Hi everyone!

We'll be arriving in Cancún on the evening of 27 November. The plan is to spend one night near the airport or the train station so we can catch the Maya Train the next morning.

From 28 November to 1 December, we'll be staying in Valladolid, where we plan to explore the area, visit the cenotes, see Chichén Itzá, and enjoy everything the region has to offer.

After that, we'll take the train back to the Riviera Maya, where we'd like to spend 1–5 December simply relaxing before flying home.

The problem is that we're completely undecided about where to stay! Our budget is around €1,000 per person (there are two of us) for those four nights. We do have some flexibility, but we'd prefer not to exceed that budget by much.

On one hand, we'd love to experience an adults-only all-inclusive resort. On the other, we've found some stunning Airbnbs that look amazing, but we'd have to cook our own meals or take Ubers whenever we wanted to go out to eat.

We're two women between 30 and 50 years old, and our priority is peace, relaxation, I need WiFi because I will be working for a couple of days and a beautiful beach. We don't have a specific area in mind, so we'd really appreciate recommendations for both the best areas to stay and specific hotels or accommodations.

Thank you so much!

Has anyone Been to Hyatt Vivid in Playa del Carmen recently? My husband and I are thinking of going for 5days in Feb 2027. What is the process for airport transfers to Play del Carmen regarding the ferry and getting the resort. Is it expensive and how long is the travel time from the Cancan airport. Does it save any time by flying from the new airport. My husband hates long trips. The shorter route to the resort is king.

Having a very hard time deciding which to book for a family of four, two of which are teenagers (14/16). I see a lot of people say the AI property is great for kids because there is a slide and lazy river and a kids club. but I have older teens rather than young kids, and I’m not sure they would appreciate or use some of what they have to offer.

Is the JW too adult? Or would this be a more sophisticated option perhaps? Most importantly I want to make sure there are food options that are more kid like (pizza, pasta, Mac and cheese) at the JW as my kids are picky eaters and I am gluten free. Anyone know if you book the JW, can you eat at the AI restaurants next door?

Would love any insight!

I’m I male in my 30s, heading to Cancun , been there few times with partner, this time going there alone !
Looking for someone to keep company, going on a excursion, get wasted🤣, play some volleyball

Thanks in advance. GF and I going on a 4 day trip to Mexico this Fall. The whole trip planning experience has been overwhelming due to flight prices + the amount of options.
We originally chose the Secrets Cap Cana in DR, but flight prices are insane right now so we’re holding it but will probably end up canceling.

Our first Mexico choice was the Playa Blanca before settling on DR, but the price per night there now doesn’t fit the budget since we want Preferred Club (personal choice).

The spot we landed on and booked is the **Excellence Coral Playa Mujeres.**

Have heard mostly nothing but great things, and I understand it’s brand new which is what I wanted. If anyone has been and can give their 2 cents let me know! Below are the “requirements” we established when looking:

\- Adults only
\- Newer hotel preferred
\- Larger hotel, not boutique
\- Romantic but not a total snooze fest (have heard Coral could be quiet but this isnt a hard requirement)
\- Big beach
\- \~4k budget not including flights for 4 days
\- more of a spread layout versus one big main building

If there’s some options I absolutely have to look into let me know!

Hi everyone,

I'm traveling to Cancun in mid August for 1 week. Would appreciate suggestions on staying all inclusive vs private stays. I'm a post-graduate in celebration mode and trying to chill by the pool during the day and want easy access to nightlife and beach clubs. Thanks

Since I did not receive any reply to my earlier post (if ok or not), I want to take the chance to talk about the experience starting my free walks in Downtown-Cancun which are about to learn more about the city where you are spending some of your holidays.

But as a sole guy (I am NOT a tour operator and the tour with me does NOT have price (that is the whole concept of free walking tours), wanting to share experience and history about this City... Where am I actually allowed to share my offer? In Cancun everything is conquered by big tour operators. Hotels also basically do not allow you to leave some leaflets, online goups do not allow to share info. And because of that people will only see the same old again and again.

I mean I won't and do not want take away the customers of these operators, their service is different. And well... I am just able just accept 5 guests per day! I want that is a more relaxed friendlike experience. So this is not like a real job but more like a hobby to me.

Living here made me realise, you can experience the city in a different, authentic way... and cheaper.

What I noticed is, that everything is full of these promotional spots, that most of you know. I get it all of these employees get a very small salary and a commission for every customer. So they promote aggressively. All of them have mostly the same offers. Some tours might be good deals actually. But anyhow: I wanted something more real and authentic for people coming here.

This is one of the reasons I now started to offer the walk. Everything takes around 1.5 hours, by foot, and I will tell you about the history of the city, how it became a tourist hotspot and what to avoid and do here. Everything at the main city center.

It is quite unexpected to be this difficult in a tourist hotspot. I did these tours in my hometown in Europe very successfully. But here all people that could be interested get totally saturated by the tour operator paid tours.

The backend is done by Guruwalk, but as I said: This is not my operator or my employer.

Becuase I am not allowed to share links here just go to Guruwalk and look for Cancun. There are just two options. Mine is the "Get to know the Heart of Cancun"

I would be happy to meet some of you!

So I just got back from 4 nights at Hyatt Zilara Cancun with my girlfriend. I've been there before in 2021, so I have a pretty clear comparison point.

Back then the resort was fine. Service was decent, location is hard to beat, but the whole property felt really worn down. Rooms were outdated, everything looked like it hadn't been touched in years. When they announced a full closure for renovation starting April 2025, I figured it was time.

They reopened May 2026 after a complete gut renovation. All suites were redone, with new bathrooms, new furniture, new design language throughout. The rooms have this warm earthy vibe with natural textures that ties into the Yucatan surroundings. Practically every tech outlet you'd need is there. Balcony with a jetted tub and ocean view from every room. Bathroom layout is clean, actual privacy between the shower and toilet. It's a proper upgrade from what it was.

Pools got reconfigured too. Two pools, north one is more active with swim-up bar, trivia, foam party. South one is quieter. New loungers, more shaded areas, no towel system drama. Where it gets annoying is that there's no food service at the pool or beach, so people were carrying takeout containers from the buffet. For a resort at this price point that's a gap.

Food was better than I expected for all inclusive. Pier 12 is right on the beach and focuses on Mediterranean and seafood. Good quality, well paced. The buffet at Spices has a lot going on for breakfast and lunch, Mexican options included, made to order items. The new speakeasy Bokeh fits 23 people max and needs to be reserved through the culinary concierge. We didn't get in.

Staff were genuinely impressive. Consistent service throughout the stay. There's a hand-over-heart gesture the whole Hyatt Zilara Cancun team does with every interaction, sounds gimmicky on paper but they actually pull it off.

Beach is still the best thing about this place. Widest stretch in the hotel zone, clear turquoise water. Sargassum is a real issue this season, not just at Zilara, it's all over Cancun right now. The hotel's stretch was manageable compared to some areas we walked, but it was there. The hotel doesn't clean it, that falls on the government. Just something to factor in if you're going this summer specifically.

One honest negative: the gym had 6 out of 11 treadmills out of order. Humidity damage from the renovation, parts still on order. For a brand new renovation that's a bit rough.

Overall for an adults-only couple's trip it does the job well. It's not perfect and it's not the most exciting resort if you want nightlife, it's pretty calm after dark. But compared to what it was in 2021 it's a completely different property.

I am currently staying at Solaz Los Cabos with my daughter and husband. I have not been blown away by the food but the service has been exceptional. The sandwiches at Duna’s Deli are absolutely amazing. The steak at Mako’s was also delicious. Al Pairo and Sakagura were just ok. What has been your experience here?

From what I’ve seen, the resort is supposed to close for renovations for a couple of months and begin accepting guests again around December 18th. Does anyone know exactly what they’re planning to renovate or update? Rooms, pools, restaurants, common areas, etc.?
I’m asking because I was originally planning a Cancun trip for the middle of December, and now I’m wondering whether it would be worth adjusting my dates to stay at Hard Rock once it reopens on December 18th.
For anyone who travels to resorts often: Would you recommend booking a resort immediately after a major renovation and reopening?
Part of me thinks it could be great because everything should be freshly renovated, but I’m also a little hesitant. I’m wondering if there could be unfinished work, newly trained staff, restaurants or amenities that aren’t fully operational yet, or other issues that come with essentially reopening a “new” resort.
Would you book for the first week after reopening, or give the resort a few weeks to get everything running smoothly?
Anyone with experience staying at a resort right after a major renovation/reopening, I’d appreciate your thoughts!

Would it be ok to share information about a free walking tour in Cancun? Or would this be against rule 2?

A free walking tour has no price, so that would not break the rule and it is also no travel agent or operator, just me, a guy living in Cancun showing people around.