Club Med Cancun Family-Friendly Resort Review
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Club Med Mexico has two resorts. This is a review of our family visit to Club Med Cancun. (You can also check out my review on Club Med Mexico’s other resort, Club Med Ixtapa).
Club Med Cancun is an all-inclusive family-friendly resort with plenty to offer parents and kids who want a mix of activities, relaxation and quality time together.
In my review, I’ll cover the location, rooms, kids clubs, activities, pools, food and what you should know before booking your next family getaway.
Club Med Cancun Review
Would I recommend Club Med Cancun for your next family vacation?
Yes! We went there with our pre-teens and really enjoyed the food, beach and kid-friendly amenities. The focus for Club Med family resorts is on making it a relaxing holiday for everyone in the family – yes, parents too!
As a result of its family-friendly design, some people may not consider it as fancy as other resorts. Club Med Cancun does offer a luxury Exclusive Collection Space, which may satisfy your need for pampering while still accessing the rest of the resort for activities.
Location & Weather
Club Med Cancun is located on the southeastern coast of Mexico. It’s nestled on the Yucatán Peninsula, right on the tip of the Caribbean Sea. The resort is located at the southern end of Cancun’s famous hotel zone.
It’s a quick 15 minutes from Cancun International Airport, which means less time traveling and more time for relaxing!
If you want to maximize your chances of sunny, warm weather during the winter months, keep in mind that Cancun’s climate can be a bit unpredictable.
When we visited in late December, there were some cloudy days and rain at times. It was a bit disappointing, as we come from a cold winter climate and were craving constant sunshine, but we managed.
Resort Layout
Club Med Cancun is the larger of its two Mexican resorts; the other is Club Med Ixtapa. It was a great introduction for our kids to larger resorts, with more people, more variety and more places to hang out.
The resort isn’t as big as some of the massive chain ones out there, (which is a good thing!), so you don’t feel like you are just a number. It’s actually the perfect size.
Regular rooms are scattered throughout the resort, closer to the main lobby area.
The Aquamarina family section of rooms is on the other end of the resort. It’s a 10-minute walk from the main lobby. This area has its own amenities for guests staying there.
There is also the Exclusive Collection Space (also known to some as Jade). It offers what the resort calls a ‘luxury experience’, with its own infinity pool, lounge bar and concierge service.
Because of the resort’s size, there is a golf cart shuttle to help guests get around. It definitely came in handy when our kids were too tired to walk to dinner.
Rooms
Aquamarina Buildings 
Family Oasis Superior Kids Room 
Family Oasis Superior Parent Room: Photo Credit Club Med Cancun
We stayed in the Aquamarina section of the resort in a Family Oasis Superior Oceanfront Room. Aquamarina has its own lobby, family-style rooms, a dedicated pool, and a snack bar, all designed with families in mind.
Our kids were a little older when we visited and I was expecting to be a bit more wowed by the room.
The room was modern but felt a bit small for the kids. I was expecting a more spacious kids room like the one we experienced at Club Med Ixtapa.
When you walk into the room, there is a separate bedroom for the kids with two twin beds in a small space.
Our kids were very happy with the room, especially because they had their own TV. It might feel cramped if you were traveling with a lot of gear for younger children. There also wasn’t much space for our kids’ belongings.
The parents’ section of the room, on the other hand, is very spacious. We were welcomed with a beautiful beachfront and ocean view and lots of room for our belongings. The bathroom was modern but with only one door, so more disruptive at night.
On a future visit, I would choose the Family Oasis Superior Deluxe Room, which has two bathrooms.
There are regular rooms, Deluxe and Superior Rooms, closer to the main lobby. Guests have mentioned that some of these rooms are dated but the resort is in the process of renovating them.
If you are looking for more luxury, consider booking a larger room or suites in the Exclusive Collection Space, also known as Jade. It’s called a ‘resort within a resort’ as it has its own oceanfront pool, bar, snack bar and concierge service.
It’s a slower-paced vibe, ideal for relaxing, which may or may not be the atmosphere you’re looking for with younger kids. I guess that’s why kids must be at least 8 years old to stay there.
You will pay extra to upgrade to luxury, but it’s something for us to consider in the future since our kids are older now.
Baby Club, Kids Clubs, Waterpark & Teens
Club Med has a stellar reputation when it comes to its Kids Clubs. It’s one of the main reasons we started staying at their resorts.
BABY CLUB
NEW! Club Med Cancun recently opened a Baby Club for kids ages 4 to 23 months – a huge win for parents! If it’s anything like the one at Club Med Ixtapa, it’s a game-changer for this resort.
A dedicated space for young children means that parents also get a chance to relax on their own for a bit.
➡️ Extra charge: Club Med at both resorts charge extra for the Baby and Petite Clubs for children up to age 4. You can sign up for the entire week when you book. When we used the Baby Club at other Club Meds, we only paid for days we used since we were unsure if we would use it all. I would check to see if that still is an option.
KIDS CLUB
You can drop off your kids at the Kids Club for the entire day or for as little time as you want. Our kids were pre-teens when we visited and went to a few activities they enjoyed. Most of the time, though, they were more interested in hanging out with us on our family holiday.
For those kids who are looking for things to do, the Kids Club offers many activities throughout the day, including: sports, arts and crafts, mini-golf, archery and trapeze (circus school), which is a big hit!
When we visited, the Kids Club was located in a more isolated area of the resort. With Club Med Cancun’s most recent renovations of the kids’ areas, the kids club is now located next to the Aquamarina family section, which makes way more sense.
SPLASHPARK, POOL AND WATERPARK
NEW! Recently, the resort opened a splash pad, a new mini-pool and waterpark. It’s geared to younger kids so older kids and teens will be too tall for the slides. This new area will really boost the resort’s appeal for families with young children.
TEENS
Our kids were too young to join the Teen Club so they weren’t able to use it. Most of the Club Med Teen Clubs offer an indoor hangout space, where kids can chill (and also play video games).
The staff also plan group activities, which can be a great way for your teens to meet other kids at the resort. You will often see the teens roaming around together in a pack for the entire week.
Teens will definitely be happy with the many activities at the resort, including a new sport court, several water activities and trapeze. It’s great for them to feel some independence, while knowing they are still in a safe space.
Beach & Ocean
Club Med Cancun’s beach is one of its biggest selling points. The resort’s Punta Nizuc peninsula location gives it an advantage over its competitors. Its natural rock barrier helps keep the waves calmer and cleaner than most of the Cancun Hotel Zone.
This means you can actually swim without worrying about seaweed or murky water – a rare find on the Cancun hotel strip.
The beach is large with nice white sand and lots of room to play. Our family spent hours here playing in the surf and building castles in the sand. You can lounge under palapas and enjoy long beach walks while you check out the other resorts along the strip.
The ocean currents can get strong sometimes, so watch younger kids closely. On one occasion, my husband lost his expensive sunglasses to the waves!
Activities & Entertainment
The resort features snorkeling at the world’s second-largest coral reef right off the beach. They provide all the necessary gear, making it easy to take part. It was definitely a highlight for our kids to be able to try snorkeling for the first time.
The resort also offers water activities such as sailing, kayaking and paddleboarding but the waves were too rough for them during our stay.
Daily resort activities included foam parties, beach volleyball, pickleball, yoga, ocean aquafit and inflatables for everyone to enjoy. Trapeze is available for adults too. Many activities are run by the staff near the beach and there is always something to join.
I was able to try a few yoga classes under the palapa, which was very zen. Our entire family loves aquafit and it was a special treat when the classes took place in the ocean. The daily schedule of activities is available on the Club Med Cancun app.
We enjoyed the live music with a band performance on the beach and another evening, a fireworks show after dinner.
The evening shows were okay, not Club Med’s strong suit. We like to go to bed early so we didn’t feel we were missing out.
Pools
There are 4 pools at this resort: the Main Pool, the Mini Pool, the Exclusive Collection Space pool and Aquamarina pool.
We enjoyed hanging out at the main pool and in the later afternoons at the Aquamarina pool, right next to our building in the family section. The atmosphere felt calmer and more intimate than the main resort pool, which we really appreciated after a busy day.
However, the downside to the pools at this resort is that they don’t seem to be heated. At least that was our experience when we were there at the end of December, when the pool temperature was very cold. Our kids seem to be immune to cold water so it didn’t bother them.
I only went in once during our trip because of the temperature. It was disappointing as I like to spend more time with my kids in the pool during our vacations.
BUT.. there is now a NEW mini-pool for younger kids in the kids club area. As well, the resort is renovating the main pool area so maybe they will heat them up?
Food & Restaurants
Club Med’s food continues to impress us. The only other resort that has come close to Club Med in the food category is The Grand Moon Palace Cancun.
We ate most of our meals at the main buffet, La Hacienda, which served a great variety of dishes that appealed to us and our kids.
Club Med prides itself on changing the way you think about buffet food. They offer a la carte dishes, themed cuisine nights, as well as creative and flavorful food that you actually want to eat.
We never left the buffet hungry. In fact, we appreciated the longer walk back to our room so we could walk off the meal.
You can also have meals at Taco Arte, serving traditional Mexican food. I was excited to try it as it’s an open-air but covered oceanfront restaurant. The trade-off here is that because of open-air feature, it attracts birds.
While the resort really tries hard to keep them away, a few still managed to get inside. I didn’t like the idea of fighting the birds for my meal, so after a few times, we went back to the buffet.
We also ate at Etcancia Steakhouse one night. It was okay, but overall, we were much more satisfied at the main buffet. We are food snobs, so take our food review with a grain of salt, no pun intended!
There are snack bars near the pool, at Aquamarina, and at Jade Exclusive Collection Space. Close to the beach, you can get snacks, wraps and ice cream at La Creperie, great for mid-afternoon bites.
FAQs
Who Should Book Club Med Cancun?
If you have older kids or teens and want a resort with lots of activities, a beautiful beach, and a strong family-friendly vibe, Club Med Cancun is an excellent choice. With the addition of the Baby Club, the renovated Kids Club and the waterpark, this resort now caters to kids of all ages.
Is Club Med Cancun A Luxury Resort?
Club Med Cancun has a higher-end luxury section called Exclusive Collection Space. This area has its own infinity pool, lounge, bar and concierge service. Most families staying in this resort are more interested in the family-friendly amenities for kids of all ages, such as the Kids Club, than in luxury services.
Savvy Summary: Would I Stay at Club Med Cancun Resort Again?
It depends. If I could count on the weather being sunny and hot, I would stay at Club Med Cancun again. The food is always high quality and the resort has among the best beachfronts in Cancun’s hotel zone.
Now that my kids are teenagers, I would also consider either the larger Aquamarina family room or even upgrading to the Jade Exclusive Collection Space for an elevated experience, as our family is moving in the direction of more luxurious vacations.
Club Med Cancun is also a good-sized resort for older kids and teens looking for more activities and independence. And now that the resort has added a Baby Club, revamped the Kids Club and added a splash pad and waterpark, this resort can grow with your family, from babies to teens.
Still can’t decide? Here are some reviews of other Club Med and Cancun resorts:
Club Med Cancun or Club Med Ixtapa: Which Is Better For Kids?
