"I am writing to provide feedback regarding a recent stay at the Hotel Xcaret Arte in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, where I was part of a wedding party of 20 guests from the U.S. and Canada. We occupied several rooms across various buildings from Dec 8-11.

Overall Experience:
The hotel is beautiful, luxurious, and the all-inclusive concept is highly appealing. We had heard wonderful things about the food, service, and extensive activities. The staff was, for the most part, extremely friendly, attentive, and helpful.

Positive Feedback:

- Food Quality: The food was magnificent. The quality was consistently high across the buffets and restaurants we visited. The seafood and traditional Mexican dishes were spectacular, and the buffets were well-stocked.
- Facilities and Activities: The grounds, including the water courses, park, and beach, were magnificent and extremely well-kept. The commitment to maintaining the natural environment, with staff cleaning the lagoons and gardens, was impressive. This hotel is an excellent choice for anyone interested in nature-based activities.

Areas of Concern:

- Food Poisoning: We experienced a significant issue on our final day when several members of our group suffered from food poisoning. The incident was traced back to one of the buffets, specifically the one located next to the pool. We suspect the eggs were the cause.
- Value and Pricing: My primary reason for giving the hotel a 3-star rating, rather than 5, is the perceived lack of value for the price. While the hotel is very nice, at a rate of $1000 + per night, I consider it overpriced for what is provided.
- Inclusions: Many activities and services are not included in the "all-inclusive" price and are priced expensively.
- Quality of Meat: The quality of the beef in the restaurants I tried was not consistently great, and the portions in some non-covered restaurants were small.
- Airport Transfer: The process for arranging the hotel-to-airport transfer was extremely frustrating. Guests are required to book the transfer for five hours before their flight, despite the drive only taking an hour and a half, even with heavy traffic. This mandatory early departure felt like we were being unnecessarily rushed out of the hotel.

Overall, the hotel is a great option for its facilities and service, but the food poisoning incident and the perception of being overpriced significantly detracted from our stay."

Millo Diaz

"We came for a wedding site inspection because we wanted to see the location in person and hopefully fall in love with the venue. The property itself is stunning, and the concept of “all-fun inclusive” is truly impressive. However, there were several issues we experienced that became major deal breakers for us.

1. Food Quality (Major Concern)

The biggest disappointment was the food. For a hotel at this price point, we expected significantly better quality. El Dorado Royale—which is less than half the price—offered much better food options overall. At Xcaret Arte, most of the dishes we tried were cold, overly salty, or simply not enjoyable. It was also surprising considering that Encanta is a Michelin-starred restaurant; unfortunately, the experience didn’t reflect that standard.

On top of that, I ended up with food poisoning, potentially from Encanta or the octopus tacos at Casa Diseño Rooftop. This made what should have been a relaxing stay very stressful, and by our last two days we were honestly just ready to go home.

2. Negative Interaction With Staff

I also had an uncomfortable experience with a Mercado employee named Daniela. She was rude during our interaction, and I noticed her making faces at me the following day. My husband also witnessed this, which led him to speak with her manager about the disrespectful behavior. Aside from this one incident, the rest of the staff—including reception, concierge, and servers—were wonderful and provided great service.

3. Navigation and Layout

The resort is beautiful but extremely large and confusing to navigate. There weren’t any clear, easy-to-follow guides or signage, and we found ourselves getting lost often. This cost us valuable time and made the stay feel more overwhelming than relaxing. A better navigation app or direction would truly improve the guest experience.

Final Thoughts

Xcaret Arte is a gorgeous hotel with so much potential. The service (aside from one employee) was excellent, and the overall concept is unique. However, the food concerns are significant and, for us, became a deal breaker—especially considering the price and the level of expectation set by the brand.

I genuinely hope management takes a deeper look at food preparation, temperature control, and seasoning, as well as the overall guest dining experience. Improving this would make the hotel truly exceptional."

BIANCA AMOR Wolf

"This was my first experience with an all-inclusive resort. Hands down, I'd go back in a heartbeat. As of Dec 2025, I believe I read that the resort was only 4 years old at the time we stayed there, so it still felt very new. I think the highlight of this resort is the staff. They were so kind and attentive and deserve all the praise. Check-in makes you feel VIP, and even upon check-out, they still ensure you're taken care of even until you reach the airport (transport to and from Cancun is included)! The rooms themselves were also fantastic, with all the trimmings of a 5-star hotel. On top of that, they give you a ton of free stuff: branded tote bag, cute house slippers (not the boring white ones), reusable water bottles, etc. I haven't even hit on the included excursions/parks. I docked one star because the food quality was very hit or miss. Room service fare was consistently awful, and I found most of the reservation restaurants to over-salt their food. But the buffets were great and they obviously shined in their Mexican food offerings. Lastly, I would like to see more effort in their sustainability practices - there was a crazy amount of one-time plastic cup usage for mixed drinks. With the sensitivity of that marine area, it'd be good to see them make more effort in that regard. Highly recommend."

Caroline Kuehling