Hotel Xcaret Arte
Hotel Xcaret Arte is the resort for people who get bored lying by the pool for a week. Your stay includes seven of the group's parks (Xcaret, Xel-Ha, Xplor, Xplor Fuego, Xenses, Xoxi and Xenotes) plus the Xcaret Ferry and a catamaran day to Isla Mujeres, with shuttles from the hotel, so you can zipline, swim cenotes and kayak underground rivers every day if you want. The resort itself is built around six themed Casas, each with its own included workshop, from pottery at Casa de la Piramide to Latin dance at Casa de la Musica, set among rotating local art and a river that runs past the Muluk Spa. Travelers who love it really love it, and phrases like 'I don't think I can go to any other resort after staying there' come up again and again.
Things to Know
- Timeshare Pressure
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Seven Xcaret parks are included with the stay: Xcaret, Xel-Ha, Xplor, Xplor Fuego, Xenses, Xoxi and Xenotes, plus the Xcaret Ferry and a catamaran trip to Isla Mujeres, all with shuttles from the hotel
- +Three Michelin-starred chef concepts under one roof: Le Chique (Jonatan Gomez Luna, 27-course tasting menu), Xaak (Karime Lopez, 16-course tasting menu) and Encanta (Paco Mendez)
- +The rest of the restaurant line-up is chef-led too: Cantina VI.AI.PY. by Alejandro Ruiz for Oaxacan food, Kibi-Kibi by Roberto Solis for Yucatecan and Lebanese, Tah-Xido by Luis Arzapalo for contemporary Japanese, and Arenal for Baja and Sinaloa seafood
- +Six themed Casas each built around an included workshop: textiles at Casa del Diseno, painting at Casa de los Artistas, pottery at Casa de la Piramide, Latin dance at Casa de la Musica, a library at Casa de la Paz and culinary spaces at Casa del Patron
- +Cafeteca coffee is a cult favorite that travelers say beats any chain coffee, and Cafecito adds a premium coffee bar and deli
- +Adults-only (16 and up, with parents) atmosphere that's quiet and laid back without being boring
- +Round-trip shuttle to Cancun airport on Xcaret buses is part of the package, along with park transport
- +Stunning grounds with local art, distinctive architecture, a river setting for the Muluk Spa, three swim-up wet bars and four rooftop bars
Cons
- −Significantly more expensive than comparable resorts; many travelers say it costs roughly double what other good all-inclusives charge
- −Le Chique, Xaak, Encanta, Kibi-Kibi and Tah-Xido all need reservations, and popular slots go fast, so you can end up at Mercado de San Juan more than you planned
- −Service consistency is the most common 2026 complaint, with some guests describing check-in, room requests and lost-property handling as disorganized
- −It is enormous: 900 suites spread out far enough that guests in 2026 describe 20-minute walks between their room and the restaurants they booked
- −The beach is the weakest feature compared to pool-focused competitors
- −Travelers have long warned about membership sales presentations that can eat half a day if you agree to attend
- −Some parks (Xel-Ha, Xoxi, Xenotes) have to be arranged through the concierge rather than just turning up, which adds planning to a week that is already busy
The food is where Xcaret Arte has become genuinely world-class. In 2026 Le Chique, Jonatan Gomez Luna's Michelin-starred restaurant, moved here with its 27-course tasting menu, joining Xaak from Karime Lopez (the first Mexican woman to earn a Michelin star, 16-course tasting) and Encanta from Paco Mendez. Behind those three sit Cantina VI.AI.PY. by Alejandro Ruiz, Kibi-Kibi by Roberto Solis, Tah-Xido by Luis Arzapalo, Arenal for Baja and Sinaloa seafood, Cayuco for surf and turf, the market-style Mercado de San Juan and a fully plant-based restaurant. Antonio Bachour runs the pastry program and Cafeteca remains the coffee stop everyone mentions. The catch is logistics: the tasting rooms need reservations, the property is big enough that walks take a while, and 2026 reviews split between guests calling it the best stay of their lives and guests frustrated by inconsistent service.
The other catch is the price. At roughly $800 to $1,100 or more per night, it's substantially more expensive than most competitors, and some travelers feel the premium isn't justified once you strip away the park access. If you're active people who want to fill every day with adventures and also eat very well, Xcaret Arte is hard to beat. If you just want to relax on a beach with a cocktail, you're paying a big premium for parks you'll never use and a beach that's honestly not that great. One smart tip from travelers: book through Costco Travel for significant savings, and consider splitting a trip between a few nights here for the parks and a few nights at a beach-focused resort.
Common Questions
Is Xcaret Arte worth the high price?
Should I book through Costco Travel?
What's the difference between Hotel Xcaret Mexico and Hotel Xcaret Arte?
Which parks are included and how do they work?
Will I get hit with a membership pitch?
How good is the dining at Xcaret Arte now?
Restaurants (10)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Mexican | Le Chique (extra charge), Xaak (extra charge), Encanta, Cantina Vi.Ai.Py., Mercado de San Juan |
| Japanese & sushi | Tah-Xido |
| Seafood | Cayuco, Arenal |
| Mediterranean & Spanish | Kibi-Kibi |
| Plant-based | Cosexa |
From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. Venues marked "extra charge" are not covered by the all-inclusive rate; the others are, per the resort.
What's nearby
8 min drive · 2.2 mi
10 min drive · 4.5 mi
20 min drive · 13 mi
Playa Mamitas13 min drive · 5.8 mi
6 min drive · 2.5 mi
Xcalacoco Beach20 min drive · 9.2 mi
More things to do (23)
- Xenses · adventure park7 min drive · 1.9 mi
- Cenote Azul · cenote20 min drive · 13 mi
- Xpu-Ha Beach · beach25 min drive · 15 mi
- Playa 88 · beach20 min drive · 7.0 mi
- Cenote Cristalino · cenote20 min drive · 13 mi
- Puerto Aventuras Marina · marina20 min drive · 12 mi
- Jardín del Edén Cenote · cenote25 min drive · 13 mi
- Punta Esmeralda Beach · beach25 min drive · 7.9 mi
- Cenote Chikin-Ha · cenote25 min drive · 14 mi
- Xplor · adventure park6 min drive · 2.1 mi
- Delphinus Riviera Maya · adventure park9 min drive · 2.2 mi
- Parque La Ceiba · nature9 min drive · 4.3 mi
- Voladores de Papantla (Parque Fundadores) · historic site10 min drive · 4.7 mi
- Frida Kahlo Museum Playa del Carmen · museum11 min drive · 5.0 mi
- Playa del Carmen Fifth Avenue · town11 min drive · 5.0 mi
- Museo del Chocolate · museum12 min drive · 5.3 mi
- Cenote Chaak Tun · cenote20 min drive · 7.0 mi
- Puerto Aventuras Golf Course · golf25 min drive · 12 mi
- El Camaleón Golf Course · golf25 min drive · 10 mi
- Cenote Chac Mool · cenote30 min drive · 12 mi
- Playa Maroma · beach30 min drive · 16 mi
- Cenote Tajma-Ha · cenote30 min drive · 15 mi
- Iberostar Playa Paraíso Golf Club · golf35 min drive · 18 mi
Amenities
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Style & Rooms
Atmosphere
Room upgrades
Seaweed & sargassum
Playa del Carmen gets sargassum, typically worst May through August.See the month-by-month guide →Google Reviews★ 4.5 · 5,734 reviews
“In my experience the hotel is the best hotel on the Rivera Maya, the experience is very amazing and the viuws are very beutiful. When you arrive to the airport the experience Starts and the staff makes you feel at home. The hotel has ten restaurants...”
“Last September, I stayed with 40 people of my clients. Their assigned rooms were in categories that didn't guarantee twin beds. I went the day before the clients arrived to confirm their room categories. About 10 rooms had to have their beds changed....”
“This was my first experience with an all-inclusive resort. Hands down, I'd go back in a heartbeat. As of Dec 2025, I believe I read that the resort was only 4 years old at the time we stayed there, so it still felt very new. I think the highlight of...”
