Four best things to do about my first all-inclusive beach resort experience ever: Almare, a luxury collector resort

After years of editing and reading about all-inclusive beach resorts, I finally made a leap forward on my first all-inclusive beach trip.

In June, I went to Isla Mujeres, a small but accessible island near the coast of Cancun, Mexico (a popular all-inclusive resort destination). Isla Mujeres is also a famous resort, but it is quieter and slower than the famous, often crazy hotel area of Cancun. On the island, I was delighted to experience a second adult, all-inclusive property in the Marriott hotel’s luxury collection: Almare, a luxury collector resort. Since it opened in October 2024, the resort has a shiny new hotel quality – perfect for all-inclusive beginners like me.

Bookable for $569 or 78,000 million Bonvoy points per night (which is an incredible value based on the quality of my experience), this resort is like a worthy mention.

Even better, you can apply for one of the best Marriott credit cards to stack points, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® card. With Marriott’s Bonvoy Bevy, you can earn 155,000 bonus points after using the new card to earn $5,000 in the first six months of card membership.

This is my favorite time Almare and I were there.

Related: The Best Marriott All-inclusive Job Seekers

I feel the simple speed of island life throughout the resort

When you head to the island resort, you want this to be an island resort. However, since this is my first all-inclusive beach resort experience, I’m not sure how it really is Feel like. I expect a lot of activities, noise, crowds, etc. However, my atmosphere was huge, a mixture of leisure and luxury, all starting with a relaxing, 20-minute boat ride on a private hotel-run boat.

After arriving, the staff greeted the guests and welcomed drinks to the pier with refreshing fruits. After that, we simply floated the dock to the beach, where we entered an open-air hall decorated with a large number of wicker seats, a beautiful nod to ancient Mayan culture and abundant greenery. Check-in was quick and the friendly reception desk waiter slid the convenient room key bracelet onto our wrists – no need to worry about plastic keychains.

After that, I was very clear about the title of the resort’s game and it was relaxing. No place was driven anywhere or forced to attend events. Instead, the staff showed the guests a schedule (we can also see it in the Marriott’s Bonvoy app) and explained the beach, pool and spa. Then, we have to explore and rest.

Our 463 sq ft luxury room overlooking the pool and glittering sea with sliding glass doors from floor to ceiling features two luxurious double beds, a chic living area, a balcony with ocean with sun loungers, a beautiful marble bathroom, a nice marble bathroom, a large flat-screen TV and an oversized TV and an oversized bathtub.

Each morning, the room is hard to leave and the ability to order breakfast directly to the room (more food below) makes the attitude of staying comfortable even more tempting. It’s nice that all the snacks and drinks in the room are hard to get used to.

Mexican food is great

There are many all-inclusive resorts that offer a menu of watered drinks, and how many times, an all-inclusive menu, but now all-inclusive is changing more than ever. (Read article by TPG Senior Hotel reporter Tanner Saunders on why it’s time to book an all-inclusive resort.) I’ve experienced this change firsthand at Almare. Since I’m in Mexico, I really want to focus on local cuisine and luckily, there are several authentic Mexican restaurants to choose from among the seven live dining outlets.

My favorite is Boga, which includes dishes on the menu with Mexican and traditional Mayan cooking techniques for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There, the best tortillas of my life (with poached eggs and rich roasted cherry tomato cream), as well as fresh local ceviche and very delicious short ribs.

For breakfast, I enjoyed the refreshing Acai bowls and delicious homemade tortillas made with chili scones to chili and fluffy pancakes with smoked butter and carrot cake. The coffee throughout the resort was great, but I especially liked the cappuccinos of Boga, as well as the freshly squeezed juice.

Another must-try place is the Breeze Pool Bar, and of course, of course, guests can enjoy snacks like crispy shrimp tacos, fresh avocado sauce and aguachile.

The roof has one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen

The only thing better than the seaside resort on the pristine white sand beach is and A roof overlooking the ocean.

Almare’s rooftops took over the cake in the place to enjoy the evening. The small infinity pool (with flooded lounge chairs) offers sunset views that I can see outside the rooftop restaurant Seasalt. (Seasalt offers a Mediterranean-centric menu which is not my favorite, but there are still plenty of options including Baja Oysters et al bars, as well as a lot of pasta, pizza and protein – good dishes.)

My favorite way to start the evening is to pair a well-crafted cocktail in the restaurant’s open air bar and incredible sunsets. I suggest starting there and then going to Boga for supper.

The influence of Mayan culture is creative in the entire property

The first thing I noticed – and continued to appreciate throughout the three-day stay – the focus was on local art and installations, as well as a thoughtful nod to Mayan culture.

From using Chukum Plaster, an ancient Mayan exercise, involving mixing resin and limestone on the walls to make it resistant to weather weather, beautiful effects – to a large number of hand-painted murals by local artists, as well as cenote inspired installations in the lobby, the Mayan art technology and cultural influences.

I noticed this throughout the spa as well (it was a magical microcosm within the resort). It features a tribute to Mayan health practices through products such as shaman consultation and massage treatments using local ingredients.

Checkout

It’s hard to say goodbye to Almare. When I left, I was still a little pinching myself – I was new to all inclusive – about how the resort offers so much value with such good value. If you book a cash rate, it’s important to be sure that the versatile trip here will cost a lot of variation. But to me, Almare feels like the type of property that is truly worth saving your Marriott hotel’s Bonvoy points. This is especially because the quality of Mexican cuisine is so high, the service is reliable and friendly, and the property itself is so new that it is in good condition.

Those who love art and culture will appreciate the rich local art, while the price covers many live events. Plus, a beautiful beach extension means there is always something to do – or a reason to do nothing. (And, don’t forget the flashing pool with a swim bar.)

Related readings:

• Bonvoy Marriott Hotel’s Reward Travel Guide
• The best Marriott credit card
• Marriott Elite Identity: What It Is And How to Make Money