The Catalonia Grand Costa Mujeres was the last hotel on our trip around Mexico. It was also the hotel I spent by far the most time choosing.

I wanted to explore Cancún a bit more, but at the same time leave at least one day for doing absolutely nothing. My partner could have relaxed for longer, whilst I went off on excursions.

In the end, we ended up at a modern all-inclusive resort far to the north of the city. For 420 usd per night, we had a spacious Privileged suite with its own little pool on the balcony.

At first glance, the price seemed absolutely crazy to me, but after a quick comparison of all the hotels in Cancún, I unfortunately realised that in a similar all-inclusive category, this is simply the norm.

I enjoyed my stay here. I particularly liked the room, the modern facilities and the beautiful beach. I’d describe the food as above average, and the main swimming pools were quite crowded during the day.

My rating

What I’m rating	My experience
Room	Spacious, modern and practical
Private pool	Nice for a refreshing dip, but too shallow for swimming
Beach	Beautiful, plenty of sun loungers and shade
The sea during our stay	Swimming was made impossible by sargassum
Communal swimming pools	Quite busy during the day
Food	A wide selection, but the taste was only average
Location	Good for relaxing, less so for exploring Cancún

I’d recommend Catalonia to people who want a modern beach resort and plan to spend most of their time at the hotel. I was also impressed by the facilities for families with children.

If you want to head into town every day, walk to restaurants or stay close to the nightlife, I’d choose a different part of Cancún.

Why I chose Catalonia and how much we paid

Originally, I wanted to stay in the Zona Hotelera. However, during our search, most of the nice all-inclusive hotels cost over 480 usd e per night, even though we were travelling out of season.

I didn’t like the hotels costing between 150 and 200 usd at all. I was looking for a pleasant place to round off our trip and didn’t want to compromise on my standards.

So I started looking at resorts further away from the city. We still had a hire car, so the distance wasn’t such a major obstacle for us.

After a few days of deliberation, the Catalonia Grand Costa Mujeres All Suites & Spa came out on top. The good reviews, modern rooms and its location near Isla Blanca all played a part in our decision.

Our booking included:

• 420 usd one suite per night for two people
• all-inclusive
• Privileged category
• a private pool on the balcony

It wasn’t cheap. Compared to the hotels I was choosing from at the time, however, the price was fairly average – certainly not over the top. That’s just Cancún for you – probably the most expensive area in Mexico.

At least we had a lovely suite with a small pool and a few extra perks.

Please regard the amount stated as the cost of our stay. The dates and specific room category can significantly affect the final price.

• 👉 Check the price at Catalonia Grand Costa Mujeres for your dates

If, like me, you’re unsure about the location, have a look at our tips on where to stay in Cancún first. Location really does make a big difference when choosing a hotel here.

Location in Costa Mujeres and trips to Cancún

The hotel is situated in Costa Mujeres, a resort area on the mainland north of Cancún. It is not on the island of Isla Mujeres, although the name might suggest otherwise.

It’s a place to stay by the sea. You won’t be able to walk to the city centre or the Zona Hotelera from here.

As far as I’m concerned, the location has two sides to it.

There’s a beautiful beach right by the hotel and the surroundings are much quieter than in the busier parts of Cancún. However, every trip into town means travelling by car or a paid shuttle service.

Havinga hire car made our stay much easier. Nevertheless, for exploring Cancún on a daily basis, I’d choose a more convenient location next time.

If you want to spend part of your holiday travelling and part simply relaxing, it makes more sense to me to split your stay between two hotels. You’ll get more out of an expensive all-inclusive package on the days when you actually stay at the resort.

Transport from the airport and parking

It took us 50 minutes to get to Cancún Airport by Uber. However, the organised bus transfer will take longer, as it usually stops at other hotels as well.

If I didn’t have a car, I’d arrange a transfer directly to the hotel. We took an Uber for around 650 mxn, which was almost half the price of the hotel’s own transfer service.

You can find other options in our guide to transport from Cancún Airport.

We arrived in a hire car (I returned the car the day before the end of our stay and we travelled exclusively by Uber from then on). The arrival area is easy to navigate and parking in the underground car parks is free. This worked very well.

For trips around the area, you can compare car hire prices in Mexico.

Places to visit from the hotel

Catalonia’s location appealed to me mainly because of the north coast. When planning trips, I’d consider:

• Isla Blanca – natural beaches and a lagoon north of the resorts. It was the proximity to this area that appealed to me when making my choice.
• El Meco – smaller Mayan ruins on the way towards Puerto Juárez.
• Isla Mujeres – first you travel to the harbour and then continue by ferry. The island’s proximity does not mean the ferry departs directly from the hotel.
• Zona Hotelera – the livelier part of Cancún, with more beaches, shops and restaurants.

For trips further south along the Riviera Maya, the northern location is less practical. When planning your itinerary, I’d take this into account and save longer trips for another part of your journey.

Although the hotel offers its own excursions, they tend to be around 50 per cent more expensive than those offered by local travel agencies, which will, of course, be happy to collect you directly from the hotel.

We compared all organised excursions in Mexico on my favourite website, GetYourGuide.

Arrival and quick check-in

We arrived around 5.00 pm, so the room was already ready and check-in went smoothly.

We were served a nice non-alcoholic welcome drink.

Unfortunately, you have to wear a wristband, which neither of us likes, but it’s bearable.

At least this one isn’t stuck on, which I really can’t stand.

After my previous experience with Impression Mujeres, I particularly appreciated the speed. And above all, the luggage delivery: the suitcases arrived in the room about a minute after we did. That’s exactly how I imagine it should be.

Officially, check-in is from 3.00 pm and check-out is by 12.00 noon.

Even on arrival, the Catalonia struck me as well-maintained and modern. I much preferred its design to that of the Bahía Principe near Akumal, where we’d stayed earlier on the same trip.

We were also given a card with very useful information about the opening hours of all the restaurants and a QR code for booking tables at restaurants and other activities.

A modern complex with shops and two swimming pools

The complex is incomparably smaller than the Bahía Principe complex. For me, this was an advantage: the hotel feels more manageable and, in fact, quite cosy.

It has three main ‘streets’. On two of them, the swimming pools are situated between the accommodation blocks.

In the central area, you’ll find restaurants, bars and shops selling souvenirs, clothes and beach gear.

The whole place feels lively and modern. Some might say it’s a bit soulless. But I quite like this style.

There’s also a handy mini-market selling basic groceries and other essentials. Prices are higher than at 7-Eleven, but during our stay they were significantly more reasonable than at the mini-market in Bahía Principe.

Other shops mainly sell various Mexican souvenirs, clothes and beach gear.

However, the more compact layout does have its drawbacks. People tend to congregate in a smaller area, and this was particularly noticeable around the swimming pools during the day.

Our Privileged suite with its own private pool

The room was one of the best parts of our stay. Spacious, modern and practically furnished.

The bedroom and living area aren’t separated by a door. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of space and the whole place really feels like a suite, not just a larger hotel room with a sofa.

The design is simple and contemporary.

No elaborate decorations or attempts to create a tropical atmosphere at all costs. It suited me perfectly just as it was.

Work area and storage spaces

I was really pleased with the space for working on my laptop. In similar beach hotels, this isn’t something I take for granted, but here it was genuinely useful.

I also appreciated the small entrance hall with its spacious wardrobes. You don’t have to have everything from your suitcases scattered all over the room.

The bathroom and privacy in the toilet

The bathroom was nice and clean. There was one thing that bothered me, though: the doors to the toilet and the shower provided virtually no sound insulation.

As a result, privacy in the toilet is less than I would have expected in a suite like this. Visually, the space works well; acoustically, not so much.

In the bathroom, you’ll find basic amenities such as creams, soap, a comb, a bathroom scales and, of course, a bathrobe and a hairdryer.

Coffee and minibar

There’s a filter coffee machine in the room. I’d have preferred a capsule coffee machine, so that was a bit of a let-down for me.

The minibar is included in the price and is restocked regularly. Our selection mainly consisted of water, sweet fizzy drinks and a few bits and bobs, such as biscuits.

It was fine, but the selection wasn’t particularly extensive or interesting.

The balcony pool and how it was actually used

A large balcony with its own little pool looks lovely. We were staying on the second floor, so we had more privacy than the rooms with pools on the ground floor.

However, it isn’t completely private. We were partially visible from the room above us and also from the neighbours’.

The water temperature was pleasant. Having experienced ice-cold water in the private pools at the W Koh Samui and Panviman Koh Phangan hotels, I really appreciated this.

However, our pool was extremely shallow and you couldn’t swim in it. It was fine for cooling off and sitting in the water. If you imagine a private pool as a place to swim, this one would disappoint you.

We do, however, have a lovely view from the terrace, and you can even see part of the sea.

So when booking, make sure to check the photos and the description of the specific category.

The hotel offers several different Privileged suites as well as Swim Up options. My experience with the shallow balcony pool reflects our specific room.

• 👉 View photos and compare available room categories

Is it worth paying extra for a Privileged room?

Our Privileged wristbands offered several practical benefits:

• priority access to the main buffet
• a reserved area in the buffet restaurant
• a reserved area on the beach

In practice, I found the better section of the buffet to be mainly more comfortable. The lighting was more subdued, and the seating was more comfortable. However, this doesn’t make the food any better.

In addition, we have access to the BLoved restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner (though booking is required), the Pure Bar on the beach, and one entry to the spa’s aquatic area.

It also offers some discounts and, subject to availability, early check-in or late check-out.

For me, the room with its own little pool was the best value. The other perks were nice too, but I wouldn’t pay a significant surcharge just for the more comfortable seats in the buffet.

‘Privileged’ does not automatically mean a private pool. It depends on the specific room category.

The beach and sargassum during our stay

I really liked the beach. Some of the sun loungers are under palm trees, whilst others are in the open sun. There were plenty of sun loungers and parasols, and overall there was a pleasant atmosphere.

Compared to the bustling beaches in Cancún, I appreciated the quieter setting. The surrounding resorts aren’t crammed right up against one another, and the beach has plenty of space.

There was a nice cocktail bar on site, as well as the option to hire a kayak for free.

You can make use of the beach volleyball court here, for example.

However, during our stay, it wasn’t really possible to swim in the sea due to the large amount of sargassum. That was the biggest drawback of the whole beach.

The hotel cleared the sand using machinery several times a day. However, clearing the seaweed that had washed ashore does not solve the problem of the sargassum in the water itself. The resort cannot be held responsible for that.

If I disregard the seaweed, I’d rate the beach very highly. However, after this experience, when choosing a hotel, I wouldn’t rely on the fact that a location in Costa Mujeres automatically guarantees clean sea.

The condition of the beach during our stay does not mean it will look the same when you visit. Before booking, I’d check the latest photos posted by guests and the conditions for your chosen dates.

You reach the beach from the main hotel area via a wooden walkway about 50 metres long, which is also wheelchair-accessible.

The entire coastline faces east, so if you want to watch the beautiful sunrise over the water, you’ll need to get up quite early.

To watch the sunset, we drove north of the hotel to Isla Blanca. However, it’s difficult to get there without a hire car, as not many taxi drivers are willing to make the trip.

The communal swimming pools were quite full

The hotel has two main outdoor swimming pools situated between the accommodation blocks. At first glance, they look good...

But during the day, from around 9.30 am onwards, they tend to be absolutely packed with people.

For me, this was the most obvious sign of the large number of guests in a relatively compact area.

If you want to spend the whole day swimming or are looking for a very peaceful atmosphere by the pool, I’d take this into account when making your choice. Having your own little pool on the balcony offers more privacy, but ours didn’t replace the communal swimming pools.

Food and all-inclusive at Catalonia

There’s a wide range of restaurants on offer. However, the food itself wasn’t the reason why I’d remember Catalonia as an exceptional hotel.

Overall, I’d describe it as above average. Nothing particularly bad, but nothing that would make me think I simply must come back here.

The main Gran Caribe buffet

We usually went to the main Gran Caribe buffet restaurant in the main building – for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There’s a good selection and there’s something for almost everyone. There were also plenty of vegetables, lighter dishes and vegetarian options, which I appreciated.

What I enjoyed most were the toast stations at breakfast. They served up original sweet and savoury toasts, and that’s what stood out most for me from the whole buffet.

As for the desserts, it was the same as at Bahía Principe: they look tempting, but the flavour is rather bland.

The selection of breakfasts, lunches and dinners was practically the same every day. It doesn’t matter so much on a short stay, but on a longer holiday I’d switch between restaurants more often.

The space is modern and huge. At the same time, it struck me as cold and impersonal. It’s comfortable for eating, but I’d imagine a cosy restaurant to be quite different.

In the mornings and evenings, queues would sometimes form outside the entrance for about 10 minutes. We had priority with our Privileged status, so that’s where the advantage of having better wristbands really came in handy.

Breakfast

The menu was the same every day. But you’ll find absolutely everything here.

As well as the toast station mentioned above:

• juices
• à la carte coffee
• plenty of fruit and vegetables
• plenty of hot food (sausages, beans, scrambled eggs, Mexican cuisine)
• an egg station
• a relatively limited selection of pastries (very few sweet pastries)
• quite a limited selection of cold dishes

Lunches and dinners

Lunches and dinners tend to be almost identical.

There’s plenty of it, but nothing I’d remember for the rest of my life.

• a fairly wide selection of hot meals (chicken, beef and pork)
• few fish dishes
• a steak station
• sushi station
• pizza
• a limited selection of cold dishes
• sweets

Restaurant and booking overview

The hotel overview distinguishes between à la carte restaurants requiring a booking and the daily food court in the central part of the complex.

You can also find the current names and specialities of the establishments on the official website.

Please bear in mind that bookings are required at the following restaurants:

• Mamma Mia – Italian cuisine. The hotel’s website also states a minimum stay of 3 nights.
• Steakville – steaks and grilled meat.
• Ayami – Japanese cuisine and teppanyaki.
• BO Barcelona Origens – fish and seafood.
• Adelita – Mexican cuisine; the booking is for an à la carte dinner.
• Tao Cat – Asian cuisine; please book in advance for the evening à la carte service.
• BLoved – a restaurant exclusively for Privileged guests; serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The main buffet and daily food court include:

• Gran Caribe – a buffet serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; no booking required.
• Toscana – Italian dishes in the daytime food court.
• Siwichi – Peruvian cuisine in the daytime food court.
• Catalonia Burgers – burgers in the daytime food court.
• Tao Cat – Asian dishes in the daytime food court.

You do not need to make a booking for the daytime food court. However, some establishments have different opening hours for lunch and dinner. Ask to be shown the availability of restaurants and booking times as soon as you check in.

For the evening, pack some longer trousers and closed-toe shoes as well. Some restaurants require men to wear them.

As well as the buffet, we tried an Italian restaurant, a burger place and a Mexican restaurant. I wasn’t particularly impressed by either the pasta or the burger.

The wide variety is nice. In my experience, however, the number of restaurants outweighed how much I actually enjoyed the food.

Bars and light refreshments

In the main building, you’ll find a café, a sports bar and another bar. I was looking forward to a coffee, but I didn’t like it at all. Even the drink at the bar wasn’t anything special for me.

During the day, you can also grab a bite to eat outside the main restaurant. During our stay, for example, there were:

• a hot dog stall by the pool
• ice cream by the second swimming pool
• other light refreshments
• two bars on the beach

It was convenient for day-to-day use. You don’t have to keep going back to the main buffet.

Is there anywhere you can get food 24 hours a day?

I didn’t manage to find a restaurant or bar that was open round the clock during my stay.

However, you can use room service 24 hours a day. This is a useful option, for example, if you arrive late.

A hotel for families with children

Although there were just the two of us, the Catalonia struck me as a good hotel for families.

I only saw the kids’ club from the outside, but it looked really lovely. There are also separate facilities for teenagers and a large theatre in the main building with a regular programme of events.

So I was impressed by the facilities for children. I can’t comment on the quality of the childcare or the individual activities based on my own stay.

The whole resort isn’t adults-only. If you’re looking for a hotel exclusively for adults, bear in mind that there are families here and a livelier atmosphere, particularly around the swimming pools.

Wi-Fi and other hotel facilities

The hotel also has other handy features.

• free Wi-Fi(perfect for working, downloading photos and videos)
• a gym open 24 hours a day
• Alegría Spa with a pool area and treatments available at an extra charge

Privileged guests also receive one entry to the spa’s water area as part of the benefits included in their category. Please check with the hotel for specific terms and availability.

I also liked the gym, which, although quite small, was well air-conditioned and well-equipped.

There is also a large theatre hall in the main building near reception, where various events are held.

On the first floor, you’ll find a sports bar where you can often watch live sports matches, particularly NHL, NBL, football and baseball.

There is also a cash machine in the reception building, near the Japanese restaurant Ayami.

What to check before booking

When choosing Catalonia, I would focus mainly on the following points:

• The exact room type – ‘Privileged’ does not automatically mean a swimming pool.
• Photos of the pool and the floor – these affect both its usability and privacy.
• The most recent photos of the sea – during our stay, sargassum was a major problem.
• Restaurant bookings – you need to book in advance for selected à la carte dinners.
• Transport – a stay at Costa Mujeres requires a plan for all journeys outside the resort.

I would also compare the price of the standard suite with the Privileged option. If the difference is significant, base your decision on the room itself and the benefits you’ll actually make use of.

Who would I recommend Catalonia to?

This hotel appeals to me because:

• a relaxing end to a longer trip around Mexico
• couples who prefer a modern resort with families
• families looking for spacious rooms and children’s facilities
• guests who want to spend most of the day on the beach or within the resort grounds

I would look for a different location or hotel for:

• exploring Cancún on a daily basis without a car
• a holiday centred primarily on excellent food
• a stay exclusively amongst adults
• swimming in a private pool like our balcony pool

In my view, Catalonia Grand Costa Mujeres is a good, modern and clean resort with a beautiful beach and lovely rooms. I enjoyed my stay here, even though it felt a bit impersonal in places and the pools were quite crowded.

420 usd It’s still quite expensive per night. However, when we were looking around Cancún, the price wasn’t dramatically out of line. If you want a higher standard and a suite with a private pool, you’ll easily end up paying similar amounts.

What I enjoyed most was the room. The food was fine, the beach was lovely and it was nice to relax at the hotel. When staying by the sea, I’d just bear in mind that the hotel can’t really influence the condition of the sea itself.

• 👉 View available rooms and current prices at Catalonia

💬 Have you stayed at Catalonia too? Or have you stayed at one of the many other hotels in this chain elsewhere in the world? Let us know in the comments what the food and the sea were like during your stay.