Hilton Cancun Golf & Spa Resort {MEX} (no longer Honors)
Apr 2, 2007, 5:29 pm
#631
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 10
I will be staying here next week with my family and have the opportunity to get upgraded to a Junior Suite with a King bed. My question is, with two girls, 8 and 10, can anyone tell me if the sofa bed a a reasonable option for them, or should I stick with a ocean view room with two Queens? I really want to stay in the Junior Suite, but only if it makes sense. I appreciate the feedback.
Apr 3, 2007, 7:49 am
#632
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Ohio
Programs: United, Southwest, HH Diamond, PC Platinum, Airtran, Starwood Plat, Marriott Gold, Loews Gold
Posts: 321
Thank you for the info.
I guess only seeing florida's waves, I am not sure what to expect. My children love to play right on the shore, and that sounds like where it is most dangerous.
I guess only seeing florida's waves, I am not sure what to expect. My children love to play right on the shore, and that sounds like where it is most dangerous.
Apr 3, 2007, 5:24 pm
#634
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: Hilton (Gold), Starwood
Posts: 152
Eric, you could I guess happen to have calmer waves when you are visiting depending on the weather. There is such a variance in the type of surf all along the shoreline in Cancun down to Tulum and beyond. The Hilton's beach reputation is one of a rougher surf compared to other resorts. I thought it was beautiful. Should you return to the area and are not concerned with obtaining or using Hilton points, I would choose another resort for swimming for your kids. Still with the pool and maybe with the luck of a calm surf the Hilton might serve all your purposes. Enjoy!! 
Apr 3, 2007, 7:38 pm
#635
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
It's not just the waves, which are often wind waves here. It is the currents! I have dived Cozumel extensively over the years, and Cancún as well. We go there for drift diving - and some areas are only for very advanced divers. Even then, we can have a real sleigh ride, and some divers have been lost at sea for hours and hours - Cuba next stop! 
(The currents are normally strongly northbound, but they have been known to occasionally reverse direction for a time.)
The currents can cause some nasty surprises for people who are not well schooled in how to deal with undertows (never swim against them, it is a losing game - go to a side, where the undertow will eventually run out of steam, and then you can find a calmer spot to swim back to shore - but in the meantime, the current can take you some significant distance.
Think of it: Cancún was selected by a computer, basically - they came, they completely ignored the little they did know about nature, they built, they filled in passages to Laguna Nixupté, altered the normal beach and sand patterns. Even now, much of the sand brought in to replace the sand swept away by the hurricane has moved out to sea again; current patterns are capricious at best. If you want calmer swimming, go to the area opposite Isla Mujeres, or ferry over to the Isla Mujeres side itself. (Unfortunately, the El Garrafón beach in between has been denuded of picturesque marine life for years.)
(The currents are normally strongly northbound, but they have been known to occasionally reverse direction for a time.)The currents can cause some nasty surprises for people who are not well schooled in how to deal with undertows (never swim against them, it is a losing game - go to a side, where the undertow will eventually run out of steam, and then you can find a calmer spot to swim back to shore - but in the meantime, the current can take you some significant distance.
Think of it: Cancún was selected by a computer, basically - they came, they completely ignored the little they did know about nature, they built, they filled in passages to Laguna Nixupté, altered the normal beach and sand patterns. Even now, much of the sand brought in to replace the sand swept away by the hurricane has moved out to sea again; current patterns are capricious at best. If you want calmer swimming, go to the area opposite Isla Mujeres, or ferry over to the Isla Mujeres side itself. (Unfortunately, the El Garrafón beach in between has been denuded of picturesque marine life for years.)
Apr 4, 2007, 4:08 am
#636
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: Hilton (Gold), Starwood
Posts: 152
JDiver came up with a fabulous idea. Isla Mujeres is an excellent idea for a day excursion to take your kids - explore the island on a golf cart and play on Playa Norte (the north beach) - it's beautiful. I love Isla Mujeres! ^ You must get a great map from cancunmap.com. Laura and Perry make the most awesome maps of the area. Oops it's probably too late for that - but for others reading this.
Last edited by Lauriebugg; Apr 4, 2007 at 4:50 am
Apr 4, 2007, 4:35 am
#637
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Ohio
Programs: United, Southwest, HH Diamond, PC Platinum, Airtran, Starwood Plat, Marriott Gold, Loews Gold
Posts: 321
Thanks again, we are getting ready for our flight to CUN right now. We will have 3 days at the top of the 7 at the Intercontinental which has a gentle beach. Then 6 nights at the Hilton. I'm excited!
Eric
Eric
Apr 4, 2007, 8:35 am
#638
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Northeastern US
Programs: HH Gold
Posts: 71
We stayed in a villa from March 22 through the 30. Beautiful resort; all of the positive raves about the setting are accurate. Red flags flew every day during our stay but the beach (I grew up in seattle) for me is a multi-sensory experience. I loved the beauty of the strong surf and looking at it while dining at the Mitachi Grille (we ate there at least once every day; sometimes twice) is a memorable experience. Now my husband is another sort. He lives to swim in the ocean so he was disappointed that the swimming conditions were so fierce. An experienced swimmeer in a wide variety of surf conditions, even he believed the red flags were a necessary rating and avoided swimming the entire week.
The only disappointment we had during our stay was that the food throughout the resort was mediocre at best. The pizza and pasta restaurant should be avoided by anyone used to fine dining. Worst pasta dishes we have ever had bar none. We asked for substitutions and they were even worse. Poolside bar/restaurant wasn't much better. But once we figured out that there was only one decent restaurant in the resort (although the continental breakfast at Spices is adequate) we settled in to the Mitachi and enjoyed stellar, friendly service (not our experience anywhere else in the restaurants) and okay food. Even the Mitachi has quality issues in its entrees though. The asian-inspired dishes and appetizers (particuarly shrimp dishes) are wonderful. The lobster was tough. The salmon wrapped in phyllo overcooked. The chocolate souffle parched. Salads however were fabulous.
That said, you cann't beat the setting nor the view anywhere on earth.
As for the service, we didn't think the service was all that exceptional compared to other experiences we've had in Mexico. Perhaps the change in the GM has not been for the better. It was detached and somewhat indifferent in the restaurants. A call to the front desk manager (olga's replacement while she was on vacation) was never returned.
The best part of service happened before we arrived via Olga Medina. She upgraded us and was absolutely delightful in her e-mail correspondence. Promote her to GM and maybe things will get back to where they once were in terms of exceptional service.
Oh -- and if you're in the lobby bar, ask for Yvonne! She is amazing. Remembers guest names, their drinks and cigar choices, and makes the best cappacino you'll find outside of Portofino. We relied on her to help us with everything! She even helped us choose a dinner restaurant one night and a shopping destination.
We toured a first floor ocean view room with two queens in addition to the villa. The views in both are amazing. The main building might have a big more of an ocean view, but the villa view was also impressive.
There was a post on here that I read before we left that I must correct. It stated that the villas are either ocean front, or that they have a partial ocean view or a garden view. Not entirely accurate. We stayed in a villa that was not ocean front, yet had a full (and gorgeous) ocean view. Great room from A-Z. Housekeeping was an issue on our first day (thus the unreturned call to Olga's replacement) but once they were aprised of it, they sent an entire "crew" in -- and it was immaculate every one of the remaining seven nights.
All in all, a great resort with mediocre food and a gorgeous oceanside gourmet (asian fusion) grille. The service could use a booster shot of warmth. But certainly worth all of those accumulated honors points!
The only disappointment we had during our stay was that the food throughout the resort was mediocre at best. The pizza and pasta restaurant should be avoided by anyone used to fine dining. Worst pasta dishes we have ever had bar none. We asked for substitutions and they were even worse. Poolside bar/restaurant wasn't much better. But once we figured out that there was only one decent restaurant in the resort (although the continental breakfast at Spices is adequate) we settled in to the Mitachi and enjoyed stellar, friendly service (not our experience anywhere else in the restaurants) and okay food. Even the Mitachi has quality issues in its entrees though. The asian-inspired dishes and appetizers (particuarly shrimp dishes) are wonderful. The lobster was tough. The salmon wrapped in phyllo overcooked. The chocolate souffle parched. Salads however were fabulous.
That said, you cann't beat the setting nor the view anywhere on earth.
As for the service, we didn't think the service was all that exceptional compared to other experiences we've had in Mexico. Perhaps the change in the GM has not been for the better. It was detached and somewhat indifferent in the restaurants. A call to the front desk manager (olga's replacement while she was on vacation) was never returned.
The best part of service happened before we arrived via Olga Medina. She upgraded us and was absolutely delightful in her e-mail correspondence. Promote her to GM and maybe things will get back to where they once were in terms of exceptional service.
Oh -- and if you're in the lobby bar, ask for Yvonne! She is amazing. Remembers guest names, their drinks and cigar choices, and makes the best cappacino you'll find outside of Portofino. We relied on her to help us with everything! She even helped us choose a dinner restaurant one night and a shopping destination.
We toured a first floor ocean view room with two queens in addition to the villa. The views in both are amazing. The main building might have a big more of an ocean view, but the villa view was also impressive.
There was a post on here that I read before we left that I must correct. It stated that the villas are either ocean front, or that they have a partial ocean view or a garden view. Not entirely accurate. We stayed in a villa that was not ocean front, yet had a full (and gorgeous) ocean view. Great room from A-Z. Housekeeping was an issue on our first day (thus the unreturned call to Olga's replacement) but once they were aprised of it, they sent an entire "crew" in -- and it was immaculate every one of the remaining seven nights.
All in all, a great resort with mediocre food and a gorgeous oceanside gourmet (asian fusion) grille. The service could use a booster shot of warmth. But certainly worth all of those accumulated honors points!
Last edited by Sunday; Apr 4, 2007 at 8:48 am
Apr 12, 2007, 4:34 am
#640
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 200
Recent stay in Cancun
Not sure if my recent experiences justify a call to Diamond desk to complain, but regardless, a warning to others planning to stay in high season...
I booked a 4 night stay in Cancun - part paid, part points. At the time of booking was told by Diamond desk that the booked room had a proper balcony, not merely an opening door onto 6 inches of tile.
At arrival, I found out that this was not the case. The booking was for a standard room with no balcony. They offered a room upgrade for the following morning, but could do nothing for the arrival day.
I requested that a manager contact me so we could talk through this mix up.
No return call
The next morning I went to the front desk to switch rooms. I was first told that maintenance was in the room, then told that it was occupied and would not be available till the afternoon. At this point I brought up a further snafu that had occured prior to our arrival.
This stay was for a birthday celebration. Two emails had been sent to the hotel prior to arrivel to order a bottle of champagne in the room. No reply was ever received. I request contact from the duty manager to discuss now two snafus.
No return call
By this time I was starting to get annoyed. Compounded by the fact that the lounge for breakfast is totally unequipped for high season. They run out of food, plates, silverware and anywhere to sit and then proceed to start clearing away breakfast at the alloted time even though people are still trying to get something to eat.
I returned to the front desk in late afternoon and it was ready. In fairness, they had given me a very nice room with a spacious terrace. Much more than what I had been led to believe at the time of booking. Champagne never showed up.
In the past, this has been a favorite hotel. However, high season seems to be more than they can cope with.
I booked a 4 night stay in Cancun - part paid, part points. At the time of booking was told by Diamond desk that the booked room had a proper balcony, not merely an opening door onto 6 inches of tile.
At arrival, I found out that this was not the case. The booking was for a standard room with no balcony. They offered a room upgrade for the following morning, but could do nothing for the arrival day.
I requested that a manager contact me so we could talk through this mix up.
No return call
The next morning I went to the front desk to switch rooms. I was first told that maintenance was in the room, then told that it was occupied and would not be available till the afternoon. At this point I brought up a further snafu that had occured prior to our arrival.
This stay was for a birthday celebration. Two emails had been sent to the hotel prior to arrivel to order a bottle of champagne in the room. No reply was ever received. I request contact from the duty manager to discuss now two snafus.
No return call
By this time I was starting to get annoyed. Compounded by the fact that the lounge for breakfast is totally unequipped for high season. They run out of food, plates, silverware and anywhere to sit and then proceed to start clearing away breakfast at the alloted time even though people are still trying to get something to eat.
I returned to the front desk in late afternoon and it was ready. In fairness, they had given me a very nice room with a spacious terrace. Much more than what I had been led to believe at the time of booking. Champagne never showed up.
In the past, this has been a favorite hotel. However, high season seems to be more than they can cope with.
Apr 12, 2007, 2:24 pm
#642
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MDT, PHL, BWI
Programs: HH Diamond, Starwood Platinum
Posts: 306
My family and I just returned home on Tuesday from a five night stay at the Cancun Hilton and I agree with the above comments about the villa/diamond lounge. It was packed with people morning and evening with only a few staff. Not only weren’t they able to keep up with the plates, silverware and food, they couldn’t accommodate the amount of people. They ran out of coffee the one morning and we were leaving when they finally got around to filling the urn. The next day we decided to have the Continental breakfast in Spices. They don’t offer the info that you can have breakfast at the restaurant if you don’t want to go to the lounge but there is a charge if you upgrade to the hot item buffet. I believe it is $8.00.
Don’t get me wrong you can’t beat the variety of items in the lounge, but do not offer these services if they can’t handle the crowd and aren’t prepared.
I felt sorry for the one waiter who told us he left the Hilton at 2 am and was back at 7 am.
Perhaps if Hilton would start checking if the people going to the lounge are actually people staying in the Villas or Diamond status things might be different. Six days and no one checked if I or anyone in my family belonged there. I have a feeling the word is out and many people take advantage of the situation that shouldn’t.
One comment about the bartender Alberto, he really needs an attitude adjustment. I didn’t know if he was having a bad day but about the third day I had about enough of his attitude. He acted like it was a major chore to hand me a Corona. I let the front desk know of my disappointment at checkout. I hope they talk to him because he really turned me against him and in talking with others on the patio, they felt the same way.
I understand they don’t make a lot of money but the waiter taking care of people at the tables, walking around with the wine bottle and getting others a fresh drink or beer really made out well from what I could see. I hope he shared his tips with the bartender. Maybe that’s what Alberto was mad about. Who knows but he really aggravated me.
Don’t get me wrong you can’t beat the variety of items in the lounge, but do not offer these services if they can’t handle the crowd and aren’t prepared.
I felt sorry for the one waiter who told us he left the Hilton at 2 am and was back at 7 am.
Perhaps if Hilton would start checking if the people going to the lounge are actually people staying in the Villas or Diamond status things might be different. Six days and no one checked if I or anyone in my family belonged there. I have a feeling the word is out and many people take advantage of the situation that shouldn’t.
One comment about the bartender Alberto, he really needs an attitude adjustment. I didn’t know if he was having a bad day but about the third day I had about enough of his attitude. He acted like it was a major chore to hand me a Corona. I let the front desk know of my disappointment at checkout. I hope they talk to him because he really turned me against him and in talking with others on the patio, they felt the same way.
I understand they don’t make a lot of money but the waiter taking care of people at the tables, walking around with the wine bottle and getting others a fresh drink or beer really made out well from what I could see. I hope he shared his tips with the bartender. Maybe that’s what Alberto was mad about. Who knows but he really aggravated me.
Apr 12, 2007, 2:44 pm
#643
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: STL
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Gold, Mariott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 307
I went there right before the hurricane and got similar treatment. we had booked a 7 nighter on points and PRE-PAID for an upgrade to an jr. suite. We (wife and 2 yeard old daughter) waited almost 3 hours in the sun (the lobby was not yet air conditioned) before they came to us. They then offered us a regular room for that night. When we explained that we had paid for the upgrade, they claimed to have no record, even at the diamond desk. After finally letting us on-line at the rseverations desk, I printed out the e-mail from teh manager stating that we had paid for the upgrade. Only then did they finally give us teh room we wanted originally.
I don't think I will ever go back to that placed. they are ill equiped during any time of the year.
I don't think I will ever go back to that placed. they are ill equiped during any time of the year.
Apr 15, 2007, 5:59 pm
#644
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Programs: LatinPass Million Miler
Posts: 261
Car Rental at the Cancun Hilton
Does anyone know what car rental agency is in the lobby of the Cancun Hilton? Budget?
Has anyone rented a car at the airport and returned it to the Cancun Hilton?
Has anyone rented a car at the airport and returned it to the Cancun Hilton?