Following our visit to the Riu Dunamar in February 2018 (if you want to read my review of that property just click here), my husband and I took a private shuttle to another new all-inclusive resort which also opened December 2017.  Hotel Xcaret Mexico is the first stage of a six stage project (Destino Xcaret) designed and built by the Mexican firm Grupo Xcaret.  The entire project will eventually consist of a multipurpose stadium, a shopping center, and 6,000 guest rooms across 12 hotels.  Hotels will range from luxury accommodations to those with four star ratings.

But I digress.  Regardless of its purpose or rank within the scheme of overall resort planning, Hotel Xcaret Mexico is a stunning eco-friendly property which has already won an EarthCheck certification for “Planning and Design”.  Everything about the resort reflects the culture, artistry, and natural beauty of Mexico–pieces of art, the use of natural materials everywhere on the resort, and the inherent flow of design from one space to another speaks of the care and pride which went into the planning and completion of this wonderfully beautiful and serene space.

My husband and I were met by a very friendly staff member who warmly welcomed us, tagged our luggage, gave us a brief introduction of the welcome procedure, and directed us upstairs towards the lobby.  Inside the lobby we were greeted by several additional staff members who gave us warm wet cloths for our hands and face, stated we were “VIP” guests once they checked their guest list roster, then we were directed to another staff member who accompanied us to Casa Fuego which is the oceanfront, adults-only guest room building of the resort.  He was extremely friendly and personable giving us information about the resort along the way and answering any questions we had.

We were eventually ushered inside the private check-in room for Casa Fuego guests (there are three check-in areas–Casa Fuego guests check-in at the Fuego building on the 5th floor, Casa Tierra guests have a separate room in the lobby, and the regular check-in desk for all other guests is also located in the lobby).  The Casa Fuego check-in room was a lovely surprise of Mexican masks upon the walls, several funky decorative chairs (mind you not for sitting though–there is a separate seating area if you have to wait to check-in), and a check-in desk with several flat screens behind it advertising the resort and the nearby attractions–the room’s color scheme was unusually striking with its combination of green and pink.

Check-in did not take long, nor did the request for us to attend a breakfast and resort tour (this is the timeshare presentation, but most resorts label it as something different these days–we said no and the subject was quickly dropped).  At check-in, each guest receives a digital wristband instead of the typical plastic band commonly used at other all-inclusives; this not only serves as a room key but also as admission to various parks/attractions which is part of the resort’s new “All-Fun Inclusive” concept.

With their digital wristband, Hotel Xcaret guests can gain admission to the following parks/attractions/tours without paying any additional admission/excursion fees:

• Xcaret Park
• Xplor/Xplor Fuego Park
• Xenses Park
• Xel-Há Park
• Xoximilco Cancun (dinner-on-a-barge nighttime experience)
• Xenotes Oasis Maya Tour (visiting four cenotes with activities)
• Xichén-Deluxe Tour (Xichén Itzá, lunch, and a visit to a cenote–no swimming)
• Xel-Há-Tulum Tour (visit the Tulum ruins and Xel-Há Park)
• Xel-Há-Cobá Tour (visit Xel-Há Park and the Cobá ruins)

My husband and I eventually decided to do Xcaret Park, Xenses Park, the Xichén-Deluxe Tour, and the Xoximilco dinner “cruise” which will be reviewed separately.

Since our room was not yet ready (it was about 2:15 p.m.), we were escorted to the Fuego restaurant (a private restaurant only for Casa Fuego guests) and had a yummy bite to eat on the terrace with the swim-up suite pool to our left and a sea view beyond. We had several meals at this restaurant over the course of our stay and I cannot stress enough how wonderful the food was here and how accommodating the staff was to my husband’s food allergy.  I thought this was the best restaurant of those I tried at the resort.

After sating ourselves with calamari, lasagna, and wine, we went back to the Casa Fuego check-in desk where we were handed over to another staff member who took us to our suite and explained how to operate all the various features within.  My husband and I were most intrigued by the buttons inside the toilet area–push one button and you can see the room interior and sea view beyond, push another button and the pane of glass becomes opaque (no one can see in and you cannot see out).  In terms of bathroom privacy, there is a sliding door which can close off the shower/dressing areas, or it can be left open so that guests may look out at the ocean while bathing.  There is a separate Jacuzzi tub, but we did not use this amenity–we literally ran out of time since  we only stayed five nights (I would recommend a minimum stay of seven nights to fully enjoy the resort and parks/tours).  While there was a temporary glitch with the flat screen TV, a technician came within 10 min. and fixed the problem.

The suite was lovely with hand painted Mexican tiles used in the shower, original artwork on the walls, and a balcony hammock with another one ready to be hung.  While the only in-room liquor was the beer inside the complimentary mini-bar, Jr. and Master Suites at this resort have several in-room bottles of liquor as well.  The bed in our suite was situated so that we had a sea view while lying down which we thought was an awesome feature indeed.  There were some in-room snacks as well as original Mexican treats delivered in small handmade baskets during the nightly turndown service–guests are allowed to keep the baskets.

After unpacking, we decided to explore and get a feel for the resort and what it had to offer, so we headed out and promptly got lost.  Make no mistake, this is a large resort with 900 guest rooms over five interconnected buildings, a separate lobby/restaurant section, and a series of lagoons and rivers which can be traversed via walkways/suspension bridges in order to access other resort areas/buildings.  There is a large “island” section north of the guest room buildings which includes several slides, grotto areas with hammocks, and workout “stations”.  While the resort was designed to be a seamless part of its natural surroundings, this has resulted in a paucity of signage.  Take a resort map with you when you first explore, it does help.  (I will be uploading a separate video showing the easiest way to get from the Fuego check-in to the general lobby–it saves some time).

During our stay we came across various live entertainment options at different parts of the resort–drummers (they walked around the resort and played), harpist, classical guitarist, mariachis at dinner, and antique organ (sounded like county fair music).  Our favorite live entertainment option was the band, Bullet Queen, who plays rock/alternative rock in the lobby bar Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights from 9:15 p.m. to midnight.  Their performances are very well attended (they are that good, also with an opportunity to dance), so show up by 8:30 p.m. if you want a seat.  The latest addition to live entertainment options I’ve noticed from social media sites has been a kayak landing at the lagoon area–kayaks are filled with individuals wearing authentic Mayan garb who do a short presentation.  While there is no standard theater for nighttime shows, the resort does offer a dinner theater at no additional charge–you just have to make a reservation.

Food options at the resort are plentiful with 10 restaurants including one dedicated buffet (Mercado 17), eight a la cartes, and the dinner theater (Teatro del Rio).  The buffet may not be everyone’s standard buffet–there were many Mexican dishes, lots of which I’d never tasted or even heard of before, probably because most Americans are used to Tex-Mex dishes.  The buffet offerings were very spread out, so take the time to explore all the dishes in the entire space.  We also ate at the teppanyaki table at Xin-Gao which required a reservation–although the food was good, it was the standard teppanyaki table presentation so if you’ve done this before at other all-inclusives you may want to skip this experience.  Some of the seating at Xin-Gao for other diners was interesting in that tatami-style mats were used which required diners to be able to have the mobility to sit very near floor level (this may be difficult for elderly diners at this restaurant, or awkward for women wearing shorter dresses).  Las Playas had a sand floor and double swing seats at the adjoining bar making for a very casual atmosphere– it was good for lunch or a late afternoon snack option; very hungry individuals may want to try the hamburger here because it was large enough for two people.

Ha′ restaurant is one of two dining options which is an additional cost for most resort guests (Jr. and Master Suite guests get to eat here for free; the Sunday Brunch over at the chapel area is the other and it costs around $50 p/p).  Ha’ is pricey (around $150 p/p); the last I heard the resort was contemplating opening it up for non-resort diners since not many guests were choosing to eat here.  Las Cuevas (the cave restaurant by the lagoons) while not open when we were there, opened late March 2018, while an additional restaurant (vegetarian restaurant called Bio) has also opened since we visited, also located by Las Cuevas–if you walk towards the kayaks on the lagoon beach you will find it.  I did happen to walk by Las Cuevas seating areas while on my way to kayak in the lagoons, and it would provide a unique dining experience since you are seated in open cave-like “rooms”.  While we also did not have a chance to dine at La Cantina due to time limitations, there is a sports bar upstairs (adults-only) which guests can visit without having to dine at this restaurant (I believe there is a lobby level entrance to the sports bar, so go to the lobby area first and down the furthest hallway to the right of the check-in desk).

If you’re looking to eat lunch without having to leave the pool area or change into dry clothes, forget it at the main pool (this may change in the future since the resort was just starting to offer some poolside snack carts with very limited food options–think BBQ’d ear of corn on a stick–the resort has also added a taco cart).  The nearest restaurant to the pool is La Trajinera, but you cannot enter it wearing a wet swimsuit.  Casa Fuego guests, however, can order food at the private rooftop pool–no change of clothes required.

Speaking of the rooftop pool, it is my opinion that this amenity alone is totally worth the upgrade to the adults-only Casa Fuego section.  While it only offers 10 poolside loungers, there is a standard seating area next to the bar; it also offers an afternoon DJ which made the atmosphere more fun–we tipped the DJ several dollars and he immediately played our requests, even going beyond and playing other songs by the artists we requested.  The bar was only open until shortly after 7 p.m. when we were there, but then we didn’t go during high season, so the hours could change with occupancy.

If you’re not booked into Casa Fuego, you have access to the main infinity pool with swim-up bar, the second swim-up bar pool area (this is across from restaurant row by the lobby building), the smaller pool area located by Casa Espiral, and the pool area with the children’s waterslides over by Casa Viento.  Casa Fuego guests have access to all pool areas at the resort.  Be aware that the lengthy main pool has only one set of steps from which to formally enter/exit; there is a huge pool shelf all along the south side of the pool, so if you don’t mind jumping into the pool from there or hoisting yourself out from the shelf there isn’t a problem.  Those who enjoy organized pool activities should be aware that there are no staff dedicated to getting guests involved in poolside games–perhaps this will change with time.  There are plenty of loungers at the main pool as long as you don’t insist on getting one at waters edge; the resort has even included kid’s-size loungers both at the main pool and more at the pool with the waterslides.  If you want other swimming options, don’t forget about the lagoons which are a central part of the resort’s layout.  Calm water, sand loungers, and life vests for everyone make this a safe swimming option, especially for kids who want to swim and play in the sand.

Beach lovers, be prepared to be disappointed.  While this resort is amazing in so many ways, it is definitely not for the vacationer who wants a beach experience to be a central part of their vacation.  The ocean entrance is small with a roped-off section for swimming; bring water shoes because there are many rocks at the beach.  Loungers are at an upper level from ocean entry; the resort just added shade umbrellas in this section when we were there in late February.  While there are no nearby bathrooms, there are two areas where one may wash off beach sand; a bar cart has been set up closer to the swimming area adjacent to the loungers on the southern end.

While there are no water sports equipment available at the beach, you can always kayak (one and two person kayaks are available) or do stand up paddleboarding in the lagoons.  The trick is to find the station where the watercraft and life vests are available (again, lack of signage makes it tricky for new guests).  The easiest way is to find the lagoon entry level of the resort and walk north (if you’re facing the lagoon you’d turn left).  Since we were staying in the Fuego section we just took stairs down a level from the swim-up pool area to the sand and walked less than five min. before we came across the staff helping guests with equipment.

If you’re traveling with children, there are both Kid’s Club and Teen Club services available.  I did accidentally happen upon the Teen Club room while I was exploring, and it was very nicely set up with various activities and socialization spaces.  Smaller children will enjoy the waterslides in the Viento section of the resort, while the nearby Chibali restaurant is ideally set up for families (every time I walked past the restaurant there were people waiting in line to get in)–most families either wind up in the Casa Viento or upgraded Casa Tierra guest room buildings, although I have heard of some families being assigned to Casa Espiral (perhaps because of overbookings which was a problem when I was at the resort).

Spa and/or gym lovers rejoice!!!  What a setting for those who enjoy spa treatments/hydrotherapy experiences–while I am not a spa person and did not book a treatment, spa staff allowed me to take some pics of the space and it was beautiful with lagoon views and small waterfalls (look for pics in the photo gallery below).  Those who want to take advantage of the spa services on a more regular basis will love the guest rooms in Casa Agua which are the rooms above the spa itself.  There is a dedicated elevator for Casa Agua guests which leads right down to the spa check-in.

I have never seen a more well-equipped gym at a resort–along with the standard treadmills, steppers, and elliptical machines, there were multiple machines for specific muscle training and a large free weight section for those who want to buff up.  Casa Fuego guests also have their own private (and much smaller) gym next to the Casa Fuego check-in, also a nice space with limited work out options.

One final major piece of information which I think will be helpful for those who want to visit this resort, and that concerns transportation.  Hotel Xcaret Mexico provides complimentary transportation to/from the Cancun airport and all of the parks/tours that are available (remember the All-Fun Inclusive concept I mentioned earlier in this review?).  If you’re going to Xcaret, Xenses, or Xplor parks, take the pink bus with the palapa roof–go to the area where your airport transportation let you out and walk to the right until the overhangs, there’s a bus every 30 minutes.  Guests can also check out bicycles to go to and from the closest parks–they are available in the parking lot, just keep on walking past where you catch the pink buses.  If you are going to Xel-Ha Park, you will need to make a reservation because this park is much further away.  While excursion/tour buses will also leave out front, don’t go by what your reservation confirmation says.  You will NOT meet in the lobby.  Go to where the buses are parked out front and check-in with one of the staff with clipboards/tablets. While going to Xcaret, Xenses, and Xplor does not require a reservation, all other parks and tours do require them.  While I made ours through emails prior to arrival, you can always stand in line at the concierge desk in the lobby and make them once you are at the resort.

While this has been a rather lengthy review (probably the lengthiest review I’ve written to date), there is so much to do and see while at this resort that I thought anything less would be doing a disservice to what your vacation money is providing. My husband and I loved this resort (in fact, it is my husband’s new favorite all-inclusive resort) and we would definitely return.  Since we traveled here during the “soft opening”, prices were still within our affordable range, so a return trip would depend on finding a deal.  Would we recommend this resort?  Absolutely, with one exception.  In our opinion, this resort is not recommended for anyone with mobility problems.  There were stairs everywhere leading to different levels–this was particularly true if you wanted to go to the lagoons, and most stairs did not have any railings.  If you are willing to stay to the main paths and don’t mind missing out on some amenities, then perhaps it could work for those with mobility problems.

Take a moment or two and enjoy the photo gallery below–just click on any of the thumbnails to get a larger view of the picture.

The comments in this review are those of the author/reviewer.  This trip was paid for in its entirety by the author; at no time were any monies or services exchanged for this review.

Location:  50 min. south of the Cancun airport

Telephone:  52-998-881-9836

Email:  dxguestservice@hotelxcaret.com