Canadian Travel News Was There: Secrets Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa

October 25, 2022 Marsha Mowers

Working in travel, I’m often asked for my recommendations for vacations, everything from family to romance to getaways with friends, so I’m starting a regular column on where I’ve stayed and how it rates.

First, I think it’s important to understand how I look at properties and why I would recommend one.  My overall basis for any judgement is simple: you’ve saved for your trip, booked your time off work and you want to have the best experience possible within your budget. 

For some that’s lying on a beach all day sipping drinks, for others, it’s using a hotel for a place to crash while you’re out exploring.  It also should be easy – if you can only grab something to eat or drink during certain hours, that will factor into a recommendation. Safety is always a priority, especially when travelling with kids.

With all that in mind, here’s a look at our first property: Secrets Riviera Cancun Hotel and Spa.

About the property – Secrets Riviera Cancun is an adults-only resort, so perfect for romance or getaways with friends. It’s a 4 storey, an all-inclusive 5-star resort on the Riviera Maya that is connected to its sister resort, Breathless Riviera Cancun.  Secrets has more of a “café del Mar” vibe, whereas Breathless is a little bit more “Vegas.” Secrets guests can access the Breathless amenities like pools and restaurants, which is great if you feel like doing a pool party one day and quietly relaxing the others. (Breathless guests cannot access Secrets’ amenities). Make no mistake though, while Breathless is a bit livelier (think perfect for Bachelorette parties), it’s still very tasteful and not like some rowdy pools at other resorts.   I was also amazed that sound from Breathless doesn’t carry over to Secrets.

The two resorts together have only about 500 rooms (some Caribbean resorts are in the thousands), so this is very much a boutique style property.

Food & Drink – Food and beverage options are top notch. Whether you’re grabbing poolside service or dining in one of the properties restaurants, be prepared to be impressed. Bars serve premium alcohol at no extra charge. Restaurant dinners are prepared and plated like what you’d expect at a higher-end restaurant back home. I’ve dined a lot in the Caribbean, and this is by far at the top of my list.  Room service is available 24/7 and includes alcohol (some AI Caribbean resorts don’t serve glasses, you have to purchase a bottle for the room), which is great for when you want to chill on your balcony with a glass of wine.

Rooms – Rooms are all suites, meaning you have a sitting area no matter what category you book.  They are spacious, tastefully decorated and include great in-room amenities such as toothbrushes/toothpaste, stocked mini-bar and small bottle of Smirnoff with a shaker, mix and recipe to make their signature cocktail.  The only issue I could see with the room is if you were sharing with a friend – the shower is beautiful, but all glass and while there are curtains on one side, guests might want to go grab a cocktail by the pool while your friend is showering.

Beach & Pools – The beach is right on your doorstep at Secrets, which is a big difference from larger resorts which require a golf-cart shuttle to take you to theirs.  The sand is so soft and the beach is well kept and has chairs and huts that don’t need to be booked. The only downfall is if you’re looking for that clear, blue ocean water to dip your toes in, this isn’t it.  The water is murky and the time we were there, had a red flag.  That being said, Secrets has an infinity pool steps from the beach, so you do feel like you’re “on the beach.”

Entertainment – Secrets has an entertainment team who make you feel more like their friend than a guest.  Poolside activities include things like beach volleyball, live music with a band and our favourite, Spanish lessons while standing in the pool.  There are also classes like cigar rolling and guacamole making, all for free. Being Secrets, everything is very tasteful – there is no loud music or staff shouting to stand up and party. (!)

Spa – The spa is very good as well, it features a hydrotherapy circuit with an attendant to walk you through the stages. It’s definitely a perfect compliment to your stay and pricing is reasonable.

Recommendation:

For adults looking for a relaxing, upscale vacation with excellent food and service, this is a very good option.  

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