Paradisus Cancún
The Resort
After researching prices, hotels.com and expedia.com consistently offered lower prices than booking through a travel agent. While we are not discouraging anyone from using a travel agent, we suggest booking on hotels.com or expedia.com to save money.
We would recommend staying at our resort, as those who wish to attend the wedding would be required to purchase a "day pass" to attend the event.
The Paradisus Cancún is an all-inclusive, upscale mega-resort whose five interconnected pyramids overlook the gorgeous white sands and perfect blue waters of the Mexican Caribbean. Its 668 rooms are all smart and spacious with sea or lagoon views -- though some are only partial.
While breakfast can get busy, there's no shortage of restaurants and bars to choose from and the huge pool never feels crowded. The impressive spa, large fitness center, and nine-hole golf course are also notable features here. Despite the property's size, its interior tropical gardens also provide a lush even secluded ambience.
As standard all-inclusive resorts go, the Paradisus Cancún offers a pretty fine selection of eating and drinking options as part of the plan, which includes meals, snacks, and all local and some international brand drinks, an impressive range of cocktails, and house wine with lunch and dinner.
A wide range of leisure facilities are included too, including a flood-lit tennis court, a nine-hole golf course, and a range of water sports, and yoga, Pilates, and meditation classes.
Children are also particularly well looked after with three candy-scented play zones for babies, kids, and teenagers -- and even a child-friendly spa area.
The All-Inclusive Experience
Paradisus is an all-inclusive resort. Therefore, rooms & rates are given at habitation rates (i.e. per person, per room). This will not be advantageous for those who wish to have a room to themselves. There is a max of 3 persons per room.
Hotels.com and expedia.com offer numerous options for room types. By clicking on the link below you will be able to see the difference in the rooms.
Children are welcome at this resort --just be sure to book family concierge if you want the same royal service experience with children!
Royal Service is the adult-only option, which includes a range of super-luxe perks such as private beach area, priority reservations and service throughout the resort, and butler service including a personal cell-phone for all-day communication.
Royal Service guests also have a private swimming pool area (including Bali bed reservation for at least two days per stay), exclusive breakfast service at La Palapa restaurant, and access to the Royal Service Lounge with top-quality all-day buffets and top-shelf drinks.
Should you splurge for the Royal Service? Here's the resort's description of this service:
For discriminating guests that want the highest level of service and attention to detail Royal Service, is the ultimate choice. Royal Service guests enjoy the exclusive use of Royal Service Free to Lounge and access to La Palapa restaurant, plus a private heated pool, and preferential bookings in restaurants and the YHi Spa.
Your butler is a phone call away, from your complimentary cell phone, ready to help. Our trained staff is attentive, discrete and focused on making your Cancún vacation as perfect as possible.
We have also realized that without Royal Service, the hotel applies a $5 delivery fee to every room service transaction.
So if you enjoy an all-inclusive experience that includes unrestricted room service, you should probably book the royal service. There are also exclusive areas of the resort where only royal service guests are permitted. Royal Service Guestrooms are also located in a separate building that the other guests.
Huge, free-form swimming pool with swim-up cocktail bar
The main swimming pool is particularly large, its free-form design almost stretching the whole length of the resort. Its size means even when the hotel is full it doesn't feel crowded, and it is lined with an abundance of sun loungers. At one end is the popular swim-up bar, where guests can order from a long menu of cocktails, while at the other is the shallow child-friendly section. Non-swimmers should be aware, however, that some parts of the main pool are quite deep.
The terrace opposite Pyramid Five is reserved for the exclusive use of Royal Service plan residents and includes plenty of comfy daybeds from where guests can order drinks and meals -- though service can be a little slow. The best beds are those facing the beach so get reserved early. Large beach towels are available from the poolside hut as are free Banana Boat tanning oil and lotion.
The hotel is set on a gorgeous swathe of white power beach typical of this stretch of Cancún. Being coral sand means it's especially fine and remains cool underfoot, and even washed-up seaweed gets removed. The sea itself is picture-perfect blue and generally calm, though there are currents and red flags are not uncommon. Sun loungers with palm-front parasols are numerous enough, a section of which are reserved for Royal Service guests, though there are no daybeds here. While Wi-Fi reaches the pool area, unlike some hotels, it doesn't quite stretch to the beach.
Impressive restaurant section with world-class fine dining
Even for a resort of this size, there's an impressive range of restaurants on-site. Due to the sheer number of guests, several restaurant spaces are opened up for the expansive buffet breakfast service, though even then it can feel crowded. Royal Service guests can enjoy a more relaxing a la carte breakfast at La Palapa restaurant.
All restaurants but one are covered under the all-inclusive plan, and range from Mexican street food (Blue Agave) and contemporary upmarket Mexican (Mole), to pan-Asian fusion (Bana) and Brazilian churrasco (Fuego). While food is generally good throughout, the 10-course tasting menu at Tempo restaurant is world-class with service to match. Although not cheap it's certainly worth the extra outlay.
Guests do need to reserve early for the best restaurants -- and at peak time to get an a la carte restaurant at all. Those without bookings are guided towards the buffets and inevitably lesser quality food.
Five bars including lively beach parties and a nightclub
While the all-inclusive plan covers most drinks, you're rarely farther than a few feet from the nearest bar. The resort has five in all, the main one being Avenue Bar, a large central space with large lounging sofas and regular themed nights. Coco's Beach bar is a hip, dance-music oriented establishment which holds beach parties twice a week, while the Red Lounge nightclub spins dance floor fillers every night of the week. Part of the restaurant of the same name, the Blue Agave specializes in tequila while for those who'd rather not leave the pool, there's the ever-popular swim-up bar. Although high-end drinks cost extra, those under the plan are still good quality with no evidence of watering down common in similar resorts.
The hotel's main YHI (pronounced gee) spa is styled Asian rustic-chic, with bamboo fixtures, natural gray slate tiling, and calming water features. As well as the usual saunas and steam baths, the spa has a relaxing chill-out area with daybeds, infused waters, and healthy snacks as well as a hydro-massage pool and sensation showers. An impressive menu of 66 difference massages are available, as well as signature beauty treatments such as the gold and caviar facial. There is also a fitness room next to the spa with a range of state-of-the-art exercise machines, even scented with an aroma to help motivation.