At this point in my all-inclusive travels I have sampled quite a few resorts–some stays have been with well-recognized brands and a few have been with lesser known or less regarded brands.  While I do tend to love Riu resorts because of the vacation value they provide, there are some luxury/higher end resorts I also hold in high esteem due to their architecture and decor, service, ambiance, and things as simple as in-room liquor besides beer cans in the mini-fridge. Others might say they value the presence of a swim-up bar or two as well as whether privacy is provided in their bathroom and don’t care as much about the brand.  To each his/her own.

I have stayed at several different Secrets and Excellence resorts and my clear winner is the Excellence brand.  Of course there are always outliers in various situations, and my one Secrets standout would be Secrets Moxche, one of the most beautiful resorts I’ve ever encountered (with maybe the exception of Hotel Xcaret Arte).  There are some resorts I would never return to (for various reasons), and Secrets Akumal is one of them.  I could easily stay next door to Secrets Akumal at the family-friendly Akumal Bay Beach and Spa resort for less than half of what I would spend these days at Secrets Akumal and enjoy the same beach and snorkeling opportunities.  I would never pay what Secrets Akumal is demanding at this point, so it’s a good thing I went after they first opened for a steal of a deal.  I can’t comment on the Secrets Impression properties, however, since they typically start at $1,200 USD a night and that is generally out of my budget, so perhaps that might be an exception.  But at this point I feel I get the luxury I want with the amenities I need on a vacation with the Excellence brand.

Below is a video done by New Travel Escapes which outlines some basic differences between the brands…Do you agree with them or not?  Let me know in the comments section below.