You can call it another millennial trend, but as we see our parents age, making memories while traveling with them has become all the more important to our generation.

Seeing a different part of the world with a parent is truly a rare experience. I’m very lucky that my mom is willing and able to travel internationally with me, and so I decided to take her on an all-inclusive mother-daughter trip to Cancun, Mexico.

Cancun once looked like this black and white photo (1970s) and is now a vibrant city with plenty of recent developments that you will see by driving by — including luxury stores and countless all-inclusive resort options. These resorts have become wedding destinations, honeymoon resorts and family vacation centers.

Photo Courtesy Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun

Flying Over Cancun 2023

Like many all-inclusive resorts, the Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun caters to couples and families, and so I wanted to see what it would be like to do a mother-daughter getaway here. Although we are different in generation, my mom and I are very similar in that we love the beach, delicious food, trying new activities and being entertained. Ultimately, we both wanted a relaxing getaway with sunshine and sand. We went on this trip with no set expectations and the intention of experiencing all that a resort we had never been to offers its guests. We went right before Memorial Day weekend 2023 for a four-day, three-night, all-inclusive experience.

The resort first opened on Dec. 8, 1990. Now, there are options for more luxury experiences. There’s an Infinite Club with upgraded experiences and amenities that costs an extra $200 + tax per night per suite. My mom and I happily joined the club. The club includes a separate lounge, priority dining reservations, upgraded beach lounge chairs with mattresses, 30-minutes on a jet ski (once per suite), two hydrotherapy treatments at Gem Spa, premium bar drinks, four hours of babysitting services, round-trip ferry tickets to Isla Mujeres (once per stay per guest staying three nights or more) and an additional experience from the Infinite Experiences Menu. On this menu, you can choose from two experiences (during stays of three nights or more) including dinner at the AAA five diamond award restaurant Le Basilic, a romantic spa dinner at Gem Spa, a private cabana dinner, 50% off an interactive dining experience at The Table, and 40% off treatments at Gem Spa.

If you don’t go for the Infinite Club option, you’ll be relieved to know that every room has an ocean view of the Caribbean Sea — no matter where you stay. The 602-oceanfront suites all have private terraces.

On average, an ocean view room suite runs $500 a night. It may cost more or less depending on high season. High season is December to Easter as well as summer. For this summer, the resort has a promotion — up to 50% off lodging and 20% off in spa services.

Ocean Front King Room Photo Courtesy Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun

All meals and a spirits selection are included with the exception of a couple of dining experiences — Le Basilic and The Table. Meals and drinks are also delivered directly to you on the beach.

All-inclusive here also means that kayaks, paddles, boards, and snorkel mask usage are available for free rental. There are daily entertainment experiences including a magic show, water show and fire show.

Since my mom and I were a part of the Infinite Club, we took advantage of the complimentary jet ski for 30 minutes (cost is $70), Le Basilic restaurant and massage at the Gem Spa. It was my mom’s first time on a jet ski, and she raved about the thrill of it. There was an instructor who went on a ride along with her to make sure she didn’t go too far or hit any coral reef.

The Le Basilic restaurant is an experience in itself with six courses under the guidance of Chef Henri Charvet from Paris. It quickly becomes a two-hour dining experience. The menu included: cauliflower cold cream served with crispy black truffle, oyster with red wine mignonette, scallop served with leeks and candied spinach with citrus butter sauce, foie gras ravioli with mushrooms coulis and milk foam, catch of the day fish (ours was halibut) with lemon grass and garden vegetables, beef filet with black pepper, potato gratin with onions and thyme, roasted organic carrot and a caramelized apple tart, French meringue with raspberry freeze-dried and pistachio ice cream.

Foie gras ravioli with mushrooms coulis and milk foam

Beef filet with black pepper, potato gratin with onions and thyme, roasted organic carrot

Caramelized apple tart, French meringue with raspberry freeze-dried and pistachio ice cream

It’s an upscale experience, where we were not only entertained by the presentation of the food but with a ballet performance during the course of dinner. For this experience, there are two reservation times: 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM so make sure to get a reservation here a day ahead of time. If you aren’t part of the Infinite Club, there is an extra charge to eat here of $50 per person.

The last exclusive part of our Infinite Club experience was a hydrotherapy ritual at Gem Spa, which is 10 steps and takes 90 minutes. The process involves an aromatherapy steam room, clay steam room, ice room, polar plunge and ends in a “pool of sensations” with bubbles, geysers, waterfalls and water jets. I tried out the aromatherapy steam room, the sauna and opted for a relaxing massage. As a stressed out millennial, the massage was an excuse to unplug and unwind while on vacation. Inside of the resort, the spa stands out as a beautiful hideaway.

Photo Courtesy Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun

For my mom and I, the best escape at this resort was the beach itself. To my surprise, the beach was not impacted by sargassum. This is one of the most rare beaches this summer as many have been hit with red tide in the Gulf of Mexico. The sand was soft and white — not impacted by the most recent hurricane. And the turquoise water of the Caribbean Sea was so warm that I’ve taken baths colder. It’s almost like a secluded island here.

I’d be amiss if I didn’t talk about the food options at this all-inclusive. After all, it’s a major factor in deciding whether to go to an all-inclusive resort. In addition to the buffet and the more exclusive dining options of Le Basilic and The Table, the resort has a beautiful Mexican restaurant called La Joya. It has stained glass windows, cherry blossom trees with lights and a mariachi band singing your choice of song — whether it’s your birthday, anniversary or family vacation. For a family near us, they sang “Baby Shark!” And the food is just as exciting as the music, because there are some traditional options such as Enmoladas.

Enmoladas (tortillas filled with chicken, almonds and plantain covered with black mole sauce, and red onion).

There’s also beach-side dining in the evening at Nah K’aax, which means “the jungle house” in the Maya language. The Asian fusion restaurant serves everything from sushi to salmon burgers. Our favorite part was the unique dining experience. There’s nothing quite like sitting on the beach, taking in the sun setting on the Caribbean Sea with the evening breeze and a DJ playing in the background, all while enjoying a meal (with mojitos) and catching up on each other’s lives.

For resort-goers who want more unique dining options, there is good news. In a month from now, there will be new restaurant options including Havanna, an Argentinian Mexican steak house with nightly tango shows, and it will become a nightclub after dark. Also, a restaurant called Torii is opening. It’s an Asian fusion restaurant with a sushi bar and add-ons of Wagyu, lobster and sea urchin. And the resort’s current Italian restaurant Tuscany is getting a new, bigger location. It will have live Tenors providing its melodies. With more restaurants, making dinner reservations in advance will be the key to getting the most out of this resort.

Needless to say, my mom and I enjoyed ourselves and got the most out of this resort. This resort made us feel like we packed in all the relaxation and fun out of a vacation in just a few days. We were able to recharge and make memories with the time we had here. And that should be a travel trend for every generation.

Watch my reel to see more of the resort!