Hotels and Vacation Homes to Stay While in Cancún
Hotels and Vacation Homes to Stay While in Cancún Cancún
Like most of the coastline, the Hotel Zone is dominated by all-inclusive mega resorts that many a guest never even ventures out from. And if you think the Hotel Zone is just hotels with cheap buffets and rooms stuffed with college kids, think again. Cancún lures the global jet set, too, and everything in between, with ultra-luxurious properties such as the Iberostar Cancún and Grand Velas. There are many adults-only properties along the coast, too, ranging from Excellence Playa Mujeres north of downtown Cancún to the wellness-themed Le Blanc Spa Resort and the 28-room the Beach Tulum, an adults-only eco-hotel on the Riviera Maya. Cancún hotels include grandes dames Ritz-Carlton, J.W. Marriott and Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancún. The Beachscape Kin Ha is a smaller, moderately priced independent hotel on prime beachfront. A few affordable hotels hug the lagoon shore, too, such as Sina Suites and Real Inn, both of which draw travelers seeking relaxation removed from the club zone. In Cancún Centro, Adhara Hacienda Cancún is a great bargain, while the modern Fiesta Inn Cancún Las Américas offers beautiful views and proximity to one of the city’s best malls. Many major hotels have and even more have ramps and wide entrances in public areas. The Four Points by Sheraton in El Centro, part of the Cancún Medical Tourism Complex, is fully accessible and completely smoke-free. It’s one of only a handful of Cancún hotels with pool lifts, along with Westin Lagunamar. A few others have ramps leading to their beaches. If you’re traveling with children, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya has an incredible onsite water park that feels like its own theme park and a free kids club they’ll love. Vacation rentals are another popular option and can be particularly handy when traveling with a multigenerational group. With a range of apartments and villas, Loco Gringo stands out for its deep local knowledge and concierge service. HomeAway, VRBO and Airbnb all offer rentals, too. Other areas to consider include: The Riviera Maya. South of Cancún, the Riviera Maya has its share of huge beachfront all-inclusives strung between towns, as well as boutique hotels, simple inns and vacation rentals. Puerto Morelos. The guardian of the region’s most pristine stretch of coral reef is still a traditional small town with friendly, modest hotels such as Casa El Moro, just two blocks from the water. South of town, Mayakoba is a luxury master-planned resort with four hotels and a championship golf course united around an ecological mission. Playa del Carmen. Once a sleepy seaside village, Playa del Carmen is home to busy pedestrian-only Fifth Avenue and now rivals Cancún not only for size and lodging capacity but also for noise, raucous clubs and traffic. While modest boutique hotels, such as the intimate Hotel Lunata, built Playa’s reputation, northern Fifth Avenue has sprouted stylish upscale hotels including La Semilla and Hotel Cacao. The appealing location of La Pasión, a few blocks off the beach, makes it a good bargain. Akumal. Farther south, Akumal, “Place of the Turtles” in Mayan, is a small, ecologically minded diving and snorkeling haven where you can swim with sea turtles. It has a smattering of hotels and abundant vacation rentals. Mellow, boho-chic Tulum boasts that famous Maya temple overlooking the Caribbean and has become incredibly popular with partying millennials and Gen Z. Lodging options are divided between a string of pricey, semi-rustic palapa (palm thatch-roofed) hotels on the long white beach — Cabañas Tulum is among the best — and the hostels, B&Bs and affordable hotels such as Don Diego de la Selva and Posada Luna del Sur in El Pueblo, the funky city on the highway. Ways to save: Save on accommodations just prior to Christmas, from mid-January until Presidents’ Day and in low season, when rates fall by 20 to 30 percent. The region’s abundant air-hotel packages can also save hundreds of dollars on a week’s vacation. 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Where to Stay in and Around Cancún
Consider hotels and rentals in the city Playa del Carmen the Riviera Maya Puerto Morelos or Akumal
Getty Images With more than 32,000 hotel rooms in — from ultra-chic, all-inclusive resorts to laid-back beach bum hideouts — you’re spoiled for choice here when it comes to where to stay. Cancún's famous Hotel Zone occupies a skinny island shaped like the number 7, tracing a path between the Caribbean beaches on the east and Nichupté Lagoon on the west. It’s connected to the mainland by two causeways. The mainland city to the north, where Mexicans live and do business, is called El Centro (downtown) even though it sprawls far beyond the city center.Cancún Travel Guide
Like most of the coastline, the Hotel Zone is dominated by all-inclusive mega resorts that many a guest never even ventures out from. And if you think the Hotel Zone is just hotels with cheap buffets and rooms stuffed with college kids, think again. Cancún lures the global jet set, too, and everything in between, with ultra-luxurious properties such as the Iberostar Cancún and Grand Velas. There are many adults-only properties along the coast, too, ranging from Excellence Playa Mujeres north of downtown Cancún to the wellness-themed Le Blanc Spa Resort and the 28-room the Beach Tulum, an adults-only eco-hotel on the Riviera Maya. Cancún hotels include grandes dames Ritz-Carlton, J.W. Marriott and Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancún. The Beachscape Kin Ha is a smaller, moderately priced independent hotel on prime beachfront. A few affordable hotels hug the lagoon shore, too, such as Sina Suites and Real Inn, both of which draw travelers seeking relaxation removed from the club zone. In Cancún Centro, Adhara Hacienda Cancún is a great bargain, while the modern Fiesta Inn Cancún Las Américas offers beautiful views and proximity to one of the city’s best malls. Many major hotels have and even more have ramps and wide entrances in public areas. The Four Points by Sheraton in El Centro, part of the Cancún Medical Tourism Complex, is fully accessible and completely smoke-free. It’s one of only a handful of Cancún hotels with pool lifts, along with Westin Lagunamar. A few others have ramps leading to their beaches. If you’re traveling with children, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya has an incredible onsite water park that feels like its own theme park and a free kids club they’ll love. Vacation rentals are another popular option and can be particularly handy when traveling with a multigenerational group. With a range of apartments and villas, Loco Gringo stands out for its deep local knowledge and concierge service. HomeAway, VRBO and Airbnb all offer rentals, too. Other areas to consider include: The Riviera Maya. South of Cancún, the Riviera Maya has its share of huge beachfront all-inclusives strung between towns, as well as boutique hotels, simple inns and vacation rentals. Puerto Morelos. The guardian of the region’s most pristine stretch of coral reef is still a traditional small town with friendly, modest hotels such as Casa El Moro, just two blocks from the water. South of town, Mayakoba is a luxury master-planned resort with four hotels and a championship golf course united around an ecological mission. Playa del Carmen. Once a sleepy seaside village, Playa del Carmen is home to busy pedestrian-only Fifth Avenue and now rivals Cancún not only for size and lodging capacity but also for noise, raucous clubs and traffic. While modest boutique hotels, such as the intimate Hotel Lunata, built Playa’s reputation, northern Fifth Avenue has sprouted stylish upscale hotels including La Semilla and Hotel Cacao. The appealing location of La Pasión, a few blocks off the beach, makes it a good bargain. Akumal. Farther south, Akumal, “Place of the Turtles” in Mayan, is a small, ecologically minded diving and snorkeling haven where you can swim with sea turtles. It has a smattering of hotels and abundant vacation rentals. Mellow, boho-chic Tulum boasts that famous Maya temple overlooking the Caribbean and has become incredibly popular with partying millennials and Gen Z. Lodging options are divided between a string of pricey, semi-rustic palapa (palm thatch-roofed) hotels on the long white beach — Cabañas Tulum is among the best — and the hostels, B&Bs and affordable hotels such as Don Diego de la Selva and Posada Luna del Sur in El Pueblo, the funky city on the highway. Ways to save: Save on accommodations just prior to Christmas, from mid-January until Presidents’ Day and in low season, when rates fall by 20 to 30 percent. The region’s abundant air-hotel packages can also save hundreds of dollars on a week’s vacation. AARP Travel Center Call: 1.800.675.4318 Search Flights Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Flight 2 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 3 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 4 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 5 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Add Another Flight search Search Hotels Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Room 5 Room 6 Room 7 Room 8 search Search Packages Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date You didn't specify child's age Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Room 1 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 2 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 3 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 4 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 5 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age You have more than 6 people total Please select a trip duration less than 28 days search Search Cars Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search Search Cruises Select a valid location Select a month search Search Things to Do Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search × Let's Go Reset Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Car Rentals offers > See more Travel offers > See more Hotels & Resorts offers > See more Gas & Auto Services offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures