Courtesy of Garza Blanca Cancun
As I enter the lobby, a life-sized stand-up banner showcases a couple in love, welcoming guests to their wedding weekend. The hotel is buzzing with the sounds of their guests checking in. Each is presented with a small white gift bag before heading up to their room.The celebration, hosted by Shaadi Destinations (an Indian destination wedding agency), is a four-day ceremony at the five-star Garza Blanca Cancun along Costa Mujeres. The young couple is empirically attractive. I’m at once curious about who they are.
Custom banners, flowers, bright colors, gold trimmings, all the bells, all the whistles, all scattered throughout the lobby—this is their resort, and I’m a wedding crasher.
Garza Blanca Cancun, lobby
Courtesy of Garza Blanca Cancun
I don’t belong here. I hide my face under a worn-out ball cap as a guest in Chanel sunglasses grabs her welcome gift next to me. In a past life, I wrote solely about luxury travel as my day job. I know this world well, but I still feel like an outsider.
Once, while in Acapulco, I was told Justin Bieber and his team had stayed at the property in a villa similar to mine. I’m just like him. I still use that fun fact when talking about the hotel.
Garza smells like a high-end hotel—a common tactic used in many upscale destinations to evoke feelings of fun, romance, or relaxation. It works, I’m already talking differently inside these walls.
Garza Blanca Cancun, pool
Courtesy of Garza Blanca Cancun
Inside the decked-out gold lobby with large chandeliers, marble flooring, and air-vent-pumped scents, I’m quickly reminded that this isn’t your typical Cancun all-inclusive (no one is asking how to get to Señor Frogs). In front, large doors open up to a collection of pools, overwater hammocks, and al fresco bars. There’s a very South Beach feel to the all-white hotel.
The Mexican-owned property is part of the Tafer Hotel portfolio and officially opened in 2022, but it wasn’t until this year that its full list of amenities were completed including a new rooftop infinity pool, more restaurants, and a massive spa.
I scoot past the wedding party, politely excusing myself for ruining their aesthetic, and head to my suite. I’m here to write about the hotel after spending a few days on my own exploring the area. Costa Mujeres is said to be “the new Cancun,” quickly becoming the go-to for travelers who have moved on from the crowded party streets of Cancun.
Garza Blanca Cancun, one bedroom
Courtesy of Garza Blanca Cancun
With a full kitchen, dining and living rooms, two bathrooms, patio with a hammock, and a large bedroom, it’s the washer and dryer that I’m immediately excited about. I’m here to use my years in the industry to tell others about the property’s highs and lows, but all I can think about is giving my clothes a bath.
The next afternoon, I make my way over to the main pool (one of four) overlooking the resort’s private beach that it shares with sister property Villa del Palmar. Guests of Garza have access to both properties including their food and beverage venues (though Villa guests aren’t afforded the same access back).
I’m staring out at the jet ski rentals and children playing on the water jungle gym as THE COUPLE, the one from the banner, walks by. They’re dressed in beautiful traditional Indian garments. I can’t help but watch as their entourage circles around them, all wearing the same fedoras. Another gift.
Garza Blanca Cancun, beach
Courtesy of Garza Blanca Cancun
As the sun sets, the couple’s beach cocktail reception gets underway, and I retreat to my room. Three complimentary full-sized bottles of tequila welcome me back. I wonder if they mistook me for a wedding guest and take a shot either way. (I later learn that the hotel enjoys dropping off special amenities from time to time for notable guests or celebrations).
Seven bars and restaurants are scattered around the property, each with its own ability to be a standalone joint outside of the resort. Having spent time at some of the brand’s other properties (Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos), I already know how much thought goes into the food here. It’s not an aside like you’d find at many all-inclusive hotels. I try just about all of them to be sure.
Garza Blanca Cancun, Dao
Courtesy of Garza Blanca Cancun
At Dao, the hotel’s newer rooftop Chinese restaurant, the wedding party sits to the right of me. We’re eating the same dishes, sitting under the same lights, tipping the same servers. Maybe we aren’t so different after all. Maybe that’s the whole point of Garza Blanca—offering the luxury of escape. Some are wealthy enough to afford it, and some are travel writers.
Here, there’s not that stuffy, country-club vibe that can make you feel like an imposter. It’s the type of place where a straight-out-of-a-movie couple and their wedding party can coexist alongside someone like me, a writer on assignment wondering how many tiny bath products I can fit in my carry-on.
