Recently, our fans got the opportunity to follow along with Jenna from Visions of Vogue as she and her husband experienced a Secrets® Resorts & Spas vacation on Facebook Live!

(Click here to watch the videos from their incredible trip on our Facebook page!)

Now, we’re excited to share a very special guest blog from Jenna as she recaps their unforgettable time together at Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya! Keep reading to see more of their romantic escape!

Matt and I haven’t stayed at a lot of all-inclusive resorts during our travels. For whatever reason, we just didn’t feel like we ate or did enough at the resort to make use of it. However, our stay at Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya last month opened our eyes to a new way of traveling!

Getting to the resort.

The flight is a really easy one for the right half of the US. It’s an easy 3 hour trip from Chicago and several airlines have direct flights into Cancun (the closest airport). From there, the drive is about an hour. My recommendation would be to hire a transportation company – they’re reasonably priced and take the stress out of traveling!

The resort.

We were dropped off by our van at the entrance of Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya and walked into the lobby. It was stunning! It was open air and you could see views of the resort and ocean in almost every direction. It was also decorated with beautiful holiday decorations since we visited the second weekend of December! We already had a hunch it was the perfect winter getaway location.

We were escorted to the preferred lounge immediately and got to see a little of the resort on our walk! It was like a magical tropical jungle. It definitely seemed like there was plenty of ground to cover so you could stay there at least a week! In the lounge, we grabbed a few snacks and a beverage before heading up to our room.

The room was one of the most exquisite rooms I think we’ve ever stayed in! There was a living room, 2 bathrooms, a his and her closet, and the most beautiful view of the ocean. For those wondering what our room was called, it’s the Romance Master Suite. There was also a whirlpool on the balcony and you could raid the mini bar as many times as you wanted – it’s an all-inclusive! Who doesn’t love that?

The grounds of the resort were also so beautiful. Immediately after entering the gates, you felt like you were transported into a tropical oasis. The resort itself was large enough so that you wouldn’t get bored of the same scenery! We made it a point to walk a new route to every meal and explore the grounds every chance we got. From the koi ponds to the winding pathways, it was just so scenic!

Where to eat.

There were so many dining options at Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya that we were blown away at the options. You could eat cuisines from all corners of the world! Not to mention the 24-hour room service that you could take advantage of if you didn’t want to leave the room! We tried as many restaurants as we could in our 3 night stay though – even the pool bar! What I loved about every restaurant is that they did such a great job of accommodating any dietary restrictions! We also realized just how nice it is to not have to wait for the check and worry about prices while on vacation. You can truly relax! Here were our favorites.

El Patio.

Hands down the best restaurant we ate at. It sounds weird but they serve a melted cheese appetizer with mushrooms and it’s the best thing I’d ever eaten. Matt got the same dish with chorizo and agreed with me. Our waiter never let Matt’s margarita glass get too low and my wine was kept full! The rest of the meal was equally delicious and we ordered the churros for dessert!

Bordeaux.

If you guys like French food, add this to your list! They can accommodate everyone from those that are gluten free to vegans! It was a really swanky interior and ultra romantic. If you’re up for sitting on the patio, that’s an option too!

Market Cafe.

This breakfast buffet was amazing! The selection was incredible and so was the service. They had pancakes, waffles, and French toast available both days we went there (we had to go twice it was so good) which tells you just how delicious the spread was. Rarely do you see all of those options at a buffet! There was a fresh fruit buffet, a pastry and breads section, authentic Mexican breakfast option, an omelette station, and a juice bar too! That’s not even all of it! The waiters also served fresh squeezed juice at your table if you wanted it!

Manatees.

This was a swim up bar in the pool nearest the ocean! We both thought this was just the neatest thing if you were at the pool and wanted to grab a drink!

Rendezvous Bar.

We spent 2 of the 3 nights here! There was nightly entertainment and it was a great place to grab a pre-dinner drink. We were also pleasantly surprised by how diverse the entertainment selection was and the quality! They had almost every drink you could want too!

What to do.

If you’re new to AMResorts, it’s a collection of luxury resort brands which includes Secrets (an adults-only property). The coolest thing I’ve ever seen is that they have a phone app which gives you all the details on your resort. You just download it, select your resort, and have immediate access to resort details. The most helpful thing was the daily schedule so you could see all the activities going on!

Don’t worry, if you don’t want to download the app, they have the schedule in your room but we used the app regularly! The WiFi is really good on the property too so we didn’t even need to buy an international data plan to check whenever we wanted!

Soak up the sun.

Obviously! We spent one day by the pool and one day in a beach cabana. There was plenty of seating and each of the 3 pools had a different vibe. From the main pool which was very tranquil to the pool by the ocean which had a bunch of activity from water polo to aqua spinning, there’s something for everyone. The servers were very attentive and checked in on us the perfect amount throughout the day. This was the best part of the trip – I love a good relaxing day by the water!

Nightly Entertainment.

Our favorite things to do were the nightly entertainment. There was a Cirque show on Saturday night and both Matt and I were pleasantly surprised! The skill level of the performers was incredible! The entertainment changed every night (which I loved because usually you get bored staying at your resort – not the case here!). We also watched an Elvis impersonator sing at the Rendezvous Bar.

Snorkel.

One of the most unique aspects of the resort was that you could snorkel right on the beach of the property. No boat ride or arranged tour needed!  All you had to do was pick up some snorkeling equipment and wade out into the water. We got to see a bunch of tropical fish! The area (Akumal) is known for its sea turtles but we didn’t catch sight of any while we were out. It was just the best thing to literally be able to snorkel right off the shore!

Play chess or ping pong.

We played each other in a giant life-sized chess game our first night at the resort. It was so fun! Matt definitely had the upper hand but it was still a great change up from the norm. We also played a few ping pong matches for a fun little competition!

Other activities.

There was never a dull moment at Secrets! I noticed in the app they even had a alternative “rainy day” schedule in case it rained. This was full of a bunch of indoor activities to keep you active even if bad weather should happen to hit! Some of the other activities included daily bingo, cocktail classes (we didn’t get to try this but it sounded so cool!), beach volleyball, dance lessons, and tennis courts! There were so many options!

Overall, Matt and I had such a great time at Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya that we would definitely go back to another Secrets property. It was the perfect destination for a couple of any age. The service, the views, and the amenities all blew us away. We could have stayed another week!