Royal Sunset Hotel not Recommended

A May 2003 trip to Cancun by ElizabethV

While Cancun was beautiful with white sand beaches and turquoise waters, the Royal Sunset Hotel where we stayed was overrated and unsatisfactory.

  • 2 reviews
The wait staff were excellent, friendly, and accommodating. Hotel as close to town as you can be. Buffet syle eating like a scaled down Granny's Buffet, so before you pay the all-inclusive, consider you'll be eating at Granny's with a quarter of the selection every day for a week. Also, if two margaritas make you spin normally, eight won't do anything for you at this resort. Recommend you watch your drink being made, order a premium shot, on the side and tip your bartender in order to enjoy.

Quick Tips:

Bring more money to spend than you think you should. Cancun is not cheap. Have plenty of pesos on hand for tipping and for bus fares. You'll get better service if you tip the wait staff and restaurant staff. Better yet, don't pay all-inclusive, shop at Costco to stock up for two meals in your room and pay the money to eat a nice third meal on the town (yes, Cancun has a Costco).

Best Way To Get Around:

Walk to town 10 minutes. Bus ride is 60 cents. Taxis charge too much, so wait for the bus.

Royal SunsetBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

Studio room was adequate for sleeping and clean. However, the pull out sofa bed was extremely uncomfortable, and there was no kitchenette as had been requested. Buffet style eating got old and while the main dishes served were adequate, they were the SAME every day and comparable to a standard all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant. The fruits and vegetables, however, were wonderful. Restaurant staff very friendly.

Phone calls $2/min for 800 #'s and $7/min for US business and residence. Spent $76 trying to connect to a US 888 number for a work conference call. In the end, I didn't make my call as the operator couldn't connect me and manager not helpful when asking for $16 credit for the operator misdialing 888 and putting me through to 800.

Pool staff did not regularly bring beverages so we had to go to the bar every time. We found ourselves tipping in order to get service, although tips are supposedly part of the all-inclusive. We felt unwelcome.

Our overall poor experience was made worse because we were given poor advice by hotel personnel when we arrived. Since our RCI reservation at another hotel was unsatisfactory we tried to contact RCI for another reservation. After failed phone attempts, we arrived at Royal Sunset and asked to speak to the RCI rep for the hotel. She told us she could help us and we would just have to contact RCI upon our return to be re-credited our week. She gave the three of us a rate of $85 per person for seven nights. While a HUGE expense considering we'd arrived on timeshare credit, she recommended we contact RCI upon our return home and receive credit for the week. Poor advice since RCI couldn't credit us the week upon our return and the rep at the hotel, acting as RCI spokesperson, took the credit of booking three unsuspecting travelers and making $1785 for the hotel and a $70 tip we provided her for being "helpful" when she booked us.

  • Member Rating 1 out of 5 by ElizabethV on May 15, 2003

Royal Sunset
Blvd. Kukulcan Km. 10 Lote 13b Cancun, Mexico 77500
+52 (998) 8814-500

About the Writer

ElizabethV
ElizabethV
Seattle, Washington

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