1 / 5

Occidental at Xcaret Destination

Solidaridad, Mexico

4.7(35,409 reviews)

FamilyBarcelo

Occidental at Xcaret Destination is the rare all-inclusive where the setting does more work than the hotel. All 765 rooms and suites sit in jungle gardens cut through by natural riverways, there are two real Maya ruins on the grounds, and a private cove of soft white sand sits calm enough to swim among tropical fish. Seven pools spread across the property, including five freshwater pools, an adults-only saltwater pool with drinks service, a children's pool and a kids' water park. The headline feature is next door: Xcaret Park is entered from the hotel's own lobby, and this is the only hotel that sells the Unlimited Xcaret Xperience package, giving unlimited daily entry for the whole stay. An Unlimited Xplor Xperience package covers the Xplor and Xplor Fuego adventure parks the same way.

Things to Know

Timeshare Pressure

Traveler Insights

Pros

+Xcaret Park is reached straight from the hotel lobby, and this is the only hotel that sells the Unlimited Xcaret Xperience package: unlimited entry every day of your stay to a park with more than 40 cultural attractions, shows and activities. There is a matching Unlimited Xplor Xperience package for Xplor and Xplor Fuego, with zip line circuits, underground rivers, raft tours and amphibious vehicles
+The setting is the real draw. All 765 rooms and suites sit in jungle gardens threaded with natural riverways, there are two genuine Mayan ruins on the grounds, and the private cove of soft white sand is calm enough to swim among tropical fish
+Seven pools cover every mood: five freshwater pools, an adults-only saltwater pool with drinks service, a children's pool, and a separate kids' water park
+Eleven restaurants including five a la carte dinner venues and two international buffets, with around ten bars and a nightclub, and food and drink service running 24 hours
+Royal Level is a genuinely separate section rather than a badge, with its own gourmet restaurant, a private lounge, personalised concierge service and daily minibar restocking, and guests who book it rate their stay noticeably higher
+Serious sports for an all-inclusive: a PADI 5-star dive shop running courses, certifications and equipment rental, two tennis courts plus a paddle tennis court, a full gym, archery, ping-pong, shuffleboard and a long list of non-motorised land and water activities
+Staff are what 2026 guests praise most, with summer reviewers describing a whole week without a single disappointing interaction. The resort also holds Green Globe certification for its environmental work and its Maya cultural programs

Cons

−Timeshare pressure is the single most repeated complaint. Guests describe being approached several times over a week for a welcome breakfast or orientation billed as 90 minutes that runs three hours or more
−Xcaret Park entry is not in the base all-inclusive rate, which is the easiest wrong assumption to make here. Park access comes only through the separate Unlimited Xcaret Xperience package, so price that in before you compare this resort with anything else
−The buildings are showing their age. Guests through 2026 describe the property as a bit old with slightly outdated facilities, and maintenance in standard rooms is inconsistent, with air conditioning and plumbing the usual culprits
−The cove is not a long swim beach. Barceló describes soft white sand and palms, and guests describe it accurately as small, rocky in places and shrinking as the tide comes in, so lounger space goes early
−Wi-Fi is unreliable in large parts of the property, and the jungle layout does not help the signal
−It is a big, winding property and first arrivals get lost, especially after dark or with luggage. Pick up the resort map at check-in
−The wildlife that makes the place special also means insects and the occasional unwanted visitor indoors. One 2026 guest reported a cockroach in the room at checkout, which is the kind of thing a jungle setting makes more likely
−Dining is wide rather than uniformly strong. A 2026 guest singled out the seafood a la carte as the weak venue, and with five a la carte restaurants across 765 rooms the popular slots go to whoever books earliest

The dining lineup runs to 11 restaurants, with five a la carte dinner venues and two international buffets, backed by about ten bars, a nightclub and food service around the clock. Staff are the thing 2026 guests single out for praise, and the complaints in the same window are about the buildings rather than the people: a property that reads a bit old, slightly outdated facilities, inconsistent maintenance in standard rooms, patchy Wi-Fi and one weak seafood a la carte. Royal Level is a real section of the resort with its own gourmet restaurant, private lounge, concierge and daily minibar restocking, and guests who book it report a meaningfully better stay. The timeshare pitch is the other constant: expect to be offered a welcome breakfast or orientation more than once, and expect it to run far longer than the 90 minutes advertised.

This makes most sense for families and couples who want the Xcaret parks and would rather sleep next door than drive to them, and for anyone who finds a jungle and lagoon setting more interesting than another stretch of beach. It is not the budget option it once was: as of October 2026 OTA averages ran in the region of 620 US dollars a night for two adults all inclusive, and the Xcaret or Xplor package is extra on top, which narrows the gap with Hotel Xcaret Arte, where park access is built into the rate. Divers get more here than at most all-inclusives thanks to the PADI 5-star shop on site, Playa del Carmen is about 10 minutes up the highway, and Cancun airport is roughly a 50 to 60 minute drive.

Common Questions

Is Xcaret Park included with Occidental at Xcaret Destination?

Not in the base all-inclusive rate, and this catches a lot of guests out. Park access comes through the separate Unlimited Xcaret Xperience package, which Barceló states is sold only at this hotel and which gives unlimited entry every day of your stay rather than a single ticket. There is an equivalent Unlimited Xplor Xperience package for Xplor and Xplor Fuego. The park entrance is reached from the hotel lobby, so the convenience is real even if the admission is not free.

Does the cove get sargassum?

Far less than the open beaches around Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The cove is sheltered by design, which is why it stays swimmable on days when the coast ahead of it is unusable, and the resort keeps the swim area cleared. It is mitigation rather than immunity: some seasonal weed still reaches it, and the heavy season on this coast runs roughly April through August, with 2026 a high year regionally. December through March is the clearest window either way.

Is Royal Level worth the upgrade here?

For most guests who try it, yes. Royal Level is a physically separate area with its own gourmet restaurant, a private lounge, personalised concierge service and daily minibar restocking, and it also makes dinner reservations easier across the five a la carte venues. The standard experience draws more mixed reports, mostly about room condition rather than service. If you are marking an occasion or staying a week, it is the upgrade repeat guests recommend first.

How do I avoid the timeshare presentation?

Say no at check-in, before anyone offers. Tell the front desk you do not want any presentations, welcome breakfasts or VIP orientations, then decline politely each time it comes up again, because it will. Guests report being approached three or four times across a week. Agreeing to just the free breakfast is what commits you to a multi-hour sales session, so there is no version of yes that stays short.

What wildlife will you actually see on the property?

Guests consistently report coatis, iguanas, tropical birds and monkeys around the paths, gardens and riverways, and the snorkelling in the cove and natural channels turns up fish and rays. None of it is staged: the grounds are jungle garden rather than landscaped lawn, and Barceló markets the property on exactly that. The trade-off is that insects come with the territory, so pack repellent and keep food out of the room.

How does it compare to Hotel Xcaret Arte?

They share a neighbourhood, not an owner or a tier. Hotel Xcaret Arte is the luxury, adults-only option and its rate includes access to the Xcaret group's parks, while Occidental is a family resort where park access is a paid add-on. Arte rates better for food and service. The cost gap is smaller than it looks once you add the Xcaret package to an Occidental booking, so if the parks are the point of the trip, price both as a package rather than comparing room rates.

Restaurants (10)

Type	Restaurants
Buffet	Le Buffet, The Beach Club
Mexican	La Hacienda, Paco's Tacos
Italian	La Piazza
Asian	D’Oriental
Steakhouse	Steak House
Seafood	El Pescador
Mediterranean & Spanish	Los Olivos
International & fusion	Royal Level

From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. All are covered by the all-inclusive rate, per the resort.

What's nearby

Xcaret
5 min drive · 1.1 mi
Ferry to Cozumel
11 min drive · 5.1 mi
Kantun-Chi Ecopark
20 min drive · 12 mi
Playa Mamitas
13 min drive · 6.3 mi
Río Secreto
4 min drive · 1.7 mi
Puerto Aventuras Marina
20 min drive · 11 mi

More things to do (23)

Xenses · adventure park5 min drive · 1.1 mi
Cenote Azul · cenote20 min drive · 12 mi
Xpu-Ha Beach · beach20 min drive · 14 mi
Playa 88 · beach20 min drive · 7.5 mi
Cenote Cristalino · cenote20 min drive · 12 mi
Xcalacoco Beach · beach20 min drive · 9.8 mi
Jardín del Edén Cenote · cenote20 min drive · 12 mi
Cenote Chikin-Ha · cenote25 min drive · 13 mi
Punta Esmeralda Beach · beach25 min drive · 8.5 mi
Xplor · adventure park4 min drive · 1.2 mi
Delphinus Riviera Maya · adventure park6 min drive · 1.1 mi
Parque La Ceiba · nature9 min drive · 4.9 mi
Voladores de Papantla (Parque Fundadores) · historic site10 min drive · 5.3 mi
Frida Kahlo Museum Playa del Carmen · museum11 min drive · 5.5 mi
Playa del Carmen Fifth Avenue · town11 min drive · 5.5 mi
Museo del Chocolate · museum12 min drive · 5.9 mi
Cenote Chaak Tun · cenote20 min drive · 7.6 mi
Puerto Aventuras Golf Course · golf20 min drive · 11 mi
El Camaleón Golf Course · golf25 min drive · 11 mi
Cenote Chac Mool · cenote25 min drive · 12 mi
Cenote Tajma-Ha · cenote30 min drive · 15 mi
Playa Maroma · beach30 min drive · 16 mi
Iberostar Playa Paraíso Golf Club · golf35 min drive · 18 mi

Amenities

Waterpark For Little Kids

Adults-Only Pool

Mini Golf

Nightclub

Tennis

Kids Club

Swim-Up Bar

Snorkeling

Show 6 more amenities

Free Wi-Fi

Nightly Entertainment

Buffet Dining

Spa

Gym

Beach

Style & Rooms

Atmosphere

Park ViewFamily Resort

Seaweed & sargassum

Playa del Carmen gets sargassum, typically worst May through August.See the month-by-month guide →

Every all-inclusive in Playa del Carmen →

Google Reviews★ 4.7 · 35,409 reviews

AA H.

a week ago

“We had a very relaxing stay at the Occidental resort in Mexico. The resort itself is surrounded by nature, with beautiful plants, trees, deer, monkeys, and other wildlife throughout the grounds. Everything was well maintained and created a peaceful,...”

Anthony V.

2 weeks ago

“I recently stayed at Occidental at Xcaret Destination in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and overall had a really great experience. The resort is beautiful, surrounded by nature, with lots of pools, food options, and places to relax. It felt like there was...”

Ray T.

a month ago

“We loved the customer service the 9 days that we stayed with the whole family! The workers were very friendly and remembered our names! Especially Julio at the snack hut by the big pool! He made us laugh and had great conversations when we asked him...”