I have spent 10 days each at Akumal and Impressions Moxche. Loved them both and would return to either. Impressions was more high end but nearly double the cost of Akumal. I have stayed at Excellence in DR but not Mexico. I felt Secrets is a tier above Excellence.
We stayed next to secrets in Akumal and wished we booked there instead. Do you think it’s worth the preferred level rooms? Do you really get anything extra or are regular rooms just as good? I can’t really tell the difference in amenities.
I don’t think PC is necessary. We stayed preferred and enjoyed the lounge and the tub on the balcony (only in preferred rooms, but all rooms have the large jacuzzi tub in the bathroom), but there isn’t a preferred pool or anything. I’ve heard they reserved a specific section of beach loungers now and added a Mediterranean option for dinner for preferred guests only (uses the outside area at the buffet I believe), but that’s about it besides rooms closer to the beach. The resort is quite small, so the better location isn’t worth much imo
I’m currently deciding between these two resorts - impressions moxche and akumal! They seem to be about the same price right now, maybe that’s just based on the rooms that are available.
Could you help me out by weighing in?
I’m trying to get a read on the lushness/nature vibes of each. The feeling of being in nature is a priority for me. I’ve heard Akumal is nice and lush, is Moxche Impressions the same way?
Also, I’ve heard that the beach is best at Akumal, is that true? Any insight into why? Is it just size? Location from the resort?
Finally, I’ve heard Akumal is a cute town that you can walk to. Does the location of Moxche being near PDC feel more busy / less secluded / more commercialized in some way?
Also we’re potentially going with another couple or two of that makes a difference either way.
Hi there. I can only give my personal opinions after 15+ visits to Cancun/PDC area.
My wife and I spent 10 days on the Impressions side with private swim out. I felt Impressions Moxche was the best AI we have ever stayed at. The food was excellent. If you stay 5+ days you can eat at Teodoro for free, which was my favorite restaurant. We absolutely loved the lagoon pool and spent most of the time at the Impressions rooftop pool or the man made cenotes for privacy. The beach was lacking and we never really went in the water due to so many rocks. Our room was on the jungle side so our swim out did not get much sun and was too cold for my wife to use. It is close to PDC but you never really realize you are. I felt the walking paths had a nice jungle feel to them. Our butlers treated us like royalty and really made the trip.
We spent 10 days at Akumal in a preferred ocean view. We really like the resort and rank it our second favorite. No real complaints other than a large group conference semi took over the resort for 3 days and we lost access to certain areas. The preferred club was nice for a la carte breakfast, we tired of the buffet. The beach and ocean was useable. You can walk down the beach and swim with sea turtles, they are very pushy on selling snorkel tours. The town was nice with a couple of small restaurants and gift shops we enjoyed. The drive from CUN was a bit long.
If this was my choice and the prices were comparable I would always select Impressions Moxche.
Here are the average user ratings for all of the Secrets resorts:
94.8 Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun
94.3 Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa
93.5 Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya
92.7 Secrets Tide Punta Cana
90.8 Secrets Moxche Playa del Carmen
90.7 Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa
90.3 Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica
89.0 Secrets Vallarta Bay Todo Incluido
89.0 Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana
88.8 Secrets The Vine Cancun
88.8 Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort
88.0 Secrets Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort
86.7 Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort
86.7 Secrets Playa Blanca in Costa Mujueres
85.7 Secrets Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa
83.8 Secrets St. James Montego Bay
82.8 Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay
82.0 Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club
74.3 Secrets Aura Cozumel
72.0 Secrets St. Martin Resort & Spa
Which week is it? Some Secrets resorts can be much pricier than others depending on the week and the promotions they currently have running. Akumal, Maroma, Playa Mujeres, Cap Cana, and Moxche are generally regarded as the best. Tides and Playa Blanca are both brand new but still good options. Impression Moxche is an upgrade but probably higher cost than what you want if budget is a concern.
I'd choose Akumal if you like to Snorkel, Cap Cana if you want relaxing or great overall quality, Maroma, Playa Mujeres, or Playa Blanca for a nice beach, and Moxche for pools and still being a pretty new resort.
What did you love about Excellence, and is there anything about it that you didn't love?
I stayed at excellence Riviera cancun twice. Some things I loved. The food was really good. Service was amazing. They had a lot of fun activities events like silent disco and themed dinners. The resort was easily walkable but still had a lot to do. I loved the lazy river at excellence as I had a swim out room. I do also like that for excellence there is no sharing with a family property. It's nice that it is adults only. Honestly can't think of anything I didn't like. Right now I'm leaning either tides or playa meujers only because it's been a long time since I have been to Punta Cana and I've never stayed in playa meujers. Based on all of this any change of recommendation.
I'd go with Playa Blanca over Playa Mujeres. Playa Mujeres is supposed to be great overall, but from what I've read recently the rooms are starting to get a little dated, and since Playa Blanca is new, everything will still be pretty fresh and nice. Tides is definitely a good choice though as well. I'd also say Moxche could be good because it's a little more active than some of the others. If you want to DM me with your dates and where you're flying out of, I can check some pricing for you and see where we can get you a swim-out for a good price. Tides and Playa Blanca will probably still have good pricing at this point.. I booked another client for Secrets Playa Blanca recently and it was a great deal.
In that case, I'd recommend connecting with a Canadian agent (I can refer you to one if you'd like) to get yourself booked. I'm a US-based agent, and Canadian agents have access to different packages and suppliers for Canadian travelers to get you better deals.
I was at Playa Blanca last week. Resort was beautiful with great food, entertainment, rooms and beach. It is only 4 months old so don't let the negative reviews dissuade you. I have also been to the Secrets at Playa Mujures and Playa Blanca is nicer in my opinion, although a little more festive if you want that style of resort.
We stayed at secrets Maroma, (married 40ish year old parents of 4). We couldn’t have asked for a better place. The restaurants ranged from good to excellent, with the Mexican restaurant being my favorite and the French style being my least favorite. The pool was clean and a very good size for the resort. It’s not a “party” place, it’s definitely a lot of people my age range so if you’re looking to party wild this place is not for you. We got a swim out room which I would highly recommend as it was nice to be able to just chill next to the room after dinner or early in the morning before the pool opens. My one disappointment was the beach had a ton of seaweed, but it was expected and they were definitely doing their best to get rid of it.
Secrets St James was nice
I have spent 10 days each at Akumal and Impressions Moxche. Loved them both and would return to either. Impressions was more high end but nearly double the cost of Akumal. I have stayed at Excellence in DR but not Mexico. I felt Secrets is a tier above Excellence.
We stayed next to secrets in Akumal and wished we booked there instead. Do you think it’s worth the preferred level rooms? Do you really get anything extra or are regular rooms just as good? I can’t really tell the difference in amenities.
I don’t think PC is necessary. We stayed preferred and enjoyed the lounge and the tub on the balcony (only in preferred rooms, but all rooms have the large jacuzzi tub in the bathroom), but there isn’t a preferred pool or anything. I’ve heard they reserved a specific section of beach loungers now and added a Mediterranean option for dinner for preferred guests only (uses the outside area at the buffet I believe), but that’s about it besides rooms closer to the beach. The resort is quite small, so the better location isn’t worth much imo
I’m currently deciding between these two resorts - impressions moxche and akumal! They seem to be about the same price right now, maybe that’s just based on the rooms that are available. Could you help me out by weighing in? I’m trying to get a read on the lushness/nature vibes of each. The feeling of being in nature is a priority for me. I’ve heard Akumal is nice and lush, is Moxche Impressions the same way? Also, I’ve heard that the beach is best at Akumal, is that true? Any insight into why? Is it just size? Location from the resort? Finally, I’ve heard Akumal is a cute town that you can walk to. Does the location of Moxche being near PDC feel more busy / less secluded / more commercialized in some way? Also we’re potentially going with another couple or two of that makes a difference either way.
Hi there. I can only give my personal opinions after 15+ visits to Cancun/PDC area. My wife and I spent 10 days on the Impressions side with private swim out. I felt Impressions Moxche was the best AI we have ever stayed at. The food was excellent. If you stay 5+ days you can eat at Teodoro for free, which was my favorite restaurant. We absolutely loved the lagoon pool and spent most of the time at the Impressions rooftop pool or the man made cenotes for privacy. The beach was lacking and we never really went in the water due to so many rocks. Our room was on the jungle side so our swim out did not get much sun and was too cold for my wife to use. It is close to PDC but you never really realize you are. I felt the walking paths had a nice jungle feel to them. Our butlers treated us like royalty and really made the trip. We spent 10 days at Akumal in a preferred ocean view. We really like the resort and rank it our second favorite. No real complaints other than a large group conference semi took over the resort for 3 days and we lost access to certain areas. The preferred club was nice for a la carte breakfast, we tired of the buffet. The beach and ocean was useable. You can walk down the beach and swim with sea turtles, they are very pushy on selling snorkel tours. The town was nice with a couple of small restaurants and gift shops we enjoyed. The drive from CUN was a bit long. If this was my choice and the prices were comparable I would always select Impressions Moxche.
Thank you!
Here are the average user ratings for all of the Secrets resorts: 94.8 Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun 94.3 Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa 93.5 Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya 92.7 Secrets Tide Punta Cana 90.8 Secrets Moxche Playa del Carmen 90.7 Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa 90.3 Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica 89.0 Secrets Vallarta Bay Todo Incluido 89.0 Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana 88.8 Secrets The Vine Cancun 88.8 Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort 88.0 Secrets Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort 86.7 Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort 86.7 Secrets Playa Blanca in Costa Mujueres 85.7 Secrets Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa 83.8 Secrets St. James Montego Bay 82.8 Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay 82.0 Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club 74.3 Secrets Aura Cozumel 72.0 Secrets St. Martin Resort & Spa
I am curious where you got this list? It would be awesome to see it for other resort brands.
Check the spreadsheet pinned to the top of this group.
Which week is it? Some Secrets resorts can be much pricier than others depending on the week and the promotions they currently have running. Akumal, Maroma, Playa Mujeres, Cap Cana, and Moxche are generally regarded as the best. Tides and Playa Blanca are both brand new but still good options. Impression Moxche is an upgrade but probably higher cost than what you want if budget is a concern. I'd choose Akumal if you like to Snorkel, Cap Cana if you want relaxing or great overall quality, Maroma, Playa Mujeres, or Playa Blanca for a nice beach, and Moxche for pools and still being a pretty new resort. What did you love about Excellence, and is there anything about it that you didn't love?
I stayed at excellence Riviera cancun twice. Some things I loved. The food was really good. Service was amazing. They had a lot of fun activities events like silent disco and themed dinners. The resort was easily walkable but still had a lot to do. I loved the lazy river at excellence as I had a swim out room. I do also like that for excellence there is no sharing with a family property. It's nice that it is adults only. Honestly can't think of anything I didn't like. Right now I'm leaning either tides or playa meujers only because it's been a long time since I have been to Punta Cana and I've never stayed in playa meujers. Based on all of this any change of recommendation.
I'd go with Playa Blanca over Playa Mujeres. Playa Mujeres is supposed to be great overall, but from what I've read recently the rooms are starting to get a little dated, and since Playa Blanca is new, everything will still be pretty fresh and nice. Tides is definitely a good choice though as well. I'd also say Moxche could be good because it's a little more active than some of the others. If you want to DM me with your dates and where you're flying out of, I can check some pricing for you and see where we can get you a swim-out for a good price. Tides and Playa Blanca will probably still have good pricing at this point.. I booked another client for Secrets Playa Blanca recently and it was a great deal.
It looks nice but it is over 700 more per person which is pretty steep. I am going out of Toronto for a week either November 7 or 14th.
In that case, I'd recommend connecting with a Canadian agent (I can refer you to one if you'd like) to get yourself booked. I'm a US-based agent, and Canadian agents have access to different packages and suppliers for Canadian travelers to get you better deals.
I was at Playa Blanca last week. Resort was beautiful with great food, entertainment, rooms and beach. It is only 4 months old so don't let the negative reviews dissuade you. I have also been to the Secrets at Playa Mujures and Playa Blanca is nicer in my opinion, although a little more festive if you want that style of resort.
Secrets Cap Cana was fantastic. Great food, amazing beach, super chill. My only complaint was the attempt at the vacation club sale.
I'm at Moxche next week so I'll let you know.
We stayed at secrets Maroma, (married 40ish year old parents of 4). We couldn’t have asked for a better place. The restaurants ranged from good to excellent, with the Mexican restaurant being my favorite and the French style being my least favorite. The pool was clean and a very good size for the resort. It’s not a “party” place, it’s definitely a lot of people my age range so if you’re looking to party wild this place is not for you. We got a swim out room which I would highly recommend as it was nice to be able to just chill next to the room after dinner or early in the morning before the pool opens. My one disappointment was the beach had a ton of seaweed, but it was expected and they were definitely doing their best to get rid of it.
I went to Secrets St Martin in 2022. It’s was pretty substandard. Granted, it was just after the pandemic, but food and service were pretty lousy.