CANCUN — Just over a year ago Travelweek reported the opening of a new all-inclusive, large-scale property located less than 15 minutes from Cancun International Airport (CUN).

It’s the AVA Resort Cancun, part of AIC Hotel Group and owned by RCD Hotels, a company with a 35-year portfolio of building upscale and luxury properties in Mexico to its credit.

I returned from a three-day visit this past June as a guest of ‘AVA’, and I’m happy to report it’s a smash success, in the humble opinion of this writer’s experience.

AVA stuns when you arrive. You’re not near the famous Cancun hotel zone (or strip), the 21 km long, narrow piece of land along the Caribbean Sea and Nichupte Lagoon.

Developers built AVA beyond a federally protected mangrove forest, but it still nudges the Caribbean. It’s truly all-inclusive while being upscale, as your clients don’t need to leave the resort. At all. Boredom isn’t an option for this family-centric property.

Manuel Rubio, the Director of Sales, told me that the average stay is three or four nights for families. Since its opening, AVA has welcomed approximately 5,158 Canadian guests.

“No other property does what AVA does,” he stated. He then told me that two floors of kitchen facilities are beneath the main floor, making everything from pastas to pastries on-site. Gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options abound in all the dining areas and restaurants. Each time I checked in at the host desk of the various restaurants or cafes, I noticed the host always asked me about food allergies.

The length (one kilometre) and breadth of AVA reminded me of a cruise ship on land.

There are two 10-storey buildings at each of the north and south ends, housing 1,622 guestrooms, suites, and villas. Every single room has an ocean view.

Joining the two buildings is an attractive promenade filled with shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, an art gallery, and a nightclub. There are special rooms and activities for children, from tots to teens. The expansive fitness facility (with free classes and consultations with a trainer) and Spa, with its many treatment rooms and hydrotherapy pools, are sure to impress. Appointments at the Spa have separate prices.

Lest you think your clients won’t want to walk the length of the resort, air-conditioned golf carts can transport them outside the buildings with stops along the way. To me, this is an important nod to recognizing that families travel with both older and much younger family members – many of whom may balk at walking any distance.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how seriously AVA takes climate change and sustainable travel practices. “We are completely solar powered,” said Rubio. “And we have seven large batteries to handle four hours of energy per day.”

While there is a beach that is monitored and cleared daily of any seaweed, the vast majority of guests played and swam in or around the six pools and AVA Bay, a saltwater lagoon that’s 1.13 hectares in size, and is idyllic for both kids and adults to swim, stand-up paddleboard, kayak, or float to their heart’s content. It’s the largest in North America, and the little ones won’t have to be concerned with stepping on strange underwater creatures.

The beach is monitored and cleared daily of any seaweed (hereʻs the view facing north)

When the adults want to play away from the children, there is an adults-only pool that features music by a DJ, accompanied sometimes by special musical guests.

Finally, no great resort worth its reputation can serve anything less than stellar food and beverages. I had wonderful meals at Chez Moi (adults only French cuisine), Veranda (Italian) and Black Iron (steak and seafood). Your clients will also enjoy menus featuring Mexican, Asian fusion, and Japanese cuisine; reservations at each restaurant are strongly suggested.

COMMISSIONS & INCENTIVES

Canadian advisors can connect with their BDM via the platform https://allinagents.com/.

Once they register on the site, they will access information on commissions and AVA’s rewards program, called Amplified Rewards.

The regional sales managers in Canada are Stacy Niemi (sniemi@aichotelgroup.com) and Jasmine Grant (jgrant@aichotelgroup.com), for further information on AVA, fam trips and more.

For more information on AVA Resort Cancun see AVAResortCancun.com.

Veteran travel writer Bruce W. Bishop ran an IATA-approved travel consultancy for several years. Heʻs also the author of four novels of historical fiction.

Nothing but clear skies from a spectacular viewpoint at AVA Resort Cancun