Cancun / Majestic Elegance Travel Blog
I can tell based on the amount of questions I got about this trip that you guys are READY to travel, and holy cow, I was too. We all deserve a week long, all expenses paid trip after enduring all that was 2020. Back in January, we decided things looked like they were on the up and up enough to plan a trip for spring break this year. We were hopeful that by then we'd be vaccinated and the world would slowly be opening back up again. Luckily, we were right!
Cancun is somewhere that Taylor and I have both been multiple times, although I've never been entirely blown away with anywhere we've stayed. We've never stayed at the same resort twice, as we're always wanting to try something new/in a different location. We totally lucked out this trip and I'm thankful for the extensive research and review reading I did beforehand! It ended up being so worth it!
How I plan Trips
I figured this aspect of our trip might be helpful to some of you, because I know planning a trip can be overwhelming. Sometimes it's hard to even know where to start! But like I said, I am the planner when it comes to trips and that is totally fine by me. I truly enjoy sifting through pictures and reviews on Trip Advisor and I always feel more confident about our trips knowing it's been me doing the research myself.
The first step, for us at least, is deciding on when our trip is going to be. We typically plan around my school breaks because Taylor's time off is fairly flexible, so I always start with our dates. Once we have that in mind, we typically try to figure out where we want to go, or at least get a general idea.
We are big beach people, specifically I should say, all inclusive people. Over the years, it's by far been the most cost effective way for us to travel and it always makes vacation more enjoyable to me when you're not physically spending money the entire time your gone. So once we have dates, and a destination in mind, I always use Orbtiz to find a vacation package.
I feel like Orbitz gets a bad rap but really, I think it's so easy and convenient and takes so much of the planning out of a trip for me. It's also the best way to save money, in my opinion. I know someone will ask - we've only been burned by using it one time, and that was because we had to cancel the trip last minute. I hadn't chosen to buy insurance when I booked the trip (note to self, do this), so we we're SOL. Other than that, we've had no issues and we've been thrilled with all of our trips!
I typically just plug in our destination, select all inclusive, 4+ stars and above, and search by budget. After I've narrowed the hotels down to a couple of options, I plug those into trip advisor and read people's reviews. After I've read enough reviews, I just book based on whichever one sounds the best!
Through Orbitz, I always do the package so we combine flights + hotel + transportation all at one time. Then you're set! That's all there is to it!
Cancun
We love, love, love Mexico in general, but I really do like Cancun a lot. It's can be as touristy as you want it to be depending on how close to downtown you choose to stay, and it's super accessible from the Cancun airport. Most resorts are about 20 minutes away or less!
We don't typically venture off the resort property, but I've always felt safe in Cancun. The beaches are beyond gorgeous and you can't beat the weather. The people are uber friendly and we've never been anything less than thrilled with our trips there!
We've done Playa Del Carmen, Riviera Maya, and Costa Mujeres, and have loved all three. We've taken day trips to Isla Mujeres but I personally wouldn't stay on the island itself. It's really small and kind of a pain to get over to the island. You have to fly to Cancun, taxi to a boat, and boat over to the island with all of your luggage, etc. It's just always seemed like a hassle to me - super fun and easy to take a day trip but I wouldn't recommend staying there personally.
Majestic Elegance
Majestic Elegance is where we ended up staying and I can't say enough good things about it. Like I said previously, I did extensive research on it and am not exaggerating when I say I probably read 200 reviews on it. It's not fun to spend a ton of money on a trip only to be dissatisfied, so I really try to make sure we're doing it right before we spend the money! Needless to say, this place was a dream.
It's a newer hotel - it opened in November of 2019, and then COVID hit, so they really haven't been fully operating all that long. It's about 35 minutes from the airport, which is a bit farther than most (about 15 minutes from the main strip), but that's because it's been developed in a newer area of Cancun. I didn't mind the extra few minutes in the car, because it's further away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area which is what we were looking for on this trip. It also has a private, super quiet beach which we loved.
Cost
As far as cost goes, this will totally depend on when you're traveling, length of stay, and where you're flying from! We paid around $900 for 4 nights, and 5 days of all inclusive + our flights. It was insanely cheap - cheaper than any trip to Cancun we've ever done. I would say this has a lot to do with their lack of tourism right now, and how hard they've been hit by COVID, so my advice to you if you're interested in going, is to book ASAP. I imagine now that the vaccine is becoming more widely available, and more people are starting to travel again, their prices will start going up again.
Room
We stayed in a junior sweet, with a balcony jacuzzi. Our room was beautiful and definitely one of the nicest rooms we’ve stayed in! It was incredibly spacious, and the bathroom was amazing. We opted not to do a plunge pool/swim up pool room. After seeing those rooms, it's a really cool feature, but other guests still have access to the main pool that the private pools feed into, so it doesn't end up being all that private, and it was quite a bit more expensive. We also love the swim up bars, meeting other people, etc., so neither of us were super interested in having a private pool!
We did pay the extra fee to do the "elegance club" which allows you access to certain places, the adults only side of the pool, adults only side of the beach, etc. I would say that during a normal, non COVID time of year, this would've been more worth it, but for us, it wasn't hugely beneficial. The resort is already at such low capacity and there were little to no kids as it was, that I didn't feel like it was all that necessary!
The only thing I really loved about the elegance club was that it comes with a butler, which sounds crazier than it really is, but it was really nice to have! Our butler was available via What's App at any time. He helped set up dinner reservations, answered any of our questions, etc. It was like having a concierge service, via text.
Food & Drink
To be completely honest, resort food is all the same to me - it’s good! We've done 5-6 all inclusive resorts at this point and none of them have ever completely blown me away. I'm always happy with the food, but it's never been insane to me. Food is also not highest on my list of things I look for in a hotel, so if this is the most important thing to you, I'd say it was okay! None of us ever got sick (so many of you asked!), and it's not bad by any means, it's just not 5 star quality food, which again I think is pretty normal across the board. That said, we we're happy with everything we had!
A couple of things we absolutely loved - the sushi restaurant, the a la carte / sit down breakfast restaurant, the seafood restaurant, and pizza from “The McJestic”! All were phenomenal and if we stayed again, I’d do them over and over again! We also did a buffet one night, and Mexican one night, both were good just not anything crazy! A lot of you asked about dietary restrictions and this is one thing I will say they were very considerate of. Every time we checked into a restaurant they asked if we had any allergies/preferences. If this is something that's important to you, I was definitely impressed with how considerate they were of this!
I can’t say enough good things about the drinks at ME, and let’s be real, when you’re paying for all inclusive that’s important. Most places we’ve been, the drinks are just okay, and normally they don’t have top shelf options at most of the pools/bars. Top shelf liquor was available everywhere we went at ME! Pool, beach, lobby, anywhere. The bartenders took any request, made any drink you asked for, and we’re so accommodating. The lobby bar specialized in the most amazing drinks, and put so much time and effort into making super unique cocktails - better than I’ve had at some cocktail bars in KC. I was so impressed! Their espresso martini was one of the best I’ve ever had. Needless to say, we took full advantage of the resort being all inclusive. We probably did enough 1800 + Don Julio tequila shots to last a lifetime. Other favorites: malibu + soda + lime, "Victor Especial", mini beer shots, and Scooby Doo shots. I don't think we ever had a bad drink!
Service
At the pools and on the beach, our service was fantastic. Our drinks were never empty, and the servers came around every 10-15 minutes to ask if anyone needed anything. The restaurants however, were somewhat on the slower side. I think in all honesty, they’re having a hard time adjusting to having an increased number of guests, as they just started allowing more guests in the last two weeks. We were understanding of this, and I think this is something all the resorts are probably adjusting to right now. It was not by any means make or break, and would never prevent me from going back, but just something worth mentioning! I know some people have zero patience for service when it comes to hotels, so if this bothers you, just know the food service is on a little the slow side at times!
Pools / Grounds
This resort was by far the most well manicured, lush, beautiful place we've ever stayed, of anywhere we've been, not just Cancun! It is so beautiful, words and pictures don't do it any justice. The grounds are constantly being worked on, cleaned, picked up, grass is being cut, etc. It is so well taken care of and it shows.
The beach is so beautiful at ME! It's a private beach, and because it's so far from the main strip, it's very quiet and so much less crowded than any other beach we've been to in Cancun. We had no problem finding chairs, and even got to take advantage of the cabanas all three days we were there. They don't cost any extra which is not typical for most resorts!
The water is as clear as clear can be, and it was incredibly warm. I know seaweed on the beach tends to be an issue in Cancun, but the beaches at Majestic are combed every single morning and cleared of almost all seaweed. There is very little, if any left after they do this - much less than other properties we've been to!
The pools are immaculate, clean, and warm. I'm sure it had to do with the amount of people there right now, but I so appreciated not having to get up at the crack of dawn to get pool chairs. There were always chairs available with the exception of one day when we didn't venture up to the pool until late afternoon. The pools also have a handful of pool beds that we loved!
Entertainment
Just like most resorts, there is some kind of entertainment every single night! We listened to live music one night, and watched a magic show another night. If you're into hotel entertainment, you'll love it! I think it’s always fun to have something to do after dinner if you're not wanting to hang in your room / do the bar.
There's also a sports bar we hung out in one night that was so much fun. It was definitely their version of a "club" and they had fun music, a dance floor, etc, as the night got later. Lots of younger people if that's your scene! We had a great time.
Spa
I am actually not a big spa person, so I never do massages, etc. But my friend on this trip did and she loved it! Their spa is incredible, it's in a manmade cenote which is the coolest thing. Your stay comes with a 30 minute, complimentary hydrotherapy session at the spa each day if you want one. You have to schedule it, but it's really cool. There are a bunch of different pools, a steam room, sauna, etc. You spend a little time in each one to complete your session. We loved it!
COVID Precautions
Last, but not least, what you're all most interested in! COVID, which is understandable! I was anxious about this, and let me just put your mind at ease if you're feeling nervous - don't be. I never once felt unsafe, and I was very impressed with the precautions ME took to prioritize our safety while we were there.
A COVID test is not required before coming to Mexico, but it is required to get back to the US. You have to take a COVID test three days, or sooner, before you leave to fly home. Testing is offered on site at ME, which was so incredibly nice! We arrived on a Wednesday, and made our testing appointments for Thursday right when we checked in. Thursday we went to the testing facility, took our tests, and we got our results within 30 minutes. We took screenshots, and that's all we had to show when we checked into our flight at the airport on Sunday! It was quick, painless, and very easy.
Taylor and I both tested before we left on our trip, just to make absolutely certain we were in the clear before we left. It probably wasn't necessary (I am vaccinated / Taylor had COVID), but this made me feel so much better. So if you're nervous, make sure to set up a test before you fly out!
Masks are required anywhere inside on the property: lobby, restaurants, etc. They enforced this the entire time we were there. Outside is up to your discretion, some people wore them outside, some didn't. They are not required at the pools, but everyone was spread out so I never felt unsafe not wearing a mask. Every staff member wore a mask at all times, no questions asked.
As far as limitations at the hotel go, there really wasn't much of anything that was limited because of COVID, that I know of at least. The restaurants are functioning at less capacity, and you need reservations, but you can make them when you get there, and we had no problem getting in anywhere! Reservations have always been the norm in our experience at these types of resorts, even prior to COVID so this was not anything new to us.
Other than that, I didn't feel like our trip was limited because of anything COVID related. I felt safe the entire time, but I never felt like we were shorted on anything because of what's going on right now. Things felt normal, which I appreciated while on vacation.
One thing a lot of you asked was in the off chance that you do test positive, what happens? If you test positive, they quarantine you (in a very nice room actually - nicer than ours) until you are able to prove a negative test. I don't know the details other than that, but that's what they told us.
Travel / Airport
Because a test isn't required on your way into Mexico, traveling there was no different than any other time I've been there. I will say that every flight we were on was full, so I don't think they're leaving seats open on flights anymore. But other than that, they still require masks, etc.
Traveling on the way home stressed me out a little bit, but that's only because it was busier than I expected it to be. I was also nervous about showing our test results, etc., but it was incredibly easy and I shouldn't have stressed. Customs was fine, everything was normal! If you're worried, don't stress, there is nothing to be worried about! The lines are just longer due to things moving a bit more slowly!
Transportation
Like I mentioned before, I use Orbitz to plan our transport from the airport to the hotel. It's always super easy to add on when you're booking, and we've always had good luck with this. Normally we've just done a shared shuttle option (it's super cheap, like $30 round trip) but because of COVID, I opted for a private shuttle this time just to make sure it was only our group riding together.
It was $100 round trip for all four of us and I can't recommend it enough. It was a really nice SUV, as opposed to a smaller van like we've done before, and they provide beer / drinks which is always fun after a long travel day!
I will also mention - I wasn't aware of this when booking, but even if you do the "shared shuttle option" they are only taking individual parties in each van, they don't combine groups due to COVID. I should've read more into it, but just so you know, you're totally fine going this route if you choose not to spend the extra for a nicer vehicle/"private" shuttle option!
Excursions
I can't speak to many of the excursions because we're not big excursion people in general. We like to drink, hang by the pool, hang by the beach, etc. I also don't like paying for a trip and then spending more money when we get there. Once you pay for all inclusive, I feel like leaving the property to pay for more food/drink defeats the purpose, just my opinion. However, if you're staying longer than 3-4 days, you'll probably want to plan one thing just to change things up!
One thing I've enjoyed doing is a catamaran (booze cruise) to Isla Mujeres! I did this was two years ago (when I broke my ankle, PTSD) and it was a blast. You get on the boat, they cruise around and let you drink for 2 hours, you get off and spend the day on Isla Mujeres, eat lunch (it's usually provided), and then cruise back at sunset. It's so much fun and if you're with a group, it's even more fun. It's always around $75-$100. The resort will set this up for you if you're interested!
The only other "excursion" I've done is taking the ferry to Isla Mujeres (as opposed to the catamaran). This is something you have to plan/execute on your own. But all you have to do is taxi to the ferry, pay for a ferry ticket, then you're on the island for the day and can do what you want/you're not on someone else's schedule. That's what we did this time and it was fun! My advice is to rent a golf cart, cruise around the island, and find a cute lunch spot!
Our friends rented a jet ski on our trip and had a ball, so that would be fun too! This is also offered at the resort!
Miscellaneous FAQs
Was it kid friendly? Yes, but there were very, very few kids and there wasn't much for kids to do, that I saw at least! No kid's pools, etc.
Did we leave the resort? Yes, we did a day trip to Isla Mujeres!
Would I recommend for a honeymoon? Absolutely.
Will we go again? YES, not soon enough!
That was a lot, but I think I covered everything! Let me know if you have additional questions! As much as I wish I had a discount code to offer you, or some incentive to stay here, I don't. But I could not recommend Majestic Elegance enough and we cannot wait to be back!