To celebrate my graduation, my family went on our first vacation to an adults-only all-inclusive resort in May, and we were not disappointed. We went to Atelier Playa Mujeres, about 30 minutes away from the Cancun airport, and I am convinced it is a slice of paradise. We worked with Vacations to Remember, the best travel agency, to plan our trip, so I didn't have to lift a finger. From the moment we got out of our transport, we were met with cool towels and champagne - this was a stay I will never forget!
Dining
As this was our first time at an all-inclusive resort, I was not prepared for the wide array of dining options. Atelier had 7 restaurants, a coffee shop, and multiple bars for us to try out. However, it is also connected to Atelier Estudio Playa Mujeres, the family side, which had even more restaurants that we could check out. I love that they had a variety of authentic cuisines such as Mexican, Italian, and Asian. I am a pretty picky eater, but I tried to venture outside of my comfort zone and try new foods. Here are my top three meals:
Mercado 19 is the Mexican restaurant at the resort, and it was incredible! We ate there for dinner on our first night, but I was amazed at the breakfast buffet. There were endless options from pastries, a smoothie bar, an omelet station, a quesadilla station, and more! We ate here most mornings because of the variety, and my absolute favorite meal was a made-to-order omelet (with bacon and cheese), french toast waffles, and a fresh smoothie.
Los Abrazos is a steakhouse, and I was pleasantly surprised with my meal there. It was one of the fancier restaurants with an endless salad bar (have you ever seen jams and jellies on a salad bar in the US?!) and the perfect ambiance for dinner. I don't eat steak, so I tried the shrimp served over creamy saffron rice. I normally don't serve my shrimp at home with the heads on, but the taste made up for the presentation. The rice was so creamy that it made the shrimp a bit soggy, but the flavors were incredible.
GUACAMOLE - need I say more? There is just something about sitting by the pool in Mexico eating fresh guacamole and pico. We had guac at a lot of the restaurants, and I have been dreaming of that guac and pico with fresh tortilla chips combo since I have been home. Nothing here even begins to compare!
On top of all of the incredible restaurants, we took advantage of bar and food service by the pool AND 24/7 room service, all of which were included in our stay!
Activities
Of course, I went on vacation for some much-needed rest and relaxation, but I couldn't just sit by the pool all day. The resort had activities throughout the day, and our favorite was the arts and crafts which allowed us to make FREE souvenirs to take home. We made sand dollars and oil paintings, which were so fun. They even had a DIY T-shirt activity, but we missed that one due to our excursion.
If crafts aren't your thing and you need more of an adrenaline rush, you would love kayaking. We kayaked (to what seemed like the middle of the ocean), and it was a BLAST. We had an amazing instructor (Alejandro is the BEST), and he helped my aunt and me learn how to kayak. We went out on a day when the water was pretty rough, but we somehow managed to stay upright. Along the beachfront, there was a company (not associated with the resort) that offered parasailing, which was #1 on my list of things to do on vacation. We took a small boat out to the larger boat in the ocean. Once we transferred to the larger boat, we got on our harnesses, and you can see the rest in the photos below. It was stunning to get a sky view of the ocean and resorts; we were able to see sea turtles while we were parasailing. For a little extra $$, they took photos of us and gave us the SD card to view them once we got home!
At night, they had shows that you could sit back and enjoy. They had an 80s show, a beach bonfire, and a karaoke night while we were there. My favorite was definitely the beach bonfire. We sat on beach chairs by the ocean, roasted marshmallows in the fire, and enjoyed the live music - definitely a night I won't forget anytime soon.
Although the resort was AMAZING, we did venture off for an excursion. The hotel had a tour desk, led by Best Day Experiences, which helped us set up our excursion to Isla Contoy and Isla Mujeres through Ocean Tours. Isla Contoy is an uninhabited island and national park, so only 200 people can visit per day. We spent about two hours there - mostly on the beach. Our tour guides cooked us a great lunch (we literally watched them catch the fish on our boat ride there) then they took us on a tour of the island. We did a small hike to one of the highest points of the island; from there, we could see the entire island and the ocean - WHAT A VIEW! If you ever take a trip to Isla Contoy, make sure to pack a rash guard - to protect the reefs, sunscreen isn't allowed. After Isla Contoy, we hopped back on the boat over to Isla Mujeres where we did some souvenir shopping. We didn't spend a lot of time here since Isla Contoy was the highlight of the excursion. After that, we hopped back on the boat and got to snorkel as our last stop before returning to the port. This was my first time snorkeling, and I was simply in awe. The ocean was not deep at all where we snorkeled (maybe 10-15 feet?), and they had man-made statues under the surface for the reefs to grow on top. You'll just have to book a trip yourself to see it!
Spa
If there is one thing to know about me, it is that I absolutely love massages. It is something about slipping on a robe and being pampered that I can't pass up. So, once I got over the price ($$$$$$), I booked a massage at NUUP Spa at the resort. Included with all spa services is the hydrotherapy circuit, which I did with my mom before our massages. That alone was well worth my money! Since I have no idea all of the terminologies, you'll just have to head over to their website to check it out yourself. We got to stay in the large pool with all of these different massaging jets for about 30 minutes at the end of the hydrotherapy circuit before our massage. Let's just say I was so relaxed that I don't remember most of my massage. Since my mom's service was longer than mine, they let me hang out in a room with snacks until she was done. 10/10
Final Thoughts
If I could go back to Atelier right now, I absolutely would! Our only complaint was that our rooms were loud during the day due to construction, but we were only in our room to sleep (and they offered to move our room). From the moment we stepped out of our transfer to the moment we returned to the airport, we were well taken care of by the staff (Alejandro crushed the activities and Freddy made the best drinks!). I could not have imagined a better vacation. Now, my problem is trying to find another resort that can top this one. If you have any recommendations, drop them in the comments below. If you are considering an all-inclusive resort in Mexico, Atelier is the place to go - let me know if you have any questions about our stay!