Book Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya on Expedia
The Tulum name is overhyped, but some of the all-inclusive resorts around it are worth every dollar. We went through thousands of recent guest reviews on TripAdvisor, Google and Expedia to rank the five best all-inclusive resorts near Tulum, Mexico. Here's the twist: only one of them is actually in Tulum, and it came in last. The best ones sit a short drive up the coast.
Below is the full countdown from #5 to #1, with what guests love, what they complain about, nightly prices, and who each resort is really for. Every resort is linked to Expedia, where many rooms come with free cancellation.
Quick Picks
Best overall: Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya
Best food and service: UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya
Best value for couples: Catalonia Royal Tulum
Best for families: Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive
Closest to Tulum town: Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club
#5: Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club
Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club is the pick if you want to be close to Tulum's restaurants and nightlife. It opened in late 2023 in Aldea Zama, the jungle area between Tulum town and the beach. It's adults only, with about 300 rooms and a rooftop pool.
Pros: Guests love the swim-up suites and the staff, and several named their concierge in reviews. Portofino (Italian) and Jasmine (Asian) get the best marks, and no reservations are needed.
Cons: It is not on the beach. A free shuttle takes you to its private beach club, and one recent reviewer said the beach club badly needs a renovation. Seaweed hit it on several days this year, the jungle brings mosquitoes, and Tulum taxis are expensive, so agree on the fare first. On TripAdvisor it ranks 73rd out of more than 250 Tulum hotels, and value is its lowest score.
Price: about $295 to $675 a night.
Best for: adults who want restaurants, beach clubs and the Tulum ruins close by.
Our score: 7.4 out of 10.
#4: Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive
Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive opened in 2022 with 735 rooms, which makes it Hilton's biggest resort in the Caribbean and Latin America. It's in Chemuyil, about 15 minutes north of Tulum town and about 90 minutes from Cancun.
Pros: It still feels new and clean. There are eight oceanfront pools, and it's the best on this list for families, with kids and teen clubs in the family zone. Hilton Honors members can book with points.
Cons: Most of the beach is rocky, the sandy area is small, and the currents are too strong for easy swimming, so most people stay at the pools. The property is almost a mile long, so the family zone can be a golf cart ride away. Losing your wristband costs $50, and airport transfers aren't included. One reviewer paid about $120 each way.
Price: from around $220 a night in low season, and about $450 to $665 in winter.
Best for: families and Hilton Honors members.
Our score: 7.6 out of 10.
#3: Catalonia Royal Tulum
Catalonia Royal Tulum is the best value on this list for couples. It's adults only in Xpu-Ha, about 30 to 40 minutes north of Tulum, so the name is a bit of a stretch. You walk a jungle path over a mangrove bridge, with coatis wandering past, on your way to the sand.
Pros: Guests keep calling the beach beautiful. The food gets good reviews, especially La Palapa buffet. It has over 15,000 reviews on TripAdvisor at 4.5 out of 5, and 9 out of 10 on Expedia.
Cons: Many rooms feel dated, and one guest had water come through the walls after heavy rain. Nights are quiet, and on longer stays the menus start to repeat. One guest said to plan about 2 to 3 hours for the transfer from Cancun airport.
Price: about $235 to $615 a night, which is low for an adults-only beach resort here.
Best for: couples who want a real beach without paying luxury prices.
Our score: 8.3 out of 10.
#2: UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya
UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya is the best pick if you care most about food and service. It's adults only in the Akumal area, about half an hour north of Tulum, and TripAdvisor named it one of the best luxury hotels in all of Mexico for 2026.
Pros: Every guest gets a personal host who looks after the stay, and it's the thing reviewers mention most. The French restaurant gets the most love, and there are Mayan coffee and mixology classes. Rooms are big, and some have soaking tubs right on the balcony.
Cons: The beach is small. One guest called it five feet of sand. Heavy seaweed showed up this October, coatis go through guest bags, and many reviewers say the membership sales pitch at check-in feels pushy. It's quiet at night and the pools close early, so this is a place for great dinners and early nights, not parties.
Price: from around $400 a night in late summer to well over $1,000 at peak.
Best for: food lovers and couples who want five-star service.
Our score: 8.5 out of 10.
Two Resorts That Didn't Make the List
Dreams Tulum is the famous one and it's on almost every top list. But guests this summer and fall said the big pool, most of the restaurants and a club lounge were closed for renovations, and many weren't warned before they arrived. Hyatt is now promoting a relaunch, so the work may be wrapping up, but wait for fresh reviews from guests who stayed after the renovation before you book.
Bahia Principe is the cheapest big name around Tulum, but its 8.2 guest score was the lowest of the resorts we checked.
#1: Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya
Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya is the best overall all-inclusive resort near Tulum. It's adults only on Akumal Bay, north of Tulum town, and the reef sits right off the beach. You can walk into the water and snorkel with sea turtles without a boat or a tour.
Pros: It's ranked #1 in Akumal on TripAdvisor with 4.8 out of 5 from more than 15,000 reviews, and keeping a score that high across that many reviews is rare. Guests love the service, and the concierges get named in reviews again and again. It has three pools set in the jungle, and the rooms are big and spotless. Cleanliness is its highest mark of all.
Cons: The beach is rocky, so bring water shoes. Seaweed was heavy in August, a few reviewers found the food hit or miss, and one got repeated timeshare pitches. One guest said the rooms haven't been updated in years and saw remodeling work going on.
Price: about $450 a night in the fall, up to around $1,300 at peak.
Best for: couples who want the best service and snorkeling right off the beach.
Our score: 8.9 out of 10.
Is Tulum Worth It or Overhyped?
The Tulum name is overhyped. The best all-inclusive resorts sit up the coast in places like Akumal, Xpu-Ha and Chemuyil, and the new Tulum airport has lost many US flights, so many travelers still fly into Cancun. But the resorts on this list are worth it. Pick Secrets Tulum if you want to be close to town, or head up the coast for better beaches and higher guest scores.
Comparing destinations? See our rankings of the best all-inclusive resorts in Cancun, the best all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana, and the best all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best all-inclusive resort near Tulum? Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya, with 4.8 out of 5 on TripAdvisor from more than 15,000 reviews and sea turtle snorkeling right off the beach.
Which Tulum all-inclusive is closest to Tulum town? Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club in Aldea Zama, between the town and the beach. It isn't on the beach, but a free shuttle takes you to its beach club.
What is the best all-inclusive near Tulum for families? Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive, with kids and teen clubs in its family zone and eight oceanfront pools.
Is there seaweed in Tulum? Yes, at times. Reviewers reported seaweed at several of these resorts this year, including heavy seaweed in August and October, so check recent reviews before you travel.
Should I fly into Tulum or Cancun? The new Tulum airport has lost many US flights, so many travelers fly into Cancun. Transfers can take about 90 minutes or more, and one guest planned 2 to 3 hours for the trip to Xpu-Ha.
The Bottom Line
Skip the hype and pick by what you want: Secrets Akumal for the best overall stay, UNICO for food and service, Catalonia for value, Hilton for families, and Secrets Tulum to be close to town. Check the room details for free cancellation and refundable rates before you book.
Want to see every resort on screen? Watch the full video → https://youtu.be/7cHfcHsAjaw
