Mexico’s Riviera Maya is known for affordable all-inclusive fun. So if getting top value for your vacation dollar is a priority, you might want to consider one of the four properties in the Bahia Principe Riviera Maya Resort complex.
With double-occupancy rates starting at just $84 per person per night (and $56 per person per night for two adults and two kids sharing a room), Bahia Principe offers spacious and well-maintained guest rooms, plus access to up to 25 restaurants, 29 bars, 12 pools, and room options that work for romance-seeking couples, families, and golf-loving friends.
The complex is huge—there are 3,236 rooms among the four resorts and trams to transport guests between them—so it helps to understand logistics and inclusions before booking. Also worth noting: All rooms are in three-level buildings without elevators, so request the ground floor if anyone in your party has mobility issues.
To get the best value at Bahia Principe Riviera Maya you’ll need to figure out which resort—there are two Grand and two Luxury options—is best for you and and which room category offers the access and amenities you want. After a recent visit, we’ve come up with six tips to help you choose the most affordable match for you.
Book from now until mid-December—or after April 2019
September to mid-December is low season. If you’re looking for a spacious air-conditioned room with access to multiple pools, the beach, an open bar, and a choice of restaurants, it will cost you $84-$86 per person per night at the least-expensive resorts (the 1,080-room Grand Bahia Principe Coba and 978-room Grand Bahia Principe Tulum) or $91-$116 per person per night at the most-expensive properties (the 420-room Luxury Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an and 758-room Luxury Bahia Principe Akumal). Nightly double-occupancy rates jump to $130-$135 and $161-$177 per person, respectively, from January to April and then drop back down to $93-$104 and $116-$130 after that.
Check out the rates—and what’s included—at all resorts
If scoring the lowest nightly rate is your goal, it’s a toss up between the family friendly Coba and Tulum resorts. The room designs are similar and per person rates for a Superior Junior Suite are just dollars apart. The main difference? Tulum is on the beach while Coba is set around several large and lively pools, and you’ll need to hop a tram to access the sand at neighboring Tulum.
When staying at either Coba or Tulum, you will be restricted to the pools, beaches, restaurants, and bars at those two resorts. And you can make reservations to dine at nine a-la-carte restaurants—which include Mexican, Japanese-Peruvian fusion, French, and Italian—just three nights of your seven-night stay (you'll dine at the buffet restaurant the other nights). But if your budget and travel dates are flexible, check prices at Sian Ka’an and Akumal. Both offer free in-room wifi, more upscale design, access to every a-la-carte restaurant in the complex for seven nights, and a sophisticated ambience (Sian Ka’an is adults-only and Akumal has adults-only areas). From September to mid-December, nightly rates are $91-$104 per person at Sian Ka’an and $114-$121 per person at Akumal.
Opt for Grand Bahia Principe Tulum if you love the beach
If beach access on a budget is a priority, Bahia Principe Tulum makes it easy to enjoy the sun, sand, and shade (beneath plentiful thatched-roof palapas) on a long white-sand beach. It’s worth noting, however, that Cancun and Riviera Maya have been battling a major seaweed issue, so there may be nets offshore and beach access might be limited to certain sections while crews clean up.
Tulum has three room categories. The least expensive, Superior, has a garden or pool view but aren’t located too far from the beach. And prices drop as low as $63 per person per night if you book two adults and two kids aged 2-12 in one Superior room—or just $1,754 for a week. Adjoining rooms are also available. There are three large pools: a beachfront one off the lobby that’s lively and active and two others with a more relaxed vibe.
Book Grand Bahia Principe Coba if you have young children
Traveling with little ones has its challenges, but Grand Bahia Principe Coba offers an affordable room option that helps stressed-out parents. Have one or two kids? Book a Family Junior Suite, located near the large zero-entry pool and a water park geared to younger children, which also features a specially stocked kids mini bar and access to themed meals and events. Rates start at $56 per person per night for two adults and two kids aged 2-12—or $1,568 for a week.
For a non-all-inclusive vibe, book adults-only Luxury Bahia Principe Sian Ka’an
Love the concept of all inclusive, but not the ambience? Then the $91 per person per night low-season rate for a Junior Suite at Sian Ka’an will get you an upscale resort experience—albeit one surrounded by lush jungle. It’s the newest resort (opened in 2011) and its sleek, contemporary design and adults-only policy make it a quiet haven of relaxation. You’ll enjoy spacious suites (with showers but no tubs), three pools, access to the nearby 27-hole Riviera Maya Golf Club, and the beach (including an adults-only section) that’s 10 minutes away by tram.
If you must sleep near the beach, a Junior Suite Oceanfront room at Akumal could tempt you—although you’ll pay a nightly premium (up to $132 per person in low season) to hear the sound of waves as you drift off to sleep. But if that’s of value to you, then it’s worth it.
Join the My Bahia Principe loyalty program
By registering for the resort’s loyalty program before you book, you’ll save 5-10 percent on your room rate and score priority room selection and free transfers from Cancun.
