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. :-)
Resort Dining
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.
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.)