Mexico City was a wonderful cultural spot I’d recommend to anyone. It was a great way to start the rest of our vacation. After an awesome evening celebrating the beginning of my birthday, today was even better. We left Mexico City at dawn, headed to Cancún, Quintana Roo for a little sun. Here, we’d planned a couple of initial nights’ stay at an all-inclusive adults only hotel called Secrets The Vine, Cancún. I watched the sun rise from Benito Juárez airport before we took off.
Arriving at Secrets The Vine, Cancún
It was lovely rocking up at the hotel. The welcoming staff greeted us with chilled hand towels and a glass of champagne each. It was then time to check in, so we left our bags while we waited for our hotel room to become ready.
The next bit is my absolute favourite of any all inclusive hotel. Checking out the buffet area, and enjoying my first alcoholic drink! We hadn’t eaten all day during the two hour flight, so we were pretty excited to arrive. My first course of a few obviously had to involve some guacamole and other Mexican food. And a margarita, of course. The ocean’s beautiful shades of blue already had us excited to get out on the beach.
We set out to enjoy the glorious views and explore the pool and beach areas. It’s so lovely to not have to worry about food and drink, even if the dining scene in Mexico City is amazing. The ocean in Cancún is just beautiful.
The hotel hosts a number of activities daily, including anything from yoga classes to paella making, to gambling. It makes a relatively relaxed vacation a lot more fun to enjoy. We relaxed by the pool with some icy cold drinks while we waited for our room to become ready.
Our Room at Secrets The Vine, Cancún
We didn’t have to wait too long for our room. It was located on the seventeenth floor, although I believe the number is inflated slightly to make the rooms seem higher above ground. We were pretty overwhelmed by the generous amount of space in the room. It was light and airy, and there were his and hers sinks.
The star feature of our room, however, is the magnificent view. All rooms in the hotel are classified ocean view. At first it appears you’re looking to Cancún’s lagoon to the right. Look to your left, however, and you’ll see the glorious blues of the Caribbean sea.
A Birthday on the Beach
Officially checked in and bags dropped in the room, it was time to go and celebrate my birthday. We headed first for the beach to get a closer glimpse of the Caribbean sea. I was armed with bubbles, of course.
The best thing about Secrets The Vine Cancún is that it’s situated on the beach. You can quickly slip between sunbathing on the beach to the pool effortlessly. Cold drinks, beer, cocktails, and any other drink you may fancy are delivered to both areas.
The beach itself is glorious, and the ocean an insane colour of blue. In this area of Cancún, the sea is a little rough so it can be difficult to swim in. The hotel staff are pretty meticulous about cleaning up the seaweed which is good. For me, the only downside of relaxing at the beach is the vendors that sometimes come past selling things.
We relaxed and sunbathed for a while, soaking up the powerful sun. I even enjoyed a birthday nap, before getting back onto the cocktails. We stayed on the beach for a while before heading into the hotel’s large jacuzzi.
It really is the perfect place to relax and watch the sun go down with a salty margarita. I like mine extra spicy!
The sun finally set after turning the sky a pretty blush colour. We headed back to the room to freshen up and sample the hotel’s bars and restaurants.
Time for Dinner
Lucky for us, Secrets The Vine, Cancún has various restaurants and bars for guests to choose from. Seeing as it was my birthday, we wanted something a little fancier. We chose Blue Water Grill, and got ready while enjoying the glorious view from our balcony with a drink.
We arrived for dinner around 8pm, and were seated straight away. Our server brought over a bread basket, and I had a tasty tuna tartare to start.
Next up was a fillet steak, truffle mash, and roasted vegetables. The steak was a little overcooked for my liking, but I’d have been happy with a plate of the truffle mash on its own. Delicious!
We finished up by sharing a tasty New York cheesecake, which well truly hit the spot. Feeling ridiculously full, we went to scout out the entertainment in the hotel. It’s definitely targeted at a slightly older audience, but was hilarious nonetheless. We sat at a crooner evening with a glass of wine which was certainly entertaining. Feeling tired, we headed back to the room to watch Ru Paul’s Drag Race and get an early night after a long day.
A Relaxing Pool Day at Secrets The Vine, Cancún
The next day, we woke at sunrise. Taking a look outside and seeing the sun always makes me happy to get up and about. We began the day with a relaxing yoga class run by the hotel.
Next up: breakfast. Naturally we had mimosas too. The hotel puts on a pretty good display for breakfast too. There’s anything from fruit, to eggs and bacon, to smoked salmon, and Mexican cuisine. It was good but not as amazing as the hotel breakfasts at Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza.
Sun beds get taken pretty early, but thankfully I don’t think the hotel was near capacity when we visited. We found a couple of sun beds on the pool, which is lovely for dipping your toes when it gets too hot! We grabbed our books and settled in for the day, with mimosas being delivered every so often.
Our day was super relaxing, filled with cocktails and seafood from the Sea Salt Grill. It’s the perfect way to relax, particularly after our busy weekend in Mexico City. Feeling pretty zapped, we had an early one once again.
Catching the Sunrise in Cancún
One advantage of going to bed early is being able to wake up early. There’s nothing more I love than a good sunrise when you’re away somewhere sunny and hot. We hit the beach and soaked in the views.
Our Last Day at Secrets The Vine, Cancún
Booked in for just two nights at Secrets The Vine, Cancún, our last day came round pretty quickly. It’s the perfect break for a few relaxing days away. It’s also wonderful not needing to worry about food or drink for a while. Although we weren’t leaving Cancún just yet, it was nice to know we’d have a little freedom outside the resort for a few days.
We enjoyed another beach day. The blue hues of the water never really get old. We were lucky enough to snag some sun beds that looked out onto the water so it was great simply to relax and take in the views.
We mixed up the day with a little beach time. I still can’t get over the crystal clear water of the ocean – it’s so beautiful.
The Last Supper
We had our last supper at Dragons, the hotel’s Asian fusion restaurant. One point to add is the hotel is awesome at allowing you to stay post checkout. They’re also totally fine with you using all the facilities and restaurants.
We began with some sushi. It wasn’t quite Vancouver sushi (I’m extremely biased), but it hit the spot. This was followed by a Malaysian curry, which was a little style over substance. The presentation was lovely, and the staff do recommend starters to be fair. We did finish off with dessert, although I chose chicken satay skewers instead. I’m definitely a savoury over sweet kinda gal (I’m sweet enough).
Overall, it was a wonderful stay at Secrets The Vine, Cancún. The staff are extremely accommodating and friendly. The drinks and food are pretty good. It’s perfect for a relaxing stay. I think two nights in an all inclusive hotel is enough for me, and I’m excited to tell you about the rest of our time in Cancún, including Spring Break. You’ll see more shortly!
Have you stayed at Secrets The Vine, Cancún? What were your thoughts? Perhaps you stay somewhere else in Cancún? Let me know all your recommendations below!
Looks fantastic!