Wow, it has been so long since I have been able to share a TRAVEL GUIDE with you all and man does it feel good! Cancun, its not just the place to Spring break like you are in college 🙂 I am now obsessed with this little slice of paradise and hope to make it a tradition and yearly adventure! First of all if you are looking for AMAZING FOOD, this is your spot! I was so shocked by all of the restaurants that we experienced and literally am still thinking about how amazing and fresh it all was! If you are a guacamole and chips person or a fine dining steak-lover they have everything and we tried it!
I want to start this post by quickly answering a question I got quite a few times on Instagram and it was: Did we feel safe?! I can answer this question with a DEFINITIVE YES!! We flew into Cancun and the airport is extremely commercialized (as if you are in an American airport), the taxi drivers are so nice, the hotel waitstaff and concierge were OVERLY accommodating and our dinner wait staff were ALWAYS so nice! I know watching the news it can get a little scary going out of the country, but we felt so safe and had a great time and want to go back already 🙂 Today’s post is broken up by where we stayed, what we ate and then outfit details! As always if you click through the links in my post to purchase that would be so sweet, I did make a small commission on sales and I am always so grateful! So let’s get started!
Where did we stay?
We stayed at the JW Marriott Hotel right on the ocean and this hotel had it all from food to amenities! When we checked in I realized I had somehow booked a package that had 25% off everything in the hotel from food to spa services and this was the way to go! We saved so much booked this online so if you do check for that package! Our hotel had a bat right in the lobby with over 100 margaritas (seriously something for EVERYONE!) My personal favorite was the strawberry basil and my husbands was the pepinagua margarita! We booked a king room with view of the ocean and we had a nice balcony and spacious bathroom and seating area!
What/Where did we eat?
Each morning as a part of our package we had complimentary free breakfast at the Sedona Grill in the hotel and it was a buffet that you can only dream about! There were 15 types of fruits, omelettes, hispanic cuisine like tamales, chilaquiles verde, beans, waffles, pancakes, pastries and fresh squeezed juices, mimosas and coffee… something for ANYONE and it was INCREDIBLE! I am typically not a fan of buffets, but this one was on another level and so fresh!
We pretty much did fresh chips and guacamole and salsa for an afternoon snack at the hotel by the pool and saved room for dinner each night because we knew it was going to be amazing!
Night 1 we dined in our hotel (the Marriott) at their steakhouse called La Capilla Argentina! This restaurant knows how to do a salad bar and steak like never before! Picture a salad bar that has at least 6 different gourmet cheeses, meats and nuts each along with anything for a salad you could imagine! The salad bar alone is enough to make you drool, but then you HAVE to order a steak and it is beyond juicy and mouth watering! We got the beef tenderloin and it was soooo tender! I highly highly recommend this steakhouse whether you are staying at the JW Marriott or not!
Night 2 we ventured out to a spot that about 5 of you Dm’d me that you had gone and it was LORENZILLOS! We asked for a spot on the water and dined under a covered dock looking out over the gorgeous water eating our table side prepared caesar salads and lobster! Lorenzillos is kid/family friendly but also has a romantic intimate atmospehere and the service was impeccable! Probably the best and craziest thing about dining outside was the crocodile who was probably 10-12 foot who decided to join us! Apparently after I got some DM’s from you all he is ‘a regular’ for lack of better words and pretty much is here all the time because some of you saw him, but ya’ll it was SURREAL watching a crocodile come up basically under your feet in the wild and have dinner with you! After our visit with the crocodile we were STUFFED from our apps and main courses, but when in ROME (or Mexico) we decided we had to try the molten lava cake and when I say it was HEAVEN in your mouth, we ALL wanted to go back the next night just for the dessert, so ORDER IT even if you share! I don’t have a photo of this because it went SOO FAST 🙂
Night 3 (the last night) we ate at what may have been my overall favorite from atmosphere, to drinks to food and it was Tora! Tora is a sushi/Japanese kobe beef steakhouse and restaurant and it was by far the freshest sushi I have ever put in my mouth! We started the night off with an appetizer of FIRE BALLS! These are not spicy, they get their name because they are these incredible lump crab meat covered rice balls that are torched table side!! These balls of goodness are big enough to share, but after our first round ordered a second one because they were so delicious! We decided to order a bunch of sushi rolls and crab meat for the table and it was PERFECT! You can not go wrong with anything at this restaurant and it was so fresh! The drinks were so fun and if you are a fan of cocktails the ones here are works of art (literally came out in a frozen round glass with flowers inside)! We finished up dinner with oreo balls that were basically crushed up oreos dipped in chocolate with a side of ice cream and they were amazing! As far as atmosphere here, it felt very hip and trendy almost like being in Miami with music amazing service and we ate out on a dock overlooking the water! OH and guess what also came to this restaurant?!?!?! ANOTHER CROCODILE!!! So if I have ANY advice for you all stay clear of jet skiing in the lagoon 😉 (but for real!)
Weather
As far as weather on this long Valentine’s weekend it was 85 degrees with a low in the 70’s each night and I never got chilly! I expected to be cool at night and totally forgot to pack a wrap, but when we got there I never once got cool outdoors! We had a TON of wind which apparently is common this time of year, but that was the least of our worries 🙂 I’ll take 85 and windy on a beach ANY DAY!
DO YOU NEED TO EXCHANGE YOUR USD TO PESOS?
I wanted to quickly say that we exchanged a couple hundred dollars into Pesos at our local bank prior to going to Mexico (since we would not be certain exchanging it there was correct?!?). We honestly did not need to use it except for taxis (and that was totally optional, they took USD) or maybe if you do choose to go to a local market of some sort. So you don’t HAVE to exchange money if you forget or do not want to go through the hassle!
DID YOU HAVE PHONE SERVICE/INTERNET?
Our hotel had Wi-fi so you will have service there! We did call our Verizon provider prior to going and it only cost us around $5/day to add international service for the trip (with limited service), but we were able to make calls get on social media, etc with this option and I highly recommend calling prior to going to make sure your plan covers it because you are going to want to post!
As far as outfits I am going to link them all at the bottom of today’s post in a shoppable boutique! I also am going to write under each what I am wearing and you can click there to shop as well! As always if you have any questions on the pieces please let me know!
Saylor Roxie Romper (wearing a medium) | Steve Madden Greece Sandals | Mignonne Gavigan Palm Earrings (10% OFF JUST FOR Ya’ll CODE: HOLLYDAY10)
Lilly Pulitzer Jaspen One Piece Swimsuit | Sarong | Brixton Hat
Mignonne Gavigan Palm Earrings (10% OFF JUST FOR Ya’ll CODE: HOLLYDAY10)
Tularosa Brielle Dress (wearing a small) | Steve Madden Greece Slides
Mignonne Gavigan Palm Earrings | Steve Madden Greece Slides | Brixton Hat | Clare V Round Bag | Similar Bag DUPE! | Sarong
Free People Kiss Kiss Tunic (also GREAT if you are pregnant with a BUMP!) | Frame Le Cutoff Denim Shorts | Brixton Hat
Steve Madden Greece Slides | Lilly Pulitzer Pearl Romper (looks like a dress from front and back)
Lilly Pulitzer Faye Maxi | Steve Madden Greece Sandal | Clare V Round Bag
L Space Parker Bikini Top (wearing a medium I am a 32D) | L Space Portia High Waist Bikini Bottom (wearing a small) | Sarong
Cupshe Under $30 Swimmie (wearing a medium and plenty of room!)
I tried to share sizing information for all of these looks, but if you have ANY questions always shoot me a DM on INSTAGRAM! Also, for easy shopping I have linked a quick boutique below with EVERYTHING and you can just click the image and it will take you right to purchase! I hope you all enjoyed this post as much as I did compiling it! Love you guys XOXO!
