Secrets Impression Moxché: Is it the best all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen.
I spent the May long weekend week at Secrets Impression Moxché. Remember the name! This new adults-only all-inclusive in Playa del Carmen, Mexico is getting tons of buzz due to its exclusive resort-within-a-resort experience where every guest gets a huge suite, butler service and access to VIP-only restaurants, bars, rooftop pools and a beach club. Bonus: It’s part of World of Hyatt so you can redeem and earn points here.
Dining options, including a free gourmet dinner if you stay 5 nights or more.
The food at Secrets Impression Moxché will change your expectations of all-inclusive resort fine dining.
Allora
This Italian restaurant is open to everyone across the entire resort, not just Impression. The pasta was excellent (and that’s coming from someone that makes her own pasta instead of using store bought). The pizza looked good but the restaurant actually uses an electric oven instead of a wood-burning version so it doesn’t have the crispy crust I was looking for. But, everything else was delicioso.
Seasoul
Seasoul is another restaurant that’s open to everyone at lunchtime. Its covered outdoor setting is just what you need when you want to grab some shade, a drink and a delicious meal.The menu consists of ceviches, tostadas, salads, tacos and a few heartier mains such as skirt steak with potatoes and a chicken dish marinated in xcatic peppers. Desserts range from panna cotta to lime pie to s’mores to cheesecake.
Teodoro
While meals everywhere else on the property are included in your nightly rate, Teodoro is a special dining “event” that will set couples back $500. There is a discount for Impression guests, World of Hyatt Globalists or timeshare owners; that group pays $250 per couple. If anyone books five nights or longer at the resort, your meal here is complimentary. This intimate dining venue overlooks the beach and offers a seven-course tasting menu with wine pairings at dinner. The menu is designed by chef Karla Enciso with pairings by wine concierge and mixologist Salvador Zepeda. (Note: I don’t drink alcohol and our waitress brought me specially designed nonalcoholic drinks to pair with my meal instead of wine, which I appreciated.)
The meal begins with your choice of salad: tomato or beet. The tomato salad is a bit different than what you’d expect as it has some semi-dried tomatoes and some sauce. We tried both and the flavors were outstanding.
The next course is a choice of pumpkin (more like zucchini) and octopus carpaccio. Again we ordered one of each but after watching the “My Octopus Teacher” documentary that shows how sentient these beings are, I just can’t think of eating those cephalopods! The lobster taco was outstanding and we enjoyed the smoky mushroom soup as well. (The other soup choice was beef sweetbreads.)
The resort is adults-only.
The policy is adults-only (18+) though they do accept small dogs for a fee. It’s about a 45-minute drive from Cancun Airport (CUN) to Playa del Carmen. It’s super easy to get there but there are currently construction projects on all three roads leading into the airport. That can cause intermittent delays.
You can prearrange for a taxi pickup upon arrival (recommended by the airport and costs about $60 to get to Secrets Moxché), book a shared or private shuttle or rent a car. We opted for a private shuttle and appreciated just getting to the resort and airport without stopping at numerous other properties.
Secrets Impression Moxché is adjacent to Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen, which is a spectacular all-inclusive resort in its own right. Since it opened in 2022, both Secrets and Hyatt loyalists have been talking a lot about how fabulous this place is.
If Secrets Impression Moxché isn’t already on your must-visit list for your next Riviera Maya all-inclusive vacation, it should be. Here’s why.
Snapshot
Secrets Impression Moxché resort combines everything you’re looking for in a Mexican beach vacation: spacious suites with comfortable beds and beautiful outdoor spaces (some with private plunge pools and others with balcony hot tubs for two), a good beach (though sargassum seaweed was an issue while we were there), peaceful pools, private cenote-inspired grottos, excellent dining options and plenty of activities to keep you entertained.
Why you’ll love Secrets Impression Moxché
The resort elevates the all-inclusive concept to new levels in the following ways:
- Service is excellent across the board, and everyone comes off as friendly in an authentic way.
- The 198 suites and VIP-only areas are visually stunning.
- There are activities to keep guests busy, as well as hidden coves and cenotes for quiet enjoyment.
- The dining venues are excellent. If you always wished there were an all-inclusive resort with gourmet cuisine rather than the run-of-the-mill breakfast buffet and in-pool bar, look no further. This place was designed for you.
Things to love about Secrets Impression Moxché.
It’s a resort-within-a-resort and you have access to everything
Sister resort Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen, with 485 suites, opened in April 2022 and it’s a knockout in and of itself. While guests there aren’t assigned a butler, the rooms are very similar to what you’ll book over on the Impression side.
Across the entire property, travellers can take advantage of three different types of experiences:
- Secrets Moxché — with access to all public areas of the resort.
- Secrets Moxché Preferred Club — with some limited VIP access at the main resort, including a rooftop pool, restaurant and bar.
- Secrets Impression Moxché — a VIP building with access to everything at Moxché and the Preferred Club plus an additional rooftop pool deck, beach club, bars and restaurants.
The Impression main building is in a discreet tower in the Secrets Moxché complex. Massive double doors — which are kept closed to lend an air of exclusivity — lead to the lobby with a bar, snack area and various seating arrangements. Check-in desks sit on the opposite side of a room divider. The vibe is mellow and the lighting is soft and diffuse.
The lobby bar is staffed from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and there’s a small all-day food buffet offering a light continental breakfast, lunchtime mini-sandwiches, fruit and pastries and more decadent goodies in the evenings.
There are also three pool areas devoted exclusively to Impression guests.
The 9th-floor rooftop pool is fabulous for sunbathing and dining.
On the 9th floor of the Secrets Impression Moxché building, you’ll find a rooftop pool and hot tub. This area is reserved solely for Impression guests and is staffed by attendants who prepare the cabanas and lounge chairs to your liking. Bar service is quick with servers checking in on sunbathers at frequent intervals.
Cielo bar and restaurant is also on the 9th-floor rooftop of the Impression building. The bar is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. while the restaurant takes diners from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are plenty of tables at which to dine as well as seating areas if you just want to have a drink and talk with friends. This is where we ate lunch on the first day as our room was getting prepared for us. I enjoyed various appetizers as my meals. Yummy!
The second Impression-only pool area is in the second Impression building, which houses Teodoro and the Seaview Beach Club. This pool also has a rooftop vibe — it’s only a few floors up versus the main Impression pool that is on the 9th floor of the main building.
This area includes some cabanas, sun beds, loungers, a bar and an expansive pool overlooking Seaside Beach Club and the ocean. The vibe over here was tranquil thanks to lush landscaping and beautiful views.
The Beach Club and Pool
Finally, Seaside Beach Club is another hidden-away VIP spot that includes an indoor/outdoor restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
There are also regional dishes, such as mollete (a toasted open sandwich with cheese, smoked pork and pico de gallo), duck confit in a pasilla chili sauce, vegan enchiladas with roasted pumpkin poblano sauce and chicken enchiladas in a green sauce.
The beach club also offers a small pool with loungers and a few cabanas. The beach is steps away.
The suites here are elegant, comfortable and well-designed. Even the entry-level 947-square-foot Signature Suite King (with no specific view listed) is a winner. The same room layout is also available with three other views: tropical, ocean view and oceanfront.
Just be aware that these aren’t true “suites,” which are defined by a division between the bedroom and sitting area. This is just one open room, though sliding pocket doors do separate the bedroom from the bathroom.
The room’s entry foyer had moody (read: dark) lighting with a hallway that led to the bedroom. A long table — perfect to drop off your beach bag and sunglasses upon arrival — sat against the opposite wall and a humongous 55-inch flatscreen TV was affixed to the wall above.
The beach bag sitting on the bed bench is a take-home gift to guests.
Beyond the bed was a room sitting room with a sofa, chair, ottoman and nesting coffee table. The polished black-stone floors gave the entire space an elevated feel, while the rustic finishes of the wooden furnishings including the sofa and the bed headboard telegraphed a beachy vibe.
The room’s highlight was the balcony outfitted with a black-stone two-person hot tub, a small Balinese-style daybed, an Acapulco-style chair and ottoman low table.
The room was outfitted with a minibar that was refreshed daily with our choice of beverages (beer, water, orange juice, soda) and snacks (Pringles and peanut M&Ms). There was also a wine cooler that offered three complimentary wines: Don Silvestre Chardonnay, Don Silvestre Cabernet Sauvignon and Champagne. Finally, there was a Nespresso machine for a morning jolt.
The bath amenities included Gilchrist & Soames shampoo, conditioner, body wash and bar soap. There was also a nice assortment of extras, such as a sewing kit, a razor, toothbrush and toothpaste, travel comb, a shoe mitt plus cotton swabs and puffs.
Other room-related perks of this resort include complimentary laundry and ironing (though there was also a steamer for in-room use) and a pillow menu.
We returned home truly relaxed. If you are looking for something new with a high level of service and facilities, you’ll be impressed at Secrets Impression Moxche.
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