If you are looking for an honest review of Hotel Xcaret Mexico, you’ve arrived at the right place because it is one of my favorite places in all of the Caribbean. I’ll discuss some of the pros and cons, and insider tips and advice from a frequent traveler to Cancun. 

What sets this apart is that I’ll be taking you along the journey from the beginning of your trip to the end of a marvelous vacation compared to other Hotel Xcaret reviews that might give you a generic run down. I’ll tell you exactly what to expect each step of the way. 

Arriving to Xcaret Mexico via Cancun Airport – 

To start my Hotel Xcaret Mexico review, I’ll begin with the airport arrival and transfer. Cancun airport is the most popular option to arrive to Hoteles Xcaret. 

All Hotel Xcaret and Hotel Xcaret Arte guests will have a private lounge with just Xcaret guests which is nice after a long travel day at various airports and in the plane. You’ll need to walk past all the other taxis and solicitors first. 

You’ll be greeted by a nice Hotel Xcaret staff member and buses do come and go every half hour on the clock, except before 8am they go every hour on the clock. The transportation are large tour buses that look like charter buses that come with bathrooms. The ride is about an hour long, although the bus driver will tell you it could be an hour and 30 minutes or more depending on traffic. 

My Review of Hotel Xcaret Mexico : Worth It If You Plan to Stay Active

I like to say that a lot of the value behind booking at Xcaret Mexico Resort is actually in the activities and excursions itself. Booking at Hotel Xcaret Mexico, is the perfect blend of enjoyment, relaxation and activities. In fact, to get the full dollar value out of staying here, it is best to actually do the activities and excursions included with your stay.

These includes the attractions and water parks: Xcaret Park, X-plor, X-plor Fuego (the night version), Xel-Ha as well as the “Xenotes Tour” which is a full-day event and visit to the famous Cenotes. The reason a lot of the value is behind the activities and excursions is because the tickets can easily cost several hundred dollars per person per day to each of the parks. With the stay and excursions included, it brings the total nightly cost of the rooms down quite a lot. 

If you plan to lounge around the resort the entirety of the stay, while there is plenty to do on site, from the restaurants, pools, a few cenotes on property and the beach – I think the value for your money would be better spent at another luxury resort that is slightly less expensive per night, or even at Atelier Hotel and Resort, which offers a premium food and drink resort experience compared to just Xcaret if you don’t plan to do any of the water parks or excursions at all.

The best blend is to do a mix of both activities, excursions while also setting your itinerary to be able to relax a few days at the resort in between activities to give your body rest. Mind you, it can be very hot and humid in Mexico and full-day excursions can be tiresome, even though alot of fun! 

Hotel Xcaret Mexico Room Reviews: I love the rooms

The rooms at Hotel Xcaret are super zen-like. The lowest tier being the garden view suite, which is still a nice view. While not as nice as something like a direct oceanview or a swim-out – this is a perfect room if you don’t plan to be at the resort much. Recently, Xcaret Mexico has undergone a renovation and a second phase, some call it Mexico phase 1 vs Mexico 2 (2nd phase) which is the newer side. 

You can also purchase upgrades like the swim-out suite, allowing you to take a dip out in your semi-private pool any time of day (even when the pools close) the “suite-jump” room which is literally an open balcony opening up to a natural river cenote which like the name applies – allows you to jump off the ledge directly into the cenote if you dare. Depending on your budget, you can upgrade to a higher level suite if you like. The highest tiers include Casa Fuego which is a premium building with a rooftop pool. 

Casa Vida gives you direct access to the building with the new waterpark. 

No matter what room you choose, each room is equipped with a beautiful rainshower with Mexican tiling and double-vanity sink along with bathing essentials and toiletries. The rainshower was my favorite part, because it felt like I was in the middle of a rainshower in the jungle. Beds are also well-appointed, varying from 2 double beds to a King bed for a 1 bedroom which is the most common option. There may be 2 or 3 bedrooms available for higher tiers. 

Preparing Your Itinerary: 

About 30-45 days before your stay, Xcaret Mexico will send you a blank itinerary list by email for you to input your desired reservations. Here, you will be the master planner in the reservation to determine if you want to plan your stay to be excursion heavy, or a week filled with relaxation on premises or a mix of both.

My Xcaret guide later will cover how to best organize your stay at Xcaret with the perfect blend of activities, excursions and relaxation.

Review of the Food at Hotel Xcaret Mexico: Food and Drinks Included

Pretty much everything is included at Hotel Xcaret Mexico, and in my review you’ll find out whether their self-proclaimed “All-Fun Inclusive” concept is worth it. The concept of all-inclusive in the Caribbean and in Mexico is definitely not a new concept, but Xcaret elevates the concept by including the excursions along with it.

As far as my review of the food at Xcaret Mexico, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars. There is some really great variety of food here. The great part of it is that Xcaret Mexico serves authentic Mexican food unlike some other hotels that serve European or American. 

When I come to Xcaret Mexico, I want to bask in authentic cultural food and Xcaret Mexico checks those boxes. The restaurantes include Bio, Azul, Tama Mon, Mercado, La Xentral, Las Cuevas, Las Playa. 

While some restaurants require reservations, others like the buffet require no reservation. The variety was nice. There are other restaurants which include a steakhouse “La Cielo,” being one of my favorites and dining in an actual cave which has a beautiful atmosphere. 

Review of Customer Service and Experience at Xcaret Mexico

The staff and employees at Xcaret do their best at making sure everyone is happy during their stay in Xcaret Mexico. There were times I needed additional toiletries, towels or supplies sent to the room and they were quick to do so. The check-in process was pretty straightforward, however the staff abides by the rules and policies and they rarely if ever accommodate an early-check-in and they want you checked out soon as possible, often 5 hours before your flight. 

Customer service was courteous, prompt and simple. However, I didn’t feel that they went the “extra-mile” here in terms of being friendly or taking extra steps in terms of customer service. Some staff were more friendly than others at the restaurants. 

Room Service : My Review of Room Service Food at Xcaret Mexico is “Just Meh” 

Room service at Xcaret Mexico resort is definitely not their strong suite. I did not stay at the room much, as my last few trips were excursion-heavy trips, the few times I did room service there was a lot to be desired. The steak often came undercooked, along with the Salmon dish. I did however enjoy the shrimp taco dish and the shrimp fajita which was nicely done.

There were many times when the food arrived cold or late, occasionally it arrived wrong. But I didn’t come to Hotel Xcaret Mexico for room service, I came for the adventure and parks so it did not hamper my stay all too much. 

Transportation Included 

The excursions along with the courtesy transportation to and from all the Xcaret Parks was a really nice touch. Transportation was done in group tour buses, and ran every half hour during park hours which was nice because it allowed for one to transport to and from the resorts easily during the day without having to coordinate a taxi or dealing with complex logistics.

Conclusion: Xcaret Mexico is One of My Favorite Vacation Destinations

Hotel Xcaret Mexico and Resort holds a special place in my heart, because of the mystical nature of being in the middle of the Mayan jungle. It isn’t just a resort and a place to stay, but truly an experience that you’ll cherish for many years in the future.