Traveling has always been such a big part of Shane and I’s life that after not traveling for so long this trip was 100 percent exactly what we needed. We booked this trip on January 2nd, so you could say we booked this trip on a whim and a little bit of liquid courage, BUT it ended up being incredible. For anyone reading this who needs a sign… THIS IS YOUR SIGN.

I tried to lay out this post as organized as possible and answer as many questions as I could. Being married to a man that researches ABSOLUTELY everything before booking a trip, I know how useful this information can be, especially during our current circumstances. So, sorry for the lengthy post but hopefully it’s helpful!

Travel

Alright, first up, booking the trip. We booked the trip through Orbitz and this was actually the first time we have used them, and would definitely use them again. Now as with anything, there are always going to be pros and cons.

ORBITZ PROS: You can literally book everything through this website (flight, transportation, and hotel) all in one swoop. Also, most of the time you are going to get a good deal through Orbitz because that’s just the way the website works.

ORBITZ CONS: A lot of the times you are flying two different airlines. For example, we flew United to Mexico, and American Airlines on the way home. They have updated their cancellation policy due to Covid-19, but prior to that I have heard some complaints on their cancellation policy.

PRICE: One of the main reasons we jumped on booking this trip was the price. We paid $900 round trip per person ($1800 for both Shane and I). This included round trip flight, transportation (to and from the airport), and the ALL INCLUSIVE resort. This even included the upgrade to the “Elegance Club” and Junior Suite with jacuzzi room that we booked at the resort.

TRANSPORTATION: We had originally booked a group van that was $30 round trip for both Shane and I. However, my friend that we were traveling with did her research and we ended up switching to a private SUV that was $50 round trip for the both of us. Even without Covid-19, I will ALWAYS book this type of transportation. You are guaranteed to be with your group AND you don’t have to make a million stops along the way at other resorts. It is straight to the resort from the airport AND they usually have BONUS BEERS in the SUV.

Resort

We stayed at Majestic Elegance Costa Mujeres!
Shane and I are giving this resort overall a 4.5/5 stars.

Overall, we were EXTREMELY impressed. The resort was breathtaking and the views were out of this world. I’m not sure if the fact that we haven’t traveled since our honeymoon (December 2019) played a role in how awestruck we were or not, but we would highly recommend this resort to others.

Now, as always, I’m going to share the overall things we didn’t love about the resort too.

For this being a new resort (November 2019), there were some “finishings” throughout the resort that could’ve have been nicer. Now, I know this is me being nit picky BUT this is a 5 star resort, so expectations were HIGH. Next, was the resorts overall service, now don’t get me wrong, Victor at the tiki-bar was UNBELIEVABLE, and really all the bartenders were impeccable. Where we ran into issues was at a few of the restaurants, room service, and housekeeping. I am attributing some of this to the resort being understaffed due to Covid-19. I would be interested to see how/if these issues would resolve themselves when the resort is running at full capacity.

Room

We booked the Elegance Club Junior Suite with Jacuzzi. I had a lot of you asked if it was worth the “splurge” for the nicer room, and the answer is YES. Now, I will say, Shane and I discussed upgrading to the suite with the “plunge pool” and while it looked incredible, it just wouldn’t have been worth it for the type of trip we were on. We had traveled with another couple so we basically spent the entire time with them.

I did have a few of you ask me about this resort for honeymoons and baby moons. YES, I would pick this place for either of those. However, if I was coming on this trip with JUST Shane then we would’ve absolutely booked the room with the plunge pool. It is definitely more of a romantic vibe than what we were going for on this specific trip.

Overall, we were very pleased with our room. We had a beautiful view of the resort and the beach. The room was VERY large and very nice. We had a waterfall shower and a big bathtub. The room also came fully stocked with beer, sodas, and water. Upon check-in we got to pick one liquor bottle for our room as well.

Our room did come with a “butler” as well. Our butler regularly checked in on us and made sure we were happy with everything. Also, they connect with you on “Whats App”, so anytime we had any questions I would just text him. For example, we needed aloe and he lead us straight to where we could find some. Every morning he also sent us the itinerary for the day and shared what restaurants were open for which meals.

We did have a few problems with housekeeping. They tended to show up around 7pm to clean our room which was right about the time we were getting ready for dinner. The friends we traveled with had to call 2 times before they showed up to the clean their room at all.

Restaurants

The resort has 8 restaurants on site. They have a Steak House, the late night “McJestic” (think late night McDonalds), Sushi/Hibachi, Mexican, Italian, Seafood, French Bistro, and a buffet. While we were there we ate at the sushi restaurant, the Mexican restaurant, the seafood restaurant, McJestic, and the buffet. Some of the restaurants do REQUIRE reservations, and I would suggest doing that PRIOR to arrival because a few of the restaurants we wanted to try were all booked as soon as we arrived. If you have a butler he can make the reservations for you if you wait until you get there OR I do believe you can make them ahead of your arrival as well!

Overall, the food was higher quality than expected. Resort food tends to be the same to me but there were some real WINNERS here. The Italian restaurant serves breakfast and the Nutella pancakes are ACTUALLY TO DIE FOR. The omelets are pretty incredible too. The sushi was *chef’s kiss*, we just kept ordering because it was so fresh and so good. LASTLY, if you can hit the McJestic at just the right time, the fresh pizza is honestly indescribable.

We weren’t super impressed with the Mexican food, but I also think it was partly because we had horrible service the second we were seated. The buffet was alright. They had a TON of options but it felt limited due to Covid. Also, it was just like any other buffet at any other resort I have been to.

Pools & Bars

ONTO THE IMPORTANT STUFF. There are a variety of different pools, but 3 main ones with swim up bars. The “Elegance Club” gives you access to the Adult ONLY pool/bar. To be honest we didn’t really know which pool was the “Adult ONLY” pool because there weren’t many kids at the resort.

We never had an issue with finding seats, but keep in mind the resort was not full. The service at the pools was fantastic. I don’t think my drink was ever empty. They also host a variety of activities at the main bar throughout the day that were fun to watch (or be apart of for some…looking at your Shane).

Overall, the pools were everything we could’ve wanted. We have no complaints here.

Bars. They have a bunch of bars during the day; 5 pool/beach bars. However, these bars close at 6pm everyday. Then, they have 4 bars that are open during the day but also stay open late into the night, along with 1 sports bar/dance club.

The bars have a fantastic variety of alcohol. However, when ordering your drink be sure to specify which liquor you want. Being at an all inclusive you are paying to drink, so best be drinking TOP SHELF. They can make anything from a “Tony Special” (don’t ask, I am unsure what this includes) to a vodka and water.

Amenities

The resort has SO MUCH to offer. Honestly, we didn’t take advantage of everything because we all were very content just hanging at the pool everyday. I did, however, take advantage of the spa… and if massages are your thing then you 100 percent MUST do this. I did a 60 minute massage and was very PLEASED with everything.

I did have a lot of questions about the cenote. The spa itself was a manmade cenote and it was so serene and peaceful. The “Elegance Club” gave us access to one 30 minute hydrotherapy session a day. The hydrotherapy sessions basically gave you access to a variety of different “stations” like a sauna, and a jet pool. However, with the hydrotherapy sessions you were not able to just move freely throughout the spa. I think this was due to Covid-19 restrictions.

You can also purchase additional time/services within the spa.

Beaches. One of the best parts of the resort is their access to the beach was private. Because of the location of the resort, you didn’t have to share the beach with other hotels and it was never crowded. The “Elegance Club” also gave us access to an Adult ONLY side of the beach, but we never used it because with such a small amount of people there was no need to. The resort offers drink service on the beach, there is absolutely no reason to leave your bungalow.

Excursions

Excursions. Shane and I live for adventure. Usually Shane will dive when we go on vacation and I will snorkel, but with Covid-19 we were unsure what that would’ve looked like so we opted out of planning anything in advance. Luckily when we got to the resort that had an excursion hut; Shane and I ended up renting a jetski on the beach for 30 minutes, and for $70 it was completely worth it. I mean look at the joy on our faces.

The only other thing we did off the resort was visit the island of Isla Mujeres. There are a few options when it comes to getting over to the island. The resort offered a catamaran that was $90 per person. The catamaran is a great option if you’ve never done one. You “slowly” make your way over to the island while simultaneously drinking unlimited drinks on a catamaran.

This time, we opted for the ferry. We chose the ferry because we didn’t want to be on anyone else’s schedule AND we knew we didn’t want to spend our whole day on the island. Instead, we grabbed a taxi from the front of the hotel and took about a 20 minute drive to the ferry. The taxi was $20. The ferry round trip for both Shane and I was $40, and the ferry took about 15 minutes. One thing I would say is to make sure you plan when you are leaving because the ferry only leaves once every hour on the hour. We got to the island on the 11 o’clock ferry and came back to Cancun on the 1 o’clock ferry.

On the island you can rent golf carts to get around, or like us you can opt to walk. We explored the island, shopped the little markets, and grabbed lunch before heading back. I will say we were there at about 11am and not everything was open. I would suggest getting to the island around lunch time (between 12pm-1pm) if you’re hoping to have a more lively environment. The island consists or streets and streets of little shops, vendors, and restaurants. There is also a few commercial spots like Senor Frogs (depending on the vibe you are going for).

Covid-19

By far one of the most asked questions in regard to our trip was the Covid-19 testing, paperwork, and requirements. A few months before our trip the United States placed a new requirement on international travel; one must get a negative Covid test (no earlier than 3 calendar days prior to their return) in order to board their plane back to the United States. Initially we thought about cancelling our trip because it just seemed like a lot of work AND the thought of getting “stuck” in Mexico lingered in the back of our heads, BUT Orbitz’s current cancellation policy allows a full refund up to 24 hours before the trip. So, we decided to see how things played out through January, February, and March.

BEFORE TRAVELING: Prior to leaving Shane and I decided to “self-quarantine” two weeks leading up to the trip. We didn’t leave our house much besides for work and barely saw anyone. We also both got tested once a week starting in February, and tested TWICE the week we left! This was all based on our personal preference and how we hoped to avoid any issues.

As for entering Mexico, there are currently NO REQUIREMENTS in order to enter the country.

DURING TRAVEL: While we were in Mexico I was extremely impressed with the Covid-19 protocols that the resort followed. There were people CONSTANTLY cleaning; the bars, the pools, the restaurants, etc. All staff were wearing masks at all times, and any of the staff working the bars or restaurants also wore hair nets. As for the guest, masks were required inside ALL buildings. Masks were optional outside and at all pools/swim up bars. However, one night they had an outside buffet/party and while getting food at the buffet masks were required.

During our stay at Majestic Elegance, they were operating at limited capacity, they were about 35% full However, it appeared towards the end of the trip that the capacity might have been a bit higher than when we arrived. I will say there was never a point that we felt uncomfortable or that the resort was too crowded. If you never wanted to be near another person, it would’ve been 100 percent possible.

RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES: In order to return to the United States you MUST show proof a negative Covid-19 test no earlier than 3 calendar days prior to your flight home. The resort makes this process INCREDIBLY easy. Upon check in we were directed towards the Covid-19 office. Here, we scheduled our tests. We arrived on Wednesday, tested at the resort on Thursday for our return flight on Sunday. During scheduling I created 1 account (online) and schedule all 4 of our tests.

On Thursday, we arrived in the testing room. The nurse tested us one at a time (swab up the nose), and it took about 2 minutes per person. Within 1 hour we received our result via email. This email was all we needed to get back into the United States. On Sunday we arrived at the airport and had to show our negative tests in order to receive our boarding pass, it was as simple as that.

Now, I did have some question on what happens if you happen to test positive. The resort has a protocol that they follow. They aid in the isolation process (our butler informed us that they have a wing of the hotel blocked off for this exact reason). Now our butler also informed us that the resort cannot make you stay at their resort, so they can only help you as much as your willing to let them help.

Other FAQ

Q: Did you get sick?
A: No! I had a lot of questions about this. I did not get sick, nor did anyone I was traveling with. I assume this is in regard to the water. We only had bottled water served to us and had no issues with anyone getting/feeling sick.

Q: Cheapest flights to wherever you went?
A: We flew into Cancun. With our direct transportation it took us about 35 minutes to get to and from the airport to the resort. I’m not sure exactly how much our flights were because we booked a package deal through Orbitz.

Q: All inclusive?
A: Yes, this resort is all inclusive. That includes food, drink, room service, etc. All restaurants are included in this as well. Things that are not included are spa services, excursions, etc.

Q: You book yourself?
A: YES! Thankful for a best friend and a husband who research EVERYTHING in depth before booking. I left the research up to them and I continue to be pleasantly surprised every damn time.

Q: For the spa, did you have the whole grotto to yourself and for how long?
A: If you look at my picture you can see there are 3 different chambers inside of the cenote. During my massage I was in one privately, but there were others in the other chambers. The pool that is inside of the cenote is part of the hydrotherapy session, so that is another way you can get inside. I’m sure some of their services include the pool inside of the cenote as well.

Q: How far is the resort from the airport and did the resort provide airport transportation?
A: The airport is about 35 minutes away. Because we booked through Orbitz we didn’t have any trouble booking transportation. I would assume if you book directly through the resort they would offer some type of transportation or would at least give your some options that they recommend.

Q: Good place for baby moon?
A: I would say YES and NO. What I mean by that is this place is beautiful and could be extremely romantic or just relaxing based on whatever you are looking for. The only reason I say no is because when I’m paying for an all inclusive I like to take advantage of everything that is included; like food & drink. Obviously you aren’t going to be drinking on your baby moon, so to me I think you could go to a resort that wasn’t all inclusive and save some money! Just my thoughts after talking with my friend I went with about this.

Q: What would you change if you planned the trip over again?
A: I would’ve stayed longer. I also would’ve booked the trip through the weekend. Meaning, instead of leaving on Sunday I would’ve left on Monday or Tuesday because the weekends are a lot of fun at the resort. Other than that we were pretty happy with everything.

Q: How close is the actual town and is it easy to get around?
A: The closest town would be Cancun, and downtown Cancun is about 25-30 minutes away. It would definitely be worth the trip, but to me, downtown Cancun is pretty much all shopping or party bars/clubs and that wasn’t the vibe we were going for. Honestly, if you are wanting to explore I would suggest Isla Mujeres over downtown Cancun.

Q: What are the essentials to pack?
A: I’m going to be honest, I wore a swimsuit and some form of cover up 85 percent of the time. Haha, but in all honesty it was a very beachy, flowy, casual vibe. During the day we only wore swimsuits and coverups. At night we wore sundresses, rompers, etc. I will say that guys are required to wear closed toe shoes in most restaurants.

Q: Favorite thing you did?
A: Ahh, this is hard. I would say the jetski is up there, just because the drone footage is awesome and it was something I’ve always wanted to do. However, just being present and enjoying the company we were with was pretty great too!

take the trip

xo, brm.