Just stayed one week (3-19-05 thru 03-26-05) at the newest of the Royal Solaris chain in Cancun, the Grand Royal Solaris. The hotel is in the southern part of Cancun (about 8 miles south of the rowdy, loud clubs and bars). This area of Cancun also has more surf than expected. The hotel opened in December of '04, so everything is brand new. Got a double room with a balcony facing the ocean on the 6th floor. The lagoon was visible from outside the room (opposite the ocean). All inclusive service was better than expected with 24 hr room service, in room servi bar stocked up daily, several good quality restaurants that included lobster and steak. The shows at night were NOT your typical waiter or pool entertainer trying to double up, but professional dancers and singers...much nicer than other all-inclusive's I have been to. Service in general was better than expected. Valet parking was always available and bar tenders and waiters were ready to help. Adding a small tip for the services provided meant that by the third day the staff new you and were eager to serve.

My husband and I just returned to Toronto, Ontario area after a week’s vacation (March 3-10) at the new Grand Solaris Resort in Cancun. We were really impressed with the value of this resort. I will say that we’ve been to two other all-inclusive vacations (Beaches in Varadero, Cuba and Riu Bachata in the Dominican Republic) and this one was the best. It was the food that made this resort amazing. Even the coffee and the wine were good. I have never had a decent cup of coffee, while on vacation before. I think that most people would agree that the food at all inclusives is usually bland at best, you never really enjoy it, but at this place you will. We ate most our dinners at the Marco Polo Restaurant and they were really good (save room for dessert because they’re amazing). All the steak you eat at this resort will be some of the best steak you’ve ever had. If you’re a seafood lover, don’t miss the Seafood night in Café Solaris on Saturdays because it is too good to pass up. We had the surf & turf and is was so delicious. My husband isn’t even a fan of seafood but he raved about this meal the whole week.

This resort is still very new and I think you can get a pretty good deal on a week’s stay. I think because they’re still promoting it. Don’t miss out, because this place is truly a 5 star and if you can get a good deal – take it, I don’t think they’ll be offering deals for long.

Many reviews warn you about the time share sales pitch at this and many other Cancun resorts. We had no problem. I was glad I was made aware of this issue and just said “no thank-you” every time somebody said the word “free” to us. It’s not only at the resorts, but in the malls and with any tours you book. Be aware as soon as someone offers your free money, tour packages or souvenirs that they will expect you to attend a 30-90 session. Don’t be fooled and if your not interested don’t offer any excuses (they have a sales pitch ready for any excuse) just says “not interested” and walk away. But it really wasn’t too bad. We avoided the timeshare people in our lobby and they left us a note about 4 days in asking us to come for our free souvenir – we did not show, we were not bothered any further.

We had a room (8317) facing the lagoon side, but did not complain. The room was so nice and clean, we could not care that it did not face the ocean. Our view was still nice and we are never in the room, accept to change or sleep. The only down fall to our room was the adjoining door to the next room. You could hear everything. I am a pretty sound sleeper, but my husband would be awakened every morning about 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. with a room full of drunken girls next door returning from the clubs. I will also say that we heard this same complaint time and time again from other guests. So if get a choice ask for a room without an adjoining door. Our maid had our room done early everyday and our mini bar restocked (3 bottles of water, 3 cans of pop [diet pepsi, pepsi and 7up] and 4 small bottles of Corona). We also had an iron and ironing board, coffee maker and blow dryer in the room. Along with the in room safe, which was the best safe we’ve ever had. No keys. Just punch in a code (you select) and the safe is set. All you have to do is put in this code to open & close your safe.

The pool areas are very nice. There are 3 pools and all are heated and very clean. The first is the pool with the swim up bar, which attaches to the sports pool (for volleyball and basketball) and then on the other side of the outdoor restaurant is the quite pool with a hot tub near by. The only thing I would like to say about the swim –up bar pool is that their was always too many little kids in it. We don’t have a problem with children being in the pool. However, parent’s should really not allow their children to cannonball or splash into the pool right next to the bar. People don’t really appreciate pool water being splashed into their drinks.

I had read a review about this resort that said you have to reserve your poolside loungers by 6:00 a.m. if you want one around the big pool and they were not kidding. On our first morning I happened to wake up at 5:50 a.m. and decided to go down and reserve loungers. I was shocked to see that by 6:15 a.m. one third of the loungers were already reserved. If you don’t care about being by the big pool, than there were loungers available later in the mornings at the other pools.

We also heard really good things about the shows at this resort. We only saw one, but it was very good. Kind of a Cirque de Soliel (spelling?) with a fire juggler and acrobats.

If you’ve interested in doing any tours while in Cancun, don’t miss Chichen Izta. Is was really worth the money and the Maya Culture is fascinating. We also did a snorkeling tour with a ride in an underwater submarine viewing boat with Aqua World tours. We felt this was a rip off at $50 U.S. the submarine tour was pretty cool (not worth $40 for a 20 minute tour) and the snorkeling was in a provincial park area. Therefore they brought you through a roped off area with a tour guide and their wasn’t much to see, in my opinion.

This premier all inclusive 5 star hotel and spa is brand new and has only been open 6-7 weeks and has some growing pains. My husband Rolf and I(Lynn) are Canadians and have been married 33 years. Although it was my second trip to Cancun, it was my husband first to Cancun. Cancun is a very busy place and never lacks for things to do.

Airport- If possible avoid travel on the weekend to Cancun, on the Sat. we arrived Cancun airport processed 20,000 people threw their airport. Customs and Immigrations was a 1½ hour wait. Twelve planes arrived the same time and people were lined upstairs and all over downstairs to clear immigration. At one point that Sat. 20 planes arrived at the same time. I guess this is normal for Cancun airport. In 2005 they are building a new airport south of Tulum to fix this problem. Ignore all people in airport offering maps etc. as they are timeshare. Pick up shuttle taxi for $9 per person outside baggage door.

Check in and Rooms- Check in was simple but they take you into another room and ask you questions and avoid this for another day as they are actually timeshare. We did get two free tours which were excellent out of this. The hotel is L-shaped with the inside L facing the pool/ocean. The short outside L faces the lagoon and street which has buses running up and down 4 lane road there. The long side of the L faces another hotel so you are left looking at a solid wall for a view. Lots of people trying to change room to ocean view which they seem to want $30 a day as they considered this a up-graded room. We did have an ocean view room with no additional charge but it was an adjoining room 8434.

Hotel - The hotel is very upscale in general was super and very grand with lots of marble and has only been open 6-7 weeks. Halls in hotel could be more impressive. Very well kept, clean but could be more organized. The staff was lacking in information but most spoke English very well. This is a small complex with lots of concrete and no shade or gardens. They were very few children at this resort. They have a free internet room with two computers next to the theater and beside the washroom near the front lobby.

Pools - These were super. Very uniquely designed with a swim-up bar, chairs are at a shortage and not enough to go around and no shade. The entertainment staff did a good job of entertaining the guests throughout the day with a variety of activities. For those who wanted it quiet, there is a second pool area with Jacuzzi but no shade here . They have massages available for $35 a half hour.

Beach - The beach was nice and clean but small/narrow only 40 ft in depth. The surf was rough red flags up all but one day while we were there due to the strong breezes throughout the day. People seem to swim with red flags up although the undertow is quite strong. They is shade down on the beach after 2pm in the afternoon. The sand was soft and hard to walk on. There was also a lack of lawn chairs on the beach. You can rent jet boats or go pay to go para sailing. Water sports was non existent as the ocean is too rough. You can go over to the lagoon and use kayaks, pedal boats there.

Weather - The weather was great at this time of year. Highs in the mid 80's(25-30C) and lows in the high 50's in early morn or late evening so bring a sweater or jacket.

Food and Beverages - This is an all-inclusive resort and there was plenty of food and drink to be had. We enjoyed all the restaurants but Club Solaris buffet style was noisy. Marco Polo Restaurant was a menu choice and quieter. The other outdoor restaurant was often very windy. Food served included fresh cooked turkey, roast beef, pork, grouper, salmon & also they had a lobster Sat. They have a outdoor grill with pizza, burgers and hot dogs. A deli restaurant also made up sandwiches but couldn’t seem to determine when this was open as only open once in the whole week we were there. The hotel provides room service for any meal which was free and a nice added feature. Be sure to ask for a Rum Runner or Sex on the Beach both excellent drinks. You can also go to the Royal Solaris Cancun 5 minutes away and use their restaurants and facilities. We went to the Marco Polo Restaurant overlooking the ocean but crowded(15 min wait for lunch) and not much food selection.

Entertainment - They hold buffet dinner/theater parties Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the theater near the elevators and store but not clearly marked. Monday was Mexican night with excellent food and dancers for entertainment. Wednesday was a Cirque d’le and Friday was a Tropical theme. They had huge rotating ice sculpture in the food. One night they had a surprise night but was audience participation and not that great. You could also go to Carlos and Charlie and dine on Thursdays but avoid if possible. They take you on a bus at 6:00pm and serve you a buffet dinner which isn’t very good and doesn’t include your drinks. They bring you back at 10:30 at night. Lots of complaining about this meal and of people took the local bus back themselves to the hotel. The hotel also have nightly entertainment two singers with music in the lobby bar which is very nice.

Tours- The hotel provided two tours free. One was on the Sunday a tour of the lagoon in a large boat from 1pm to 3pm. One on Monday a tour down the coast to south of Tulum to a Mayan village, a tour of the jungle and free zip line rides and canoe rides. This tour also included a delicious lunch and time at resort on the Mexican Rivera. We left 7:30am and returned 5pm. I think these were put on by the timeshare people but was great .We took our own tour to Isla Mujeres. You can catch the bus in front of the hotel but make sure it says Puerto Juarez. They run every 15 minutes and usually have Isla Mujeres written across the top or side of bus in green. Take this bus for 10 minutes pass the bus depot downtown Cancun, do not get off at other locations to go to the island as they are double the price of Puerto Juarez. The ferry runs every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour and cost $7.00 return. On island you can rent a golf cart for $45 a day but be sure to take your driver’s license. Island is only 5 miles long and has some beautiful scenery and beaches. Lots of shopping stores where the ferry land and also a very scenic beach within walking distance.

Buses- They run up and down the hotel strip every 2 or 3 minutes and only cost 6.5 peos or $1.00 U.S. One bus runs to Wal-Mart and is marked as such and you can also do Market 28(cheap flea market) the same time. If you forget anything the Wal-mart will have it and their liquor is cheaper than the duty free. A bottle of Kahlua was $8.88 at Walmart and duty free wanted $12 for same bottle. Another bus is marked Puerto Juarez and it will take you to the ferry to Isla Mujeres. There are no transfers available you have to pay again to get onto another bus. You can also go down the coast to Playa de Carmen that runs every 15 minutes from the main bus terminal downtown Cancun but be sure to take a first class bus. From Playa de Carmen you can get the ferry to Cozumel.

We had a great time at this resort. It is close (10 minutes) from the airport and it exceeded all of our expectations. The front desk does need some expertise which will come after it has been opened longer.

Travel: We booked through selloffvacations.com Since we had been to the Royal Solaris before, we were comfortable booking online and knowing what to expect once we got there. The tour operator was Sunquest Tours. The air carrier was Skyservice and the flight was direct, Ottawa to Cancun.

Booking through selloffvacations.com was easy. Although I had trouble accessing their website, I booked by phone and all travel documents were received well in advance of the trip. They did a good job. We had to be at the airport 3 hours before our 6:30 a.m. flight, so we got there at 3:30. The Skyservice agent gates were not open yet, and we had to wait about fifteen minutes before they opened up to check our luggage.

The flight left promptly at 6:30. They served us breakfast on the flight, which was good. They had onboard movies but charged $5.00 for headphones, so bring some if you have them. The flight over was on time and service was very good. The flight back to Ottawa was likewise very good, except for one complaint we had: they sell duty-free items on the plane, and push a cart along the aisle containing all the goods. This blocked off two out of three washrooms for at least half of the passengers for half an hour. Since they passed the cart about half an hour after feeding us (and serving beverages), there were quite a few people lined up for the only bathroom available. Although I sidled up behind the cart hoping they would let me through to the only two free washrooms, they told me I would have to wait until they were done, or get in line at the other one. I don't think selling stuff should take precedence over bathrooms! We landed on time in Ottawa and breezed through customs.

It turns out we had an appointment to meet with our Sunquest rep at the hotel at 5:00, which we did not see on our documentation, so we missed it. She ended up calling us at 5:20 p.m. (we weren't in the room) then leaving a message. We ended up meeting up with her 3 days later and that was fine. I was glad she tried so hard to reach us, even though it was unsuccessful.

Mexico Airport: We had to go through immigration with our tourist cards, then customs. The lines were long but moved very quickly - Mexico does a good job of being efficient in processing travellers. We arrived at the airport around 10:30 and were out by 11:30. Sunquest had representatives there to direct us to the shuttle to take us to the resort. They did a great job.

At the end of our trip, we were promptly picked up by the shuttle and spirited to the airport. The lineup to check luggage was daunting; there was a least one flight to Toronto leaving at the same time via Skyservice, so there were hundreds of us waiting to check luggage. Happily, they had many (10?) counters open and we breezed through in about 45 minutes. We also sped through security screening, so we had about an hour before boarding the flight to check out the shops.

Resort: We have stayed here before and also at the GR Solaris down the beach. This is definitely our preferred resort. We arrived at 12:00, and though check-in time is posted as 3:00, our room was ready. We had to pay extra to use the in-room safe, $1.00 u.s. per day. We were assigned with a hostess to explain the facilities to us (which she did), but most of that time was spent trying to convince us to go a to a breakfast at the GR Solaris for a sales pitch for time-share. She didn't specifically say that, but that is the pitch. She didn't spend too much time trying to convince us though, as we are both smokers and this was our first chance off the plane to have one, so we were probably smoking her out.

As in previous reviews, there are two towers: the Royal Solaris and the Caribe. Royal Solaris is more of the "party" tower, while Caribe is more peaceful. Although our room was in the Royal Solaris, we preferred the Caribe pool area because it was less busy, particularly at lunch time to eat at the pool snack bar there.

They do such a nice job of keeping the resort clean! Seagulls like to pick up scraps off of plates left around the pool area, but they didn't have a chance with speedy staff picking up, sweeping up and cleaning constantly, everywhere. If you come here (Cancun) do not leave food out; the birds will swarm you and it is really quite frightening. We were sitting on the beach one day and a group of 4 ladies got some food before three went into the water, while one sat and read. Before you know it, dozens of birds were on that food and the woman was unable to fight them off. One of the beach waiters had to come and help her. Clean up after yourself and when you have food, eat it!

Another example of the cleanliness standard is when we were sitting near the pool bar the Royal Solaris one day and a patron dropped three slushy drinks when leaving the bar (maybe had enough already?). Staff had it hosed down and cleaned up inside of 5 minutes. They really do a great job in this respect.

Service is really great at all the bars, staff are friendly and attentive. We felt spoiled.

Downside: The only downside at the Royal Solaris Tower was that there are four elevators and not all were working at the same time. One was out of service for a couple of days, while others would go up went you wanted to go down, and vice versa. Patience is definitely a virtue with these elevators.

Room: We had an ocean-view room with a king-size bed in the Royal Solaris tower, no balcony (boo!). Still, the view was very nice. Housekeeping service was excellent. The housekeeper left us towels made in the shape of swans kissing (cute) and another day left napkins in the shape of a flower. Nice little touches. Soundproofing was good, though on our 2nd last day we had some rowdies move in next door, which we heard too easily. Thankfully, they were quiet at night, which is all that's really important, right? We had to call on maintenance one day to fix a clogged toilet and they arrived quickly and fixed the problem. The only downsides to the room were:

No refrigerator in the room. Some reports provide and stock a bar fridge.
No complimentary bottled water. If we wanted bottled water, we had to buy it at the gift shop and then get the guys at the bar to refill it (which they were happy to do). This was nevertheless inconvenient.
The television had limited English stations. Although there were a few american stations, about the only news we got was Anna Nicole Smith and Brittney Spears. Hubby wanted to watch the Daytona 500, but that was not on.

Beach: The beach is always beautiful. The beach was just beautiful. The weather was windy and the red flags were out (no swimming) all week, but that didn't stop me. I frolicked in the waves every day and it was great fun. No jellyfish, just sand and sea. With all the places we have visited down this way (Acapulco, Cuba, Margarita Island, Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata) this is by far the best beach for playing in the surf. It was too rough for kids, though. Much like the resort, the beach is kept very clean and is regularly groomed at night. Bar service is great on the beach also, with waiters passing regularly to take orders and pick up empties.

Downside: The only downside was that there weren't enough lounge chairs on the beach and some of those available would not prop up. One reason for this (chicken and egg scenario) is that guests would go to the beach first thing in the a.m. and put towels on beach chairs, "claiming" them. While there were many empty chairs at any given time, there were very few "unclaimed" chairs that people could use. Some guests ended up bringing chairs from the pool to the beach, which is a hassle.

Pool: We're at the ocean, for God's sake - there are pools at home! We walked by them, that's about it.

Food: Food service was good. Breakfast was at "Las Fuentas", located in the Royal Solaris Tower. Food was plentiful with a nice variety. They had one griddle cooking up pancakes and french toast, which hubby gobbled up happily daily. The other griddle served up eggs as you like them, fried, omelettes, etc. Our only complaint is that omelettes were not cooked long enough, so the filling was often cold. I assume that asking the cook to leave them on a bit longer will solve that.

Lunch was usually at the pool snack bar, where they have hot dogs, hamburgers, wings, french fries, fried cheese, chilli, pizza, sandwiches, fresh fruit, etc. This was always fast and good. The Caribe pool snack bar is quieter and less crowded than the Royal Solaris, so that always worked better for us.

Supper: Each restaurant had a different theme each night. Although there are others, we stuck with Las Fuentas for the buffet, and Rosmarinus for the excellent Mexican cuisine. Las Fuentas was good for supper. There was always a good variety and service was excellent.

Service was great at Rosmarinus, as was the food. It was always "Mexican Cuisine" night, and we had a nice variety. We especially enjoyed the Beef Sarape. The salad bar is meagre, though. Nevertheless, we highly recommend it!

Downside: Our only complaint about Las Fuentas for supper was the bread. At breakfast, there was always a selection of rolls, sliced bread and loaves to be sliced. At supper, there were only loaves for slicing, which I do not find very hygienic. Although there are tongs provided so the guests need not touch the bread to slice it, many do (particularly children) and so God knows what is growing on them. There are no rolls to be found there at supper. I undertook the habit of picking up a couple of rolls at breakfast to save for supper. Rosmarinus has rolls for supper.

We just returned from a one week stay at Royal Solaris Caribe. This was one of the best vacations we have enjoyed.

Resort: The resort has two towers - Royal and Caribe. Royal tower is undergoing renovation from the devastating hurricane that hit the region last year. The Caribe side is open. Prior to our arrival, we spoke to the hotel staff and they got us a nice room at 10 am (we are thankful to Gilberto). The staff work hard to keep it very clean.

Beach: The beach was just beautiful. The weather was great and the surf was not rough (except one day). They do an excellent job of keeping it clean. We had no trouble finding lawn chairs under the palapas. Nearby, you can rent jet boats or go parasiling. On the lagoon side, we enjoyed kayaking and wind sailing.

Kids club: Our kids 4 & 9 spent a couple of hours at the club each day. They had mostly indoor stuff to do, and a few activities at the main pool. My kids seemed to enjoy the activities. I wouldn't recommend leaving kids at the club all day.

Pool: Caribe tower has only one pool (has a kids' area). Pool activities seemed to be fun although we preferred to sit at the beach.

Food: Food service was excellent. We are vegerarians and the hotel staff were very accommodating - even prepared special meals (we are thankful to chef Roberto). Since Royal tower is not open, we had excahnge privileges with GR Solaris which was nice. Drinks were plentiful and of good quality.

Entertainment: The entertainment was decent. The friendly hotel staff entertained us at GR Solaris on all except one night. (Mexican night - which was the best). Kids enjoyed lip sync and Noah's arc shows. They had arranged transportation between the two resorts before & after the shows.

Downsides: We would have preferred more vegetarian choices for lunch & dinner. We would also have liked an on-site gym (we had to go to GR Solaris gym). The water temperature in the room shower was not properly regulated.

While my wife and I have traveled several times to Cancun, this was our second visit to the Royal Solaris Caribe. (see review by DK from Versailles Ky) There was a reason why we decided to return to this resort…it is a very nice place!

Airport – Getting through the airport is a breeze. We arrived around 10:00am and was on the beach by 11:20. The resort is in the Hotel Zone which is only 10 minutes from the airport.

Check In – This was also a breeze. We told the attendant that this was our second visit in five months and he upgraded us to a balcony room. Super view. Even though check in was not until 3:00pm, we got our bracelets and the bellmen stowed our bags until the room was ready. They provide a changing room so you can change into your suit and enjoy the resort immediately.

Grounds – The staff are always working to keep the place clean, safe and enjoyable. The pools are great with a swim up bar. Plenty of room to swim or participate in the pool-side activities. There is also a second pool area with it’s own bar and grill. We call it the quiet pool, as the only real activity is bingo. There are plenty of pool chairs and towels are available to be checked out poolside.

Beach – The beach was just beautiful. The winds were up with a big surf, but it was clean, safe and very walkable. There are also lots of chairs on the beach, some with thatched umbrellas.

Food – The food is primarily buffet style, but the selections were numerous and very good. Lots of choices for any taste. There are two or three ala carte restaurants, and they did a good job also.

Drinks – Plenty!!! The bars open at 10:00am until 1-2:00 am depending on the activities ongoing.

Activities – The pool staff do a good job of keeping you entertained, but you absolutely do not have to participate. There are club-style shows at night which were very good. The sports bar is located in the very corner of the resort, but has fun stuff to do.

Weather – The weather was great. Generally in the mid 80’s, but take lots of sunscreen so you don’t have to waste time with a burn. This was our third trip to Cancun, all at different times of the year. The weather has been great everytime.

My wife and I met another couple at the Royal Solaris over the New Year's weekend. Although it was our second trip to Cancun, it was our first to the RS.

Checkin - Check in was simple and efficient. Although our room was not ready at the time, we were provided our wrist bands and the hotel stored our luggage. We could then enjoy the many charms of the Royal Solaris.

Hotel - The hotel in general was super. Very well kept, clean and well organized. The staff was very helpful and most spoke english very well. This is a fairly large complex with two towers of rooms situated behind a large complex of pools. The grounds seemed well laid out except the sports bar was tucked away in a far corner of the hotel. It was nice, just hard to find.

Pools - These were super. Very uniquely designed with a swim-up bar, lots of chairs, multiple areas for pool volleyball and other activities. The entertainment staff did a good job of entertaining the guests throughout the day with a variety of activities. For those who wanted it quiet, there is a second pool area with its own bar and grill. They played softer, more mellow music in that area. The facility also had two large jacuzzi pools which were situated high above the beach with excellent views.

Beach - The beach was nice and clean. The surf was rough while we were there due to the strong breezes throughout the day. The sand was soft and wonderful to walk on.

Weather - The weather was great at that time of year. Highs in the mid 80's and lows in the high 60's. You could lay out all day and not risk a burn. Very nice.

Food and Beverages - This is an all-inclusive resort and there was plenty of food and drink to be had. We enjoyed all the restaurants and bars and the bartenders do a super job. They can make anything, all you have to do is ask. Bars open at 9:30am and close.....well, very late. They have poolside burger bars with all the fixins. It opens at 11:30 with burgers hot off the grill.

Entertainment - They hold cookouts and parties around the pool complex at night, and there is a disco in the main bar off the lobby. Good music with plenty of dancing.