Atelier Playa Mujeres
A Girls Trip to Remember at Atelier Playa Mujeres
The below review is not sponsored, but may include affiliate links where a small portion of sales go to me. Thank you for reading!
When we turned 40, my group of girlfriends decided to celebrate in a big way — a trip to Mexico with our spouses. We stayed at Excellence Playa Mujeres and had the best time. It was one of those trips where everything just clicked — effortless planning, nonstop laughter, beautiful weather, and that feeling of, why don’t we do this more often?
We promised each other we would.
Because life is short.
Because friendships deserve tending.
Because we are more than moms and professionals and calendar managers.
So when it was time to plan our next getaway, we wanted to try somewhere new — and that’s how we landed on Atelier.
On my flight home from our last Mexico trip, I happened to sit next to a woman who owned a travel agency. She had recently visited 13 resorts in the region. Naturally, I asked the most important question: Which one was your favorite? Without hesitation, she said, “Atelier Playa Mujeres.”
Noted.
Six months later, when the group chat turned into a planning committee, another friend had Atelier at the top of her list. And one of the girls had attended a wedding there — firsthand confirmation that it was stunning.
Decision made.
We booked in October for a January 20th departure — the perfect escape from Midwest winter. There were five of us this time, and unlike our 40th celebration, we left the spouses home with the kids. (Bless them. 😅)
We booked three rooms:
Two Junior Suites (double occupancy)
One INSPIRA Junior Suite Swim-Out – King (solo queen energy)
Having one friend at the INSPIRA level was a strategic win. She had a butler who handled dinner reservations for all of us — which meant zero stress and prime dining times. Highly recommend at least one INSPIRA booking in your group.
The deals at Atelier vary by season. Two of us booked non-refundable rates (a slight gamble when you have kids), but the savings were worth it for us. The package included:
Complimentary round-trip private transportation from CUN
$100 USD spa credit to NUUP Spa
When we landed in CUN, our driver was waiting with a large Atelier sign and my name on it. We were in a private vehicle and en route within minutes. Smooth, easy, elevated.
The arrival experience set the tone immediately.
Champagne.
Cool botanical-scented towels.
Open-air, modern luxury design.
The lobby feels like a high-end art gallery meets contemporary sanctuary. Check-in was seamless, and we were given chic bracelets that doubled as room keys (no fumbling for keycards all week — a small but meaningful touch). Our luggage was delivered promptly, and just like that… vacation mode activated.
The rooms at Atelier are truly gorgeous. Even the standard Junior Suite feels elevated and thoughtfully designed.
Warm wood tones
Natural stone finishes
Spa-like bathrooms
Plush bedding
Spacious balconies
Our balcony overlooked lush greenery with a partial ocean view — private, peaceful, and beautiful. The minibar was stocked daily with snacks and beverages.
Yes, I know we paid upfront.
But the magic of all-inclusive is that it feels free — especially when you booked months ago and the credit card sting is long gone.
Our friend who had her own room was on the ASPIRA side of the building. She had opted for a swim up suite - her room became the room we hung out in a few times because of the larger balcony area that she had with her suite. While we did not use the swim up aspect of her pool, it was gorgeous and added to the ambiance.
We came to the Atelier to eat, drink, relax by the pool, and bond as friends for more than 25 years. The Atelier set the stage to make all of this happen with ease. We hit up the pool every day, and 2 of 5 of us used the fabulous NUUP Spa. The pools were beautiful - we did the main pool each day. Since we needed five chairs next to one another, each of us took a turn waking up early and heading out to the pool to reserve space. They had a policy where unattended chairs for more than an hour will be cleared, but with one of us always out there we were able to keep our location for the day. Most of the girls would join by 10:30 or so and then we’d take turns getting brunch at the morning breakfast buffet.
The food was absolutely incredible at the Atelier resort. We ate breakfast each morning in the walk up breakfast location called Mercado 19. The omelettes were my favorite, but there were insane amounts of beautiful foods and fresh fruits and juices to choose from. They have a Michelin Star restaurant called MARÍA DOLORES by Edgar Nuñez, but this requires a separate reservation and is not part of the all-inclusive. The five dinner spots we ate at were Calla Di Luna (Mediterranean), Cilento (Italian), Takeshi (Asian), Kopai (Sushi), and Los Albrazos (Steakhouse). All of these restaurants delighted our senses. They were all remarkable, but our favorites were Los Albrazos (great upper level views), Cilento (don’t sleep on the beef carpaccio), and Takeshi.
For lunch, we either ordered directly to our seats at the pool (there are so many amazing staff members always coming around to freshen up towels or take food and beverage orders), or we ate at one of the two main pool side restaurants - El Susprio and Limon y Sal. With all the restaurants, I was impressed with the food quality and the speed of service. The drinks that accompanied our meals were top notch, as well. Below is a pic from the El Cielo Sky Bar & INSPIRA Rooftop Bar, which has private hours for INSPIRA guests but after 6 pm is open to all. It’s a must and the views up top are worth visiting a few times during your stay.
One of the aspects of Atelier that we really enjoyed compared to the Excellence (which is where we stayed for our 40th birthday), is that the Atelier has a nightlife. They have the Deseo night club that was full of lively music and after hours activities. We danced each night we were there before putting ourselves to bed for the evening. They had good music and fun staff that worked to keep the party going.
The hotel grounds at Atelier were so pretty. I enjoyed doing morning walks on-site and seeing the full hotel. While I did find the layout initially confusing, I quickly become oriented and learned my way around. They have these beautiful walkways that got you from point A to B. The beaches were gorgeous as well. We are more “pool girlies” but visited the beach several times to dip into the ocean.
Atelier Playa Mujeres delivered exactly what we wanted:
Luxury without pretension
Gorgeous design
Strong food program
Attentive service
A setting that supports both connection and relaxation
It felt like a grown-up girls trip — refined, easy, indulgent.
We laughed until we cried.
We slept in.
We had uninterrupted conversations.
We remembered who we were outside of our daily responsibilities.
Would we go back?
Absolutely.
And just like our 40th birthday trip, this one reminded us of something important: investing in friendships is never indulgent — it’s essential.
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