GR Solaris Cancun

The GR Solaris' jam-packed property is easier to navigate than most properties with so many features, and has a everything guests need at their fingertips. Surprisingly, while the hotel is always buzzing with people either in the Lobby Bar lounge, roaming the halls, or soaking in sun out by the pool or on the beach, the hotel manages to stay away from a hectic anthill ambience. These elements give the hotel a fun, social, and accessible cruise ship-like vibe. In the same vein, most of the hotel's guests are couples and families, with the occasional loud partier roaming the halls. This is definitely not the place for anyone looking for a quiet and romantic escape to the Caribbean, but if you're lucky, you might just leave with a few new friends.

Located between KM 19 and 18 on Cancun's never-ending Hotel Zone strip, the GR Solaris is about a 20-minute drive the thumping, bumping party center of Cancun. (If you are using a navigation system, you are better off using the next-door Crown Paradise Club address as the Solaris is often misplaced on mapping devices). It's not really easy walking distance to anything, but there are a few restaurants, such as local seafood favorite Captain's Cove, and the Mayan Museum of Cancun, either 30 minutes up the road on foot or six minutes by car. The ancient beachside ruins of Tulum are just under one-and-a-half hours by car, while both Coba and Chichen Itza are around two-and-a-half hours. Cancun Airport is less than 20 minutes from the hotel.

Rooms fall a tad short of advertised 4-star standards, and guests expecting luxury may find all but the Panoramic room a bit disappointing. Deluxe Rooms feature a golden maize and blue color scheme, basic ceramic tile floors, dated 70s-style wood headboards, and quilted bedding -- all leading toward a surprisingly large terrace outfitted with two lounge chairs. Deluxe Triple Rooms have a clever murphy bed feature that helps save space when the bed is not in use (but definitely requires the bed to be put up when not in use). Panoramic Rooms have stylish contemporary decor and a double set of floor-to-ceiling windows giving occupants multiple points of views. However, the outdoor space in these units is limited to a balcony with two chairs and small table. All 306 rooms come with CD player alarm clocks, standard hotel coffeemakers, beverage-stocked minibars, and single-sink travertine bathrooms with showers and basic toiletries (there is a wider selection of toiletries in Panoramic Rooms). Deluxe upgrades may result in a sea-facing in-room whirlpool or romantic decorations for special occasions.

With the oodles of resort features you'd expect at a true all-inclusive, the selection of things to do or places to eat and drink at GR Solaris can't be faulted. Thanks to a big hot tub and swim-up bar at the main pool, and soft-between-your-toes sand and sparkling clear blue water at the beach, most guests can be found at either of these two places during the day -- the lucky ones inhabiting the limited number of loungers in either space. At night, the Lobby Bar and the Salon are filled with those after a buffet dinner, drinks, and a show (not necessarily in that order).

Non-buffet dining choices include the sandwich shop Deli, themed a la carte options at outdoor Rosmarinus, and international a la carte at Marco Polo. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance for the latter. The Solaris also has a breakfast, dinner, and late-night buffet at Safe Solaris; a poolside snack bar; daytime brick oven pizza joint; and 24-hour room service. Bars include the Lobby Bar (with pool and foosball tables), Swim up pool bar, and poolside palapa bar.

Guests can also keep themselves busy in the slightly stuffy fitness room, at the beauty salon, browsing a corner of shops, watching a movie in the cinema, or soaking in a spa treatment. There is also a kids' club, complete with activities center and two kids pools -- as well as a quiet pool and hot tub area (where outside spa treatments are given) just for adults. Two slightly unique features are the daily flaming Mexican coffee happy hour in the lobby, where the staff will set a spiked coffee aflame before serving it. If you're lucky you might even be around when staff members collect fresh coconuts from the trees and hack them open on the grass for everyone to enjoy. It seems like the only thing that will cost you at this all-inclusive is access to Wi-Fi.