On. Sept. 6, the new Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort celebrated its grand opening — a neat trick for a resort that debuted 34 years ago.
Considering that Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company by number of guestrooms, it seems impossible that the revamped 450-room Cancun property is Marriott's first brand-developed all-inclusive. But until now, the chain has offered either optional all-inclusive pricing at some resorts or taken over pre-existing all-inclusive properties. The “new” Marriott Cancun is the brand's first “wholly conceptualized” all-inclusive.
The $70 million project to reimagine the resort springs from the old Marriott Cancun, which opened in 1990 and was closed for much of the past year during renovations. Now, all-inclusive pricing covers meals, alcohol and soft drinks, entertainment, minibars, room service, and the Camp Club for children. As is common, guests are obliged to wear a wristband.
Good Bones
A major new all-inclusive in Cancun is important news for travel advisors and their clients. Nearly one in every five (17.5%) international air bookings from the U.S. is bound for Cancun, and some 5.6 million Americans visited the destination in 2023, surpassing its pre-pandemic arrivals.
“It’s incredible to be part of this effort,” said Christopher Calabrese, vice president and general manager of both Marriott Cancun and its neighbor, JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa.
The Greatroom lobby area features ocean views.
Credit: 2024 Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive ResortBecause Calabrese is a 52-year veteran of Marriott, I took his words to heart.
“Normally in a situation like this, we bring in all new people, but we were able to keep many of our previous people for this project,” he said.
The Marriott’s all-inclusive transition was helped by the 8-acre resort’s existing infrastructure and its oceanfront location in the heart of Cancun’s hotel zone; it's flanked on one side by Paradisus Cancun and on the other by the JW Marriott.
Guestrooms have been updated with new bedding, flooring, and blonde-wood furnishings and trim work. All rooms have balconies, and most have at least a partial ocean view, except for the category of “resort rooms,” which have views of the grounds, nearby structures, and/or Nichupte Lagoon. Rooms feature U.S.- style outlets (my room had six double outlets in various places), plus numerous USB charging ports.
Guestrooms were updated during the recent renovation.
Credit: 2024 Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive ResortBeyond the guestrooms, changes to the physical structure include a new adults-only pool; a children’s waterpark with a splash pool, slides and a lazy river; and reimagined restaurants. The resort’s Greatroom lobby area — with its vast, ocean-view picture windows and sunken bar — was renovated in 2020 and remains largely unchanged.
Dining and Drinking
Marriott Cancun has nine specialty restaurants, several food carts, and bars and a grab-and-go outlet (available at an extra charge). Families will love the retro diner-style Mo’s Burgers & Shakes, the arcade-themed sports bar and the open-air La Cevicheria by La Isla. Adults without kids may be more interested in Ono, the sleek Japanese teppanyaki dining space; Hana Polynesian Grill and its tiki-themed cocktails; or the regional Mexican cuisine of palapa-style Casa Madre.
During a recent visit, I was most impressed by the fresh seafood and ocean views at La Cevicheria by La Isla, the old-school Trader Vic’s vibes at Hana, and the ultra-laid-back ambiance of Sacbe Beach Shack (serving cocktails and light bites), where the waves crash onto the shore just feet away from your margarita.
Mo’s is a retro-style diner serving burgers and shakes.
Credit: 2024 Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive ResortDespite being adjacent to one another, Marriott Cancun and JW Marriott don’t share any included services, though Marriott guests can book treatments at the JW’s spa, Sens Yah. There is no dine-around plan between the two resorts.
Pro tip: Tipping in an all-inclusive environment is sometimes a bit awkward since guests aren’t usually presented with a bill. I’d advise clients to arrive with plenty of $1 and $5 bills (or 20-peso and 50-peso bills) for meal and bar servers.
Amenities and Pools
If it’s possible to offer something for everyone, the new Marriott certainly comes close. I was curious how the resort would let adults be adults without the frenzy of young families getting in the way.
The adult pool is on the opposite side of a plaza from the family pool area.
Credit: 2024 Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive ResortThe answer includes the Camp Club, for ages 4 to 12, which keeps many of the young people busy until 7 p.m. (Note: The resort doesn't yet offer babysitting.) The lazy river and children’s pool are also on the opposite side of the oceanfront activity plaza from the adult pool. And I noticed that families tended to stick with the burger and pizza outlets rather than the gourmet restaurants.
The spacious new fitness center is fully kitted out with the sort of equipment even the most determined gym rat might want, along with showers and changing rooms. There is a small hair salon on the premises, but full-service spa treatments are available only at JW Marriott, which is connected to Marriott Cancun by a covered walkway.
There is also a variety of on-site entertainment, with a weekly schedule available for guests, including activities such as bachata and salsa lessons, organized beach volleyball, Spanish lessons, water polo and water volleyball, trivia, and more. In the evenings, entertainment includes live music and rotating experiences such as a Mexican carnival and an Art, Wine & Sax night.
On the Horizon
Currently, there are two more Marriott all-inclusive hotels confirmed in the pipeline. One is planned in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and one in Djerba, Tunisia. No timeline was available at press time, but it certainly looks like Marriott has caught the all-inclusive bug.
