Hotel Xcaret Mexico

Michael Watkins

Our second time at Xcaret Mexico. Would I recommend to a friend? Yes, with caveats. Pros: - Gorgeous architecture and views. - Nice room with fun details. - Great choice of restaurants including excellent breakfast buffets. - The included parks (in particular Xcaret and Xplor). - Most of the staff are great and speak English if needed. Cons: - 1 hour to check in is unacceptable. Marriott checks in guests in 2-3 minutes. It shouldn’t take them 10-15 minutes per person. - Concierge service was awful. We spent over two hours booking things and often our bookings weren’t honoured. Tip: get every booking and cancellation in writing as their IT systems seem to be from the 1980s. - Not enough signage. Cuevas and Bio are hard to find. Kids slide area is great but hidden. - Buses to parks are frustrating. The short distance from Xplor and Xcaret can take somehow 20 minutes as you drive all over the place, and they cram you in like sardines so most people are standing. Need a simple train system, or more boats and more buses. Overall a wonderful if frustrating experience. All of the above is fixable with a little investment.

Claire Belkot

Hotel Xcaret Arte is beautifully designed and the service and food were excellent. Everywhere you turn, there is beautiful art and thoughtfully designed spaces. The service was excellent and the food was incredible. I really don't have anything negative to say. One of the faucets in our bathroom sink began to drip but they came and fixed it right away. There was one time at check in where they offered us to join a time share breakfast but we politely declined and they never said anything else again. The Hibachi experience was my favorite. We were not able to get a reservation at Encanta but they told us to show up right when they open and ask if they can fit us in and they were able to do that. The nightly shows at the Forum were so entertaining! There were not very many people that watched them but I found them to be wonderful and enjoyed them very much! Nothing was ever too crowded, the pools were beautiful (so many to choose from!) and the beach was gorgeous. All of the service staff were kind and helpful or if they didn't understand you, they quickly went and got someone who could help. If you are looking for a beautifully decorated all inclusive resort with excellent service, book this place and don't even worry about it!

Zoo Pod

The property is VAST. You could stay at the hotel grounds for weeks and still find new things to explore. It is also designed in such a way that you feel lost at first, but as your stay progresses, you become more entranced in the beauty. I love how every part of the hotel is different, but there are threads that pull the whole thing together. I loved just going for walks (especially up the chapel) and looking out over the whole area. I cannot understate how beautiful Hotel Xcaret México is. That being said, the service was HIGHLY lackluster, bordering on completely inadequate. We waited in line for probably an hour to get checked in. The whole check-in process takes about 15 minutes per person for something that should take 5 minutes max. The staff are friendly but I just don't understand how their system can be so slow, especially with hundreds of people arriving each day. If you pick up the phone in your room and call, don't expect to be answered before waiting for 7+ minutes while the phone is just ringing, if the phone is answered at all. You might find it faster to walk to the lobby, wait in the hours-long line, and ask someone for an extra towel. The staff could've been much more on top of replenishing our room's water, since the tap water is not drinkable in Mexico. We really enjoyed the food, but many of the restaurants seem to prefer the aesthetic of the plate rather than the taste of the food. Restaurants are rarely child/vegetarian friendly. Overall, if you don't mind the service and food hiccups, Hotel Xcaret México is a beautiful place to stay and you will not be lost for things to do and experiences to have. No matter what they tell you before coming, I would highly recommend making reservations for food and experiences, as it was almost impossible to get seated at restaurants, especially at Christmastime, without reservations.

Bianca Girimonte

This hotel is a complete joke! It claims to be kid friendly when really it isn’t at all! Everything has age restrictions and limits! Which should really be listed online! I tried to call ahead months in advance to book reservations and was constantly met with long wait times or no answer. After emailing and following up multiple times I finally got half a response. Upon arrival I’m informed that they weren’t booked and now everything is completely sold out! It’s so big there’s no service anywhere you have to walk 20 minutes just to get a coffee! It’s crazy expensive which is completely fine but when the price doesn’t match what you get it’s extremely disappointing! The only thing this resort has is that it looks very grand and cool other that the way it “looks” it sucks!!

Andrew Welsh

It’s hard to have a great experience when you start off on the wrong foot before even arriving. As others have mentioned, the restaurant reservation system needs a complete overhaul. I was cautious about this from the start and immediately requested the “wish list” after booking. I emailed five times and called multiple times without a response. I finally involved Costco Travel, since we booked through them, and they connected me with the correct concierge. The concierge emailed me the list and assured me we would be taken care of. I completed and returned the wish list the next day with our restaurant and park preferences but never received a reply, despite sending four follow-up emails. Not a great start. When we arrived, we met with the concierge and were told that not only were our requested reservations unavailable, but that all lunch and dinner reservations were fully booked for our entire seven-day stay. We were traveling over the holidays, so we expected it to be busy, but with the number of restaurants on property we assumed something would be available. Our options were buffets or two à la carte restaurants that don’t take reservations. The buffets were above average but became repetitive over a week. At the à la carte restaurants (La Cantina and Costeru), even arriving before opening meant waiting 1.5 hours or more to be seated. This is not ideal for anyone, especially with young kids. You also had to physically wait near the restaurant with other frustrated guests to hold your place in line. At a minimum, there should be a system to put your name down and receive a text when your table is ready. Stressing about meals during what is supposed to be a relaxing vacation, especially at $1,000+ per night, was frustrating. Service overall felt lacking. The restaurant situation and the indifference from hosts were disappointing, and the concierge was not helpful. Housekeeping frequently didn’t arrive until after 6 p.m., and one day didn’t come at all. When they did, the cleaning was inconsistent, and dirty plates and towels were often left behind. That said, it wasn’t all negative. The property itself is truly stunning, and there are activities for everyone. Our kids loved the parks, kids’ club, and the many pools. To be fair, we visited between Christmas and New Year’s, likely the busiest week of the year. Still, they need to do better. The property and the guests deserve it. Would I return? Possibly, which says something even though I’m giving this stay two stars. I genuinely hope service improves and the restaurant system is fixed going forward.