🇲🇽 Tipping & Cash Planning for Cancun Resorts

I've done several of these types of posts over the last few months...   Headed out next month and thinking through ... How many Pesos to pull out of Chase Bank this time around.  Which got me to looking at the overall situation!  

Note: As I've said previously, USD or Pesos .. both work.  But THEY DO PREFER Pesos.  I've asked a few!

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A Practical Guide for All-Inclusive, Preferred Club & Impression Resorts

Traveling to Cancun — especially staying at an all-inclusive resort — raises two common questions:

  1. How much cash should I bring (and in what denominations)?

  2. Who should I tip, how much, and how often?

This guide breaks it all down based on real-world experience, not guesswork — covering:

  • Resort-only stays

  • Resort + downtown Cancun

  • Secrets Preferred Club

  • Impression by Secrets (butler-level luxury)

💱 How Much Cash to Convert for a Cancun Trip

A common benchmark for a 7-night Cancun trip is $2,000 USD converted to pesos.

At a planning rate of ~17 MXN per USD:

$2,000 USD ≈ 34,000 MXN

You won’t spend all of this in cash, but having pesos avoids poor resort exchange rates and makes tipping easier and more appreciated.

💵 Best Peso Denomination Mix (Cancun-Optimized)

This mix works for resorts + occasional downtown trips:

Denomination% of TotalWhy
500 MXN35–40%Tours, taxis, nicer restaurants
200 MXN30–35%Most accepted everyday bill
100 MXN~20%Tips, markets, casual meals
50 MXN~10%Small tips, vendors

Why this works

  • 200s are the sweet spot in Mexico

  • Too many 500s are hard to break

  • 50s & 100s make tipping stress-free

  • Avoid 1,000 MXN bills unless necessary

🏙️ Resort + Downtown Cancun Tips

If you’re spending a day or two downtown (Centro, Mercado 28, local restaurants):

  • Many places don’t want 500s early in the day

  • Street food & buses → 50s & 100s

  • Taxis prefer exact or close change

  • Keep small bills in a separate pocket

  • OXXO is great for breaking large bills

🏖 Tipping at All-Inclusive Resorts: The Big Picture

Tipping is not required, but it is:

  • Appreciated

  • Remembered

  • Often rewarded with better service

Average baseline (2 adults):

  • $25–$40 USD per day

  • ≈ 425–680 MXN per day

Most couples are comfortable around $30/day.

👥 Who to Tip at a Standard All-Inclusive Resort

🧹 Housekeeping

  • 100–150 MXN per day

  • Tip daily, not at the end (staff rotates)

🍹 Pool / Beach Servers

  • 50–100 MXN per round

  • Or 150–200 MXN upfront for the day

🍽 À La Carte Restaurants

  • 100–150 MXN per dinner

  • Buffets: optional 50–100 MXN

🛎 Bell Staff

  • 50–100 MXN per bag

🍸 Bars

  • 20–50 MXN per drink

  • Or 100 MXN upfront if staying awhile

📅 Sample Daily Tip Budget (~500 MXN)

ServiceMXN
Housekeeping100
Pool / Beach150
Dinner100
Drinks / misc100
Total~500 MXN (~$30 USD)

🌟 Secrets Resorts – Preferred Club Tipping Guide

Preferred Club means:

  • Better service baked in

  • Fewer staff interactions

  • No butler

💰 Ideal Daily Tips (2 adults)

$30–$35 USD/day
≈ 500–600 MXN/day

7-Night Total

  • 3,500–4,200 MXN

  • ≈ $200–245 USD

Who to Tip at Secrets Preferred Club

🧹 Housekeeping

  • 150 MXN/day

🍹 Preferred Pool / Beach Service

  • 150–200 MXN/day

  • Tip early for best results

🍽 Dining

  • 100–150 MXN per dinner

🍸 Bars / Preferred Lounge

  • 20–50 MXN per drink

  • Or 50–100 MXN/day if used often

🛎 Bell Staff

  • 100 MXN on arrival

💡 Preferred Club Pro Tips

  • Consistency > big one-time tips

  • Same server = better service

  • You don’t need to tip every drink

🖤 Impression by Secrets – Butler-Level Tipping

Impression resorts are a step above Preferred Club, with:

  • Butler service

  • Private pools, lounges, rooftops

  • Highly personalized attention

💰 Ideal Daily Tips (2 adults)

$50–$70 USD/day
≈ 850–1,200 MXN/day

7-Night Total

  • 6,000–8,400 MXN

  • ≈ $350–490 USD

Who to Tip at Impression Resorts

🤵 Butler (Most Important)

  • 250–400 MXN per day

  • Or 1,800–2,500 MXN total, tipped at end

  • Split if you have rotating butlers

🧹 Housekeeping (Suites)

  • 200 MXN/day

🍹 Impression Pool / Beach Butler

  • 150–200 MXN/day

🍽 Dining

  • Regular dinner: 150 MXN

  • Private/special dinner: 200–300 MXN

🍸 Impression Lounge / Rooftop Bars

  • 50 MXN per drink

  • Or 150 MXN upfront

📅 Sample Impression Day (~1,000 MXN)

ServiceMXN
Butler300
Housekeeping200
Pool / Beach150
Dining150
Drinks / misc100
Total~1,000 MXN (~$60 USD)

🧾 How Much Cash to Bring Just for Tips

Resort Type7-Night Tip Budget
Standard AI$175–250 USD
Secrets Preferred$200–245 USD
Impression by Secrets$350–490 USD

Best denominations for tipping:

  • Mostly 100 MXN

  • Some 50s

  • A few 200s

  • One or two 500s (butler end-of-stay)

🏖 Final Thoughts

You don’t need to overtip to be generous.
You don’t need to tip everyone.
You do want to:

  • Tip consistently

  • Tip key staff

  • Use pesos

  • Match tipping style to resort level

When done right, tipping becomes less stressful — and often enhances your entire vacation experience.


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🇲🇽 Cancun Resort Tipping Cheat Sheet

All-Inclusive • Secrets Preferred Club • Impression by Secrets

(2 adults · amounts in Mexican Pesos)

💵 DAILY TIP TARGET (Quick View)

Resort TypeDaily Total7 Nights
Standard All-Inclusive425–680 MXN3,000–4,800 MXN
Secrets Preferred Club500–600 MXN3,500–4,200 MXN
Impression by Secrets850–1,200 MXN6,000–8,400 MXN

👥 WHO TO TIP & HOW MUCH

🧹 Housekeeping

Resort LevelAmountWhen
Standard AI100–150 MXNDaily
Preferred Club150 MXNDaily
Impression200 MXNDaily

🍹 Pool / Beach Service

Resort LevelAmountHow
Standard AI150–200 MXN/dayEarly tip works best
Preferred Club150–200 MXN/daySame server most days
Impression150–200 MXN/dayOften a dedicated attendant

🍽 À La Carte Dining

TypeAmount
Standard dinner100–150 MXN
Preferred Club dinner100–150 MXN
Impression dinner150 MXN
Private / special dinner200–300 MXN

🍸 Bars & Lounges

SituationAmount
Per drink20–50 MXN
Staying awhile100–150 MXN upfront

🛎 Bell Staff

SituationAmount
Arrival (bags)50–100 MXN per bag
Impression suites100–150 MXN total

🤵 Butler (Impression Only)

MethodAmount
Daily250–400 MXN/day
End of stay1,800–2,500 MXN total

Split evenly if you have rotating butlers

💡 QUICK TIPPING RULES

  • Tip daily, not at the end (staff rotates)

  • Pesos > USD

  • Tip early + consistently

  • Same staff + small tips = best service

  • You don’t need to tip every interaction

💰 IDEAL TIP BILLS TO CARRY

  • Primary: 100 MXN

  • Small: 50 MXN

  • Backup: 200 MXN

  • Butler / special: 500 MXN

🏖 SIMPLE DAILY FLOW (Example)

  • Morning housekeeping: 150

  • Pool service: 150

  • Dinner: 150

  • Drinks/misc: 100
    Total: ~550 MXN (Preferred Club sweet spot)

✔ Bottom Line

You don’t need to overthink it.
Match your tipping style to your resort level, stay consistent, and enjoy better service with less stress.

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