The Most Thoughtfully-Designed Family Zone Exists At This Tulum All-Inclusive

My first time traveling to Tulum, I immediately knew there was something special about this popular destination in Mexico, starting with the jaguar-crossing signs and monkey bridges along the road we traveled from the airport.

Forty-five minutes later, we pulled up to our home for the next five days – The Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive – and from the moment we arrived, we knew from the start our stay would be next-level.

My kids – ages 2 and 10 – entered the open-air lobby and immediately ran toward the colorful Dios de Los Muertos arch – a beautiful art installation full of orange, pink and purple flowers, beads and skulls that reminded them of the popular Disney movie, Coco. My husband and I stopped at the welcome drink cart for a refreshing “Despertar Caribeno,” which translates to “Caribbean Awakening” with mezcal, hibiscus, cinnamon and lime syrup.

To check in, we were all then whisked away to the private Enclave Lounge, reserved for club-level guests, and led to a comfortable couch, where we helped ourselves to a generous spread of sweet and savory small plates, jars of gummy worms (my kids’ favorite!), fresh fruit and another cocktail from our server. Our dinner reservations were confirmed for our stay and we were then escorted to our room – the Governor’s Suite.

After a short walk from the main building around the pristine, perfectly-manicured property, the door opened to reveal a 1,400 square-foot room featuring a wrap-around balcony (with stunning sunset views), a dining table for 8, a large sectional seating area, a full-size fridge stocked with snacks and beverages for parents and kids alike and 2 full bathrooms. It was pristine, and every detail had been thoughtfully-considered.

Over the course of the next few days, we discovered so many more incredible things about this resort, like the luxurious massages my husband and I treated ourselves to at the Conrad Spa Tulum, just steps away.

The food was atypical of anything you find at standard all-inclusive resorts, and as good or better than some of my favorite restaurants in New York City. Large portions, high quality, fresh ingredients and menus with extensive options kept us full and happy after every meal. With five specialty restaurants to choose from and additional dining options for Enclave guests, we tried just about every one, and if we had more time would have happily dined at every single one a second time.

Maxal Mexican Chop House was probably our favorite dinner, and Seasalt Beach Bar & Grill for Enclave guests was probably our favorite lunch. The balloon animals and bubbles for the kids – and the tequila shots for the parents – were a nice touch. Two buffet options, Vela Norte and Vela Sur, were both excellent and allowed our kids to try bites of food they wouldn’t otherwise.

The service for the duration of our stay from the check-in to every meal and cocktail to housekeeping was efficient, timely and always thoughtful. The resort surprised my son for his 10^th birthday with chocolate cake, balloons and a Happy Birthday sign in the room. His reaction when we opened the door after a day at the beach is a memory I will always treasure.

But here was our hands-down absolute favorite thing about the resort: The Family Zone

If I was a betting woman, I would guess a mom somewhere high up the Hilton chain undoubtedly had a say in the design of this area because of the way it so perfectly accommodated parents and children alike – especially families with large age gaps between children, like our 8-year spread between our kiddos.

Located near Casa 5 and Casa 6, the Family Zone was user-friendly and stunningly beautiful. Unlike most resorts that stuff the kids’ play areas deep within the resort, far from the beach where you’re left staring at water slides all day, the Family Zone at the Hilton Tulum is wide open with stunning views of the beach and the water.

For the little ones, there’s a splash pad with fun water features like a treehouse that continuously rained water and kept my 2-year-old daughter occupied for hours. This zero-entry splash pad leads into a larger structure with 4 water slides and a bucket overhead that sent children screaming with delight when it dumped water every 5-10 minutes. The slides are geared toward younger children, but my 10-year-old son had just as much fun playing on them as my daughter, and when he grew tired of that, he simply jumped into the large pool a few feet away and picked up a game of Marco Polo with other guests closer to his age.

Running parallel to the water play area is an incredible turf playground for dry play with swings, basic and advanced climbing structures, merry-go-rounds and plenty of things to keep all ages entertained. My kids could have stayed here all day.

Just past the playground is Churreria, a snack bar with unlimited churros and dipping sauce, ice cream and snacks ranging from popcorn to gummy candy. My kids loved going to the counter and ordering anything they liked. For adults, oceanfront servers bring unlimited food and beverage wherever you are sitting.

Directly behind Churreria is the Hilton Tulum Kids club, and it was different than any I had ever seen or experienced. With floor to ceiling windows overlooking the water, there was an indoor/outdoor feel without the heat, humidity and burning sun of the true outdoors. A two-story area of climbing nets and swings in pastel hues looked more like an art installation in a modern art museum than an area of a resort where kids can play while moms and dads lounge by the pool, conveniently just outside. With activities like kids yoga, muffin making, treasure hunts and so much more, children ages 4 to 12 years old have plenty to do. Older kids ages 13 to 17 can hang out upstairs at the Teen Zone where video games, TV, pool and foosball are available in addition to a full schedule of organized activities.

Having the splash pad, water slides, playground, snack bar and a regular-sized swimming pool – not to mention the Kids Club and Teens Zone – in one beautiful, scenic area made every day seamless and easy for us.

There was enough to do for mom and dad, for our fourth-grader and for our 2-year-old without having to split up into different areas of the resort. Our morning walks to the Family Zone with countless iguana and hermit crab sightings along the way created special memories and started every day of our vacation off on a magical note.