Occidental at Xcaret Destination

My friend and I decided we wanted to go on a beach vacation for our birthdays. I was turning 54 and she 40. We wanted to visit somewhere warm, all inclusive and with fun things to do, but did not want to feel rushed or be too busy. We chose this resort based on the proximity to Xcaret eco park and we were not disappointed! We found the resort to be beautiful and lush- very jungle like. It teamed with wildlife which was always fun to see- deer, monkeys (which visited our room balcony), macaws, coati, agouti and iguanas. There was even a beautiful turkey that liked to hang out by our building! We were located in Building 20 and our room had 2 double beds, which was perfect for us. The room was nothing fancy but was nice and had everything we needed. There are robes in the closet which was a nice surprise. The fridge was replenished daily when the nightly turn down service came. We found the rooms were kept very clean. There are concierges that are located in the lobby of each building that are very friendly and happy to answer any questions. It is also their job to try and convince you to go to a timeshare talk. We were able to tell them on 2 different occasions that we really were not interested and they left us alone and did not pester us to attend. One of our concierge was name Alma St Clair and she was super sweet and friendly. When she learned that it was our birthdays and that we loved animals- especially dogs- she placed balloons and a dog picture on our room door. It was much appreciated! The resort itself was quite large and it took almost 15 minutes to walk from the lobby to the beach. The beach being more a man made cove, was typically very busy and difficult to get a chair. The salt water pool area at the beach is adults only so we did stay there a few days but there is very limited shade. To the right of the salt water pool there is an ocean cove that was fantastic for snorkeling. We really enjoyed doing this! We went out on our own but we did see people having a resort worker escort them- likely for a fee, which would be fine if it made you more comfortable. The food at the resort was very good. There was always lots to choose from at the buffet. There are multiple a la carte restaurants, for which you cannot make reservations. This was not a concern for us. If there was a wait for one restaurant, we would just check the others as they are all located very close to one another. I think our favourite was the Grill but we really enjoyed the pizza from the pizzeria. The resort was decorated for Christmas when we were there and they had the most gorgeous poinsettia tree in the lobby!! The drinks were great, we tried their selection of different types of martinis and mojitos every evening at the lobby bar where they even had a Mexican ceremonial show. We tipped some staff, not a lot though, and I can't say that the service we received was based on our tipping. We found the service to be really good overall. We also purchased the unlimited pass to Xcaret prior to going which I would highly recommend. There is too much to see and do there you need more than one day. We loved going for a few hours after breakfast then spending the remainder of the day either at the beach or the pool. It was perfect so we didn't have to spend any additional money eating at the park. In the evenings we were pretty tired from a full day of walking and then sitting in the sun with adult beverages, so we really only watched one show. There is also a fantastic evening show at the park which is a must see. There is also an early show for families/kids which I thought was a great idea. I have only been to adult only resorts with my husband before this and I was a little apprehensive about sharing my vacation time with your children!! I did not find it to be a huge issue at all. In fact, we were more annoyed by inebriated adults at times, than noisy children! We did visit the spa for massages- deep tissue- which were fantastic. We were welcomed to remain afterwards to use the facilities. We did and enjoyed the sauna and hot tub/whirlpool. Overall I really enjoyed the resort and would consider returning, especially with friends for another getaway!

We enjoyed our stay. The food was amazing. Mexican food options with real hot sauce along with the other typical all-inclusive Italian, Asian, Steak, and Buffet options. The drinks were also great. They could make whatever I asked for and were very nice. The room was great. My husband loved the cold AC. Our water was warm not hot in the afternoon-evenings. Our room was always cleaned, toiletries replenished, and fridge filled with drinks. The beach was less than we expected. I thought we’d be able to walk along the beach/rocks, but that was not an option. You pretty much can hang at the beach with families and kids or go to the adult area which had a pretty view but what looked like a rather stagnant ocean water pool. The shows were great. They involve the audience and performances were progressional. The animals were fun!! We loved the Macaws in the lobby, Monkeys swinging from trees and climbing the buildings, the iguanas sunbathing, and swimming with the fish. The staff was great. The only thing we didn’t like and will also be keeping us from returning is the constant and annoying push for wasting your time going on a tour for the “Royal Level” time share. It was ridiculous. If you just make it clear you aren’t interested and walk off you’ll be ok, but you’ll have to do it several times a day with various staff members.