A New Family-Focused All-Inclusive Just Opened in This Low-Key Beach Town Near Cancun 

By: - February 28th, 2025
cancun photo
The beach in Puerto Morelos near Cancun.

You may know the brand for its Garza Blanca resort in Cancun, famous for its rooftop pool and its loft-style penthouses. Now, TAFER Hotels has another new all-inclusive resort in the Mexican Caribbean: 

It’s called Palmar Beach Resort and Spa Riviera Maya, and it’s the company’s first resort beyond Cancun proper. The property which opened this weekend in the heart of Puerto Morelos, one of our favorite beach towns in the Caribbean. (Technically, it’s in what tourism people call the “Riviera Cancun,” but it’s really just semantics).

Family is again the focus, as it is with the Garza Blanca: kids stay free (those 12 and under, at least), there’s a kids club and a teen zone, and the rooms are designed for travelers with kids and larger groups: think multi-bedroom suites and layouts meant for bigger parties. In all, there are 435 rooms and suites and 16 different room categories. 

That’s along with five different pools (including a kid-focused pool and a splash pad and a water slide), a 130,000-square-foot wellness center and eight eateries. 

cancun beach town
It’s the latest hotel from the brand behind the popular Garza Blanca.

As for the spa, it’s home to what TAFER calls “Mayan inspired treatments,” with everything from on-the-sand massages to facials. In keeping with the family theme, Palmar even has a kids’ spa treatments. 

The all-inclusive program is vast, with 24-hour room service, daily stocked minibar and what the company calls a “gourmet culinary all-inclusive program” anchored by Le Chique, the restaurant that received a Michelin star during the property’s previous iteration as an Azul resort. 

So what about prices? Decidedly affordable, with rates at $308 per night right now for studio king room. For a swim-up king room, it’s just $368 per night. If you’re traveling with a family, we’d suggest stating with at least a family suite, which gives you 625 square feet of space, a queen bed, a double bed and a sofa sleeper and a pool or garden view.

cancun beach town all-inclusive
The rooms are big, and the focus is on families.

That will cost you about $378 per night. There are larger rooms, too, like two-bedroom corner suites running at $695 per night that can accommodate up to six people. 

It’s the second new all-inclusive in the area for Tafer in the last year, following the summer debut of the 88-room, boutique-style Hotel Mousai in Cancun (Rooms from $1,210 per night, according to Google Hotels). 

rooms at cancun all-inclusive beach town
A room with a large whirlpool tub inside.

And it’s a sign of the company’s growing all-inclusive footprint in one of the Caribbean’s most-visited destinations. 

If you’re planning a getaway to the area (it’s about a 53-minute drive from the airport), flights aren’t bad; you can find options for $352 on Spirit and $410 on American; from New York, you can fly Delta to Cancun International for about $390 in coach. 

About the author

Alexander Britell is the founder and editor-in-chief of Caribbean Journal and one of the top experts on Caribbean travel worldwide, with decades of on-the-ground travel to the region and comprehensive knowledge of the entire Caribbean Basin.
News

Waldorf Astoria’s New Costa Rica Resort Now Has an Opening Date 

waldorf astoria

Waldorf Astoria’s next Caribbean Basin resort now has an opening date, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The new Waldorf Astoria Punta Cacique is taking bookings for stays beginning May 1, parent company Hilton has confirmed.  The beach resort will have 148 rooms and suites, along with six dining concepts, a Peacock Alley bar and a stunning […]

News

In the Dominican Republic, “The Closest Thing to Sinatra Himself” 

altos de chavon

It was 1982, and the 5,000-seat amphitheater at the Dominican Republic’s Casa de Campo resort had just been built. And when it came to a grand opening, there was simply one name that could do the job: Frank Sinatra.  Ol’ Blue Eyes headlined the Concert of the Americas back in 1982, and now the legendary […]

News

Frontier Airlines Is Launching a New Flight to the Island of Aruba 

beach caribbean

Palm Beach. Eagle Beach. The seafood at Zeerover. The street art in San Nicolas. The chef’s table at Ever. There are so many reasons why the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba is one of the most popular places to visit in the Caribbean.  Another one? Airlift. The island has long made airlift a priority, and […]


The Bahamas Is Hosting a Food and Craft Festival on This Island 

The Bahamas is hosting a celebration of Bahamian culture this weekend with the Food and Craft Festival on Eleuthera.  The event, put on by the country’s Ministry of Tourism, runs March 1 from noon to midnight at the Rock Sound Campus of Eleuthera’s Center for Training and Innovation, which is an extension of the One […]

LIAT Is Launching Flights to Barbuda, a Caribbean Island With Pink Sand, Endless Beaches and a Soon-to-Open Nobu Hotel

They’re the kinds of beaches you dream about, endless, empty, white or pink. Barbuda’s sand is a different dimension entirely — and it’s why the little island occupies such a privileged place in the fantasies of so many Caribbean travelers.  And now, after the recent launch of Barbuda’s International airport, the island is about to get […]

KLM Is Adding Flights to a New Caribbean Destination: Guyana 

The Bahamas is hosting a celebration of Bahamian culture this weekend with the Food and Craft Festival on Eleuthera.  The event, put on by the country’s Ministry of Tourism, runs March 1 from noon to midnight at the Rock Sound Campus of Eleuthera’s Center for Training and Innovation, which is an extension of the One […]

A New Boutique Hotel Just Opened in Cartagena’s Old City, With a Rooftop Bar and and a Pair of Pools 

It’s one of the great gems of the region: the walled city of Cartagena, the centuries-old historic quarter of the increasingly hot destination on Colombia’s Caribbean coastline.  And now Cartagena just added a new boutique hotel, set with a restored 16th century mansion.  It’s called Casa Carolina, and it’s got just three suites and 12 […]

SUBSCRIBE!

Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net.


No. Thank You