After recently returning from an extremely relaxing and beautiful stay at Secrets the Vine in Cancun, I can safely say again that the AMResorts brands and more specifically Secrets Resorts are some of my favorite all-inclusives to recommend for clients. The quality I’ve experienced at ones I’ve personally experienced has exceeded my expectations and the value is unbeatable as far as adults only resorts go.
Secrets the Vine is a tall building located in the hotel zone of Cancun. It is common for resorts in this area to be more compact rather than sprawling like the ones in the Riviera Maya. This is because there are a lot more resorts in a smaller space.
I would say about half of The Vine’s 8 restaurants are located on the ground floor and half on the twelfth floor, where you can also find a gorgeous infinity pool, the fitness center, and the spa.
The pros:
When many people think Cancun they think of wild parties, young kids, and huge crowds of people. If you’re staying at Secrets the Vine though, I want you to imagine an entirely different scene. Let’s go with upscale adults socializing and lounging by pools or on sofas in common areas, martinis in hand. There are lots of couples that stay there but I did see some singles and groups of friends as well.
As far as food goes, the restaurants are all very good. The cuisine is high quality and the selection is really great compared to many all-inclusives in the area. Breakfast is a buffet in the Market Cafe with a chef to cook omelettes, eggs, crepes, and waffles. Everything is really fresh and changed regularly.
The service by the pool is better than almost all resorts I’ve been to. The servers are constantly passing through and are very friendly. No one seemed expectant of a tip throughout our entire stay at the resort, although I’m sure they appreciated them when received. The evening bartender at the Vine Bar was awesome, energetic, and listened to my drink preferences to create a drink he thought I’d like based on my tastes.
The beach is beautiful and has some electric turquoise blue water. Because of the season I visited, there was a bit of seaweed on the beach but I will say that Secrets the Vine cleaned it up much better than any of the surrounding resorts. The sand there is white, powdery, and soft.
The cons:
One of my promises when doing accommodation reviews is to always be honest and objective, which I think is one of the things that differentiates from many other travel advisors and bloggers! So here we go with the not-so-long list of negatives about Secrets the Vine.
One of the main reasons I chose Secrets the Vine to stay instead of one of the hundreds of other resorts in the area is because of their focus on wine, hence the name “The Vine”. I’ve read that they have sommelier-led wine tastings and a huge selection of wines available. Myself being a wine-o I thought it was meant to be.
However, I found out on arrival that included with the all-inclusive plan, there are only a few wine options. There are one or two white wines, a merlot, and a red blend. You can also get cabernet if you go to the Italian restaurant called Nebbiolo for dinner. The photos on their website that show the gigantic wine wall that stretches from floor to ceiling was a bit misleading because upon closer inspection I found that the hundreds of wine bottles in the racks were all the same kind–Tavernello red blend!
They do have lots of other wines you can purchase at the resort for an additional charge of course, but in true all-inclusive fashion, they were grossly overpriced for brands that can be purchased at home for a fraction of the price.
Another thing you may want to be aware of before visiting here is that there is no swim-up bar. I know for some travelers that is a huge deal and to others it’s not, so I thought it worth mentioning. Of course there is a pool bar, but you’ll have to get a few steps in to get to it instead of simply wading over.
Overall, I’d say the resort is perfect for upscale couples and friends and a great value for a gorgeous resort in the Cancun area. If you’ve been to the Riviera Maya in the past and looking to experience something different or a change of scenery, you may also be interested in giving this place a try.
Check out my property tour video below!
If you have any specific questions about the resort at all or any personal input on what you thought of it, please don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments. I’d love to hear your feedback!
As Always,
CAITLYN WITHOUT A COMPASS
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