Hotel Xcaret Mexico Review
TGT Rating: 9.8/10
Photo of the resort taken from the main lobby
Our first time visiting Xcaret was right after COVID-19 lockdowns in 2021 after a year of no travel. Needless to say, our entire family was so excited to finally travel once the travel bans were lifted, but we were definitely cautious. We stayed for 3 nights in 2021, which was clearly not enough time to enjoy the resort! We absolutely fell in love at first sight with this resort and promised to come back in the nearby future. After we got home, we immediately booked for another vacation just a few months later. Ever since then, Xcaret has become our annual summer trip.
Dinos enjoying turn down service!
What’s so special about Xcaret?
As a family, we usually avoid all-inclusive resorts because we want to explore the surrounding areas rather than stay inside a resort for a long period of time. We also focus a lot on making sure there are enough activities for kids when we travel, which all-inclusive resorts often lack because of their repetitiveness. But, it would be a complete lie if I said that I enjoy the leisure of not planning anything and truly relaxing during a vacation.
Xcaret (I find) is the perfect mix of relaxing, activities, and exploring the area with kids.
Activities – Xcaret has a unique concept called “all-fun inclusive” where (almost) everything is included. Aside from the usual delicious food and drinks, there are multiple parks with various activities and themes included with your stay. Getting to and from the park is easy as transfer buses are also included with you stay. From zip-lining to swimming through a cave, the amount of activities are endless for everyone to enjoy.
Exploring – Besides the wonderful eco-theme parks, your stay also includes a visit to the beautiful Isla Mujeres, with transportation to and from the the resort and ferry ride to the island also included. As a recently added bonus, you can also enjoy a catamaran ride at Isla Mujeres.
Relaxing – The amount of relaxation at this resort is truly what you make of it. I have seen so many people who fill their entire vacation with Disney-like itinerary where they go to different parks everyday (understandably so, with so much to do). But one of my favorite things to do is truly enjoy the resort itself. The resort is huge and there’s so much to do and explore, including multiple inlet beaches where you can swim or kayak, a small (but beautiful) beach access, multiple pools, and hidden slides all over the resort. As an added bonus, the kids club at the resort is wonderful with various activities throughout the day. (Read our tips & tricks at Xcaret here)
Why we keep coming back
We have now been to this resort three times over the last two years, but we have yet to do everything. There are so many parks and activities we still have not experienced. But above all here are the top three things that keeps us coming back:
Food: Food is (and should be!) at the top of our list when considering all-inclusive resorts, especially because our son is an extremely picky eater. We normally get pretty tired of the same menu after 4th or 5th day, but not at Xcaret. There are so many options to choose from and overall, food is excellent unlike many other all-inclusive resorts we visited in the past. Best of all, is you can also get authentic Mexican food experience here on top of more Americanized “international” food options (but there are options for those too). Drinks are top-notch with liquor options from top shelf at no additional costs.
Kids Swimming Pool: The kids’ pool area is truly my son’s favorite out of this entire resort. The pool is heated, making it super comfortable for everyone to swim in with the highlight of a giant octopus slides in the middle. The water slides are not fancy and the pool is rather simple – but it is something my son talks about all the time and looks forward to every year. There is a restaurant with loads of traditional Mexican sweets and treats right next to the pool, making it super easy to play, eat, and relax.
Parks: Xcaret’s easy access to different eco-theme parks is an obvious reason we keep coming back to this resort. Our favorite as a family is the main theme park: Xcaret. The theme park is more than just zip-lining and swimming, with rich history of the Mayan culture displayed throughout the parks. One of the things we love to do is the special cultural classes the park offers, such as the chocolate making class and pottery making class. We also love the fun element of the park, with multiple selfie-stations and unique animals throughout.
Just imagine - relaxing in a hammock while your little one plays in the sand
Bottom Line
If your family loves adventure but also want to relax in the sun, Hotel Xcaret Mexico is the perfect solution that allows everyone in the family to truly enjoy a vacation. Forget about grocery shopping, cooking, and planning endless itineraries – the resort will take care of all that for you. No need to worry about keeping your kids entertained – the resort will take care of it. Looking for some much needed cocktail break? – the resort will take care of it. Overall, this is one of the best (if not the best) option for all-inclusive resort option!