Best family hotels in Cancun: top resorts and all-inclusive stays, according to parents

Possibly one of the largest all-inclusive family resorts in Cancun, the Moon Palace sits on the serene south shore amid 123 acres of colourful tropical gardens and with direct access to an unfathomably pretty stretch of chalk-white sand. 

It’s sprawling - there are 2,400 rooms and golf carts zip along the pathways, ferrying guests between the 17 restaurants, 11 bars, seven swimming pools and 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course - but it’s also manageable, especially if you borrow one of the resort’s complimentary bikes. 

For kids there’s an impressive array of activities and amenities including a dedicated kids’ area with a cinema, an arcade and even an ice rink. Daily kids’ clubs keep children aged 17 and under busy and there’s also a children’s pool with brightly coloured waterslides and an on-site surf simulator. 

Mumsnetters report that it's hard to find fault at this huge family oriented resort.

Nearest beach: The hotel is located on the beach.

Nearest airport: Cancun Airport (8 miles) 

Family holidays rarely come cheap. Thank goodness, then, for resorts like the Crown Paradise Club, a fantastic all-inclusive Cancun hotel for families that won't break the bank. 

This pink and cream beachfront hotel has all the right ingredients for a perfect family holiday including an excellent kids' program that starts from 18 months in the Baby Paradise club and from 4 years old in the Kids Paradise Club. There's also a dedicated club for teens where they can spend their days zip lining and rock climbing. 

The hotel has four pools, including a dedicated family pool, a brightly coloured splash park and four zippy waterslides. There's a cinema room, a mini golf course and a family games room stocked with video games, board games and a pool table. 

The resort's five restaurants include Mexican, Italian and Japanese, and there's a French restaurant reserved exclusively for adults. Lively nightly shows take place in the Yunic Theatre. 

Nearest beach: The hotel is located on the beach.

Nearest airport: Cancun Airport (9 miles)

Rock and roll stars (and wannabes) should make a beeline for this glamorous rock-themed all-inclusive hotel set in the heart of the Cancun Hotel Zone. Overlooking the ocean, the 12-storey property is filled with a huge array of music memorabilia from stage costumes to drum kits and guitars.

The rooms and suites are suitably glam with two-bedroom family rooms, all with views of the Caribbean Sea or Nichupté Lagoon from the balcony. There are six restaurants, seven bars and the all-inclusive plan includes all food and top-shelf drinks. 

Best of all are the activities and, when you need a break from the beach, there are myriad ways for you to live out your guitar-shredding fantasies. Become the lead singer in a band courtesy of The Music Lab, jam with a rock specialist, be a DJ for the day or become the star of your very own music video. 

Nearest beach: The hotel enjoys a prime beachfront location. 

Nearest airport: Cancun Airport (11 miles)

Located just south of Cancun is the five-star, all-inclusive Planet Hollywood hotel that is a strong contender for the best family hotel in Cancun Oscar thanks to its non-stop blockbuster fun. 

The 648 rooms exude star power and there's a great choice for families - the Entourage Suite sleeps four and the two-bedroom Director's Suite sleeps eight people comfortably. When it's time to eat, you have 11 movie-inspired restaurants to choose from, serving everything from Italian and Indian to Japanese and, of course, Mexican dishes.

More movie-themed fun can be found at the on-site cinema where old classics and new releases are screened daily. There’s a lazy river, the Jurassic Park and Shipwreck Cove splash parks, Hollywood trivia nights, and a trampoline park where you can practice your own stunts. Young children aged 4 - 12 are given the chance to shine in the kids’ club with acting classes, songwriting sessions, costume designing and more. 

Nearest beach: The hotel sits on a white sand beach. 

Nearest airport: Cancun Airport (23 miles)

One of the best family hotels in Cancun, the Hytta Ziva enjoys a swoon-worthy spot on Punta Cancun, surrounded on three sides by the sparkling turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. Home to three infinity pools overlooking the Caribbean Sea, a kids’ club with a mini waterpark, a dedicated dessert parlour and even a microbrewery, this all-inclusive hotel really does cater to all ages and interests. 

Inspired by traditional Mayan designs, the rooms are spacious and light-filled with a good choice for families including the Club Ocean Front Double that sleeps four and the Club Two Bedroom Ocean Front Suite that accommodates six. 

There's a dizzying array of activities offered. You'll find everything from water polo and dance classes to yoga and paddleboarding. Evenings are equally busy with magicians, musicians, DJs, and circus acts keeping everyone entertained. Kids will love the supervised KidZ Club with its daily crafts, games and beach excursions. Teens also have a dedicated space, @Moods, where they can hang out with new friends. 

Nearest beach: Hyatt Ziva enjoys a beachfront location. 

Nearest airport: Cancun Airport (15 miles)

This towering, beachfront all-inclusive hotel sits in the heart of the Hotel Zone, set along a stretch of glacier white sand overlooking the dazzling blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. The Hotel Zone is typically popular with partying spring breakers, but the Riu Palace Peninsula is very much a Cancun hotel for families, so you won't have to deal with rowdy teens (unless they happen to be your own!). 

That's not to say that the hotel is quiet, the days are busy with non-stop sports, competitions and water-based fun in one of the four swimming pools. Evenings are just as packed with a busy schedule of colourful live shows and music. The RiuLand program caters to children aged 4 to 12 with plenty of sports, games, themed days with contests and treasure hunts, and weekly shows starring the kids themselves. Dining is a highlight with six restaurants to choose from including a steakhouse, a seafood spot and a Japanese restaurant. 

You're well placed here to visit some of the region’s most famous sights including the spectacular pre-Colombian city of Chichén Itzá and the heavenly Isla Mujeres, a nesting ground for a variety of different sea turtle species including Loggerhead and Hawksbill turtles. 

Nearest beach: The hotel is located on the beach

Nearest airport: Cancun Airport (17 miles)

Families that like to keep busy on holiday should look no further than Club Med Cancun, a fantastic family-friendly all-inclusive resort that sits at the tip of the Cancun peninsula, between the Caribbean Sea and a sparkling turquoise lagoon. 

Rather than one giant hotel, the accommodation consists of a collection of whitewashed buildings set amid palm trees, on the edge of a long stretch of white sand. The cheerful rooms celebrate the vibrant colours of Mexico with well-equipped family rooms that sleep up to five people.  

One of the things that we love best about this family resort is the array of activities offered at the kids' clubs which cater for children from 4 months to 17 years. They're all led by qualified GO's, Club Med’s Gentle Organisers. From archery lessons and snorkelling adventures, to sailing lessons and learning to fly through the air on a trapeze, no other hotel in the region can quite match what Club Med offers. 

Nearest beach: The hotel is located on the beach.

Nearest airport: Cancun Airport (9 miles)