Hotel Xcaret Arte

Me and my sister were there on the early side of September and had an absolute incredible time! I have been to a few other nice resorts in this area and they didn’t compare. The food was fantastic and the design/layout of the resort is so beautiful. Plenty of options for every day to be a little different and the spa is hands down worth treating yourself! Their staff was phenomenal as well - we had such lovely experiences with Alexis and Keven at the pools, which made such a difference for downtime at the resort. I will without a doubt be booking a return trip to this resort.

Travelling from the UK, we stayed at this resort for 14 days to celebrate my wife’s 50th birthday and our wedding anniversary. For the first 7 days, we stayed in Casa del Diseño in a garden view room and then upgraded to Casa de los Artistas for the last 7 days. On arrival after 16 hours of travel, we were greeted with smiles and ice pops and escorted to the lobby of our Casa for check-in, which was really simple and relaxing. We were met at our room by the bellboy with our luggage, who showed us all the facilities in our room and explained how to use the tv for services and who to call for assistance. After unpacking, we decided to try the buffet at Mercado de San Juan. This restaurant was very overwhelming as there is so much choice, so a little walk around the various food stations was a must before making selections. This restaurant has quite a relaxed atmosphere and a casual dress code. During the first few days, we spent our time at the rooftop pool of our Casa. You are greeted by friendly staff who help you select a sunbed that best suits your level of sun required - full sun/part shade, etc. They have a very good system in place which stops overcrowding or guests hogging loungers when they are not present. Drinks service started at 10am and food from 11am. The staff are so attentive with the service they provide. Unfortunately, I can’t remember everyone’s names apart from Jesus who was the waiter for our section, always smiling and checking in on us to make sure we had everything we needed. Mixology is a big part of the drinks service at all the bars, so we felt obliged (lol) to try everything on the menu - some people might say they are low on alcohol, but for our tastes, they were great. Restaurants - most of our a la carte reservations were made 30 days prior to our arrival. Dietary requirements/allergies were provided by us at this time , but you are asked at every restaurant before being seated if you have any food restrictions. I don’t eat seafood, so this was perfect for me as I was provided with alternatives. Chino Poblano was a perfect example as they have a set tasting menu, but the chefs made dishes to look the same but using different ingredients. Because of my seafood problem, we did skip some restaurants. Arenal is seafood for lunch, but a meat lovers paradise in the evening. Abi, the waiter we had here one evening was very helpful with explaining the dishes, and again, very attentive during our evening. After having a sharing starter, I had a ribeye steak which was cooked wonderfully but was so big, that it beat me and I was unable to finish - shame on me 😂. We had a la carte and teppanyaki at Tah Xido - teppanyaki being my favourite of the two due to the seafood issue. A fantastic way to start the day was having breakfast at the rooftop restaurant Apapacho. Fruit dishes, smoothies, pancakes and lots of Mexican coffee in a serene, hot location with great view and little touches like the hand cleansing practice before eating set the mood for the day. On the morning of our anniversary, we visited Muluk Spa. Hydrotherapy followed by a 50 minute massage and facial was wonderful. I work in construction so this was just what my body needed. The spa is set in a cave like setting with a tranquil view of the river. My wife wished that she was in a separate room for the massage to me as I fell asleep and started snoring 😂😂. When choosing our room in the Artistas building, we were shown balcony views of the available rooms on an iPad. The room we chose had the perfect view - ocean, river and the chapel. Staying in Artistas allowed us to eat at Kibi Kibi and also gave us access to the Mexico side of the resort. The butler service was great as the gentlemen would help with restaurant bookings, message you daily with reminders and advise for activities using WhatsApp and in person. Having spent most of our first week visiting parks and excursions, we spent most days at the Artistas rooftop pool. Again, the staff here were so attentive. Their guest log would help them assign sun beds and when cabanas became available, they would offer them to guests on a first come basis which worked perfectly. A big thank you to Crhristopher, Mariana, Melissa and Ruth - you looked after us so well and made us feel very special. We arrived as guests and left as friends. Kibi Kibi - unless in Artistas, this restaurant is an additional cost for dinner. We had breakfast here a few times, which was great. However, one Evening meal did not go so well. We both ordered the venison, which unfortunately was tougher than leather. The waitress and the manager were so apologetic and wanted to make our experience a good one, so got us order another dish, which we did. Unfortunately, the small slices of steak in our 2nd dish were also tough. Again, the manager apologised and asked us to bear with them whilst they prepared something else for us - a nice juicy rib eye. By this time, we ate what we could but did not manage to finish as we were getting full. Cannot fault the waitress or the manager as they did want us to have an enjoyable meal. El Deseo speakeasy - we ventured into this venue one evening. A band was playing live music. I don’t know how this venue can be called a speakeasy - the music was very loud that we couldn’t talk to each other (lol). If you want a drink where you are hit with alcahol - this is where you’ll find it. We are not much of a couple that drink a lot now, so we left after one drink but at least we had the experience. Room Service - order through the tv screen, you receive a call to confirm order and eta. Great when you’ve had a day at the parks or haven’t made a dinner reservation. The hotel grounds - we enjoyed strolling the grounds of the resort. There is so much to see, that time needs to be allocated to find all of the hidden gems, artwork and displays in the other Casas and the views from the chapel. Parks - having travelled to the region for many years, we have visited many of the parks before. On this visit we did Xenotes which was a great day out and had a really fun tour guide - Isa. We had to do Xplor now that the new water slide is open - as our group for the raft was at maximum allowed weight, we went very fast and high compared to other rafts we watched from the walk up the tower. Just to make sure it wasn’t a one off, we went on it again during the Fuego session. The slide is fun and scary at the same time. On this visit, we finally went to see the show at Xcaret park. We paid for the dinner which also provided us with seats for a great view. With so much happening on a huge stage, it can be difficult to see everything. However the show is tremendous and definitely a must to see. Having stayed at Hotel Xcaret Mexico three years ago, being in Artistas, we now had access to venture round the new part. Although not completely finished at the time of visit, it is very grand and continues to impress with the design and ideas that surround it. One negative I have about the two rooftop pools we used - when the DJ played music, the volume was too loud. You can hear music across the rooftops from other casas. When trying to relax and have a conversation, the last thing you want is boom boom in your ear. In summary, we had a fantastic 2 weeks staying at Xcaret Arte. Would we return? - ABSOLUTELY - I WOULD NOT NEED TO BE ASKED TWICE!! The bar has been set high for a hotel with so much to offer. However, the cost of travelling from the UK means that it costs a small fortune now and also, TUI UK does not offer Arte until the beginning of the year for that summer so you cannot book very far in advance

I wanted to recognize Ariel Cortez for his kindness and hospitality. My wife and I were swimming at the beach when Ariel approached us and made us some amazing margaritas. He provided great conversation, was very funny and extremely kind. Thank you Ariel and Hotel Arte Management, please recognize him for his service, you are lucky to have him on your team.

The rooftop ambiance was enhanced by the music, and the service provided by Uriel S. and Paula was commendable. This establishment offers a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Believe the reviews and the hype, it’s worth the price! Thank God for the day I saw this hotel on Tik Tok. Aside from a rocky start, this resort was outstanding! Room: we had a garden view in the Casa de la piramide. The nature of the Mayan jungle surrounding these rooms leaves you breathless, the aesthetics and art are beautiful so even the basic room is worth every penny and leaves you feeling like you are living in luxury everyday. The TV in the room is your guide to everything Hotel Arte. You can order room service, see the different activities, see your bookings and reservations, watch Netflix and even see airport departure. Use this to your advantage in planning your holiday. Also download the app, that helps you to navigate the hotel and all its secret treasures. Restaurants: You will undoubtedly done your research by now on the plethora of different dining experiences to explore at Hotel Arte, Mercado de San Juan (the Mexican buffet) was our favourite. There was always a variety of options, despite the picky eaters in our family. Multiple freshly made food stations set amoung buffet style options gives guests many options to choose from. Arenal was a close second, beautiful beach front setting; this restaurant is known for its seafood and fresh cut meats and made our night on two occasions. Cayuco was another buffet style restaurant with views of the gorgeous main pool. Smaller options than some of the other restaurants but lovely still for a change of scenery and no reservations needed. Top tip: PLEASE make sure you book your reservation for any restaurants that require them before you arrive or at least the day you arrive to avoid disappointment. Pools: There’s plenty of pools, or lounge areas and they are all wonderful areas to enjoy the holiday you want. Some areas are more lively with music and upbeat atmosphere while others are chilled and quiet. Either way, this is not a resort that you are fighting for sun lounges at 6am. One of the most beautiful is the rooftop bar in Casa de la piramide, a must try. The Parks: I won’t do a park by park review as there’s just so much to experience and everyone will enjoy different things however to not highly recommend Xcaret, Xplor and Xel-Ha would be remiss of me. The catamaran tour was one of the best experiences we had on this holiday! The…SPA! This spa, THIS SPA deserves a review of its own. I have not stopped talking about this spa since I left it! I have been to a lot of spas but have NEVER experienced anything quite like it. One word describes it, outstanding! If you spend $300 on anything, this spa experience with a massage would not leave you disappointed! It’s was not just a massage but a phenomenal experience guided by amazing staff and talented therapists. The aesthetic is beautifully craved out of the natural rock and surrounded by the jungle, it’s so peaceful. The massage was one of the best I have had, my therapist was so gentle and attentive to my needs. She really made me felt like it was her pleasure to be my massage therapist. I wish I had got more pictures but I was truly lost in my moments here. I left uplifted and relaxed, the Muluk spa made my holiday at Hotel Arte 5 star! Our arrival and orientation: Our flight was unfortunately delayed and and so we arrived to the hotel in the early hours of the morning to very little staff and the one staff member who was there to greet us and check us in didn’t really encompass the same amazing Xcaret luxury qualities as most of the staff. So, not off to a good start but from the next morning onwards most of the staff were exemplary and made you feel like royalty. This resort is so amazing but also very daunting to navigate so it would be of great benefit if Xcaret were to put an orientation in place to help new guests familiarise themselves with the resort and avoid guests missing all the wonderful aspects that this resort has to offer. All that being said, Xcaret really did live up to our expectations and it was worth the money to visit. Thank you for an amazing first time in Mexico.