Before I had my son I was sure that once I had kids I would be relegated into travelling to less than glamorous resorts that served chicken fingers and french fries as a dinner entree.
Places like Hotel Xcaret Mexico not only debunk that myth, but make you think that travelling with kids is a bit of a delight!
We took our trip with Air Canada Vacations, and from start to finish it was a flawless experience that I was so excited to share here on the blog.
Our trip to Hotel Xcaret Mexico was one that will go down as one of our favourites for so many reasons it’s hard to list them all, but I’m sure going to give it a try right now!
Our Arrival
Flights with Air Canada Rouge leave daily to Cancun from Toronto, and twice daily during the winter months, and I loved that as our son boarded the flight he was handed a little Air Canada colouring kit to keep him busy in the air!
The transportation to the hotel, which is included when you book a vacation package with Air Canada Vacations, was distinctly different than any other we’ve taken because for the first time EVER we were met with a transfer which included a car seat! Never has this happened to us before – and we travel a lot! It was amazing that we could make this request and have the car seat there for our arrival.
The drive to the hotel was a short hour from the airport to Hotel Xcaret Mexico.
The Grounds
The resort was so sprawling we couldn’t even see it all. Every corner seemed to have a hidden pool! There were restaurants stacked on top of restaurants (literally), and after travelling to the top of a tower we accidentally ran into yet another restaurant!
With the resort at 70% capacity, we still found it felt like we could be alone if we wanted because the resort was so well laid out. There were caves to explore, beaches to walk along, and hidden hammocks all over the resort
What I did find funny was that when we would enter a pool that no one else was at, or when we went swimming in the ocean, quietly a lifeguard would stand by to watch us, and someone would come along asking if we would like a drink. I was impressed to say the least!
The Muluk Spa was breathtaking. I had never seen anything like it. I loved indoor/outdoor concept, and the views were just beautiful. I wanted to jump in and swim to one of the hammocks etched into the caves with each visit. Treatments were done in one of 15 cabins etched into rock. Epic.
The lobby was welcoming (upon arrival we were presented with mini popsicles!), and it housed the concierge, front desk, and led into the prettiest lobby bar with comfortable couches and pretty colourful pillows. Cookies and drinks awaited in the afternoons, and in the mornings there was tea, coffee and pastries.
The chapel situated on a pyramid was a focal point at the resort. I had never seen anything like it at a resort before, and it was beautiful during both day and night.
We took a little shuttle to the top and took in the views it provided, and luckily if you didn’t feel like walking back down there was an elevator as well.
Our Room
We loved our room. I don’t believe it’s possible to have a bad room at Hotel Xcaret Mexico. Our room overlooked the infinity pool and the ocean. Other’s had a swim-up pool option, some you could swim straight into one of the rivers, and some overlooked the jungle.
Every room had a hammock, while the adult only rooms could also include an outdoor bathtub on your balcony.
Our room featured an oversized shower, a double sink that overlooked the room, and we loved that our wristband provided at check-in would open our door!
The Food
This all-inclusive resort has ten restaurants, eight bars, and all the room service your heart desires. We ordered room service for breakfast for a couple early mornings and just loved it!
There were too many restaurant options for us to try during out stay, but our favourite was Las Playas which we visited twice.
You could find this restaurant hidden under the infinity pool in the caves that overlooked the swimming inlets. Doesn’t the location sound dreamy?
As you walked into the restaurant you could see they had umbrellas for guests in case of rain (we noticed umbrellas situated around the resort which I thought was lovely, although we never needed one luckily!), and this restaurant also had pashminas and reading glasses for guests as well. They thought of every detail.
We also loved Cantina Los Faroles where we ate tacos with fresh guacamole and nachos, and I loved the lanterns displayed as we walked in.
Our favourite spot for breakfast was surprisingly the Mercado de la Merced buffet! I say surprisingly because normally I dislike buffets, but this one was a little different.
There was a morning mimosa bar which changed into a tequila bar in the afternoons, a fresh juice bar, a breakfast taco stand, and every food you could think of for breakfast. There was a fresh lemonade station, and even the honey was poured from it’s own honeycomb.
One of our dinners was at the Teatro de Rio which was a dinner show that was a lot of fun. This kids had their own special meal, while the adults had a tasting menu served. The show was very impressive – the host even came in on a boat!
Xin Gao was where we had a fun and flavourful teppanyaki dinner that included a very talented chef would did some tricks we hadn’t seen before!
The restaurant itself was stunning and the food was so memorable – a must-visit!
We also loved the taco stands that were set up around the resort, the street corn stands, and especially the fruit stands – we loved all of the fresh snacks that you could just grab-and-go!
The Fun
The resort had a long stretch of sandy beach with hammocks, while the other side was rocky but had intimate seating where servers waited to bring drinks while you enjoyed the view.
The inlets were more than a little breathtaking, with a river so long it would take two hours to kayak through on the resort until you were led to the ocean.
There was more than enough to do at the resort BUT Hotel Xcaret Mexico is an All-Fun Inclusive which meant that it offered so much more!
The concept means that not only are food and drinks included with your stay (along with your transportation to and from the airport), but also included is admission to Xcaret parks, Xei-Ha, Xplor, Xplor Fuego, Xavage, Xoximilco, Xenses and the Xenoes and Xichen tours. All transportation to these parks is included with your stay as well!
Here’s what I loved – not only could you hop on a bus to one of these parks, but there was also a boat that would take you to Xcaret as well!
We spent a day exploring Xcaret and Xenses. Even though we spent the whole day, we felt like we didn’t even make a dent in seeing everything at these parks.
Xcaret Park had underground rivers, an aquarium, and we spent much of the day checking out the animals along the way.
Xenses Park was so much fun! There were all kinds of illusions, we went through a town where everything seemed sideways and threw us off balance, and nothing was as it seemed everywhere you turned which was a lot of fun to experience!
I loved that all of the parks were included with your stay. There was so much to do at the resort, but it was incredible to know that you could just hop on a shuttle bus or car and head to one of these fun parks.
For Kids
Great care was taken to think about the experience of little one’s at Hotel Xcaret Mexico.
The kids club offered a theatre, arts, crafts, swimming and meals for children. I wasn’t sure we would use it at all, but after one hour there my son asked to go back every day! Once he found out they had Minecraft there he seemed to up his requests for more time at the kids club!
We spent most days at the octopus pool heading down the waterslides, and strolling next door to the candy buffet for a snack.
The restaurants had options for kids, and our favourite buffet (Mercado de la Merce) had ice cream at all hours of the day so we were happy!
There were adults only buildings at the resort which included their own pools (plus HA’ Restaurant was also just for adults), but the rest of the resort was welcoming to children.
My son loved all of the rope bridges that lead from one building to the next, and he especially loved what he called the “photo monsters”.
Each guest wristband would activate these little monsters that would take your photo not only at the hotel, but each park you visited! My son went a little crazy with the photos – here is a sample of my favourites!
The resort provided him with a kids robe for our room, and even scattered among the lounge chairs you would find kids-sized chairs as well!
I’m not sure how to describe this resort other than to say that it’s versatile – it’s perfect for couples, but it’s amazing for kids! It’s an incredible spot to quietly get away from it all, but it’s also full of adventure with all of the Xcaret parks nearby!
The hotel has a great focus on sustainability that is impressive. Everything at the hotel is sourced locally from the pillows to the hand-made shower tiles.
They also focus on water management, energy savings and they contribute to animal conservation programs. The surrounding parks practice animal reproduction programs, and they work to conserve the species in their parks. There is a real feeling of the appreciation of the environment at the hotel and the parks.
A vacation to Hotel Xcaret Mexico can really be anything you want it to be, but this Momma felt that it was the perfect spot for a bit of rest and relaxation with a side of toddler adventure that we will never forget!
Trusting Air Canada Vacations to take care of our family’s vacation plans is an easy choice. From beginning to end, they make things easy and take care of you every step of the way. You always have 1 free checked bag when you book a vacation package with them and transportation to and from the airport at destination is easy and seamless.
If you’re planning a vacation to Hotel Xcaret, or any other destination for that matter, you should really visit Air Canada Vacations, or ask your travel agent for more details.
Thank you to Air Canada Vacations and Hotel Xcaret for taking care of us and for hosting us on such a fun adventure!
