Inside Look: Almare, A Luxury Collection Resort Isla Mujeres Review

Forbes

2 days ago

A quieter and more intimate adults-only alternative to Cancun's traditional all-inclusive mega-resorts, Almare, A Luxury Collection Resort opened its doors on Isla Mujeres in November 2024. The resort is one of just a handful of large hotel brands that have planted a flag on the serene island, located only a 20-minute ferry ride from the mainland.
As a frequent visitor to Cancun, I was looking forward to experiencing the property, which joins several other new openings on the heels of rising demand for luxury-focused all-inclusive resorts. During a recent girls' getaway with my mom, I checked in to experience the boutique-leaning property firsthand. Read my full review below.
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Atrium at Almare, A Luxury Collection Resort Isla Mujeres.
Rafael Luhrs
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My journey to Almare, A Luxury Collection Resort began on a boat—a complimentary sea transfer, to be precise, from the Renaissance Cancun Resort & Marina in Puerto Cancun. After a 20-minute ride, I arrived at Almare's dock and was promptly greeted with a cold towel and a mocktail. Yoga practitioners were doing sun salutations under a thatched roof on the dock, while guests sunbathed on the private beachfront. Inside, an open-air lobby lined with ocher pillars, hanging wicker lamps and lush greenery provided a tropical feel.
Main pool at Almare, A Luxury Collection Resort Isla Mujeres.
Almare, A Luxury Collection Resort Isla Mujeres
The resort has two pools, the larger one located in front of the property's three connected buildings and featuring a swim-up bar, The Breeze. Neither pool is directly on the beach, but the rooftop infinity pool, located in front of Seasalt restaurant, offered more direct views of the ocean. An on-site fitness center was spacious and well-equipped with a wide variety of machines, and I was impressed by the Alma Spa, which came complete with a steam room, sauna, salt room and hydrotherapy pools. I booked a relaxing massage, which started off with a welcoming ceremony featuring a carved effigy of Ixchel, the ancient Mayan goddess associated with the island.
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With just 109 rooms, Almare skews closer to a boutique hotel than the average Cancun mega-resort. This is the general atmosphere of the hotel as well: Walking through the hallways, the property feels more like a beachy apartment complex. I stayed in a Deluxe Guest Room, which featured two double beds, a small sitting corner with a desk, a detached double vanity, a separate toilet and shower and a private terrace with views of the pool and ocean. Every room at the resort includes a private terrace—one of the benefits of a smaller property.
Deluxe Guest Room at Almare, A Luxury Collection Resort, Isla Mujeres.
Marriott
At about 750 square feet, the area was spacious, but I found the room design to be a bit unusual: A whirlpool tub sits between one of the beds and the vanity. While there are standalone tubs in every room category (a nice touch), the positioning of the tub right next to the bed in the Standard and Deluxe room categories felt awkward. Much like the open-air lobby, the room featured the same resin-coated pillars as wall décor, but aside from that, there were few pieces of art or design elements; the most luxe aspect of the room was the collection of Byredo toiletries.
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Almare is home to six food and beverage outlets, and over the course of my stay, it became clear that food is the resort's strongest offering. Seasalt, the rooftop restaurant that sits underneath a beautiful thatched palapa, offers Mediterranean dishes alongside Mexican classics; I had a few great pasta dishes here as well as a very creative lobster pizza. In the evenings, performances by jazz singers and pianists add to the sophisticated atmosphere.
Seasalt restaurant at Almare, A Luxury Collection Resort, Isla Mujeres.
Marriott
My favorite dining outlet was Boga, which offered flavorful Mayan-influenced dishes from all parts of the country. At breakfast, I ordered eggs made with local chaya leaf, native to the Yucatan Peninsula, and at dinner, I enjoyed lobster papadzules with pumpkin seed sauce; I was also impressed by the wide variety of Mexican wines available, including many from Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico's equivalent of Napa. The ceviches and poke bowls at The Breeze, the pool bar and restaurant, were fantastic, as was the tikin xic, a locally sourced grilled fish prepared Mayan-style with a variety of amazing sauces and a side of tortillas. The menus at Almare cater to a well-traveled crowd that isn't afraid to be adventurous at mealtime—a refreshing change from the many all-inclusives that have earned reputations for mediocre dishes.
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The resort offers plenty of activities for guests, including several wellness-focused excursions like morning runs and yoga classes on the dock. I enjoyed coffee-tasting and chocolate-making classes, both of which focused on Mexican-grown beans. While I did not have enough time to experience it during my stay, Isla Mujeres' most famous beach, Playa Norte, is about a 15-minute drive from the resort (guests can rent a buggy, as cars are generally not recommended for visitors on the island) and is a great option for a day trip.
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Almare, A Luxury Collection Resort is located on Isla Mujeres, which is a 20-minute boat ride from mainland Cancun. The property offers complimentary boat transfers to and from Renaissance Cancun Resort & Marina in Puerto Cancun (transfers run roughly every two hours), which is about a 30-minute drive from Cancun International Airport (CUN). Guests can book ground transportation to Renaissance via Almare or set up their own ground transportation independently.