Unico 2087 Review: Adults Only All-Inclusive Resort

After visiting Excellence Playa Mujeres, just outside Cancun Mexico, several times over the last few years, I decided to try a different 5-star adults-only all-inclusive resort this year. Since my goal for the trip is to relax and recharge with sunshine, cocktails, and books, I want the resort to be easy and quick to get to, not obscenely expensive, and where I’ll enjoy the food and drinks. Keep reading for my detailed Unico 2087 review.

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Table of Contents

About Riviera Maya

Riviera Maya is a tourist region along the Carribean coast just south of Cancun Mexico. Originally the location was specific to Playa Del Carmen as the northern border and Tulum to the south, but has since expanded its reach. Unico 2087 isn’t located in a specific town, but is about 30 minutes north of Tulum, right on the ocean. Fun fact, 20 87 refers to Unicos coordinates!

The average high temperature ranges from 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average low range is 67-77, depending on the month. It can be very humid so the temperature may feel much warmer than it is.

Unico 2087 has a jungle ecosystem, being further south. We even saw a wild monkey on the property! Rain can sometimes be a concern, so may be important to note that February – May are the least rainy months and October is the rainiest.

I went to Unico 2087 in the middle of February and it rained only one evening. There was a wind advisory one day as well, so that’s something to think about too if you plan on participating in activities that the wind would impact.

Getting to Unico 2087

Unless you live in Mexico, you’ll fly into the Cancun International Airport (CUN) and drive 55 miles to the resort. With no traffic, this takes an hour and fifteen minutes.

Cancun has improved the customs process and it’s so simple to enter with a U.S. passport. Some lines are fully automated, just have your passport scanned, look into a camera, and call it a day. Once outside you’ll see many transportation options (and some places to grab a cocktail). I highly, and I cannot stress this enough, recommend that you pre-arrange your transportation to the hotel.

Unico offers a complimentary shared shuttle service or private service for a price. We used the shuttle on the way to the resort and sprung for a private service on the way back. You may be wondering why we decided what happened on the way there that we decided to pay on the way back. The reason is, I forgot I don’t like people. KIDDING! They inform you upfront that the shuttle may stop at other hotels and that’s exactly what happened. That and there were a LOT of kids on our shuttle to the resort. We decided it was worth the extra money to not have to leave the resort extra early on departure day and save our sanity as an hour and fifteen minutes isn’t exactly a short amount of time to be in close quarters with strangers.

The Resort

Unico 2087 is an adults-only, all-inclusive resort that opened in 2017, so everything is relatively new.
The resort is gated even to enter the grounds and has security guards so I never felt unsafe.
A high percentage of the guests are couples, although I did see some parents/kids (adults, of course) and friends around the resort as well.
There is free wifi and the signal is pretty strong throughout the resort so having access to the internet is no problem.
As far as all-inclusives go, Unico is a boutique resort and has 5 restaurants
You’ll want to download the UnicoRivieraMaya App from the App Store. This is where you’ll see restaurant menus, can make dinner reservations, view the daily entertainment, and more.
You’ll also want to download WhatsApp since you will have a local host you communicate with through texting. They can arrange activities, manage dinner reservations, and bring drinks to the room.
Tipping is optional but always appreciated. They happily accept U.S. dollars and I recommend bringing a variety of $5’s, $10’s, and $20’s depending on who you are tipping. For instance, I tip the waitstaff $20 for my first pool cocktail and am good for the day, but I tip $5 at meals. You’ll also want cash to tip the drivers.
Last, but certainly not least, there is a timeshare offer, which they call Legendary Vacation Club, more on that below.

Legendary Vacation Club

The timeshare component is my biggest complaint with Unico 2087. Mostly because I had no idea this even existed, so hopefully by giving you some insight you can make a well-informed decision. Excellence Playa Mujeres doesn’t offer timeshares which is why I was completely caught off guard. Apparently this is a common thing at all-inclusive resorts.

Upon check-in, the person checking us in (who was not part of the front desk staff because a large party was checking in so they had this person do it instead) brought up the Legendary Vacation Club membership. After a long travel day I was exhausted and parched (no welcome drink was offered – see: large party checking in) so it took me a minute to realize the Legendary Vacation Club is a timeshare. I shut the conversation down quickly and didn’t get pulled into the presentation.

If you are open to the presentation I believe the offer was two free massages in the spa, so not nothing, but I was on vacation to relax, not to get sold too. He asked if he could come around the pool the next day to essentially continue his sales pitch to me, of which I said no, and was shocked since I told him my goal on this short trip was to relax and read with a boozy beverage.

The resort blocks off certain section for “members only”, like parts of the beach and pools

I have no idea the details of the membership, or how much it costs, this is more to inform you that this is something you will have to deal with. I know it doesn’t bother some, but without knowing it is even a thing, I found it quite jarring and unpleasant.

Rooms

I LOVE the rooms at Uncio! The vibe is like chic boutique hotel instead of a typical tropical resort. We booked it during Cyber Monday so some rooms were sold out. Since it was a last-minute(ish) trip, we just went ahead with booking the Alcoba Ocean View – King Bed Room.

Depending on what you are looking for depends on which building you should request. Some are closer to the quiet pool, some are closer to the beach. I suggest you reach out to the hotel prior to checking in and see if they can accommodate. They are very responsive via email.

Bed | The king-size bed is SO comfortable. I got the best night’s sleep, every single night. They even offer a pillow menu if you are particular about those.
Balcony | The balcony is huge and has a jacuzzi tub, sofa, side table, and coffee table. The lounging area is perfect for having cocktails, playing card games, reading, and relaxing. Note, the switch to turn on the lights is inside and may be hidden by the curtains. It took us a bit of time to find that.
Bathroom | Psudo open concept but the toilet has a door, which is GREAT! Double sinks give you plenty of space to get ready and the shower is also a good size. No complaints about water pressure. The only thing I found odd was that housekeeping replenished some of the towels, but not every towel we used so I was kind of conserving near the end.
TV | I know you are on vacation so you might not care about TV, but hear me out. We were there during the Super Bowl, plus I just love TV (as you may know from my IG) so it’s something I always look at. In fact, I travel with a Fire Stick to have all the steaming apps readily available. If you do this, do not forget the remote at home. I digress, the TV is big, new, and great!
Mini Bar | The mini fridge is stocked with Pepsi products (no Coke which I do NOT love), beer, and water. There are also snacks. You may notice I did not include what is usually in a bar and that is alcohol and wine. Unico 2087 does not offer complimentary bottles(you can pay extra) in rooms. If you want a glass of Prosecco (Champagne is extra) you can ask your local host to bring it, along with two shots of alcohol (for a mixed drink) per person. I’m wondering if getting a bottle at Duty-Free would be a way to remedy this annoyance.

Restaurants & Food

As a boutique resort, Unico 2087 has five restaurants, which is less than most major all-inclusives. We ate at four of the five and I did not get tired of them. The food and beverages are what differentiate from all other resorts! The restaurants feel like real restaurants as opposed to some that can feel like a banquet hall. There is no dinner buffet, which some might not like, but I don’t miss at all.

I suggest making reservations on the app prior to arriving. You can always cancel if plans change, but if you know you’ll be eating at the resort, why not plan ahead?

Here’s what we had, what I recommend, and what I wouldn’t order again.

Cueva Siete – This is a Mexican restaurant and being in Mexico, I assumed it would be great. It is! We had dinner here our first night and our last night. The first night we ate inside and it was packed! The last night we opted for an outdoor table and the mosquitos were biting! As much as we want to enjoy the warm weather, inside is where it’s at. Here are all the things we had, both nights combined:
- To Share: Chips, salsa, and bean dip come to the table and are so good! Sopecitos (sausage and potato sopes with pickled onion and jalapeno). Obsessed! We ordered them both nights! Blue Corn Quesadillas are pretty good. I would order them again. Spicy Chips are like lemony roasted potatoes and are so good! Another thing that was ordered both nights.
- Meal: My husband had the Birria and loved it! We also had Mushroom Enchiladas, Fish Tacos, and Chicken with Green Pipian. Fish tacos were just ok and the enchiladas and chicken were a little bland.
- Dessert: My husband loved the Horchata Tres Leches (another repeat order)! The Bananas and Cream were ok but the Strawberries and Meringue were very good. I’m going to include the Tableside Mayan Coffee as dessert because it is sweet but VERY strong!
2087 Grill – Breakfast buffet by morning, classic grill by night! Buffet is solid, pretty traditional with omlette station, fresh fruits, all the juice, etc. They offer indoor and outdoor seating in the morning, whereas the evening is indoor only. Sometimes they have live music too! In the evenings, the outdoor bar is open and its specialty is craft gin! We went to the outdoor bar a few times, and the only odd thing was that the bar is open, but no (and I mean zero) lighting by the seating. Fun anecdote, during the day we saw a wild monkey hop on the bar, knock over some glasses, and run off on a rooftop. It is the jungle!
- To Share: Rolls – herby buttery pull-apart rolls came to the table and I don’t think I’ve ever had bread that good in Mexico! Empanada Duo – one of my favorite things I ate all trip! Not necessarily on brand with a grill, but delicious nonetheless.
- Meal: I read Jess Keys review and I don’t think she had any salads she loved so I stayed away from those. My husband got the Onion Soup and I got the Poblano Cappucino Soup to start, both were just OK. As someone who loves risotto, but doesn’t like mushrooms, I was excited to try the Parmesan Risotto. It has a ton of flavor and I would order again! My husband wasn’t sure how the steak would be, but he got the New York Strip and said it was excellent and loved the Roquefort/Kalamata topping.
- Dessert: Corn Cake was solid but even better were the Chocolate Whoopies which is essentially a flight of mini whoopie pies.
Mi Carisa – Italian restaurant in the evening turns into a beautiful breakfast spot in the morning. We first went here for dinner and sat in the most random spot, next to the door to the patio, but also next to a wet floor side. Killed the vibe. The restaurant was so pretty though we decided to try it for breakfast even though we randomly heard someone say the food was the same as the buffet. Not so! I much prefer this over the buffet spot and, the crepes to share are amazing! We were also talked into getting the pastry basket, so I’ll pass that along…get it!
- To Share: Bread Basket came out with a variety of breads and crackers and again, excellent bread!
- Meal: Unico has updated their menu since we were there, so I don’t know the exact names of the dishes we got, but they were just OK. This was our least favorite restaurant, but if I’m comparing two resorts, this Italian restaurant was MUCH better than the Italian restaurant at Excellence. I just think I don’t go to Mexico to have Italian…I go to Italy for that.
Everything Else – a couple of other notes about dining at Unico:
- Pizza – there is a made-to-order coal-fired (I think) pizza spot. Pretty solid.
- Inez Afe – Coffee house and grab-and-go spot. The coffee and pastries are great! I would usually grab something to go and sit by the pool before I was ready for cocktails.
- Mura House – Japanese and if we knew enough people would have tried the Hibachi, but it seats 8 and I don’t like strangers.

Swimming Pools & Beach

Swimming Pools

There are three good sized swimming pools at Unico! Each pool has a hot tub, and there are lounge chairs with umbrellas as well as day beds. Food and beverage service starts around 10:00 am. The service isn’t the quickest, especially compared to Excellence, but can you really complain when you are drinking Pina Coladas while reading a book and soaking up vitamin D?

In the center of the resort is the activity pool, which includes things like volleyball and a swim-up bar. I would consider this the party pool of the resort. Directly behind it is the music pool, which has music piped throughout, but no activities in the actual pool. Both of these pools have separate sections designated for Legendary Members. I did not spend time at either of these because I’m a quiet pool kind of girl.

The third pool is off to the side and is a designated quiet pool. Great in theory, but lacks in execution. There is no music piped, which aligns with it being a quiet pool, but that leads to people bringing their own speakers, which is quite annoying. There is a sign that notes it is a quiet pool, with rules (like headphones required for music) listed, but no one enforcing them.

I don’t want anyone to not have fun on vacation, but it would be nice if the hotel staff would suggest them moving to the music pool if they want to hear music. As someone who wants to read at the pool, the music is kind of distracting. There is a swim-up bar at the quiet pool which is convenient while in the pool, but also leads to people congregating and getting a little loud…at the quiet pool. Swim-up bar is off brand for the quiet pool.

Beach

I haven’t found Riviera Maya/Cancun beaches to be great, and I dislike sand, so I rarely spend time at them. I did check them out for you, but can’t comment on service or anything. The beach is small, and it’s publicly owned so the seating is pretty minimal.

The Entertainment

Unico doesn’t have entertainment, but rather activities. At Excellence there is a pavilion with proper shows (quality is what you would expect) and an outdoor bar that has live bands every night. Unico doesn’t have a pavilion or a central outdoor bar area. There is the Palmera Lounge which stays open late, and turns into a nightclub. It hosts activities like Bingo and Karaoke in the evening. We walked in there once during Bingo and it was a weird vibe. There is also an outdoor section to the bar but wasn’t open when we were there.

The Spa

I didn’t get a chance to visit the spa since I only do that on rainy days during vacation. If you attend a Legendary presentation you receive free spa services. The prices are kind of expensive, but I’m wondering if that’s to help incentivize sitting through a presentation.

Overall Review (TLDR)

Unico 2087 Review: The resort is easy and convenient to get to from much of the U.S. As far as luxury, adults-only, all-inclusive resorts go, there is a lot of value for the price. The vibe is wonderful, the food is great, and the service is solid. If you are a beach lover there are better places for you. If you are a ‘cocktails by the pool’ type of person, then this might just be the place. With a few caveats (knowing about the timeshare element and the bottles) I would highly suggest, and I would definitely return myself!

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