Impression Moxché Review
In my continuing quest to complete my Brand Explorer with World of Hyatt by staying at every Hyatt brand, I was drawn to the Impression Moxché by Secrets. With only two Impression resorts open, both on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, I made it a point to check this brand off the list during a recent trip to the region. While brand was an important reason for my stay, it should be mentioned that this resort is also one of the most stunningly designed ones I've ever visited. With multiple pools designed to appeal to practically any reason to visit Mexico, I was blown away. As a kicker, I knew that as the top all-inclusive brand in the World of Hyatt, service and food and beverage would be exemplary. I was not disappointed as you will see in my Impression Moxché review.
Location
Impression Moxché by Secrets is located just north of the city of Playa del Carmen, about a 45 minute drive from the Cancún Airport. Travelers can rent a car at the airport, or reserve one of the plentiful shuttles available to arrive in style. While some resorts in the area provide free airport transportation, the Impression does not.
Impression Moxché is essentially an “ultra-lux” tower with 198 suites that shares the main resort with the much larger Secrets Moxché. While many of the main resort draws are shared, the Impression tower has its own restaurants, pools, and beach access that the rest of the Secrets guests can't access.
Impression Moxché Review: Typical Booking Cost
The Impression Moxché is an exclusive resort, and is priced accordingly. When searching cash rates this fall, rooms for two can be found for well above $1,000 a night. The good news is you can redeem World of Hyatt points for your stay. As a Category F all-inclusive, Impression Moxché costs
- 42,000 World of Hyatt points (off-peak)
- 50,000 World of Hyatt points (standard)
- 58,000 World of Hyatt points (peak)
These prices are per night for up to two guests. Generally, I've seen availability to be pretty strong throughout the booking calendar.
Check In
Check in was a bit lackluster, in my opinion. Both Secrets and Impression have the same entrance, so it was a bit chaotic at the main valet. I was offered a welcome drink after a few minutes of awkwardly standing around. I fully expected a private escort to the Impression tower, but there were several other groups that arrived at the same time. It felt like a group tour in some ways as we walked to the Impression tower together. Once we arrived at the Impression lobby, another welcome drink was whipped up and I was checked in at the bar, since there were so many groups.
My room wasn't quite ready at noon when I arrived, but my butler (yes, every room has a butler here) let me know that he'd alert me by Whatsapp when it was ready. He took my bags for me and walked me over to the best lunch spot on property. He also gave me the rundown of activities available during my stay, and if I wanted to make any reservations for dinner that evening.
I've been fortunate enough to have a few butlers during hotel stays. Overall, I'm not someone who needs a butler during my vacation, but I feel that travelers might like one for longer stays. He or she will get to know your preferences. It felt to me that there weren't enough butlers available for how busy the property was, as I had to follow up after check in time to see if my room was ready. He did arrange for a room to shower in after check out before my transfer, which was a great touch.
Impression Moxché Review: Rooms
I booked a tropical view Signature Suite King for 58,000 points for my one-night stay, but received an upgrade to an oceanview suite at check in. The suite is one of the largest base level rooms I've come across during my time as a Hyatt Globalist. When you enter, to the right is the “magic box,” which is found at a lot of all-inclusives in Mexico. It allows food deliveries to your room without the team knocking on your door and disturbing you.
Entering the main part of the suite, you'll find the king bed and a 55-inch flat screen television. There are plenty of plugs on either side of the bed, including USB-Cs which I think are required in the luxury hotel market nowadays. Beneath the television was a welcome amenity of a small mescal bottle and chasers.
Moving towards the balcony there's a spacious indoor living room and mini bar. The mini bar featured included snacks and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. I was impressed they offered San Pellegrino bottled water as part of the mini bar offering. Nespresso was the brand of the in-room coffee machine.
The balcony was a highlight of the suite. It featured a soaking tub, a small couch, and a comfortable chair that overlooked the beautiful grounds of the resort and the Caribbean Sea beyond. I could easily see myself lounging out here and reading a book on a longer stay.
Bathroom
I was very impressed with the bathroom, which was gigantic and a sexy onyx color. Two sinks were to the left as you entered, with more amenities included in the room that I've ever seen. We're talking full-sized sunscreen and aloe bottles, which was great to bring with me around the pools, as I didn't pack any in my carry-on.
Towards the back of the bathroom was a separate room for the toilet, and then a large soaking tub, and finally the shower. A rainfall shower was lit from above by some sexy lighting. As you exited the bathroom, several closets had plenty of room for hanging clothes. There were also robes, slippers, and an umbrella waiting for a rainy day.
Property/Amenities
Impression has exclusive amenities only available to hotel guests, and then shared amenities with the rest of Secrets. For one, Cielo, the resort's rooftop pool and restaurant, was absolutely fantastic. Even though the rest of the resort had fabulously designed pools to hang out in, the oceanfront infinity pool was a stunner.
Downstairs, there's a bar in the lobby just for Impression guests. There's also a beachfront for lounging, another small beachfront pool, and restaurant. Teodoro, the resort's AAA 5-Diamond restaurant, isn't included for stays less than five nights. For five nights and longer stays, guests get one free dining experience.
Impression guests has access to everywhere else on property, too. There are six sit down restaurants to choose from for dinner. Herea also are also over a dozen bars to choose from for a drink. Several swim-up bars, a Tulum-styled beachfront bar at the Lagoon, and even a speakeasy nightclub hidden inside the resort's pharmacy also are there to enjoy.
Of course, there's a full list of activities going on throughout the day, as is common at all-inclusives in Mexico. Beachfront games like volleyball and corn hole, organized activities near the pools, and language classes are available throughout the day. I particularly loved the sports bar Dark Horse, which was two stories and featured an included golf simulator!
Pools and Beaches
Boy, are there pools. In addition to the Impression's two pools, there are eight other pools to choose from. The most impressive is the Lagoon Pool, which is an aquamarine that looks almost computer generated. Beyond that, there's a more modern pool that has glassed-in sides, making for a fun visual. There are two pools with swim up bars closest to the beach, and several cenote pools that feel tucked away from it all. As an Impression guest, you have access to Secrets' own rooftop pool, but it's further away from the beach than I liked.
The beach was a disappointment. The water at the resort just isn't pretty. While Impression and Secrets kept the beach itself looking pristine from seaweed, it seemed there was plenty of natural kelp growing right off shore. Finally, since the beaches are public, rather annoying vendors would constantly bother you for massages, jet skis, or other excursions. It was hardly a good place to relax, so I stuck with the pools during my visit.
Dining
Dining for Impression guests was impressive. At Cielo, on the rooftop, there was lobster on every meal's menu. The smash burger was particularly delicious as well. Don't miss the beach barbecue, with all sorts of lobster, grilled meats, empanadas, and desserts laid out just for Impression guests.
As I mentioned, I dined at the resort's Mexican restaurant Dos Almas. I felt that the food was above average for an all-inclusive, but left me wanting more. Thankfully, there's no shortage of food at the resort. They had taco stations set up near the night club for late night bites, and room service was always available from my in-room iPad.
Overall, I'd rate the food at Impression the best food at an all-inclusive I've ever had. It was all restaurant-quality.
Elite Perks & Status Recognition
As a Globalist, I received a few perks while on property. I mentioned my upgrade, which was helpful as it provided the best view, and one that you expect flying down to Mexico. I also received a 50-minute hydrotherapy circuit at the resort's spa, which was one of my favorite things I've done at any resort. Other than that, there weren't many additional offerings for Globalists, which speaks to how great the service is for normal guests at Impression Moxché.
Impression Moxché Review: ToP Thoughts
Bottom line, I wouldn't hesitate to stay at Impression Moxché again. The food, especially at the resort's rooftop restaurant, was a highlight. The pools throughout the Secrets complex will shock you in beauty. And while the beach was a definite letdown, with enough activities to fill a week of fun, you won't miss it. While it's a lot of World of Hyatt points for a one-night redemption, I felt as if I got my point's worth during my quick visit to Impression Moxché. Let me know your thoughts on the property over in the ToP Facebook Group.
