FAMILY-FRIENDLY RESORTS IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN
Traveling with kids is a lot of fun, but it also takes work. When traveling with kids, you must stay in a kid-friendly hotel. Luckily for you, some of the best kid-friendly resorts are in Playa Del Carmen. Playa Del Carmen is one of the best places to travel with kids.
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We lived in Playa Del Carmen for nearly a year and only scratched the surface of everything this place has to offer. If your family is looking for fun in the sun at a reasonable price, then Playa Del Carmen is the place for you.
BEST ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORTS FOR FAMILIES
We go to a different all-inclusive resort once a month to treat ourselves. We usually go more often during the off-season because that’s when prices are the lowest.
Based on our experience and research, these are the best all-inclusive resorts for families. These resorts are kid-friendly and offer fun activities for the entire family.
Hotel Xcaret
If you are looking for the ultimate experience and want to take advantage of a lot of activities in Playa Del Carmen without doing any of the planning, then Hotel Xcaret may be the perfect place for your family.
Hotel Xcaret is a unique hotel that offers an all-fun-inclusive model. That means you can visit each one of their parks and take part in all of the tours, at no additional costs.
This is one of the best kid-friendly resorts in Playa Del Carmen with 7 parks, 5 tours, 12 restaurants, a kid’s club, a teen’s club, kayaking, and so much more.
You may be skeptical, but there is no cost to go to the parks or tours. As if that wasn’t enough, all of the food and drinks are included.
Your entire vacation is taken care of without having to arrange transportation, tours, different accommodation, or activities.
Note: There are a few exceptions to the all-inclusive model. The spa and the 5-star restaurant are the only things not included in the cost of the hotel.
If you do not want to pay additional money, you can opt not to participate in the optional activities.
What makes this place great is the meals you can enjoy while you enjoy the parks and tours. Stop by any of the restaurants at the parks to eat as much as you want, whenever you want.
I will say we took a last-minute trip here when we first moved to Playa Del Carmen, and it was a lot of fun. We only stayed for four days and three nights, so we couldn’t take advantage of everything this hotel has to offer, but we had a lot of fun.
Related Post: Hotel Xcaret with Kids: Our Honest Review
Occidental at Xcaret Destination
For budget conscience families that want to visit Xcaret Park, this is the perfect alternative. Do not get this confused with Hotel Xcaret. This hotel has nowhere near the luxury or all-inclusive features that Xcaret has to offer.
Occidental at Xcaret Destination is the best alternative for families with plans, especially if you have a rental car.
This kid-friendly resort has a children’s program, scuba diving lessons, 7 swimming pools, 11 restaurants, 10 bars, and a nightclub.
There isn’t much to do at the hotel, so I only recommend this place if you have plans outside of the resort.
Remember, although it’s next to Hotel Xcaret, it does not include entry into the parks or tours. If you choose the upgrade, it only includes admission to Xcaret.
For families wanting an unbelievable 5-star experience, I recommend staying at Hotel Xcaret. You get a better overall value with the parks, food, and transportation all included.
Grand Velas Riviera Maya
Sandos Caracol Eco Resort
We had a long weekend, so we decided to spend a few days at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort. Since the location is only a 15-minute cab ride from our apartment, we figured why not check it out.
Going down the slides at the water park A monkey hung out on our balcony
I will say this resort is beautiful, and with it being in a less developed area, you get the jungle feel.
There is a waterpark, cenotes, kids’ club, and activities for the entire family to enjoy. You may even get lucky and see some of the cute wildlife that calls this place home.
We got lucky when a monkey and its baby decided to hang out with us on our balcony, not long after we arrived. They stayed with us for nearly an hour, so that was a great experience for us. The same little family followed us around throughout the resort.
The best place here for kids is the water park. Our son had a blast and even got the courage to go down the water slides by himself.
One thing that should be noted about this place is the food. The food was less than cafeteria quality, with few selections, and a repetitive menu.
We were eating at the same place every day for breakfast and lunch. There were a few options for dinner.
Honestly, dinner wasn’t much better, so if you are looking for a place that’ll be fun for the kids, this could fit the bill, but you have been warned the food is not that good.
Panama Jack Resorts
We are heading to Panama Jack’s next month, so we’ll have a full review available soon. For now, we can tell you everything this resort has to offer for families.
Your kids will look forward to their time at Camp Jack. Everything about this place is for kids.
There are fun activities such as face painting, water sports, mini-golf, a ball-pit, jungle gym, arts & crafts, and nightly show. The only downside is the age requirement kids 4-years-old and up can be dropped off.
Don’t get discouraged if your little one is under 4-years-old. They usually allow kids under four to stay and play, but a parent has to be present. That’s the only bummer if you have young toddlers.
Since this is an all-inclusive resort you have the choice to dine at 6 restaurants or grab a drink at 5 different bars/lounges, plus a coffee house.
After eating you can grab a free bike and explore the hotel or grab snorkel gear and hang out on the beach.
The possibilities here are endless, especially given how kid-friendly this resort is in Playa Del Carmen.
I highly recommend this resort to families with kids between 2 and 19 years old. Even if you have teenagers, they may enjoy the teen club and find other new friends to hang out with during your vacation.
Note: Babysitting services are available for an additional charge.
Grand Palladium White Sand Resort & Spa
Playacar Palace
Viva Wyndham Maya
Ocean Riviera Paradise
THE BEST KID-FRIENDLY RESORTS IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN
The resorts in this section are perfect for kids. They may or may not be all-inclusive, but your kids are guaranteed to have a blast.
The best kid-friendly resorts on our lists have something for everyone. Kids and adults of all ages will have fun.
Related Post: Chichen Itza with Kids
Grand Riviera Princess
Paradisus La Esmeralda Playa Del Carmen
For all parents with babies, this is one of the best places in Playa Del Carmen for families with toddlers under 4-years-old.
Many of the resorts in Playa Del Carmen require kids to be potty trained and 4-years-old or older.
Paradisus La Esmeralda Playa Del Carmen has a nursery club for babies ages 12 months to 3-years-old so you can enjoy your vacation with your little one.
Unfortunately, the baby nurse was close, due to the pandemic, but we still had a good time.
Hanging out with a margarita without the kid Our little guy heading to the beach at Paradisus
Along with having a baby nursery and kids club, there are different activities for families, plus a water park.
To take your experience to the next level, you could always upgrade to the family concierge option. This option opens up a new world for families, especially if you have a large group.
Upgrading will get you access to a personal concierge, exclusive areas, a private beach, upgraded suite, private family fitness facilities, PS4, Xbox, and so much more.
We didn’t upgrade our room, since a lot of the activities were closed we didn’t think the additional cost was worth it.
For more information on our time at Paradisus, check out our review below.
Related Post: Paradisus La Esmeralda Review