Family Trip to XCaret

My family of four (two adults and two children, ages 8 and 9) traveled to Hotel XCaret recently. We arrived at the Cancun Airport and the hotel offers a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel, which is extremely convenient. If you need to wait for the shuttle, the hotel provides an air-conditioned building that serves drinks and snacks just outside the airport.

Hotel XCaret makes an incredible first impression with its stunning, open-air lobby. The resort feels like an oasis with the lush plants of the Yucatan landscape all around, which helps blend the buildings and other structures of the resort. Our boys quickly spotted the cart with free popsicles, which kept them busy during our check-in. The check-in process was easy and they had a porter on hand to take our luggage to the room. They offered us a map of the hotel and a tour, but we preferred to unpack and then wander the resort on our own. The resort is huge and expansive but did not feel overwhelming. We were there during Christmas week, but it never felt crowded. There was always a chair at one of the 13 pools or various lagoons and rivers flowing throughout the resort.

There are endless options for eating since Hotel XCaret boasts 11 restaurants that cover a wide range of palettes: buffet, vegan, traditional Oaxacan food and Asian-inspired menus. The one restaurant that stood out for dinner was La Cuevas. It is an incredible atmosphere built into a cave featuring meats cut at your table, an international buffet and vegetarian options. I was truly in awe of the decor and beauty of the restaurant.

The beaches and pools have drink service but not food service. There are some food carts with burgers, crepes and ice cream around the pool, but if you want an actual meal, then it requires packing up your items and going to a restaurant.

Hotel XCaret takes the meaning of all-inclusive to another level! In addition to the food and drinks, a stay at Hotel XCaret includes unlimited access and transportation to all of the nearby parks: Xcaret, Xel-Há, Xplor, Xplor Fuego, Xoximilco, Xenses, Xavage and Xenotes. In addition to the parks, excursions are also included to places like Tulum, Chichén Itzá and Isla Mujeres.

We quickly realized that there would not be enough time, so we prioritized what was most interesting and fun, especially for our boys. During our stay, we visited Xplor, Xenses and Xcaret. Xplor was probably our favorite park — my family loved the zip lines, driving an amphibious vehicle, underground rafts and rivers, the hammock splash and do not forget the free buffet that is included! Any guest that is staying at Hotel XCaret has a separate entrance to the park, which makes a huge difference because the regular line can be quite long!

Our family of four shared a room with two queen beds and a pull-out couch, which was enough room for everyone to sleep in. The rooms are open with the sink and whirlpool tub in the room while the toilet and shower are behind separate sliding mirrors. I would have preferred more of a traditional bathroom. Additionally, there was a lack of storage space and we had to be very creative when finding places for our clothes.

We were hoping for a jump-off river suite. Which is exactly how it sounds — a ledge off the balcony that is the perfect jumping-off point into the lagoon and a ladder to the side to easily climb back.

Hotel XCaret is extremely family-friendly! There is a sister resort nearby, Hotel XCaret Arte, which is adults only.

Hotel XCaret received the EarthCheck certification for Planning and Design in 2017, and they were the first hotel on the American continent to receive this before they opened. They do not use any single-use plastic, and I cannot remember if they even had straws. Their commitment to sustainability is evident. Lastly, the hotel is impeccably clean even during Christmas, and I was quite impressed by this attention to detail.

My family and I loved this hotel and highly recommend it! My kids are already begging to go back and do not feel that any other resort will even come close in comparison.

Would I return to Hotel XCaret? Yes! I normally like to try different places, but there are still so many activities that we have yet to explore at XCaret that I would definitely return.

Thank you, Hotel XCaret for an incredible family vacation!

Things to bring (especially to any of the parks with water rides)
-Water Shoes
-Waterproof phone pouch (that you can wear around your neck and can hold money/credit card)
-Portable clothes line or clips to hang wet clothes to dry
-Wear a bathing suit there and bring dry clothes with you to change
-Glasses Strap (if you want to wear sunglasses)

I recommend Hotel XCaret to anyone - couples, friends, families - that enjoy spectacular service, incredible views around the resort and want to visit the XCaret parks!

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Mexico. In need of further inspiration? Check out Clare Risman’s guide, Tulum, Riviera Maya, Mexico: Something for Everyone.