This new Riu resort is on my list for my May 2026 trip–Hotel Riu Ventura just opened a couple of weeks ago and already hit 75% occupancy rate prior to high season Christmas stays, so you can be sure that this one is a highly desired family-friendly property. That kind of occupancy rate is almost unheard of in the all-inclusive resort market for soft openings (the first 3 months it’s opened).
If anyone is curious about the new Riu Ventura, here’s a short drone video of the build which was taken about a month ago. Notice the beautiful beach area it’s on (it’s by Playa Delfines), but also notice that this resort is built in a more perpendicular position to the beach so that means less real oceanfront room views vs. all the side ocean views. Some vacationers like both a sunrise/ocean view while others like more of a partial ocean view with an emphasis on sunset views when staying in the Hotel Zone, so this property can accommodate both wants as far as that is concerned.
I found this recent review on YouTube about Viceroy Riviera Maya, a boutique luxury all-inclusive optional property. It only has 41 private villas and a couple of restaurants plus a spa, but it packs a punch in exclusive private villas with your own terrace plunge pool and outdoor shower.
Take a look at another new video on the brand new Excellence Coral Playa Mujeres, this one is done by My Ali Travels. There are lots of drone video clips included so you get a great overall view of the property and how it’s laid out; the vlogger also goes into much detail about the resort and what is and is not available yet.
The Royal Sands is another Cancun all-inclusive resort perfect for accommodating families of 5+; it is approximately a 20-25 min. drive north of the Cancun airport. This resort is part of Royal Resorts (a timeshare/vacation club or whatever it may be labelled these days), so just keep that in mind when booking this resort. That means that if you are staying over on a Saturday (and you are not a timeshare owner) you just may be asked to change rooms due to owners having first dibs on particular rooms for their dates of stay. Other than that, this is a good choice for basic pool and beach fun in the sun for larger families/parties traveling together.
Excellence resorts, in my opinion, are some of the best all-inclusive properties in Mexico (some would say in the Caribbean). The brand knows how to give vacationers almost everything they’d want on a trip–luxurious but not stuffy surroundings and suites, good food, great drinks with top-shelf liquor, they don’t skimp on in-room liquor, lots of pool experiences and things to do on-site. It’s almost the perfect vacation.
For those of you interested in what the beach actually looks like at the new family-friendly AVA Cancun, here’s recent drone footage done by My Trip Coach Kaley. While the resort is now open, note that there are no loungers on the beach, so beach setup whatsoever.
Is the brand new property AVA Resort Cancun ready to open on June 1, 2024 as advertised? From the brief video below is looks pretty close to being done on the exterior; if it’s like many new resorts there’s usually several amenities that won’t be open on their opening date.
I found this great video of the beautiful island of Isla Mujeres which is easily reached from Cancun’s Hotel Zone. It’s great for a day trip if you are staying in Cancun or the Playa Mujeres/Costa Mujeres areas since there are multiple ferry piers to take people over to the island. You also have the option of booking a catamaran excursion which will take you to Isla Mujeres in addition to providing snorkeling opportunities plus an open bar and lunch from your catamaran.
There’s a recently posted drone video on YouTube (by Kellon Mohan) about the brand new Secrets Impression Isla Mujeres resort. It just opened several days ago so info coming out is slow right now, but hang in there for more videos to share. If you have an Instagram account, there are now pics on there about various areas of the resort as well.