I took it upon myself to investigate.
I have stayed at hostels in Mexico where no traveler with more than a hundred pesos would step inside. In fact, during a budget backpacking trip, my sister, Liza, and I woke in one truly terrible joint in Los Mochis and made a pact that we would never again stay somewhere that required you to bring your own toilet paper. This bumped our costs to nine U.S. dollars a night. Worth it.
Since my backpacking days, I’ve been lucky to visit some stunning resorts, relishing high-end shampoos and special amenities: Mexican handicrafts for my children, a rose-strewn bathtub one night during a romantic getaway with my husband at Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection in Los Cabos. And as spring break beckons, I am dreaming of pampering and sunshine, typing a hopeful query into Google: What is the most expensive all-inclusive resort in Mexico?
The answer is the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya. Room rates start at $642 per person per night and include all the five-star food, top-shelf drinks, and wild times you can cram in during your stay. But given that a budget stay in Cancún can be had for much less is the Grand Velas worth the splurge? I decided that someone needed to investigate the most expensive all-inclusive resort in the enormous and fascinating country of Mexico, and I decided that someone would be me. I packed my bathing suit and sunglasses to fly to Cancún and head about an hour south of the city to Riviera Maya, where the Grand Velas is located.
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Choose Your Own Ambiance at This Luxury Resort
Set on over two hundred acres of protected mangroves, jungle, and natural freshwater wells (locally known as cenotes), the Grand Velas Riviera Maya boasts over 1,000 feet of pristine white sand beach. Guests can choose oceanfront accommodations or book a room in a Zen-like tropical setting, embraced by the Yucatan Peninsula’s jungle.
The resort, which has 539 suites, offers three “ambiances,” each with its own lobby, management team, and reception area. Guests are free to explore the entire resort at their leisure: there are no additional charges for relaxing at the various pools and dining in each ambiance’s restaurants. And every suite comes with a personal concierge, L’Occitane amenities, a welcome bottle of artisanal mezcal, 24-hour suite service, a daily-stocked in-suite minibar, a Nespresso coffee maker, and a pillow menu. And how nice are the bathrooms? As you can imagine, they are very, very nice, complete with walk-in glass showers, deep soaking Jacuzzi tubs, and marble interiors.
The Zen Ambiance suites are connected by raised hardwood footpaths reminiscent of Bali, and are just steps from the resort’s heavenly spa. Nature lovers might opt for the Zen Ambiance suites, as each contains a private terrace overlooking water lily ponds and the jungle.
Ambassador suites are located around the resort’s free-form infinity pool, next to the Mexican Caribbean. If you love lounging poolside, this is the ambiance for you. Choose Grand Ambiance if you adore sand between your toes. Grand Ambiance suites are designed as the ultimate luxurious refuge, featuring spacious terraces with private plunge pools, steps from the beach.
Let’s Talk About the On-Site Restaurants
I’m an anxious cheapskate, so there’s nothing more wonderful for me than an all-inclusive resort, which gives me a break from the calculator tabulating the cost of each snack in my head. It’s such a rare treat to ask myself only what I want and not forgo that extra cup of coffee or fret about an extra side of fries.
Rodolfo Gonzalez Munguia, Managing Director of the Grand Velas Riviera Maya, agrees. “I often hear how our guests love the fact that all they have to do is sign in restaurants and bars, never worry about tips, what the mini bar beverages, food and room service will cost, and if their budget can afford it, because everything is included. And in our case, it’s all the very best,” he notes.
At the Grand Velas Riviera Maya, eight restaurants—including five gourmet offerings—are a culinary tour through Mexico, Europe, and Asia. Cocina de Autor, helmed by world-renowned celebrity chefs Bruno Oteiza and Mikel Alonso, holds the AAA Five Diamond Award, the first all-inclusive restaurant in the world to win this distinction.
Located in the pool area, Azul sets out a bountiful buffet featuring five cuisines. Bistro A Brasserie Restaurant gives guests a window to the Mexican Caribbean. For regional cuisine, try Chaká Yucatecan. Frida Fine Mexican Cuisine blends Mexico’s contemporary decor and Bali’s artisanal vocation. My two teen boys are always in the mood for Asian cuisine, so their pick is Sen Lín Fusion Asian Gourmet Cuisine. Lucca Italian Mediterranean Cuisine serves fresh seafood, prime cuts, and homemade pasta. Piaf highlights the most exquisite French cuisine…magnifique!
During the day, tropical delights await you in Aqua Bar, and the lounge décor in Bistro Bar offers a sublime oceanfront setting. If sports are your thing, head to Koi Bar for the latest audio/video technology and high-definition screens.
The dazzling views of Sky Bar and the exotic combinations of the Sen Lin Bar offer incredible night entertainment. In the Karaoke Bar, you might find my husband and I singing a duet of “Islands in the Stream;” we may also be canoodling in the romantic Piano Bar.
Home to One of the Best Spas in the World
Named one of the world’s most luxurious spas, SE Spa is known for its authentic Mexican treatments, like the Xkalim Mayan Gourd Massage, the signature seven-step Water Ceremony, and the Wellness Lunar Massage, which uses aromatic oils from the Mexican wellness brand Agave Spa that tap into the powerful benefits of herbs, flowers, spices, and roots. Try the Mystic Mayan Spa Night to take an ancestral journey.
When I returned home, I considered my trip. Besides providing toilet paper, what do ultra-luxe properties offer that ordinary hotels do not? According to Jose Adames, General Manager of Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection, ultra-luxe means service beyond your wildest dreams. Adames notes, “One highlight for many of our guests that is of the essence of Susurros’ hospitality philosophy is our morning coffee deliveries. In lieu of an in-room coffee bar, upon arrival, guests share their favorite coffee orders with the team and arrange a time for delivery straight to their room.”
This sounds simple, but I vividly remember sipping perfect cinnamon coffee every morning during my visit to Sussuros del Corazón, located outside of Puerto Vallarta. This kind of detail makes a vacation feel special, as well as the way we were welcomed by name everywhere we went and how my computer cords were carefully coiled in perfect circles every day, secured with a plastic band.
The list of perks at Grand Velas Riviera Maya seems infinite, including scuba diving lessons in the glorious waters of the Caribbean; a high-tech hangout for teens; the Meliponario, a brand-new bee sanctuary; and a “Detox Concierge” if you want to connect IRL with your traveling companions. Ecological tours allow guests to learn about the native flora and fauna of the Yucatan Peninsula and understand the resort’s conservation efforts.
If you have a baby, he or she will get his or her first haircut for free, in addition to massages and organic baby food. And bring your great-grandparents along—when you hit age one hundred, your stay at Grand Velas is complimentary. (I am marking my calendar for 2083.)
Is It All Worth the Cost?
I asked Rodolfo Gonzalez, Managing Director, Grand Velas Riviera Maya, why he believed his property was the most expensive in Mexico.
“From the moment you arrive,” he said, “you’ll be immersed in a haven of indulgence where every aspect of your stay is curated to provide the utmost comfort and satisfaction. Our ongoing commitment to personalized service, combined with the breathtaking setting of the Riviera Maya, ensures that every penny spent translates into an extraordinary and unparalleled vacation experience.”
Is the most expensive all-inclusive hotel in Mexico worth the price tag? All I know is that the feeling of the Mexican sun on my shoulders as I watched my family toss each other, laughing, into the waves of the Caribbean Sea: well, that was priceless.
This is not the most expensive, but probably the most overpriced and overrated resort in Mexico.