Mexico Travel,  Travel

Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Playa del Carmen

Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel

All-Inclusive Boutique Hotel near Playa del Carmen, Mexico

The Blue Diamond All Inclusive Luxury Resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico Spa Cenote
Spa Lobby at The Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel – Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Before I tell you all about The Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique hotel in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, I have to share how we happened upon this absolute gem.

I was looking for the best all-inclusive resort somewhere near Cancun or Playa del Carmen but away from too much tourist traffic. We’ve visited Mexico pretty extensively in the past, my parents used to live near Guadalajara, but this was our first trip to the Playa del Carmen area.

We were looking for:

  • A luxurious escape
  • Somewhere that was relatively easy to get to
  • Great value, we’re willing to pay a little more for the extras of a great boutique all-inclusive resort
  • Beautiful spa
  • Great pool
  • Beach view
  • Wonderful all-inclusive meals & drinks
  • Zen atmosphere

We found all of the above, plus some great extras:

  • Complimentary golf cart service
  • Complimentary bicycles
  • Entertainment available nightly
  • An incredible steam room, domed and meticulously lined with reflective mosaic glass tiles
  • A 2nd jungle pool, which was in the center of the spa
  • Free activities – sailing lessons, water aerobics, archery
  • Infinity pool overlooking the Caribbean Sea
  • Cenotes – more on this
  • The joys of adults-only hotels (this was our first experience)
all-inclusive resort hotel mexico caribbean
Entrance to The Blue Diamond from the main carretera

The Blue Diamond is about 30 minutes from the Cancun International airport via taxi service. We booked a service in advance, but this isn’t really necessary, as there are multiple services available when you arrive at the airport. I appreciated the level of security at the gate and every time we left the resort. They would document what taxi driver we left with and recorded his ID number.

The hotel is along the main highway connecting Cancun with Playa del Carmen and Tulum. You’ll see the entrance gates to many resorts along this highway. I loved the agave plants in front of the sign, classic Mexico to me.

Lobby area at The Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel

Upon entering the property you are greeted by lush tropical gardens. As you approach the lobby building, which is a large palapa, you see that it’s surrounded by water. As we entered, we were welcomed with a tray of cookies and our choice of coffee or tea. Check-in was relatively quick and we were on our way to our rooms.

Pro Tip:

I’d ask for the activities schedule upon check-in. We didn’t know until a couple days in what the full schedule was for evening dinner entertainment and activities around the property. Also, if you want to do the The Mayan Temazcal experience, I’d call ahead to book. We weren’t able to book this while we were there. Cenotes were not open for swimming in 5/2020, although they were working to get them re-opened after a Covid shutdown.

The property is about a mile long from the entrance to the beach, so a fun feature here is 24/7 golf cart service. We didn’t have any trouble during our stay, the longest we waited was 15 minutes. There are also complimentary bicycles (request on arrival) or you are able to walk the lit paths.

Exterior view of our rooms. Each building contains two rooms, up/down with private entries.
blue diamond luxury boutique hotel
Bedroom is very spacious with views of the cenote. This is the cenote deluxe junior suite, main floor.
Very spacious bathroom with double sink vanity. Water closet is behind the frosted glass. Outside there is a very large bath.

After unpacking a bit, we wanted to go see the main building which is pool side and beach front. (Check out my packing list here.) We called the front desk, which promptly sent a golf cart and driver to pick us up. This is a great service, we felt very posh being carted around the property. My mother has a little trouble walking long distances, so this is a must.

blue diamond luxury boutique hotel
View from the main floor of the beach front restaurant. There is a full deck in the front. My mother and my husband take in the sights and relax at The Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel.
blue diamond luxury boutique hotel
The main building with one of the three dining options on-site. The main pool and cabanas are pictured behind. There is also a nice bar at the pool. Down the stairs is a cafe that is open most of the day too, between meals. Both are beach front views.

Dining at The Blue Diamond Luxury All-Inclusive Boutique Resort

The main building features two of the three dining areas at the resort. Aguamarina restaurant is on the main floor next to the pool. We alternated between this and the Ambar restaurant for dinner. There is also a cafe called Tapas Bar Ceviche located on the lower level, beach front. It seemed to be open during dining times at the two main restaurants. Since we arrived before dinner we enjoyed a snack at the tapas bar. QR code menus are available.

The beach front pool area is gorgeous and never feels over crowded. There are plush loungers amply available for guests. Pool side cabanas are also available, first come first serve. On the beach, which unfortunately during our trip had extensive Sargassum, you could also find hammocks and beach chairs. The upgraded ocean front rooms come with their own cabanas.

After enjoying the amenities we retreated back to the room to get freshen up and enjoy the cenote view.

The Blue Diamond All Inclusive Luxury Resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico CENOTE
The cenote in front of our hotel suite.
The Blue Diamond All Inclusive Luxury Resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Very tropical, lush, and inviting. The property did have a lot of wildlife, we saw a gorgeous peacock along the path and a family of monkeys playing near the lobby palapa.

The first evening we chose to dine at Ambar Restaurant. Here is a menu from our visit. It was available via QR code.

The Blue Diamond All Inclusive Luxury Resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico
The Blue Diamond All Inclusive Luxury Resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Menu from dinner at the Ambar restaurant, located on the lagoon.

Candle lit elegance awaits at the Ambar restaurant. As you enter you’ll see the extensive wine collection, moving forward into the circular room tables are positioned for privacy. This restaurant is one of the two dinner options available nightly. Reservations not required at either, but they will ask for your selection. Make sure to cross-check with evening entertainment schedules.

Dinner here is chef prepared with an open kitchen view of all the action. Don’t forget your cell phone or tablet, you’ll need it to access the QR code menu. Since this is an all-inclusive hotel, you’re invited to try multiple options on the menu. Everything is delicious, portions are reasonable, but I’d suggest ordering a 2nd appetizer just in case.

The Blue Diamond All Inclusive Luxury Resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Breakfast at The Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel. All-inclusive resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

For breakfast we headed to the Aguamarina restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised by all the fresh fruit options on the bar along with fresh squeezed juices. Ordering ala carte was available. Here is my delicious waffle breakfast from day 1.

The Blue Diamond All Inclusive Luxury Resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico
The Blue Diamond All Inclusive Luxury Resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico
The Blue Diamond All Inclusive Luxury Resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Aguamarine restaurant breakfast menu, The Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel.

Overall, this was just the perfect getaway location for us. The vibe here is very relaxed and private. Much of the time we didn’t see other guests, only while visiting the main buildings. The design of the resort creates private areas for ultimate relaxation. Service is top notch and the staff is friendly and helpful. Proximity to Playa del Carmen is great, only about 15 minutes via taxi. I would recommended using taxi services vs. renting a car. The front desk is happy to arrange and once in Playa del Carmen there is a taxi stand for your return.

Here are a few more pictures from our time at The Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel.

The Blue Diamond All Inclusive Luxury Resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico
All smiles on the golf carts at The Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel – One of the Best Best all inclusive resorts in Playa del Carmen
luxury all inclusive playa del carmen mexico
Bicycles can be requested upon check-in. They are then available for you at the entrance to the beach front main building, you’ll see your room number listed on the basket. Behind the bikes are the Lagoon Junior Suites.
best luxury resort cancun
A variety of activities are available to enjoy while at The Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel. Pictured here is an aqua aerobics class that was available to everyone at the main beach front pool.
best all-inclusive resort playa del carmen
The pool at the spa is available to all guests. My one regret was not spending more time at the spa. The facilities are available regardless of whether you book spa services. The pool is set in the jungle and extremely serene. An incredible feature at the spa is the steam room, which is a huge dome shaped room decorated in tiny mosaic glass tiles. This is a must visit!
The Blue Diamond All Inclusive Luxury Resort Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Leaving the lobby area, waiting for our golf cart to the suite.
best all inclusive resort playa del carmen
Do you see the monkey ready to jump? We enjoyed all the wildlife around the property.

Virtual Tour of The Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel