This Adults-only Resort Near Cancun Has Reinvented the All-inclusive Concept — Here’s What We Love About It

Hotel Xcaret Arte creates an immersive cultural experience with a strong sense of place.

As someone who has spent years visiting all-inclusive hotels around the globe, I am not being dramatic when I say that Hotel Xcaret Arte offers a new kind of adults-only, all-inclusive experience. Instead of creating a standalone world of leisure, escape, and luxury inside a resort and using its location as a background, Xcaret Arte incorporates the beauty of its surrounding landscape and natural features into its design.

It’s a genius approach with a gorgeous impact and undoubtedly a concept that Grupo Xcaret, Hotel Xcaret Arte's parent company, has become familiar with. (After all, they’ve designed and built several popular themed eco-parks throughout the region.) Coupled with the group’s mission to create immersion into Mexican art and culture, Hotel Xcaret Arte creates an all-inclusive experience with an unmistakable sense of place — something that can appeal to all types of travelers.

“At Hotel Xcaret Arte, luxury meets culture in a breathtaking fusion,” says Yandra Orsini, senior brand amplification manager for Grupo Xcaret. “We invite our guests to feel and share our love for Mexico through art, gastronomy, eco-integrated architecture that melds design and nature, and an endless variety of amenities and spaces.”

My stay at the resort coincided with its inaugural Apapaxoa Culinary and Cultural Festival, where celebrated chefs from Latin America and abroad came together to present masterclass workshops on the history and future of Mexican cuisine.

The festival was just one of the events Hotel Xcaret Arte hosts throughout the year — an example of one of many ways the resort fulfills its dedication to promoting the country’s cultural diversity and creative talent. Another example is the resort’s Casas, the six main buildings on the property, each named and themed after a specific cultural craft in Mexican heritage. Casa del Diseño, the House of Design, represents the art of textiles, while Casa de la Música celebrates live performance arts, and Casa del Patrón houses a diverse collection of gastronomic experiences and art exhibitions.

There’s a reason why this resort, along with its all-inclusive sister resorts Hotel Xcaret Mexico and La Casa de la Playa, has been voted into single-digit spots by Travel + Leisure readers several years in a row — and it’s the same reason I can’t wait to go back.

Here, my review of the extraordinary Hotel Xcaret Arte.

Hotel Xcaret Arte

• The gorgeous EarthCheck-certified design flawlessly integrates the resort buildings into the existing natural environment of limestone rock, lagoons, and jungle.

• The decor is a collection of textiles, products, and artwork handmade by local and national artisans.

• An outstanding collection of restaurants and eateries offer fresh, classic, and creative Mexican cuisine from different regions and celebrity chefs.

• In addition to food and drink, the all-inclusive policy also covers airport transfers, unlimited entry and transportation to and from all Xcaret Parks, transportation to Isla Mujeres, and daily hands-on art workshops.

• Guests become immersed in several aspects of genuine Mexican culture in a way that creates an incredible sense of place and appreciation.

The Rooms

Hotel Xcaret Arte has 900 suites across six casas. All suites have a contemporary Mexican design aesthetic punctuated with stylish wood furniture, polished marble floors and countertops, matte white walls, and textiles that add bright pops of color. Furniture and decor are handmade by Mexican artisans, and local producers make the array of toiletries.

Twenty room types within seven categories give a good assortment of options, though most suites are essentially the same 646-square-foot space with slight layout tweaks depending on the bed configuration. All suites come with a daily-restocked minibar full of Coca-Cola and Corona, a Mexican snack station, and a Nespresso machine, and nightly treats are left on the bed at sundown service. Minor upgrades to Ocean View or Ocean Front rooms get additional yoga and wellness perks; Spa Suites add steam in the walk-in showers and a volcanic stone tub on the balcony (in addition to the bathroom’s two-person jetted tub); and Swim-up Suites add a personal plunge pool off the terrace.

Unless you're in a Junior Suite or above, the biggest decision you’ll have to make is what type of view you want from your balcony hammock: garden, river, pool (ocean view), or oceanfront. Junior, Master, or Presidential suites offer up to seven times more square footage and extra amenities and perks, like private airport transfers, dining rooms, kitchens, wet bars with top-shelf liquor bottles, expanded outdoor space, and personal outdoor tubs and pools.

Food and Drink

Xcaret Arte impressed me in several ways, but it’s the food I can’t stop thinking about. The resort’s culinary program is a defining feature of the Xcaret Arte experience, and almost all of its 10 restaurants are included with your stay, depending on which casa you’re staying in. Whether it’s late-night tacos, a lazy room service breakfast in bed, or a multi-course tasting menu from a celebrity chef, Xcaret Arte has it all — and if you love Mexican food and ingredients like me, you’ll be in heaven.

At Mercado de San Juan, an all-inclusive buffet has been expertly reimagined as a bustling food hall full of “vendors” serving up dishes from around the country. This quickly became my go-to spot for lunch, and I filled my plate with giant fire-grilled prawns, made-to-order ceviche, fresh elote smothered with the works, octopus al pastor carved straight off the spit, fresh fruit dressed with chamoya, tangy guacamole, slow-roasted cochinita pibil, and — oh my gosh — handmade corn tortillas from the little old ladies at the station in the back.

Other casual lunch and dinner options include Arenal, an open-air spot on the lagoon beach with comfort dishes from the U.S. and Mexico; the poolside Cayuco, which features a surf-and-turf lunch buffet and dinner menu; and Cantina VI.AI.PY., an Oaxacan eatery and tequileria from Chef Alexander Ruiz, a member of the Xcaret Culinary Collective. The hotel’s newest restaurant, Apapachoa, offers a plant-based breakfast and dinner menu that will please even the staunchest of carnivores — and its most westerly rooftop location is the spot to watch one of Riviera Maya’s blazing orange sunsets.

You won’t need reservations for any spots mentioned so far, but you’ll need to book ahead for a seat at some of the chef-led specialty restaurants, namely the tasting menu at Encanta, led by Chef Paco Méndez, the chef behind the Michelin-starred COME in Barcelona; Tah-Xido, a Japanese restaurant by Xcaret Culinary Collective member Chef Luis Arzapalo; and Chino Poblano, where Chef Jonatan Gómez Luna shares a creative, contemporary Chinese-Pueblo fusion menu.

The only two restaurants not included in the regular all-inclusive plan are Xaak (additional charge) and Kibi Kibi (exclusively included for guests in Casa de los Artistas). At Xaak, a seven-course tasting menu created by four award-winning chefs in Xcaret’s Culinary Collective reimagines pre-Columbian ingredients into contemporary Mexican dishes. At Chef Roberto Solis-helmed Kibi Kibi, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served a la carte with an inventive focus on Yucatan-Lebanese fusion.

Drinks are never too far from reach, with a full bar at every restaurant, three pool bars, an elevated bar above the lagoon, a speakeasy, and four rooftop bars. There are also popup michelada carts (with non-alcoholic beer options) and a DIY mimosa and michelada stand in the Mercado. A dedicated mixologist keeps the cocktail program on point, and international top-shelf liquors are part of the all-inclusive plan. Meanwhile, expert sommeliers have filled the resort’s wine list with delicious bottles from Mexico, the U.S., and Europe, and there are also two coffee shops serving fresh pastries and coffee drinks.

Xcaret Arte guests can also reserve a table at HA’, one of Mexico’s inaugural Michelin-starred restaurants (located at Hotel Xcaret Mexico), and Tuch de Luna by celebrated Chef Martha Ortiz, who has crafted a love letter to Mexico with her delicate, feminine take on Mexican cuisine.

Activities and Experiences

Our group spent most mornings at one of the resort’s seven pools, paddling along the lagoon on free kayaks and paddleboards or reading in a balcony hammock. After filling up at lunch, sometimes trying the menu at more than one spot, we would disperse back into the wilds of the Xcaret Arte property to hit the beach, hop between the rooftop and swim-up bars, or wander along the jungle-lined paths to explore the resort’s seemingly endless nooks and crannies, which almost always led to the discovery of something secret, beautiful, or fun.

Xcaret Arte’s full spread includes four rooftop pools with bars, a main infinity pool with sunken loungers at the swim-up bar and occasional DJ sets, bike rentals, two gyms (one exclusively for Artistas guests), guided and self-guided art tours, a jungle-set outdoor training circuit, an incredible spa, and 19 different selfie spots scattered around the property where you can scan your Casa wristband amulet and pose for a picture (with the option to purchase later).

Amazingly, the all-inclusive program also includes unlimited free entrance and transportation to any of Xcaret's theme parks — Xcaret (eco-park), Xel-Há (natural snorkeling and water park), Xplor (eco-adventure park), Xplor Fuego (after-dark Xplor experience), Xavage (adrenaline adventure park), Xenses (interactive optical illusions), Xenses Insomnia (after-dark Xenses experience), Xoximilco (cultural celebrations), and Xenotes (natural underground rivers). Through the Xcaret Xailing perk, guests can snag free transportation to the Cancun Hotel Zone and Isla Mujeres and hop aboard two sunset catamaran tours with open bar and snacks.

On one of my last days, while half of our group took the free 30-minute shuttle to Xcaret Park, I called the concierge and booked into the last spot of a surprisingly fun weaving workshop where I attempted to cross-stitch my own Dia los Muertos design into fabric (results still TBD). These free workshops take place across the different Casas and are a no-stress, hands-on homage to several disciplines of Mexican art and heritage, from textiles, literacy, and Latin dance to painting and pottery. There’s also a schedule of quick daily cultural pop-up performances around the resort, where you can catch live music, contemporary dance, and even mimes.

The Spa

Housed inside a gorgeous limestone cave carved from natural white rock, the Muluk Spa is one of Xcaret Arte’s most memorable spaces. Raw limestone half-walls, columns, high ceilings, white lounge furniture, and exquisite jungle landscaping make entering the main relaxation pool area from reception feel like stepping through a portal to some hidden, mystical place that might disappear the moment you leave.

Hanging daybeds and a well-spaced row of cushioned loungers beckon. They all face toward the split indoor-outdoor pool, with a waterfall of vines casually dripping from the overhang and a lush collection of leafy greenery clinging to the face of the natural rock formations outside. I appreciated the serenity immediately. There’s no spa music playing overhead, no signature scent permeating through the air, just the meditative flow of the pool’s water features. I found it to be the much-needed sensory swap I didn’t know I needed.

Moving deeper into the heart of the cave, my spa concierge led me through the limestone tunnels to one of Muluk’s 24 treatment rooms. This cave-like room has white sunlit walls and a set of glass doors at its arched mouth that opens to a private limestone sundeck that drops off into a section of the resort’s emerald green river. After my massage (one of the best I’ve had in years), my therapist brought me to a relaxation cove overlooking another section of the river.

After some time, I peeled myself off of my daybed and wandered back through the tunnel to the main relaxation pool so I could start my hydrotherapy circuit, a guided, six-step ritual lasting about an hour. The circuit began with the steam room and sauna, followed by timed dips, plunges, and soaks in a collection of cold, warm, and hot cave pools, and ending at the main relaxation pool. This is where, between taking nibbles of my honey and amaranth bar and sips of water in my hanging daybed, I would slip into the room-temperature pool and travel from one hydrotherapy water feature to another. When the sudden downpour of a summer shower fell from the sky, I high-tailed it over to the uncovered side of the pool to swim gleefully in the sun and rain.

Spa treatments range from 25-minute facials and 30-minute wraps to longer massages and extensive rituals using natural, organic products, often with Mexican ingredients like corn, cacao, and honey. The salon also offers hair and nail services.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Unlike many of the region’s all-inclusives, Xcaret Arte is a Mexican-owned company and was proudly designed, built, and decorated by local Mexican firms and artisans. “Hotel Xcaret Arte is a multiplier platform for showcasing Mexican art, culture, gastronomy, and traditions with amenities and culinary offerings,” Orsini says, “proudly sourcing local products and art produced by Mexico's lauded creatives.”

Keeping it all in Mexico is one part of Grupo Xcaret’s independent Xustainability Model, which focuses on preserving and amplifying the local people, ecosystems, and economies. The hotel also works with vulnerable communities, teaching them artisanal skills that enable them to begin supporting their own economic stability and growth. Additionally, Grupo Xcaret is a member of EarthCheck, an organization that oversees sustainability planning, practices, and progress for hospitality companies, resulting in an annual certification when goals are met.

Accessibility in the resort is limited but includes ramps, elevators, and some accessible rooms.

Location

Hotel Xcaret Arte is located on the coast, 42 miles south of Cancun International Airport and just 7.5 miles from Playa del Carmen. The resort’s only immediate neighbors are its sister resorts, Hotel Xcaret Mexico and La Casa de la Playa. Since the all-inclusive rate includes either regularly scheduled shuttle pickups or private transfers from the airport, as well as complimentary shuttle transportation between resorts, all Xcaret Parks, and Isla Mujeres, you won’t need to rent a car unless you’re hoping to explore other parts of Riviera Maya, like Tulum, on your own.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

Booking a suite in Casa de los Artistas, the the 18-and-up VIP casa, will get you extra perks like suite butlers; non-restricted entry to pools, bars, and rooftops within the resort; an additional included restaurant, Kibi Kibi; and the ability to book painting workshops. Unlike Arte’s other Casas, guests at Casa de los Artistas can also take advantage of the restaurants, bars, and pools at Hotel Xcaret Mexico, including the hotel's legendary Sunday Brunch in the caves.

Hotel Xcaret Arte is a member of the I Prefer Hotel Rewards program, allowing members to book with points and receive extra perks ranging from room upgrades to discounted rates. The Xcaret Group also has its own loyalty program (with a membership fee), Destination Club Mexico, that offers discounted rates, free nights, upgraded suites, and VIP access that gives you reciprocal access between Hotel Xcaret Mexico and Hotel Xcaret Arte, plus entry into otherwise exclusive areas on each property. 

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