Have you heard of Hotel Xcaret? First, let’s talk about how to pronounce it! IH-sh-k-ah-r-eh-t. 

Hotel Xcaret is a very unique all-inclusive resort in the Riviera Maya area of Eastern Mexico. It is family-friendly, but they are opening an adults-only version right next door in the summer of 2021. I had the opportunity to stay at Hotel Xcaret for a few nights and already cannot wait to get back. Below is an overview that will certainly convince you to add this hotel to your hotel bucket list!

Here is an inside look at what it is like to stay at Hotel Xcaret in Mexico.

What Makes a Stay at Hotel Xcaret Unique? 

When you walk around Hotel Xcaret, you feel like you have stepped back in time to a Mayan jungle paradise. The resort was designed as a tribute to Mayan culture and the country. You can tell preservation was on their mind when building the resort because it truly feels like the resort was built into the surrounding landscape. 

Besides the eco-integrated design of the hotel itself, there is one very distinct reason why Hotel Xcaret is such a unique all-inclusive resort. Included in your stay is full access and roundtrip transportation to all 9 of their Xcaret Nature Parks and 3 different tours! Hotel Xcaret calls their all-inclusive package the “All-Fun Inclusive” which I 100% agree with! 

The 9 Xcaret Nature Parks include: 

• Xcaret
• Xel-Ha (my favorite!) 
• Xplor
• Xplor Fuego
• Xoximilco
• Xenses
• Xavage
• Xenotes
• Xichen

The 3 tour options include: 

• Chichen Itza
• Coba
• Tulum

If you are an adventure junkie, Hotel Xcaret is a place you need to experience. Everything is included for your entire stay, so you know what you will be paying upfront. This makes for a really easy and enjoyable way to vacation.

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Fun Things To Do on Property

Along with all the fun included in your stay at Hotel Xcaret that are off property, there are hundreds of fun things to do at the resort! 

Spend a day trying the large fitness gyms, wellness activities, and spa. Enjoy a couples massage in a cave for a unique romantic experience. There are rainforest trails to explore.  Grab a kayak or paddleboard and experience the rivers running throughout the entire property. Send your kids to the kids club and teens club for a little break. There are live shows at night for the whole family. Seven pools can be found spread throughout the resort or find a private cove on the beach for some quiet time. I think it would be nearly impossible to be bored at Hotel Xcaret! 

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Rooms to Pick from for your Stay at Hotel Xcaret

The rooms at Hotel Xcaret are stunningly beautiful. They are simple yet perfectly designed. I stayed in the entry-level room, which is a Suite Garden View. Each room’s ambiance is inspired by Mexican traditions, just like the rest of the resort, and includes original pieces of local art. I loved the large art-piece on our wall and wanted to take it home! The bed was one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in at a hotel, the bathtub was perfect (and I am not a bath girl), and one of my favorite parts was the hammock outside on the balcony. It was a great space to relax with a margarita after a day playing at one of the parks. 

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Most of the room layouts are very similar. There are the entry-level rooms, which are suites. Then you have the Junior Suites, which are larger rooms. Swim-up suites that are either oceanfront or views of the gardens. Finally, for larger families or larger groups, they have the Master Suites that can hold up to 5 guests.  

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Dining Options

One of the many things I loved about Hotel Xcaret is the authenticity. Everything felt authentically local and not Americanized, which often happens at all-inclusive resorts. This holds true to the dining on property. 

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One of my favorites was El Mercado, the buffet for breakfast. There are 10 stations throughout the restaurant that represent a different region of Mexico. Everything was made fresh and so delicious! 

Another fun dining option is Bio. This restaurant is vegan and vegetarian located in a cave between the beach and the rivers. It is difficult to find but so quaint, quiet, and romantic. It is a fun experience to be able to say you dined in a cave! 

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I especially loved the ambiance at Cantina Los Faroles. Here they recreate a traditional catina’s (a place to meet and eat with friends) environment and cuisine. There is lively music, delicious cocktails, and incredible food. The decor is also fun to check out with hundreds of unique lights on the ceiling and horse saddles for chairs at the bar!

Many travelers are worried about staying at an all-inclusive resort because they think they will be sacrificing good, quality food. This is not the case at Hotel Xcaret. The food is authentic, fresh, and delicious at every dining option. 

Who should stay at Hotel Xcaret? 

If you are a family that craves endless adventures and activities while having the ease of an all-inclusive hotel, Hotel Xcaret is for you. When I visited, I was with my husband and the only thing I would have changed was that I wish we had a room in the adults-only section. But they are making that even better by having an entire adults-only resort, Hotel Xcaret Arte, right next door that is due to open in the summer of 2021! When I go back for another stay at Hotel Xcaret (because there is just so much to do that I couldn’t fit in my short 3-night stay), I will definitely be staying at the adults-only resort next door, Hotel Xcaret Arte. 

My biggest struggle during my stay here was debating where to spend my time. I wanted to enjoy the room, walk around the resort, and play at all the parks. It is definitely a resort that you need at least a week to enjoy!

There is so much that is included in this resort, from the experiences to the small fine details, it is hard to put into a short blog post. If you are interested in learning more about a stay at Hotel Xcaret, please reach out to me by email. I would love to talk more to see if this is a perfect destination for your next vacation!

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After weeks of non-stop pressure from work and life, my two girlfriends and I desperately needed an all-inclusive getaway. Within a few days of talking about a girls weekend, we had this trip booked. That’s just how bad we all needed it! My requirement was an all-inclusive resort in Cabo. My friends’ requirement was amazing food. We quickly narrowed in on Paradisus Los Cabos, and to really make it a ‘Treat Yo Self’ weekend, we splurged for the Adults-Only Royal Service with a butler. We booked our trip and were all ready for five days of relaxation, delicious food, and girl talk!

Paradisus Los Cabos is an all-inclusive getaway resort in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico right on the coast of the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. Something unique about this resort is the family section and adults-only section. There are separate check-ins for both these room categories and a third check-in area for the rest of the guests. It really makes the check-in process go quickly and smoothly.

Hotel Rooms

The rooms are spacious and very comfortable at Paradisus Los Cabos. My two girlfriends and I stayed in a Royal Service Ocean View Suite with two queen beds. There was plenty of room for all of us and our stuff! And we had a beautiful view of the pool and ocean. This is the adults-only side of the resort, so we didn’t have to worry about crying kids in the middle of the night. 

In the adults only part of the resort, there are swim-up suite room options. These rooms have a king bed and a large hydromassage tub inside the room, perfect for a honeymoon couple!

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Food

My two friends wanted delicious food and they certainly got it! I cannot rave enough about the food at Paradisus Los Cabos and neither could they! 

There are seven different restaurants at Paradisus Los Cabos:

• Naos is a breakfast buffet with plenty of food options to choose from.
• Bana is Asian fusion. We loved the sushi so much we got it multiple times and had fun at Teppanyaki one night.

• Mole is the Mexican restaurant. You can order whatever you want on the menu, but our waiter asked us our meal preferences (I am vegetarian) and brought out the best options for us. It was great to be surprised and all the food was authentic and amazing. Make sure to get the churros!! And bring some back for me. :)

• Terraza & Market Grill is an Italian steakhouse
• La Palapa is next to the adults-only pool and is only for the Royal Service guests. You can get pool side dining from the restaurant or go sit in the restaurant to eat. Make sure to get the shrimp!! It was so good we got it almost every time we went to the pool!

• Gastro Bar by Martin Berasategui is the only restaurant that is an extra charge and the attire is very fancy. 
• Gabi Beach overlooks the ocean and beach and is open pretty much all day
• Royal Service Lounge Bar has food and drinks and is only for the Royal Service guests. Their breakfast smoothies are really refreshing on a hot morning!

The food is really worth the hype at Paradisus Los Cabos. They always ask if you have any food allergies or restrictions in order to provide you the best dining experience during your stay. 

Swimming Pools

There are two swimming pools at Paradisus Los Cabos, well technically three if you count the swim-up suites! The main one is for all guests. It is large enough that it never feels crowded. It has a swim-up bar and a zero entry making it easy for kids (and adults!) to get in and out. 

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The second pool is adults only and for Royal Service guests. I personally liked the main pool better because there is so much seating that it feels like you have your own little corner of paradise. It is also entertaining to watch the pool aerobics class happening in the middle of the day! For being a family friendly resort, there weren’t many kids around. We were there in the middle of May, so I’m not sure what the resort will feel like when kids are out of school. It was nice to have the option to go to the adults-only side if we wanted.

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Beach

The beach right next to Paradisus Los Cabos is HUGE. It is more of a rocky sand than smooth sand, though. There is a roped off section of the beach for Paradisus Los Cabos guests with towels, lounge chairs, umbrellas, and beach side food and drink service. There is a roped off section in the ocean that is technically swimmable, but the waves were so rough I didn’t want to go in any farther than dipping my toes. I would be nervous to have kids swimming in it.

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Family-Friendly

Along with having an adults-only section of the resort, Paradisus Los Cabos is very family friendly. There is a section of the hotel that is meant for families. These rooms have backpacks with beach toys for the kids. At night, you can request milk, cookies and a bedtime story from your family concierge specialist. There is free group babysitting so the parents can have time to themselves. AND while we were at Paradisus Los Cabos, we joined in on a movie showing of Moana with popcorn blankets and pillows.

Activities

We spent five days at Paradisus Los Cabos without leaving the resort and did not get bored once on our all-inclusive getaway weekend! There are plenty of daily activities to do along with plenty of relaxation options. We got a good laugh out of watching the pool time aerobics class (which I should have joined). We got up early one day and participated in a yoga class overlooking the beautiful ocean. One afternoon we took a wine tasting class. It was really fun to learn more about the wine they serve at Paradisus and different notes and flavors to pick up in the wines. 

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If you are a Royal Service guest, you are able to use the spa’s hydrotherapy pool without booking a spa treatment. We definitely spent time here!

If you want to just spend a weekend relaxing at an all-inclusive getaway, you can do that at Paradisus Los Cabos. It’s also very easy to go explore Cabo and do excursions, we just didn’t want to do that on this trip!

A Perfect All-Inclusive Getaway

With the different sections of the resort, Paradisus Los Cabos is a perfect all-inclusive getaway for everyone including families, friends, couples, weddings, honeymoons, and a girls weekend. 

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FAQs about Paradisus Los Cabos

Do I need to bring my own beach towel?

No! There are towels on every beach and pool chair and extras spread throughout the resort. There is no need to pack extra towels. Save that suitcase room.

When is the best time to visit? 

August and September are incredibly hot and it is also hurricane season. If you want the best rates, this may be the best time to go, but the weather will not be ideal. Cabo barely gets any rain and stays relatively warm throughout the year, so visiting year round is a good idea! 

Whale season is November through April. During this time you will see Humpback Whales coming down for the winter and then in  spring going back up to Alaska for the summer. You can see whales from the resort itself or take a boat tour to see them up close. 

Do I have to tip?

That is completely up to you. I recommend tipping $1-$3 per bag for bellmen, $1 per drink for the bartender, and $1-$3 per person at a meal. If you do get a butler, it is recommended to tip. You can tip each day, or do one large tip at the end of your stay. If you tip at the end of your stay, I recommend tipping $20-$30 per person. 

Is there a swimmable beach?

Technically, there is an area of the ocean that is swimmable. It is roped off, so you know where to stay to be safe. When we were there, the water was pretty rough, and I wouldn’t recommend letting children swim in the water. 

Can we drink the water?

Do not drink water out of the tap in Mexico. There are water stations throughout the grounds at Paradisus Los Cabos and this is with filtered, clean water. When drinking water at the restaurants, they provide you with filtered, safe water. When in your room, drink water out of the provided water bottles. To be extra careful, brush your teeth with bottled water, too. 

Are there activities to do on the resort?

Yes! We did not leave the resort for five days and had plenty to do. 

Is the Royal Service worth it?

Yes! I believe the Royal Service is worth it. They treat you well no matter what level of guest you are a Paradisus Los Cabos, but if you want that extra special treatment where you don’t have to worry about anything, Royal Service is where it’s at. 

How environmentally friendly is Paradisus Los Cabos

Paradisus Los Cabos is striving to be as environmentally friendly as possible. They have linen napkins and no straws. The resort is trying to get rid of water bottles with water stations throughout the property. They still need to find a way to provide safe drinking water in the rooms without having water bottles. Finally, Paradisus Los Cabos has started to  grow their own produce onsite!

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Can you get married at Paradisus Los Cabos?

Yes!  You can get married on the beach or on the pavilion overlooking the ocean.

How do I book a trip to Paradisus Los Cabos?

If you need help booking your next all-inclusive getaway to Paradisus Los Cabos, email me at thekeystotravel@gmail.com.

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