Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort Review

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With more than 30 hotel brands and 10,000 properties under its global purview, Marriott has long offered guests the ability to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points at all-inclusive properties like North Island, a Luxury Collection Resort, Seychelles and the Royalton Antigua, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort.

But earlier in 2024, Marriott debuted its first-ever branded Marriott All-Inclusive Resort. The former Marriott Cancun Resort completed a yearlong transformation into an all-inclusive property that had its grand opening this September.

The renovation took the resort, originally built in 1990, and brought it into the 21st century, swapping the hacienda-style decor popular in the 1990s for a more sleek and stylish design with terrazzo floors, beige and blue velvet seating in the lobby bar, and light wood accents throughout the 450 guest rooms and suites. Additionally, the resort has several new upscale restaurants, a small water park and a kids camp, making it a relaxing destination for multigenerational trips that will keep everyone from toddlers to teens to grandparents well fed and entertained.

Here’s what staying at the Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort is like — and why it won the TPG Award for the Best New All-Inclusive Points Hotel of 2024.

Getting there

The Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort is about midway down Cancun’s Hotel Zone and a 15-minute drive from Cancun International Airport (CUN). It has direct beach access and is next door to the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa.

Once you’re inside the resort, everything is included, but unfortunately there is no complimentary airport shuttle service provided by the resort. However, both Marriott properties work directly with Prestige Cancun for private and shared airport transit service in comfortable vans. Reservations are required at least 48 hours in advance and cost $24 for adults and $12 for kids for one-way shared shuttle service. Private one-way transfers cost $87 for one to three passengers, $127 for four to seven passengers, and $202 for eight to 10 passengers.

How to book the Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort

The Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort has 450 guest rooms, including 38 suites ranging from 423-square-foot Resort View rooms to the 2,067-square-foot Presidential Suite with ocean views. Entry-level Resort View rooms can be found for as low as $436 or 52,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night next year, and include balconies and either a king-size bed and fold-out couch or two double beds. Rates for the one-bedroom Caribbean Suite with a balcony and oceanfront views I stayed in start around $664 or 106,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

All-inclusive cash rates for rooms change based on the number of guests on the reservation, but if you book with points, those rates are static. For example, if you book a Resort View room next April for a family of two adults and two kids between the ages 5 and 12, the rates start at $786 per night but drop to $543 per night for one adult guest. But a points redemption for that same night is just 58,000 points whether you have one guest or four in the room. To maximize your redemption far above TPG's December 2024 valuation of 0.85 cents per 1 Marriott Bonvoy point, bring the whole family and book with points.

When booking this Marriott resort, you’ll want to use one of the credit cards that earn the most points for Marriott stays, or one that offers automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status for value-added benefits. These include:

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Platinum Elite status and 25 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Gold Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Gold Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Gold Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Silver Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 3 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Silver Elite status and 5 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.

The information for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Standout features

Food at all-inclusive resorts can often be mediocre. However, the Mexican food here was particularly stellar, with delightful surprises like a roaming tamale cart wheeled through the lobby every afternoon.
Marriott partnered with the children’s brand Camp to debut the first Camp Club at Marriott at this Cancun property with 5,000 square feet of space for kids ages 4 to 12 to play while their parents relax. (Camp Clubs will come to other Marriott properties soon.)
There was plenty of entertainment and activities provided both day and night so that I never felt the need to leave the resort — however, its central location makes it easy to get around if you do want to explore the rest of Cancun.

Drawbacks

The adults-only pool is fairly small, and the dozen or so lounge chairs there get claimed very early in the day.
Though there is a poolside DJ and free-flowing drinks at the swim-up bars that contribute to a convivial atmosphere, the one group of 20-somethings who were there to party (and could be heard shouting “Chug! Chug! Chug!” as they downed shots at the main pool’s swim-up bar throughout my stay) felt out of place. If you’re planning a wild bachelorette party or spring break trip, consider another resort.

The vibe

A family-friendly Mexican carnival is held weekly in the main plaza with music, games and local vendors. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

The vibe at Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort is upscale yet relaxed and caters mainly to families on multigenerational trips, couples or groups of friends celebrating milestone birthdays.

When I visited during the second week of September, most families with older children had already headed back to school. That, combined with hurricane season, made it a fairly quiet week there (and I had sunshine every day!). The parents I saw mostly had kids 5 and under toddling around the lobby and the pool deck in floaties — several with Grandma and Grandpa in tow. I also noticed several couples quietly enjoying their babymoons and chatted with a group of women there to celebrate their friend’s 60th birthday.

While the atmosphere is predominantly family-friendly and slightly quieter than at other all-inclusives resorts I’ve stayed at, it’s not exactly a Zen spa scene either. During my stay, staff members encouraged guests to partake in water volleyball and water aerobics in the pool while Top 40 pop music played throughout the day inside the lobby and outdoors on the pool deck. In the evenings out in the main plaza, there was a salsa band one night and a Mexican carnival another night with local vendors selling crafts and a pinata for kids.

The room

I stayed in a Caribbean Suite, a 505-square-foot suite with oceanfront views and a balcony.

The main bedroom had a comfy king-size bed with crisp white sheets, a 55-inch flat screen TV, and views of the Caribbean Sea and beach below. The newly renovated rooms featured a light and airy color scheme with tan and blue rugs, blond wood furniture and a palm tree mural behind the beds.

The bathroom could be accessed from the bedroom or the entry hallway and had a double-sink vanity and extra shelves and drawers in addition to the closet space and drawers in the bedroom. The rainfall-style shower and toilet were in a separate room from the sinks to maximize privacy. Full-size toiletries from the skincare brand This Works were mounted to the wall in the shower to eliminate single-use plastics.

The minibar, which was part of the all-inclusive package, included Pepsi, 7Up, Tecate and Dos Equis beer, as well as still and sparkling water. Several types of potato chips were also restocked daily along with coffee and tea.

The separate living room featured another TV, a small desk and a sofa bed that folded out to create two twin-size beds for up to two additional guests.

The balcony in my Caribbean Suite. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

The view of the Caribbean Sea from a Caribbean Suite. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

Sunrise over Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

Off the living room was a small balcony that looked out over the Caribbean Sea and the resort below.

At night, turndown service placed comfy robes and slippers and chocolates near the bed to maximize coziness.

Food and drink

During my three-night stay, I nearly managed to dine at all of the resort’s dozen on-site restaurants and bars. As with any all-inclusive resort, some options outshined others, but the sheer variety of what’s included here should keep everyone happy. Those looking for local cuisine will find plenty of excellent Mexican dishes throughout the property at Casa Madre and multiple poolside taco carts, while younger guests can enjoy wings and arcade games at Press + Start, an American sports bar. For a more elevated experience, guests can have surf and turf and tiki drinks at Hana Polynesian Grill or a full hibachi show at Ono Teppanyaki.

Since it’s impossible to try everything on a shorter trip, these are the highlights:

Casa Madre

The resort’s open-air Mexican restaurant, Casa Madre, is open for breakfast and dinner. The extensive dinner menu has everything from fresh ceviche to tacos to a variety of grilled fish and meat. To try as many things as possible, stick to the small plates like the tomato and watermelon salad topped with fresh basil and chamoy sauce, shrimp aguachile, and the tacos (the cochinita pibil, a traditional Yucatan roasted pork, were my favorite tacos). Bartenders throughout the property are happy to shake or stir up any drink your heart desires, but the Cantarito, a mix of tequila, grapefruit juice, orange juice, lime juice and grapefruit soda, is particularly refreshing after a long, hot day at the beach.

The resort has two breakfast buffets. Though the one at Hana Polynesian Grill with its made-to-order omelet bar and other American fare like pancakes and cereal is decent, head straight to Casa Madre every morning for its standout Mexican breakfast buffet. Here you can choose from made-to-order quesadillas and sopas, fresh tamales, concha pastries and more. (There’s also plenty of fresh fruit, cereals and made-to-order omelets here, too.)

Mo's Burgers & Shakes

Open for lunch and dinner, Mo’s is a nostalgic American diner that’s an homage to the Hot Shoppe burger counters that started the Marriott family’s entrance into hospitality in the 1920s. Order the Mighty Mo burger that comes with two beef patties, cheddar cheese, pickles, lettuce and “Mighty” sauce. For dessert, there’s a wide variety of classic pie options and milkshake flavors. (Feeling wild? Blend a slice of pie into your milkshake.)

Ono Teppanyaki

The resort’s Japanese restaurant, Ono, is essentially two restaurants in one with a traditional izakaya with a sushi bar on one side and a teppanyaki room with multiple stations on the other. (Both are open only for dinner.) Since there’s a limited number of stations, this is the only meal that requires reservations at the resort (which can be handled at check-in). Planning ahead is worth it though, since you’ll get generous portions of seafood, chicken or beef plus fried rice and grilled vegetables, all made to order by a skilled teppanyaki chef who cooks right in front of you.

Pop-up carts

The fish taco cart is located near the adults-only pool. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

Pick from a variety of hot sauce at the fish taco cart. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

Alice's Tamale Ritual rolls out each afternoon in the lobby. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

Sweet and savory tamales are served. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

The shaved ice cart also appears at the main pool each day. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

While there are several poolside restaurants offering ceviche, pizza and more open for lunch, prioritize sampling the Mexican cuisine from the food carts that roam the property throughout the day. You’ll find a fish taco cart in the afternoons set up near the cevicheria and the adults-only pool, while the al pastor taco truck can be found on the other side of the pool deck near the pizzeria. Also keep an eye out for the roaming shaved ice cart near the pool. Need an afternoon snack? Alice’s Tamale Ritual is a tamale cart that rolls out every afternoon in the lobby with several types of sweet and savory tamales and spiced hot chocolate to drink.

Room service

Room service is also part of the all-inclusive fare and is offered 24/7. Order the arrachera tacos made with tender skirt steak, roasted onion, guacamole and salsa. The dark chocolate fudge brownie with whipped cream and chocolate sauce hits the spot if you’re craving sweets but don’t feel like venturing down to get soft serve or ice cream at 750 Pizzeria in the lobby.

Amenities and service

From receiving my wristband upon arrival to when they cut it off at departure, the staff was warm and welcoming throughout the property. (I don’t think I opened a single door for myself in the hotel’s common areas during my entire three-night stay.) Waiters were helpful and always happy to recommend their favorite dishes while bartenders were eager to make whatever drink my heart desired.

With two pools, a water park and direct beach access, there is no shortage of water activities to enjoy. The main pool is generously sized and includes a separate large whirlpool and a swim-up bar.

The adults-only pool is significantly smaller, but has an infinity edge with beach views. Plus, it has its own swim-up bar, too.

The water park has two waterslides, a lazy river and a splash pad for small children.

The beach was clean and free of seaweed during my stay and had a lifeguard on duty. If you're feeling peckish and don't want to venture up to the pool deck to the restaurants there, the Tulum-inspired Sacbe Beach Shack is on the beach level and offers a full bar (with swings for seats) and beach food like tacos and chips and guacamole.

Turtle-nesting season was wrapping up by the time I arrived in September, but the resort still had its protection corrals for nests set up on the beach. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

The renovated fitness center has plenty of cardio and strength training equipment as well as a studio for yoga and Pilates classes. It looked gorgeous, but I didn't manage to find time to use it during my stay.

Families with kids ages 4 to 12 should particularly consider this resort for the brand-new Camp Club at Marriott, which offers 5,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor play space. Activities include slime making, a splatter paint cabin and crafts like pinata making. The outdoor play area offers a zip line and a wall-climbing area.

While there is no spa, massages can be arranged in beach cabanas for an additional fee.

Out and about

I never left the resort during my three-night stay and found plenty of on-site entertainment. However, if you want to go golfing or explore nearby attractions like Isla Mujeres or the Mayan ruins in Tulum, the resort can help arrange excursions for an additional fee.

Accessibility

There are wheelchair ramps in most common spaces, including the lobby. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

There are wheelchair ramps throughout the property, including at the entrance and down into the Greatroom bar in the lobby. Elevators provide access down to the outdoor pool deck (but not down to the beach).

There are four Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant rooms on the first floor of the resort, with larger bathrooms to accommodate wheelchairs and handrails near the toilet and in the bathtub.

Checking out

The Greatroom lobby bar is the resort's social hub in the evening. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

Marriott's first-ever all-inclusive resort is an impressive entry for the brand into this space. With top-notch service throughout the resort and delicious food, this newly renovated resort in Cancun offers something for the whole family — and it's easy to book with Marriott Bonvoy points.

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