No destination has been hotter in the Caribbean Basin in the last three years than Cancun, the Mexican Caribbean’s tourism epicenter. The pandemic has only seemed to deepen travelers’ love affair with the area, with more and more new flights coming in and new hotels seeming to pop up every week.
Navigating Cancun’s massive hotel stock can be a challenge, though, with so many resorts and so many different tourism enclaves to choose from.
We’re here to help, gathering our favorite resorts from what we would call “greater Cancun.” That means Cancun and its hotel zone, Costa Mujeres, Playa Mujeres and what has recently come to be called the “Riviera Cancun” around nearby Puerto Morelos.
Note that we stopped at Puerto Morelos going south, leaving the broad selection of resorts in the Riviera Maya for another feature.
So where should you stay? Check out our top resorts for your next Cancun vacation.
Grand Residences Riviera Cancun Choosing our favorite resort in and round Cancun was no easy feat. We had to balance quality, design, amenities and service, along with value. That brought our staff to one choice: the Grand Residences, Royal Resorts’ beloved resort in Puerto Morelos. This 144-room property, a member of Wyndham’s registry collection, boasts beautiful, large rooms and suites; an impressive beach and poolscape; excellent, authentic bars and restaurants and, most importantly, some of the best service our editors have seen at any resort in the Caribbean, period. It’s as complete a resort as you’ll find anywhere and a worthy pick for our favorite among Cancun resorts.
Nizuc Resort and Spa Nizuc is a full-fledged oasis, set inside a 29-acre environmental preserve with a pair of beautiful beaches, both far from the crowds you might expect in such a popular destination. That’s along with a large poolscape featuring five different pools, a terrific kids club and an adults-only beach to boot. All 274 suites and villas are immaculately designed, all with Nespresso machines and minibars and L’Occitane amenities. We highly recommend one of the suites or villas with their own private pools.
Le Blanc Spa Resort Lots of resorts have the word “spa” in their name. This is not like the others. This isn’t a resort and spa – it’s a spa resort, meaning a holistic, overarching commitment to wellness, one that permeates the entirety of the place. This adults-only, all-inclusive is of course anchored by the outstanding Blanc Spa, with Mayan-inspired treatments and rituals, but the story only begins there. The service is exceptional, and the rooms are even better: all come with butler service, amenities like Smart TVs, Lavazza coffee makers and double jacuzzis. The food, as one of our editors put it, is “indistinguishable from a visit to a high-end, standalone restaurant,” of the sort you rarely expect to find at an all-inclusive.
Kempinski Hotel Cancun If it looks familiar, that’s because this was up until the summer the Ritz-Carlton, Cancun. After a transformation process of several months, the resort has officially relaunched as a Kempinski (one of just two Kempinski resorts in the Caribbean), one with the elegant, refined look that the Ritz-Carlton cultivated for years. The basics remain unchanged: 363 rooms and suites, six food and beverage concepts, a wonderful spa.
TRS Coral This is really the hotel that put Costa Mujeres (the “new” Cancun) on the map, part of Palladium’s elevated TRS brand. What we really like about this modern, ultra-sleek luxury adults-only retreat are the rooms: interiors and exteriors are equally beautiful. While even the traditional junior suites are excellent, we highly recommend for one of the swim-up junior suites — specifically the beachside ones, which combine the best of both worlds. The culinary offering is all about variety, with a pair of buffets and a trio of restaurants focused on Asian cuisine.
Atelier Playa Mujeres One of the newest resorts in the Mexican Caribbean, the Playa Mujeres-set Atelier is an adults-only all-inclusive that is a nod to a growing trend in resort development in Mexico: one toward local authenticity, both in design and philosophy. That’s precisely the case here, where the 593 suite belie a boutique feel and an overarching commitment to distilling the real Mexico in the resort. That’s nowhere more true than at world-renowned Chef Edgar Nuñez’s Maria Dolores restaurant, an unforgettable culinary journey through what he calls “luxury culinary art.” Thanks to its place in the Playa Mujeres community, you also get access to the stunning Greg Norman-designed golf course.
Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita If you’ve ever stayed at Zoëtry resort, you know the feeling. There is just a special ambience at these resorts, a universe away from what most people think of when they think about all-inclusive resorts. There are just 100 suites here, all beautiful, all with ocean views, some with private pools. As with every Zoëtry, the food is exquisite and the spa, the Thalasso Center & Spa, is one of the region’s finest.
Sensira Resort This luxury beachfront all-inclusive is particularly good for families, with three pools (one is adults-only) and a central Aquapark with waterslides and a fountain. Other amenities include mini golf, a zip line, a pair of kids club for children of different ages and tennis courts. The property itself is stunning, with colorful contemporary rooms and a whopping 14 different food and beverage concepts.
Royal Uno Royal Resorts debuted this grand property last year, a luxurious, complete all-inclusive with a decided family-friendly focus. The resort has 540 rooms in the epicenter of Cancun, a very large poolscape, a culinary program in keeping with RR’s always-strong food and a focus, as the resort tells us, on the “sea.” That means every room has an ocean view terrace or balcony.
Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun The newest resort in the area is part of Marriott’s nascent all-inclusive portfolio. The massive, well-executed resort has 1,005 rooms, 10 eateries, 12 bars and amenities like a bowling alley and even an indoor trampoline park. But the “Splash” is in the name for a reason: the centerpiece of this resort is a sprawling, impressive waterpark, one of the largest in the whole Caribbean.