A year after much anticipation, Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive resort, began welcoming guests in November 2021.
In addition to this property, there are three other Hilton hotels in the region, including the adjacent Waldorf Astoria Cancun (opening in September, currently accepting reservations for 11/1/2022 and beyond), the Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya, and the Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya.
With much anticipation, I had the opportunity to visit the all-new Hilton Cancun all-inclusive resort last week, and here is everything you need to know about this property.
IN THIS POST
OVERVIEW
The Hilton Cancun is tucked away behind a mangrove nature preserve and is just 15 minutes from Cancun International Airport. The hotel has 715 rooms, with some of them being suites. So there are plenty of room options to choose from.
The resort has two infinity pools overlooking the Mayan coast and a pool area solely for kids. In addition, there are pool bars, 12 dining experiences including five specialty restaurants, and an ice cream and churros shop.
LOCATION
Located just 15 miles from Cancun International Airport and behind a mangrove nature preserve, it is safe to say this property is secluded and about 10-15 minutes away from the popular hotel zone.
CHECK-IN
It was about 11:30 a.m. when I arrived at the property, and upon arrival, I was greeted with cool towels and a refreshing apple cinnamon juice. They have two front desk areas, and both were busy. As a result, the check-in process took long. Check-in time is at 3 p.m., but the hotel staff went above and beyond to accommodate me.
I booked a one-bedroom suite, and after partnering with Hilton, they were kind enough to upgrade my room to one of the presidential suites. While the check-in process seemed lengthy, I did not mind waiting for my suite to be ready. However, as more guests were arriving the lobby quickly became crowded, so be mindful of this and pack your patience when checking in. The front desk staff seemed understaffed for a resort of this size but they do their best and will go above and beyond to ensure you are happy.
THE ROOMS
You can choose from various rooms at the Hilton Cancun, depending on your budget and needs. Rooms can vary between $400-$700 a night and this is based on double occupancy. Rates may be lower during their off-peak season.
A basic room is the nature view room, which overlooks the mangrove reserve. There is an option of upgrading to an ocean view or swim-up room based on availability. I did get a look at one of the regular rooms for this review and the bathrooms are very stylish but lack privacy.
Rather than there being a solid wall, there is a glass wall and two small rooms – one for the shower and one where the toilet is located. Depending on the room or if you are rooming with others, you might have to change in the room where you shower.
The suites either have an ocean view or are a swim-up style with a view of the pool. The suites feature a separate living area with a couch, television, and desk. There is also a walk-in closet in the bathroom.
There are also higher-end suites at the Hilton Cancun, such as the Ocean Front Parlor Suite, the Ocean Front Master Suite, and the Ocean Front Presidential Suite. Among the amenities in these suites are kitchenettes, wrap-around balconies, extra bedrooms, and bathrooms. I stayed in one of their presidential suites, and it was perfect! Get a full room tour HERE.
The room was clean and beyond spacious. It had a nice view of the beach. The bathroom has everything you need: toiletries, towels, and even a hair dryer. A king-sized bed provides plenty of comfort for sleeping at night (or napping during the day). Hilton holds high standards regarding their bedding and pillows; needless to say; it was very comfortable.
The mini bar is fully stocked with refreshments like water bottles, sodas, beer, juices, and snacks—but if you prefer something with alcohol, you would have to head to the bar downstairs.
AMENITIES
On each side of the hotel, there were large infinity pools. Although they looked almost identical, the one closer to the kids club attracted more families and the other more adults but still had kids. They do not have a designated adult pool. Nevertheless, it was still quite busy.
There were plenty of lounge chairs surrounding the pools, and they were chairs inside the water, but be prepared to get up early to grab a seat. People get down to the pool super early to get seats.
Behind the pools is a kid’s pool area with a water playground. It is surrounded by water slides, a giant bucket that dumps water every couple of minutes, and plenty of water sprinklers to entertain kids. While this is perfect for kids, it should be age-restricted. I can’t tell you how often I witnessed teenagers trampling over little kids.
Near the pool area is the kid’s zone available for children four and up. The kids club features arts and crafts stations, gaming stations, a lounge area, and many toys for all ages.
The Hilton Cancun has a private beach area, but unfortunately, you will not be able to enjoy the beach due to the overload of seaweed. This is a problem that many resorts in Cancun deal with. So, if you plan to visit in June and care for the beach, Cancun might not be for you.
There is a large gym on-site, but if you are wondering, there is not a spa on site. Instead, guests will have the option to use the spa at the new Waldorf Astoria that is set to open next door in September 2022. I was told that massage services were available and services are given in a room.
ENTERTAINMENT
During the day, there was yoga and water aerobics. They had a make-your-own snow cone cart which was fun for kids, but other than that, there was not much entertainment. They have a volleyball net on the beach but because the beach is overrun with seaweed, it can’t be used.
The evening entrainment was lacking a bit too. They had Aladdin in the amphitheater and a fire show, but that was about it. I did expect more evening entertainment for both adults and children.
FOOD + DRINKS
The Hilton Cancun has 12 dining options, including five specialty restaurants. In addition to the buffet, there is a Mexican restaurant, an Asian restaurant, an Italian restaurant, and a steakhouse. Reservations are required for the restaurants except for Sunan – the Asian restaurant.
The restaurants that require reservations book fast, and you can only make a reservation six hours in advance according to the app. You will use a link sent to you at check to make and manage all of your reservations and room service orders.
Since the hotel was booked, getting a reservation for most of these restaurants was difficult. I could only secure a reservation at Maxal, the Mexican restaurant. All the restaurants are included in your stay, so you don’t have to worry about paying for anything out of pocket.
Most of the food and drinks were fitting for an all-inclusive resort. I wouldn’t particularly rave about the food, but there were plenty of options for meal choices.
Vela – The International Buffet
La Vela is the main buffet restaurant. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There was one live cooking area where the chef would make made-to-order omelets, and during lunch or dinner, they had a burger station, or you could get grilled food made to order. So the food here was pretty much the same daily.
Maxal Taquiera – Mexican Cusine
This restaurant was also a taqueria for lunch, where they served tacos and quesadillas. For lunch, reservations were not required. For dinner, reservations are required, but the menu was minimal, with very few food options. Also, the food was not authentic Mexican food, a total bummer!
I could not get reservations for the other restaurants because they booked so fast. La Luce, their Italian restaurant, had a menu worth trying, but again, you need to have their app on standby because they take to get booked fast.
Room service is available 24 hours. On my last night there, I ordered room service, which took about an hour to arrive. Although I think that’s a long time, I would have hoped that the food would have been hot, but it was not. The fries were very soggy, and it seemed they rushed my order. I did put notes for my order, but none were followed. I did not want to wait another hour, so I made the best of it.
SERVICE
From the moment I arrived the staff went above and beyond to ensure that my stay was nothing short of amazing. The staff was always happy and seemed very excited to be working there, but the hotel is understaffed.
As mentioned, the check-in process took longer than expected, but check-out was a breeze (I checked out at 7:30 a.m.).
OVERALL IMPRESSION
The Hilton Cancun is a nice resort with plenty of potential. The property designs are beautiful. The rooms are a decent size unless you upgrade. However, noise can be an issue. As mentioned, I stayed in their presidential suite but could hear my neighbor’s phone vibrating and babies crying throughout the night. While this is not something that can be prevented, this is to give you an idea of how thin the walls are.
The food was not something I could rave about, but it was okay for an all-inclusive resort. Unfortunately, the entertainment was lacking for both adults and kids. The beach is engulfed with seaweed, so the only thing to do is to lounge by the pool, which is noisy.
While I love visiting Cancún because of the proximity from Atlanta, and it makes a quick international trip for me, I do not see myself returning to this property. I would recommend it to families with younger children who are just looking for a getaway with basic all-inclusive perks.
