Is Excellence Club worth it? After multiple stays at Excellence Resorts, we’ve developed a pretty strong opinion about whether the Club Level upgrade is worth paying for.
When Joe and I book an Excellence resort, there’s one decision we rarely spend much time debating.
Whether to book Excellence Club.
We always do.
That’s not because we automatically choose the most expensive room or believe every upgrade is worth paying for. Quite the opposite. I’m perfectly happy to save money on a room category when I don’t think the additional expense will improve our vacation.
But Excellence Club?
That’s one upgrade we’ve consistently found worth the money.
After staying at Excellence Riviera Cancun, Excellence Playa Mujeres, Excellence Oyster Bay, Excellence Punta Cana, and Excellence Coral Playa Mujeres, we’ve developed a pretty clear understanding of which resort amenities matter most to us.
And many of our favorites are associated with Excellence Club.
Enjoying one of our favorite Excellence Club pools at Excellence Riviera Cancun. A quiet pool and a pineapple cocktail? That’s our kind of afternoon!
First, a Little Honesty About Our Experience
We’ve never stayed in a non-Club room at an Excellence resort.
Every Excellence vacation we’ve booked has been at Club level, so I can’t give you a firsthand comparison of what it’s like to stay in both categories.
What I can tell you is which Club benefits we actually use, why we value them, and why we’ve continued choosing Club across multiple properties.
We don’t book Club without looking at the price, either.
I always compare the room categories and consider the additional cost. So far, though, I’ve consistently found the difference reasonable for what we receive.
And once we’re at the resort, I’ve never regretted spending the extra money.
The Pools: Our Biggest Reason for Booking Excellence Club
If I had to choose one reason we continue booking Excellence Club, it would be the pools.
Not the premium liquor.
Not the upgraded amenities.
Not even the additional restaurants.
The pools.
Joe and I spend a considerable amount of our resort vacations relaxing by the pool. We’re not particularly interested in spending hours sitting on the beach, and while we enjoy the occasional activity or lively atmosphere, our ideal afternoon involves a comfortable lounger, a good cocktail, and a little peace and quiet.
Preferably without a poolside DJ encouraging us to participate in a dance contest.
Excellence Club gives us access to additional pools reserved for Club guests.
One of the dedicated Excellence Club pools at Excellence Riviera Cancun, with plenty of loungers and shaded places to relax.
And that makes a tremendous difference.
The Club pools tend to be quieter and more relaxed than the main resort pools. We appreciate having more choices throughout the day, especially when the main pools are busy.
It’s not that we dislike the livelier areas.
We just like having the option to escape them.
Another major advantage is that Excellence Club pools are heated during the winter months at the properties we’ve visited.
If you’ve ever visited a tropical resort in January or February, you know that a gorgeous swimming pool isn’t nearly as appealing when the water feels like an ice bath.
For us, having a comfortable pool temperature means we’ll actually get in the water rather than simply admire it from a lounge chair.
More pools, quieter pools, and heated water when the weather is cooler.
That’s the combination that makes Excellence Club particularly valuable to us.
A Separate Beach Area Is Another Nice Perk
Although Joe and I are definitely pool people, Excellence Club also provides a designated beach area for Club guests.
The beautiful beach at Excellence Riviera Cancun. Excellence Club guests also enjoy access to a designated beach area.
These areas are generally in desirable locations along the beach, with dedicated loungers and a more exclusive setting.
For guests who love spending their days with their toes in the sand, this could be a significant reason to consider Club.
For us, it’s more of a bonus.
We certainly enjoy walking along the beach and occasionally spending some time there, but the pools are where you’ll usually find us.
Still, I appreciate having another option, especially when the main beach areas are busy.
And if you’re someone who prefers the beach to the pool, this benefit might rank considerably higher on your list than it does on ours.
That’s really the point of evaluating Excellence Club: the value depends on how you actually spend your vacation.
The Excellence Club Lounge: A Little Luxury We Actually Use
I love a good resort lounge.
Not because I need somewhere exclusive to sit, but because I appreciate having a comfortable, quieter place to enjoy a drink and relax.
The Excellence Club lounge is particularly nice before dinner.
Joe and I enjoy getting dressed for the evening, stopping for a cocktail, and spending a little time together before heading to a restaurant.
It’s a simple ritual, but one we genuinely look forward to.
The premium liquor selections are another benefit we appreciate.
We’re not trying to drink our money’s worth in cocktails.
Although I’m sure there are people who approach an all-inclusive vacation as a competitive sport.
For us, it’s simply nice having access to brands we actually enjoy.
And because we genuinely use the lounge throughout our stay, it’s a benefit that adds value rather than something we visit once just to say we did.
Magna and Zenith: More Dining Options Are Always Welcome
If you’ve read much of The Planned Palate, you probably already know that food matters enormously to us when choosing a resort.
And the Club-exclusive restaurants are another reason we enjoy Excellence Club.
Magna has been a favorite across our Excellence stays, but some properties offer even more Club-exclusive dining.
At Excellence Oyster Bay in Jamaica and Excellence Coral Playa Mujeres, the newer Excellence resort in Playa Mujeres, we’ve also had access to Zenith.
Beautifully presented appetizer at Zenith, one of the Club-exclusive restaurants at Excellence Coral Playa Mujeres. Almost too pretty to eat!
Another beautifully presented dish from Zenith at Excellence Coral Playa Mujeres. The additional dining options are one of our favorite Excellence Club benefits.
For us, the biggest advantage isn’t necessarily breakfast.
It’s dinner.
We enjoy dressing up in the evenings, trying different restaurants, and making dinner part of the vacation experience rather than simply something we do between afternoon cocktails and the evening entertainment.
Having one or two additional restaurants to choose from makes a difference, particularly during a longer stay.
And while Excellence already offers an impressive selection of included restaurants, I don’t think I’ve ever finished reviewing a resort’s dining options and thought:
You know what this place needs?
Fewer restaurants.
Magna and Zenith give us more variety, and we appreciate having those additional choices throughout our vacation.
Restaurant offerings can vary by property, so it’s always worth checking the current dining options at the specific Excellence resort you’re considering.
X-Lounge at Coral: Because Sometimes You Just Need Snacketizers
Another Club perk we enjoyed at Excellence Coral Playa Mujeres was X-Lounge.
This isn’t another traditional sit-down dinner restaurant. It’s a place to enjoy drinks and lighter bites—or, as I prefer to call them, snacketizers.
We enjoyed a beautiful selection of sushi and sashimi there, and it’s exactly the kind of additional option that makes Club worthwhile for us.
Sometimes you want a full, leisurely dinner. Other times, a cocktail and a few delicious bites are exactly what you’re in the mood for.
And I’m certainly not going to complain about having more opportunities to eat good food while on vacation!
Let’s Talk About Service: You Don’t Need Club for That
Here’s something I think is especially important to understand.
One of the things we love most about Excellence resorts is the service.
And I don’t believe you need to book Excellence Club to receive it.
The employees at Excellence properties have consistently provided some of the best hospitality we’ve experienced anywhere.
From housekeeping and bartenders to restaurant servers and pool attendants, the level of care and attention is remarkable.
And that commitment to service isn’t something I would characterize as exclusive to Club guests.
While Club may provide additional amenities or dedicated spaces, I wouldn’t want anyone reading this article to believe they’ll receive inferior treatment simply because they booked a standard room.
That’s not what Excellence is about.
In fact, if someone asked me what makes the Excellence brand special, I’d probably mention the service before anything else.
Club gives us more of the amenities we enjoy.
It doesn’t mean we’re purchasing better treatment from the people who work there.
And I think that’s an important distinction.
Excellence Club vs. a More Expensive Suite: Where We’d Spend Our Money
Here’s where I think travelers can save some money—or decide that a splurge really is worthwhile.
I absolutely believe Excellence Club is worth considering. But that doesn’t mean every expensive Club suite is worth the additional cost.
We’ve experienced both sides of that equation.
At Excellence Riviera Cancun, we once booked an Excellence Club Rooftop Terrace Suite.
It was beautiful. We had our own private rooftop space, and the idea of relaxing up there sounded wonderful when we booked.
In reality?
We barely used it.
We spent our days enjoying the resort’s pools, restaurants, and other amenities. The rooftop terrace was lovely, but it turned out we were paying extra for space we weren’t particularly interested in using.
We’ve never felt the need to book that category again.
Now, our Excellence Club swim-up suite at Excellence Coral Playa Mujeres?
That’s an entirely different story.
We stayed approximately nine months after the resort opened, when rates were considerably lower than what we’ve seen since.
And that room was probably our favorite resort room we’ve ever booked.
We practically lived in our swim-up pool.
The peaceful early-morning view from our Excellence Club swim-up suite at Excellence Coral Playa Mujeres. This was one room upgrade we definitely made the most of!
In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we never even went to the resort’s other pools during that vacation.
For two people who usually consider the Club pools one of the biggest reasons to upgrade, that’s saying something!
There’s something wonderful about stepping directly from your terrace into the water whenever you feel like it. We loved having that private-feeling space to relax throughout the day.
Would we book that room again?
I’d certainly consider it. But the price would have to make sense.
With today’s higher rates, I wouldn’t automatically pay whatever the resort was asking simply because we loved the experience the first time.
And that’s really my philosophy about room upgrades.
Pay extra for the features you’ll actually use—not just the ones that look impressive in photographs.
At Excellence Riviera Cancun, an Excellence Club Junior Suite generally gives us everything we need because we spend so much time enjoying the Club pools.
At Coral, our swim-up suite became the center of our vacation, and the upgrade genuinely enhanced our stay.
Both experiences taught us something valuable.
The best room isn’t necessarily the most expensive one.
It’s the one that fits how you want to spend your vacation.
What About the Other Club Benefits?
Excellence Club can also include benefits such as dedicated check-in, access to exclusive areas, upgraded in-room amenities, and additional service touches.
Those are lovely.
But I wouldn’t pay substantially more just for a separate check-in experience or a few additional amenities in the room.
For me, the real value comes from the benefits we use repeatedly throughout the vacation.
The pools.
The lounge.
The dining options.
The overall experience.
When you’re staying for several nights, those everyday benefits can matter much more than a one-time welcome amenity.
And that’s how I evaluate whether an upgrade is worth the price.
Not by counting how many benefits appear on the resort’s website.
By asking how many of them we’ll actually enjoy.
Is Excellence Club Worth It for Everyone?
Probably not.
If you spend most of your vacation on the beach, rarely visit the lounge, and prefer eating at the standard restaurants, you may be perfectly happy without Club access.
And I certainly wouldn’t encourage someone to stretch their vacation budget uncomfortably just to book a higher room category.
Excellence resorts already offer an impressive all-inclusive experience.
You don’t need to purchase every upgrade to have a wonderful vacation.
But if you’re like us—someone who enjoys quieter pools, appreciates having more pool options, values additional restaurants, and likes having access to a comfortable lounge—Club may be worth serious consideration.
Especially when the price difference is reasonable.
How We Decide Whether to Book Excellence Club
My process is pretty simple.
First, I compare the available Club and non-Club room rates for our dates.
Then I look at what Club includes at that particular property.
I pay special attention to the pools, exclusive restaurants, lounge access, and other amenities we’ll use regularly.
Finally, I compare the Club Junior Suite with the more expensive Club suite categories.
Because here’s something I’ve learned after multiple Excellence vacations:
The most expensive room isn’t necessarily the room that will give you the best vacation.
Sometimes the smartest choice is paying for the amenities you’ll enjoy while skipping the upgrades you probably won’t use.
For us, that has usually meant booking an Excellence Club Junior Suite.
The Planned Palate Verdict: Is Excellence Club Worth It?
For Joe and me, absolutely.
We’ve stayed at multiple Excellence properties, and we’ve always booked Club level.
We check the price difference every time, but we’ve consistently found the upgrade worthwhile.
The quieter Club pools are probably the single biggest reason we continue booking it. Having more pool choices, heated water during the winter months, additional dining options, and a comfortable lounge makes the entire vacation more enjoyable.
Those aren’t benefits that sound wonderful on paper but go unused.
They’re things we enjoy throughout our stay.
Would we pay any price for Excellence Club?
Of course not.
But so far, the value has been there every time.
And when we’re planning our next Excellence vacation, I fully expect Club level will be the first room category I look at.
Because the best vacation upgrades aren’t necessarily the flashiest ones.
They’re the ones that make your everyday experience a little better.
And for us, that’s exactly what Excellence Club does.
Planning Your Own Excellence Vacation?
We usually book directly through The Excellence Collection, but I always think it’s worth comparing prices before making a reservation.
If you’re considering an Excellence resort, you can search for Excellence resorts on Expedia and compare prices before deciding which property and room category are right for you.
Just be sure to compare the total price and included benefits. Booking directly may offer perks, such as complimentary airport transfers on qualifying reservations, that aren’t necessarily included when booking through a third party.
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