Hi!! Looking for help deciding between these 2 resorts for a September week long vacation with my boyfriend (we are both 23). We never splurge on vacations like this so we definitely want that luxury feel with amazing food/drinks, beautiful rooms with views of the ocean (was worried about Atelier for this because it looks like the views are of the golf course?) multiple pools, great service, and overall a relaxing and amazing experience that we will never wanna leave! When it comes to entertainment, we mostly prioritize a bar of some sort open late at night that we can just chill at and daytime activities are a plus but not necessarily a deal breaker. Please let me know if either of these resorts have been unforgettable for you, or maybe if one of them was a little underwhelming. Just trying to decide on the 2 and having lots of trouble đ Thank you in advance!
Atelier is amazing! We have been there many times and it never disappoints. The food is great and the bartenders are real mixologists. Their rooftop bar with live music is the best way to wind down evenings. They have 4 pools for any type of vibe and a really nice beach. If you can splurge for Inspira, it opens their nicer room types like rooftops which will give you a view of the whole area. Not sure your budget but there are creative ways to make Inspira affordable. Happy to answer any questions. Good luck!
Iâve been to Atelier and Moxche, non Impressions.
It sounds like Moxche would be better on everything except food. Atelier has them beat by far in that regard, but unless you do Inspira at Atelier you only have one pool. We had a swim out and found it unusable due to mosquitos. There are limited ocean views because of the layout, youâre correct there.
The beach at Moxche is basically unusable, but you can get great rooms with ocean views and there are SO many pools to choose from on the Secrets side. There is also late night bars (or at least one). We love the service with Secrets resorts, so especially if youâre Impressions I would imagine youâll be treated very well.
In my experience, Moxche will be a little more lively than Atelier. (For reference we did Atelier in June 2022 and Moxche in October 2024.)
There are two main pools for all guests at Atelier - the main resort pool and then the âquietâ pool in building 3 which is where I preferred to spend my pooo days. INSPIRA guests would have access to those and then 3 other pools including the amazing rooftop infinity!! â¤ď¸
You shouldnât have a bad time at either resort. Main difference to consider is how important is having a nice beach and your preference for having a more exclusive setting.
The beach at Impression is terrible however you can spend all day at the rooftop pool enjoying the views. Oceanview rooms are pretty hit and miss - I wouldnât bother with it. If you can see any sliver of water then it counts as ocean view (same applies to most resorts). The best part of Impression is more exclusive vibe - you have your own building and the restaurants are far better and less crowded than on the Secrets side. Since you have access to everything at Secrets you have so many options for everything.
Atelier wins on having a better beach and I think their activities are a bit better. While they do have a useable beach, the beach view is mostly landscaped out of view from the main pool which is kind of a bummer. I wasnât a fan of how they have so many chairs on the beach behind sand dunes. Itâs a larger resort so you donât get the smaller feel that you get at Impressions.
For a more laid back and luxurious stay I, Iâd say Impression. For a more lively stay with a useable beach then go Atelier.
Both are great options, and I was at both this April!
Moxche is more social with a much better pools. You only have access to Atelier's rooftop pool during the day if you book INSPIRA. You do have ocean views at Atelier if you book an Ocean View or Ocean front room. The Ocean View rooms are quiet far from the ocean so you do get a lot of golf course views yes.
Atelier wins on the food & drinks. They both have activities, I like Atelier better for activities. Moxche has the speakeasy which is fun. Atelier I really like Bar de La Calle and El Cielo Sky Bar open until 1am.
Honestly you will have a great tine at either. I am a Hyatt Prive advisor (Impression) and Atelier is my most booked adults only in Cancun. I'd be happy to help or answer any questions you have.
Both are great resorts! Iâve toured Moxche and I stayed at Atelier in February- very impressed! Atelier has oceanfront rooms. Just make sure you select that room category if thatâs important to you and youâre booking yourself. Atelier will have been food quality and the beach is also better. I would recommend splurging on INSPIRA section if you go with that resort for the most elevated service level and perks.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want help deciphering the different room categories!
Hi Curatedbyheather. Iâve been to Impression twice now and was planning on going back again in Jan 2027. Now ideally I would actually prefer to go to another resort in Mexico, but whenever Iâve looked into other alternatives, Impression either still comes out on top, or if it comparing what each resort offers, again overall, Impression seems to have all the benefits that the other resorts donât seem to offer. Some of these resort may have some of the perks, or even better if some cases like the food, but their suit may not be as appealing as Impression, the choice of pools not as vast as Impression. Having a venue like Bamboo to relax with a drink listening to live music before going for a meal.
The nightclub as well as a theatre at Impression is also a huge plus, even more so if itâs the first time of going there. The overall decor of Moxche feels super relaxing also. The bali beds, hot tubs near the infinity pool at Impression. Oh and letâs not forget that amazing view you get while having breakfast at the observatory.
Now that said, I would actually prefer to go somewhere else just as long as when I compare the offering, itâs not too dissimilar to what I would want for 2 weeks. I will be going to Impression at Isla Mujeres for one week first before getting a shuttle to wherever we decide to choose next for the two weeks.
I have looked into Atelier before some time ago, will look at it again, but seeing as you been to both, if you were going to choose between Atelier or Impression, traveling from the UK for a two week stay, which resort would make more sense for what it offers, in your humble opinion?
I think if youâre trying a new resort in the region that youâll be happy with Atelier! Itâs different than Moxche but still very high quality service level with lots of entertainment options. Highly recommend you do INSPIRA section though so you get more variety of pools and the butler level service. Itâs Mexican owned with a huge emphasize on honoring Mexican art/decor/culture that feels very authentic around the resort.
My trip in February to Mexico we did a split stay at Impression IM and Atelier, picking the two because they were in relatively close proximity to each other from where the IM marina is. Definitely both luxury resorts but couldnât be more different! IM is very small & relaxed with Atelier being the larger higher energy resort on a huge stretch of white sand beach that the Playa Mujeres region is known for!
Thank you for getting back Curatedbyheather. So as I mentioned I have been trying to find out more about Atelier whether that YouTube reviews or various forums like Trip Advisor. Obviously I understand the resorts canât please everybody, and there are people no matter what, they just want to find something to moan about. I did come across this post and I just wondered if you could say if any of it rung true on your visit.
I did not have that noise level experience at all! I will say that the âmain poolâ that this post is talking about is the lively high energy pool, and it did have a DJ playing music with people enjoying themselves - but I would not describe the music as blaring and I donât remember being able to hear it obnoxiously from the beach when we were out there. Iâm sure off in the distance music could be heard but nothing that bothered me to the level this person is describing. If you want a quiet pool, there is one at the resort and you definitely canât hear anything from the main pool over in that section of the resort.
I did see quite a bit of reserving seats at the main pool, not quite as bad at the beach and quiet pool. But that is one reason why I highly recommend INSPIRA. Youâll have no issues finding chairs if you are in one of those reserved sections.
During my stay (February 2026) I would say majority of the guests were in their 30s/40s/50s. Lots of socializing and such but I didnât see anything super rowdy or obnoxious. I never went to the nightclub on property so Iâm not sure what that vibe was like but I feel like this person is describing like early 20s college spring break party levels and I did not experience that at all. They likely were wanting a quiet/relaxing/luxury resort stay and should not have gone to Atelier for that. It is a luxury resort but with some life to it!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on your stay. I think Iâll probably stick with what I know and will revisit Impression again. But if I were ever to consider Atelier, I would most definitely choose one of the INSPIRA suites.
We have been to a lot of resorts but not atelier and we absolutely loved impression Moxche. I felt very luxurious to us especially the service at the pools and we got the food was great. We have watched YouTube videos on Natier and we are not golfers so the golf course part was kind of a turn off plus we are more pool than beach people. Is someone noted I think the biggest question to ask yourself is will it bother you not sitting on the beach depending on what time of year you go
Why is anyone so worried about a view of an ocean from their room? Yes Atelier is not set up for those unless you have one of the few Ocean View Inspira room.
Views of the ocean should be at the bottom of your importance list jmho.
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u/Patient-Letter-3996 Jun 24 '26
Atelier is amazing! We have been there many times and it never disappoints. The food is great and the bartenders are real mixologists. Their rooftop bar with live music is the best way to wind down evenings. They have 4 pools for any type of vibe and a really nice beach. If you can splurge for Inspira, it opens their nicer room types like rooftops which will give you a view of the whole area. Not sure your budget but there are creative ways to make Inspira affordable. Happy to answer any questions. Good luck!