Looking for resort on a beach similar to Cancun hotel zone but not in Cancun hotel zone

I’ve been to Cancun in the hotel zone many times – I think the beach and the water is gorgeous and would like that same beach/ocean experience for our honeymoon. I’ve also been to Moon Palace which is south of the hotel zone and the beach (in my opinion is SO ugly)—darker sand, flat water, kind of brown colored. I don’t want this.

I am looking for a hotel with a gorgeous stretch of beach for our honeymoon anywhere in the Caribbean/Mexico (besides Dominican Republic) in early December.

Ideally. We’d go for 7-8 days for 10k or less. All inclusive or not.

What’s important: -stunning bright blue water/white sand beaches -a lively resort but not spring break-vibes. Somewhere that doesn’t feel empty and awkward but we can also have privacy -strongly prefer some sort of private bath tub or pool from our room/patio -good food and drinks -not too difficult to get to

Overwhelmed! So many islands and resorts to check out but stock photos of beaches are incredibly misleading.