Secrets Resorts in Mexico
Best adults only all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen
I continue to expand my services beyond Disney Destinations to quality all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. One of the best ways to do this — outside of online trainings, webinars and certifications — is to travel to these amazing resorts and experience it first hand. As you can imagine, with some of the site inspections I’ve done, the photos may appear better than the current state of the resort, so it is important for me to check it out before sending my clients there.
Excellence Agent Retreat
In September 2023, I was invited to a retreat to celebrate with other outstanding travel agents from my host agency. We stayed at the Secrets Moxché Resort in Playa del Carmen. This stunning resort opened in April 2022, so it is still very new. Secrets Resorts is a brand by the Hyatt Inclusive Collection, and I like that it has the backing of a large hotel brand as they’ve continued to invest in upgrades, new properties, and excel in customer service. They are consistent in food quality, amenities, and overall experience. I recommend Secrets (adults-only resorts) and Dreams (family-friendly resorts) to many of my clients when they are looking for an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen and the surrounding areas.
Rooms at Secrets Moxche
The rooms at Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen are very spacious junior suites. I was traveling with a friend and we received a room with two beds. It is common for many adults-only resorts in Mexico to offer a handful of rooms with two beds, so if you’re going with a group of friends, for a bachelorette party or birthday celebration, they can accommodate more than two guests per room. The majority of the rooms though will have a single King Bed. There was ample closet space and we each had our own closet. One of the closets does include a safe that was large enough to fit my laptop, along with ipad, wallets, passports, and jewelry that I always keep locked away during my stays when not in use. (Side story - our safe actually broke and wouldn’t open while we were here. One quick call to the front desk and they immediately sent someone up to the room to fix it and within half an hour, we were all good!)
The bathroom was a double vanity sink, a walk-in rain shower, and a separate room (with door) for the toilet. When you elect to be a Preferred Club guest (similar to the Excellence Club room in my Cancun Resorts post), you’ll receive upgraded amenities — such as the Bvlugari toiletries, upgraded in-room mini bar, and use of robes. Plus Preferred Club guests have access to exclusive beach and pool areas at the resorts, an additional restaurant and rooftop pool (amazing — one of our favorite places at this resort!), and the exclusive lounge with snacks, bar, and expedited check-in/check-out service. I always recommend the Preferred Club addition for my clients, unless it is unavailable.
What is included at a Secrets Resort
Secrets and Dreams Resorts have titled their inclusions “Unlimited-Luxury” — this includes:
Gourmet à la carte dining options without reservations required
Unlimited international and domestic top-shelf spirits
Unlimited natural fruit juices and soft drinks
24-hour room and concierge services
Pool and beach wait service
Daily refreshed mini-bar with soft drinks, juice, bottled water and beer
Daily maid service
Endless daytime activities and live nightly entertainment
Theme parties, oceanfront bars and entertainment venues
All taxes and gratuities.
Most of the packages I book will also include the roundtrip airport ground transportation, and as a perk with our supplier, all transfers are automatically upgraded to direct — meaning you will be the first resort stop (or only stop) on the shared transfer. We can also upgrade you to a private transfer if you prefer.
Each of the resorts has something a little bit special or unique to them. For example, Secrets Moxche has a speakeasy, complete with a daily password you have to discover. You enter through the Pharmacy (which is an actual store where you can purchase things like ibuprofen, antacid, bandages, etc.) and once you give the secret password, you’re shown through a secret door into the Gypsy Club. All the entertainment and drinks in the Club are included the the Ulimited-Luxury part of your package.
Pools at Secrets Moxche
Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen has 8 pools and 3 man-made cenotes. I thought these were such a cool addition to your traditional pool experience at an all-inclusive resort. Cenotes are a popular part of the Mexican culture in the area. While you can take excursions to go see actual cenotes around the island, I personally choose not to leave the property, so these were great!
As I mentioned, there is an exclusive rooftop area for Preferred Club guests. Not only does this area have an amazing infinity pool — pictured to the left — but it also had a restaurant, a bar, and plenty of day-bed loungers if you wanted to relax in the shade.
We enjoyed breakfast up here one morning instead of going to the buffet (which was also delicious), and one evening we had drinks up here before going to dinner. At many angles you felt like the infinity pool just extended right into the ocean with the incredible views it offered!
The overall vibe around the pools was more tranquil and relaxing. Although the main pool closer to the beach, always had activities and music going on during the day if you wanted a more vibrant atmosphere.
Weather in Playa del Carmen in September
While September often gets a bad wrap for hurricane season, other than a little bit of clouds and rain on our arrival day, we had gorgeous weather in Playa del Carmen for the remainder of our trip. This allowed us to have plenty of time to tour the grounds, enjoy the pools, try different restaurants, and walk on the beach!
Impressions by Secrets Moxche
There is a “resort within a resort” at Secrets Moxche and it is called Impressions. Impressions is the elevated line within the Secrets Resorts that brings additional luxury and amenities to your travel experience. The rooms and suites here are elevated, you have a personal butler attendant, and access to upgraded restaurants, bars and areas of the property. While it comes with a bigger price tag compared to the area we stayed in, it is above and beyond! I would highly recommend this for the traveler that prefers to feel pampered on vacation, enjoys great food & wine, or is celebrating a special occasion (i.e. honeymoon, milestone birthday, anniversary, etc.)
Image from Impressions by Secrets Isla Mujeres.
Impressions by Secrets also recently opened a resort in Isla Mujeres that is absolutely stunning! It just won the 2024 “most instagrammable resort” award and for good reason. You’re whisked away via private yacht to even reach the property, where you’re greeted at the dock by your personal attendant, cool towel, and welcome drink. The butler attendant eliminates the need for a reservations desk for check-in, and provides assistance with luggage and unpacking, so you just get to begin your vacation with ultimate relaxation! They also have an infinity rooftop pool — pictured to the right — which is such a relaxing and beautiful place to be. Bucket-list resort!
Rooms at Impressions by Secrets Moxche
We had the opportunity to tour a handful of suites on the Impressions side as part of our Excellence Agents Retreat. The private pool on the deck was one of my favorite features. And the views from the two-story suite were incredible! All of the Impressions rooms also include his and her hats and a beach bag; along with an elevated mini-bar and upgraded bath amenities as well. All of the Impressions guests are considered “preferred,” and they also receive complimentary sacks and beverages in a dedicated lounge and access to concierge services. Could you see yourself staying in one of these spacious suites? I know I could!
Other all-inclusive Secrets Resorts nearby
Secrets Akumal
While on this retreat, I also had the opportunity to tour Secrets Akumal. This is an adults-only all-inclusive resort in Akumal which is near Tulum, Mexico. I was very impressed with this resort and would have no hesitations recommend it to my clientele.
There were so many cultural and artistic touches around the property. The grounds were beautiful and we witnessed a number of fun activities going on during our short time here. The customer service was wonderful and welcoming. They are know for their conservation efforts for sea turtles and gifted us all a turtle magnet to remember them by - so sweet!
If you know anyone looking for a nice destination wedding location (adults-only), this is a fantastic option. The beach was beautiful, they have a lovely bride’s suite, and some culture and history they impart to bless the union.
Secrets Tulum
They also allowed us to tour the brand new Secrets Tulum Resort. It was still under construction when we were there, so I was not permitted to take photos. The way I would describe this resort is very natural and earthy — warm tones, they incorporated a lot of natural foliage, added real sand around the pool areas (because this resort doesn’t have direct beach access), and really unique architecture.
Images courtesy of Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club.
They did take us on the route the shuttles will run from the resort to the beach club — which wasn’t too far, maybe 15-20 minutes depending on traffic and the time of day you’re going. The beach club overall was small, but had bathrooms and a shower area for sandy feet. The beach itself was nice and so quiet! Not like many tourist areas where you see people all up and down the beach. If that is the tranquil, private beach vibe you’re looking for, then this is the place for you. Nearby the beach club were a lot of small shops and local restaurants that you could easily walk and explore to if that is of interest.
Secrets Tulum Beach Club
I'm so honored to have made the Top 150 Agents list for 2023 out of thousands of agents (I mean we're talking about 9,000) with my Host Agency. It was such a neat experience to be recognized and thanked for my work!
Travel Agent for Adults-only All-inclusive Resorts
If you’d like help booking your next all-inclusive adults-only getaway, contact me today! As always, my vacation planning assistance is free to you when I book the vacation package. I can help check availability, apply special offers, coordinate ground transfers to and from the airport and resort, make recommendations, and you receive special perks because of the relationships we have with these suppliers! For example, we can often earn you resort coupons that can be used on spa treatments, upgraded wine bottles, or other resort activities, a welcome bottle of champagne, discounts on spa treatments, and more.
“Shannon booked our trip to a Secrets all inclusive resort for our honeymoon and she was AMAZING!!! She’s so nice, super knowledgeable, and will do everything she can to help you have the best trip possible. She provided us a travel guide with tons of info that was really useful before and during the trip. I can’t recommend Shannon and Spirit of Adventure Travel enough!”
