Todd & Julie

We're excited to tie the knot at a beautiful all-inclusive, adults-only resort - Excellence Playa Mujeres.

We understand that a destination wedding is asking our friends and family for a lot. In truth, we're viewing this as just a fun vacation where we happen to get married. We'd love for you to join us, and wanted to give as much advance notice to allow you to plan ahead.

We are asking that all guests RSVP by October 1, 2022. However, if you plan to attend, we highly recommend RSVPing and booking your room at Excellence Playa Mujeres ASAP. The longer you wait, the more likely prices are to increase. Booking early locks in your rate and you will not be charged for the room until 30-days prior to your stay. 

All wedding guests are required to stay at the resort. 

Excellence has several properties, so make sure you're booking for Playa Mujeres. Please book directly from the hotel website. You may book any type of suite. We've stayed in a junior suite and loved our accommodations, and we plan to book an Excellence Club room for the wedding so we can access a few more dining and pool options.

Using our Promo Code

Our promo code for the wedding is JTWMAR23XPM.

Please note this promo code is only valid for the flexible rate, which is the rate type we recommend using. The non-refundable rate is a bit cheaper, so you are free to book a non-refundable room without the promo code if you'd like. If you do, please forward your reservation confirmation to juliehowell210@gmail.com so we can keep track of all reservations booked without the code.

Using the promo code also will get you a few group concessions, including: 10% discount on spa treatments for all guests.

When you book, a $1 hold will be placed on your card. The full amount will be charged 30 days prior to check-in.

Here's a pricing example, based on 2 guests booking an Excellence Club Junior Suite for Wednesday-Monday (5 nights.)

Non-refundable: $2,835

Flexible Rate (no promo code): $3,185

Flexible Rate with promo code: $3,061

If you have any questions about booking, please reach out to Todd or Julie.

You're welcome to stay for any length of time, but we recommend arriving on Wednesday or Thursday before the wedding and staying until Monday. We plan to have a welcome dinner on Thursday, and we'd love to spend time with guests on Saturday & Sunday.

You'll book flights into Cancun International Airport. We highly recommend TSA pre-check or Global Entry if you don't have it.

After you book your room, make sure to follow the instructions provided via email and book your airport transfers though Seasons. The resort is about 45 minutes from the airport, and the email will include detailed instructions on where to go and how to find your shuttle driver. You may get heckled a bit upon arrival from taxi drivers or timeshare salespeople - just ignore them and make sure you know where to find your Seasons shuttle driver.

Do I have to stay at the resort?

90% of our guests are required to stay at Excellence Playa Mujeres, and any guest who is not staying at the resort would need to purchase a day pass and coordinate their own transportation. The resort is located in a private gated community about 30-45 minutes from Cancun proper. We'll have a small group, so we are requesting that everyone books at the resort. If you'd like to make other arrangements, please reach out to us.

Can I bring kids?

Excellence Playa Mujeres is an adults-only resort. We want all guests to relax and enjoy a little break from everyday responsibilities. 

Can I bring a guest if I didn't receive a +1?

The resort has guest count limitations so we unfortunately cannot accommodate any additional guests. That being said, you're more than welcome to bring a travel buddy; they just can't join during the short ceremony or dinner to follow. We suspect crashing the reception after dinner wouldn't be an issue. Just let us know if you plan to bring a friend and we'll work something out.

How long should we plan to stay at the resort?

That's up to you! We will be staying from Tuesday (3/28) through Tuesday (4/4); we recommend guests arrive on Wednesday (3/29) or Thursday (3/30) and stay through Monday. You're certainly welcome to stay longer. Please consult the itinerary page before finalizing your plans.

Will I need to pay for the room when booking?

Nope. We recommend booking your room as soon as possible to lock in your rate. However, your card will be charged a $1 hold at the time of booking, and the full amount will charge 30 days prior to check-in. You can put 'TBD' on the flight information section; just make sure to go back an update your reservation and book your ground transportation once you book flights.

When you book your room, you'll have a choice between a non-refundable and a refundable rate.

What's the dress code?

For the wedding ceremony, resort formal. For the rest of your stay, keep in mind some of the bars/restaurants at the resort will have dress codes, which are listed on the website.

It will be warm (likely in the 80s), so please dress comfortably.

Are there COVID-19 requirements?

Currently, there are no requirements.

For details on how to book your stay for the wedding, please see the "Travel" section of the website.

Excellence Playa Mujeres is an adults-only, all-inclusive resort in Cancun, Mexico.

We stayed at the resort in March 2022, so we'll use this section to give our recommendations.

The overall vibe is more relaxed than some other resorts we've been to. The crowd was mostly 30+. What we loved the most was that you could choose your own adventure; some of the pool areas were much more quiet and relaxed. The main pool (with the pool bar) gets pretty lively during the day, with music and activities.

There's direct private beach access, as well. 

There are several types of suites. They're all stocked with a great mini bar. A few things to note - 

The swim-up rooms connect to the main pools and have their own private poolside bed. There are a lot of iguanas around the resort (they're harmless,) so if you book a swim up suite, you may have some iguana friends on your patio.

We stayed in building 7. Since we were right near the nightly entertainment, it was loud. This didn't bother us, but if it's an issue for you, you may need ear plugs. Building 9 is farthest away from the entertainment, so you may be able to make a request if you book early and contact the resort.

We loved our suite; our only issue is that the bathroom area was a bit more open than we preferred, if you know what we mean. :-)

Excellence Playa Mujeres has 12 on-site restaurants, in addition to pool/beach service and 24-hour room service. 

View dining options and menus here.

*Please note the dress codes listed on the website.

There are two main breakfast options, Toscana (buffet style) and Lobster House. There's an additional restaurant (Magna)  for Excellence Club guests. 

For lunch, a few of the restaurants are open, and you can also order food poolside via your server; think burgers, nachos, pizza, etc.

Most dinner restaurants open at 6 and are first come, first serve. We found that most restaurants have a bit of a wait (~20 minutes) around peak times like 7pm. Expect dinner to take around an hour to an hour and a half.

You can order room service 24 hours; the wait times are usually around 45 minutes. Breakfast is a busy time, so it may take longer.

Our Favorite Foods

Breakfast @ Lobster House: Northern Mexico style eggs, fresh fruit platter. The orange juice at the resort is really good.

Breakfast @ Toscana: Plantains, churros, hash browns, chorizo.

Aroma: The frozen chai drinks, sugar donut, pineapple filled horseshoe pastry

Basmati: This was our favorite restaurant. Todd isn't a huge fan of Indian food, but loved the Korma chicken. The waiter did a great job of suggesting appetizers and entrees based on our preferences and spice tolerance. The samosas and naan were really good.

Chez Isabelle: This is the more formal French restaurant. We liked the filet, although it wasn't what you would typically expect ordering a filet. Todd loved the mashed potatoes, and Julie loved the arugula salad.

Lunch @ Lobster House: Octopus tostada & seafood croquettes

Agave: Sit outside; there's a live mariachi band. We loved the desserts here; the rice pudding and tres leches.

Lunch @ The Grill: Todd loved the corn & roasted poblano soup. The chicken fajitas are also really good.

Spice: This was pretty standard Asian fare. The banana tempura dessert was one of Julie's favorites.

Flavor Market: This is the tapas restaurant. We liked everything we ate (especially the brisket and croquettes.) If you don't have time to try all the dinner restaurants, you can probably skip this one.

The resort has 7 pools and a variety of daytime activities, like snorkeling, scuba diving, yoga classes, etc. You can also book excursions through the resort for an additional cost.

More information on daytime activities here.

The resort will have nightly entertainment, including shows and live music.

The shows run from 9-9:45, followed by some kind of music (DJ, live band, etc.) These happen in the outside entertainment area; there isn't a nightclub at this resort. Our favorite shows were the fire dancers and burlesque shows.

It can get a little rowdy, but generally the nightlife winds down here around 11pm.

Pools

Pool chairs get claimed pretty early, especially spots near the main pool. Plan to wake up early and 'claim' your spot by placing down towels and a few items (sunscreen, a book, etc.) By 8:30, most of the chairs will be occupied.

Excellence Club

If it's in your budget, we recommend the upgrade to an Excellence Club room. This gives you access to more dining options, a separate lounge area and 2 additional pools.

Excellence App

Upon arrival, you can download the Excellence app on your phone - or you could download it beforehand. The app has a resort map, activities schedule, dining information and menus for all restaurants/bars. During out stay in March 2022, the resort was not using paper menus and most guests used their apps for this.

Packing

While the resort will have toiletries in your room, keep in mind that anything you need to buy at the resort (i.e. sunscreen, medicine) is going to be pricey. Make sure you have enough sunscreen and you read the dining dress codes on the resort's website as you pack clothing. Pack bug spray - you will need it!

Tipping

Tipping at resorts is not expected, but some people choose to. We've found that tipping bartenders, waitstaff, transportation drivers and room service is always appreciated. If you plan to tip, bring small bills (we use $5s.)