Hotel Xcaret Mexico Just Got More Expensive. Here's Where We're Recommending Instead.
We’ve booked 450+ couples at Hotel Xcaret. We also know every resort on this list inside and out. Here’s the honest breakdown.
First, let’s be real about what’s happening: Hotel Xcaret Mexico has always been our #1 recommended resort – and for good reason. It’s genuinely the freaking best! The resort is absolutely gorgeous (an instagrammable paradise), there’s tons of unique pools, world-class restaurants, incredible architecture, and a truly all inclusive model that actually delivers on its promise, with nearly no upcharges needed. We have planned more Hotel Xcaret weddings than any travel team in the world, so we’re not exaggerating when we say we know and love this resort.
But their newest rate increase, pushing the lowest room category through the end of 2027 from around $440 per person per night up to an average of $513 – $550 per person per night for the lowest priced room, has moved the math out of reach for a lot of couples we work with. For your guests staying 3 nights, that translates into an additional $220 – $330 per person.
So we put together this guide to help give you some direction on logical alternatives. These are the resorts we’re already actively recommending to couples who love Xcaret but need to find an alternative due to cost. We know these resorts well, have booked them repeatedly, and genuinely believe in them for the right couple. This is not a “budget option” list. Just our honest next best answer when Hotel Xcaret is no longer an option.
Before I give you our list I want to say that there is truly nothing quite like Hotel Xcaret. You are not going to find a “Hotel Xcaret Lite for half the price”. If that existed it would be our number one most booked resort! Most couples are drawn to Hotel Xcaret because it’s simply stunning, unlike anything else, there are tons of included activities, and the wedding venues are so unique and specific. The resorts we are about to share with you are not going to be Hotel Xcaret. But each one has a specific reason why it makes sense for our couples. I’ll explain below.
The pricing benchmark we're working with here is all inclusive resort options at or under approximately $440 per person per night ($880 per couple per night) for the entry-level room (the old HX rates before the price increase). All resorts below meet this threshold at time of writing, but rates can (and do) change, so confirm current pricing before you commit to anything.
Adults-Only All-Inclusive Options
For couples keeping their wedding a grown ups only affair, these properties will give you the sophisticated, romantic, and fun atmosphere wedding groups are normally looking for.
Hotel Xcaret Arte - Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya
If you are emotionally attached to the Hotel Xcaret brand, with access to all the parks, the aesthetic, the food, and overall vibe, then Hotel Xcaret Arte is the obvious choice. You get Hotel Xcaret, just in an adults only format. It’s operated by the same company, is connected to Hotel Xcaret Mexico, and just Hotel Xcaret Mexico, but grown up. The difference is that Arte is adults-only and skews more toward art and cultural immersion, while Mexico leans into nature in a family friendly focused environment.
2027 room rates at Hotel Xcaret Arte are typically more accessible than at HX Mexico (starting around $410/$420 per person per night as of this writing and depending on the season), and guests still get access to all the Xcaret parks & excursions. For couples where the Xcaret experience and venues matter to them and their guests and the budget is the constraint, this is the most natural pivot. We’ve planned plenty of Arte weddings and the guest experience consistently lands.
Key points: Adults Only / All-Inclusive / Xcaret Parks Access Included / Art & Culture Focus / Multiple Beautiful & Unique Wedding Venues
Secrets Moxche - Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya
Secrets Moxche opened a year after ARTE and it has been a standout since opening. The design leans into that Hotel Xcaret Mayan feel with natural stone, jungle landscaping, and cenote- style pool areas, which gives it a sense of place that feels rooted in the area’s culture, rather than generic. It doesn’t look like a resort that could be in Florida. It looks like it belongs exactly where it is.
For weddings, Secrets Moxche offers multiple venue options, including a fan favorite rooftop venue, a cenote styled option, wooden patio surrounded by foliage, and beach venues. This is a consistent recommendation for our adult only couples who want somewhere elevated without the new Hotel Xcaret Mexico price tag.
2027 low season room rates at Secrets Moxche can start around $396 per person per night as of this writing.
Key Points: Adults Only / All-Inclusive / Mayan Styled Design / Multiple Beautiful & Unique Wedding Venues
UNICO 20°87° - Riviera Maya
UNICO 2087 is one of the most popular up market resorts our couples book for their weddings. This is one of our top selling adult only resorts! The property itself is sleek and modern set against lush jungle, with a beautiful beachfront and pools that feel more boutique hotel than mega resort. The food and drink program is strong, with a variety of restaurants to suit the palette of each of your guests – Italian, Mexican, Asian, French, Steakhouse, etc. For couples with the kind of guests who notice design details, UNICO 2087 tends to make a strong impression. We recommend it consistently and our couples have consistently had great experiences here.
Another great selling point for this particular resort is that they offer a ton of perks. Depending on how many guests you have booked in your room block, you can even start with the base of a free wedding ceremony, earn additional free event hours, and more. Unico 2087 offers the option to have a beautiful full wedding with a moderate wedding budget.
2027 low season room rates at Unico 2087 can start around $353 per person per night as of this writing.
Key Points: Adults Only / All-Inclusive / Modern Mexico (West Elm like) Design / Boutique Feel / Luxury on a Budget
Family-Friendly All-Inclusive Options
When the guest list includes kids, grandparents, and everyone between, these resorts keep all ages happy so the couple can actually enjoy their own wedding weekend.
Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos - Los Cabos / Baja California Sur
For couples who really want the activity heavy all inclusive style of Hotel Xcaret Mexico, Hard Rock Los Cabos is a natural alternative, with the added benefit of a much lower price point. I’m going to be real with you and tell you that I am not a Hard Rock person. It just isn’t my style. However, this is my favorite Hard Rock Resort and I would absolutely vacation here at any time. I always tell people that it’s the Hard Rock for people that hate Hard Rock and it’s the family friendly all-inclusive resort we sell the most in the Cabo market.
The Pacific coastline of Baja is a completely different visual world from the Riviera Maya: desert mountains, dramatic rock formations, deep blue water instead of turquoise. It’s a different experience, but definitely not a lesser one, as I find Cabo to be a superior destination to Cancun, in many ways, and depending on what you’re hoping to experience.
Hard Rock’s brand is built on entertainment energy, which plays very well in a wedding context, as there’s natural great energy baked into the property. They also have a lot of restaurant options, plenty of live entertainment, and multiple family friendly (and adults only) pools to keep your family and friends thoroughly occupied between events. You will not be bored here!
Hard Rock Los Cabos is also a favorite of our couples because they have multiple unique venue types, including rooftop, beach, and garden options, as well as a Catholic Chapel on site. Plus, depending on how many guests you have booked in your room block, you can even start with the base of a free wedding ceremony, earn additional free event hours, and more. Lastly, their wedding team is great at what they do and it really shows.
2027 low season room rates at Hard Rock Los Cabos can start around $270 per person per night as of this writing (a total steal!).
Key Points: Family Friendly / All-Inclusive / Mexico Baja Styled Setting / Heavy Entertainment & Activity Focus / Multiple Wedding Venues
Hyatt Ziva Cancun - Cancun Hotel Zone
Hyatt Ziva Cancun sits on an oceanfront point at the tip of the Cancun hotel zone that gives it incredible views in multiple directions, with the Caribbean on one side and the Nichupté Lagoon on the other. So that positioning of the resort produces simply gorgeous wedding photos without any extra effort. Our couples that choose Hyatt Ziva Cancun over Hotel Xcaret usually do so for a few reasons – the room rates are usually lower, they have several wedding venues (including a rooftop option), it’s a quick 30 minute drive from the Cancun airport, and it’s very centrally located to downtown Cancun, giving you and your guests super easy walk-off access to area shopping, nightclubs, and restaurants
The rooftop spaces in particular are something we bring up with couples frequently because they photograph so well. And even though Hyatt Ziva is a family friendly resort, they have an exclusive adult only building and rooftop pool area. Overall, this resort is a dependable, high-performing property that we feel confident recommending. Their wedding team is also very on top of the planning process, and is, in my opinion, one of the most superior wedding planning teams at any area resort.
2027 low season room rates at Hyatt Ziva Cancun can start around $390 per person per night as of this writing.
Key Points: Family Friendly / All-Inclusive / Convenient Location / Multiple Wedding Venues
Garza Blanca Resort & Spa Cancun - Cancun / Costa Mujeres
Garza Blanca has a more modern design forward style than Hotel Xcaret and the number one reason couples choose it when Hotel Xcaret is out due to cost, is for their wedding venue program and options. You can choose between a beautiful open air covered palapa, a modern indoor ballroom, a rooftop terrace, or the beach. They also have a cool vintage style carousel on site that makes for unique and whimsical wedding photos.
The scale of the resort is very approachable at 453 rooms, not overwhelming like the massive 1,800 room complex that Hotel Xcaret Mexico is. This means wedding groups don’t feel overlooked at the property, since they aren’t just one of many events happening simultaneously, as they only allow 1 wedding per day. Garza Blanca Cancun is also our main resort recommendation when families need multiple rooms under the same roof, with shared living spaces, as Garza is one of the few resorts that offer suites with up to 4 bedrooms and can accommodate up to 12 guests.
Overall, the rooms are upscale, the food is solid, and the resort feels “luxury” rather than “mega resort”. Couples who were drawn to Hotel Xcaret Mexico partly for its visual appeal tend to respond well to Garza Blanca for the same reason.
2027 low season room rates at Garza Blanca Cancun can start around $378 per person per night as of this writing.
Key Points: Family Friendly / Design Forward / Smaller Resort / Unique Palapa Style Wedding Venue
Moon Palace Grand - Cancun
When the guest list is large, multigenerational, and needs a resort that can handle serious volume, Moon Palace Grand is a natural option. Our Hotel Xcaret couples tend to be drawn to Moon Palace Grand due to its size and the massive number of options available for their guests on site. This means that guests never have to leave the resort to have cool experiences, unlike Hotel Xcaret, where a lot of guests leave to go to various parks throughout the day.
While Moon Palace Grand has over 1,300 rooms, it’s actually connected to a larger resort complex that has over 3,700 rooms and is fully accessible to MP Grand guests! The rooms at this resort are very large (starting at 892 square feet), the food is excellent, and the amenities available at this resort are simply too numerous to count! You have the benefit of on-site adult only nightclubs, 9 outdoor pools (including an adult only day club pool), a full water park with a lazy river and surf stimulator, bowling alley, arcade, golf course, high-end spa, swim up bars, multiple dining restaurants of all types of cuisines, a massive kids play area, nightly entertainment that includes professionally choreographed shows, a teen lounge, and so much more.
The complimentary wedding package and earned complimentary event hours for qualifying room blocks can be a huge savings, so Moon Palace Grand works particularly well for our couples who are on a very tight wedding budget but need to include multiple days of events. Depending on group size, couples can end up with significant value fully included – venues, tables, chairs, private dinner + open bar, and more – in a way that changes the total cost comparison dramatically. Moon Palace Grand doesn’t always get credit for the value it offers, but for large groups, it can be a huge win. The biggest drawback with this resort is the difficulty in working with the wedding team. But for our couples where the small details of their wedding aren’t as important as staying within a tight budget and where the focus is mainly on guest experience, you can’t beat Moon Palace Grand.
Overall, the rooms at this resort are very large (starting at square feet), the food is great and there are tons of options,
2027 low season room rates at Moon Palace Grand can start around $322 per person per night as of this writing. Also, Moon Palace Grand kids under 18 stay free, so up to 2 children can share a room with at least 2 adults at no charge!
Key Points: Family Friendly / All-Inclusive / Large Group Capacity / Complimentary Wedding Packages / Many Wedding Venues
The Bottom Line
Hotel Xcaret Mexico is still an extraordinary resort. Nothing has changed on that. And with how amazing it is, and with our deep knowledge and connections there, Hotel Xcaret will likely be our number 1 selling resort for many years to come. But it’s not the only resort. If the room rates work for you and your guests, fantastic! Because this resort is still one of the most extraordinary and uniquely beautiful resorts you will find. I mean, we’re not going to talk anyone out of it. But if the new room pricing puts it out of reach, none of the options above are consolation prizes. They’re all excellent properties that we’ve booked for our couples many times before, often stay at, and have recommended for years.
The right pick depends on your guests, your vision, your family situation, yours and your guests budget, and what kind of experience you want to create together. That’s exactly the conversation we’re here to help you have. Honestly, without overselling anything, and without wasting your time on options that don’t actually fit.
Give us a call, or send us an email. We’ll get you pointed in the right direction, help you choose the perfect resort for you and your guests, and take it from here on guest communication.
