My wife and I spent 5 nights here after having already spent 5 nights at the Marriott Casa Magna – we hotel-hopped. We were celebrating our 5-yr anniversary. This was my 4th trip to Cancun but 1st post-Wilma. It was my wife’s 2nd visit and 1st post-Wilma. Here is our OPINION of the hotel and since we also stayed at the Marriott CM, I’ll make some comparisons in case you are trying to decide where to stay. Both hotels are in the same price range. You can also cross reference my review of the Marriott CM.

Rooms – Room wasn’t ready until 3 PM since they wanted to give us a higher floor with good view so we had to safeguard valuables at pool (minor inconvenience). When finally ready, we noticed it was adequately appointed aside from a few issues: 1) old tiling on floor 2) doorway had gaps letting in light 3) safe handle fell off 4) toilet sit didn’t fit bowl 5) the slippers were pre-owned (not certified) 6) handle on desk drawer fell off and was stripped so couldn’t screw back on 7) chairs had chips and some stains on them 8) small step-out balcony. None of this was bothersome, aside from the toilet seat issue, however the room was not properly cleaned; there were hairs and grit in the clothing drawers. After waiting hours for our room the last thing I wanted to do was clean on my vacation so we could unpack. Maid service was also spotty during our stay and we had to request cleaning on several occasions and ask for basic items like soap on some days. We tipped the same as we did at the Marriott CM ($5/day) but the Marriott did a perfect job, in our opinion. We liked our room at the Marriott better. The bed was more comfortable at the CM even though we still liked the bed at the Hilton. The Hilton did however offer express checkout which was a plus. The Marriott did not offer express check out.

Pool/Beach – The Hilton is king here! They have large lounge chairs so your feet don’t hang off and the chairs are also comfortably padded. The Hilton was smart in spacing the chairs out across the very large deck so people can have more privacy and find it easier to relax – the whole point is to relax on vacation! Even the way they created water trickling down around the pools added to our relaxation by dampening the sounds of others including playful children doing what they love to do on vacation. We never had trouble finding a hut either poolside or on the beach. The Hilton also has a good swim-up bar and fountains in the pool which we really enjoyed. Our days at the pool and beach were much more enjoyable than at the Marriott CM who did not offer enough shade and had a cramped pool and beach area.

The entrance into the sea is in the same bad shape throughout Cancun so can not be blamed on the Hilton. It is very dangerous with rocks and concrete right where the water breaks. One day, I saw a lady with a swollen/bruised leg on crutches hobbling down the lobby. She probably go messed up trying to enter the water.

Food – Ate dinner out every night but had either lunch or breakfast each day on site. Breakfast at Spices is terrible and overpriced. We could get better b-fast for a fraction of the cost at any diner at home. We ordered off menu rather than buffet. Lunches at Spices and Mitachi were good, not great, and also a bit pricey even for a hotel – 2 sandwiches with a round of drinks, sparkling water, and tip was around $60. The Marriott CM offered better variety and quality food, in our opinion.

Service – The Concierge Manager, Eugenia, hooked us up with a bottle of bubbly for our anniversary – above and beyond even though it was Cook’s (cheap brand)! Others at the front desk & concierge were also helpful and nice. Additionally, there were a handful of employees, like Eleazar (?) at the Lobby Bar, who strive to make your stay a memorable one but, overall the service is spotty. Many employees act as if they could care less about you and won’t even smile your way unless you engage them first. It was a much different experience at the Marriott CM where we were treated graciously by all. At the Hilton, we were never even greeted upon entering the hotel except for check in when there were baggage handling tips at stake. We don’t like how the hotel “nickel-and-dimes” you. For example they charge $15/day for an empty fridge to store your own beer, water, etc. and they also charge $10/day/person to use their small gym. The Marriott CM charged only $5/day for the fridge and the gym (same size) was complimentary.


Grounds – The grounds were kept very nice overall aside from a few small items. They seemed to have a bit more of a tropical feel compared to the Marriott CM but not as elegant or as clean. For example, the bathrooms down by the beach/pool were kind of gross throughout the entire stay and staff often walked past garbage left poolside. The hotel could also stand to air condition the lobby better. My wife noticed it did not appear the Hilton recycles. The Marriott took great pride in recycling and pointed it out to us on day one. It is hard to write why the Marriott felt more elegant but it did. Perhaps it was the large floral bouquets throughout, wood trim, and spotless conditions coupled with the friendly charm of the Marriott that stood out.

Summary - Overall, we really enjoyed our stay here. Where the hotel is lacking compared to the CM, they make up for it with their terrific pool and beach (by Cancun standards as the beach in Cancun is generally in bad shape). For this reason we really liked hotel-hopping since we got to experience the best both hotels had to offer. In our opinion, the Hilton is a 3 – 3.5 star hotel. If you book here you should have a great time!