The 5 Most Important Things You Need To Know Before Booking Your Cancun Resort This Winter

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The freezing winter weather is officially creeping in, and millions of travelers are already aggressively searching for the perfect tropical escape. Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean is hands down the most popular destination for North Americans looking to trade their heavy winter coats for a swimsuit and a cold margarita. However, the sheer volume of options available online can make planning your trip incredibly overwhelming.

When you log into a booking site and search for Cancun, you are instantly hit with literally hundreds of different all inclusive properties. They all look absolutely stunning in the heavily edited professional photos. But if you blindly pick a hotel just because it has a nice looking swimming pool and a decent price tag, you might end up completely ruining your expensive vacation.

Before you pull out your credit card and lock in your winter getaway, there are a few massive insider details you need to understand. Here are the five most important things every traveler needs to know before booking a Cancun resort this winter.

1. The Real Location Of Your Resort

This is the biggest trap travelers fall into. Hotel booking engines will boldly label a resort as being in “Cancun,” but when you actually land, you realize you are nowhere near the famous city. You need to know exactly which sub region you are booking.

• The Hotel Zone: If you book a property here, you are getting that brilliant, iconic electric blue water you see on postcards. You will also be incredibly close to massive shopping malls, famous nightclubs, and fantastic local restaurants.
• Costa Mujeres: Located just north of the city, this area features brand new, highly modern hotels. However, there is absolutely nothing around it outside of the resorts. You are essentially trapped on the property for your entire stay.
• The Southern Highway: If you book a hotel on the long stretch of highway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, you will likely be staying at a sprawling, highly isolated mega resort surrounded by dense jungle.

Know exactly what kind of geography you want before you pull out your credit card and book.

2. Matching The Resort Vibe

Not all resorts have the exact same energy, and booking the wrong vibe will completely ruin your trip. An all inclusive resort is a heavily curated environment. If you are a young couple looking to have a few drinks and listen to loud music by the pool, you are going to be incredibly bored at a quiet, wellness focused romantic retreat.

Conversely, if you want to read a book in total silence, booking a massive party resort with a foam party at noon is a terrible idea. Take the time to actually read the property description. Look to see if they advertise a lively entertainment team, or if they highlight their quiet spa facilities. Match the energy of the hotel to your actual personality.

3. Understanding What Is Actually Included

The term “all inclusive” is used incredibly loosely these days. You cannot just assume that every single thing on the property is completely free. Different hotel brands have wildly different inclusion rules.

For example, many premium luxury resorts include twenty four hour room service with zero extra delivery fees. However, other mid tier resorts will charge you a hefty delivery fee every time you order a late night burger. Some entry level properties, like a basic Riu resort for example, do not offer any room service at all. You also need to check if premium liquor is included or if you are stuck drinking cheap well drinks all week. Always read the fine print on the food and beverage inclusions so you do not get hit with surprise upcharges.

4. Stick To Verified Reviews Only

When you are researching a hotel, it is incredibly tempting to read every single review on the internet. Do not do this. The internet is absolutely packed with fake five star reviews written by marketing teams, and fake one star reviews written by angry people who never even visited the property.

If you want the actual truth about a resort, stick strictly to the review scores on Booking.com and Expedia.com. These specific platforms require a user to have actually booked a room, paid with a credit card, and completed their stay before they are allowed to leave a review. They are verified guests. Their opinions are the only ones you should actually trust when deciding where to spend your hard earned money.

5. Factor In The Transfer Time

There is a massive difference between grabbing a drink at the pool twenty minutes after leaving the airport, and sitting in the back of a stuffy shuttle van for over an hour just to reach your front desk. Transfer time is the ultimate vacation friction.If your goal is to be relaxing in the sun as fast as humanly possible, you need to look at resorts located incredibly close to the Cancun International Airport. Properties located at the very southern tip of the Hotel Zone, like the brand new AVA Resort Cancun, can have you walking into the spectacular lobby within ten to fifteen minutes of leaving the airport tarmac. If you book a resort deep in the Riviera Maya, you are signing up for a very long highway commute before your vacation officially begins.

The Ultimate Booking Hack

Booking your winter vacation should be exciting, not a stressful research project that eats up your entire weekend. If you want to skip the headache, our Cancun Resort Finder will match you with the perfect vibe, budget, and location in seconds without having to open 50 tabs. Let the technology do all the heavy lifting so you can focus entirely on packing your bags and getting to the beach.