John and I just returned from Secrets the Vine in Cancun. We’ve never stayed in a high rise in Cancun, but it has its benefits. The views are amazing! We’ve also never been to Cancun in March. The weather is very different in summer and fall. It’s very, very windy and a little cooler. There were red flags almost every day on the beach but at least we weren’t sweating.
We took the early flight from DFW, which means we were at the hotel by noon.
Secrets the Vine has 497 rooms. It’s a high-rise hotel, very modern. They have four pools counting the Preferred Club pool, but no swim-up bar. I didn’t even realize this until after we booked. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of poolside waiters.
The hotel is wine-themed and they offer wine tastings each afternoon. Some of the time slots are complimentary and some have a charge. We booked one that was a tasting of several Mexican wines, there was a $30 per person fee for this. It came with food pairings and was a great experience.
Preferred Club
Preferred Club is the upgraded amenities offered at Secrets Resorts. This particular hotel has a rooftop pool and restaurant for Preferred Club guests. You also get access to the hydrotherapy area of the spa. You just need to make an appointment for it. The rooftop area has cabanas and chairs with umbrellas. None of these areas can be reserved in advance or booked on a fee basis, it’s first come, first serve.
Look at this view!
The Preferred Club rooms start on the 21st floor. Each floor has a butler and that is where you check in and check out. Your butler is available via WhatsApp to answer questions or assist during your stay. Ours were wonderful! Each morning we got the daily activities sent to us and they checked in several times during the day. The pool on this level is not ADA-friendly, there’s an old-school ladder to get in and out of the pool. The pools on the lower deck were more accessible.
There is also a Preferred Club lounge with continental breakfast, snacks during the afternoon and evening, and a bar.
The Rooms
I wanted to stay at another Secrets property and this one is another client favorite. We stayed in Preferred Club Deluxe Ocean View. They also have this room without Preferred Club. The walls of the bathroom and shower are frosted glass. In the deluxe room, the vanities are separate (kind of back-to-back). Not much counter space.
The deluxe has a great view but the room is small. My recommendation here is Preferred Club and do the Junior suite if you can. The room is a little bigger and the bathroom layout is better.
All the rooms have gorgeous views of the water! We had a lagoon to one side and the ocean to the other.
Each room has an iPad. You can order room service or housekeeping items like extra towels or pillows with the app. I think this is a great feature. I hate having to make calls for that and it’s so easy.
Check-in for Preferred Club guests is on the floor where your room is located. You meet your butler and they escort you up to your floor.
Non-Preferred Club guests check-in is located in the lobby. The concierge is there for them as well. The Amstar desk is also located in the lobby. Amstar is a destination management company so they book tours and airport transfers.
I did take a tour of the property, here are a few other rooms I saw. The oceanfront is amazing. The counter space in the rooms above deluxe is much better. But all the bathrooms have frosted showers and toilet rooms.
And the view from our room at night.
The Hotel
Secrets the Vine has a sports bar with several televisions and seating for larger groups. There’s also a piano bar. Some nights it was quiet and other nights there was a DJ or a show.
Several nights they had entertainment out by the pool, which was usually while we were eating dinner.
Dining at Secrets the Vine
They have 7 restaurants plus the lobby coffee bar. It has ice cream, cookies, and pretzels as well!
We thought all the food was great but the standouts for us were the Italian (Nebbiolo) and Steakhouse (Bluewater Grill). Our least favorite was Sea Salt Grill. Our first night we went to Nebbiolo and ordered a bottle of wine. We met the sommelier and since we didn’t finish our bottle he saved it for us. The next night he had us a table at the Steakhouse and we finished our bottle and of course, ordered a second one. You know we like our wine (see our Napa trip).
Dragons was another favorite restaurant. We ordered several things and ended up sharing some. Pad Thai was good! I’m not very adventurous.
The Mexican restaurant had several of our favorite dishes. Poblano soup, chicken mole and flautas were all really good!
Secrets the Vine Spa
We did visit the spa. We got a couples massage and used the hydrotherapy pools. I don’t have any photos because phones are not really allowed in there. It’s peaceful and our massage therapists were great. The hydrotherapy is similar to other hotels with the sauna and cold and hot plunge pools.
I did get this picture of the view from the spin bike. If you are going to work out, this is a great view!
The Pools
The lower level has 3 pools and stairs down to the beach. There is security at the top of the stairs, you have to sign in and out when you go to the beach. The pool side grill is open for lunch.
We spent our days at the Preferred Club pool. I read a book cover to cover and had some yummy drinks.
We had a great trip! I was very impressed and looking forward to trying other Secrets properties.
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