Hi friends! Today’s post is all about some important things I think you need to know when going to an all-inclusive resort. My husband and I just traveled to Mexico and stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, an all-inclusive resort about an hour from the Cancun airport. If you’ve never been to an all-inclusive before, I think there are some important tips to keep in mind when preparing for your trip and while you’re there.
**If you don’t care and you’re just here for the VLOG, scroll to the bottom of the post!
Do your research before you book. Even though the concept of all-inclusives is about the same, they’re different in the fact that some of them are going to be all adult resorts, some are going to be family-friendly, some don’t include ALL food, some are more upscale, etc. So do your research and make sure the one you’re booking is right for you so that you get the best experience. Our resort included EVERYTHING. Naturally, these are going to cost a little more, but I promise you, IT’S WORTH IT!
Take dollar bills for tips (if the resort allows tips). Before we left, I went to the bank and pulled out $300 in $1 bills so that we could tip our waiters and bartenders (we stayed for 6 nights, and this amount was PLENTY). The ATMs at the resort are going to charge you a hefty fee to pull out cash, so make sure and do it BEFORE you leave. Aside from the fee, it’s a hassle trying to break bills at the resort. When you’re at an all-inclusive, you will be eating and drinking A LOT, so you’re going to need those dollar bills to tip the people that work so hard to serve you. You will also need it to tip shuttle drivers, excursion tour guides, housekeeping, room service, etc. ***Some resorts don’t allow tips, so you should call ahead of time to find out.
Reserve your travel to/from the airport ahead of time. DO NOT wait to do this once you get to the airport. There will be so many agencies and companies trying to get you to buy from them, you will probably get sucked into other things that you don’t need, plus you will waste a ton of time. It’s so much easier and less stressful to have your transportation ready ahead of time. For our trip, we used Lomas Travel. When we got to the Cancun airport, we had someone waiting for us, ready to take us to our resort. We also booked our excursions through them and they made everything SO EASY. If you’re traveling to Cancun or the surrounding area, I would highly recommend them! We had such a great experience and our transportation to/from the airport and to/from our excursion was so seamless, easy, and most importantly…SAFE!
Make dinner reservations. All of the restaurants at the resort get booked up and busy really quickly, so the chances of you just walking in and getting a table are slim to none. Make sure and make reservations at the restaurant of your choice the day before you want to go. If you don’t, chances are you’ll be eating at the buffet or getting room service every day….which isn’t necessarily a bad thing haha.
Don’t lose your wristband. The wristband that they put on you when you check in is basically your all-access pass for everything, including entrance into your room. If you lose it, they will charge you $75-$100 per day that you don’t have it.
Take your Yeti tumbler or something similar. The drinks they serve you are TINY. We found ourselves ordering a drink every 15 minutes haha. If you have a tumbler, they will refill it for you with whatever you want. This also comes in really handy at the pool because it’s covered, so it won’t spill as easily. Plus you have way more to drink than a tiny little cup lol.
Take aloe vera gel. I can’t tell you how much this SAVED us. The sun in the Caribbean is NO JOKE, so after the first day, we could feel our face and shoulders on the verge of burning. We pretty much drenched ourselves in it throughout the day and it really prevented us from getting burnt. We also kept it in the fridge so it was nice and cool on the skin. I took it with me in a small container everywhere we went and just threw it in my beach bag.
Take your own sunscreen. If you wait to purchase sunscreen at the resort, expect to pay $30-$35 a bottle! I also took this with me everywhere, along with the aloe vera gel. I reapplied every couple of hours because like I said, the sun in the Caribbean is mighty strong.
Things we loved:
- The service was exceptional. You’re pretty much being waited on hand and foot, which is pretty amazing.
- Non-stop food and (GOOD) drinks.
- This goes without saying, but the resort was absolutely GORGEOUS.
- Our transportation was so easy and seamless.
- The excursions were amazing and worth every penny!
- There were SO many pools and areas to sit, so we never had trouble finding a spot to lay out.
- Lots of things to do. Ask the front desk for a list of activities going on that week!
Things we didn’t love:
- There was not a good beer selection. Being in Mexico I expected there to be tons of Mexican beer (my favorite). We were disappointed to find that the only Mexican beer they served was Corona, which I’m not crazy about. So I stuck to Bud Light most of the time if I was drinking beer.
- At our specific resort, there was more of a lagoon/bay rather than a traditional beach. Right behind the lagoon/bay was a wall of large rocks that separated the ocean and blocked the waves from hitting the surf. So, just a heads up if you are going to be visiting Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, don’t expect the traditional sand and ocean.
- My husband LOVES seafood and was really disappointed when we found that there really wasn’t much seafood available. He was expecting a lot of fresh seafood since we were right by the water, but it was mainly resort food. It was still good, we just expected a little bit more of a variety.
Overall, we had an unforgettable experience and we can’t WAIT to go back to an all-inclusive resort. If y’all can think of any other questions that I didn’t cover, please leave them in the comments! I would love to hear from you. In the meantime, check out our VLOG from the trip just to see how much fun we had! And pleeeease don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!
