TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Cancun - Isla Mujeres - Mexico Where to get best rates for hotels?

Guys, I've been checking the rates of all-inclusive resorts around Cancun. They are all very expensive. I'm wondering if you have used any travel agents that got you lower rates?
I heard someone had said some hotels in Mexico have two prices set up: one for Mexican nationals, the other for internationals. Is it true?
Thanks!

Even some resorts here in Florida have Florida resident specials, which are cheaper than non-residents can get. IF there is such a thing at Mexican resorts, it is irrelevant unless you are a Mexican national. I personally don't have a problem if they want to give special prices to locals. I suspect most places do.

I haven't used them for a long time, but you might check with Go Classy Tours. They are a travel agent I used to use all the time. The only other one that I personally am familiar with is David Parker at All the Way Travel. I'm not sure if David only specializes in nude resorts though.

Best wishes.

Thanks Carol for your recommendation! I will reach out to them to find it out.

Best wishes

In Mexico (and other countries outside the US) resorts, hotels, public transportation operators, pharmacies, and excursion groups do indeed give lower rates to Nationals, and to Permanent Residents (expats)...
Years ago we used Funjet and Liberty Travel but none recently. Try Googling Cancun TA’s...

Cancun hotel zone is home to resorts with price points from very exclusive resorts to nice condo rentals to timeshare rentals, the majority oceanfront. Do you want an AI? Or would a less expensive condo be a nice option?

[EDIT] Also, have you looked at the Riviera Maya to the south of Cancun? Several beautiful resorts line the ocean from Cancun to Tulum...

Or check with a travel agent who has access to tour operators and their bulk or discount rates.

Mexico is actually a value destination in comparison to other popular Carib destinations, especially for Americans. The peso is still hovering ~$21:1 which makes staying or living here quite affordable. Obviously prices in high season are much higher than the off season. But you can find very affordable accommodations if that is your primary goal, even in the Cancun hotel zone, if you do your research. Cancun is THE tourist destination of the Yucatán Peninsula, of course - it was created specifically for tourism - so you do have to do more homework to find the accommodations that suit your taste and wallet. I mentioned the RM simply because there are so many more resort-type properties, as compared to the more typical “grand hotel” experience that Cancun offers.

Tours and excursions are also relatively inexpensive, and again it’s very easy to compare reviews and pricing via Google, etc. Do you have any local TA’s that specialize in Cancun/Riviera Maya? And the most popular Cancun travel forum is on TripAdvisor, I would pose this question there if you haven’t already? Very active site but a couple of the destination experts are helpful, and many frequent visitors offer help as well...

Clear your cookies before each search.

Good point

We don't do AI anymore, but vacation packages on American Airlines were always the best prices for us. Clear the cookies is for real too.

After we find a good rate online we ALWAYS call and book directly with the resort and join their loyalty program. Booking direct usually will get you some upgrades plus if you have travel issues you can deal with it directly. If there is an UP charge for transportation, book your own. We also always lie about our departure time. The transport companies want you at the airport hours before your flight and there is not much to do at the airport, so we always give our flight time as an hour later than it actually is.

We just go with the best rate wherever we stay, sometimes the resort has a promo not shared with TA’s. We join free loyalty programs whether we book through a resort or not. But you can also get great perks from TA’sso just do your research before booking anywhere...

The vast majority of vacation packages, whether through the resort site or a TA, include transfers, and that cost is included in your package price. We’ve rarely booked this way as we can find less expensive, independent transfers on our own. And private is not much more $ (if any) than shared, and no stops to drop others on the way to and from your resort...

As a first time visitor I would suggest you rely on the transfer driver. You can always negotiate a later pick-up time, just use common sense...they will have your return flight info anyway...Shared transfers will probably require an earlier pick-up time...

We recently booked a cyber sale deal for a Cancun all inclusive that was way cheaper than normal. Our friend, a travel agent, was able to obtain an even better deal for same dates with VacationsExpress and he got a commission to boot. We cancelled our direct booking and received resort credit which we can use during our stay.

And many resort chains are constantly offering deals due to low occupancy rates, I get promotions regularly from AMResorts (Secrets, Dreams, Now, Reflections, Breathless, etc) and others...