Mexico AI Resorts: Rachel's Top 3

Without a doubt, one of my favorite ways to vacation is at All-Inclusive resorts. The very first vacation that my husband and I took together was at a small All-Inclusive hotel, and we loved our experience. It honestly comes down to one main perk: I never have to worry about carrying any money with me on this type of vacation. I don’t have to carry a bag or a wallet as long as I’m on the resort grounds, and it just simplifies every single moment of our vacation time together.

For the majority of our All-Inclusive vacations, we’ve headed to Mexico. Staring at that aqua blue water shimmering in the hot sun on a Mexico beach is my definition of relaxation. And while I know that there are so many beautiful islands and beaches around the world for me to still explore, Mexico is an easy airplane ride away from California. So I’m not spending very much time or budget on the travel time itself. Of the places we’ve stayed in Mexico, I’ll rank my top three for you here:

#3: Vallarta Palace, Puerto Vallarta

This resort is no longer a Palace Resort, and has turned into the Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta since we visited there. So I can’t speak to the newest renovations. But from what I’ve read online, many of the same amazing features of the hotel are still there. This was the location of our wedding and honeymoon back in 2010, and we loved our stay there so much. As a Palace Resort, the hotel was busy with guests, but never felt too loud or raucous. Our time there was restful and most activities throughout the hotel were readily available for us to enjoy. The food at the Vallarta Palace was some of the best we’d ever eaten at that time in our lives, and we still try to replicate their coffee and tequila afternoon drinks at home.

I will hold this resort in my heart forever because it was the location where I tied the knot with the love of my life. It was where we held residency prior to our ceremony and where we stayed for an extra week to enjoy our full honeymoon. I still have photos all over my walls that came from this resort, and it will be remembered by us for the rest of our lives.

#2: Secrets Resort, Huatulco

The Secrets Resort here was such a quiet resort, we felt we had it mostly to ourselves! Huatulco, which is about a half hour drive away from the Oaxaca airport, felt like a bit of a secret itself when we stayed there. Set up with ocean views no matter which room you stayed in, the Conejos Bay was a beautiful beach to relax on. We had our choice of shaded and comfortable lounging spots every morning, as the percentage of guests on the beach every day was low. Most other guests preferred to stay near the multiple pools or enjoyed the sun from their own private balcony.

I wish we had known more about Oaxacan food at the time of our stay. (We’ve since become a little bit “foodie” in our travels, but we weren’t back then). We hadn’t anticipated molé sauces and roasted chicken in place of more “familiar” Mexican foods. The meals were all genuinely outstanding, but we were unaccustomed to it. I’d love to go back to the Oaxaca area again to retry those meals with what I know now.

The only reason for this resort not being at the top of the list was the service. And our experience was a bit of a fluke… During the week we stayed here, they were shooting scenes for a Telemundo soap opera. The lobby and different areas of the resort would be blocked off to guests during shooting, and the staff were always so busy catering to their schedule. It was difficult to be noticed or served with so much going on around us, so I understand why the service was not five-star. But it did kind of sour our opinion of this specific trip.

 

 

#1: Le Blanc Resort, Cancun

By far, Le Blanc Resort in Cancun was the best All-Inclusive resort we’ve ever stayed at. The rooms were immaculately clean and it was a quiet atmosphere. As an adults only resort, we were surrounded by other couples looking for a break from the daily grind and many were on their honeymoons. We traveled to this resort at a time in our careers when we were both working non-stop. The relaxation and rest that we got while we were here was like nothing I’ve experienced any other time in my life. With large lounging mattresses and chairs throughout the resort, we napped and slept in between meals all week long. And speaking of the meals: With six different restaurants to choose from, we had a different experience for dinner every evening of our week-long trip. From amazing Mexican food to French and Italian that we couldn’t stop talking about, we only had good experiences with their dining options.

I have had it on my list to return to Le Blanc for another visit soon. I’ll admit that I’m afraid it won’t be as amazing as I remember it though, and then I’ll have tainted my wonderful memories of this spectacular hotel. Plus, it’s so hard to return to the same place when there are so many other locations to explore!