Mexican travel-All Inclusive or Share a House

We just got back from Cancun, where we did the all-inclusive thing for the first time, and it's a great thing to do with kids. You don't have to worry about paying for meals, drinks, etc. Most family oriented all-inclusives have kids' activities, and many also have entertainment for adults. We met a few families who had older kids and they keep going on these type of vacations because there's something for everyone. Also, the resorts are on the beach and have a pool. You don't know if this is going to be the case with a house, where you will also have to deal with food/cooking, cleaning, etc.

Hi Ruth,

I have stayed in Akumal 2x and enjoyed it both. I haven't been to Cancun, but wanted a smallish resort. The second place we stayed was a great experience. I can't comment on the condo/house option except to say it might not be as much of a vacation for whomever cooks in the family. I think some people like it to save money and have space. It depends on how you feel about giving up amenities.

I'll share with you the place that we stayed.

Club Oasis Akumal is now owned by an Italian company called VENTA resorts and they have a website. It is an all-inclusive that we found reasonably priced at the time we went (2 years ago) and time of year GREATLY affects rates. We didn't have one problem. The food was delicious, a mixture of Mexican-Italian-American. We happened to arrive on New Year's Eve and there was a great buffet with shellfish and lots of great stuff. The waitstaff was so nice. And because of the ownership there was an espresso machine at the bar and we could get lattes anytime of day along with pina coladas, etc. There was also nice kids club staff if parents want a break, and decent snorkling right off the beach. The first place I stayed years before had even better snorkling, but not as well run.

The downside of Club Oasis Akumal was that entertainment was just okay and there are some with better nightly shows.

Akumal is a 90 minute drive south of Cancun airport and I found a better deal with APPLE VACATIONS that included transportation. They may have had larger units on site; we had a hotel room and space can be a downside of the hotel option.

I love the Riviera Maya area, might try Tulum next time.

Good luck!

Cheryl

I go to Mexico every year (twice last year) and I always stay at a resort. I personally prefer it because they have everything you need right on the resort (pools, spa, grocery store, restaurants, etc.) Very convenient. The only downside I can think about renting a house is not having access to everything in one convenient location and not having the 24 hour service (it's a vacation right.....gotta have the service).

I've had great experiences renting homes. My husband and I happened upon a website called vrbo.com (standing for "vacation rentals by owner.") You can check out homes all over the world and I know they have tons of listings in Mexico because we've looked into it ourselves. The listings are very thorough, telling you all of the amenities, how many people a home can comfortably fit, if kids are welcome, availibility etc... And you end up corresponding with the owner, so you can ask specific questions, get local recommendations which I like.

We found a home to rent when we went to Maui with our 2.5 year old. It sounds extravagent, but it was much cheaper than a hotel! We wanted a private place that was remote and romantic but would still take kids. The beauty of a house is that you can put the kids to bed and still have the whole house to yourself vs. a hotel where once you put the kids to bed, someone has to stay in the dark with a booklight! with the kids. You also have the advantage of cooking for yourselves, which I like, although others don't. I think it saves $$ plus you can still go out whenever you want.

But we loved renting our own place for the privacy and space, and we also ended up feeling like we had a more a authentic experience of the island. Good luck finding something!

If money is tight, all-inclusive is a great way to go. Just make sure that you are very clear about anything they might be sneakily excluding from your package in the fine print (eg. if you like a glass of wine at dinner you might find out later the bar tab was excluded). All inclusive is great because from beginning to end you know EXACTLY how much you will be spending and how much is set aside for souvenirs...no surprises. The down side is that you are stuck "on site" for everything and will have to pay if you want to wander off and eat somewhere else which, kind of defeats the purpose.

If you find a house to share that can be good too, but even the best laid plans to make a budget for buying groceries and eating in tend to morph into grocery bills that climb higher than expected, someone wanting to eat out and the groceries going to waste one night....just a few thoughts from a gal who has spent a LOT of nights far far from home! Good luck and most important, have a great time....leave the worries where they live!

We've done all inclusive in aruba, puerto vallarta and dominican republic. We would never go any other way! You never have to carry cash with you. most of the non motorized activities are inluded. The hotels offer great kiddie camps or at least activities for the kids. Best of luck and have a great time. I've heard riviera maya is great.

Hi Ruth,

I have yet to travel to a different country w/my infant, but I have been to an all inclusive in Playa del Carmen and found it to be wonderful. If you truly want some down time for yourself, I think all-inclusive is the way to go. The food is prepared for you, there are constant activities for you and for the children. There is even babysitting available. If you rent a house the adults will be responsible for shopping, cooking and entertaining the kids. It would be the same amount of work as being at home, just a more luxurious setting. That's not a vacation. You and the other adults could take turns babysitting at night, so that each couple would have a "date" night out. Just make sure you have rooms next to each other or adjoining. The Riu resorts are really wonderful. Also, the resorts have day trips and excursions you can sign up for such as snorkeling and visiting ruins. You just pick one, pay for it and they do all the work. Visit Vacationoutlet.com also--it lists low price vacations. I got my honeymoon trip through them. Good Luck and have a great vacation.

J.

All-Inclusive!!!!!!!!! Sharing a house can start out seeming a lot cheaper, however the expenses start to really add up. *You have to be really careful about the food you purchase etc. becuase there are a lot of things (friuts, natural bacteria's in foods) that our "FDA" bodies are not used to and can make us really sick. There are a lot of varieties of foods to choose from at the resorts and since food is included it is also served all day! YEAY!
*Vehicle rental, to travel to and from grocery shopping entertainment, touring etc...and dealing with driving in another country can be a little nerve racking, also if you get pulled over in Mexico, you have to be careful as a tourist. I've heard lots and lots of horror stories and I wouldn't want kids there for that. You won't need a car at the resort.
*Water sports are available at the resorts for kids, but usually not at the rental homes, except for higher cost at the beach.
*Pool and a private beach are available at the resorts, whereas you will usually be going to a public beach with a rental, and there is no privacy, and you will be bombarded because you are American with offers of goods and wares every 2 minutes.
All in all there will be more for the kids to do at the All-Inclusive resort, and they usually have a kids club with activities and events for the kids, as well as other fun entertainment. You will feel more comfortable and be able to relax a lot more knowing that you kids are safe and entertained on the resort grounds than you will in a house, where you will still be on normal (not vacation) mom duty however on high alert trying to entertain them yourself and keep an eye on all of them at once.
All-Inclusive!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it depends on how compatible you are with the other family. The nice thing about being at a resort together is that you can spend time and retreat to your own space as well. I think for a first trip with someone, neutral territory is a good thing.

We've shared a rental house with another family (that we are related to) and that worked out well, too. The kids like bunking with other kids and it's more of a sleepover adventure for all of them. Also, we parents can stay up late playing cards or watching TV or whatever.

So really, it comes down to how flexible and compatible both families are. Are you tolerant of other people having different ideas about messiness or changing the schedule at the last minute, that type of thing? Do you have similar TV-watching and discipline styles? Does one family stay up late, and one family get up first thing? If any of the 4 adults are people who really like things done the way they want them, I wouldn't recommend it.