Atelier Playa Mujeres

Julio at the pool was great - he cares about the resort and made our experience fantastic! This resort was dream and would recommend it to anyone. Best service and the food was incredible

Great drinks and food. Beautiful room. Great bathrooms too. Steakhouse is great. Julio at the pool is great-lovely experience.

For this trip, we decided to visit a familiar destination in the beautiful country of Mexico. Per the norm, as we enjoy spending our vacation time drinking, eating, and people watching; we chose to visit a relatively newer resort in Cancun that claimed to be an All-Inclusive 5-Star resort.

After arriving at the airport, we took a 40 minute private ride to our destination (Atelier Playa Mujeres Resort). For those who don’t know, most All-Inclusive resorts will transport you via a bus so maybe think about skipping the extra $125 private ride cost if money is a factor.

After arriving, the staff quickly ushered us into a semi-private section of the resort for our upgraded package (Inspiris) check-in experience. Initially, we were advised our room was not ready (12pm). The staff were friendly and offered us some appetizers while we waited to meet some other staff members. One was a butler assigned to us for our stay and the other was, as I put it, a car salesman for the resort. Not kidding. This guy took us to another area and began the process of trying to sell us on future resort stays before we even experienced more than 1% of the resort campus. For those who are not familiar with several Mexico resorts, it’s a lot like a timeshare. If you’re like us, and travel often, we’re never pleased with this approach.

After a firm “no thank you, maybe another time”, the gentlemen reluctantly agreed to be done with us at that moment. Oddly enough, our room became ready just after our visit with their selling team. Our room was on the ground level, as are nearly all the Inspiris rooms. This is because they come with a semi-private walk-out pool. The room was very clean and felt spacious enough for our lengthy stay. There were a variety of drinks in the mini-fridge. On a cart, there were bottled alcohols. Some snacks were also provided but we found many to be stale or melted and/or reformed. The amenities offered in the room were fairly standard if you ask us but in okay shape. We only had to have the resort fix one light and turn up the heat to our shower. The website states “one-of-a-kind” amenities but that’s very subjective in nature. We found it trivial that some things in the room were free but others, like the basic pool bag, were not.

After a quick unpacking, and change into pool clothes, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed to the main pool. I was literally boiling from the weather adjustment and needed some cooling relief to officially kick off our vacation. In many ways, this was where the anticipation of an amazing vacation may have failed to launch. The water was absolutely too hot (91+ degrees) daily and borderline risky. Think dehydration, overheating, and potential bacteria growth. When the pool didn’t do the trick, we grabbed our drinks and headed straight for the beach that the resort touts as having crystalline waters. This could not be further from the truth. Their beach area was by far the worst we’ve seen on any of our travels to Mexico. The small area was loaded with seaweed that was full of bugs. In order to get to the water, that was also littered with seaweed, you had to walk through it to find pockets of ocean that were clean enough to stand. There were no signs of sea life and we questioned the possibility of toxins likely to be found in the water. This also prevented us from swimming or snorkeling. While seaweed is natural, and comes whenever it pleases, any resort that claims to be a 5-Star should make sure to to let their guests know what to expect (or not). Misleading anyone that might solely be visiting your resort for the beach is borderline criminal. Not once in our 11 nights did the beach get cleaned or swept and this was a huge disappointment. It virtually made the beach a place to not visit. Since we paid a premium for better beach services (day beds), this ended up being a complete waste of money.

Speaking of the Inspiris package, when we booked our trip, this package was the cheapest thing available for our stay. This is important to note because the placed seemed to be fairly empty most of the days. With exception to a mattress company convention during the first few days of our visit, we wondered why we were forced to purchase an upgraded package that didn’t really fit our needs. That said, if you want a free golf round, prefer staff booking your dinners, or need a room walk-out pool and access to areas that we briefly visited, this might be worth the extra cost to you. Again, everyone has their own idea of what something is worth.

As non-golfers, who mentioned one of us had a bulging disk upon arrival, it would’ve been great to be offered something in lieu of a round of golf. In our package, the butlers made all the dinner arrangements. This was appreciated, and perhaps got us better dinner times, but several other people we met stated they had no issues booking dinners on their own. Our suspicion, if in the peak season, this service might have come in handy but definitely not during our stay.

Over the course of the next few days we spent most of our time repeating the same things. For some, this resort might a bit boring. For us, sun-goers, that love to people watch and enjoy drinks while relaxing, we were good. Each morning, our first stop was always the coffee shop on the main floor. We’re huge on coffee! The staff were always friendly and quick. On some days we would stop to grab a bite at the buffet before heading to the pool. Note, this buffet closes shop at 11 daily and may not be conducive to those late starters like us. One day we tried their healthy place (Alba), listed as a restaurant, that served smoothies near the gym. For us, it was missing some key US smoothy ingredients so we decided not to revisit again.

After grabbing a coffee and bite daily, we went directly to the main pool to get seats for the day. Spots were never hard to find (10-11). Again, not busy. As sun going peeps, we choose full sun most days. This place had a fairly basic pool layout for people who wanted sun and those who needed none. The staff at the poolside were helpful and extremely attentive to those who wanted their service. One particular guy (Daniel) was awesome! The food available at the poolside made zero sense. Someone needs to be fired for not understanding what people want at the pool. People do not want fancy, dinner-like, food at the pool when it’s scorching hot outside. And if you’re going to have small food carts roaming the poolside, maybe consider a schedule that makes sense for your quests. Most days we saw no food carts over the course of 8 hours at the pool. Some would only go to specific places and disappear. Most days we only saw carts with alcohol or potato chips.

The pool included things like a daily exercise classes, water-volleyball, and even a dance session towards the last few hours of the day. There’s was a ping-pong table but literally nobody was playing other than the staff for the pool activities. Most days the participation was moderate. Some of the pool staffers were fun but a few were extremely annoying and a bit aggressive for our liking. Additionally, for many guests, these activities got in the way of their roaming the pool freely. Putting events in the middle of the pool made it nearly impossible to travel to each swim-up bar. This would be an issue daily because many of the bartenders were not very good at their jobs. Some even seemed annoyed with giving service.

Per the Mexico standard, the drinks were super watered down and extremely sugary. Several guests commented on the booze, specifically the higher quality brands, not being correct in taste. Unless your a shots person, getting drunk meant drinking way too many. I do not drink often, unless on vacation, but found it hilarious that I was never tipsy the entire trip. For those who just prefer just a good old Mexican beer, these were ready available and might be the safest drinks offered. Even Corona. If you’re like me, not afraid to try everything, your up for an experience. Just make sure you try the same drink on different occasions to see if you really enjoy. It’s also important to note caution for those who like drinks that come with, or in, ice form. If you don’t find pleasure with the drink quality at the pool, but want something more than a cool you down, you’ll need to visit the fancy looking bar in the main lobby area that’s named after the owner. Or you can go to the bar near the sports place that has mixologists. Keep in mind, these are on the third floor and no where near the main pool. Are you sensing a theme at this resort?

Each night we ventured to a new and exciting dining experience. We’re big foodies and love trying a bit of everything. We’re not afraid to sample the culture and mix it up. Hands down, the highlight of this resort, for us, was the food. If you decide to visit this place, try all the food and don’t be afraid to try things out of the normal. From appetizers to deserts, there’s someone fun for everyone. If you’re like us, big raw fish consumers, you must go to places like Kopai and Takeshi. If you love other types of seafood, try El Suspiro for the lobster. Try two! For seafood and steak/lamb chops, try Los Abrazos. Each place has an interesting atmosphere and the service is better than most places we’ve been over the years. Some (Cilento & Cala Di Luna) even offer a table show if you know what to order. If you haven’t got your fill of drinks at the pool all day, this is when you can try the signature drinks at each restaurant. We really enjoyed the lychee drinks at Takeshi. Yum! Be prepared to see the same staff people at different places. This is a bit odd but didn’t really bother us. Tipping is optional, and can be challenging for people like us at these places. We know the tips are supposed to be shared by staff, which may not be in all situations, so be understanding of where your tip may end up at the end up.

Since we stayed more than 7 nights, and were Inspiris guests, we were offered a complementary dinner for two at the resorts heavily touted Michelin Star restaurant called Maria Dolores. The restaurant doesn’t belong to the resort but is what they use to promote to guests as an upgrade. Be advised, it’s important to read up on these awards to see if the bang is worth the buck. When we arrived, the hostess quickly gave me a lecture on my attire.

While I was aware of the dress code, and our butler had stated to us that it was okay for me to wear nice jeans with my, otherwise, dressy outfit; it didn’t stop this person from making me feel very unwelcome. And since the place allowed dress shorts, if such a thing, I didn’t question the butler. Oddly, most people inside were not overly dressed and I actually felt my appearance trumped most. The setting was elegant and there was a musician playing a sax upstairs. The lighting was a bit dim but our eyes adjusted. After about 10 minutes a waiter finally came to our table. It would take another 10 for water to arrive. Most people were engaged with one another but some literally spent their entire dinner in their phones. When we were given the menus, the waiter told us to think about picking one item from each section. Since we had already asked our butler what we could choose, I asked the waiter if we were allowed to pick more than one thing from section since we were Inspiris guests. Only at this time did he say it was okay for us to order whatever we wanted.

As we ordered, we made it a point to choose several of their recommendations with things we wanted to try. The waiter also offered us a tablet to consider from a list of bottled wines. Caution, if the resort realizes you enjoy wine, they will follow you around and try to sell you on a select few of their wines made in Mexico. Also, they’re marked up a lot. As part of our dinner experience, we opted to try one of the wines from Mexico just for fun. Not great but palatable. The wine was also brought out by a Sommelier. We believe their interpretation of one is not like the US but maybe we just came on an off night.

Over the next few hours, a variety of mostly small dishes would be delivered to our table. Some were creative in appearance but most lacked anything special in taste. One dish was literally a burnt chip with two salsas that we felt we could get in any grocery store. On one occasion, they mixed up our Caesar salad dishes (anchovy vs none) and this was a tasty surprise. There were times we had no water and resorted to pouring our own wine because we were thirsty. The best dish we experienced was a piece of blue fin tuna on a plate. For my main course, I selected their signature dish (Beef Wellington). While not bad, the seasoning was okay, I should’ve tried something else. Towards the end of the dinner, we watched the waiter(s) hawk-eye most of the guests preparing for departure. We were included. The waiter dropped off a cigar-like box with the bill. It looked like we were purchasing a new car and I’m not sure why the resort has not found a better way to ensure the restaurant gets paid without our direct involvement. Stick to the resort food. We both ended up with a stomach bug for days after this dinner.

The next few days were pretty much repeat. Coffee, social drinking, people watching at the pool, and a nice dinner to close out most nights. Even though we’re a bit older (50+), we made the effort to try most activities at least once. Vegas night was cheesy though fun for my partner who loves to gamble. The prizes were interesting! If you’re going to offer prizes (3), maybe give away something other than the same bottle of wine that nobody really wants. The musicians playing everywhere nightly were pretty cool. We liked the Pianist! We also tried a few things at the Disco. The shows were basic but something to do. Our favorite was Karaoke night. This was because we met some peeps from the UK and one of them took to the stage for literally the greatest performance of all time. Lol! There’s also a Sports Bar but that’s stretching it. One big screen doesn’t really cut it for sports fans. One night we went to the wine and cheese activity. Talk about a waste of time. The wine was on a mobile cart and they seemed to know absolutely nothing about the wine. As we tried several wines, none of which were good, we decided to make the best of the experience with our new friends. Let’s just say wine and coke is a thing. It was quite comical but sad that the resort was offering this experience to wine drinkers expecting something fun and exciting. Skip it.

On another day, after we decided it was time to try something other than the resort, we took a trip to Isle Mujeres. This is a small, sliver of an island, just off the coast from the resort. After booking our own Lyft ride to the ferry dock, we boarded for a 20-30 minute round-trip ride (30+) on a ferry. Live music was playing and drinks, for a reasonable cost, were offered for the trip each way. Upon departure to island, we were swarmed by people trying to offer a variety of things. After finding a fair golf cart deal (85+), we jumped into our beat up cart and were jamming down the streets with everyone else (cars included). We had looked up a few places to visit/see and were excited for a change in pace. Be advised, the island is not always fully operational. We quickly realized several places were closed and that it might not have been necessary for us to rent a cart because everything that was open, on our list, was literally steps from the dock. The shops, the places to eat/drink, and their main attraction (Playa Norte) were all within walking distance. As we ventured around the island, it was pretty dirty and not well maintained. Cops were everywhere. Do not drink and drive a cart! Come with the right currency! Do not go to Playa Norte, the white sandy clear water beach, unless you’re prepared to feel like a sardine in a can that is absolutely too noisy. Countless boats were pulled up to beach and playing every music type imaginable. Putting your stuff on the beach came with a risk since this was the one area we saw zero police. Be prepared to get ripped off if you’re foreign. We went to Buho’s and the bill was over 80+ (3 street tacos, chips/salsa/guac, beer, coke). Seriously!!! Not sure why our butlers, both whom we chatted with about going, didn’t warn us. Thanks.

On our last night, after having the stomach bug for days, I got extremely ill and my body was telling me it was time to go home. In normal circumstances, as people who’ve served in the medical field for decades, we both would’ve visited our doctors by this point but.. understood this was not the US and decided to tough it out. About an hour after laying down, I experienced an internal hot-flash that made my entire body nearly shutdown. As I found myself struggling not to blackout, I found the couch in the room and waited to see what was coming. For the next period of time, who really knows how long, my body began sweating profusely to cool down. It was absolutely terrifying! I kept trying to drink water but it kept coming out. After awhile, I reached my breaking point and laid down on the couch to hope for the best. When morning arrived, I was just excited to be leaving for the States. We had already packed so leaving was manageable.

Upon our arrival back home, which was a very long day for me, I crashed for the night. We had planned to be off the next day, to recover, before return to work the following day. As I arose the next morning, I realized something new was developing. That evening we spent the night in the ER and the doctors were miffed with what was going on with my body. A rash had appeared and was spreading quickly over my body. For the next week I would be isolated, unable to return to work, while several doctors tried to diagnose me. The best they could come up with was that I was exposed to something at the resort. And since I’ve had no known allergies in my 50+ years of life, the only possible things they could think of was linked to a possible exposure to a pesticide that I had mentioned to them. On one day, near the end our stay, I found two staff people in our room during the middle of the day spraying the base of the walls in our room. We were not made aware of this, and would not have know about this, if I had not needed to use the restroom. When I approached the room, the lady at the door called to the man in the room. He exited the room with a sprayer on his back. I asked if it was okay to enter the room and she nodded as they walked off. I noticed all the walls, at the base, were soaked but it was too late to do anything.

In conclusion, most days I’m a fairly level headed person with a ton of patience for people who don’t value life the same way as we do. My partner and I understand things can go wrong at any time. But here’s where we have a BIG problem with this resort. They know the pools are extremely dangerous and are doing nothing to change anything. The don’t seem to care that it’s super hot outside and that the pools are where their guests are going to flock to in order to try and cool down from the elements. The don’t seem to care that the pool temperature will force those in it; to peeing constantly. Think of the bacteria brewing! If you know the mosquitos are going to devour your guests with walk-out pools, warn them about the dangers. Maybe tell your guests that the ice drinks might not be safe and could potentially lead to explosive diarrhea. And if you’re going to spray inside a guest’s room, consider the risks you’re taking with their lives.