Catalonia Riviera Maya Resort & Spa- All Inclusive

The name is a mouthful, but the proposition is straightforward: Catalonia Riviera Maya Resort & Spa- All Inclusive is a large beachfront resort for divers who want their evenings taken care of rather than spent hunting for dinner. You have the sea directly outside, a private beach area, several pools, a spa, sports and entertainment all within the same grounds. In other words, fewer logistics after a day in the water and more time to dry off properly before dinner.

The all-inclusive format gives the place its rhythm. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, snacks and resort activities sit within one booking rather than requiring a fresh decision every few hours. Couples can keep things simple, while families have rooms, a kids’ club and play areas to absorb some of the excess energy. The hotel’s website is available in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese, useful if you are planning before arrival even though no hotel staff language list is provided.

You are in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico, on Avenida Xcacel, with the resort directly on the coast. The hotel has its own sandy beachfront, loungers and parasols, although the beach is not uniform: one section has stones, while another has no beach. That is worth knowing before you picture one uninterrupted strip of soft sand from breakfast to sunset.

Bahia Xcacel Beach is about 400 metres away, or roughly a four-minute walk. Playa Puerto Aventuras is about 0.6 miles away on foot, and Playa Barceló Maya is about 1.5 miles away. For a change of scene, Parque Lol-Beh is about 1.8 miles away on foot, while Xcaret Park is roughly 8 miles away by road.

Cancún International Airport is about 42 miles away by the listed route. The resort is also close enough to have a few independent places around it: La Caleta, Latitudee 20 and Subway are each about 0.3 miles away. You can therefore eat outside the resort if curiosity gets the better of the all-inclusive wristband, though you will already have plenty of choice on site.

The rooms are set up for the practical business of recovering from heat, salt and early starts. Air conditioning matters here, and every room has a private bathroom, WiFi, a minibar, a coffee machine and a flat-screen TV. Balconies open towards the garden or the sea, giving you somewhere to sit with a coffee rather than immediately collapsing on the bed in full kit-room silence.

For two, the Privileged Superior Ocean View puts the emphasis on the outlook and a king-size bed. The Privileged Romance and Privileged Romance Deluxe rooms are also adults-only options for two, both with a king-size bed, making them the obvious choices when the room is mainly a base for a couple rather than a family headquarters. If three people are sharing, the Premium Deluxe Room or Premium Double Room uses two double beds and gives you a more sensible sleeping arrangement than negotiating territories around one large bed.

Families have family rooms and interconnecting rooms, while the Privileged Suite offers more room to spread out than the standard double-bed categories. A private bathroom with shower, towels, toiletries and a hairdryer keeps the return from the beach uncomplicated. Daily housekeeping is included, and 24-hour room service means you can eat in without putting on proper clothes. A small victory, especially when the day’s kit is still making its presence felt.

Nine restaurants give the all-inclusive plan some useful range. The kitchens cover Italian, Mexican, Asian, international and barbecue-grill food, so you are not locked into the same plate every evening. Breakfast is a buffet, with lunch and dinner served in a variety of settings. After a long dive day, that choice is less about culinary theatre than finding something substantial without another taxi ride.

There is a snack bar for the gap between meals, plus a bar and a pool bar for the part of the afternoon when a cold drink becomes more important than a timetable. Wine and champagne are available, and special-diet menus can be arranged on request. The minibar and tea-and-coffee facilities in the room cover the quieter moments, while 24-hour room service gives you a late option when your appetite arrives after everyone else has finished theirs.

The all-inclusive formula includes breakfast and keeps the main eating and drinking arrangements on site. The resort also runs themed dinner nights, which gives the evening a little structure without requiring you to leave the property.

Five outdoor pools give you alternatives to the sea when you want to stay horizontal and avoid another encounter with your fins. Sun umbrellas, loungers and the direct beach access make the basic recovery plan perfectly clear: find shade, order something cold and let the surface interval become the rest of the afternoon. Water-sports facilities and snorkelling are also available on site for days when you want to be in the water without committing to a full dive programme.

The Alegría spa is the more persuasive option for a tired back. Its treatments include massage, facials, a hammam, sauna and jacuzzi, with couples’ massages alongside full-body, head and back treatments. There is also a spa relaxation area, while the fitness centre and yoga classes give you a way to move without pretending that a hard training session is what your legs really wanted.

Away from the water and wellness rooms, you have tennis courts and equipment, table tennis, billiards and a games room. Evening entertainment, a nightclub with DJ, themed dinners and resort entertainment staff keep the night moving if that is your preference. Children have a kids’ club, indoor and outdoor play areas and a playground, so the family timetable does not have to match the diver’s timetable hour for hour.

Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out runs until 12:00. You need photo identification and the card used for the reservation at arrival, and an environmental tax is payable per person per night at the front desk. Cash, Visa and Mastercard are accepted; cash payments use Mexican pesos. Children of any age are welcome, and cots can be requested for babies from birth to one year. Extra beds are not available, so choose the room arrangement with care if more than two adults are travelling.

The 24-hour reception includes concierge service, luggage storage, a tour desk, currency exchange and an on-site cash machine. Car hire is available, and free public parking is provided without reservation. WiFi is free throughout the resort, while laundry and pressing services deal with the less glamorous consequences of a humid diving holiday. An infirmary is on site, and the property has accessible facilities including wheelchair access, tactile signs, Braille signs and toilets with grab rails.

The resort does not allow pets. If you are booking several rooms, group policies apply once the reservation reaches more than four rooms. Before arrival, it is worth checking the conditions attached to your chosen room, as cancellation and prepayment rules vary between accommodation categories.