Cancun, Mexico, draws vacationers to the shores of the Caribbean for a tropical beach vacation. The city has over 25,000 hotel rooms, according to TravelYucatan.com, with thousands more just outside the city limits in towns like Puerto Morelos. Fodor's indicates that the city's most lavish resorts sit along the Zona Hotelera, a stretch of white sand beaches along the Caribbean, while more affordable options may be found in the Centro region.
The Ritz-Carlton Cancun earned the full five diamonds from AAA and three out of three stars from Frommer's. Guests choose from guestrooms with ocean views or suites with separate bedrooms and living rooms. The Ocean View guestrooms include private balconies or terraces overlooking the Caribbean. Guests enjoy in-room amenities like a rainforest shower head, separate soaking tub, fully stocked refreshment center, plush terry robes and goose down pillows. The Ritz-Carlton's Beach Club sits on the largest private beach in Cancun, and you have access to beach villas and hammocks while visiting the 17,000-square-foot beach. Activities include cooking classes, wine tastings, a Cliff Drysdale tennis center, fitness center, freshwater swimming pools and the Kids Mayan Adventures supervised children's program.
Earning the full three stars from Frommer's, the Aqua Cancun Resort provides guests with 371 rooms overlooking the water. All rooms have whirlpools, Egyptian cotton sheets and private balconies or terraces that look out onto the sea. Aqua Cancun has eight outdoor pools, including infinity-edge pools overlooking the beach, and guests may rent private cabanas to use on the resort's stretch of beach. For active leisure options, Aqua Cancun has two tennis courts and a fitness center.
The resort features three restaurants and three bars, with all-inclusive options that include dining with the cost of your stay. When you book your room at Aqua Cancun, consider booking a treatment or two at the Aqua Spa, which offers both indoor and outdoor treatment rooms.
The Excellence Riviera Cancun earned the Fodor's Choice award for its ornate European-style furnishings and decor and comprehensive on-site amenities. Each of the over 400 rooms in the resort has a hot tub and a private furnished patio or balcony. Some rooms add a touch of elegance with four-poster king beds, and all guests receive bathrobes and slippers to use during their stay. The poolside Miile Spa features a Marine Spa, where guests can participate in water exercises, get water massages and relax in steam baths all fueled by mineral-rich saltwater. Take a beachside yoga class, sail or windsurf on the ocean, practice your archery skills at the on-site range or take dancing lessons.
At the Barcelona buffet restaurant guests sip margaritas and feast on Mediterranean-style meals. The resort's optional all-inclusive program includes all meals and snacks at the resort's eight restaurants and numerous snack stands and bars. The all-inclusive option also includes access to non-motorized water sports equipment, tennis clinics and nightly entertainment.
Harms, Nicole. "Resorts Near Cancun." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/resorts-near-cancun-17416.html. Accessed 24 April 2019.