Hotel del Sol

Since current management took over in October 2009, the focus at Hotel del Sol has been on creating a home-away-from-home atmosphere for vacationers in the lesser-known part of Cancun: Puerto Juarez. This isn’t a hotel for business travelers, given the lack of a business center, distance from the Cancun Convention Center, and distance from the banks and infrastructure of downtown. But for budget travelers looking for a quick stopover before taking a ferry to Isla Mujeres, or seeking an affordable beachfront pad, this hotel might fit the bill.

Located across the street from the Maritime Terminal of Puerto Juarez, the hotel is a simple block-and-plaster building. Though the exterior looks dated, the interior is nicer (if a bit bland), with diamond-inset tile floors and casual modern lobby furniture; there's also a computer station set up. A roof terrace provides nice water views, as well as a couple loungers and tables.  

There haven’t been any updates in recent years, and there is some small visible wear, such as cracks in the plaster finish. Otherwise the hotel is pristinely clean. 

The best way to describe the Puerto Juarez part of Cancun is “off the beaten path." This is as far north as one can get in Cancun, and it’s also one of the oldest parts of the city. The surrounding neighborhood shows its age and has mostly squat, single-story block-and-plaster buildings that in many cases haven’t been painted in decades.

That being said, the area is also host to the best fresh fish markets in the city (many of the restaurants in Cancun send their workers here on a daily basis in the early morning hours to purchase the catch of the day for the restaurants), Playa Niños (an eight-minute walk down the street), the Ultramar ferry out to Isla Mujeres (a seven-minute walk), and the original Maritime Terminal for the city (just across the street).

The last stop for the R1 bus, which runs to the ADO bus station downtown, along the length of Tulum, and down the length of the Hotel Zone strip, is under a five-minute walk away. And although there isn’t a local supermarket nearby (the closest and best option is the Comercial Mexicana across the street from the ADO terminal some 15 to 20 minutes away by bus), there is a small local fruit and vegetable market around 15 minutes on foot from the hotel, just past the Ultramar ferry, where Spanish-speaking guests or adventurous wanderers can find produce.

There is an Oxxo convenience store right across the street, as well as Mandinga Restaurant, and nearby are a variety of local eateries or "puestos" where you can find tacos, tamales, grilled fish, and other Mexican street food.

Of the hotel's 24 rooms, 18 are Standard Rooms with a single queen-size bed or two single beds. The Junior Suites feature a queen-size bed, while the Suites feature two queen-size beds. The Apartment features two king-size beds, plus a side room with a queen bed, but no kitchens.

The rooms are simply furnished with dark-wood desks, closets, wardrobes, and trim. Bathrooms are functional, and feature only showers, with shampoo dispensers mounted on the shower walls. Colors vary; some rooms have turquoise patterned bedspreads (matching the palette in the lobby), while others have cheerful orange and yellow bedspreads. The overall look is only slightly dated, though there is some visible wear. 

The staff go the extra mile to create artistic masterpieces with the towels on the beds, but this is as far as the frills go. Many guests report that the beds are incredibly hard, and there are no coffeemakers in any of the rooms. The only mini-fridge we saw was in the Apartment. It's worth noting that not all of the rooms provide coastal views, and those that do have the outlook partially blocked by the road and buildings across the street. Some of the side rooms look out over the stretch of the Puerto Juarez residential district. If you want glimpses of the ocean, make sure you book one of the corner units along the front of the hotel. 

The on-site restaurant serves breakfast and coffee every morning. The menu changes regularly and features traditional Mexican dishes. Some guests have mentioned that during low season the breakfasts can be too simple. As lunch and dinner are not served, and none of the rooms have kitchens, guests will need to eat out for other meals. Laundry services are available on-site for a per-piece fee, and in the surrounding neighborhood are local "lavenderias" that charge by the kilo and will wash, dry, and fold clothing for guests.

There are roughly 12 parking spaces available (depending on the sizes of the vehicles). There is a tour agency just to the side of the hotel where guests can schedule a variety of activities, ranging from swimming with whale sharks, to snorkeling and scuba diving out at Isla Mujeres, to heading to Chichen Itza or Tulum.

The interior lobby has tables and chairs for lounging, as well as books in English and Spanish to pass the time. There are a few computers available for use, including an old CRT piece and a modern flat-screen PC. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel (though it can be finicky).