Cancun has an enormous variety of beach vacation options. To help you experience the best vacation for you, this post details the best Cancun resorts (all inclusive).
Introduction to the Best Cancun All-Inclusive Resorts
If you’re familiar with the Cancun area, room view types, and vacation types, you can scroll down the list of the best Cancun resorts (all inclusive).
Generally, when travelers think of Mexican beaches, they want an all-inclusive experience, and Mexico and the Caribbean both host a myriad of these inclusive hotels. The most challenging part of planning and booking a beach vacation is deciding which of the hundreds of resorts to visit.
If you visit one of the online travel sites and search for all-inclusive resorts, you’ll receive an imposing list of alternatives you’ve never heard of, all promising to be a tropical paradise.
Beware of “Travel Deals” on All Inclusive Vacations
“Travel deals” sites will promote beach vacation packages that seem too good to be true, and that’s because they usually are. Don’t risk your travel time and travel dollars on those so-called “deals.” Invest your time wisely into properties that reliable sources have vetted.
Whether it’s pedestrian food, poor service, or dingy guest rooms, you don’t want to risk spending your hard-earned money and limited vacation time on bad experiences. This post will only include the best use of your travel time and dollars and help maximize your vacation experience.
Not all Mexican and Caribbean resorts are all-inclusive. Since all-inclusive vacations are what you’re looking for, this post will only contain resorts with such inclusive packages available.
Whether you seek an adult-exclusive vacation or a trip that the whole family can enjoy, this list of the best hotels in Cancun will help you select the best resorts for your vacation.
What “All-Inclusive” Includes
What “all-inclusive” includes depends on the resort. Typically, all the food and drinks you’ll want and most of your activities will fall under the umbrella of “all-inclusive.” Most resorts also offer elevated experiences for an extra cost.
Those resorts will charge Extra for premium liquors or wines, elevated dining experiences, and higher-level activities. For example, if you need transportation to tour Mayan ruins, that will likely be an additional charge.
A few resorts are literally ALL-inclusive, though, and those will typically be the luxury and higher-priced resorts. You have to pick what is right for you. If you want to spend a week on the sand and in the water, you don’t need to pay extra for excursions or fine dining.
Types of Vacations
Whether all-inclusive or otherwise, all resorts will offer family-friendly or adults-only vacations. Like most beach resorts, this post contains a mixture of both experiences.
Family Vacations
Kids clubs are a popular option for family-friendly resorts, and they give the kids a chance to get away from their parents and vice versa. Kids clubs offer fun activities for kids and teens to relish their family vacation while remaining safe and staying out of trouble, letting parents enjoy a stress-free day to themselves.
Adults-Only Vacations
You’ll find a mix of adults-only and family-friendly vacations around Cancun, and many resorts offer both. Choosing between an adults-only resort and a family-friendly resort is probably the easiest decision you’ll make about your trip. Are you taking the kids or not?
I love kids, and I enjoy activities with them. However, if my wife and I take a vacation together without the kids, we’ll seek an adults-only experience.
Locations Around Cancun
You’ll hear various names associated with the region of white-sand and blue water heaven. To avoid confusion
Riviera Maya
Riviera Maya lies along a beach south of Cancun and extends to Tulum. Playa Del Carmen sits in Riviera Maya with Cozumel across the water. Riviera Maya will be your farthest transport from Cancun International airport.
Hotel Zone
Also called the Zona Hotelera, the hotel zone offers nearly 100 resorts near downtown Cancun. While the hotel zone is near enough to downtown for a convenient visit, it is all about the beach. You’ll have water on either side of you, the Caribbean Sea to your east, and the Laguna Nichepte to your west.
The northern Hotel Zone is closest to downtown Cancun if you’re interested in spending time there. The central Hotel Zone has more nightlife options, so it tends to be more lively, and you’ll find less nightlife in the southern hotel zone.
Playa Mujeres
Playa Mujeres sits north of downtown. Here you’ll enjoy gorgeous white-sand beaches on blue Caribbean water and Isla Mujeres on the horizon.
Understanding the Types of Room Views
It is essential to note what view you’ll enjoy based on the room’s description when selecting your room. The three primary options are:
- Garden View
- Ocean View
- Ocean Front
Garden View
Garden View means that you’ll have a view of a garden. The garden may contain water (it may also contain cars or storage), but your view will not be of the sea. Likewise, your view will likely not include the lagoon.
Ocean View
These are the rooms you have to be most mindful of. With an “ocean view,” you’ll likely see a pool, garden, and more rooms out your window. While you’ll be able to see the sea, it will be in the distance or off to one side.
Some ocean view rooms are better than others. The best thing to do to ensure the quality of your vacation experience is to stick with well-known resorts, ask friends who have visited resorts, or seek the advice of a travel advisor.
Ocean Front
Ocean Front is the best way to ensure that you’ll see the ocean out the front of your window. Hopefully, you can walk out of your door and onto the beach. That is not always the case, though. Oceanfront rooms will offer the best unobstructed views of the reason you elected to vacation in Cancun, the ocean!
Descriptions of the Best Cancun Resorts (All Inclusive)
Beach Palace
Beach Palace is a luxurious all-inclusive resort in Cancun’s hotel zone. Although a medium-sized resort, Beach Palace still offers four restaurants and three bars. Additionally, it tends to be a more budget-friendly choice.
Activities include the white-sand beach, nightly shows, a spa, a playroom for kids, and a fitness center with a view of the beach. While Beach Palace is a great place for a family vacation, it offers places for adults to escape.
Location: Cancun Hotel Zone, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Distance from airport: 20.4 km, 21 minutes
Family or Adult: Family-friendly with adult-exclusive escapes
Restaurants: Asian, Mexican, Italian, Indian
Bars and Lounges: 3 bars, including a rooftop, poolside bar.
Water activities: Kids’ pool, waterslide, white-sand beach
Activities: Kids’ playroom with interactive games, spa, golf, zip-lining, sailing, fishing, snorkeling, and exploring Mayan ruins
Rooms (Prices):
Lagoon View with 1 king or 2 queens, starting at $390 US per person.
Sea views start at $449 US per person.
Superior 2-bedroom Presidential Suite, sleep up to 6 guests, starting at $1950 US per person.
Room Amenities:
- Double-whirlpool
- Luxurious accommodations
- 24-hour room service
- Free WiFi
- Red Wine
Beach Palace Resorts practice “Low-carbon tourism.” They implemented several policies and procedures to reduce their carbon footprint and mitigate their effects.
Their conservation efforts include organic composting, waste management, energy and water conservation, wildlife protection, preventing beach erosion, and environmental handling of that pesky sargassum seagrass.
Beloved Playa Mujeres
This boutique-style hotel offers an excellent romantic getaway with magnificent views of the ocean and Isla Mujeres on the horizon. Beloved is an adults-only, all-inclusive resort.
Location: Playa Mujeres Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Distance from airport: 28.3 km, 35 minutes
Family or Adult: Adult-exclusive
Restaurants: 4 restaurants
Bars and Lounges: 3 bars
Water activities:
- 3 swimming pools, including one beachfront pool
- 4 outdoor jacuzzis
- Beach activities, including beach volleyball, wellness workshops, and beach games
- Sailing
- Kayaking
- Paddleboarding
- Snorkeling
Activities:
- Live music and shows
- Cooking lessons and tastings
- Yoga classes
- Bike tours
- Fully-equipped, state-of-the-art fitness center
- Tennis courts and private tennis lessons (nearby)
- Nearby golf (for an extra charge)
Rooms (Prices):
Junior Suite with Round Jacuzzi, starting at $531.
Terrace Suite with Plunge Pool, starting at $620.
Casita Suite with Private Pool, starting at $635.
Ocean View Terrace Suite with Plunge Pool, starting at $665.
2-Story Terrace Suite with Plunge Pool, starting at $680.
Beachfront Casita Suite with Private Pool, starting at $635.
Beachfront 2-Story Terrace Suite with Plunge Pool, starting at $773.
Penthouse Suite with Plunge Pool Ocean View, starting at $827.
The Owner’s Suite, starting at $935.
Amenities
- Pool menu
- Stocked Minibar
- Bottle of champaign
- expansive private balcony
- Free wireless internet
- Nespresso machine
Enjoy a variety of dining options at Beloved Playa Mujeres’ four restaurants, including one with on-the-beach open-air dining. There are also four bars and lounges, a sushi and ceviche bar, a healthy bar, and the all-important coffee bar.
Room options include swim-up suites, terraces with plunge pools, 2-story, and beachfront casitas. The rooms are gorgeous with jacuzzis, BVLGARI toiletries, marble bathrooms, twice-daily cleaning service, 24-hour room service, and spectacular ocean views.
Le Blanc Spa Resort
Le Blanc Spa Resort is a luxury adults-only, all-inclusive resort with plenty of romantic adults’ experiences and elegant, spacious rooms with marble bathrooms. You can enjoy butler service and 24-hour room service.
Location: Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Distance from airport: 23 km, 28 minutes
Family or Adult: Adult-exclusive
Restaurants: 6 restaurants
Bars and Lounges: 2 bars, including a swim-up bar
Water activities:
- luxury yacht trips
- catamaran trips
- fishing
Activities:
- Chichen Itza experience
- Golf
- The Privilege by Rio Secreto*
Rooms (Prices):
Royal Deluxe Lagoon View, starting at $721.
Royal Deluxe Partial Ocean View, starting at $793.
Royal Honeymoon Suite Ocean View, starting at $829.
Royal Deluxe Ocean View Double Beds, starting at $793.
Blanc Wellness Suite Ocean View, starting at $952.
Royal Junior Suite, starting at $974.
Butler service and 24-hour room service
Royal Governor Suite Ocean Front, starting at $1,082.
Royal Presidential Suite, starting at $2,763.
Royal 2-bedroom Presidential Suite, starting at $2,763.
Amenities
- Double Jacuzzi
- Butler Service
- Premium liquor dispenser
- Rainfall shower and massage jets
- Bvlgari bath amenities
- High-speed WiFi
- Nightly turndown service
Enjoy fine dining at Le Blanc’s six restaurants, beautiful pools with swim-up bars, a spa, and plenty of fun activities. *Privilege by Rio Secreto is an expedition through an underground river and Mayan caves!
Excellence Playa Mujeres
Since it’s about 30 minutes from Cancun’s Hotel Zone on the Playa Muheres, excellence is a quieter, more secluded resort. It sits on a white-sand beach with views of Isla Mujeres. The rooms luxurious rooms offer options such as plunge pools and private balconies.
Location: Playa Mujeres Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Distance from airport: 28 km, 34 minutes
Family or Adult: Adults-only
Rooms (Prices):
Junior Suite Spa or Pool View, $609.
Junior Swim-up Suite Spa or Pool View, $650.
Excellence Club Junior Suite Pool View, $700.
Terrace Suite with Plunge Pool, $716.
2-Story Rooftop Terrace Suite Spa or Pool View, $733.
Excellence Club Junior Swim-Up Suite Pool View, $749.
Excellence Club Junior Suite Pool View, $700.
Excellence Club Junior Suite Ocean View, $766.
Excellence Club 2-Story Rooftop Terrace Suite Ocean Front, $914.
Excellence Club Honeymoon Suite with Private Pool, $1,152.
Excellence Club Honeymoon Suite 2-Story Rooftop Terrace Suite with Plunge Pool, $1,169.
Excellence Club Imperial Suite with Private Pool, $1,235.
Imperial Suite 1-Story Rooftop Terrace with Plunge Pool, $1,235.
Amenities in all rooms:
- Champaign greeting
- Marble bathroom with rain double rain shower
- Minibar with premium liquor
- Pillow menu
- In-Suite Jacuzzi
- Free wireless Internet
- 24-hour room service
Excellence Club Amenities
- Private check-in and check-out
- Access to a private beach area
- Upgraded minibar
- Nespresso machine
- Access to Excellence Club Lounge
- Shoeshine service
- Upgraded room service menu
Restaurants: 9 restaurants
Bars and Lounges: 12 bars and lounges
Water activities:
- 7 pools, 4 are heated, 3 are for Excellence Club
- Water polo
- Water aerobics
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Snorkeling diving
- Deep-sea fishing*
- Private yacht excursions*
- Scuba lessons*
Activities:
- Spa with hydrotherapy pool, steam room, and saunas.
- Dance classes
- Yoga
- Cooking lessons
- Spanish lessons
- Archery
- Air rifle shooting.
*For an extra cost.
Excellenceresorts.com/resorts/Excellence-Playa-Mujeres
Hard Rock Hotel Cancun
If you’d enjoy a lively all-inclusive beach vacation in the heart of the hotel zone without leaving the resort, the Hard Rock Hotel Cancun will have everything you need, especially if you’re a music lover. The rooms are big and feature private balconies with great views.
Location: Central Hotel Zone
Distance from airport: 18 km, 21 minutes
Family or Adult: Family-friendly and adult-exclusive amenities
Restaurants: 6 Restaurants and in-room dining.
Bars and Lounges: 6 bars and lounges, including the theater and a pool bar.
Water activities:
- infinity pool with submerged loungers and a swim-up bar
- Kid’s pool with slides at Kids Club
Activities:
- Nightly shows
- Kids Club
- Sound of Your Stay Experience*
- Music Lab**
- Tequila tasting
- Spa
- Golf
Rooms (Prices):
Deluxe Lagoon View, $952.
Deluxe – Pure Wellness, $989.
Deluxe Ocean View, $1,025.
Diamond Ocean View, $1,057.
Rock Royalty Ocean View King with Personal Assistant, $1,101.
Deluxe Family Lagoon View (2 bedroom), $2,375.
Rock Suite Ocean View (1 bedroom) with Personal Assistant, $7,295.
Rock Suite Ocean View (2 bedroom) with Personal Assistant, $7,359.
Rock Suite Ocean Front (2 bedroom) with Personal Assistant, $6,338.
Room Amenities:
- Private balcony
- Xbox
- In-room dining
- Double hydro spa tub
- Free wireless internet
- Minibar
- Nespresso machine
- Air conditioning
- Two complementary antigen tests and medical assistance**
*Hard Rock resorts offer guitars, record players, and records that you can borrow and enjoy in your room.
**Guests over 12 can use professional instruments or DJ equipment, take lessons, and at the end of your trip, you can perform in a concert!
Check out Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya for a feel of Hard Rock Resorts.
Hyatt Zilara Cancun
Hyatt Zilara is an adult-only all-inclusive experience with spacious rooms featuring private balconies and rainfall showers. It sits on white-sand beaches and blue waters.
Location: Central Hotel Zone
Distance from airport: 21.1 km, 22 minutes
Family or Adult: Adults only
Restaurants: 6 (Mexican, teppanyaki)
Bars and Lounges: 3
Water activities: Big beach-facing infinity pool with swim-up bar and lounge.
Room price range: $885 – $1,205 per person per night.
Room Amenities:
- Private furnished balcony
- Rainfall showers
- Pillow menu
- Free internet access
- Coffee Maker
Activities:
- Live entertainment
- Foam parties
- Tequila tastings
- Access to Hotel Zone nightlife
- Oceanfront spa treatment
- Yoga classes
Hyatt Ziva Cancun
Spaning 2 white-sand beaches, Hyatt Ziva offers plenty of room to soak up the sun and have all-inclusive fun as a family or an adults-only escape. Sitting at the northeast tip of Cancun’s hotel zone, Ziva grants you spectacular views of the Caribbean.
If you appreciate the romance of lighthouses, Hyatt Ziva sits on the northern tip of the hotel zone by the Punta Cancun lighthouse.
Location: North Hotel Zone
Distance from airport: 24 km, 25 – 33 minutes.
Family or Adult: Family-friendly and adult-exclusive tower
Restaurants: 10, ranging from casual to dry casual, with a finer dining option for an extra cost. Open-air seafood restaurant.
Bars and Lounges: 6, including a margarita bar
Rooms (Prices):
Amenities:
- Complimentary mini-bar
- Complimentary WiFi
- Floor-to-ceiling windows that open with blackout drapes
- Marble bathroom
- 24-hour rooms service
- Swim-up suites available
Water activities:
- Water park in Kids’ Club
- Swimming
- Water sports
- Beach excursions
- Rooftop pool on Turquoize tower
Activities:
- Live entertainment
- Kids’ Club
- Butler service in Turquoize tower
- Spa
- Fitness center
Grownups seeking an adults-only vacation can book accommodations in the adult-exclusive Turquoize tower which features an infinity pool on the roof!
Live Aqua Beach Resort Cancun
Live Aqua is an adults-only, all-inclusive resort in the central hotel zone that offers a more tranquil, serene experience than the other resorts in this area that provide more party-style atmospheres. If you love fine dining, Live Aqua’s restaurants make this resort an excellent choice for you.
Live Aqua features modern rooms. Their suites feature roomy, furnished balconies and whirlpools.
Location: Central Hotel Zone
Distance from airport: 20KM, 20 minutes
Family or Adult: Adults-only
Restaurants: 7 restaurants (including a beachfront seafood restaurant), a cafe, and a sushi station.
Bars and Lounges: 2
Rooms (Prices):
Premium Garden View 1 King, $473.23.
Premium Ocean View 1 King, $608.17.
Premium Ocean Front 1 King, $649.02.
Premium Ocean Front with Terrace 1 King, $700.09.
Honeymoon Suite, $1,088.17.
Room Amenities:
- Aromatherapy menu
- Mini bar
- Nespresso coffee machine
- Internet included
- 2 SMART TVs
- Electrically controlled curtains
- 24-hour room service
Water activities:
- 7 pools, including an Infinity pool
- Snorkeling
- Diving
- Swim with dolphins
Activities:
- Sun-loungers on the beach
- Beach cabanas you can reserve
- Spa with hydro-reflexology
- Theme nights, including casino night
- Morning Yoga
- Daily live music
- Live DJ at the bar
- Golf*
The video on Live Aqua’s website cracks me up. I’m pretty sure that you don’t have to be a gorgeous supermodel to enjoy this more chill resort.
*Golf is an extra charge.
https://www.liveaqua.com/Cancun
Moon Palace Cancun
Moon Palace is a mammoth all-inclusive luxury resort with three different offering plenty of options for your style of travel and more amenities than you can take advantage of in one trip, and kids and teens get to stay for free!
The resort includes two distinct sections, Sunrise and Nizuc. While Sunrise is lively with more outdoor activities, Nizuc provides a more serene vacation.
Location: North Riviera Maya
Distance from airport: 12 KM, 19 minutes.
Family or Adult: Family-friendly with adult-only retreat area
Restaurants: 13 different restaurants, including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.
Bars and Lounges: 8, including pool bars and a 24-hour coffee shop.
Rooms (Prices):
Superior Deluxe Garden View, $360 per room (double occupancy).
Superior Deluxe Ocean View, $396 per room (double occupancy).
Superior Deluxe Ocean Front, $414 per room (double occupancy).
Superior Honeymoon Suite, $475 per room (double occupancy).
Swim Up Suite, $475 per room (double occupancy).
Superior Family Suite, $793 per room (double occupancy).
Room Amenities:
- 2-person jetted tubs
- Private balconies
- Complimentary red wine
- Free WiFi
- 24-hour room service
Water activities:
- Interconnected lagoon pools
- Swim-up bars
- Poolside giant-screen tv
- Kayaking
- Snorkeling
- Swimmable beach
- Swimming with dolphins
Activities:
- FlowRider wave simulator
- Kids club with multiple themed rooms, life-sized dollhouse, and mini-theater
- Teens lounge
- 18-hole mini-golf course
- 30-hole golf course
- Holistic spa
With most resorts, you’ll need transportation to the golf course. Moon Palace has its own golf course, and Le Blanc uses the Moon Palace golf course.
While at Moon Palace, you can purchase a day pass to use the facilities and amenities at The Grand at Moon Palace. This is how you can enjoy the water park.
The Grand at Moon Palace
A massive, luxurious, all-inclusive, family-friendly resort boasting a huge waterpark, bumper cars, and entertaining activities, The Grand at Moon Palace offers everything Moon Palace does and more.
Location: North Riviera Maya
Distance from airport: 11 KM, 20 minutes.
Family or Adult: Family-friendly
Restaurants: 14 French
Bars and Lounges: 2, including one poolside and one inspired by the Roaring 20s.
Rooms (Prices):
Grand Deluxe Garden View, $505 per room (double occupancy).
Grand Swim-up Suite, $631 per room (double occupancy).
Grand Family Suite, $1,111 per room (double occupancy).
Grand Honeymoon Suite, $547 per room (double occupancy).
Room Amenities:
- 2-person jetted tub
- Private balcony
- Hammock
- Free WiFi
- SmartTV
Family Suite Amenities:
- 1 king and two double beds
- Kids’ minibar
- Xbox 360
Water activities:
- Water park
- 2 pools
- Lazy river
- FlowRider
- Swimming with the dolphins
Activities:
- Adults’ nightclub
- Adults’ day club
- Bowling alley
- Kids Club
- Mini golf
- Bumper cars
- 30-hole golf course
While staying at The Grand at Moon Palace, you can also enjoy all the amenities and facilities at Moon Palace. Direct access to the other property will come in handy if you enjoy swimming at the beach. The beach at The Grand isn’t swimmable, but the beach at Moon Palace is swimmable.
Sun Palace
Sun Palace is a smaller adults-only all-inclusive in the southern hotel zone. Being a smaller property and away from the vibrant central hotel zone, Sun Place offers you spacious rooms and a more relaxing and romantic experience.
Location: Southern Hotel Zone
Distance from airport: 12 km, 12 minutes
Family or Adult: Adults-only
Restaurants: 4 restaurants with an emphasis on romantic, fine experiences.
Bars and Lounges: 3 bars, a snack bar, and a coffee bar
Rooms (Prices):
Superior Deluxe Ocean View, $420 per room (double occupancy).
Superior Junior Suite Ocean View, $483 per room (double occupancy).
Superior Deluxe Standard Ocean Double, $483 per room (double occupancy).
Superior Honeymoon Suite, $555 per room (double occupancy).
Superior Governor Suite, $630 per room (double occupancy).
Superior 2-bedroom Presidential Suite, $2,10 per room (double occupancy).
Room Amenities:
- Red win upon arrival
- Private balcony
- 24-hour room service
- Double whirlpool tub
- Turndown service
- Liquor cabinet and minibar
- Wireless internet
Water activities:
- 3 infinity pools
- Snorkeling Xtreme
- Fishing
- Luxury sailing
- Yachting
- Swim with dolphins
Activities:
- Spa
- Nightly shows
- Volleyball
- Tour Mayan ruins at Tulum and Chichen Itza
- ATV and Zipline tour
List of the Best Cancun Resorts All Inclusive
- Beach Palace.
- Beloved Playa Mujeres.
- Le Blanc Spa Resort.
- Excellence Playa Mujeres.
- Hard Rock Hotel Cancun
- Hyatt Zilara Cancun
- Hyatt Ziva Cancun
- Live Aqua Beach Resort Cancun
- Moon Palace Cancun
- Moon Palace – The Grand Cancun
- Sun Palace Cancun
Question: Which is your favorite all-inclusive resort in Cancun?
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