Hotel Xcaret Mexico Review: Pros and Cons of This 5 Diamond Riviera Maya Resort
Thinking about staying at the Hotel Xcaret Mexico all-inclusive resort? Wondering if the price tag is worth it? You are in the right place.
In this post I will share my honest opinion of the resort, along with some pros and cons of staying here.
Ready to read the details and find out if Hotel Xcaret Mexico is for you? Let’s go!
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Pros of Hotel Xcaret Mexico
First I will discuss the pros of Hotel Xcaret Mexico. This resort is a 5-Diamond rated resort. With the 5-Diamond rating comes luxury and a high level of service. I have stayed at several all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, and Hotel Xcaret Mexico is the best by far.
Luxury Accommodations
Hotel Xcaret Mexico brings the luxury in their accommodations. Each room is a luxurious escape where you can relax and rejuvenate for for the next day’s adventure.
The rooms are decorated in traditional Mexican decor, with the items being made by local Mexican artists. There is a special channel you can watch on the TV that will tell you about the different items and about the artist that made them. This is a unique touch that other resorts do not have.
The rooms include a hammock on the balcony, perfect for an afternoon siesta. The beds in the room are beyond comfy, which makes them hard to get out of. The bathrooms are a nice size with a separate shower and toilet area. The showers are large and include rain shower heads. It is the perfect way to start or end your day.
Gourmet Dining
The food at Hotel Xcaret Mexico is absolutely delicious. The hotel has many a-la-carte restaurants, but even the buffet is delicious. I could eat only at the buffet and be completely happy because the food is amazing.
Here is a chart of the different restaurants and what they serve at Hotel Xcaret Mexico. You can read about all the restaurants at Hotel Xcaret Mexico here.
| Restaurant | Open For | Serves | Included? |
| Mercado de la Merced | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | International Buffet | Included |
| Las Cuevas | Dinner, Sunday Brunch | Mexican Churrascaria | Included for Dinner, Sunday Brunch Extra |
| Las Playas | Lunch, Dinner | Seafood/Mexican | Included |
| Cantina Los Faroles | Dinner | Mexican | Included |
| La Trajinera | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Seafood | Included |
| Chibali | Breakfast, Lunch | International Buffet | Included |
| Bio | Breakfast, Lunch | Vegan Cuisine | Included |
| Xin-Gao | Dinner | Asian Cuisine and Teppanyaki | Included |
| Fuego | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Italian/Mexican Fusion | Included for Casa Fuego |
| Teatro del Rio | Dinner | 5 Course Tasting Menu with a Special Show | Included |
| Ha’ | Dinner | Tasting Menu with Pairing | Extra |
Las Cuevas Sunday Brunch
On Sunday’s Las Cuevas offers a huge brunch buffet that is out of this world. It is an extra cost and must be booked ahead of time, but it is highly worth it in my opinion.
The buffet has a large seafood section including King Crab Legs, which were delicious. They also have a fresh tuna that they cut on the spot. They have a fruit station, a made to order crepe station, breads, desserts, and much more inside. They also have a bar if you would like to order a drink.
Outside they have many traditional Mexican foods, including a grilled meat section, and ladies making fresh tortillas while you wait. All of the food is delicious, and you will leave stuffed. The Sunday Brunch Buffet is a do not miss in my opinion.
Parks and Excursions Included
One of the best perks of staying at Hotel Xcaret Mexico is that parks and excursions are included with your stay. There are several different parks and excursions to choose from, so there is something for everyone.
There are 3 parks close to the resort that you can go to at anytime without a reservation. Xcaret which has many cultural activities, animals, and rivers, Xenses which is a fun park that will test your grasp of perception and has a bird flight zipline, and Xplor which is a more adventurous park with zip lines, rafts, ATVs, and underground rivers.
Xplor also offers Xplor Fuego which is the nighttime version where you can zipline through a ring of fire, and complete the other activities in the dark of night. In the summer, Xenses also offers Xenses Insomnia where you get to experience the park’s activities at night.
Other parks that are further away need a reservation, and you must stay there until pick up unless you use private transportation back to the resort. These parks include Xel-Ha, and eco-friendly waterpark, and Xoximilco, an adults only fiesta where you float on the canal in trajineras. It is worth noting that Xoximilco is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Xcaret also offers several excursions that you can book, included in the price. There is Xenotes where you will visit 4 cenotes, and can zipline or rappel into the water, swim, and kayak. You can also go on an excursion to Tulum, Coba, Chichen Itza, or go on an ATV Xperience.
Being able to go to these park and excursions is a huge pro to Hotel Xcaret Mexico. You can plan the adventurous vacation of your dreams and everything already be included in the price.
Beautiful Pools
Hotel Xcaret Mexico has many beautiful pools on property. The main pool has an infinity edge, and also a cool Xelfie spot there that includes the amazing background. The Trajinera restaurant borders the pool, and has a large swim up bar area at one end.
The kids pool features an octopus waterslide and a rock climbing wall. The rock climbing wall features a Xelfie spot, however, it is not the easiest picture to take. Kids have to climb the wall and scan their bracelet, all while water is pouring down and splashing in their faces. Some of the grips on the wall were also missing or loose, making it difficult to climb.
The kids pool however, was fun, and also features a bar for drinks. Several times while we were at the pool the paleta cart came around offering popsicles which was a nice little treat.
Near the lobby is what we referred to as the chill pool. There were very few people ever in the pool, which made it easy to get a drink at the swim up bar. It was easy to get chairs beside this pool and was great for relaxing. Some days they had fresh coconuts available as a refreshing drink choice.
There are several other smaller pools available, and also and adults only pool. You can also swim in the rivers and play in the sand along the banks. There are many options to choose from when looking to cool of at Hotel Xcaret Mexico, and you are sure to find a spot you like to spend your day.
Kid Friendly Activities
Hotel Xcaret Mexico is a family resort, and they do not forget to show it. There are many kid friendly activities to make sure your children have the vacation of their dreams.
The favorite for kids seems to be the octopus pool. There is a large purple octopus in the pool where kids can slide down the waterslide tentacles. There is also a rock climbing wall in the pool, and a paletero will come around offering delicious paletas, or popsicles.
There are also 2 kid’s clubs that children can enjoy. Xiquillos is for younger children, and Dixtrito 1317 is for teens.
Xelfie Spots
One of the thing I enjoy most about staying at the resort is that they have several Xelfie Spots around the resort. These stations let you scan your resort bracelet and a camera will take the picture for you. These stations are set up in beautiful areas and allow you to take unique pictures.
I love taking pictures while on vacation so that I can look back on them later to remember the fun we had and the memories we made. These Xelfie Spots are fun pictures that you do not see anywhere else and are some of my favorite vacation pictures ever.
Free Airport Transportation
When staying at Hotel Xcaret Mexico, roundtrip airport transportation is included with your stay. Xcaret has an area once you clear customs, where you go to check in for your transportation.
In this area you can sit an relax while waiting if the bus isn’t ready, but usually the wait is not long. It is a nice little area to wait in and you can grab a snack there while you wait.
Xcaret has recently changed their policy on using the free transportation. Your incoming and outgoing flights must now match the dates of your resort stay. People used to arrive the day before check in and stay at a hotel near the airport for the night, then take the free transportation to the resort the next day. They no longer allow this, so plan accordingly.
Cons of Hotel Xcaret Mexico
Expensive
The biggest con, in my opinion, of staying at Hotel Xcaret Mexico is the price. The resort is a AAA 5 Diamond Resort, and the price reflects that. The average price for 2 adults and 1 child is about $1200 and up per night. This may not be in budget for everyone, and is on the higher end for resorts in the area.
With all the amenities at Hotel Xcaret Mexico, you can tell it is a 5 Diamond Resort. The gourmet food, beautiful pools, service, and overall experience make it worth the price tag in my opinion.
Extremely Large
The Hotel Xcaret Mexico Resort is extremely large. There are 900 rooms in the Mexico side, and many different casas spread around the resort.
The restaurants are also spread across the resort, which is a downside of the resort. Some restaurants were a far walk if you wanted to eat there, which is a little inconvenient.
The resort is so large, it offers an app with a map to help you get to where you want to go. I found the app did not work sometimes, and we definitely got lost a few times. The bright side is, we were always able to find friendly, helpful staff to get us to where we wanted to be.
The resort is large, but beautiful, and if you enjoy walking and exploring, this resort would be perfect for you.
Small Beach Area
The beach area at Hotel Xcaret Mexico is almost non-existent. If you are a major beach person, this is not the resort for you. However, the resort does have some sandy areas along the rivers where you can relax, or kids can play in the sand.
The beach is very rocky, so if you venture down there, I would definitely wear some sore of shoes on your feet. Some surfaces on the way there could be hot as well, so protect your feet and the feet of your little ones.
While the beach at the resort is not great, the pools and rivers make up for it in my opinion. I had no trouble enjoying myself laying around the beautiful pools and cooling off in them as needed. I never once wished there was a better beach.
Uneven Surfaces
Since the resort is built in nature and is eco-friendly, the surfaces of the walking paths and steps are uneven. This could make it difficult for those that have mobility issues.
There are ramps and elevators in certain areas, making it a little easier to navigate, but there are still a lot of uneven surfaces and areas with only steps, so those with walking difficulties could have trouble getting around.
Recap
While Hotel Xcaret Mexico is on the more expensive side for resorts in the area, the luxury and amenities make it well worth it in my opinion. With gourmet food, beautiful pools, unique photo spots, with parks and excursions include, it will be a vacation that you will never forget, nor regret.
