A Luxury Vacation in Quintana Roo, Mexico

About a year ago, my husband and I stayed at the TRS Yucatan hotel, within the Grand Palladium Resorts, to celebrate his thirtieth birthday. We enjoyed our travels so much that we’ve already booked our next trip back to Mexico.

The TRS Yucatan is a luxurious five-star, adults-only, all-inclusive resort in the Riviera Maya. Whether you’re looking to enjoy a romantic, relaxing getaway or party the night away in Tulum nearby, this eco-friendly destination has it all.

Getting There

When we landed in Cancun, it took us a little over an hour to get through TSA, retrieve our checked luggage, and meet our driver to take us to the resort. The ride to the resort from the airport also took another hour. So, if your transfer service doesn’t offer alcoholic beverages for your ride, grab a quick margarita from Margaritaville to get your vacation started.

For convenience, we booked a private transfer through SuperShuttle, which offered air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, phone chargers, bottled water, a clean interior, snacks, and most importantly professional customer service. This option was a bit pricier since we typically share a vehicle with others, but it was a special occasion and was definitely worth it.

Tip: When directing your driver to the TRS Yucatan, be clear that you’re staying at the Grand Palladium Resort in the Riviera Maya. During our stay, the resort was newer, so our driver was a bit confused about it until we mentioned this detail. Also, you’ll want to be clear in which one since TRS Coral in Cancun is now open.

Arrival to Resort

Upon arrival, we were greeted with warm smiles, cold towels, and glasses of champagne. We were finally in paradise. The check-in process was fast and easy, and guest services provided us a campus tour of all the amenities while our luggage was being transported to our room.

As we walked through the lush green gardens and narrow hidden paths, we had a moment of realization that for the next seven days this was our home, a perfect tropical oasis.

Also, for the first time, we were able to share our love for travel with two of our friends, who made the celebration and experience even better. They arrived a few days later than us but still enjoyed TRS as much as we did.

The Junior Suite

As a TRS guest, you can definitely see and feel the differences in the adults-only resort in comparison to the others on campus. Our junior suite was located on the second floor and near the TRS private infinity pool.

When we entered our room, the floor and bed was dusted in rose petals, there were chocolate covered strawberries on the table, a popped champagne bottle and two glasses on the counter, and a full bubble bath that I couldn’t wait to try out. It was beautiful.

Our room was also nearby the Helios restaurant, which we loved. Every morning, we had breakfast that overlooked the ocean, which was absolutely breathtaking. The whole experience felt very exclusive and golf carts were easy to come by as guest services went back and forth to different parts of the resort.

Chic Cabaret and Restaurant

Chic Cabaret and Restaurant was one of the best entertainment performances I’ve ever seen at a resort. From the saxophone soloist to the choreographed dances, this is an exciting night out you do not want to miss.

I’d highly recommend attending the pre-show, which included specialty cocktails served by mermaids, plated hors d'oeuvres, and performances by dancers and acrobatic performers which were a lot of fun to watch. The Chic Cabaret was a fun and sensual experience that I won’t ever forget.

To book a table, ask your butler to make reservations on the night you’d like to attend. When we attended the Chic Cabaret in 2018, the dining experience was free. As of January 1, 2020, TRS Yucatan now charges a $20 reservation fee per person. Although this is unfortunate, based on what we saw, it definitely makes sense.

Cultural Excursion

Located in Tulum, Mexico Kan Tours is a boutique travel agency that offers crafted itineraries featuring the true culture of Mexico–cenotes, exclusive haciendas in the middle of the jungle, archaeological sites, local gastronomy, ancient history, biking, art, and birdwatching.

They offer several tours that can be extremely hard to choose from, so you may want to consider booking two. All tours are done in small groups, which makes it feel more intimate. For our tour, we wanted to visit the UNESCO world site, Chichen-Itza, so we selected the “World Wonder Discovery” excursion.

Our local tour guide, Alejandra, who also happened to look like Salma Hajek, was well-versed in Mayan history and culture and arrived at our resort early in the morning. To beat the heavy crowds, it was recommended to get to Chichen-Itza as soon as it opened, before all the large buses arrived.

Upon entrance, Alejandra explained the history of Chichen-Itza, and walked us around the remaining structures of the Pyramid of Kukulkan, and the Great Ball Court. From there, we were then left to explore the grounds on our own.

After we left the site, we grabbed lunch at a community-run hacienda, secluded in the jungle. It was absolutely beautiful and after we ate, we went for a refreshing swim in a cerulean blue-watered cenote.

The cenote, which looks like a deep sinkhole, was filled with birds and hanging tree roots and was by far one of our favorite experiences on the trip. To prevent damaging the natural waters of the cenote, swimmers had to wash off their sunscreen from their bodies. Showers and private restrooms to change were available.

You can find cenotes everywhere; there are more than 6,000 different ones in the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, ranging in all different sizes and popularity. And, I’d highly recommend checking out a few different cenotes if you’re near Tulum or Playa Del Carmen.

After a quick swim, it was time to make our way to our last top – the city of Valladolid. Dressed in bright colors and colonial architecture – this city is rich in gastronomy; and boasts a beautiful courtyard and restored colonial mansion.

During our visit, we were able to experience an authentic Mexican dinner as a group, explore the town, and interact with the local vendors selling souvenirs to tourists. After we finished our walk around the town, it was time to head back to our resort. This excursion was an all-day event and definitely wore us out but was totally worth it.

Tip: If you plan on traveling from Tulum to Chichen-Itza, remember to use the restroom and don’t drink too many liquids. There is basically no restroom stops along the way. And, I truly mean none.

The TRS Experience

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the TRS Yucatan, and would highly recommend it to other couples looking for a relaxing getaway. Also, while we were there we booked a couple’s massage on a rainy day which was absolutely perfect. And then afterwards we enjoyed the Zen spa with friends, which offers unlimited circuits in the hydrotherapy areas (which we took advantage of frequently). But, if you’re looking for a party atmosphere, I’d recommend staying in the Cancun area. It’s more centrally located and near the airport.

So are you ready? Looking to plan your next trip to the TRS Yucatan? If so, click here. Trust me, you won’t regret it. They also have locations in the Dominican Republic.