Looking to finally do an all inclusive somewhere for a short 3 nights traveling in from DFW. But don't even know where to start. It will be for me and wifey getting a break from the sweet kiddos. Looking at long weekend in February.

Anybody have Recs? Or places to stay away from?

I thought I remembered seeing a texag'er JMac03 who was a travel agent specializing in this… did I make this up?

Beach or mountains?

For mountains, Blackberry Farms in Walland, TN. Next to GSMNP.

I'm here!

Happy to help! If you message me I can provide you with a quote. Booking another Texager tonight

For quick trips I would keep it to Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel or Cancun/Riviera Maya. For adults only I like most of the Secrets, Valentin, Le Blanc. Depends the price point you are wanting to stay around.

Le Blanc - Cabo

Excellence Playa Mujeres

DFW -> CUN.

either of the two above are outstanding

I would vote Cabo as well. I was slightly underwhelmed after all the hype about Le Blanc though. Great property but for the price difference (savings) I would likely go back to Pueblo Bonita Pacifica.

Has anyone done Xcaret hotels? It's an all inclusive but I'm curious if it includes the parks and entertainment.


Also has anyone done Zihuatanejo? Looking at a few hotels but they aren't all inclusive so just curious about food options/prices/safety.

We stayed at Le Blanc last month, my wife and I both thought that the food was extremely underwhelming. The beer selection at that price point was very disappointing. Corona and Michelob Ultra, that's it, that's the beer choice. Stay far away from their onsite sales pitch.

Yes! All the parks are included. I have several rooms booked there for clients early next year and have booked it in the past. Feel free to email or message me if you would like assistance.

I have quoted Ixtapa (ZIH), but never had anyone go. I do feel like this area may have a little more crime than others, but I haven't checked in awhile. Ixtapa does have all-inclusives, but not high end. Barcelo, Sunscape, Park Royal, etc (I'm showing 7 total)

Which one did you stay at? It has been a few years since I stayed at Le Blanc Cabo, but thought the food was excellent. Only had one meal at Le Blanc Cancun, and it was delicious, but they also were trying to impress a bunch of travel agents.

Le Blanc Los Cabos.

We love Le Blanc in Cancun, even over Secrets Maroma

My wife and I enjoy El Dorado Maroma. We go every chance we get (which was 5 years thanks to 2 kids and 'rona!).

Cancun sure is easy from DFW... same time zone, less than 3 hour flight - tons of options if you have to come back quick.

We stayed at Secrets Akumal earlier this year and I would highly recommend it. The service was top-notch. Secrets Moxche in Playa Del Carmen, which opened earlier this year, looks super nice too but I dont have any first-hand experience. Hotel Xcaret Arte is another one that caught my eye when I was researching so I'd like to stay there at some point.

nkc1981 said:

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We stayed at Secrets Akumal earlier this year and I would highly recommend it. The service was top-notch. Secrets Moxche in Playa Del Carmen, which opened earlier this year, looks super nice too but I dont have any first-hand experience. Hotel Xcaret Arte is another one that caught my eye when I was researching so I'd like to stay there at some point.

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What is weird is Secrets Akumal reviews are so hit and miss lately. Some agents are putting it on their "do not sell" list. Crazy how different people's experiences are.

I had a client with a destination wedding last week at Secrets Moxche and all the rooms had nothing but great things to say. I had hoped to get over there as I was just down the road, but they wouldn't let me get a day pass. The beach isn't great there, but all of the pools make up for it.

Hotel Xcaret and Xcaret Arte are top notch. The do tend to have issues not always getting the room you paid for but overall the service, food and amenities are great.

@JMac03

Are you a travel agent for vacations? I would like to book an all inclusive with flight for my family but don't have the time or energy to put it together. Interested?

Thank you

JMac is one of several noted TAs on here. I've emailed back an forth with her a few times (that I've had to back out of prior to booking… sorry), yet she's done a great job getting us into. Next opportunity, I will use her so she can actually make some money off of us.

We just did Secrets Maroma Bay. The pools and beach was nice. There was some seaweed, but they were working on constantly cleaning that up. Of the AIs I've been to, the food was pretty average and the crowd was generally 50s or so. It's a little removed from town, about a $30 cab ride from the resort to Playa del Carmen. The resort was beautiful, service was fantastic, and drinks were generally solid.

BigO_02 said:

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@JMac03

Are you a travel agent for vacations? I would like to book an all inclusive with flight for my family but don't have the time or energy to put it together. Interested?

Thank you

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Yes I am! All-inclusive resorts are my specialty. My email is in my profile. Thanks!

Thanks for the shoutout!

JMac03 said:

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What is weird is Secrets Akumal reviews are so hit and miss lately. Some agents are putting it on their "do not sell" list. Crazy how different people's experiences are.

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Based on my experience I'm surprised that theres a lot of bad reviews and cant imagine why it'd be on anyone's do not sell list. Me and my wife both loved it and will definitely go back someday. Cant stress enough how great the customer service was. Everyone we interacted with (bellboys, concierge, bartenders, waiters at the restaurants, etc) all were incredibly nice and made the experience that much better. The food & drinks were good overall (several options for restaurants, only ever had one dish that was average), the rooms were nice, the grounds/property were pretty, three different pools depending on if you want quiet or more activity, various activities/shows each day, etc. All in all we really had no complaints about anything.

I agree. There are very few places I would consider a DNS. My list would be very small for those.

I'm also one of the travel advisors on this board and I love reading what everyone thinks about the resorts...I'm glad to see that some of my favorites are mentioned!

Le Blanc Cabo is a favorite of mine in Cabo -- just stayed there in June. Service was top notch, food was excellent and the beach is beautiful, even though you cannot get in the ocean.
I've had clients at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica and they loved it...I haven't had a chance to go there yet.

In Riviera Maya/Cancun...

Xcaret is great for families!
Xcaret Arte and La Casa de la Playa are great for adults only and pretty spectacular but can be pricey.

I really loved Le Blanc Cancun too! Sun Palace is also an underrated favorite - they describe it as a mini Le Blanc and I really felt like it was.

Secrets brand is one of my favorites - I'm biased though - I got married at Secrets Maroma.
I'm headed back to Secrets Maroma next week with a group and I'm excited to see it again and if/how much it has changed. I have clients headed to Secrets Akumal -- anxious to see how that is...I also have been hearing mixed reviews.
Secrets Moxche is getting rave reviews and my clients have loved it...beach isn't great here but the pools are awesome.

I'm also staying at El Dorado Seaside Suites next week for a few nights and can't wait to check it out for a budget friendly option for clients. El Dorado Casitas and Royale are the usuals for my budget friendly clients but Seaside and Palms are new to me.

Excellence Playa Mujeres is always a client favorite, but starting to hear mixed reviews about it and that it needs a renovation.

I know JMac03 will agree that we are thankful that all are reaching out to us for your travel needs! We love booking our Aggie family for wonderful vacations.