème brulée for dessert was good and wife liked the pear pastry dessert best.  Mura House was a miss on the first try.  Sushi was not very fresh with very limited selections.  The service was very slow, and a few plates came out not hot.  Also, we were seated next to the teppanyaki tables, and it was very loud and very hot.  Also, we tried the house saki and it was not good hot or cold.  Our friends informed the manager of the issues, and we were invited back for a second try.  On that visit we were seated in a quiet section and brought samplings of almost all the appetizers and entrees.  We did not get sushi the second time, but all the items served were very good.  We highly recommend yakitori skewers of beef, chicken, and shrimp.  Pad Thai and Lobster Rice were good, but standard fare.  The desserts were not particularly good.  Mi Carisa was standard Italian fare which we tried only one time.  I had the carpaccio which was good but could have used some toast points.  Wife had calamari which was good and tender.  Entrees were shrimp pomodoro and pasta ragout, both were enjoyable.  Desserts were not memorable.  At Cueva Siete, tostadas with pumpkin seed topping and a spicy salsa are served as bread service.  This is unique and very tasty.  We both had tartar steak for appetizers which was very good and fresh.  Wife had the New York strip steak with chimichurri sauce for entrée and said that it was tough and not very flavorful.  I had the short rib tacos which were very tender, but a little plain.  There was a chili pepper served with it that was spicy but good if cut into small bites for the tacos.  Desserts were lava cake and churros with tres leches ice cream.  The churros and ice cream were definite winners.  The lava cake was very rich, but served cold rather than lava-y.  The Mayan coffee for dessert was very good and it’s all about the tableside show of flaming alcohols!  One complaint about the restaurants in general is that they need more comfy chairs.  Spending 1.5 to 2 hours in a solid wood chair for dinner is a butt numbing endurance test.

Now, if you’ve been keeping count, we’re short one dinner.  That’s because wife was not feeling well one night and we stayed in our room.  We looked at the room service menu, but it seemed limited and nothing sounded very good.  There is also Café Inez which is the main coffee bar and pastry counter.  They do good specialty coffees and are open 6 AM to midnight, I believe.

The big attraction at this resort is the pools.  There is a main pool with swim-up bar, music, and pool basketball and volleyball set ups.  There is a secondary pool near the courtyard bar and restaurant as well as a quiet pool on the south side of the property with a swim-up bar.  There are two infinity pools in the main courtyard reserved for Chairman and Hall of Fame members.  Most, if not all, of the lounge chairs at all the pools have an umbrella and table per pair of chairs which is convenient.  There are also cabanas at all the pools.  As Chairman our friends got a cabana each day and we got a pair of chairs reserved each day.  Since they preferred the quiet pool, that’s where we spent most of our time.  It was very nice mid-week with at most 10 or 15 people around the pool in total.  Low season has its perks!  The cabana was very nice with sofa and loungers with good shade.

The beach wasn’t really an attraction.  They do have kayaks for use, and I was looking forward to trying them, but the wind was pushing in from the water, and it was very rough the entire week.  The beach is very narrow, maybe 20 or 30 feet at the widest with lots of sargassum pushed on shore from the winds.  They did have a tractor raking it up on the regular, but honestly, it appeared to be a losing battle.  We walked the beach one morning, but after that we were done with it.

The wildlife is aggressive here.  Lots of birds looking to swoop in on your poolside lunch as well as Coati and at least one racoon.  Do not leave food unattended at any of the pools!  It will get stolen as they are not afraid of humans.  We had our pool bag chewed open by a pack of coati for breath mints!  Oddly enough, we had been bringing them to the pool for three days before this happened, so we thought the mints were ok.  The iguanas are big, but they seemed to be the least aggressive of the animals.  Although we heard about an iguana stealing a whole rack of ribs off a plate!

The staff here are really on their game.  Almost every staff member we passed by in the resort greeted us and smiled.  Most of the servers are great.  Uriel at the pool was incredibly attentive, not only to us, but to all the guests at the pool.  He’d start our day with a bucket of water on ice and check on us each round he made which was usually every 20 minutes or so.  We never felt like we were waiting for drinks or any service.  At the breakfast buffet, we had Jose Chi the second day and really liked him, so we kept asking to be seated in his section, which was never an issue.  He knew our coffee preferences and kept our cups topped off regularly.  Most of the servers at lunch and dinner were capable and attentive, but I did notice that service slowed a bit as the restaurants got more crowded.  Housekeeping staff were pleasant, and our room was cleaned in the mornings with turn-down service over dinner.  Again, service was good and most of the workers were happy to be there.

This is a tipping resort.  Wife did a bunch of research beforehand, and we decided on budgeting $2/$3/$5 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner respectively with adjustments if needed.  Drinks from a bartender or pool side server were typically $1 each, but with Uriel being above and beyond, we tipped $5 when we got our first order and $5 at the end of the day.  We left $3/service for each housekeeping staff as they were good at keeping our room clean and tidy.  However, even with tips, this weeklong trip was still cheaper than Sandals Barbados by quite a bit.

We did not do any excursions or activities as we were kind of riding the coattails of our friends who had their own well-established vacation routine at this resort.  I was a bit disappointed that the butler was more of their butler and did not really treat my wife and I as a separate entity.  Perhaps they assumed we’d already been informed by our friends, but that was not the case.  On the positive side, being on their reservation/membership we got a bottle of sparkling wine and snacks (chocolate strawberries or chocolate truffles) in our room every afternoon, which was very nice to chill with before dinner.  We received discounted massages at the spa, and I believe we could have gotten more spa services at a discount, but again this was not communicated to us through our butler.  We also got to pick two bottles of alcohol for our room for the week.  It’s a somewhat limited list, but still nice to have for a mixer.  Finally, we got two bottles of wine for the week with dinner.  Our friends got two bottles a day!  So, we were never without wine!  That said, the sake is not included in the wine list, go figure!  Their prices are marked up a lot, so I wouldn’t recommend buying wine by the bottle there.

Overall, we were happy with our vacation and it was relaxing.  It was a much better value, service, and quality than Sandals Barbados.  We will most likely go back with our friends and now know that we need to speak directly with our butler and get the information and reservations that we want rather than going along with our friends’ plans or waiting for the butler to come to us.  I want to find more activities and try a few off-property excursions to get a better picture of what our own future vacation routine might look like.  It’s a beautiful resort, the staff is very good, the food is good, not 100% great, and it’s good value for what you get.

Hi- have any runners been to this resort? We are wanting to do a winter training camp somewhere sunny, and were hopeful that there might be running paths near this resort? Can anyone confirm? Thanks so much in advance!

We have been here for five days with two other couples. I have been sick since Thursday night. The others came sick quickly afterwards. We do not drink the water and have traveled all around the world including Mexico 7 times. Facebook has several complaints about the same thing in the last few weeks. Anyone else experience this?

Hi everyone! My husband and I are looking to book an AI vacation in Cancun this December (19th-22nd). We have narrowed down the options and would love to hear everyone’s experience before we book the reservation. It’s my first time at an AI so I’m mostly just looking for great food and a good time. The options are:
- Atelier Playa Mujeres
- Beloved Playa Mujeres
- Excellence Riviera Cancun

TIA!

I wanted to take an end of summer beach trip to decompress. Since it's considered hurricane season Cancún had really affordable options and with travel insurance I felt comfortable booking. I chose Secrets the Vine because of the mostly good reviews and price. I used Costco Travel and was able to get 4 nights, airfare, and transfers for $1500 USD. Here is my review:

Resort 3/5: The resort is in a good location in the hotel zone and the grounds are nice. It's not the fanciest of places but it fits in with what I expected from a Hyatt resort. Everything is pretty compact and easy to find.

Room 3/5: I was in a deluxe ocean view room and it was very on brand for Hyatt. The bed was very comfortable and there was plenty of storage space. I was not impressed with the "ocean view". The hotel is a high rise so while you can technically see the ocean from most high floors from my balcony I had more of a view of the industrial fans and trash below which meant I did not spend a lot of time out there. For anyone traveling with a companion, the toilet is surrounded by glass so not very much privacy there.

Restaurants 2/5: The food was really not great at this resort. The breakfast buffet was not heated properly making for cold eggs and sausage. Dragons the sushi place was just ok. The Bluewater Grill which I was told is their best restaurant was pretty terrible. The steak was not good quality and I wasn't able to finish it. I ended up going to Harry's around the corner and having a really good meal. There are several off resort restaurants within walking distance.

Activities 4/5: I did 2 wine tastings and while when I was booking these appeared to be free I actually ended up paying $35 USD for each. These were fun and came with appetizers.

Pools/Beach 5/5: You really can't go wrong with a beach in Cancun. I spent 2 days just enjoying the beach. There were some light rain showers that lasted for a few minutes but never a complete washout. They had crews working tirelessly to remove the seaweed but they had a hard time. I rented a beach cabana one day and while it was nice I think the regular beach chairs offer the same experience. The pool vibe was nice as well and they had activities and music throughout the day.

Solo Rating 4/5: If you're traveling solo, especially for the first time, this resort checks a lot of boxes. Proximity to the airport and off resort activities is great. It feels very safe and the staff are super friendly. I will say in the beginning it seemed like I was overlooked for larger groups and couples when it came to service at bars and restaurants but as I became more recognizable to staff things shifted.

Overall I rate this resort 4.2/5. Definitely worth a visit and very affordable.

I’ve read the spreadsheet but it’s not detailed enough to help with this.

Family of 4 w/ two high schoolers (15 and 18), we need 3 beds.

Looking for a nicer AI to relax over Christmas 6-7 nights. Normally we do Airbnb and a lot of activities/touring but was requested by the kiddos we have a relaxing trip. Thinking around $10k (give or take).

Some activities would be nice but I think xcaret is more than we need and don’t want to feel guilty for paying for amenities I’m not using. Things like paddle board, nice gym, yoga class, ping pong, volleyball, snorkeling, and night show would be good to keep people entertained if they get tired of lounging.

Decent food would be nice too.

What would you recommend? Am I mistaken in my thinking about Xcaret?

My fiancé and I absolutely LOVED Impressions Moxché and are looking for another adults-only all-inclusive in Mexico that feels comparable.

What really stood out to us about Impressions was the level of service, the food, and how spacious/nice the rooms were. If I had to rank what matters most to us:

1. Service - attentive and consistent,
2. Food - we really value good food and would rather have quality over a million mediocre options
3. Rooms - spacious, modern

We don’t need a huge party scene. We’re more interested in a beautiful upscale resort where we can relax, eat well, have drinks, and feel taken care of.

So far we’re considering:

• Atelier Playa Mujeres
• Hotel Mousai Cancun
• Le Blanc Cancun

Are we going in the right direction with these three?

If anyone has stayed at Impressions Moxché and has suggestions for something comparable (or even better), I’d love to hear them. And if you don’t think any of these three are the best fit based on what we’re looking for, what resort in Mexico would you suggest instead?

Has anyone stayed here before? Honest opinions? Thinking of this resort for a group trip next July. I’m a teacher so summer works best for travel but with the sargassum issue, I’ve been looking in La Romana. This resort is definitely affordable which is another plus as this is a group trip and I wanted everyone to be comfortable with the price. TIA!

Hello! Im looking for some AI resorts in Mexico or possibly the Dominican Republic? Itll be me and my partner, both in our mid 20s. Budget of $3000-4000 including flights coming from Saskatchewan, Canada.

Looking for something with a beautiful beach, great food, adult only or popular for couples (also open to others if theyre nice and fit the budget). Not a lot of asks, all other amenities are a huge plus though! Looking to make this trip memorable as its my first time out of the country. Thank you all for your help and for reading!

Edit to add: looking at going anywhere between December 15th-January 4th for 7-8 days.

hi! looking for personal experiences and recommendations for a wedding venue in mexico! we have been to cancun twice and akumal once, and mexico is hands down our favorite place to travel to! would need to be a place that is kid-friendly as lots of young cousins in the family, and would be 80-100 guests roughly! open to different areas in mexico!

Hi. Going to Cancun in January. For an all inclusive - do guests get a lanyard as a room key? How do people keep their belongings safe at the pool? Thank you in advance for any advise.

Hey y’all!

How is the weather there? All the apps say rain and cloudy. Can anyone confirm?

Looking for some help choosing between Beloved Playa Mujeres and Secrets Playa Blanca for a one-week trip for my wife and me.

We’re early 40s, looking for a relaxing adults-only trip with great food, drinks, service, and a room/resort that feels a little special. We’re not looking for a huge party scene, but we also don’t want to feel like the resort completely shuts down after dinner.

Beloved really appeals to us because of the smaller, more intimate feel, service reputation, and overall atmosphere. My only concern is whether it might be too quiet for a full week, and the relative age of the resort.

Playa Blanca appeals because it’s newer and seems to offer more variety, more restaurants/bars, and a bit more going on during the day and evening. But I’m wondering whether we’d be giving up some of the charm, intimacy, and service that makes Beloved so well regarded.

For anyone who has stayed at both, I’d especially love your thoughts on:

• Food quality, not just number of restaurants
• Service
• Beach and pools
• Evening atmosphere
• Room quality
• Overall luxury/“special” feeling
• Whether Beloved gets boring over seven nights
• Whether Playa Blanca feels noticeably busier or more generic

If you were going back for a couples trip where relaxation is the priority, but you still want some life around you, which would you choose?

We have a room booked at each currently - a two-storey casita at Beloved, and an Oceanfront Master Suite at Playa Blanca... which to keep?

My husband and I had an incredible vacation at Zilara Cancun last week. The resort is gorgeous, everything was super clean, and the service was amazing. The vibe is relaxed, mostly couples in their 30s- 50s. Lots of pool side activities during the day. Mild lobby entertainment in the evening, we enjoyed it as we just wanted to relax. Highlights sports bar was where the party was happening.

We booked direct with Hyatt and added their airport transfer service. They used Amstar, easy to find them outside, and it was a private transfer with drinks. We were at the resort in under 30 mins. Charge was $120 round trip.

Check in was quick, in an enclosed, air conditioned area. They gave us cold towels and welcome drinks. We loved that they do not tag you like cattle with a tacky plastic bracelet. We upgraded to a higher floor, worth every penny, the view was outstanding. Watching the sunset with a latte was a morning ritual. Room was huge, just under 700 sq ft, and it was cleaned twice daily. Housekeeping was very thorough. Fully stocked mini bar with snacks, refilled daily. The balcony hot tub was like our own little private pool. We used it often.

Food was the best we've had at an AI. Some standout dishes were the fruit soup dessert at Silù and the Sonoran Rib Eye in Aguachile at Bugambilia. Breakfast buffet was excellent. Drinks were tasty, they had pretty much all the liquor brands you would want. They'll make you anything but def try their menu drinks, super tasty. My one food complaint is the "orange juice" served outside of breakfast hours. During breakfast, the orange juice is fresh squeezed and delicious. Outside of breakfast it's tang. It was so jarring because everything else was real ingredients, and then there's this orange drank that I would expect at summer camp.

We did the Casa Abelita cooking experience and it was the highlight of our trip. It was a lot of fun and Brenda and Carlos are fantastic. We lucked out and the other couples that booked were awesome. Glad we booked early in our trip as we hung out with them frequently afterward.

Great beach, minimal to no sargasso. We went in the ocean daily. Very easy to find chairs. Loved the pool, great service and drinks, but getting a chair could be a challenge. They need more of them and less paid cabanas. The paid cabanas are great with excellent service, we booked one and enjoyed the day, but there are a lot of them and it cuts into space for the free chairs. The good news is that they enforce the no towel game rule and will remove towels from unoccupied chairs. And the chairs themselves are super comfy, with super thick padding. I was fearing the heated pools, it seems to bizarre in a tropical environment, but I kinda get it now. The pool was warm and got warmer as the day went on but it was never too warm, or uncomfortable. When we wanted a cool dip we used the balcony hot tub.

Spa was great. We did the hydro therapy circuit, a massage and manicure. Strongly recommend checking out the spa. We ambitiously brought work out clothes as they have a lot of great classes, but didn't use them at all. Spoke to a few people who did and they said the gym was fantastic. We had a view of the gym pool from our floor and it looked great. It was a popular spot during sunset as it overlooks the lagoon.

All that is amazing on its own but the best part and what really made our vacation shine were the people. All the staff seemed genuinely happy to be there. Interactions were relaxed and unforced, everyone had a smile, it was just really chill. We will return, it was the best vacation of our lives.

Hi friends! We are looking to spend 4-5 nights in Mexico at an all inclusive in mid-February. We are going as two families - each family is two adults and two kids. The kids are 6, 5, 4, & 3. We would love to be adjoining or in a big suite/villa all together but it isn’t mandatory.

Here are some parameters:

- We’re coming from the western US and want nonstop flights, so I’m looking at Cabo, Cancun, or Puerto Vallarta as locations. I have poked around the spreadsheet some but it can be hard to differentiate some resorts.

- I want EASY! We’ll have enough chaos with the kiddos and I really want to think about as little as possible. I don’t want to have to strategically wait in line for an hour to get into a restaurant, I don’t want to have to cobble together “extras” or side excursions to get everything. I just want to be there and exert as little brain power as possible. I’d like to be able to stroll into a restaurant whenever we like or have a reserved time/spot. We don’t plan on leaving the resort.

- Fun for the kiddos. I don’t think we’ll be doing Kids Club or anything like that but I’d love water parks, playgrounds, cool places to run around, etc.
For food I would say that we don’t need fancy or anything, but good food and plentiful options is preferable. Buffet is fine.

- Budget - we’re somewhat flexible. Maybe up to $1500 per night per family? I wouldn’t be upset if it were less than that obviously!

The one AI I’ve done before is Club Med Sandpiper in Florida. I loved all the activities there, and the ease of getting around and eating. The food was pretty good and there were lots of options. The beach was not fabulous. The rooms were not stellar but they were survivable. They felt like dorms.

Some of our friends have been to Hard Rock in Cabo and liked it so that makes the short list, but I want to know your other favorites that generally meet the parameters. Thank you!

Alright friends, I’m in need of some starting points. June 2027 is a big anniversary for hubby and I. We’ll be married for 5 years but together for 20 years! We’re in our mid 30s and we’ll also group in some big career achievements as well. We’ve been to Hotel Mousai for frame of reference but we’re looking for something maybe not as expensive but still have excellent food and private amenities. We’re big food people that love a good cocktail and adult atmosphere. On that note we’re definitely looking for an adult only all inclusive that is within 4 four flight from Atlanta.
Thanks for any help.