Cancún, Mexico is one of the most popular travel destinations in the Caribbean. More than 33 million tourists visited the Cancún area in 2023. Famous for its pristine white-sand beaches and all-inclusive resorts that stretch along the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. Amongst those resorts are some of the best golf courses Mexico and the Caribbean as a whole has to offer. And it certainly doesn’t hurt to kick your feet up after a day on the course at some of the world’s best beach resorts with a drink in hand!
However, staying on the white-sand beaches of Cancún can get expensive fast as nightly rates can average over $500 a night at most resorts. We’re going look into how you can use award travel and stay at some of Cancúns’ nicest resorts! Will also look into how to get the best bang for your buck on tee times and all the other best tips to have an awesome golf vacation in Cancún, Mexico! First, let’s look into what a 4-day itinerary in Cancún, Mexico can look like.
4-day Golf Trip
Cancún, Mexico is the king of the All-Inclusive Resorts, offering hundreds of options along its miles of coastline. Even better, a lot of these Resorts are bookable with credit card points! This means not only is your hotel stay covered all your food and drink can be covered by points. When you factor in your typical cash outlay on all 3 items this can make All-Inclusive resorts one of the best places to redeem your points at.
Now, not all 5-star All-Inclusive Resorts are the same. It’s not as simple as picking the cheapest point redemption and packing your bags. It’s important to factor in location, access to golf, and the size of the resort, like how many restaurants they offer. The last thing anybody wants to do is eat at the same 1 or 2 restaurants for 3 meals a day for their entire trip. We took all this into account and more and landed on what we think is the best resort for your 4-day golf trip to Cancún!
Iberostar Beachfront Resorts: Grand Paraiso
The Iberostar Grand Paraiso checks all the boxes for everything you would want in a resort. Located 30 minutes south of the Cancún Airport in Playa Paraiso. This is one of the nicest resorts in the Cancún area and has easy access to some of the best golf courses in Mexico. Boasting an average of 4.9 stars from almost 5,000 Google reviews, Grand Paraiso is Self-described as “Where indulgence meets exclusivity in a realm of unrivaled luxury. Nestled within our sprawling resort complex, this adults-only haven is the epitome of opulence, boasting a majestic space that caters to the most discerning tastes. Picture yourself reclining on Balinese beds lining the pool, with every desire met by our impeccable service crafted exclusively for you. Welcome to a retreat where the extraordinary is the norm, and paradise finds its grandest expression.” Sign me up!
Now you may have picked up on a couple of keywords there “resort complex”. The Grand Paraiso is actually one of 5 All-Inclusive resorts owned by Iberostar that all neighbor each other referred to as sister resorts. The 5 hotels/sections are called Beach, Del Mar, Lindo, Maya, and Grand.
- Beach & Del Mar: are considered economy resorts. Guests staying here can only access one another.
- Maya & Lindo: are considered the more upscale resorts for families. They’re able to access each other and the Beach & Del Mar parts of the property.
- Grand: is considered a luxury adult-only resort. You can access the other 4 resorts but only people staying at the Grand can access the Grand Pools, Restaurants, and other amenities.
By staying at the Grand Paraiso you’ll have access to the entirety of the resorts. All the pools, bars, and over 25+ different buffets and restaurants. You could stay here for weeks and eat and drink at a new bar and restaurant every night! If you’re traveling with kids I would recommend staying at the Maya or Lindo hotels to give yourself as many options as possible. Also one of the biggest attractions for kids, and let’s be honest the adults too, is the wave pool located on the Maya resort.
Rooms at the Grand Paraiso average around $500 a night for double occupancy. However, due to a strategic alliance formed in 2022, you can use IHG points, one of the largest hotel chains in the world, to book nights at Iberostar Resorts worldwide. You can find point redemptions on IHGs website starting at 77,000 points a night. Now this can be A LOT of points for a 4 night trip, but let me show you how signing up for 2 credit cards and just $99 can cover your entire stay!
IHG One Rewards
IHG One Rewards Premier
While the points here are not as valuable as Hyatt’s. A big sign-up bonus and generous rewards make this card a winner.
Annual Fee
$99
Credit Score Range
690 – 850
Welcome Offer
140,000 points
- 26x on purchases at all IHG Hotels & Resorts
- 5x on travel, gas stations, and dining
- 3x on everything else
- 140,000 point welcome offer after $3k spend in the first 3 months
- Free Night every year (40k points)
- Complimentary Platinum Elite Status
- 4th night free when redeeming points
- $100 statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS
- $50 United Airlines TravelBank Cash
IHG Premier points aren’t worth as much as the other hotel programs. But for the $99 fee it packs quite a punch with a 40k anniversary night, 4th night free, $50 United credit and $100 precheck credit.
IHG One Rewards Traveler
80,000 points just for signing up and no fee make this card a great churn.
Annual Fee
$0
Credit Score Range
690 – 850
Welcome Offer
80,000 points
- 17x on purchases at all IHG Hotels & Resorts
- 3x on dining, utilities, select streaming services and gas stations
- 2x on everything else
- 80,000 point welcome offer after $2k spend in the first 3 months
- Complimentary Gold Elite Status
- 4th night free when redeeming points
If your planning on staying with IHG frequently we think the IHG One Rewards Premier is a much better deal. But, this card is a great free hit on getting 80k points for signing up with no fee.
The IHG One Rewards Premier card is one of the best hotel-branded cards on the market. Not only does it give you a large sign-up bonus of 140,000 points it also comes with a $100 statement credit towards Global Entry which can save you hours in customs on your return flight. A $50 United Airlines TravelBank Cash, good for things like checked luggage aka golf clubs. Complimentary Platinum Elite Status at IHG hotels which among many things gets you early check-in, late check-out, and complimentary room upgrades! There is a $99 annual fee associated with the card but you also get a free night award worth up to 40k points which can easily cover the $99 fee and more.
Perhaps the biggest benefit though is the one we’re going to take advantage of to book this trip. When you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay, you can receive a fourth Reward Night free redeemable at that same hotel during that same stay. Simply meaning pay for 3 nights on points and get the 4th night free! So in our case, we would just need 231,000 points to book a 4-night stay at the Iberostar Grand Palasio. After hitting the required $3k spend on the One Rewards Premier card you would have roughly around 150,000 points depending on what exactly you’re purchasing.
Now, if you read our article on all things Chase Credit Cards, you would know you could potentially transfer the difference from a Chase Sapphire card. However, I would recommend against that as the IHG points system is so bloated transferring from Chase into the IHG Rewards program doesn’t give us the best bang for your buck. A better way to make up that difference in my opinion would be to after you hit your spend on the Premier card to sign-up for the IHG One Rewards Traveler card. This is a free IHG credit card that offers an 80,000 point welcome offer after a $2k spend in 3 months. Now this card doesn’t give you any benefits the Premier card doesn’t already give you but it is a completely free card with an awesome welcome bonus that would get us over the 231,000 points needed to book our stay! (See this great article on how to book this through IHGs website)
4-day Golf Itinerary
Now with the hotel out of the way, we can get onto the fun stuff! If you have 4 days in Cancún what are the must-play courses? For starters one of the big reasons for selecting the Iberostar Grand Paraiso as my hotel of choice is right on the property is the Iberostar Playa Paraiso golf course, which comes in at #3 for us on the best Cancún golf courses.
As a guest of the resort, you would gain access to various golf deals. They offer 1, 3, and unlimited green fee packages through the hotel. Once you book your hotel be sure to reach out to the concierge to see all of the deals they offer. These tee times are good at the Playa Paraiso course on site and also the Iberostar Cancún Golf Course located about 35 minutes away in the hotel zone area of Cancún. Also, as a hotel guest, your all-inclusive perks stay with you while on the course!
Depending on how much golf you wanted to play I would recommend doing the 3 green fee package. Playing Playa Paraiso twice and taking the included shuttle up to the hotel zone for a round at the Cancún Golf Club. If you’re anything like me and itching to fit a 4th round in, look no further than El Camaleón Golf Course. Our #1 ranked Cancún golf course is conveniently located just a quick 15-minute trip from the Iberostar Grand Paraiso.
El Camaleón perfectly captures all of the breathtaking natural features the Cancún area has to offer. From 2 holes right along the Caribbean Sea, which have long been in my rotation of golf background images, to holes along cenotes which are famous in this Mayan region. And this doesn’t even mention possibly the most unique element of a golf hole in the world affectionately known as the “Devils Mouth“. El Camaleón is not to be missed!
7-day Golf Trip
The Grand Paraiso is still a great option for a 7-day trip or even longer. However, when booking on points it can get steep quick at over 77,000 points a night.
This is where our favorite hotel brand, Hyatt is a fantastic option. With World of Hyatt, the hotel chain’s rewards program, you can book an award stay for as few as 3,500 points per night. Even a room at their nicest hotels (category 8) caps out at just 45,000 points! Even better, since 2021 Hyatt has made a major push into the All-Inclusive market and is now the largest operator of luxury All-inclusive Resorts in the world. As of today, Hyatt has 35 properties in the Cancún area, 29 of which are All-Inclusive resorts. We have one resort in particular in mind that we think would make the perfect home base for your next Cancún Golf Trip.
Secrets Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort
As part of Hyatt’s 2021 push into All-Inclusive Resorts included purchasing the Secrets All-Inclusive brand. Secrets Playa Mujeres is a AAA Four Diamond award-winning, adults-only, all-suite resort. Located just 35 minutes from the Cancún airport and 10 minutes from downtown. The property sits right next to its 18-hole signature Greg Norman golf course and also offers nine restaurant options, seven bars, and two protected flora & fauna areas.
The resort can be booked through World of Hyatt for 25k points a night. Throughout the year the hotel has peak (29k a night) and off-peak rates (21k a night) so be sure to check out the World of Hyatt monthly redemption chart when planning your trip. World of Hyatt is a transfer partner with Chase Sapphire, be sure to check out our post on how to maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards for your potential stay!
For those staying with families, it also has a neighboring sister facility, Dreams Playa Mujeres. As a guest at Secrets, you have free access to visit the Dreams resort which adds ten additional restaurants, thirteen bars, and even a waterpark. This leaves you with a plethora of options to enjoy on your week stay.
What makes this the perfect hotel for a golf trip though is as a guest of Secrets Playa Mujeres you receive complimentary twilight green fees to the Playa Mujeres Golf Course! Twilight rounds here can go for up to $165 a round, so this is a huge perk! Especially if your crew likes to play 27 or 36+ holes a day.
Now the course and resort are a little off the beaten track, being located further north than most of the other resorts and courses. But, for a week’s stay, you’ll have plenty of time to explore the other great courses Cancún has to offer. Be sure to check out our top 10 list of the Best Cancún Golf Courses to plan your ideal golf itinerary!
Non All-Inclusive Options
All-inclusive Resorts are not for everybody. If you rather have more selection on where you go to eat or don’t care to have unlimited drinks and food around the clock better deals can be found staying at a hotel. Fortunately, Cancún has a lot of great options for those looking to escape the resorts. Below are some of our favorite Cancún hotels that are all bookable with World of Hyatt Points! Check out our guide to all things Chase Credit Cards which offers the World Of Hyatt as a transfer partner.
Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya
The Andaz Mayakoba Resort is a 5-star hotel on a secluded beachfront paradise surrounded by lush vegetation and nature and nestled in the private, gated Mayakoba complex in Playa del Carmen on the Mexican Caribbean coast. The Andaz is a category 6 hotel that can be booked for 25k points a night (21k off-peak / 29k peak). The hotel is located on the El Camaleón Golf Course, our #1 ranked Golf Course in Cancún. As a guest, you can even add on an Unlimited Golf package to your stay if you so please. Be sure to check out the town square next to the hotel, El Pueblito, for an authentic experience of Mexican culture.
Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen
A modern hotel located on a prime beach location in the coastal resort town of Playa del Carmen. The Grand Hyatt is centrally located in the Cancún region, being only a 45-minute drive to our top 4 Cancún Golf Courses! A Category 6 hotel that can be booked for 25k points a night (21k off-peak / 29k peak). The hotel’s set off the main pedestrian street, but you can still walk over in just a few minutes, giving you the best of both worlds — seclusion, but with far less expensive dining options just a few steps away.
Thompson Playa del Carmen Beach & Main House
Two sister hotels located just a few blocks from each other in the heart of Playa del Carmen. The Thompson Playa del Carmen Beach House is a boutique oceanfront hotel, step from the hotel to the sand and experience sweeping ocean views, turquoise waters, and palm-lined beaches. A Category 5 hotel that can be booked for 20k points a night (17k off-peak / 23k peak).
The Thompson Playa del Carmen Main House is an adults-only luxury boutique hotel. Located just a few blocks from the Beach house the hotel is ideally located on Quinta Avenida in central Playa del Carmen, you’re perfectly positioned to laze on sandy beaches, comb 22 blocks of premium shops, nosh on native delicacies, or explore a trove of iconic attractions like ancient Mayan ruins. Only a Category 4 hotel this luxurious hotel can be booked for only 15k points a night (12k off-peak / 18k peak).
As a guest of either hotel, you have access to the facilities of both hotels (Note the Main House is Adults-Only however).
Flights
If you’re taking a trip to Cancún, Mexico you most likely are going to arrive by air. In 2022, over 30 million passengers passed through Cancún International which averages over 500 flights a day across 50 different airlines.
American Airlines is responsible for 15% of the total international arrivals making it the top USA Airline with the most flights to Cancún. One of the best ways to book American Airlines flights is through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Below is an example of a flight from LAX, one of the most popular Cancún routes, during peak season for less than 25k points roundtrip.
If you have read our guide on Chase Ultimate Rewards you’ll know that Chase Transfer Partners can get you an even better deal on flights. Southwest Airlines and JetBlue are two other airlines with multiple routes to Cancún that are both Chase Transfer Partners:
Utilizing these transfer partners is a great way to get a round-trip flight for a fraction of the points through the Chase Travel Portal. Below are a couple of examples from other popular Cancún routes:
- Southwest Airlines: 16k points + Taxes from Chicago Midway
- JetBlue: 6.8k points! From New York’s JFK Airport
Cancún Golf Trip Tips
Below are some additional tips to keep in mind when planning your Cancún Golf Vacation!
- Use your Hotel Concierge when booking tee times: Some of the best deals we have gotten on tee times have come through our hotel concierges. Other than getting the best greens fees often they will take care of your transportation to and from the course at no additional charge.
- Golfscape: Another great booking resource is Golfscape. They offer tee times across the globe and are affiliated with multiple Cancún Golf Courses. You can find great last-minute deals on open tee times, they also release some deals weeks in advance and offer free cancellation & changes if plans change.
- Most Cancún Golf Courses are All-Inclusive: While a lot of tee times may seem expensive remember that most are fully All-Inclusive. Covering your food, drinks, range balls, and more while on the course. This can easily add up to over $100+ of value!
- Ask about Replay Rates: Lots of Cancún Golf Courses offer replay rates for a fraction of the cost of an original tee time. Our #1 ranked course El Camaleon can be replayed for only $60! (Up to $230 in savings) If you or your group wants to play 36 holes one day this is a great way to save big on tee times!
- Exiting the Cancún Airport: When leaving the airport there will be people at the exit doors trying to talk to you about tours and transportation. Do your best to avoid them as most are actually timeshare salespeople. A simple wave and “No, gracias” and they will move along.
- Should I rent a car?: A car is not needed if you’re staying at a resort. If playing golf off property talk to your concierge and they can help with tee times and setting up transportation. If you’d rather have the flexibility of having your own car most resorts offer free parking but be sure to check ahead of time. Most car rental companies will actually pick you up at the airport and drive you to the office (short ways outside the airport) to finish the paperwork & pay.
- Tipping: Tipping is not required on Resorts but giving small tips is a great way to get amazing service. We always recommend bringing ~$100 in small bills. If off-resort a simple 10-20% tip when out to eat is perfect. Pesos or US Dollars are both fine.
