(Above) Aerial view of Secrets Moxché Playa Del Carmen. (Click on images to view larger versions.)

By Pamela Dittmer McKuen

Jun. 17, 2025 – All-inclusive resorts have lost much of their luster in recent years. The concept of bundling room and board, and sometimes flights, into a budget-friendly price remains popular, but complaints about crowded pool decks, boring buffets, and cheesy entertainment abound. Just ask me about my honeymoon two decades ago.

Now, there’s Secrets Moxché Playa Del Carmen and other vacation destinations that epitomize the growing trend of luxury all-inclusives. The AAA Five Diamond, adults-only Secrets Moxché resort, located on México’s Yucatán Peninsula, is part of the Hyatt Inclusive Collection – and proof that “luxury all-inclusive” is not an oxymoron.

(Word has it, episodes of Grant Ellis’ 2025 season of “The Bachelor” were filmed at Hyatt Inclusive Collection resorts.) (Left) Public entrance to Secrets Moxché.

Last month I spent five days basking in the resort’s tropical elegance and generous hospitality. It was an unforgettable getaway, organized by Hyatt tour operator ALG Vacations. My single quibble was the too-firm bed pillows, and they were quickly and discreetly replaced with feathered ones.

Grand but intimate

Within the gated resort of Secrets Moxché (pronounced “mock-SHAY”) are 485 exquisite suites with ocean or tropical views. A robust amenity program presents a dozen dining and imbibing options including seven restaurants with a la carte menus, theater, spa, secret dance club, fitness center, eight swimming pools of varying configurations, and a powdery beach. Two golf courses are nearby.

Although the resort is grand in scale, I never felt overwhelmed. For one, the buildings are only eight stories tall. No imposing towers here.

Palm-lined pathways meander throughout the grounds, revealing hidden nooks and intimate pools (right) along the way.

The restaurants are designed with indoor and covered patio seating arranged for conversation.

My spacious junior suite (left) was appointed in calm earthy hues with a king bed dressed in crisp white linens, a cushy sofa, an immense compartmentalized bath, a large flat-screen television, and a minibar restocked daily.

The lanai had another sofa and a stone relaxation tub. Sunrises were brilliant, but the fierce blackout shades really worked. The suite was loaded with special touches, like the hidden cupboard with access to the hallway for no-contact room service delivery, and the full-size bottle of chilled bubbly in the wine fridge.

Upgrade to the Preferred Club, like I did, and you’ll reap a host of premium amenities such as prime suite locations, butler service, and private pool and beach area. Preferred Club guests also receive a complimentary hydrotherapy go-round at Secrets Spa (more about that to come).

And the best wow ever: Admission to the Observatory, a rooftop restaurant and bar with an infinity-edge swimming pool (right) and cabanas capturing spectacular views of the resort and Caribbean Sea.

Culinary flavors and flair

With so many choices, from barefoot casual to white-tablecloth chic, and from street tacos to Beef Wellington, mealtime is a culinary delight.

A quartet of internationally-themed restaurants offer Italian, Pan-Asian, Mexican, and French a la carte menus. Ember features an open-fire grill and smokehouse, and Coco Cafe is a 24-hour coffee shop and snack bar. Bisou, the French restaurant, has earned a prestigious AAA Four Diamond designation. The themed restaurants are open for dinner only, and reservations are encouraged.

Market Cafe is the mainstay buffet-style restaurant – open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – serving an extensive spread of local and international cuisine with several made-to-order stations. For starters, breakfast featured a smoothie bar, guacamole bar, avocado toast bar, and waffle bar.

(Left) Another dining option, Allora, an Italian restaurant with a la carte menu. Photo by Pamela Dittmer McKuen.

At lunch one day, I noticed a platter of raw fish and salmon filets next to a grill. I asked the chef standing by if he would grill a piece of fish for me. Certainly, he would. I was pleasantly surprised that, at a buffet, someone would prepare a fish filet right then and there. And another staffer said she’d bring it to my table when it was done, so I didn’t have to stand around and wait. Every day was filled with small treasures like that.

Relax and revel

Secrets Spa is a sanctuary of sensory indulgences offering a comprehensive menu of body and salon treatments. The spa’s centerpiece is a private coed pool, surrounded by heated lounge chairs and manicured foliage, the ideal environment for relaxation after completing the hydrotherapy circuit of sauna, steam, cold plunge, and targeted jet streams.

(Right) Pool at Secrets Spa. Photo by Pamela Dittmer McKuen.

Top-flight entertainment is alive at any number of locations throughout the resort. Moxché Theater hosts a nightly show, often with Cirque du Soleil-type entertainment. Enter the Gypsy Club through a password-protected door in the pharmacy and dance to the DJ’s heated beat.

One night at Dark Horse, the sports bar, my friends and I were signing off with a nightcap when a roving magician dazzled us with card tricks. And breakfast at the Market Cafe was accompanied by a jazz saxophonist.

(Left) Yet another pool. Photo by Pamela Dittmer McKuen.

Off-site excursions and adventures like snorkeling and visits to ancient Mayan ruins are provided by Amstar, also a Hyatt partner. I booked a leisurely catamaran cruise and gourmet lunch with Puerto Aventuras. On this day, the water was a stunning cobalt blue color. Another recommendation is to grab a taxi to explore downtown Playa del Carmen’s Quinta Avenida, or Fifth Avenue, a colorful pedestrian-friendly boulevard lined with boutiques, cafes, art galleries, and souvenir shops.

Beyond Secrets Moxché

Two more luxury all-inclusive Hyatt affiliates nearby are Hotel Xcaret Arte, lavished with works by notable Mexican and Hispanic artists, and the adjacent family-friendly Hotel Xcaret México. They are part of the expanding Xcaret portfolio of resorts and eco-parks, which focus on preserving Mexican culture and heritage, and the natural environment.

The Hyatt Inclusive Collection has more than 100 all-inclusive resorts across Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and Europe. Now that I’ve experienced Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen, I long for more. For an upcoming wedding anniversary, perhaps? Perfect for a honeymoon do-over.

Photos provided by Secrets Moxche except where noted otherwise.