All About Marriott Cancun—The First Marriott-Branded All-Inclusive Resort

Marriott isn’t a rookie in the all-inclusive game, but in Cancun they’re trying something new: for the first time they’re using the Marriott name on an all-inclusive resort. Unless you’re targeting the highest-end travelers, you kind of have to be all-inclusive in Riviera Maya, of course, but by using their most familiar brand they’re trying to best position the Marriott Cancun resort in a heavily competitive market. They’re relying on their name recognition and all that it entails—stylish but not snooty, comfortable but not low-rent, family-friendly but not kid-centric, dependable but not cookie cutter. If you travel you’re familiar with the Marriott brand, and it’s that familiarity that Marriott Cancun is counting on. And yes, of course, you can use (and earn) Bonvoy points, making it an attractive option for points collectors.

During a recent stay at Marriott Cancun we found a warm, hospitable resort that’s running smoothly for the most part and fares well against its all-inconclusive peers, but that hasn’t ironed out all the wrinkles yet. Minor issues aside, it’s a fine place to retreat to, especially with family or friends, with enough dining and entertainment options to stay fresh for those who wish to idle on property, and located close enough to surrounding restaurants, activities, and resorts for quick and easy outside excursions. Whether you want to lounge in the oceanside pool (or the ocean itself) all day, or explore Cancun and the Riviera Maya, Marriott Cancun is a great home base for anybody who wants to enjoy this always popular vacation destination.

For my money, the most important question about any all-inclusive (besides the price) is the food, so let’s start there. Like any decent all-inclusive, Marriott Cancun has multiple restaurants open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with a room service menu that serves all day and into the night. Variety is key at places like this, and Marriott Cancun wins on that front. Beyond a good burger spot and over-the-counter pizza during lunch hours, there are also two taco stations flanking the sizable pool complex, one specializing in beef, pork and chicken tacos and the other on seafood options, as well as a ceviche restaurant next to the adults-only pool. Dinner is a bit fancier, with Hana Polynesian Grill serving up favorites from Hawaii and other Polynesian islands, teppanyaki and sushi at the Japanese restaurant Ono, American bar standards at the sports bar / arcade combo Press + Start, and traditional Mexican favorites at the open air Casa Madre. You do need reservations at several of the dinner spots, but almost all of the dishes are covered in the all-inclusive plan, as well as beer and select wine and liquors. 

I was able to sample from all of the dinner menus, and ate full meals at Casa Madre and Press + Start. I’m a deep lover of Polynesian and Asian food, and was impressed with how well Hana and Ono hit their marks. Casa Madre was the best of the bunch, though. This buffet-style feast exults in the flavors and feelings of the native cuisine of Cancun and Mexico, serving up both street-style fare as well as more elegant dishes. And if you’re worried that an all-inclusive might close you off to the local culture, Casa Madre features cultural displays both expected, like a mariachi band, and sublime, such as a sprawling troupe of performers reenacting classic Mayan rituals. Press + Start is fairly standard and nondescript, but the other dinner options excelled, with Casa Madre really going above and beyond.

If you’re wondering about breakfast, well, I’m the wrong guy to ask. I don’t touch the stuff. Okay, that’s overstating it, but I really don’t eat it all that often. I did scan Hana’s breakfast buffet and it looked promising, and there are some good pastries available at the same gift shop counter that serves pizza for lunch. Otherwise, breakfast was a no-go zone for me. 

I may not like to eat a hearty meal in the morning, but I will always be down for aimlessly hanging out in water for hours at a time, and when it comes to that Marriott Cancun is exemplary. The first thing I noticed when I initially entered the resort was the massive pool complex overlooking the crystal blue beauty of the Caribbean Sea. That pristine water was put there for me—and all of us—to float in, and float I did, with many a drink resting perilously upon my belly. The main pool, welcome to all, has a swim-up bar that was always thriving throughout my stay; drifting alone in one of its remoter reaches with rum in hand and the infinitude of the ocean in my view fostered an unlikely serenity in an otherwise crowded pool that throbbed with the beat of an ever-present dance playlist. For a slightly quieter time I could retreat to the adults-only pool next door; it’s a smaller pool, but during this particular weekend it was usually even more crowded than the much larger all-ages one. I’d hop between that main pool and the large hot tub next to it, feeling the temperature rise and fall over 20 degrees each time, staring out at the beach spread between me and the sea. Um, it was nice. (There’s also a water playground with a big, winding slide and one of those large buckets that fill up and spill over every few minutes, but I was a little too preoccupied with drinking and pondering the infinite to really explore those opportunities.)

I could easily have spent every minute of my time there in the pool, but fortunately I was obliged to try out some activities during my trip. CAMP Club is normally a kids-only day camp-style space for guests under 13, but recently a group of journalists were invited in for a private tour and slime-making session. I would’ve loved this place as a kid, primarily because of its small recording studio; an Alesis V49 MIDI keyboard and Alesis Sample Pad Pro are on hand for the Bandcampers of the future to get some formative work done while on vacation, and when they’re tired of crafting bangers the little ones can jump behind the wheel of a wooden Jeep or go make a mess in the (not at all creepy looking or sounding) “Splatter Cabin.” And yes, they can also make slime there. (A CAMP “counselor” told me my slime was perfect.) There are also off-site events that can be scheduled through Marriott. For instance, Aquaworld Cancun, a short walk across the street from the Marriott, organizes a variety of aquatic tours on different conveyances, from catamarans to jet skis to submersibles. Their jungle snorkel tour puts you behind the wheel of a small yellow motorboat, a fleet of which zooms through a mangrove jungle towards a gorgeous spot of sea for a half-hour of snorkeling. I didn’t get to synth out on that Alesis in CAMP Club, but I did get to drive a personal speedboat between the mangroves with the lyrics to “Bye Bye Pride” running through my head the whole time, and that ain’t nothing.

If there’s a notable omission at Marriott Cancun, it’s the lack of a spa. There are four beach cabanas that offer some treatments, and guests can book appointments at the spa at the JW Marriott, which is right next door. There’s also a salon for mani pedis and hairstyling. There’s no dedicated spa at the all-inclusive, though, which is a little surprising, and will probably be an unwelcome surprise for some guests. At least the JW is a short (and covered) walk away.

A Perfect Slime

Marriott Cancun reopened as an all-inclusive in March, after a 13-month refurbishment, and as I wrote at the top, they haven’t worked out all of the kinks. There was a little bit of confusion and weirdness about what the all-inclusive plan covered in the gift shop off the main lobby; the pizza and pastries were free, but the drinks in their coolers weren’t, so if I wanted even water to drink with that pizza I’d have to walk across the lobby to another restaurant. Fortunately the menus at the main restaurants did a better job of clearly communicating what dishes and liquors had premium surcharges. Different employees would give different answers to questions about the activity schedule, or the hours for room service, or even the proper pronunciation of certain restaurant names. (Do you actually say the plus in Press + Start, which would make no sense? Depends on who at Marriott you talk to.) And a tour of the onsite gym revealed it’s still undergoing some work—or at least was in early September. Most of this is trivial and didn’t impact my experience at all, but it’s a sign that, as far as the property has come over the last 18 months, you might still encounter small bits of friction.

For some on our trip, that included their room, which they said didn’t feel upgraded or refurbished at all. I didn’t encounter that; my room felt new—bright, spacious, with the kind of warm and inviting (if bland) minimalist design sense that has been de rigueur in hotels for a while now. It had a sizable balcony with a view of the pools and the Caribbean, which gave me a great view while I enjoyed a burger from room service, and a large bathroom with a walk-in shower. We were also given a tour of the massive presidential suite, which—shocker—is maybe too luxurious, but probably worth it if you’re loaded and traveling with family (or a posse). It has balcony views of both the ocean and lagoon sides of the hotel, and it’s also the only room on property with its own bathtub. So if you want to soak you’ll either be doing it in one of the pools or hot tubs, or be fantastically wealthy.

Marriott Cancun isn’t about the biggest spenders, though. It’s squarely targeting middle class families and travelers on a budget, with rates starting at below $300 a person per night. It’d work well for a family or group of friends looking for a no-stress vacation, or for a company planning a work retreat that’s an actual treat but doesn’t completely blow up the budget. It might not really elevate the all-inclusive, but it doesn’t tarnish the Marriott brand, and the familiarity and distinction of that name should go far in attracting travelers to the Marriott Cancun—an enjoyable and relaxing resort with the right combination of comfort and class.

Senior editor Garrett Martin writes about videogames, comedy, travel, theme parks, wrestling, and more. He’s also on Twitter @grmartin.