Escape to Finest Resort, Playa Mujeres
By: Kerri Ness
Ahhhhhh, spring break. While anticipating this break every year, it creeps up on your slowly but surely, and if your anything like my family the great where should we go debate sets in quickly. Originally we were supposed to go to the Bahamas but flights were astronomical and we found ourselves quickly changing gears. Enter Mexico.
Our family set our sights on Finest Resort, Playa Mujeres. From breathtaking architecture, 12 pools, endless eating options, entertainment, and overall 5 star service, this place could not be beat. We did a ‘split’ stay with both club level and non-club level, tried as many restaurants as we could, did all the activities, and came home with only a few sun burnt spots!
Let’s break down the components of this resort:
Food: the number one concern with any all-inclusive is the food. For anyone who knows me well, you know I LOVE to cook, have over 100 cookbooks, and in general maintain a healthy diet. So trust me with this honest reviews: the food was OUTSTANDING.
Overall the portions were on the smaller side, but this allows you to try many things and order more if you want! Produce was very fresh as was the seafood. The ask before seating about any allergies or special diets, and every place has a plethora or vegetarian and kids options.
Room service- available any time, excellent choices, typically took about 35-40 minutes. Highlights: salmon, hummus, salads, Asian noodles.
Duke’s Lobster House- overlooking the pool, great views, can be windy at night. Food was fresh, more “Americanized” with tacos, fish, pizza, burgers, various deluxe sandwiches
Dommo- adult only restaurant for Excellence club only- known for the giant tomahawk steak. Appetizers were excellent- this was my least favorite meal here shockingly but still left content and full!
The Market- this is the only, and main buffet, offering breakfast-dinner. This place is huge and offers a little bit of everything. You need to take a “tour” before getting what you want as it’s easy to miss some offerings. Hands down the best granola and omelet I’ve ever had!
Insieme Trattoria- prior to visiting this did not get the best reviews- but we LOVED it, the kids got a salmon burger, I had muscles and salad, and my husband had a specialty pizza. Over the pool, great views.
Lizo- this was not on our list, but we ended up here based on availability- and it did not disappoint. We all LOVED this place. While this is the Mexican restaurant the menu is divided by regions of the country. Each region is known for various dishes so we were all pleasantly surprised.
La Cocinita Food Truck- this is open from lunch until late night. The menu is limited but it was fabulous for snacks- service can be a bit slow as there is only one man cooking.
Legends- doesn’t everyone want to go to Mexico and go to a sports bar haha? I have two boys- we ended up there let’s be honest….. great sports theme, pool table, plenty of TV’s. Menu is very sport bar related- some of the best wings we’ve ever had.
Seaside- this is for the Excellence club only. There is a small buffet as well as the ability to order from a menu. Everything was prepared to order to expect a bit more of a wait, but it was evident the food was taken up a notch. Pastas, fish, steak, etc.
Tinto & Tapas- We LOVED everything we had here. We let out waiter choose the dishes for us as they are all small plates meant to be shared. We has no idea what was coming to us, and it was all wonderful! Highlights are the crostini’s, potatoes, and crispy chicken sandwiches.
Surf & Turf- we divided and conquered here, two of us got seafood and two of us got meat dishes. This is “loosely” set up like a steak house where you add side dishes to your main course. Lobster was fresh!
Brass/ Le Petit Plaisir- we did not get to try there so if you go let me know!
Let’s talk rooms! There are many room categories: swim up, private pool, standard room, and two story room with pool on top. Every room has their own mini bar fully stocked, as well as snacks. There is then the option for Excellence Club add on. Every family will have their own preferences but here are my thoughts:
Swim up- you are open to people walking by and sitting by the pool, you also will have someone above you in a room that can look down at what you do- overall seems to be a lack of privacy.
Standard room- the rooms are massive as are the bathrooms- if this rooms fit your budget, you can’t go wrong.
Private Pool- you have your own small plunge pool and large area to lay out- you will have a server that comes by for drinks/food, and there is a row of hedges for some privacy.
Second Story: these rooms are huge. You have your own pool on the roof as well as a sitting area and day bed. This is the room we got and we utilized everything. It was very nice in the afternoons to come back for a break and have some space!
Excellence Club- the room type various but you can opt to get on in the club level. With this you get a separate check in, upgraded toiletries, two restaurants not for people in the club, as well as two bar/lounges with top shelf liquor and snacks throughout the day. We were able to get Hendrix and Grey Goose drinks!
Let’s talk amenities/entertainment next! Honestly, we spent a large portion of our time doing…. Quite nothing but sitting and drinking haha…. But there is A LOT to do!
Kids Club: this ages out at 12, but they run activities all day. There are 7 water slides and features for the children, games, movies, crafts and more! We were able to sign our children up so that they could check themselves in and out. They begged to go daily and spent a couple hours daily- we decided on a meeting point and felt very safe letting them go.
Nightly Entertainment: Posted daily is the show for the night- these ranged from a magic show to African night to concerts. They start at 9:30 so can be late for some little ones.
Water Sports: they offer small catamaran for use, we took these out several times and saw plenty of large sea turtles swimming around. There is also windsurfing and snorkeling, however there are very minimal fish to sea from the shore. You can add on excursions to Isla Mujurues which I highly recommend if your family has time to do.
Daily Activities: these ranged from bingo, poker, volleyball tournaments, water aerobics, tennis lessons, etc. They post a daily schedule at the front of the resort.
Gym: there is a personal trainer available and the gym is fully stocked. I was able to visit three times while there with no wait for anything!
Pools: no shortage here! The main pool is half families, half adults only, with a swim up bar on both sides. Several pools located around the resort that offer various options- all have servers that attend to you round the clock, while some are more private than others.
Overall, this was a great family resort option. Everyone was happy, well fed, and plenty entertained. I would recommend this resort to groups, intergenerational families and single families traveling.
Interested in giving Finest Resorts a try… contact Kerri.jollyholiday@gmail.com
