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• The 2010 Editors' Picks for the Best All-Inclusive Resorts

Second Time Lucky

I never had a honeymoon. After a courthouse ceremony, my beloved and I stole a weekend “mini-moon,” which left me with wonderful memories and only minor residual bitterness. But after four years of marital bliss, it was time for a proper romantic escapade.

And so we were off to Secrets Maroma Beach, where cooing couples promenade to and from one of the Riviera Maya’s finest shorelines. Starry-eyed, they wander the 500-acre adults-only spread, back and forth from lavish suites equipped with four-posters, whirlpool tubs and often hot tubs on ocean-view balconies.

Being four years in, we started with the beach,  lapped by teal waters with thatched palapas like giant cocktail umbrellas piercing the impressively white sand. Afterward, we dined at the hacienda-inspired El Patio Mexican restaurant (one of the resort’s seven), where tangy ceviches and lobster tacos were presented amid a glow cast by a constellation of star-shaped lanterns.  But it was on the walk back that the romance caught us: the moon illuminating palms that rustled gently in the warm breeze, the strains of samba wafting from afar and 13 pools lighted in a shimmering cobalt and emerald mosaic. Trees draped in twinkling white lights added to the magic.

Our days fell into a relaxing rhythm punctuated by potent fruity drinks. We watched clouds glide across the sky as other couples swam, sailed Hobie Cats or played a rowdy game of pool volleyball. I swear we had every intention of making the 2 p.m. bungee-trampolining class, but at sunset, as the staff announced last call on the pool floats, we were still lying there hand in hand, fuzzy from one too many.

The highlight of our stay was the Moonlight and Stars couples massage ($285, but worth every penny), during which our bodies were simultaneously oiled and pummeled as we lay side by side in a cut-stone poolside casita. After about an hour of muscle-melting bliss, our therapists left us to amuse ourselves with a bottle of champagne and a platter of chocolate-covered strawberries. So we did.

On our final night, we enjoyed a candle-lit dinner on the beach (a $200 add-on). The moon cast a silvery glow on the water and tiki torches flickered in the breeze as we feasted on grilled lobster and steak and discussed our future and reminisced about days past. Returning to our room after dinner, we found the mood set for love: Our bed was strewn with rose petals that surrounded a towel sculpture of kissing swans, and the tub for two brimmed with glistening bubbles and tropical blooms. Hotel staff had clearly gone all-out crafting a tender trap – one we didn’t even attempt to resist.

From $323 in low season ($533 high); 866-GO-SECRETS (866-407-3273); secretsresorts.com

Go back to the start of The 2010 Editor's Choice All-Inclusive Resorts...

Editor's Picks

Couples Tower Isle, Jamaica
This Ocho Rios couples-only classic reopened in 2009 after a yearlong renovation and now boasts six new restaurants, 20 new rooms, and a new pool and spa, plus a private island for sunning in the buff. From $597 per couple in low season ($648 high); check website for frequent specials. 800-268-7537; couples.com

Moon Dance Cliffs, Jamaica
Set on the Negril cliffs, this secluded new boutique retreat has just 22 rooms and four ocean-view villas, many with private veranda hot tubs. Daily beach shuttles, a spa and a pool keep lovers busy. From $225 in low season ($275 high); 800-621-1120; moondanceresorts.com

Sandals Emerald Bay, the Bahamas
The former Four Seasons on Great Exuma reopened as the jewel in the Sandals crown last February, offering couples Barefoot by the Sea beachfront dining and the services of a butler to draw scented bubble baths for two. Introductory discounts of up to 65 percent run through 2010. From $648 in low season ($700 high); 888-SANDALS (888-726-3257); sandals.com

Go back to the start of The 2010 Editor's Choice All-Inclusive Resorts...