Let's talk about
Moon Palace
Our family loves to travel! And one of our key destinations has always been Mexico!
We've been all around Mexico, and have stayed at different resorts and hotels. But one thing we realized very quickly...we always enjoyed our stay the most at Palace Resorts!
The service, the food options, the amenities...there's so much to do for all ages! After multiple stays, we decided becoming members was a no-brainer for us.
So let's talk about Moon Palace Cancun, everything you need to know before going!
Three Resorts in One
Moon Palace Cancun is actually three resorts in one! The Grand, Sunrise and Nizuc.
While those staying at Sunrise and Nizuc can move freely between the two, they are limited to their access to The Grand. They would require a paid day pass to take advantage of any of the restaurants, waterpark, bowling etc.
The Grand is probably the most loved out of the three resorts. Those staying at The Grand can move freely between all three resorts.
Airport
The airport is a short distance from the resort property. It takes roughly 15 minutes (about 10km) to arrive, which is really nice if you've had a long flight. If you have pickup included, there will be a resort representative waiting for you either with your name on a board, or it will say Moon Palace. This is usually a shared shuttle with others. We were offered cold water bottles and received flower stems on arrival. Such a sweet touch!
Arrival
Once you arrive, your luggage will be tagged and will be brought to your room when it is ready. You will head to checkin, and will receive your wristbands, these allow you to use all the different amenities for the duration of your stay, and unlock your room door also. If you are not happy with your assigned room, this is the time to ask for a change. While you wait for your room to be ready, you are able to eat a meal and enjoy treats from the lobby coffee shop.
Shuttles/Carts
Moving around the property is super easy! Shuttles come every few minutes to the lobby, and carts are available around the entire property all day long! You get used to it very quickly, and moving around becomes a breeze. You are also welcome to take a walk if your next destination is not too far. During our last visit, we had our room close enough to the lobby that even walking with 3 kids took just a few minutes.
Restaurants
We are big foodies in our household!
Going to an all-inclusive is only great if the food is actually good. So we love that the food at Moon Palace Cancun is absolutely delicious! With so many cuisines to choose from, you will always be looking forward to your next meal!
Each of the resorts has its own set of restaurants, and also 3 restaurants available at the golf course as well.
Nizuc/Sunrise/Golf Course
Those staying at Nizuc and Sunrise can eat at any of the restaurants found on these properties.
This is a total of 18 different restaurants to eat at, including those by the pool side, and the 3 at the golf course.
You will find both buffets, and à la carte style menus. The famous Indian restaurant called Agra, Teppanyaki, Brazilian steakhouse, Italian, Mexican and so much more in between!
We are not huge fans of buffets as we find sometimes they can be underwhelming or not fresh. But at Moon Palace, you will alway have a HUGE variety even at the buffets, and everything is being cooked fresh, along with live cooking stations. Being non-drinkers, we especially enjoy the delicious mocktail options. Along with many many vegetarian options.
The Grand
This resort in itself is a world of its own. Many who stay at The Grand, never leave to go to the other two locations, even though they have full access.
The Grand houses another 11 restaurants! These also range in the different cuisines, including Habibi which is a Lebanese restaurant, and The Circus, which is such a fun restaurant for kids!
Access to 29 restaurants during your stay means you may run out of days for your stay, but you will never run out of food options!
24 Hour Room Service
Your room comes with a fully stocked fridge with water and drinks. These are refilled each day for you, and you can always call for more if you fall short.
You also have access to room service 24 hours. So if you just want to hang out in the room one day, it's no problem!
We loved taking advantage of the breakfast ordering system available in the Palace Resorts app. On nights my kids were up late, I knew making it to breakfast would just sour their mood. So the night before, I'd place an order for a nice big breakfast delivered to our room for the next morning.
You get to choose from a good variety of food choices, and even get to choose your time slot. They were always on time, brought the food right in and set it up on our table. Once done, you can use the app to book a "tray pickup" or simply call them to do so. You don't have to wait around either, just be on with your day and they'll come take all the dishes away in your absence.
Amenities
There is so much to do at Moon Palace to keep you entertained or relaxed, along with your family too!
Sunrise/Nizuc
At Sunrise and Nizuc, you will find no shortage of entertainment.
The Sunrise Playroom is especially fun, with a movie theatre, a huge indoor jungle gym, video game room, and different themed play rooms for kids ages 4 to 12. They even have a kitchen to feed the kids.
You can stay connected via Whatsapp to check in with your kids or if they need to get a hold of you.
We would drop the kids off and get some time to ourselves.
The Nizuc Playroom is connected to the back of the lobby, right off the pools. This is better for younger kids, and under age 4 would require supervision. They do host different events here, like face painting, bracelet making etc. You simply check the app to see what's on the schedule.
The water entertainment will keep you busy all day long. There is even a flow-rider and water slides to enjoy! You can play mini-golf, tennis, rent some bikes, go on a catamaran, enjoy the arcade, or watch the many many fun shows for the entire family hosted almost every night.
The Grand
In addition to everything mentioned above, The Grand hosts its own fair share of entertainment and activities.
There is a HUGE playroom with bumper cars, laser maze, time freak, glow in the dark mini golf, another arcade, interactive sports, mirror maze and so much more! This is for ages 4 to 17. Your kids could spend all day in here and not get bored!
There's a bowling alley for the entire family to enjoy, and a massive bouncy castle room for kids. There's also hands on programs like a magic course, puppet course, circus course and even a talent show for kids to participate in. Another huge arcade is found in the main building.
The waterpark has always had first-timer's jaw drop, when they see the massive slides and water entertainment. It even has a lazy river and a flow-rider! Out of the 19 pools, 14 of them are heated.
There's nightly entertainment at all three resorts for adults, with pubs, nightclubs, karaoke, and even a Speakeasy at The Grand. There are also countless bars at every resort for those who want to take full advantage of the all-inclusive.
The Spa
This deserves its own category.
I have been to my fair share of spas, but this is one of my absolute favorite things to do while at Moon Palace.
I enjoy a vacation where I get some me time and get to relax and feel pampered.
You can book an appointment from the app for your massages, facials, body treatments, IV therapies, manicures and pedicures, and there's so many different kinds to choose from depending on what you need.
There's even a fresh juice bar that offers food, snacks and smoothies made from fresh fruit.
Hands down, one of the best massages that I've gotten in my life, was here, where I actually fell asleep!
Hydrotherapy
This is such a huge part of why you want to be using the spa while at your stay at Moon Palace. This service is open to Members and their guests.
When you have booked a massage, you should go 90 minutes early and fully enjoy the hydrotherapy room and all that comes with it.
An ice room, hot sauna, steam room, pool, hot tub, cold plunge, heated lounge chairs and then of course the showers. Experience all of this first, and then head over to your massage. You will never want to miss this opportunity once you've tried it.
Hydrotherapy is available at The Grand Spa and at the Golf Course Spa.
Resort Credits
Resort Credits are often spoken about, but can be a bit confusing to understand if you've never been to Moon Palace before.
So what are they?
Resort Credits can be used towards certain amenities during your stay. Some of these include the spa, golf, for tours or excursions off the property, photography services, bowling, some items from the gift shop, or even getting your laundry done!
There are also limitations, for example resort credits cannot be used for Day Passes to the Grand. The amount you can use at the spa is also limited. And if you are into golf, you cannot use resort credits towards club rentals.
Keep in mind, you will be charged 16% tax anytime you use resort credits. This is definitely something to factor in when deciding if its worth it to use or not. We always do the math first and then decide if its worth it for us to book a certain service or not.
On our most recent trip, our family went swimming with the dolphins about 25 minutes away, with transportation provided both ways, and loved every second of it! So its definitely something to look into!
The Sales Presentation
What is it? And what can you expect?
When you arrive at the resort, after check-in you will most likely be taken by a rep, to offer you the chance at attending a 90 minute sales presentation, that is held at The Grand.
Negotiate Perks
This is where you want to take this opportunity to negotiate some perks for yourself, in order to agree to attend. After all, you are giving them 90 minutes of your vacation time.
Some of the things to ask for is universal credit (which is basically Palace "cash" you can use towards anything, including the 16% tax). You can ask for resort credits, spa credits, and if not staying at the Grand, you can ask for day passes. Some people even ask for golf time, tours and excursions! Ask for anything you actually want. The worst they can say is no.
Do not just agree to attend right away! You want to make it worth your while.
The "Presentation"
You will be scheduled in to attend the next day or day after you arrive. They will tell you its just 90 minutes, so be sure to put a timer on your phone and let them know you have a full day planned ahead and would like to respect the 90 minute time. This is because they have a habit of conveniently going over if you do not put a timer on.
You will be taken to breakfast or lunch where you will talk as you eat. Your rep will then walk you through the Grand and take you to see one of their best suites. They will paint a picture for you of how much you'd love to stay in a room like this next time. You may pass by some of the pools, the water park, the speakeasy...anything to make the resort look more attractive to you.
The Pitch
After the tour you will be taken to their large meeting room where all of the male reps are dressed up in suits and ties, and professional attire for the women. It can feel overwhelming since you will most likely be in your vacation clothing.
They will sit you down and start telling you about the membership levels and packages, and how amazing they are. The packages start at $500,000 and slowly work their way down. They are getting a feel for how you feel about their pricing.
Now here's the important part, if you are absolutely not interested, be very CLEAR that you are just not interested in purchasing anything. Do NOT give them a reason.
These reps are well trained to counter ANY reason you give for saying no. It will simply prolong the meeting.
If you do not say no right away, we have heard these negotiations can even go on for 3 to 4 hours!
What if you ARE interested?
If after attending the presentation, you feel you would like to get the membership, then this is your time to negotiate your terms.
This can go back and forth for a while, so know what you want, and ask for it. You will probably have several of their reps come to speak to you each time you turn down an offer. They will send someone in to "sweeten the deal".
Once you agree, they will ask for a downpayment and the rest is put on your credit card each month. Each person package and details may differ from one another, including price, weeks and perks.
We had already been to Moon Palace three times before we became members. Our family looks forward to this every year and we knew it made sense for us.
