CLUB MED CANCUN: THE BEST ALL-INCLUSIVE FAMILY VACATION

Club Med Cancun – Should you, or shouldn’t you?

I went to Club Med in Guadeloupe, West Indies, with my family, when I was around 10 years old, and it was an incredibly memorable vacation, even decades later (Thanks, Mom and Dad!) Wanting to give my son a similar experience, I decided to book Club Med in Cancun to mix fun activities with cultural trips to ancient Mayan ruins, vibrant little towns, and geological wonders, like the incredible cenotes that exist everywhere in Yucatan. 

But is Club Med the right resort for you, if you are traveling to Cancun? Read on to see the pros and cons of vacationing there with kids, and without….

Club Med, for those of you who might have not heard of it, is the French-headquartered parent company of a collection of 70+ all-inclusive resort villages in vacation locations around the world. One of two Club Med Resorts in Mexico (the other is in Ixtapa), Club Med Cancun recently underwent extensive renovations and new builds in 2014 and 2017, so all of the facilities and amenities look fresh and new. All of the rooms got a facelift, and ours was very comfortable. Despite it having been quite hot in Cancun (we were there October 6-13th, 2019), the rooms have very powerful AC’s, so you can easily and comfortably “chill” when in your room. The restaurants are also perfectly climate controlled, and the huge pool and ocean at your feet, are both wonderful ways to stay cool, and also have a great time, during your stay. There are tons of organized pool activities, like water aerobics, water polo, etc, but you can also enjoy all the free-for-all fun that the pool offers. There are water basketball hoops, giant floating/flying inflated beach balls to toss around, and a weekly foam party, where the pool is transformed into a sudsy bubble bath, and you can have ‘foam fights’ with your fellow poolmates. So cool!!!!

Club Med is definitely an awesome place that mixes relaxation and beauty with adrenaline and adventure. You can practice your bow and arrow skills on the same day as flying through the air on a trapeze, or skimming over the water on a super fast wakeboard. Then you can take your time floating around on a paddle board or sip a margarita poolside, if that’s more your speed. Everything is included, and that also means great food and drinks at all hours of the day. And yes! Unlimited booze is included too, which you may need at the end of the day, if your kids are driving you crazy. And if they are, and you need a break, there’s the incredibly convenient petit, mini, and teen clubs, that will take care of your children of all ages, all day into the night, with fun, varied, organized and constantly supervised activities. They will take your kids off you hands for an hour, a day, or every day throughout your stay, and bring them to all activities and meals, so that you can enjoy some adult activities yourselves, or do a full-day excursion, or just take a much-needed nap!! 

Some parents drop their kids off every morning and only pick them up before bedtime every day, so they barely saw their kids for the whole week and had a very adult-vacay. From what we saw and heard, the kids love the activities and the fun activity-directors, so if you want some kid-free time, that’s also guilt-free time, there you go. 

We didn’t use the kids clubs regularly, as we wanted to do the activities with our kids, and take them on our own excursions to see the Mayan ruins, cenotes, and adventure parks (Read all about Yucatan adventures in this specific blog post.) But they chose to join in for a few hours on one day with the club for various activities, and we got to veg-out sans-kids, which was a nice little break. 

If you are considering a trip with your kids to Cancun, I would very definitely consider Club Med! 

If you are traveling without children (and even if you are), here are all the pros and cons to staying at Club Med (as I see them), to help you decide whether it’s the right accommodations for your Cancun vacay.

Cons: 

1. There are definitely kids around. Club Med Cancun is a family-oriented resort, unlike some of the Club Meds worldwide that are strictly adults-only. So, if you’re not a fan of ankle-biters anywhere near you, this might not be your jam.  That being said, activities are often broken up by ages (not just by level of experience), and most of the children staying at Club Med will be in the kids clubs, carted around and supervised by the kids’ activities directors at all times of the day, so they will rarely be in your way, ever, especially at your activities.

2. Club Med is at the very far point of Cancun, so it is more isolated than the other resorts. I see that as a pro, but if you are looking to be in the center of the Cancun action, instead of in a more chill, remote spot, then you might want a resort smack in the middle of Cancun Beach. Club Med hosts its own nighttime dance parties, but it won’t be the same as the spring-break club craziness that you might be wanting.

You will also be further away from certain excursions, like the ferry over to Isla Mujeres, but Club Med offers ALL excursions for an added fee. We rented our own car (free parking), and were able to get everywhere we wanted easily (read the Blog about it), but if you’re looking to hop on the Cancun bus, then Club Med is a bit out of that zone.

3. Dining – Club Med is known for their friendliness, where they treat you like family. Over the course of the week, all the various activity directors and employees get to know their guests personally by name, if you are engaging regularly in the daily activities. This is very warm and inviting, unless you are not a fan of mingling and enjoying a meal or cocktail with the sweet staff. For example, you may be asked by a staff member about to have their own dinner, if they can join you at your table (like we were), so It’s a bit like cruise-style. So, if you’re not into that, just be aware that this is pretty common sometimes there. 

Pros:

1. EVERYTHING is included, except additional excursions out of the resort, and spa services (& of course the boutiques). This is incredibly convenient, as you never have to carry money or credit cards with you. Your room key is also on a wristband, so you can literally leave the room to get a margarita, get lunch, go snorkeling, etc, and carry not a thing with you. This is very liberating. And did I mention it’s all you can eat & all you can drink? At pretty much ANY time of the day and night! 

2. The activities are awesome!! Have you ever flown on a trapeze and been caught by a master acrobat? I can now say that I have!!! And it was amaaaazzzing! You can go as often as you like, or just try it out once. And they have a ton of activities: archery, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, stand-up paddle boarding, scuba, trampolines, water aerobics, and all kinds of land fitness classes too. So if you’ve ever wanted to try out any of these, and you would have to pay individually for each one, if you were just booking a room at a regular hotel/resort/airBnB, now you can try everything, and it won’t cost you a dime!

3. The location is stunning! At the very southern point of Cancun Beach (Point Nizuc), you are surrounded by water – the ocean on two sides, and the inlet on the other. There are tons of cabanas, hammocks, nests, and lounge chairs under adorable thatched umbrellas for you to laze away an afternoon.

5. The food is good! There’s a big selection, and the large buffet-style restaurant open every night, has heaps of options, so you’re guaranteed to find something for you (whether you’re a meat lover, seafood fanatic, vegetarian, or gluten-free.) There are a total of four restaurants, and a snack bar by the pool, offering things like crepes, sandwiches, dogs & fries, and popcorn, throughout the whole day, for a little bite in between meals. One of the restaurants is more exclusive, and with reservations, and for a bit of an additional charge, offers wine and tequila tasting, and serves more upscale food and cocktails. The decor is very stylish in all the restaurants, and three of the four are on the water with gorgeous views!

6. It is incredibly safe. You can walk around the resort grounds and beach feeling comfortable and secure, both day and night. There are also 100% complimentary shuttle-golf carts that will take you all around the resort grounds at all times. Security patrols the resort at all times, and is very diligent at making sure that all is good.

7. The cost was pretty awesome for all that you get. My Club Med booking was approx $1000 for 7 nights (everything included), and my son was half of that (they had a promotion). If you didn’t book Club Med, and you then add up food, drinks and all those activities and add that to the cost of your regular hotel, it’s pretty certain you will exceed that. Waterskiing, wakeboarding, sailing and windsurfing can be pretty costly activities each, and here you can do them all at no cost. 

8. They have entertainment too. Circus shows, waterskiing exhibitions, nighttime performances, and themed dance parties are all included too, and you can always pick and choose what you want to check out.

9. There is a luxury spa on the grounds, which is a peaceful oasis to get away from it all, and has all the typical spa services you’d expect from a world-class retreat– manicures, facials, massages, etc.

10. There are even more exclusive areas around the resort, that are much more grown-up. Those looking for a more luxurious and private retreat can stay at the new Jade Collection space, which is its own mini-resort within the grounds of Club Med. To name a few of the exclusive amenities, it has its own private area infinity pool, private cabanas, private bar, and ocean-front suites.

All in all, I’d say Club Med is the perfect vacation with kids or without. So many options, you’re sure to find lots of things to love!

Until next time…….. Aloha, Club Med!