WOW This is our…read morefirst resort in Cancun and I don't think we will ever choose another one. FOOD Wow. We did our homework before our trip and saw Zilara Cancun had good/decent reviews about their food. Let me tell you, this is probably the best food I've had in a long long time. Top dishes for me are the octopus with mole and lobster tostada from Maria Marie. If you like/can eat seafood, trust me on this. The drinks are phenomenal as well. There are signature drinks at all the restaurants. Those are mostly hits but some are misses (depends on your taste buds) PRO TIP: sign up for alcohol tastings at The Den first day you get there. We did tequila and wine tasting. It was quite a unique experience. SERVICE I've never gotten treated like this in any hotel I've been at. Chef's kiss for sure. The bellhop/front desk usually can break your 20s/100s into 1s so don't feel the need to exchange pesos (unless you want to of course). The workers at the hotel (and around Cancun overall) takes USD PRO TIP: there are a lot of activities hosted by the hotel. Morning exercise classes are really fun and the night shows are just okay. The crowd is definitely on the older side that just want to come to Cancun and chill not party. From hearing the reviews, Zilara had the most amount of activities from various first hand reviews from our friends All in all, solid resort. You won't regret it!

We typically go to the excellence Cancun, but they didn't have two club rooms the weeks we wanted…read moreto go so we picked the Zilara and overall I'm glad we did. FOOD- I overall liked the food. I wish they would have advertised/told us the buffet had different theme dinners. They were our favorite for dinner. There were good dishes at each, but nothing phenomenal. I really liked the lunches they had set up by the pool. It was overall good and on par with my expectations for an all inclusive. BEACH- this is honestly one of the highlights. The resort had one of the best beaches and ability to get in the ocean. If you want to get in the ocean, this is the spot. SERVICE - this was the most disappointing. At Excellence you cannot breathe without someone asking if you need something. It took a long time for people to check on us and we tip well. Day 4 we finally found Humberto who was THE BEST! Find him and tip him well. ROOMS- they were good and I was happy with them! POOLS- the pools were fine. A little shaded. The most annoying part was the cabana situation. Some are free, some are always paid, and some are paid on certain days. I get up at like 6AM every day anyways so I got good cabanas but if you're not an early riser you're screwed. Overall, I'd return!!

Service was excellent, friendly staff, activities were energetic and fun, and funny…read more.. The most important mention here is that , I have traveled alot, I know Service industry very well.... ***** WENDY ******at the main pool, might be the single BEST WAITRESS i have had ANTWHERE....her connection to customers is excellent, she quickly becomes in tune with exactly WHAT ,and WHEN the customer needs something, she becomes completely intune to this to the extent,WENDYS customers NEVER have to look for her or wait more than a moment...it was absolutely 100% A+ Customer service...WENDY was friendly, with a smile, engaging,and makes her Customers look for her assigned service area... If I was starting a business, I would want everyone to have her skill set, attitude, and instincts for customers needs....Give WENDY a raise and make her a trainer of wait staff...it'd be an investment that shows profit! Now...the food...bfast and lunch buffet was not good, bland, low quality meats...burgers at this resort are ALL CRAP...doesn't matter if u order room service or burger bar near pool...ALL BURGERS A CHEAP GRADE, and taste so bland it MIGHT NOT BE BEEF...(NO EXAGGERATION) restaurants on resort are better quality, small portions...

Absolute Scam Disguised as a Resort…read more Temptation Resort Cancun is hands down one of the worst hotel experiences I've ever had. Let's start with the food, atrocious. Everything tastes like it was molded out of Play-Doh and seasoned with Crayola wax. The so-called "fine dining" restaurants are a complete joke, serving Costco-sized samples and calling them entrées. The much-hyped She restaurant is especially laughable: terrible food paired with a cringe-inducing striptease show that's more uncomfortable than entertaining. The property itself looks like a glorified Motel 6--and that's not even my opinion. One of their own sales managers used those exact words. That alone should tell you everything. Apparently, this hotel was recently bought out while on the brink of bankruptcy, and it shows. They stripped benefits even from beneficiaries and replaced them with aggressive, nonstop upselling. They relentlessly push a "membership" that costs $70,000 for 80 nights, plus $500 every 7 days you stay. You'd have to be completely out of your mind to spend that kind of money on this dump. The crowd is extremely mixed, nothing curated, nothing upscale. Many guests are there to swing (not all, but many), which may appeal to some, but it's not my scene. No offense to the guests--just calling it what it is. Despite being a beneficiary, the only tequila they'd serve was Jose Cuervo and Hornitos. That says everything about how cheap and greedy this place is. Service is equally bad, room service is basically nonexistent. To make matters worse, this resort sits on the north side of the beach, where the water is murky, dirty, and completely uninviting. Definitely not the Cancun postcard experience you'd expect. This place is a total rip-off. If you enjoy hospital food, terrible service, aggressive sales tactics, nonexistent amenities, and being hustled constantly, then maybe this is the resort for you. Otherwise, save your money, your sanity and stay literally anywhere else.

This is a AMAZING value all-inclusive resort…read more We arrived in the evening around 9:15pm, the check in process took about 40 minutes and we were able to hit the dinner buffet before it closed at 10:30pm. We got a ground level room with a deck facing the pool, it was clean and the mini fridge was stocked, it is restocked every 24hrs with water, snacks, beers and soda. The room did have a watery smell to it, but nothing that was a bother. The room's air conditioning worked great and there is a ceiling fan. There was shampoo and body wash in the shower. The shower head is adjustable so you are able to change the water pressure. The shower gets hot and stays hot. We used the gym all 6 days we were there, it has great equipment, 3 treadmills, 3 bikes, 3 ellipticals and weights. The only thing is the air conditioning doesn't work very well so be prepared to sweat! There were 3 restaurants on the property, Mexico Lindo, a seafood and an Italian restaurant. They all had amazing food, we ate at each one twice. You can also choose to eat at the buffet for dinner which doesn't need a reservation and there is a 24hr snack bar. The reason why I gave this resort 4 starts instead of 5 is the fact that you do have to be up at 6:45am if you want a reservation. However, when we were there, Mexico Lindo wasn't requiring a reservation. You also have to be up early if you want to reserve a spot at the pool or beach. Each guest receives one towel that you can exchange at the end of the day for a new towel or a towel card. If you lose your towel or towel card it is a $25 fee. There is a ferry right by the beach that you can take to Isla Mujeres which we did, it was $29USD per person which makes for a beautiful day trip. A lot of reviews say there is a gasoline smell at the beach, that was not the case. At times when the ferry left to Isla Mujeres it would linger for about 5 seconds then it'd be gone. It is a great beach. There is also free WiFi at this resort. The workers are AMAZING!! We had great service at the restaurants, bars, everywhere. They were all friendly and helpful. We never had an issue getting drinks at the bar and we went during Spring Break season.

Everything is terrible. Food is so bad. So so so bad. The attitudes of the staff suck. This place…read moreis better for Mexican natives because they don't speak English hardly at all and it's honestly more suited for people from here. The beach is terrible. I would rather sleep in my car.

My spouse and I had an absolutely wonderful stay at Live Aqua. The property is stunning, the staff…read morewas exceptionally attentive, and the food was delicious. The spa was fantastic, offering step-by-step guidance through the dry sauna, steam room, and both warm and cool pools-such a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. The hotel sits right on the beach with breathtaking views and features several pools, including one with a fun swim-up bar. Dining options were excellent, with several restaurants to choose from, including Mediterranean, Mexican, buffet, Asian, sushi, steakhouse, and American cuisine. Our room was fantastic, with a rainfall shower, comfortable beds, prompt housekeeping, 24-hour room service, and turn-down service. We also enjoyed live entertainment and a night club on the property, yet it remained wonderfully quiet when we wanted to relax. We loved the aromatherapy --it was such a thoughtful touch. The location is very convenient: close to a pharmacy, just across the street from a shopping mall with a mix of upscale and casual dining and shops, and only 10-15 minutes from Cancun's vibrant club zone. We couldn't have asked for a better experience.

Visited at the end of March to attend a wedding at the resort property. We scheduled local…read moretransportation which was a breeze coming from the airport to the resort. Our luggage was immediately checked in and we were able to check in even arriving early around 11 am. Our particular room was ready and we checked and our luggage was promptly dropped off. We stayed in an oceanfront room which had a beautiful view with a seating area inside and on the balcony. The room and bathroom were very clean and well stocked. I like the aromatherapy touch in the resort and in our rooms being able to choose which scent you wanted was very nice. I loved the separation of the toilet and shower by a wall and doors for privacy when using either. The water pressure and water temperature in the shower was great although there was some water draining from the shower during use. We would generally put a foot towel down to contain the water. The room was serviced twice daily so we were never without towels, etc. I also utilized the laundry service which was reasonably priced for three pieces of clothing and it was returned the next day. The staff was generally very courteous and helpful (we only had one less than courteous experience with a waiter at the Hidden Garden on our last evening). The food at the restaurants and by the beach and pool area was great - I cannot say enough about the fresh fruit and the grilled ribs and chicken so well seasoned and cooked with flavor. We ate daily in Siete for breakfast (the smoothie station you will need to go to first because it fills up because the smoothies are sooo good). We also dined at Hidden Garden where I enjoyed Indian cuisine which was delicious (but a small portion). All inclusive so it was nice not having to continually carry payment and only the gratuity needed for the staff. The last two mornings of our stay there appeared to be construction in the room next door or our floor which was disturbing - we did alert the front desk staff and it would generally stop around a certain time. Getting beds and chairs at the beach was generally easy but for the pool it was the hunger games usually having to place towels or bags on chairs early to 'reserve' them (there are no reservations for chairs only for the larger cabanas for an additional fee) We also experienced the spa which was amazing. Highly recommend visiting during your stay. The spa ritual is so relaxing and the couples massage in a combined room was great. Would definitely stay again. $$$

Prior to our arrival, we emailed the concierge for transportation to the hotel from Tulum. The…read moreemails were responded to in a timely manner and everything was as promised. Check in with Diego was a breeze. Although they did not offer us an upgrade, which could have been possible through our credit card partnership, he did let us pick a room from what was available. We picked 5044. The view was good, not a full ocean view but we did have a partial ocean view. The hotel and room were very clean. The staff was very attentive and anticipated our needs. I was very please with the hotel. It exceeded my expectations. If I ever return to Cancun, I would stay here again.

We recently stayed at Kempinski Hotel Cancun for six days. We have been coming to this property for…read moreyears, back when it was The Ritz-Carlton Cancun, and it has always held sentimental value for us. That history is the main reason we kept returning. Unfortunately, for the past two years, our experiences have declined significantly. The hotel no longer maintains the level of service and standards we once loved. The atmosphere feels different, the staff are not as welcoming, and there is a noticeable lack of attentiveness and care. During this stay, we had a particularly unpleasant two-day experience at the beach regarding the setup of lounge chairs and umbrellas. Rather than going into every detail, I will simply say the situation was handled poorly and left us very disappointed. What was most upsetting was that no meaningful effort was made to resolve the issue or make up for the inconvenience. Even after speaking with Guest Relations, who mentioned contacting the General Manager, nothing improved the following day. No accommodation or gesture was offered, which was surprising given the hotel's luxury positioning. It is also noticeable that the property feels quite empty during weekdays, except on special occasions or long weekends. Even then, the warmth and hospitality we once associated with this hotel seem to be missing. That said, I want to sincerely recognize Valenzo, who served us daily. He was professional, kind, and incredibly attentive. We never had to ask for anything, he would notice small details, like refilling ice before we even realized it was melting. His service was outstanding and he truly tried to make our stay better. Thank you, Valenzo. You made a difference. It is genuinely sad to see a place that once meant so much to us lose its standard. We hope management takes guest feedback seriously and invests in retraining staff to restore the level of service this property was once known for.

Excellent staff & service! From the greetings received upon arrival to the prompt handling of our…read morebags yo our room to the nightly turn down of our bedding. These folks do it all and with a smile! All-inclusive resort located right on the beach. Heated pools, various restaurants, spacious rooms. Would definitely iteitbstay here again!

Grand Fiesta Americana Cancun completely exceed my expectations. From the moment we arrived, the…read moreservice was warm, professional, and truly top tier. The staff was always nearby, attentively anticipating our needs and checking in seamlessly to ensure we have everything we could possibly want, creating a refined and personalized luxury experience throughout out stay. The property itself is stunning- beautiful ocean views, though it is an old property but is well maintained. Our room was spacious and had breathtaking views of the turquoise Caribbean Sea. The food was another highlight. With multiple onsite restaurants. Vina del Mar was perfect for starting the day- it serves breakfast lunch and dinner and offers mexican and international cuisine . Outdoor sitting was beautiful. All other restaurants would need reservations- and we tried Chianti Trattoria Italiana - serving Italian cuisine and had elegant atmosphere. La Joya- serving authentic Mexican cuisine with incredible presentation. With its prime beachfront location, relaxing pools, outstanding dining options, and exceptional service, Grand Fiesta Americana Cancun delivers a truly luxurious experience. I would absolutely recommend this resort and would love to stay here again.

Hey Ya'll! So I wasn't impressed with this resort…read more Amenities (3.5/5)Overall, the amenities were decent. I really enjoyed the beach and the pools for swimming. They were clean and I had no reaction after. Pools that are not properly maintained give my skin the itchies after. Food (2/5)Breakfast buffet and the Mexican restaurant were the meals I mostly enjoyed. I did love the buffet, but let's be honest, that's probably because all I ate was avocado, fruit, eggs, and bacon anyway, lol. So that part worked in my favor. The Italian spot had good apps. The mussels were what I should have eaten for my meal. The rest was meh. Room and Cleanliness (3.5/5)The room view was absolutely beautiful and made me happy. That said, I cleaned the room well myself upon checking in. I had only one cleaning so my roomie would have the new room clean experience when she checked in. Room Decor and Structure (2/5)Not up to my personal standards in any way. The minibar is why a two and not a one. There was no headboard. The sinks had no drain covers. I was petrified and spent most of the week taking jewelry on and off so I wouldn't drop anything. I really enjoyed the view from the balcony, which is where i spent most of my waking time when in the room. I also thought this was an adults-only resort. It wasn't. No bueno! The staff was a solid 5/5, especially after the mishap with my dry cleaning. They were accommodating, kind, and appreciative of tips and our patience. I almost lost it about my clothes, but they handled it well and I appreciated that. I do wonder if the floor that we stayed on was an older floor we were on the fifth floor in rooms 545, 547 and 548. So I wonder if rooms on that floor were in worse condition than some of the other others they seem to have not been slept in for a while because when I cleaned there were lots of dust as if no one had been in there for a while . The beach was great and very almost private. The vendors weren't too pushy and they had decent pricing. Dollars go further...don't exchange to Mexican pesos!

I'll try to review this as objectively as I can, as maybe people in different situations might have…read morea better experience. First, we traveled to this hotel as a family with 2 toddlers. There are absolutely no activities outside of the pool, other than a couple of hour arts/crafts place called "riuland" during the day. We traveled in January and the weather was pretty cool, the problem is the pools aren't heated. There are 3 main pools, 2 are absolutely ice cold, and the middle "heated" one is still cold. We were at this hotel for a full week and only used the pool for 2 of the days. Even those days we forced it and were shivering in the pool. The second main issue we had was with the food. At the end of the day we decided to go to an all inclusive so we can spend all day at the pool and eat a bunch of food. The pool was a no go, and the food was worse... My wife saw molding mushrooms in the breakfast omelet bar. The quality and taste of everything was just the lowest possible. Everything looks and feels rubbery. We tried out the individual restaurants and each one was worse than the last. The lobster in the steak restaurant feels like plastic and the butter is like watered down dirt, I kid you not. Our experience was so bad that we would Uber out of the hotel everyday to try and find some activity to do with the kids, and to eat out for all of our meals. We wasted a lot of money coming to this hotel and so far it doesn't seem like we will get any back. If you travel to this hotel in the Summer, and you have no small children and want to party all day, then this hotel would be just fine. However it doesn't change the fact that the food is still terrible and that is a huge portion of the cost of an all inclusive. I just recommend spending a tad bit more money and having a much better experience elsewhere. We have been to Cancun tons of times, so this is not a typical experience.

Ignoring the beach sea algae and stomach bugs we got, there were so many issues with our stay…read more Buffet food was dry and low quality, restaurants require reservations but were all full regardless, broken elevators, showers with damaged plumbing, drinks were all watered down (both regular and alcoholic, you can taste it and watch them pour water into the OJ, for example), they aggressively sell you excursions and addons at check in like a pirate ship outing, pool towels are constantly unavailable and waiting on being washed, the gift shop only had minimal medicines in case you get sick, the required wristband to wear have sharp edges and it's easy for you and your kids to cut each other while playing at the pool, the bedroom drawers aren't secured properly and can easily slide out and fall on your kids feet, etc. They're helpful with bringing drinks at the meals and things like the swim up bar at the pool are handy, the beach hammocks are nice, and they did a good job picking up our bags at check in, but there's still so many issues and so I don't plan on coming back.

OMG I would say the worst, but it was some pleasant moments…read more We were he for a little under a week, and had to change our rooms 3 times; due to the air conditioners not working properly. The first night our room was like an oven. We changed the room and it was the same thing. The last room safe did not work or lock at all, so we had to lock our valuables in our luggage. While we were out on an excursion Items from our room was appeared to been searched, and missing. One thing that was the obvious was the my eyeglasses cleaning cloth, which was on the floor, that i always keep folded with the tiny spray, in its Velcro satin case. That's the moment when I discovered my son's Ray Ban's were missing. ( a birthday gift from his Nana) The best thing that about the resort was the coffee and me shop, and one restaurant that was RSVP only, that was still inclusive with the price of the room. I appreciate that excursion could be purchased on the venue. It's so unorganized when your purchases tour come to pick you up. We are informed to be in the lobby, there's so many people in the lobby, on different tours, that we were overlooked. Not only did our tour bus leave us, and we discovered within the SAME MINUTE, I'm talking seconds! They can not call them back to pick us up theirs no return or discounts, I had to pay another $120 for transportation ONLY to get to the park states over, otherwise I would have lost my money for two people. We manage to get there and rode our tour bus back to the resort afterwards. Mexico tours will definitely leave you at your hotel, jungle, or desert. And theirs no much phone reception. So have your ass outside on the curbs with a sign or your purchase records. I met a lady who always visit Mexico and was told that she always travel with her own fan. Like she brings a Carryon just for her fan only. This was a lesson learned. Service was friendly. They want to discord all your wristbands when you checking out. There was a cool night club on the venue that offered drinks as well. Overall I felt safe and irritated. I would selected a different resort on my next visit to Mexico.

I stayed at Occidental Costa Cancun - All Inclusive for a week with my daughter and friends, and…read moresadly, this resort did not meet expectations at all. We booked an oceanfront room with balcony, but the balcony was so small a chair couldn't fit. We later found out larger balconies are available for the same price, but you have to request them. Throughout our stay, we had to change rooms three times due to poor maintenance--even the suite we paid extra for had issues, including a stained jacuzzi on the balcony that took over 20 hours to fill. The beach is tiny, and the food was subpar across the board. The only decent meals were the fried fish at lunch and the Mexican restaurant. The Italian restaurant lacked basic dishes like spaghetti/meatballs and the steakhouse was disappointing. Drinks stop being served at 11 PM (even if you order room service)which is unheard of at an all-inclusive. There's no night entertainment or club, and room service is not included--if you do order it, it can take over 3 hours to arrive. The worst part was the constant noise at night. The resort is filled with rowdy, drunk college-aged guests, shouting and partying in the halls until 3 or 4 AM. Many of them would fill water bottles with alcohol before 11 PM to keep drinking all night, which created a wild, chaotic atmosphere--not relaxing at all. The staff experience was mixed--the bellboys and a couple of front desk male staff were polite, and some male restaurant servers were kind. But the female staff were often rude and dismissive. One refused to let us sit by the window in an empty restaurant, and another nearly denied us dinner because we arrived at 10:30 PM when the buffet closed at 11. This resort might look affordable, but you truly get what you pay for. If you're looking for a relaxing, clean, and enjoyable vacation experience, look elsewhere. Not recommended.

Total disappointment. 0/0!!…read more We checked into this hotel for a week. When we were having problems with the AC not working properly we called maintenance. We had the gentleman come into our room on three different occasions. After the third visit from maintenance we were offered to move rooms for the night. This was at 1:00 AM! The next morning I voiced my concerns to the supervisor Dariana and all I was offered was an apology and a late check out for the inconvenience. Worst all inclusive that Cancun has.

If you visit this place it is easy to see why we need closed borders. It is nicer than ANY hotel…read moreI've ever been to. And what used to be "the world's largest telephone booth" would dominate ANY hotel in the USA. The people are overly friendly as long as you are not doing shady things. And with billboards offering services directly to your room and a hospital system where you only go if you're sick. The "grey area" is a pretty loose term. The entire hotel is illuminated with L.E.D.'s. The space is immaculate. It was 1/4 mile from the room to the lobby. The ballrooms and convention spaces are like a stadium. (Indoors or outdoors). The public bus arrives every (2) minutes and are often full. It is approximately .50 US to go 30 miles downtown. Just looking at the creative ideas a child could write a book . "This ain't Tijuana". The malls and beaches are protected by federal soldiers and the streets have checkpoints every mile. They obtain your information and destination. If something is off a militia is on alert. In NOLA people go missing all the time. They get discovered weeks later. Would never happen in Mexico . A drunk guy might get out the box, but it is very controlled. These citizens are: smart, efficient, implemented, hard working, drive excellent, fast, diligent, and gracious. It's like walking through a museum. Being from a popular tourist town known for food, this place is VERY advanced. Instead of lounging and hiding these citizens WORK to pass the time. If you need anything just ask a bartender. "Tip and pay, you'll be OK!" LOOK at the photos!

Wonderful hotel! We stayed twice, three years apart and both times were fantastic!…read moreWe came here when my fiancé and I first started dating then again for our anniversary. Every single person that works at this property is out of this world! Kind, helpful and always going above and beyond to make things memorable! There's always a little bit of construction because they're renovating, so plan accordingly by calling with them to make sure the areas you want open, are open. The new speakeasy is super cute. We visited there one evening and have the best time and service! This isn't the same restaurant where you go to breakfast but at night is a Spanish tapas restaurant. Everything was fantastic but all the food on the property is really great! We especially loved to order lunch by the pool. All the cocktails are fantastic, even poolside! Rooms are standard JW with some of them recently updated with the others on their way to being updated. Yes, there is a sort of a musty smell in the air, but that's in most hotels. It's a very hard to keep those highly humid rooms from smelling a little musty. You just have to get over it and enjoy the time outside the room. Pools are super cute and the beach area is nice. There is an adult pool that is open during the day but wish it was open later! Lots of places in walking distance if you decide to venture out of the property but why would you need to! Easy drive from the airport and to the downtown or for departure to Isla Mujeres. We did not go to the island this time but last time we booked everything through the hotel and they made it super easy.