Inside Cancun’s newest adults-only all-inclusive: Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Maya, Mexico, by Siobhan Grogan
Forget basic buffets and sun lounger battles: an all-inclusive hotel doesn’t have to equal a holiday horror story. Opened in June 2023, the Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Maya is aimed squarely at adults seeking Mexican sun and hoping to relax, without skimping on a la carte meals or branded drinks.
WHERE IS IT? Don’t worry – you won’t even see the clubs and high-rise hotel blocks Cancun is best known for. (Though the city does have some incredibly beautiful spas, too.) The hotel is located 20 minutes from the city’s airport on the Riviera Maya, a 100-mile stretch of the Caribbean Sea coastline along the Yucatan Peninsula. Though there are Mayan ruins, tropical white sand islands and leafy jungles in easy reach, most guests never venture far from the grounds of the hotel – in fact, some barely leave the swim-up bar.
With 355 suites, the entire hotel is built round a sprawling pool complex dotted with palm trees, pretty humpback bridges and daybeds-for-two, shaded by billowing white voile curtains. A word of warning: though the sea is just steps from the pool, there’s no actual beach here (despite some misleading photos online) so you’ll need to go elsewhere for a dip in the bath-warm Caribbean.
The indoor spa at the Margaritaville hotel in Cancun, newly opened for adults only
THE STAY Think barefoot tropical chic. Rooms are sunny and simple, with bleached wood floors and white shutter cupboard doors. You also get your very own cocktail-making station, complete with lime juicer, chopping board and margarita glasses. Best of all, every room has a customisable mini bar, which can be filled for free with goodies from the hotel’s own grocery store, from full-size bottles of Bacardi to M&Ms. Elsewhere, there’s a Klipsch Bluetooth speaker, espresso machine and giant walk-in shower, while a glass-fronted balcony overlooking the sea has wooden Adirondack chairs for obligatory sundowners.
Some rooms have freestanding baths, others a terrace with a hammock for lounging, but there’s no question that the ground-floor swim-up rooms are the ones to bag if you can. Each room has a pair of sun loungers by the water’s edge so you can be sunbathing seconds after getting out of bed, with the poolside bars just a short splash away.
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WHAT TO DO Doing nothing is actively encouraged from the moment you’re greeted with a margarita-flavoured ice lolly and a pair of flip flops upon check in. However, there are aqua aerobic lessons, wine tasting sessions, volleyball contests, cooking classes, pickleball courts, a 10,000 square foot spa and gym, plus nightly live entertainment including reggae bands and live DJs if boredom strikes. But most guests seem content to simply drift between the five bars and various pools, working their way steadily through the extensive cocktail list.
Despite the (considerable) lure of tequila on tap, it would still be a mistake to never leave the resort. The hotel’s concierge can arrange everything from a visit to the nightlife centre of Cancun to jungle zip-wiring and snorkelling in the second largest coral reef in the world. A day trip to Chichen Itza is also unmissable, although a two-hour drive away. Once an ancient Mayan city, it is now an UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Take a detour on the way back to call in on Valladolid, a postcard-pretty town with pastel-coloured buildings, street food vendors and a striking Spanish colonial cathedral.
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Squeeze in a dip in a cenote too, a deep natural pool of water revealed when the limestone surface above collapses. Photogenic Il Kil cenote is closest to Chichen Itza but can be busy so try Cenote Zaci in Valladolid instead, which I had almost to myself for a blissfully refreshing swim.
THE FOOD You won’t go hungry. Even the breakfast buffet is one of the most lavish I’ve ever seen, with an extensive dessert selection and a cocktail trolley for help-yourself bloody marys and mimosas. Lunch is ceviche, salads and burritos at the poolside grill, Licence to Chill. For an extra cost you can order a floating tray of tacos and freshly made guacamole to be served in the pool. The 24-hour room service is also included, while Joe Merchant’s coffee shop is open all day to grab Mexican coffee, freshly made juices, sandwiches and cakes to go – ideal if you fancy a picnic on a day out.
For dinner, there are four restaurants to choose from including Italian trattoria Frank & Lolas for homemade pasta and excellent pizzas and JWB Steakhouse, where a meat sommelier will help choose your preferred cut of beef to be cooked on the wood-fired grill. Just be sure to order the flaky short rib empanada to start. For a really special occasion though, consider booking a table at Le Chique next door to the hotel. Voted one of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, it serves elaborate modern Mexican tasting menus with more than 20 courses and paired wines that make it well worth leaving the all-inclusive bubble.
Rooms at Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Maya start from £395 per night based on two sharing. Book at karismahotels.com. Tui flies to Cancun from London Gatwick. Book at Tui.co.uk.