When it comes to hosting an adult-only wedding in the Cancun and Riviera Maya area, there are two exceptional resorts that Yellow Umbrella Events’ clients compare nearly every time, and those resorts are UNICO 20°87° and Hotel Xcaret Arte.
Both Mexico resorts are fantastic options, but for very different reasons, and both have their pros and cons to consider.
This guide cuts through the noise with easy comparisons, wedding-specific insights, and FAQs based on what our couples are really searching for in their dream destination.
Here is a Great “At a Glance” look at Some Comparisons Between the Resorts:
Let’s Dive Into the Details:
What’s Included in the Wedding Packages at Each Resort?
The first and most important question that our couples ask is what is included in the wedding packages. Since we have written extensively on this in the past, here are two links that will take you directly to the wedding package options available at each resort:
Hotel Xcaret ARTE:
https://www.yellowumbrellaevents.com/hotel-xcaret-2026-2027-wedding-packages/
UNICO 20°87°:
https://www.yellowumbrellaevents.com/unico-2087-ultimate-wedding-guide/
The biggest difference between the wedding packages at the two resorts is that UNICO 20°87° wedding packages are going to start by including only the very basics (things like your ceremony site, basic white folding chairs, folding tables with white polyester linens, basic buffets with metal chafers on white polyester linen tables, the wedding couple’s flowers, an officiant, a sparkling wine toast at the end of the ceremony, etc). Everything else, including the cocktail party, reception, DJ, dance floor, and other details, will need to be added à la carte from there.
In contrast, the Hotel Xcaret ARTE wedding package includes nearly everything you would want or need for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception, and even includes items like a DJ and a wooden dance floor. Additionally, inclusions in the wedding packages at Hotel Xcaret ARTE tend to be higher-end items and more design-focused. For example, the ceremony chairs are solid wood cross-back chairs that would normally rent independently for $12 to $15 apiece, dining tables are solid wood and would normally rent independently for $200 to $250 per table, and the reception includes a plated seated three-course meal with full-service staffing.
What Is Most Important to You and Your Guests?
The two most significant deciding factors on whether our couples choose UNICO 20°87° or Hotel Xcaret ARTE for their wedding usually come down to two things: your personal venue preference and the cost of the rooms for your guests. Let’s explore those now:
1.) Wedding Venues – Though UNICO 20°87° has a beautiful gazebo venue that we really love and that most of our couples choose for their ceremony site, the winner of the two resorts for best venue options definitely goes to Hotel Xcaret ARTE. ARTE has so many gorgeous and unique venues to choose from! If you want your wedding to take place in a non-denominational chapel overlooking the ocean, a Catholic Chapel that’s located practically in the clouds, surrounded by palm trees on the beach, along the river under the stars, or even in a beautifully designed air condition indoor ballroom that doesn’t feel like a traditional ballroom, you can have it. No resort in the area comes close to the extraordinary venues at this resort. UNICO 20°87° offers a few venue options, all of which are in line with most other resorts in the area.
2.) Guest Room Cost – Both resorts tend to have the best rates when booking a full year or more in advance, but UNICO 20°87° is almost always going to have lower room rates than Hotel Xcaret ARTE. To give you a good idea of room costs and for comparison purposes, we looked at room rates for 12 months out from the time we wrote this, and here were the room rates:
– Hotel Xcaret ARTE: approximately $400 per person per night
– UNICO 20°87°: approximately $315 per person per night
So, you can see that Hotel Xcaret ARTE was about $85 per person per night higher than UNICO 20°87° room rates.
At first, this might seem like a big difference, but there is one more thing that we would like to throw into consideration when it comes to comparing room rates at these two resorts: Hotel Xcaret ARTE includes complimentary round-trip transfers to and from the airport/resort. Considering the average price for round-trip transfers from the airport to UNICO 20°87° is approximately $165 per person, the difference in cost is now even less, at only about $185 more in total for two adults staying the minimum 3 nights at Hotel Xcaret ARTE.
** Please note that this is not a guarantee of rates, nor a rate quote. These are the rates we saw at the time we wrote this. All room blocks are quoted at the time of request and can vary greatly depending on the time of year and other factors.**
What Ages Are Allowed at the Resort?
UNICO 20°87° is a true adult-only resort, and all guests must be 18 years or older. Hotel Xcaret ARTE is a modified adult-only concept, allowing guests starting at 16 years of age. Both resorts are extremely strict about their age minimum and do not allow even one guest below their age minimum, so keep that in mind when making your resort selection for your destination wedding in Mexico.
What Are The Minimum Room Requirements for Guests?
If you’re already well into the research phase of having a destination wedding at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico, you have no doubt seen that all the resorts have some type of minimum requirement for your guests’ stay. Both UNICO 20°87° and Hotel Xcaret ARTE require at least 80% of your total guest count to stay a minimum of three nights. Additionally, during the high season, UNICO 20°87° may require 80% of your total guest count to stay for a four-night minimum. The dates on this vary, so our team will let you know if your preferred wedding date falls within one of these times.
So, How Much Does a Wedding at UNICO 20°87° versus Hotel Xcaret ARTE Actually Cost?
Great question! We have two excellent resources that will answer this in detail.
UNICO 20°87 :
https://www.yellowumbrellaevents.com/how-much-does-a-wedding-at-unico-2087-riviera-maya-cost/
Hotel Xcaret ARTE:
https://www.yellowumbrellaevents.com/how-much-does-a-hotel-xcaret-wedding-cost/
For a full wedding experience with the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception with most of the bells and whistles, both resorts are going to come out at about the same cost. However, this is one area where UNICO 20°87° shines, because if you are working with a smaller budget and you’re careful to stick to just the basics with almost no fluff (meaning no or very little décor/florals/etc. and you don’t choose one of their higher end wedding packages), you could potentially spend about $10K less than you would for a Hotel Xcaret ARTE wedding.
Beware Of Cost Creep
Both resorts have an area where costs can really sneak up on you, so be aware of the following:
UNICO 20°87°: We would only plan a wedding at this resort if you love all the in-house vendors, as the resort has some of the most expensive outside vendor fees, at $1,500 per vendor per service per day and above. (Or, if you have plenty of room in your budget to accommodate those extra outside vendor fees, that may not be a deciding factor for you.) On that note, be aware that vendor fees can be pretty high if you decide to have a band instead of the in-house DJ, since the vendor fee for bands and feeding all the band members, plus audio visual supervision fees, can easily be nearly $5K, and that does not include the cost of the band.
Hotel Xcaret ARTE: Outside vendor pricing is more reasonable here, with costs ranging from $870 – $1,500 per vendor per service per day, depending on the vendor type, but you can really spend a lot on flowers and décor. Even though the venues are beautiful and require minimal décor, a lot of our couples dream of more extravagant floral designs at this resort, and the price can really add up quickly.
The Yellow Umbrella Events Take
If your guests are do‑ers, not just loungers, it’s ARTE for the win. The All‑Fun Inclusive bundle of the room, food, and top-shelf beverages, all the Xcaret parks, and free transfers turns a wedding week into something like an amazing group vaca, and no one is ever asking “what now?”
If your crowd the pool crew who value an easy, walkable vibe and easy meet-up points where everyone is always running into one another and no one will get lost, UNICO is the better pick.
How We Advise Our Couples:
- Guest considerations: If you think your guests will realistically use even one park during your stay, ARTE delivers more value. If you feel that most guests won’t leave the pool or the resort, UNICO keeps guest room spend focused on where they’ll actually use it.
- Mobility and heat tolerance: Arte is large and wonderfully explorable, which is excellent for active guests. For shorter walks, tighter timelines, or anyone with mobility concerns, UNICO’s compact layout is a gift.
- Aesthetic priorities: Love clean, modern lines that look elevated with minimal décor? UNICO. Want nature‑forward drama like gorgeous local stone, jungle, bridges, water – all for show‑stopping pictures that everyone will post on TT or the Gram? It’s ARTE all day.
- Budget clarity: Arte can look pricier nightly, but transfers and parks can offset what many groups would spend off‑site anyway. UNICO can offer a lower cost for the wedding day itself if you stick to the comp ceremony and have a large number of guests, as you can earn free event hours from UNICO with a room block contract.
Our Bottom Line: If your vision is “boutiquey, clean, simple, and easy to navigate”, choose UNICO 20°87° and lean into guest hangouts at the pools. If your vision is “adventure‑forward, cinematic, and activity‑rich”, choose Hotel Xcaret ARTE and let the property be part of the show. When couples are genuinely 50/50, we lean into their realistic budget, and with this, one option almost always stands out.
No Matter Which Resort You Choose, Plan It With Yellow Umbrella Events
The team here at Yellow Umbrella Events is ready to help you quickly zero in on the best resort for you and your guests for your dream destination wedding in Mexico. Ready to get started? CLICK HERE to contact us!
