Uploaded May 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
After a long winter, a tropical vacation started sounding mighty nice. Normally I’d head to Orlando to get my fix of sun and palm trees, but my dad had been raving about an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica he’d visited over Christmas. I’d never been to an all-inclusive, but was intrigued by his tales of unlimited booze and food, so I started doing some research. I ended up booking a vacation package through Southwest Vacations that included airfare, airport transfers, and four nights at the adults-only Breathless Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa. What really appealed to me about Breathless was that for about the same price as a regular room in similar resorts, I could upgrade to the Xhale Club, which offers VIP perks such as priority check-in, upgraded bath amenities, upgraded minibar and room service menu, daily access to the spa’s hydrotherapy circuit, and exclusive access to a private pool, an Xhale-only restaurant, and a private lounge. Breathless also seemed to be a good middle-ground between the 24/7 party resorts and the more family-friendly resorts.
It was a relatively quick 3.5 hour flight from BWI to CUN, and we passed through Customs with no issues. We booked our transfer in advance with Amstar, and once we found them it took about 5 minutes before we were off to the resort in our own private air-conditioned shuttle, and from there it was about 15 minutes to the resort.
The Xhale priority check-in was a breeze, and was made extra special with a refreshing scented towel and a cool glass of sparkling wine. After check-in, we headed straight for the room to drop off our bags. I’m happy to report that our Xhale Club Junior Suite Swim-Out did not disappoint. The swim-out rooms at Breathless are all connected by a lazy river, and while the water was a bit cooler than the big pools, it was so nice to be able to escape to the room for a private swim. The room featured everything you would expect from a luxury resort, and more: a big comfortable bed with adjustable headboard lighting, a stocked minibar, robes and slippers, a safe, a tablet for room service orders and resort information, and a high-end toiletry kit that included stuff you don’t often find in a toiletry kit, such as a razor, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a nail file, a mending kit, and a shoe-shiner. Fancy!
As for the rest of the resort, it looked exactly like it did in Breathless’ press photos. It’s relatively new, having opened in 2016, and it shows – no chipping paint or crumbling concrete here. It also doesn’t hurt that the grounds are meticulously cared for at a level I’ve only seen at Walt Disney World, with staff cleaning and landscaping pretty much nonstop. The sprawling resort is divided up into three sections: Xhale, Energy, and Xcelerate, each with its own separate set of rooms, pools, and bars.
Finally, an all-inclusive wouldn’t be an all-inclusive without lots of food and booze options. Breathless definitely delivers on both, with eight bars, seven table-service restaurants, a 24/7 buffet, multiple quick-stop food options, and 24/7 room service. The quality of the food ranged from good to excellent, with Silk City (Asian cuisine) being on the low end, and Picante (Mexican) and Kibbeh (Middle Eastern) being on the excellent end. And most impressively, every restaurant had an extensive vegetarian menu that consisted of a lot more than the typical salad and pasta bone-throws that you get as a vegetarian option at most restaurants. I was also impressed with the alcohol selection at the bars – the house wines (including sparkling) were excellent, and the “well” liquors were actually mid-to-high level brands like Bacardi, Absolut, and Johnny Walker Red, while the Xhale Lounge featured top-shelf stuff like Bulldog and Grey Goose. Corona and Modelo were the most common beer offerings, and of course all sorts of tropical drinks were available.
Bottom line: for the price I paid, I felt like I got a tremendous deal, and I really have nothing but positive things to say about Breathless. I fully intended to visit downtown Cancun and also planned to go on an excursion to see some cenotes, but I was having such a great time at the resort that I never ended up leaving. For someone like me who rarely relaxes and is always in “go go go” mode, that’s saying something!
breathlessresorts.com/en_us/resorts/mexico/riviera-cancun.html
amstardmc.com/airport-transfers/cancun
Ambient music by Rossco SoleTrain:
youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2
Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:
facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3
twitter.com/DarkSideDisney
leonardkinsey.com
For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit bambooforestpublishing.com
After a long winter, a tropical vacation started sounding mighty nice. Normally I’d head to Orlando to get my fix of sun and palm trees, but my dad had been raving about an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica he’d visited over Christmas. I’d never been to an all-inclusive, but was intrigued by his tales of unlimited booze and food, so I started doing some research. I ended up booking a vacation package through Southwest Vacations that included airfare, airport transfers, and four nights at the adults-only Breathless Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa. What really appealed to me about Breathless was that for about the same price as a regular room in similar resorts, I could upgrade to the Xhale Club, which offers VIP perks such as priority check-in, upgraded bath amenities, upgraded minibar and room service menu, daily access to the spa’s hydrotherapy circuit, and exclusive access to a private pool, an Xhale-only restaurant, and a private lounge. Breathless also seemed to be a good middle-ground between the 24/7 party resorts and the more family-friendly resorts.
It was a relatively quick 3.5 hour flight from BWI to CUN, and we passed through Customs with no issues. We booked our transfer in advance with Amstar, and once we found them it took about 5 minutes before we were off to the resort in our own private air-conditioned shuttle, and from there it was about 15 minutes to the resort.
The Xhale priority check-in was a breeze, and was made extra special with a refreshing scented towel and a cool glass of sparkling wine. After check-in, we headed straight for the room to drop off our bags. I’m happy to report that our Xhale Club Junior Suite Swim-Out did not disappoint. The swim-out rooms at Breathless are all connected by a lazy river, and while the water was a bit cooler than the big pools, it was so nice to be able to escape to the room for a private swim. The room featured everything you would expect from a luxury resort, and more: a big comfortable bed with adjustable headboard lighting, a stocked minibar, robes and slippers, a safe, a tablet for room service orders and resort information, and a high-end toiletry kit that included stuff you don’t often find in a toiletry kit, such as a razor, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a nail file, a mending kit, and a shoe-shiner. Fancy!
As for the rest of the resort, it looked exactly like it did in Breathless’ press photos. It’s relatively new, having opened in 2016, and it shows – no chipping paint or crumbling concrete here. It also doesn’t hurt that the grounds are meticulously cared for at a level I’ve only seen at Walt Disney World, with staff cleaning and landscaping pretty much nonstop. The sprawling resort is divided up into three sections: Xhale, Energy, and Xcelerate, each with its own separate set of rooms, pools, and bars.
Finally, an all-inclusive wouldn’t be an all-inclusive without lots of food and booze options. Breathless definitely delivers on both, with eight bars, seven table-service restaurants, a 24/7 buffet, multiple quick-stop food options, and 24/7 room service. The quality of the food ranged from good to excellent, with Silk City (Asian cuisine) being on the low end, and Picante (Mexican) and Kibbeh (Middle Eastern) being on the excellent end. And most impressively, every restaurant had an extensive vegetarian menu that consisted of a lot more than the typical salad and pasta bone-throws that you get as a vegetarian option at most restaurants. I was also impressed with the alcohol selection at the bars – the house wines (including sparkling) were excellent, and the “well” liquors were actually mid-to-high level brands like Bacardi, Absolut, and Johnny Walker Red, while the Xhale Lounge featured top-shelf stuff like Bulldog and Grey Goose. Corona and Modelo were the most common beer offerings, and of course all sorts of tropical drinks were available.
Bottom line: for the price I paid, I felt like I got a tremendous deal, and I really have nothing but positive things to say about Breathless. I fully intended to visit downtown Cancun and also planned to go on an excursion to see some cenotes, but I was having such a great time at the resort that I never ended up leaving. For someone like me who rarely relaxes and is always in “go go go” mode, that’s saying something!
breathlessresorts.com/en_us/resorts/mexico/riviera-cancun.html
amstardmc.com/airport-transfers/cancun
Ambient music by Rossco SoleTrain:
youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2
Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:
facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3
twitter.com/DarkSideDisney
leonardkinsey.com
For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit bambooforestpublishing.com
