Greetings and Salutations!
It’s not very often that I have the opportunity to practically move into an all-inclusive resort in Mexico, receive an award, endure a hurricane, and attend a wedding within a two week period. But I very recently had the chance to do all of that – and MORE – during my recent travels to AVA Cancun for AIC Showstoppers and the Destination Wedding Playbook Retreat.
That is literally three separate posts in one, so let me focus on one thing at a time. Which would be my home for almost 2 weeks: AVA Resort Cancun.
For those not familiar with AVA, this is a brand new property that opened in Riviera Cancun, Mexico earlier this summer. The soft opening was in June 2024, with the grand opening scheduled for later this month with Joe Jones on the 1s and 2s. AVA sits just 10 minutes from Cancun International Airport, which makes this an ideal destination for a short getaway or simply for those who aren’t interested in a long commute from the airport. AVA is operated by AIC Hotel Group, the same company that operates the Hard Rock All-Inclusive hotels, Unico 20 87 and the Nobu hotels. (I’m a fan I’m a fan I’m a fan)
AVA Resort seeks to marry the gastronomy and mixology that Unico boasts (an adults only resort) with a family friendly atmosphere. With 1700 rooms, this resort is one of the LARGEST in the Cancun area and has THE largest lagoon pool in the region.
Alright now that you have some background, let’s talk about my experience.
Check-In/Arrival: I had two separate check-in experiences, as I had two separate stays at AVA during that two week period. My first check-in was in the groups lobby for Showstoppers, which wasn’t quite finished (remember the hotel is still in its soft opening stage). The lobby was HUGE but not yet decorated. There was a coffee bar operating with incredible speciality coffees, and this lobby was located directly next to the convention center/ballrooms. It’ll be GREAT for large groups such as ours.
My second check-in was in the traditional lobby, which was much more vibrant and lively. A wall of glass windows directly overlooking the water was the first thing I saw, with registration desks on both sides. With a property of this size, having that many places for guests to get assistance in the lobby is going to be crucial.
On both occasions my room wasn’t quite ready, so I was given a bracelet and told to enjoy the premises until I could go to the room. As is customary, my bags were held at the front and brought to my room once it was ready.
Accommodations: There are two towers at AVA containing accommodations: North and South. We stayed in the North tower both times, although the South tower opened during my second stay. EVERY room at AVA Cancun has a direct ocean view, thanks to the orientation of the resort. I stayed in the Ocean Front King both times, which is the entry level room. Their version of “entry level” mimics some upper level rooms at other resorts….just saying. The room came with robes for two, slippers, a balcony with a private jacuzzi tub, his and hers sinks and 24 hour room service. The bed was incredibly comfortable and the towels were some of the softest I’ve ever felt. There WERE some imperfections; for example our toilet decided to stop flushing on the second day of my first stay. But one call to the front desk and someone was at our room to fix it. During my second stay, the hot water was slightly inconsistent…but that was also after Hurricane Helene came through, so I can’t really blame the hotel for that.
Dining: Can we give it up for the FOOD at AVA Resort?!?! MY goodness.
So I’ll be honest. At first the food was “aight” to me, but that’s because we were eating buffet style meals as part of the Showstoppers event. Like, the food was good but I wasn’t writing home about it. BABY…on day 2 we went down to hang out at the pool and ordered some wings. Why were these wings incredible? I don’t know what these people did or what was in that sauce, but I was sucking on the bones. My only complaint – no flats, all drums. They also serve empanadas at the pool. What?
For breakfast during stay #1, I ate at Plaza MX in the North tower every day but one. Plaza MX is the buffet-style breakfast with made to order omelets, pancakes, French toast…all sorts of things. It was so goooood. They had fried plantains that were blessed from the hand of God. During stay #2, breakfast was being served in the Food District (South Tower), which was just a few steps past Aroma coffee and bakery shop.
I had the opportunity to try 4 of the a la carte restaurants during my two stays: Chez Moi (French), Black Iron (Steakhouse), Coral (Mexican) and Bao (Asian). Nothing I ate was bad. They really took their time with developing the food at this resort and you can tell. We ate GOOD. I gained 6 lbs as proof. (that plus all of the Palomas I drank, probably). There are more restaurants to try at this time – Italian, Teppanyaki, Mediterranean – and more to come as the resort continues to reach 100% operating status.
Pools and Beach: I’m going to keep it 100 with you guys – the main draw to this resort is the pool. AVA has a MASSIVE lagoon style saltwater pool (AVA Bay) with the most amazing water I’ve ever felt. The lagoon pool is zero entry, mimicking a day at the beach. I literally could’ve spent all day in AVA Bay, but there isn’t a ton of shade at that part of the resort toward the end of the day. Kayaking and paddle boarding are available at the lagoon pool.
There are 3 other pools on either side of the AVA Bay – the family pool in front of the North tower (which was the liveliest of the pools), the kiddie pool with a mini waterpark, and an adults only pool in front of the South tower. From one end of the pool deck to the other, it’s literally a kilometer of walking. This is a BIG resort.
If you’re a huge beach buff looking for crystal clear water, at this time AVA may not be the spot for you. They are installing barriers to help curtail any seaweed or sargassum that might wash ashore, but the beach is quite small. I’m a pool girlie, so this didn’t bother me at all.
Activities: Beyond the paddle boarding and kayaking mentioned above, AVA has a 4 lane bowling alley, a fully functional spa with hydrotherapy and a two story fitness center. I also participated in aqua fitness twice in the family pool. Once the resort is fully open, there will be laser tag, a nightclub, a 400 seat theater, a kids’ club and plenty of other activities for the entire family. Nightlife was contained to the Digit Bar near the lobby and the other bar close to Black Iron steakhouse.
In all, I consider myself VERY fortunate to have been given the opportunity to experience AVA Resort Cancun. I’ll readily admit that the hotel has a little bit more polishing before it’s at 100%, but once all of the finishing touches are complete, it’s going to be a TOP destination for families and groups. This resort has the potential to be…no pun intended…a showstopper.
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