Fiesta Americana Cancun Villas

Fiesta Americana Villas Cancun stands out from among its party-ready peers with a family-friendly atmosphere and competitive rates, providing self-service amenities rather than all-inclusive rates. The resort offers a classic Mexican vibe: Picture an orange stucco facade with arched accents and a terra-cotta roof. The building is constructed in a blocky U-shape around the property’s main hangout area: a giant pool, surrounded by palm trees and loungers, which faces towards the beach. It’s an upper-middle-range property with service to match, but interiors sometimes betray a budget-feel with generic decor and dated details—not to mention persistent time-share representatives. That’s not to say it’s not nice: the lobby is big with white walls, huge windows, and glossy marbled floors, though the beige and red armchairs and couches are dated. In late 2017, as of our writing of this review, the hotel was in the process of remedying some of this with major renovations, though guests have complained that construction has gotten in the way of relaxation, with some amenities re-located or closed-down without warning.

The Fiesta Americana is located on the northern side of the resort-packed, party-oriented Hotel Zone. This mega-resort, mega-mall area caters to mass tourism with nightlife as a main draw, though there’s little of Cancun’s original flavor here. From Fiesta Americana, guests can walk to dozens of restaurants, stores, and bars, not to mention the beach. For those who want to cook at the resort, the Chedraui Select, a two-story supermarket, is a five-minute walk away. It’s a 10-minute walk to the Convention Center and Coco Bongo, a popular nightclub, is a 15-minute walk. Though many guests spend their entire trip in the Hotel Zone, some venture to Chicen Itza (home to famous Mayan ruins, a two-and-a-half-hour drive) or Isla Mujeres—the ferry to get there is a quick taxi ride away. Cancun International Airport is a 25-minute drive.

The property offers standalone rooms and one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas for up to 10 guests, ideal for families and groups. Even entry-level rooms are spacious with nearly 350 square feet of space and furnished terraces or balconies. Though rooms have no real kitchenette, they do have mini-fridges, microwaves, and coffeemakers, plus small tables with tableware. Suites offer more extensive amenities, adding in extra bedrooms and/or terraces, separate dining or sitting areas, whirlpools, and/or kitchens, some with full-sized fridges with freezers, electric stoves, and ovens (though it’s a good idea to check your booking—some suites have stoves but no ovens). All accommodations have air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, hairdryers, safes, irons and ironing boards, individual toiletries, and free Wi-Fi.Room decor is pleasant, if generic, with marbled tiled floors, off-white walls, light-wood furnishings, and beige and orange accents. Bathrooms feature the same color scheme and tiling, generally with separate roomy vanity areas and combination showers and tubs. Units can feel dated, with wear-and-tear evident in some areas, but for the most part, guests find them clean, comfortable, and roomy.

Guests’ favorite spot to hangout at Fiesta Americana is the pool, and it’s easy to see why. It’s huge and family friendly, with lagoon-shaped swimming area separated by bridges, a swim-up bar, a cordoned-off kiddy pool, wading areas, and an “island” with a whirlpool. The area is studded by palm trees, surrounded by lounge chairs, and it has views out to the ocean. Here, the property provides a nice beachy setup with drink service, palapas, lounge chairs, and a few cabanas. It’s beautiful and clean, but doesn’t quite compare with the huge stretches of white strands found else where on Cancun. While the beach is sandy, it gets tiny at high-tide, and is actually set on a concrete platform, with several steps down to the water.A measure of misdirection by the property’s own website suggests there are several on-site restaurants, but there’s really only one, a drawback for some guests who’d prefer more dining options. The restaurant, La Palapa, is pleasant with decent food. There’s beachside open-air seating under a thatched roof, a big breakfast buffet, and lunch and dinner menus. Brick-oven pizzas are a favorite, as are Mexican staples. The hotel also has a lobby bar and a swim-up bar by the pool, plus drink service at the pool and beach and 24-hour room service. Note that unlike many other area resorts, Fiesta Americana rates are not all-inclusive—meals and drinks all cost extra fees.Wellness facilities on the premises include a spa and gym. The gym isn’t luxurious, but it’s big with a range of cardio and weight-lifting equipment and a full rack of dumbbells. There’s also a small steam room, and guests can book a range of treatment and beauty treatments, from hair styling to manicures, pedicures, waxing, and massages, with male- and kid-friendly services also offered.For guests traveling with little ones, there’s the kiddy pool, an outdoor play area geared toward toddlers, and a brightly colored kids’ club where younger kids can play games, do art projects, or join in specially organized activities. The hotel also has free self-service laundry, though guests need to buy detergent. There’s a pool table in the lobby, too, and some daily entertainment is provided, like bingo, ping pong, and trivia. Wi-Fi throughout is free.