Cancun: All-Inclusive vs. Traditional Resorts
In January I attended a conference at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun. It was my first time traveling to Cancun and my second time staying at an all-inclusive resort.
It seems crazy to admit now, but at the time I wasn’t looking forward to a mid-winter break in the Caribbean (yeah, I know). The negative news coverage about boot-legged liquor, sketchy cab drivers, and Americans getting drugged and assaulted at resorts had shown up on my news feed too many times over the past few years. It all seemed like too much risk for too little reward.
I’m happy to report that (as with most things) getting over your fears and out of your head ends up paying off. My husband and I enjoyed the resort and the conference so much that we decided to schedule a second trip to Cancun later in the Spring for some dedicated down time.
In May we stayed at a traditional resort so that we could compare the experience at an all-inclusive resort vs. a traditional resort. Ultimately we can’t say one option was way better than the other. Both have their pros and cons, and it’s my opinion that either option is a solid choice depending on what your vacation priorities are.
Cancun All-Inclusive
Where we stayed: Fiesta Americana Condesa
In January we stayed at the Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun located in the middle of the hotel zone. This hotel is by far one of the cleanest properties that I have ever stayed at. The staff members were fantastic, attentive, and willing to assist us in any way. The pool area, outdoor restaurants, and bars were spotless and convenient from anywhere on the resort.
The beachfront adjacent to the resort was well maintained, there were tons of lounge chairs, and the waitstaff made regular rounds to freshen drinks and take food orders.
Fiesta Americana Condesa was not an adults-only property, so it did have more of a family-friendly vibe as opposed to a young-adult party vibe. There were plenty of guests spanning all age ranges and life stages, and everyone was enjoying themselves and having a good time.
All-Inclusive Pro #1: Everything is included
And I mean pretty much everything is included, all meals, snacks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, in-room mini bar, 24-hour room service and water bottles (essential for Mexico).
All-Inclusive Pro #2: Good food and lots of options
I have never heard anyone complain about the food at all-inclusive resorts. You would think this would be an area to cut corners, but my experience has been quite the opposite
The Fiesta Americana Condesa resort has 7-8 restaurants on site that were all VERY good. They offered cuisine options to satisfy a variety of different tastes and even better, there were enough options that we could try a new restaurant every night of the week.
I enjoyed all of my food at the resort, but my favorite was the 24-hour room service. When I’m on vacation, the last thing I want to do is set the alarm, make myself presentable, and rush out to make sure I get breakfast. We ordered room service every morning, and it was delicious, fast, and allowed us to enjoy our mornings at a much more leisurely pace.
All-Inclusive Pro #3: No budget-busting surprises!
The fact that everything is included is perfect for budgeting, planning travel expenses, and an easy way to reduce some of the financial stress of traveling. The most significant advantage of all-inclusives, in my opinion, is the peace of knowing that once you get to your hotel, you don’t have to spend any more money.
At Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun, there were a few optional services not included in the all-inclusive rate. Spa services, gift shop purchases, excursions and activities such as jet skis and parasailing, as well as premium menu items including lobster and upgraded wine required additional payment.
I truly enjoyed our experience at the Fiesta American Condesa Cancun, but there were a few cons worth mentioning:
All-Inclusive Con #1: Alcoholic Drinks
The idea that cheap alcohol gets you just as tipsy as top-shelf alcohol must be the theory that all-inclusive resorts are operating under. Unfortunately, there were few to no options for upgraded alcohol. If you appreciate fine wine, craft beer, or premium liquor, you are unlikely to find it.
If you enjoy drinking A LOT on vacation and sugary margaritas made from a mix don’t bother you, then you’ll be fine. A few of the restaurants offered premium wine for purchase, and although it was better, it wasn’t that good and probably not worth the extra money.
All-Inclusive Con #2: The buffet mentality rules the day
Staying at an all-inclusive is kind of like eating at a buffet. You get into the mindset that if you don’t eat and drink all of the time that you’re not getting your money’s worth.
It becomes super easy to fall into the trap of drinking because you can and eating because you “paid good money for it”; which in my opinion takes away some of the enjoyment of both. My husband and I also really enjoy fine wine and craft beer, and neither of one of us are into drinking just for the buzz. And unfortunately at our age eating and drinking all day is a surefire way to feel gross and pack on unwanted pounds (seemingly overnight).
My experience at the Fiesta Americana Condesa and Cancun in general was amazing. It was so great that I recommended that my daughter and her fiancee consider the resort for a budget-friendly honeymoon option. Cancun is a lot easier and cheaper to get to than Hawaii, and the water is just as clear and pretty!
We loved our trip to Cancun so much that we scheduled another trip a few months later in May. Although we enjoyed the all-inclusive resort for the sheer ease and no hassle vacation experience, we wondered if there might be a better option for us.
Cancun Traditional Hotel/Resort
Where we stayed: JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa
In May we booked a long weekend at the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa located just down the road from the Fiesta American Condesa.
JW Marriotts are known for their upgraded ambiance, luxurious settings, and exceptional service. The resort’s outdoor pool area and grounds were especially dramatic and stunning. We spent most of our time lounging at the pool because the view from the pool was surprisingly better and more enjoyable than the view from the beach. The resort had plenty of pool and beachfront lounge chairs, and we had no trouble picking the perfect spot to relax and enjoy our day.
The JW Marriott Cancun is very family-friendly and offers a small pool/play area for younger children while older kids share the main pool area with adults. They also have an adult-only pool with a swim-up bar that is much quieter and calmer than the main area.
Traditional Resort Pro #1 The alcoholic drinks
We had a ton of incredible options for drinks. The JW Marriott Cancun hotel bar is a little bit famous for its menu of over 150 margaritas!!! We tried to taste as many as we could but even though we gave it our best effort we couldn’t get to them all.
In addition to the fantastic margaritas, the restaurants and pool bars had solid selections of wine, beer, and premium liquor.
Traditional Resort pro #2: Good food and lots of options
Just like our all-inclusive experience, we have no complaints about the quality and taste of the food at the JW Marriott Cancun. The resort offers several restaurants with a variety of cuisine Our favorites were the guacamole at Sedona Grill and the satay and curries from Sasi Thai.
We also liked that the JW Marriott Cancun was adjacent to a sister Marriot property. The two resorts are attached by a walkway allowing guests to easily share the facilities and restaurants at both resorts.
Traditional Resort Pro #3: Reward member perks
I know this won’t apply to everyone, but if you are a top-tier rewards member, your stays at most Marriott affiliated properties come with a few perks.
We arrived just as a huge convention was getting underway so unfortunately we didn’t get our room upgraded (we often do), but we did receive a few fun little surprises. At most of the resort’s restaurants, we received complimentary tastings of appetizers, small desserts, or apéritifs each night. We also had two complimentary water bottles per day, which was great because we wanted to stick with bottled water for drinking (Montezuma’s revenge and all).
Although these aren’t huge perks, they are little cherries sprinkled on top throughout your stay, which is a fun when you are on vacation.
Even with all of the pros there is one major con to staying at a traditional hotel/resort.
Traditional Resort Con #1: You pay for EVERYTHING, nothing is included
It’s hard not to stay at a traditional hotel-resort and not hear the “cha-ching” sound in your head throughout the day. Although the food and drinks are excellent, you are going to pay for the good stuff, and you are going to pay resort prices for it.
It’s not much of a challenge for a couple to rack up a $100 tab at the margarita bar. The delicious margaritas that were hailed as a pro…they are pushing $20 a piece!
Another essential item that you have to pay for is bottled water. North American visitors have been told for decades not to drink the water or eat fresh fruit and vegetables for fear of falling victim to Montezuma’s storied revenge. Reportedly, the large resorts and hotels located in the main hotel zone all have their water treated, so we didn’t really worry about eating salad or vegetable garnishes or even brushing our teeth. However, we were just risk-averse enough not to straight up drink the tap water; therefore our only option was to buy bottled water. Trying to stay hydrated in the tropical climate was an expensive task.
The Verdict:
We thoroughly enjoyed both resorts that we visited and to be completely honest we spent about the same amount of money on both trips. The food and drinks at the JW Marriott are little pricey and were a huge part of our total vacation bill. The Fiesta Condesa Americana might have been a little less expensive in total had we done more research and shopped for better prices before making the reservation.
I highly recommend either resort depending on the type of vacation you want to have. If you are looking for a no-hassles and no-worries vacation, definitely go with Fiesta Condesa Americana. If fine dining and luxury are your idea of the perfect vacation, The JW Marriott Resort & Spa is a great option.
