Our family and friends discussed another vacation for our group in Mexico for many years, and a year ago, we decided to go for it. Yet with ages from 8 to 65, we had to opt for a family-friendly resort within everyone’s budget. Choosing a family-friendly resort in Cancun for 19 of our family and friends wasn’t easy, but we decided on Seadust Cancun Family Resort for a week of fun in the sun. It ticked off all the boxes: beachfront, budget, and family-friendly. Read on for my review of this all-inclusive Mexico resort.
Beach and oceanfront Photo: Seadust Cancun Family Resort
Seadust Cancun Family Resort: Mexico Resort Review
Located in Zona Hotelera de Cancún (Hotel Zone), the oceanfront and all-inclusive 12-story, 502-room Seadust Cancun Family Resort is a family-friendly, all-inclusive Mexican resort that works well for kids and adults. Built in 2006, it changed ownership in 2016, underwent a renovation in 2017, and now with a new management company, Playa Resorts, another update is planned.
When searching for the perfect all-inclusive Mexico resort for our group, I came across the Seadust. In addition to checking off the boxes, its selling point was its family rooms that sleep up to five.
Arrival to Seadust Cancun Family Resort
Half of our 19 family/friends arrived on Saturday, and the others on Sunday. Another perk with Playa Hotels & Resorts is booking transportation to/from the airport on the hotel website with options for DISCOVA car or van based on the number of guests. It was easy to book, and the staff were easily accessible, guiding us and our luggage quickly to our van. The van dropped us off at the entrance. The reception desk was tucked in the back corner of the lobby, and we lucked out as there were no lines at the reception desk. The rest of our group was already at the hotel waiting for us. (Of note, renovations were undergoing next to the lobby behind a wall.)
Reception desk at the Seadust Cancun Family Resort. Photo: Diana Rowe
Accommodations
The suites at the Seadust are impressively spacious. Standard rooms are 592 square feet, and deluxe rooms are 645 square feet. Guests can choose a resort, lagoon, or jungle view, and most rooms have a balcony.
Several in our group booked standard suites king and double, which worked well with up to four guests. Two others with younger kids booked a family suite king and appreciated the room divider between the king bed and the bunk beds. The bonus is that the bedding and beds were so comfortable—or we were all so tired at the end of the day that we couldn’t help but sleep!
Family rooms Photo: Seadust Cancun Family Resort.
My husband and I chose a Sunset Suite King room with a hot tub on the balcony, and we enjoyed views of the lagoon. Our June visit was exceptionally hot, so in hindsight, we wouldn’t have paid extra for the hot tub. We had a large bathroom and walk-in closet with a separate toilet area. However, the dated shower desperately needed an update.
Activities
You can’t stay at a Mexican beach resort without a pool, right? The resort offered an adults-only pool with two hot tubs. This area also featured a swim-up bar, but alas, there was no bartender during our June visit. We had to exit the pool and walk to the thatch-roofed Club Caribe bar in the middle. There were lounge chairs underneath the shade, too.
The resort’s focal point is its pool area, which includes two infinity pools with views of the beach and the Gulf and another wading pool off to the side, perfect for kids to splash in.
Two infinity pools overlooking the beach and the Caribbean Sea at the Seadust Cancun. Photo: Diana Rowe
The resort offered plenty of fun for kids, and our two youngest spent time at the waterpark especially on the water slides. Other activities included mini-golf and mini-zipline. During two of our 7 days, the resort also had a table offering plastercraft for sale, and our grandkids enjoyed choosing and painting their statues.
In addition, the resort offers free kids’ clubs (divided by age), sports courts, and lighted tennis courts.
We also enjoyed their nightly shows, and the magic show was a hit especially as my granddaughter was the magician’s “assistant.”
Two couples in our group did enjoy a spa day (while I watched the kiddos) and reported an excellent experience.
There is also a decent fitness center with exercise equipment.
Food and Drink Options
The “cruise-like” lobby of the Seadust Cancun Family Resort. Photo: Diana Rowe
Guests describe the lobby as “like on a cruise ship” and I agree. The lobby stretches from the entrance to the buffet restaurant, and along the side are the dining and bar options.
The Seadust features 10 restaurants and 10 bars ranging from buffet options to steak, sushi, and Italian. The HUGE buffet was our choice for breakfast each morning with made-to-order omelets and eggs your way. In addition to the buffet, when the pool was open, hamburgers and hot dogs were available at the grill, or The Cactus, next to the buffet, served baguettes, paninis, salads, and healthy snacks.
Reservations were accepted for the specialty restaurants, although often walk-ins could still get a table. Our favorites were the Italian restaurant, Florencia, and the sushi Samurai. We also dined at the steakhouse Big Ben Wine & Grill. Mid-afternoon ice cream was also a hit for kids and adults. The Lighthouse was closed due to a private party. For lunch, we made our way to El Maguey for made-to-order tacos.
Our favorite bars were Kilimanjaro (and bartender), located near the reception, and the beach bar Splash near the infinity pools steps from the Caribbean Sea.
In the evening, we met at the Sea Bar for music, dancing, and cocktails and two evenings for karaoke.
The consensus amongst our group was the food, especially for an all-inclusive, was perhaps one of the best we’ve enjoyed! The staff and service were exceptional, and we all agreed that we would return to the Seadust Cancun Family Resort.
For the latest rates for the Seadust Cancun, check online at Booking.com or Expedia.com.
