Cancun is a great destination for a family vacation for many of the same reasons it appeals to travelers flying solo or as a couple: nearly endless choices of all-inclusive resorts and entertainment, lots of all-inclusive properties, a resort district that’s conveniently close to the airport, and a world-class beach. Some Cancun all-inclusive resorts, however, go the extra mile to appeal to families, so whether you want to swing on a trapeze at Club Med, loll on a lazy river at the Moon Palace, or choose your own adventure, here are the top family resorts in Cancun, with a guide to the family-focused programming at each resort in Cancun. (For broader travel planning, don’t miss our guide to the best new all-inclusive resorts in Cancun).
The Hard Rock, of course, has a kids Music Lab as part of its all-inclusive package, where aspiring young stars can test their musical skills onstage, complete with guitars, drums, and coaching. Other activities designed with kids in mind include DJ mixing sessions and recording music videos and songs. Beyond the family activities, this is just a great resort, with myriad options for adults, too, including the always-outstanding Rock Spa.
Royal Uno All-Inclusive Resort
This new resort in the heart of the Cancun Hotel Zone is the latest resort in the Royal Resorts portfolio. If you know Royal Resorts, you know the company’s world-class Grand Residences Riviera Cancun, an EP hotel in Puerto Morelos; and you also know that Royal knows what it’s doing. This family-friendly resort has 540 rooms in a prime beachfront setting in Cancun, with a broad slate of family-focused amenities like a mini water park (complete with waterslides), a kids club, teen activities and Cancool, a “family room” with movies, board games and story time.
Club Med’s distinctive amenities and family friendly activities are legendary, whether that’s the aforementioned flying trapeze or other outside-the-box options like archery. The resort chain that developed the first kids club back in the 1960s is locked in on fun and educational activities, with the new Club Med Amazing Family program that emphasizes outdoor bonding for the whole family. The Club Med Cancun features a family oasis called Aguamarina with two-bedroom oceanfront suites set by a pool reserved exclusively for families. The standout at Club Med, though, remains its food, always a notch above the standard at most all-inclusive resorts.
A Mayan inspired pyramid stands at the center of a kids water playground at this upscale all-inclusive resort in the exclusive Playa Mujeres district of Cancun. The 450-room Finest Playa Mujeres is all about the numbers: 10 pools, 14 hot tubs, 11 restaurants, 16 bars, and an array of family focused amenities that includes a daycare center, in-suite baby care items, and a kids’ club.
Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive Resort
A lot of resorts forget about the kids after the sun goes down, but the Hilton Cancun stages family friendly shows nightly as well as offering a splash pool, water slides, kids’ cooking classes, and other diversions like scavenger hunts and dance parties. Kids clubs are separated by age (4-12, 13-17) and organize a variety of activities both day and night.
The theory-based Star Camp Program at the Iberostar Selection Cancun almost sounds more like school than vacation: “Star Camp uses tried and tested educational principles based on the theory of multiple intelligences. The 8 different types of intelligences are the naturalist, spatial, musical, linguistic, intra-personal, interpersonal, bodily-kinesthetic, and logical-mathematical,” according to the resort. The end result, however, is pure fun, with campers ages 4-17 offered more than 140 activities from art class to science experiments, some focused on sustainability efforts.
The all-inclusive Moon Palace resort in Cancun hits all the marks with a kids club, Wired Lounge with arcade and video games, and a massive water park, plus an ice rink, tennis courts, basketball, bikes, and of course an array of included, non-motorized water sports. Kids activities grouped together in The Dreamers include mini-golf and bumper boats, and an on-staff Candy Girl roams the grounds delivering sweet treats.
Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun
Disney and Pixar characters will be roaming the grounds of the Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun this spring for photo ops and games, but the family fun doesn’t end there: The Coral KidZ Club is a 40,000 square foot high-tech playground with both indoor and outdoor activities, including a fossil dig, Mayan temple themed water slides, and play areas for kids ages 3-5 and 6-12 — the latter featuring gaming areas and a dance floor. Guests staying in premium rooms also enjoy four hours of babysitting services nightly.
Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa
The Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa is a great option for families, featuring an on-site Splash Safari water park, a kids’ club, and a variety of other activities and amenities to keep kids entertained. It’s the newest addition to the Marriott portiolio of all-inclusive resorts, and the most state-of-the-art Royalton resort in the brand’s portfolio.
You have to figure a resort with “family” right in the name won’t disappoint when it comes to keeping the kids entertained. The Seadust Cancun pairs all-inclusive dining and activities with family fun like the Treasure Island waterpark, mini golf, a zip line, climbing wall, and age-appropriate kids clubs.
With its towering, spiraling water slides, the Crown Paradise Club has a water park that most resembles, well, a real waterpark. While some other resorts simply pair a couple of modest slides with a splash pad, this all-inclusive family friendly resort has separate water parks for different ages plus a long list of other activities, including a climbing wall, mini golf, zip line, soccer field, tennis court, and a movie theater.