Can an all inclusive hotel ever be Digital Nomad Friendly? Well it turns out that yes. Yes it can! Unico 20°87° has created the perfect oasis where digital nomads can work (if you must) and play. I recently spent 4 magical days here while visiting Riviera Maya, here’s my honest review:

About the Hotel

Unico 20º87 bills itself as an adults-only all inclusive resort in the heart of the Riviera Maya roughly halfway between Tulum and Playa del Carmen. The hotel design is “modern mexico” incorporating the natural with the handmade with a modern twist. Unico 20º87º also prides itself as a foodie paradise offering elevated cuisine you wouldn’t expect to find at an all inclusive resort. It is a place where you can relax and play and never be bothered by what’s going on around the hotel.

You will always find a place around the hotel to suit what you’re feeling like at any given moment. The hotel has 5 different restaurants all focusing on different cuisines, flavours and vibes as well as a bar, a lounge to unwind and let loose. There are also three main pools: one designed for fun and games, one designed for hanging out with your friends, and the other, a place to unwind and relax. Still not enough? There is also a spa, fitness centre and group classes to help you relax or work off all of the indulgences the hotel has to offer

Booking Your Stay

Prices at Unico 20º87º range from around $650 USD per night to $1700 USD per night with 2 bedroom apartments also available. So yes, this is definitely a bit of a splurge I think it’s worth every single penny

Pro Tip: book directly on the Unico 20º87º for the best rates and often bonus offers such as free airport transportation or spa treatments.

Arriving at Unico 20º87º

Once you cross the gate leading into the hotel you immediately feel like you’re on a relaxing getaway. The driveway is surrounded by a lush jungle. Upon arrival you’re greeted with a wonderful welcome drink and taken to a comfortable seating area for check in and selecting your room amenities. I didn’t wait more than 5 minutes to be checked in. At this time you’re also introduced to your personal concierge who will handle everything during your stay. Everything from arranging activities, making dinner reservations, or just coming over to say hi. 

Pro Tip: Before you arrive, download the Unico 20º87º app. You can customize your pillows, your minibar and even your room scent all before you arrive. You can also let the hotel know your check in time and they might just squeeze you in before the hotels official check in time. I arrived at 10am and my room was ready and waiting for me.

The Rooms 

Rooms at Unico 20º87º vary from swim up pool suites on ground level, to balcony suites with pool view or sea view, to one and two bedroom suites if you’re bringing your (adult) fam! I love the idea of a private pool so I booked the Alcoba Swim Up pool. All Alcoba rooms feature roughly the same layout, the differences lie in position around the hotel. Ground floor suites are all swim up, the remaining Alcoba suites are either ocean view or pool view and feature an amazing bathtub balcony you see all over Instagram.

The swim up pools are shared with the suites in the same section, but still remain less crowded than and more personal than the main pools. The rooms are spacious and modern. Each room has a mini bar stocked according to your preferences, a signature scent of your choice, slippers and the most comfortable robe you’ve ever put on.

Pro Tip: You can purchase a robe from the hotel shop. The perfect souvenir. I even carried it around Mexico with me for three months. I loved it that much.

Pools

There are three main pools at Unico 20º87º:

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You can’t miss this one. This is the main pool and where the party’s at! There’s a swim up bar, pool games like chess or “water” pong, and there’s also a more quiet section of this pool as you walk towards the hotel lobby. Unfortunately chair grubbers do exist here and they do put down their towels at 8am or earlier. If you want a lounger simply ask the pool attendant to find you one. They always seem to be able to work their magic and put a few loungers together for you. Don’t know how but they do. If you want a more relaxing experience than having to sneak up to the pool so early in the morning, just kindly ask the pool attendant to save you one for the next day. We asked nicely and in the morning he walked us over to the best loungers in the pool. Just do the right thing and tip him at the end of your day.

La Unica

pool located closer to the beach. This is a great place to be away from the bustle of the main pool but close enough to still hear the music and the fun but quiet enough so you can still chat with your friends. This pool is also slightly warmer than the main pool so not as refreshing on a hot day.

La Escondida

This pool is located behind 20º87º restaurant. This is the quiet pool. Gentle relaxing music, and hopefully not much chatter either. The hotel does not police the sound level here so hopefully your fellow guests know enough to respect their sound levels here. There is also a swim up bar which is great, but doesn’t always contribute to the silence and relaxing atmosphere that was intended with this pool. Regardless though, it’s still calmer than the main pools.

The Food

This is likely the section you’ve been waiting for me to get to. The food here is the bomb! It really is hard to believe that you can get food at this quality at an all inclusive resort. Unico 20º87º has 5 restaurants as well as 2 bars and lounges and they will all exceed your expectations of all inclusive food. So here’s the rundown of all your options:

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This is where to go for your morning breakfast if you don’t feel like eating in your room. You’ll find traditional breakfast staples like pancakes and omlettes as well as Mexican specialties like chilaquiles. At night it turns into a mexican brasserie with a variety of different tastes to choose from

What to order: chilaquiles for breakfast, seafood risotto, fish of the day or grilled octopus for dinner

Cafe Inez

If you need a mid day pick me up this is the place to go. You’ll find specialty coffees as well as a pastry case full of sweet and savoury treats

What to order: Carrot cake

Mura House:

This is the restaurant you need to plan for in advance (not just a night or two before). During busy periods it’s best to book this restaurant before you even arrive. It is popular for good reason. This is the Japanese restaurant that everyone at the hotel wants a seat to. From sushi to udon to katsu, there’s not a bad item on the menu.

What to order: Try to score a seat in the hibachi room. A total dining experience

Cueva Siete

This is the Mexican restaurant. Personally, I love the indoor decor of this restaurant best. Don’t be fooled by the eclectic decor, this is not your average Mexican restaurant and they serve a lot more than just tacos (though the tacos are absolutely delicious)

What to order: try the tuna tostadas, sopecitos, chicken mole and albondingas.

Mi Carisa

This restaurant features Italian and mediterranean specialties for breakfast and dinner. The menu here is light, fresh and flavourful. There’s nothing here that will make you feel weighed down, even the pastas!

What to order: calamari, mussels in white wine, mushroom risotto

Room Service

Room service is available to hotel guests 24/7 with a different menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night. Personally the breakfast menu the only standout. Having breakfast on your balcony or swim up terrace is a treat. Dinners are better in the restaurants and lunches are better off in the restaurants or poolside. The late night menu, while perfect if you’ve had a bit too much to drink, required a very long wait. We ordered dessert and fries at about 11pm and delivered at 2am, long after we had already fallen asleep

Bar Balam

All the restaurants have bars, as does the pool area, but there’s just something about Bar Balam. It’s got this modern yet old school mad men feel to it. The bartenders and cocktails are outstanding. Do yourself a favour and ask the bartender to surprise you with something. They always hit the mark

Palmera Lounge 

If you’re a digital nomad, this is the place you go to get some work done. Located right next to Bar Balam, this may not be a great place to work in the evening, but by day, the lounge is perfect. Fitted with comfy brown leather chairs. Wifi is fast, but power outlets are lacking. Sitting by the window there are a few there if you need one

The Beach

If this hotel has one weakness this is it. Yes the sand is white and soft between your toes, there’s just not enough of it. The beach is small, and the water is crystal clear but there aren’t many loungers and the water is pretty rocky. You will need to wade out fairly far away to avoid them. The loungers themselves are pretty low in quality and look and feel nothing like the loungers by the pool. When I visited in December, the water was clear, however, visiting during sargassum season (roughly April through September) the beach was severely affected by it. Obviously this is not the fault of the hotel but it is something that you should keep in mind when selecting an ocean front or ocean view room during this season.

Activities

There are many activities included in your stay here. All fitness classes, pool activities as well as watersports are included in your stay. There are a variety of day trips that are not included in the price but are well worth joining. The catamaran trip as well as the cenote adventures are a blast and are comparable in price to similar tours. I highly recommend also checking out the classes offered by the hotel as well. You can book a private mixology class (so much fun, wish they provided recipes though, I was busy scribbling it all down on my phone), the cooking classes, and wine and chocolate tasting are also worth looking into. We paid $30 per class, so not too bad at all.

The Spa

The spa here is the epitome of relaxation and personal care. I opted for a full body massage and facial late at night and slept like a baby. The spa is clean, beautiful and serene. Come early or stay later for a visit to the sauna or a poolside agua fresca. There is also a salon on premises so you can get that manicure, haircut or even a blowout before dinner. The best part: while this wasn’t “included” in your stay, you only need to pay the tax. However, I have heard that this may be changing so double check with the hotel before you book

The Verdict

In short, Unico 20º87º wildly exceeded my expectations. It allowed me to have the perfect mix of fun and relaxation and a little bit of work when i needed. I left feeling refreshed, recharged, productive and full of good food and energy.

If you’d like to book a holiday at Unico 20º87 remember to book directly through their website for the best added bonuses and deals