Sunset Royal Beach Resort

Built in 1992, the Sunset Royal Cancun Resort is not among the newer hotels in the area, but a 2010 remodeling and renovation breathed new life into the resort. While lacking the visual impact of some of Cancun's larger, more upscale hotels, the Sunset Royal has pleasant rustic-style touches, plenty of colorful artwork, and particularly abundant floral displays sourced from flowers grown by the hotel itself. A bright, central courtyard is festooned with potted palms, tropical plants, and hanging ivy that cascades the length of the hotel's eight floors. The resort presides over a particularly picturesque stretch of beach -- considered one of the best in Cancun -- with calm turquoise waters and the coastline's signature powdery white sands. The guests are a mixture of young tourists, vacationing couples, and families, including a lot of repeat visitors, most of whom are from colder parts of North America. 

The hotel is situated in Cancun's Hotel Zone towards the north end of the Kukulcan Boulevard, a long stretch of road lined with numerous hotels that separates the Nichupte Lagoon on one side from the Caribbean sea on the other. The hotel is within walking distance of the area's lively commercial center, complete with the ever-popular Hard Rock Cafe, Senor Frog's, Coco Bongo, and many more restaurants and nightclubs. Cancun International Airport is a 25-minute drive away, while the hectic downtown Cancun is around 20 minutes by road. 

The hotel's 234 rooms are decorated in light, neutral tones with polished stone floors, colonial-style furnishings, and freshly cut flowers. All rooms have floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors that open to views over the Caribbean Sea or the Nichupte Lagoon, but most lack balconies or terraces. In-room amenities include minibars, flat-screen TVs with cable, and Wi-Fi -- though there's a one-off per device flat fee for Wi-Fi. Many rooms also include kitchenettes for simple self-catering. Bathrooms are finished in marble and have walk-in showers and wall-mounted hairdryers. Lower-level rooms can suffer from noise from the pool area and the restaurant, while stone floors can get slippery -- especially in rooms with bedside whirlpools. A few rooms are also starting to show signs of wear and tear, though higher-floor rooms have been updated. 

The hotel offers a fair selection of dining options, including breakfast and lunch buffets at the Acuario and Capriccio restaurants. Bamboo offers an a la carte menu of Asian cooking. The terrace Aqua Grill provides light meals during the day and the Moonlight Theater has evening entertainment with an international buffet. All-inclusive plans are available and include all meals and most cocktails, though past guests have complained that the drinks served taste watered down.

While the pool is pleasant, the highlight of the resort is the beautiful stretch of beach on-site, featuring plenty of daybeds and lounge chairs with palm-thatched parasols. There is also a small spa on-site offering massage and beauty treatments and while there is a fitness room, there are no real spa facilities.