I recently had the opportunity to stay five nights at the Sunset Royal Cancun Resort in Cancun, Mexico. Here is the Midlifer’s Sunset Royal Cancun Resort Review.
Background
I used my Air Miles to book the resort. The five nights at the Sunset Royal Cancun Resort cost me just under 15,000 Air Miles plus about CAD 450. The amount included an all-inclusive package for two.
READ MY POST ON WHAT I DID IN CANCUN FOR FOUR DAYS
The 202-room hotel is located within the “Hotel Zone” in Kukulkan Boulevard in Cancun, Mexico.
I was supposed to have arrived at the hotel early afternoon, but because of a four-hour flight delay, my arrival didn’t happen till early evening.
Table of Contents
- The Room at Sunset Royal Cancun Resort
- Restaurants At Sunset Royal Cancun Resort
- Beach & Pool
- Events & Activities Calendar
- Technology & Internet
- The Hotel’s Timeshare
- Final comments on Sunset Royal Cancun Resort
The Room at Sunset Royal Cancun Resort
The room was spacious and comfortable, with a double bed. There was a small table with comfy chairs where I could sit and enjoy a drink or meal, which was a nice touch.
The room also had all the usual features that one would expect, including a television, an electric kettle, and a Keurig coffee machine, ironing board, iron, safe, etc.
The bathroom was clean and had a nice shower which I really liked. The supplies were frequently provided or refilled.
One of the highlights of the room was the nice balcony with a small table and two chairs that overlooked the lagoon. It was a great spot to sit and relax after a long day of exploring. However, I did notice that the lagoon side was comparatively cooler than the seaside. Between the lagoon and my room was the rather long entrance path of the hotel and the Boulevard.
The only downside to the room was that it was an adjoining/connecting room with a door inside to the next room. This meant that there was no acoustic privacy at all, which could be a problem for some guests.
Additionally, the rooms located around the atrium can be noisy. On the ground level of the atrium is the Italian restaurant and I heard the cutlery clinging and people’s chatter until late in the night and then from early in the morning.
I was on the fourth floor and could hear the noise past midnight. So, if you like a quiet sleep, avoid the rooms along the corridor of the atrium.
The room wasn’t fully light proof, either. However, there is a metal security door outside the balcony door and perhaps closing that will provide total darkness. But I didn’t want the hassle of having to pull the door in the evenings. Besides, I was okay with some light.
Restaurants At Sunset Royal Cancun Resort
The resort has three restaurants, each with a distinct theme and cuisine. The Italian restaurant served buffet-style breakfast and lunch, along with Italian dinners. The outdoor restaurant specialized in Mexican cuisine for dinner only, while the main restaurant offered buffet-style breakfast and lunch and for dinner, there was a theme every night — from Asian to Argentinian. There is no reservation policy for any of the restaurants for dinner.
The Italian restaurant was more formal even for breakfast and lunch, with formal cutlery etc.
I had my breakfast and lunch at both restaurants. The main restaurant had western and Mexican dishes for breakfast. One day, it was seafood lunch at the main restaurant and I enjoyed the fresh seafood, from shrimps to squid rings to crab legs.
But it was the Mexican restaurant that really impressed me. The dishes were unique and flavorful, and the chefs tried their best to deliver an authentic experience.
However, the Asian dinner night was a bit of a letdown. The rice was overcooked, and some dishes were subpar.
Also, in the main restaurant, during breakfast milk was in pods but I wanted fresh milk. When I requested fresh milk, they brought me what looked like a mug of cream.
As for drinks, the cocktails were decent, but I mostly stuck to beer or margaritas.
Beach & Pool
The beach is one of the resort’s best features, and it’s easy to see why. The white sand is soft and inviting, and the water is a stunning shade of turquoise.
As I waded into the water, I found that it got deeper fairly quickly, but then it leveled off and was shallow for a while. The waves were somewhat strong on some days. And the water temperature was just right – not too cold at all.
Time to time there were salespeople selling souvenirs etc., but there was no harassing.
One downside to the beach chairs was that some people had reserved them by placing towels on them early in the morning. This meant that it was sometimes difficult to find an open chair, even though there were plenty of them available.
But then there is also the pool and I spent a some time lounging by the pool.
If you’re interested in fitness or relaxation, the Sunset Royal Cancun Resort has you covered. They have a spa and gym, although these are subject to extra charges.
Events & Activities Calendar
But perhaps one of the best features about this resort is the events calendar. They offer a wide variety of activities throughout the day, from morning yoga and stretching to dance classes to beach volleyball and aqua gym.
In the early afternoons, there were various tastings – from fish to BBQ to pork – by the Mexican restaurant.
The theatre outside of the main building comes alive in the evenings with a different program each day, ranging from Mexican to Mayan and Caribbean. The Michael Jackson show was particularly impressive, with dazzling lights and effects that had the crowd on their feet. And after the show, action moved to the hotel lobby where there was live music, and sometimes dancing.
Technology & Internet
One feature that caught my attention upon checking in was the use of new technology at the resort. Instead of traditional room keys, the usual all-inclusive bracelet has an RFID tag which can be scanned to open the room door. One also is asked to scan their ID for checking in for a meal.
I had free wifi and it worked mostly well, although I wasn’t using it to stream movies or anything that was bandwidth heavy.
There were also sufficient power outlets in the room to charge my devices.
The Hotel’s Timeshare
The resort is part of a timeshare collective, the Sunset Club, with at least two or three more resorts in Cancun itself. I had the opportunity to visit the Sunset Marina, which was connected via a small water taxi, and there is an inter-resort free bus service.
I was offered incentives – that ranged from massages to a trip to a massive hacienda with cenotes etc., — to attend a ‘presentation’ but I declined and they didn’t pressure me. However, club members receive various perks such as dedicated areas in the beach and pool, and access to a separate bar.
