Xaak - Xcaret

Our upcharge for Xaak was $175pp for our stay at Xcaret Arte in early Nov 2023. Xaak (shak Mayan for hanging baskets used to dry fish), designed by the chefs' collective of Hotel Xcaret Arte using mixed ingredients and flavors from different regions of the country. They serve each course using kitchenware and folk art pieces made by master craftsmen and paired with Mexican wines and Clase Azul tequilas. It was amazing, from the decor to the service to the food. We especially loved the wine pairings with Mexican wines. Perfectly dry, wonderfully balanced wines from regions and wineries we had never heard of. What a treat.

Had 7 course meal at Xaak enjoyed the atmosphere the services the pairings the attention to details was amazing. The quote music and just being at such peaceful environment was great.

Mucha variedad, y muy rico exelente servicio

Our upcharge to eat here was USD350, which is substantial given we already had included meals at very nice restaurants included in our package. We figured would take advantage of this opportunity for a really high-end experience. First off, the atmosphere, service, and food was excellent. The 7 course tasting meal was delicious and included 5 wine pairings. However, I was very turned off when we were sat at our table and they immediately tried to upset us to better wines and tequila for $50 USD. I honestly thought for $350 USD we would already have that. After the meal, I asked for coffee with Khalua and was informed that would be $8. Very tacky considering we were staying at a high-end all-inclusive! Lastly, the waiter brought me a bill to sign, with room number even though I had to prepay the $350 with our reservation a week earlier. This was a thinly disguised ploy to ask for a tip (tip field was very prominent), even though it 's were also included. I don’t mind paying for great service, but, this was unnecessary and ruined an otherwise great meal. BTW, the best meal we had was at Tah-Xido Fusion and it didn’t cost any extra.