6 Amazing All-Inclusive Family Resorts in Cancun That Promise the Perfect Tropical Getaway
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Cancun has a reputation for being a spring break destination for young partying singles, but having recently visited with my tween daughter, I can say that this beautiful city on the Yucatan Peninsula has tons to offer families, too. In fact, the many luxury resorts boast so many attractions that you never even have to leave the property for a truly dreamy and fun-filled vacation. Read on for our top picks of all-inclusive family resorts in Cancun and pack your bags for a getaway that will please the whole gang.
13 Best All-Inclusive Family Resorts in Mexico
Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe
There's an abundance of luxury resorts in Cancun, but this is the only all-inclusive that I can personally vouch for, having stayed there just last year with my 10-year-old for a mother-daughter trip, and it did not disappoint. I highly recommend upgrading your stay to the 'enclave' level, which allows for special VIP privileges, including exclusive access to rooftop pools with stunning views and a bar that serves some of the best ceviche I have ever tasted.
If you can't swing it, though, fear not—all 11 of the restaurants are amazing, the beach is pristine and the pools are designed to make a family vacation feel like a total breeze. (There's even a mini water park with multiple slides and a fun, bucket-dumping feature that kept my daughter entertained for hours…and you can watch your kid run around from the comfort of the neighboring adult pool with a swim-up bar.)
Aside from the aforementioned splash pad, my daughter says the highlight of the stay was the kids' club. The warm and caring staff were amazing—the engagement was genuine, the activities were fun and exciting and she made close friends after only visiting the club a couple of times. TL;DR: Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe gets a 10/10 from me and my tween when it comes to all-inclusive resorts that cater to kids and adults alike.
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Garza Blanca
Editor-in-chief Jillian Quint visited this luxury resort with her family and raved about the generously-sized rooms, gorgeous views and relaxed atmosphere. 'Here, the beach is pristine, the pools are abundant (each one calibrated to a different temperature), and the vibe is palm-tree-casual meets penthouse-luxury, with ratan chairs and woven hammocks against marble floors and gold deco flourishes,' she says. Garza Blanca Cancun is decidedly more serene than some of its hotel zone neighbors—think plush daybeds, impeccable service and a general air of low-key indulgence that makes it feel exclusive without being pretentious. Families will love the suite-style accommodations (hello, in-room washer/dryer!) and the impressive range of dining options, with everything from fresh ceviche by the pool to upscale tasting menus. The kids' club is also awesome, notes Quint. If you're looking for a refined but family-friendly escape, this one is hard to beat.
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Hard Rock Hotel Cancun
The Hard Rock franchise is still going strong and happy reviewers report that their all-inclusive family resort in Cancun lives up to the hype. As you might expect from a Hard Rock hotel, this particular property has a very vibrant atmosphere, which means there's lots of lively entertainment and not necessarily peace and quiet to be found in every corner. (That said, when you're traveling with kids, it's kind of a blessing not to be the loudest guests around, right?) By all accounts, the service is stellar—particularly the butler/concierge service and a certain Jessy that gets called out left and right for making everyone's stay amazing—and the pool and beach amenities get glowing reviews as well. As with most resorts, there are some mixed reviews, but as far as I can tell, the spattering of complaints suggest that the Hard Rock vibe is kind of just a love it or hate it type of thing.
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Moon Palace-The Grand Cancun
Waterpark, bowling alley, volleyball court, playrooms—Moon Palace-The Grand Cancun is, well, truly grand (and pretty much every kid's dream come true.) Indeed, there is no shortage of amenities to keep every member of the family thoroughly entertained, whilst allowing for ample adult relaxation time, including gorgeous adult-only pools where you can chill while the brood hangs out at the kids' club. While the reviews are overwhelmingly positive about everything from food to service to accommodations, it's still worth noting that a couple verified guests have called out this property for overeager salesmanship that borders on harassment…so if you choose to shell out for a spectacular experience at this resort, be sure to shut that down swiftly.
bookLocated on a gorgeous peninsula and designed as a cluster of buildings that boast a village-like feel, the Hyatt Ziva Cancun is one of the most scenic properties on the list. In addition to the sweeping beachfront views and prime location, the resort also offers guests an abundance of amenities and truly exceptional dining options. There's also a kids' club, indoor play areas and regular family-friendly programming, so it's highly unlikely that anyone will complain about being bored during their stay.
book nowClub Med Cancun stands out for its vibrant entertainment options and abundance of amenities. It's also great for those seeking a more active stay, since the resort offers numerous daily activities, as well as exciting excursions to nearby attractions. In other words, families will have no trouble filling their itinerary with fun, both on and off the resort.
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The 17 Best All-inclusive Family Resorts, from Los Cabos to Marrakech
PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women's walking shoes that won't hurt your feet, we've got you covered.
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A local mom planning a family trip wonders Can we sneak in a vacation with the kids before school starts? Where should we take them? I must find a place that they not only won't appreciate but will also find reasons to complain about. If it costs more than we can afford, even better. There are just so many choices. The most important thing is that our vacation needs to leave me feeling so inadequate and exhausted that I'm glad to come home and go back to work. At least there, if people don't appreciate me, they are savvy enough to keep that for themselves. Except, of course, for Lorraine in accounting, who I know hates me. Her whisper is not a whisper. The Destination I'd love to go somewhere historical, where we could all learn something. But after our trip last year to Rome my husband has forbidden it. 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They usually look a lot nicer online than in person because the photos are out of date and taken with a wide-angle lens that makes the rooms look bigger. The disappointment and complaints can start as soon as we check in (or before)! The Pool Oh, this one has an outdoor pool. I can just picture my daughter choosing a lounge chair where no other seats are free and putting in her AirPods so she can pretend she doesn't hear me when I try to talk to her. After that, I'll probably find a chair somewhere else and end up being surrounded by eight much younger women at a bachelorette party. Since I'm nearly 50, they will not even notice I'm there. They'll talk loudly about their sex lives and non-existent cellulite, which will make me feel very bad about mine — and mine. So I'll put on my cover-up even though it's 91 degrees and sweat profusely while trying to read the same book I took on vacation last year. I feel rejected and a little sad already. The Restaurant I need to check out the restaurant menu. If there's one thing my family likes to complain about on trips it's the food. If there are too many items on the menu they like, that might rob them of this opportunity — and me of my chance to feel horrible. Oh, look, the kid's menu may only be eaten by children 10 and under. My son is 12. He will be so mad. He'll probably blame me for having nothing to eat even though there are dozens of other items on the menu. If only they didn't contain any fruit or vegetables. There's a chance I could convince him to try a new dish and then he can just take a bite and spit it out onto his plate in front of the waitstaff. Oh, that would be very embarrassing. Then I'll end up having to DoorDash fast food for him every day and half of that will probably still go into the garbage. This will definitely make me want to go back to work because it will also put us over budget since meals were already included. Yet, if the food at the restaurant is excellent, my whole family might agree that they have never tasted anything this amazing. They will ask why can't I cook like this, and I will just shrug. So either way will work. I'm feeling inadequate already. The Beach This other hotel is on the beach. My husband loves the beach. I can imagine him lying down on a lounge chair in a cabana. I will ask him if he wants to take a walk with me and he'll make me wait two and a half hours before suggesting I go by myself because he doesn't like to walk on sand. Plus, he'll say he has work emails to reply to. Even if they look suspiciously like By then, it will be high tide and on my walk along the shoreline, the waves will nearly knock me over and get my dry-clean-only caftan wet. I'm shivering just thinking about pretending it's still enjoyable even though the air temperature has dropped 20 degrees and I only have a wet caftan to cover me up. This sounds so depressing I'm sure it will make me dream about the comfort of my desk chair on the 14th floor. Included Activities Oh, they have ocean kayaks and tubes to use at no extra cost. Because they're free, I can bet they will be hard to get access to and when we do I will have to take a tube my thighs stick to while the rest of my family takes off in the kayaks and comes back three hours later telling me I should have come because where they went and what they saw was the best part of the trip so far. That will make me feel left out, sad, and a little bitter. Also, I'll probably get burned thighs sitting in that tube waiting for them to come back because I will have given my tube of sunscreen to my husband, who will later tell me he forgot to use it, but somehow didn't get burned at all. I will hate him for this and look forward to the nights I have to work late. Nearby Attractions One day we could visit the nearby outdoor adventure center. They have a ropes course. 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The Spa When I have had enough of the criticisms and being ignored by my family (and feel sore from my fall), I can imagine I'd book an appointment at this hotel's spa to escape. So let's check that out. Holy cow, the prices are outrageous! Where do they think they are? An airport? I don't think I'll be able to relax enough at those prices to enjoy a massage, but I could book a facial. I bet afterward the aesthetician will aggressively suggest I purchase a dozen skin products to restore the 'youthful glow I used to have.' I'm nearly in tears thinking of it. I'll have such low self-esteem at this point, that I'll probably hand her my credit card and then choke a little when I see the total on the receipt. She'll be watching me like a hawk to see how much I tip her, so I'll feel pressured to tip her 30% even though she scares me. She'll act very sorry for me as she hands me the bag, and then I'll leave with my head down, knowing I will never use half of these products and the rest I'll probably turn out to be allergic to. With all that added to the vacation bill, I'll definitely have a reason to get back to work and try to earn that promotion I keep getting passed over for. The one thing I must avoid I think I have settled on where we will go. I feel confident that going to this resort will enable me to feel like an inadequate wife and mother — and a failure in life in general. I will definitely be able to avoid feeling sad when this vacation is over! I'm going to book it now. There's only one thing that could ruin it. It's the same thing that happened last year. I can't let anyone take a photo of the four of us. If that happens, after we get home from the trip, in the morning when I wake up to go back to work someone will have texted it to me. I will see it and feel sad. We will all look so great. My husband is tan and relaxed from the afternoon kayaking. My daughter looks radiant, since she used all the skin care products I bought at the spa, and my son looks so grown up. Eating fast food every day helped him gain the weight he needed to since his latest growth spurt. Even I look good! Somehow the photographer caught me at just the right angle to camouflage all the areas I feel self-conscious about — namely my thighs, upper arms, chin, shoulders, stomach, and forehead. The fact that I am in a shadow helps. If this happens, I will wish we were still on vacation. The photo may be so good my husband will insist we put it on our Christmas card. We'll send them out and our friends will love it too. They will remark that it must have been a great trip. And I will say yes, we had a great time. I can't wait to do it again. And I will be sad because I can't go on vacation. I have to go to work. So let's hope that doesn't happen. Solve the daily Crossword
