“No rest for the wicked”
I wouldn’t recommend this place in either low or high season; after traveling worldwide and staying in both all‑inclusive and regular hotels, I expected a $4,000, 8‑night stay to be much better. It was a horrible experience, far below expectations, and paying that much felt like a bad decision. Each day brought a new “enhancement” that made us regret choosing this hotel. It felt like an ocean cruise: surrounded by water but no swimmable ocean access, pools, drinks, or genuine entertainment. Cancun Airport was chaotic with 15 competing taxi booths shouting for attention; Prestige Transportation gave us tips to avoid scams and find their reps, costing $25 per person one way. Despite paying $500 per night for an all‑inclusive beachfront view, the front desk immediately offered a $50/night room upgrade and another $50/night for a premium minibar. For $400 over 8 nights, I could drive to the nearest liquor store and join AA. Drinks were already included at restaurants, yet upselling continued everywhere: $185 massages, $70 New York steaks, $112 Tomahawk steaks even at the sushi spot. The room smelled of mold from humidity; the shelves had a 1950s vibe, one was chipped, and we never unpacked our clothes. The all‑inclusive bracelet was sharp and hard, almost cutting me while showering. Breakfast was poorly communicated; we only learned three days before leaving that the random hut was actually serving it. Lunch was in an open‑air hut that was basically a bird sanctuary, with food exposed as birds flew around and left their “contributions.” We avoided open food and used only closed containers. The Cevichería was good but still had the bird issue. Forks were placed directly on tables with only a cloth napkin beside them. We skipped Delphina after discovering the “Mediterranean” restaurant served Oklahoma burgers and nachos for lunch. The Marriott Experience app was useless; restaurant info and menus were outdated. Room cleaning was excellent, except for the odd habit of wrapping my charging cables into perfect circles, forcing me to unwrap them each time—normally funny, but with everything else it became frustrating. The room key failed twice; the second time, security needed 1 hour and 15 minutes to unlock the door and replace the electronic lock. The beach was unusable due to seaweed season; I tried swimming twice and gave up. The pool was clean and well‑maintained, but towels were inconsistent: some days clean, others smelling bad with visible stains. Relaxing was nearly impossible because staff constantly approached guests with offers for workouts, beach stretching, photography, card tricks, pool basketball, salsa lessons. The room was not an escape either; smoke from the pizzeria got trapped under the hotel dome, creating a burning‑paper smell. Around 4 pm, loud music started; it turned out to be a dance class, followed by club music at the pool while mostly middle‑aged couples and families with children tried to relax. Eventually, everything added up. Despite the high prices, guests left towels on stairs, abandoned cups and drinks around the property, and left room‑service plates outside their doors, creating another bird‑feeding opportunity. And this was during low season, with the hotel operating at only about 10‑15 % capacity.
Ian·एक महीने पहले