Let’s talk about Cancun.
All-inclusive resorts versus timeshares. Having experienced both – here’s an objective comparison based on our stays.
We chose an all-inclusive at The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences in Playa del Carmen. We realized we never left the resort unless we went on a tour.
Our unit had a sparely furnished kitchen, family room, and master suite.
The standout feature was the upstairs balcony with outdoor seating and a private plunge tub overlooking the pools.
The hotel had great food in the different restaurants…you booked reservations when you checked in and they had a central buffet that operated extended hours.
We loved an experience they offered called Casa de Rosa where we were taught as a family how to cook an authentic Mexican meal and we ate it together.
All of my kids had a great time. You are also by a jungle habitat, so you get occasional wildlife sightings – monkeys, coatis walking around your resort!
For the timeshare option, we stayed at the Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort in Cancun’s Hotel Zone.
The property itself is very well-maintained, with some themed buffet dinners that were really delicious. Units feature full kitchens, which let us to stock up on groceries and eat breakfasts in our room. Directly across the street lies La Isla Shopping Village, an open-air mall with upscale dining options encircling a lagoon; we made a habit of sunset dinners there.
We spent a lot of the time off-property, exploring cenotes, ruins, & zip lines, The centralized location of this hotel was ideal for explorers & active vacations.
One shared drawback: both properties contend with seasonal sargassum seaweed, which accumulates on beaches and cuts out ocean swimming. It also smells horrible.
All-inclusive suits those seeking a contained vacation; timeshare works better for independent itineraries.
Which one would you chose?