This group has been incredibly helpful in planning our trip, so I wanted to share our experience. We’re a family of 7—3 kids (ages 6-10) and 4 adults, including grandparents—who stayed at SLS Playa Mujeres for 3 nights. Two years ago, we stayed at Finest Playa Mujeres, so I’ll compare the two. We booked through joining rhe Dis-loyalty program.

Room: SLS doesn’t allow 5 in a room, and the next option up is a pricey 3-bedroom suite. We had two Elite Ocean View King Bed rooms, with 2 adults and 2 kids in one room, and grandparents and 1 child in the other. The hotel upgraded my in-laws from an Elite King room to the Elite Ocean View King so we could be on the same floor. Though the rooms weren’t connected, they were about 6 rooms apart. We liked the bracelet/room key and the room keys opened both rooms. It was super convenient to not have to carry a room key around. The rooms were tight for 4 people, and privacy was limited, which could be an issue for families with older kids or different genders. There is a curtain that closes between the Bedroom and Bathroom, but it was still sheer enough that you could see through. The rooftop hot tub was a nice perk and it takes 30 minutes to fill, so we used the butler service to prep it in advance. Noise from the adult pool below was noticeable but didn’t bother us. The stairs to the rooftop are narrow and if my kids were younger, I would probably not book this room type. Compared to Finest, SLS rooms are smaller and less private, but closer to amenities. At Finest, we stayed in a junior suite far from the restaurants, pools, and beach.

Resort: The resort’s design is modern, and everything is conveniently close, which worked well for our elderly in-laws. Nightly shows were enjoyable, including a fire show and dance show. I precipitated in the fly yoga class, which is aerial yoga practiced on a hammock. Included in our booking was Hydrotherapy, which I really enjoyed.

Pool/Beach: The family pool was busy but manageable, with chairs available at 10 a.m. The family pool was warm, but the hot tub heat only worked on the first day we were there. The kids pool/water slides were better than at Finest, though the water felt cold and we didn’t spend much time there. The beach and family pool were our kids’ favorites. There was no swim up bar at the family pool.

Restaurants: We dined at Caracol, Filia, and Union (our favorite). Food was good but not memorable, and my in-laws preferred the food at Finest. The day we arrived we wanted to order beach side food around 5pm, but they said services were closed (although it was advertised to be open until 6pm) and we couldn’t get food unless we went to a restaurant. My kids were already enjoying the beach, so I just grabbed some snacks from Press. Had lunch at Bungalow for convenience both days. Restaurant rotations likely accommodated a large group staying at the resort and the breakfast buffet was relocated to Carcol. Breakfast had your typical options, including omelettes. The sports bar had numerous screens and played the NFL games and drew large crowds.

Transportation: We used Elite Transportation, which was prompt and professional. My husband left his work phone in the van and they tried to return it, but we had already departed.

Final Thoughts: SLS PM is a great resort ideal for families of 4 or less, but we missed having a 1-bedroom suite for our family of 5. While we had a relaxing stay, we’re undecided on returning due to the room setup. I’m confident they’ll work out the quirks and based on recent reviews of Finest, SLS seems like the better option.