Secrets The Vine Cancun

Built in 2012, Secrets The Vine Cancun resort feels upscale and contemporary even from the outside. It is housed in a large building with a glamorous glass exterior adorned with a huge vine leaf and features ample grounds that extend to a white-sand beach lined with loungers and umbrellas. Interiors are sleek and classy, with polished marble floors, chic decor, and a luxurious vibe. The grand lobby has a large Mexican-style patterned rug with lots of contemporary sofas and stylish armchairs, as well as beautiful wooden tables that complement the beige, brown, and creamy hues of this sophisticated space. There's a contemporary fireplace running along the length of a stone-clad wall.
While other adults-only properties in the area are buzzing with groups of friends looking to have a good time until the wee hours, the hotel’s tranquil atmosphere is better suited for couples seeking some peace and quiet. Rather than loud contests and aqua dance classes, the Secrets The Vine Cancun’s entertainment program offers activities such as yoga, tequila and wine tastings, and beach volleyball tournaments during the day, plus some live music in the evening. However, location in the heart of the Hotel Zone allows for easy access to Cancun’s happening nightlife scene, too.
There are a number of Secrets properties in Riviera Maya, including several in the Cancun area, but perhaps The Vine’s most direct competitor when it comes to drawing couples looking to relax is the Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun. So putting Secrets Maroma vs Secrets The Vine, while both have a similarly quiet, elegant atmosphere and offer the same outstanding all-inclusive packages, there are a number of differences worth considering before booking one or the other. The Vine is smack in the heart of the action, so access to nightlife, shops and restaurants is easy and quick. Secrets Maroma, however, is tucked away in a secluded spot between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, which means the beach is virtually private. The grounds there are also bigger, with a lovely tropical feel, while The Vine’s are more compact and urban, with other tall buildings around it and more noise. Maroma’s decor and design mirrors its tropical, more romantic setting, with lots of wood, pops of fuchsia, green, and blue. The Vine is sleek and contemporary but in a more generic way.

Located in Cancun's Hotel Zone, this property is right on a stunning white-sand beach. The famous Cancun nightlife, including the Coco Bongo nightclub, is a 10-minute drive from the hotel, and the Hard Rock Cafe is a 25-minute drive. For shopping, La Isla Shopping Village and the exclusive boutiques of Luxury Avenue are both a five-minute drive. Aquaworld is just a two-minute drive (or 10-minute walk) away, while Wet'n Wild can be reached in 10 minutes by car. The Mayan ruins at El Rey are just a five-minute drive. The drive from Cancun airport to Secrets The Vine Cancun takes about 15 minutes.

The 497 Secrets The Vine’s rooms are air-conditioned, spacious, and luxurious, with huge windows that open to furnished balconies and offer either partial or full ocean views. Decor is contemporary and elegant, in hues of teal and white with clean-lined teak furniture and Italian porcelain floors. Each room is outfitted with either one king bed or two queens set against large padded headboards framed in polished teak wood.
The entry-level room at Secrets The Vine Cancun is the 475-square-foot Deluxe Ocean View, which offers ample storage space, a small sitting area with an easy chair and a low table, and a long work desk with a small stool. Other room types include Junior Suites and a range of larger suites, including two-bedroom, two-bathroom Presidential Suites with huge terraces furnished with tables, chairs, and padded loungers.
Regardless of category, all units feature the same array of excellent amenities, including free minibars that are restocked daily, iPod docks, smart TVs, free Wi-Fi, and Nespresso machines. Units labeled Preferred Club add plenty of great in-room extras -- such as butler service, upgraded minibar items and toiletries, and pillow menus -- plus a number of exclusive benefits, including access to both the Preferred Club private pool and the Preferred Club Lounge, which offers free continental breakfast and afternoon hors d’oeuvres and drinks.
Bathrooms are luxurious and have double sinks, premium toiletries, and rainfall showers. Their frosted glass doors and walls are a romantic touch, but some may find them lacking in privacy. All but Deluxe Rooms and Junior Suites feature separate soaking tubs placed by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedrooms.
As a hotel that draws tons of newlyweds, the Honeymoon Suite is a popular pick. The 770-square-foot space houses a small sitting area with a lounge chair and a deep soaking tub. This unit comes in two categories: Ocean View or Ocean Front. As with the rest of the rooms and suites at Secrets The Vine, the former means the room offers full views of Nichupte Lagoon plus partial views of the ocean, while Ocean Front means the room has full Caribbean Sea ocean views.

Secrets The Vine Cancun offers an array of dining options, all well-reviewed by past guests and offering a range of local and international cuisines.
The main buffet is Market Café, which specializes in Mexican cuisine and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests wanting a simpler, lighter meal can head to the Barefoot Grill, a casual sandwich spot housed under a palapa roof, or to Sea Salt Grill, which serves up fresh seafood in a casual outdoor lounge with pool and sea views.
Additionally, Secrets The Vine offers six a la carte restaurants for dinner, all of which are included in the room rate. They include Dragons, offering Asian cuisine; Bluewater Grill, serving up Argentinean dishes; Nebbiolo, which specializes in Italian fare; and Olio, a Mediterranean restaurant with ample outdoor space overlooking the ocean. Reservations are not required for any of the a la carte eateries.
There’s also a 24-hour cafe offering coffee drinks, sodas, pastries and snacks, as well as a beach bar, a sports bar, two pool lounges, and a piano bar with live music. Room service is available 24 hours a day free of charge.

Secrets The Vine Cancun’s all-inclusive package (known here as Unlimited Luxury) is excellent. It includes all meals and drinks at any of the hotel’s restaurants and multiple bars, meaning there is no need to wear a wristband. The package also includes perks such as Wi-Fi, free daily restocking of the minibar (sodas, water and beer only), all taxes and tips, and access to all activities and entertainment. 24-hour room service is also covered.
Guests wanting an even more exclusive stay can upgrade to the Secrets The Vine Preferred Club, which is the top-tier all-inclusive package here. Aside from being assigned suites located in premium locations within the resort, the package offers personalized check-in and checkout, butlers, and upgraded toiletries and minibar items. Preferred Club guests also get exclusive access to a pool with food and drink service, and to the Preferred Club Lounge, which offers free continental breakfast, afternoon hors d’oeuvres, and drinks and snacks throughout the day.

The Secrets The Vine Cancun’s beach is long and beautiful, with fine white sand and turquoise waters. There are many loungers placed directly on the sand, and drink service is available throughout the day. Seaweed can be an issue sometimes, but the staff rakes it often. Topless sunbathing is not allowed anywhere at Secrets The Vine Cancun, including the beach.
The hotel has four pools, including a stunning infinity pool exclusively for Preferred Club guests and located on the 12th floor. All pools offer ocean views and loungers, though past guests have complained of loungers being reserved early in the morning. Waiters come around taking drink orders throughout the day. Additionally, there’s a whirlpool -- also with ocean views.
The spa is large and relaxing, with 14 treatment rooms where massages, facials, and wellness therapies such as reflexology and aromatherapy can be booked. A small hydrotherapy area with a sauna, steam room, and whirlpool are also available at the spa. The staffed gym is equipped with a range of cardio and strength-training machines, and the room has floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic ocean views. Fitness classes, such as dance, yoga, and water aerobics are available as part of the daily entertainment program. Other activities, including scuba diving and wine and tequila tastings, are available for an additional fee. Green fees at Playa Mujeres Golf Course and El Tinto Golf Course are waived for Secrets The Vine Cancun’s guests.
Business guests can make use of the hotel’s 17,000 square feet of event space, which includes five meeting rooms and outdoor areas. There’s also a business center available for guests' use.
Small dogs of up to 22 pounds (10 kilos) are allowed on-site for a fee that includes bowls and treats.