Occidental at Xcaret Destination

Occidental at Xcaret was built in 2002, and taken over by the Barcelo hotel group in 2015. In order to keep with the new brand standards the hotel renovated all the rooms, front desk area, main buffet, and the snack bar. However, the excellent location inside the Xcaret nature park gives it an extra edge over other all-inclusive resorts in the area (aside from Hotel Xcaret Mexico). Thanks to conservation and protection laws, the hotel was built around elements of the park, which makes for a lot of open spaces, random trees climbing through interior spaces, and overall gorgeous views. One drawback to the location is that the beach area is more rocky than sandy and the amount of lounging space can increase or decrease depending on the weather and tide. There are a few nature trails on the property and wildlife sightings are common. However, there aren't any water sports available here, and we overheard a few teens who were too young to drink and too old for the kids' club, complaining that there wasn’t much to do. As such, the resort is a great pick for couples and families with younger children. Note that all guests are required to wear a wristband. Another common complaint is time-share pitches. 

Occidental at Xcaret Destination is located within the popular Xcaret eco-park. There are two direct entrances into the park from both the lobby and beach area. The hotel entrance is about a five-minute drive down a few winding roads after the highway exit point. It's about a 15-minute drive from Playa del Carmen, 45-minutes from Tulum, and just less than an hour from Cancun International Airport. Also within driving distance from this resort are Chichen Itza and Cenotes (subterranean sinkholes filled with water). Cozumel is about a 45-minute ferryboat ride away. There is nothing within walking distance of the hotel. 

Occidental at Xcaret Destination has a total of 765 rooms. Most rooms are located in the main hotel area, while the premium level Royal Club rooms have their own private section of the property. All units come with the basics, like digital safes for laptops, ironing facilities, coffeemakers with coffee, bottled water, iHome clock radios, and free, lightly stocked minibars with every-other-day refills of items like soda, beer, and bottled water. In-room Wi-Fi is available, but it is not free (there is a charge for internet use all over the resort). In the standard level rooms, guests can expect warm tone tile floors, dark wood furniture, and stylish lime green fabric accents. Bathrooms are contemporary, but not exactly modern, and feature iridescent dark brown tiles and orange granite countertops. Basic amenities plus natural loofahs, combs, and shoe shine, and vanity kits are supplied. Standard rooms provide showers with wall-mounted dispensers of shower gel and shampoo. Deluxe Rooms are more spacious with room for a chair and large flat-screen TV with several English channels. Upgrades to Junior Suites buy a little more square footage, larger bathrooms, and a living room sitting area with a built-in couch, converter sofa, and more dark furniture. All units come with either a furnished balcony or terrace; most have views of the grounds. Royal Club Rooms upgrade to exclusive perks designed to feel like a boutique hotel inside the larger resort. These rooms are located in their own section of the property. Royal guests also have their own dedicated check-in lobby, a Royal-only restaurant, and a pool area with a massive whirlpool and smaller pool. Plus there's a small oceanfront area with loungers and a few swinging beds up against the rocky coastline. All rooms in this section feature hot tubs, DVD players, and free room service (DVDs and board games are free from the Royal reception area). Other extra amenities include dental and shaving kits, daily minibar refills, and bathrobes and slippers. 

Occidental at Xcaret Destination’s beach area is unique, thanks to its privileged position next to the Xcaret eco-park. While the coastline itself is rocky, guests have access to a manmade, multi-level beach area that surrounds a natural lagoon. There are free swinging sun beds and loungers. Drinks are served from the beach level bar and upstairs in the snack buffet palapa. Outside of the snack bar, there are a few hammocks tied between trees and a walkway to reach the hotel’s adult-only saltwater tide pool. Free snorkel gear is available to borrow. 

The hotel has a total of seven pools, though the main pool area is huge and divided into three separate areas. There’s an entertainment pool with upbeat music, a kids' pool (at the kids' club), popular family pool, large and winding main pool with a swim-up bar, exclusive Royal pool, adult-only saltwater pool, and a quiet pool featuring a small bar with swing seats. All pools, except the kids’ pool, have drink service. 

The hotel has 11 all-inclusive restaurants, though all the a la carte options are only open for dinner. Options include Mexican, Mediterranean/Italian, a steakhouse, seafood, and Asian fusion. All a la carte restaurants enforce a no beachwear dress code and are seated on a first-come, first-served basis. The main buffet feels small for a hotel this size, but never felt crowded to us, even at peak times. Buffet items include a mix of Mexican and international cuisine with a heavy focus on pastas, fried foods, and sauces. There are two all-day snack buffets, one at the beach and one at the pool, above the swim-up bar. In total there are 10 bars from which to choose, including the disco and a sports bar, so guests never have to walk too far for a drink. For late night cravings, there's a pizza and taco spot open past midnight. Surprisingly, the coffee shop in the lobby is at an extra cost.

Being within the Xcaret eco-park is the top feature of this hotel. It provides beautiful jungle grounds and frequent wildlife sightings. During our stay we saw several baby monkeys learning to swing in trees, a mother coati making a nest in the lobby roof, and an iguana sunbathing on the tennis court. In contrast to the wildlife roaming about, there are also parrots in the lobby and an oddly placed white-tailed deer enclosure. Another interesting feature of the hotel is its authentic Mayan ruins. Guests can visit these ruins easily on foot, which are clearly marked on the resort map. The hotel has a variety of sports areas, from tennis courts to mini-golf, and organized daily activities include standards like water aerobics and beach volleyball. Each night a different live performance kicks off in the open-air theater, and the lobby hosts live music. Occidental at Xcaret Destination’s spa is on the small side, but includes treatments like the on-site temazcal sweat lodge, nine treatment rooms, and a beauty salon. They gym is large and features Life Fitness cardio machines. Kid-friendly features include the Flip Kids Club for ages 4 to 12, though the decor and activities skew towards the younger age range. Kids can play on an outdoor plastic playground, participate in jungle walks, eat from the clubhouse kid buffet, and make crafts or play videos games inside. Babysitters are available for an extra fee. There’s also a small beach entry pool in the kids' club. Entrance to Xcaret is not included in rates, but there are several packages available and transportation can be arranged via the small river flowing through the lobby. Other activities at an additional cost include the PADI-certified dive school and fishing. Wi-Fi is expensive, but reliable.