When I'm gone - When I'm gone You're gonna miss me when I'm gone - You're gonna miss me by my hair You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh - You're gonna miss me when I'm gone - When I'm gone - When I'm gone You're gonna miss me when I'm gone - You're gonna miss me by my walk You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh - You're gonna miss me when I'm gone I got my ticket for the long way 'round - The one with the prettiest of views It's got mountains, it's got rivers - It's got sights to give you shivers But it sure would be prettier with you Thanks for the great memories! - Andrea and I had a blast! read more

The Royal Islander - I will miss this place. - Hotels Near Me - Cancún, ROO

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We visited this hotel on Monday, because it is one of the three Royal Resorts in the Cancun area. Food: We decided to grab a light lunch after a few hours in the sun. I ordered a bread bowl, and hubby ordered their Cuban sandwich. All of our food came out quick and hot. Everything was seasoned very well, we truly enjoyed everything.  Customer Service: Our waiter at this restaurant was very friendly and helpful. He was very attentive and kept coming back to our table and checking to see see if we needed anything. We really enjoyed everything we ordered, and there was no issues with paying our bill even though we were staying at another Royal Resorts hotel.  Staff: Everyone from the shuttle bus driver, front desk, pool towels, and the restaurant was very professional. It's very apparent that their staff really goes above and beyond to ensure that everyone's experiences are excellent.  Beach & pools: This resort is alot more relaxed and there seemed to be more older guests than younger. The pools were not too crowded and there was plenty of lounges available. The beach is an short walk down 3-4 floors, down from the pool/ground level. The beach is not as wide as the the other two hotels, but it was probably the most relaxing spot of the three Royal Resorts. There is plenty of cabanas on the beach, and there is bar staff as well too help keep you hydrated...lol TIPS: There is free resort shuttle that runs between the three hotels, so their guests can ride comfortable in an air conditioned bus. Also make sure you get your pool towels, before walking down to the beach....because otherwise you going to be climbing alot of stairs. ~Dani @glampedlife read more

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This place is terrible! I spent one night here and I will never go here again! Let me just say a few things about Cancun that are annoying. Check in time gets later and later. If they say three and your flight is early, be prepared to wait. Check in time here is 4 PM, which is completely ridiculous! Check out time is 11 AM. It's almost a scam. I agreed to come here, true. However, I didn't think I would really have to wait that long. I literally got up at three AM to take my flight, went for a three mile walk, did some light shopping, went swimming, laid out, got darker and still had to wait and they told me they upgraded me to a beach front room like they were doing me a favor with thier stupid view of thier seaweed Beach. (The beaches in Mexico are notorious for thier seaweed however most hotels send staff early in the morning to collect the seaweed then periodically as it comes). I almost asked just to be put in a room. I only had liquids up until then. I wanted to take a s8hower and then order room service. Lol. So room service is you go to the restaurant and order your food to go and bring it to your room yourself. First world problems but, what a joke. Next, I went swimming waiting on my room. Above the pool is a swarm of those black birds that are all over Cancun. I've never seen so many. There's not that problem at any other hotel. Anyway, they wait for people to order food then swoop down. There were so many of them. It was like that movie The Birds. Short story, short one pooped on my foot and my towel. I wiped my foot off and scrammed. Disgusting.! Second, in Cancun, if your room is 301, that doesn't mean you're on the third floor. That is every hotel. It is so confusing and nonsensical. You could be in 418 and be on the 7th floor. So it was confusing when they finally let me up at almost 3PM. I had to stop to ask how to get there twice. Now my flight back was early and the transportation I arranged came at 645 to pick me up. I ran all over that hotel for 30 minutes looking for the front. There was only one employee that I saw and he didn't speak English but it was clear what I was asking. I was frantic. I finally made it to the front and was the only one leaving. I explained to the man I needed to hurry up and check out because my transportation will be here soon. He seemed annoyed at a simple 5 second check out and took his time. It was almost as he had contempt for me. ( All the employees here are nice nasty which is worse than fake nice. They all look like they hate thier job.) After he checks me out he hands me a slip and tells me to give it to the porter who is closer to him than me and completely useless as I only had a bookbag I just dropped the slip and looked at him like the idiot he was and went outside to wait for my ride which came promptly. The rooms are basic. There's a refrigerator and a microwave. The blankets aret thinner than a bald man's hair. I've been duped!!! Also, you can't use cash or credit card to make purchases. You have to.. use your room key y Do NOT go here! read more

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The Best 7 Day Vacation EVER! Although we went for my husbands dental work, we were able to turn our trip in to an amazing vacation. Our first few days were spent at a smaller hotel close to the dental clinic. We then moved to The Royal Islander on that Saturday. Check in was at 4 pm. We did arrive early at 1pm. As we pulled up, we were greeted by a Bellman who took our luggage to be delivered to our room. Let me get to the one downside of this trip. Upon arrival we were told that the computer system was down. Which meant that the checkin process was going to be different and a cash deposit was going to be needed in instead of a credit card. That was very unfortunate. What if we did not have cash? Then....we had to wait for our room to be cleaned in order to be fully checked in. They did not provide much direction. So we were on our own trying to fill up the time. It was very busy and crowded so we did our best. Finally we got checked in and went to our Ocean Facing Suite. OMG..... we had the best view of the ocean. That right there made me easily forget our earlier experience. Our room was great. Beds comfy. We did not do any of the activities offered. We really did not know or understood how it all worked. So we just enjoyed the pool. Enjoyed the beach. And enjoyed the food. Pacos Tacos was closed. But we were able to order from their menu which was amazing. All in all.... will we go back? Absolutely. The resort is amazing. There is Renovation going on. But man when it is all done this will be a premier place to stay. read more

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After being a continuous guest at the Royal Resort, we are so disappointed by the way we were treated when a security guard from Captain's Cove would not allow us to ride the shuttle back to our hotel because we did not eat at Captain's Cove. By the time we got back to the hotel, they had already heard from the security guard and said that the reason we could not ride the bus was because it was full. The manager from the ROYAL SANDS was no help. Not even I'm sorry that this happened to you. read more

The Royal Islander - The security guard who blocked us from getting on the bus because we did not eat at the restaurant. - Hotels Near Me - Cancún, ROO

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This is my second stay at this resort. They are currently (2020) undergoing a renovation on part of the property. That section is closed so don't fear booking a stay here. I selected this hotel because of the availability of a 2 bedroom suite. As you arrive to the resort they have bellmen to assist you with your luggage so it makes it easy for checkin. The facility is dated but has been well maintained and the staff are very helpful. The checkin process is quick and then your greater by the concierge and presented with a welcome gift. I booked the 2 bedroom suite. The room is a "lock out" type so there is 2 different rooms. Our main suite has a full kitchen, dining area with living room, very large master room and bath, and large balcony. In the living room there are 2 twin Murphy beds. The other room is set up as a mini suite with 2 doubles a small kitchenette, and full bathroom. read more

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For those reading this, please share because Royal Resorts Cancun Mexico has made this the worst birthday since the passing of my mother. I want everyone to know how they treat their customers. Before the pandemic I reserved and paid for this vacation with Royal Resorts | Cancun. Subsequently my charge card had a charge that wasn't mine. My bank, Santander, voided that card and issued me a new one. I informed the Resort of such and was told that it would not be a problem. Well, upon arrival they are telling me that I have to produce that card to get a refund and they charged my new card, also with Santander, with that amount plus at today's exchange rate. Is that how you treat return visitors? I think not. I do believe I will be contacting the news when I return home if they do not make good Before I leave. read more

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This store tonight closed at 9:36pm. Last night 9:42. The elevators never work. The happy hous is from 9-10pm???? This place is not worth your money. We spent over $775 for 2 nights two rooms. Save your money and go somewhere else. Americans beware. You'll see. This place is a scam read more

The Royal Islander is one of several Royal Resorts in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico (besides the Royal Islander, they also have the Royal Cancun and the Royal Sands in Cancun, and the Royal Hacienda in Playa del Carmen). The hotel has its good points and bad points. On the good side, the views from this hotel are spectacular: the beach in front of the hotel has the most beautiful turquoise water. The hotel's pool is large, clean and very well-maintained. They have a very well-stocked market (The Royal Market) in the lobby with a wide selection of everything from food, wine, snacks, traveler's needs (like medications, phone chargers etc.), souvenirs (t-shirts, hats and much more). All their prices are very reasonable. There's a coffee shop in the lobby (The Royal Roast Coffee Company) that makes excellent coffee. All guests receive 2 free passes to the Museo Maya de Cancun, which has a Mayan ruins and is located right near the Hotel. On the not-so-good side, the staff are poorly informed and many times while I was there, I received conflicting answers to the same question. There is no directory of the hotel's services in the room, so I didn't find out about many of the things available until it was too late. They have a self-service laundry available, but it's not open on Sunday and closes at 4:30 PM (if it's self-service, why can't it be open 24 hours???). The rooms, while large, are poorly divided and much of the space is wasted in a foyer or vestibule. The hotel is on the older side and while the rooms are tiled in travertine, they are in need of serious updating. There are not enough electrical outlets. The restaurants in the hotel are really not worth mentioning. This large hotel does not have a gym, which is odd because almost every hotel I've ever stayed at has even a small gym available. read more

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I stayed here last week. Like most resorts in Cancun, it is located directly on the beach. Honestly, I would only recommend resorts that are on the beach. There are many options you can select from breakfast included to all inclusive, depending on how much you want to spend. We did only breakfast included, and this is because we tend to spend most days off campus doing excursions and tourist activities, so we would miss any other included meal. If you are someone who tends to enjoy more just hanging out on the beach, staying at the resort, and drinking, you will probably save money doing all inclusive. The very best part of this resort is the service staff. Everyone we met was just incredible. They were happy, friendly, helpful and welcoming. A special thanks goes out to Socorro. She is sort of like a roaming concierge and one lady welcoming party. She could direct us wherever we needed to go, and was always happy to spend as much time with us as needed. She seemed to truly love her job. The need special shout out goes to Jesus. He works the afternoon shift at the excursion/tour/activity booth (he gets in around 3pm). All resorts have a booth that sell off campus activities. The reason I liked Jesus is that he is not pushy/aggressive, as some sales people can be. In addition, his pricing is fair. You have to be careful in Cancun and Mexico in general. All prices tend to be negotiable and you might over pay if you are not savvy. I am familiar with this process, and can tell you Jesus never once tried to take us for a ride. Definitely wait for him and his shift. Lastly, the only reason for being a 4 star instead of 5 star, is that the furnishing in the room are not very modern. From the rooms I saw, and my room, most of the beds/wallpaper/art/electronics, seem to be quite outdated. Oh, and one final PSA. Be careful, they also try to get you to do timeshare sales presentations. These are typically high pressure and uncomfortable. Unless this is your thing, I'd avoid them. **I did not upload many pictures as you can find this easily on their website, but I did send you a picture of the turtles :) read more

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.this hotel is closing so they don't give a f$&@ But the other Royal resorts are still open. But they won't get my business. Horrible service, especially when they tell us "we're closing so oh well". read more

There are a lot of polarizing reviews about the Royal Islander out there, but I think it was truly a middle-of-the-road experience. We booked at the last minute and ended up at the Islander because it was the best price for our group of 7 people. We were lucky to get both A & B sides of one villa, which technically sleeps 6 people. The beds and pillows were high-quality and generally the suites were quite clean and well-maintained. The kitchenette had everything we might have needed, but as other reviewers have mentioned you are expected to clean everything before you check out. Thankfully ours had a dishwasher. The pool area was standard and had one pool bar. They do aerobics and bingo and probably other activities. We also checked out two other Resort properties for their pools, so it was nice to have multiple options. Royal Sands was the nicest pool area we visited and is a 20 minute shuttle ride away. The beach at the Islander was very close but it didn't seem like a great place to swim due to the strength of the waves. Service experience was overall good. Cleaning staff was great, concierges were not TOO pushy though they do really want to get you out to Coco Bongo, and they were sweet to leave a courtesy voicemail message for us asking how we were because someone in my group had to go to the doctor. The only true downside to this resort is the food. The food at Paco's Tacos (I tried fish tacos, guacamole, and queso fundido) and Cayo Largo (I tried ceviche, coconut shrimp, nachos) was quite bad and the Conquistador is hard to get in to unless you book a reservation at least one day early. I recommend shuttling over to the Sands for dinner at Hacienda Sisal or one of the other restaurants in walking distance. Overall, the Royal Islander is not the nicest place you could stay in Cancun but it is not a bad option if you are looking for something that is reasonably priced. read more

It's 10am and my 4 year old sat up in bed and asked me, mommy, what's that sound. They DJ by the pool was bumping the music and talking into the microphone. We are from the west coast and still adjusting to the time. The music was loud and the excitement in the DJ's voice is more upsetting for a family trying to catch some zzz then anything else. This is our second morning and yesterday was no different. I guess going to bed late here is not an option unless you can sleep through loud music. I been to Cancun several times and stayed at different hotels - Marriott, Westin, Fiesta America and now Royal Islander. I won't stay here again, unfortunately. You get one towel by the pool so if you want one to sit on and another for drying, it's not happening. Also, you have to lug your towel back to your room and switch out for a clean one the following day. The room is decent and the bed is comfy. The AC works well.... But the bathroom is dated and the place doesn't feel luxurious. It's like a Comfort Inn or something (I stayed in those 25 years ago when I was a young soldier in the Army). I would give this place a 3 or 4 stars if it wasn't for the music but at this point, I just don't understand why this music this early and why this loud is necessary. read more

The past two years we have stayed at their sister resort the Royal Caribbean but it was under construction for renovations. I'm glad since I actually liked the islander better! The resort was a bit smaller and more convenient and had the same feel. The beach and pool areas were immaculate and the location was perfect for our family. I can't wait for our next trip to Cancun as we will definitely stay here again! read more

This is a bargain priced resort. If this is the only cancun resort in your budget then go for it. The view from the rooms is great , the pool nice, and you can use it as a home base. My two biggest complaints about this place is that the beach is so eroded it's no longer really swim-able; they put concrete slabs all down the beach that the waves push you into and the food SUCKS. read more

The Royal Islander - Hotels Near Me - Cancún, ROO

If you can afford to go elsewhere in Cancun, pay the extra $ and go! My girlfriends and I were NOT impressed with our 3 night stay here. This hotel is in the hotel zone but fairly far from downtown Cancun, which is where the party scene is. Downtown is about a 20 minute bus ride from here. The hotel itself is located at the top of a hill, so you'd need to take a 5 minute walk down to the main road to catch the bus. The only reason why my girlfriends and I ended up here is because this was one of the very few hotels in Cancun that offered two-bedroom suites. There were 6 of us altogether and we did not want to be separated into different hotel rooms. Once we got our room #, it took us FOREVER to find our room! It's so confusing to find your room! Generally with hotels, the first # in your room # is the floor it's on, right? Not with this hotel! And what didn't help was that even though the guy at the front desk gave us a map and drew directions to our room, he transposed one of the #'s and we were led in the wrong direction! So frustrating! The most ANNOYING part of this stay was the fact that we had to move into a new hotel room for our 3rd night. The timeshare owner of our first room was coming that weekend and needed their room so we ended up staying in two different hotel rooms over our 3 night stay. WTF! The suite itself was pretty outdated but it had all the amenities we needed. A full kitchen, a mini fridge in each bedroom, a living room and a huge balcony that faced the ocean. There is also a mini-mart on the first floor near the lobby, but they won't take cash. In fact, the restaurants wont take cash or credit card either. You need to pay with your room key and then they put it on your room bill, which is super ANNOYING! I am definitely staying elsewhere on my next trip to Cancun. read more

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Bring your own plunger we have been here five days so far in a two room suite. Both toilets have overflowed for a total of six times, once I can understand. Twice? Ok. Maybe its us. after the third time we asked them to leave a plunger. they said they don't do that. What do they think we would do to misuse a plunger? I'm sure we can't be the only ones having this problem. This morning, it overflowed all over the bathroom soaking all the towels and some of of our clothes. Just urine thank god. we asked again, and they said they didn't have a spare plunger. On the entire resort. when I asked, I was told that no one else on the resort has ever had this problem. Just admit there is a small problem with the plumbing ok? None of us is sick, mind you and we have no abnormal bowel problems that I am aware of. I'm sure glad I didn't buy the stupid timeshare option. I do think I spent enough to warrant at least an apology if a plunger is too much to ask. The room is nice, food is expensive. pool is great. Beach is beautiful. Service staff very friendly. Just don't ask for a plunger. read more

This place isn't the best resort to stay in Cancun. There are many things in this hotel that will surprise you (i.e. things that you would expect to find in a standard hotel). First of all, they do not provide a new set of soap or shampoo every day. You kind of expected to use the same ones everyday. Second, they do not clean your room on Sundays since the employees need to rest as well (management could have rotated the resting days for existing employees). Third, coffee isn't provided to the rooms everyday. Apparently, they only provide coffee on your first day. We challenged the management that of we check out the next day, and check in the very moment, they will provide coffee. This honestly makes no sense. Fourth, their pool side restaurant menu isn't complete. I would expect more standard mexican food, but all they have are standard americanized food. Not to mention that their fish isn't fresh at all. There are positive things in this hotel. For example, they have a grass tennis court and a nice pool. They are also located by the beach so the view is pretty. My conclusion is that I do not recommend this place in Cancun read more

The Royal Islander - The royal islander @ cancun - Hotels Near Me - Cancún, ROO

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Don't stay here - horrible customer service Fees, fees fees. So many better options. The royal islander starts there swindle by first having you come into the front and you are greeted by the "concierge" before you get to the front desk. The full court press begins here as they ask you question after question in hopes of getting you to buy a time share in there resort. You are also informed once you get there an additional 350$ to 500$ hold will be put on your room for charges you may incur during your stay. The concierge will walk you to the front desk where they hand that person your room key and he sells to you the whole way to your room. If that is not enough he comes into your room and tries to sign you up for things for another 40 mins. Me and my gf finally agreed to goto a presentation where They offer you "free activities" if you just listen to a 90 Min pitch about why you should invest in a money sink over lunch. but in all actuality you will feel like you are being held hostage by sales people. The concierge had the front desk issue 9am wake up call that we didn't ask for to make sure we were up and ready to go to this presentation. They then put you on a bus for 1.5 hours to another location that is as crappy as the islander and offer you "lunch" which were about 3 hot plates of fish, bread, and warm salad. You then are pressured by salespeople for 3 hours on what price are you willing to pay them monthly to own a timeshare and when they finally take your no as final you are stuck at tis place for 4 more hours before you can get back on the bus (another 1.5 hours) and get back to your room essentially wasting a vacation day. The islander has no gym but you are allowed to go to the adjacent resort and work out at that gym for a daily fee charged The islander doesn't have a hot tub but you are free to goto another one of there family of resorts where you will be charged There is a shuttle bus that travels up and down the strip hourly that is always packed but you can take a cab service that will only take cash that security is more than happy to call for you with there whistles. The problem is the price listed is not what you will pay as the taxi will demand more than the "110 - 130 pesos" posted on the resorts as the fee. And when you complain to management they blame it on bad English which only seems to be a problem when money comes into play There is a charge for literally anything you can think of and everyone that works here is trying there hardest to get into your pockets. It is worth it to stay at one of the more established resorts here such as the j.w. Marriott or the Omni because the money you may have saved booking this trip will add right up in hidden fees and charges read more

The Royal Islander - Hotels Near Me - Cancún, ROO

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We had a very nice stay here. Our room was large and clean, the service was always so friendly and right there. We had the included breakfast buffet and it was one of our favorites. The variety was excellent and we just loved to relax on their patio drinking the delicious coffee. We had an excursion one morning that left before the breakfast opened, but I talked to the head waiter the day before and he made to go boxes with sandwiches, pastries, fruit cups and juice for us, and there was coffee in the lobby in the mornings. We ate dinner at the same restaurant the first night and weren't impressed with their food for a sit down dinner. We did order some quesadilla and sandwiches one evening for a quick bite and those were good. I read previous reviews that mention a problem with the beach, but it was beautiful and looked perfect when we went Dec '22. The pools and commons areas were nice and we all felt very comfortable, safe and at home. ****The only reasons I would look at other resorts before booking here again... 1. The Saturday check out is ridiculous - and not something we were told about when we reserved. We arrived on a Friday evening and still had to check out the next day. We have 4 kids and an all day excursion booked for Saturday, so we had to get everyone up even earlier on our first full day there, and pack everything up. Then after coming back that evening, just exhausted from our excursion, we had to stand in line for awhile to check in AGAIN and unpack everything again. We spent one night with a beautiful view from the 5th floor, then had a crap view from the 2nd floor the rest of our stay. 2. The showers and toilets are terrible and outdated. They should just leave plungers in the bathrooms - you're going to need it. And the shower is very old and small. They have a shower curtain rod that swings out wide to give you more room in the small shower, but it stretches the curtain so far you can barely get a seal on the wall. Then the shower head is a MESS, spraying water everywhere, water coming out of the showers head seams. Our floor and bath mat was always puddled with water. You couldn't relax because you were constantly keep the shower curtain closed and mopping up the floor after. 3. We love the easy, cheap bus system up and down the main road! Not only easy and cheap, but it allows you to see the sights and make last minute decisions on where to stop. However, Royal Islander is a bit of a walk from the main road and it is a very steep, long walk up the hill to get back at the end of the day. If we were at a resort closer to the road or with a flatter driveway we would have been more likely to run out for for quick little excursion/shopping. read more

Arrived yesterday. Room clean and well appointed. Bed comfortable. Grounds beautiful, nice amenities. Outstanding concierge staff thank you Liza. Unfortunately once you occupy your room, requests on the phone for in room help....problem with the tv, air conditioner, and kitchen essentials....we called the front staff, requested help and staff said they would be right up... it was a no show every time. The staff are agreeable to you but no one shows up. We are easy going travelers, and this is our first trip to Cancun, however this is exceedingly very poor customer service. This is only day 2 of 7. read more

This is a beautiful hotel. The food is subpar. I could not ask for better service or a friendlier staff. My only complaint about this hotel is that my friend caught food poisoning on our very last day vacation eating the shrimp and avocado meal or the beef quesadillas. That really sucks, because I would love to give 5 stars but I have to my honest. She was very sick for 3 days. Also, David at the bar is exceptional. Gabriel, the towel guy is very nice as well!! read more

I rarely write reviews but felt compelled to let folks know the pros and cons. It's not always fair to judge a place by a few night stay. I have stayed here about 15 times and here is the scoop: The good: - Service is excellent and the people are super friendly and warm - Beach is one of the best in Mexico, you will not be disappointed - Safe place for families, no partying here. Kids will love it lots of activities - Spacious villas for up to 6/7 people - Concierge is very helpful (They will ask you for the sales pitch, just say no). It is a time share place so they want to sign you up (the deal isn't actually bad) - Very clean and well kept up (it is not a super high end place, feels more like a nice condo, but we like that) - Great happy hours 3 to 6 generally, half price The medium: - Food is ok, very American, fairly average priced, but kids like the food so that helps (for dinner go to Puerto Madero down the street) - Pools are decent, I love heated pools, these pools a re bit chilly (I know quit your whining) - Decor - a bit early 80's design, but as I mentioned, the rooms are nice and clean, not as architectural as other places - Drinks are watered down a bit, but tasty, fairly expensive (off happy hour) The ugly: - If you are a foody, not a place for you - If you want to party, not a place for you - If you want super high end ammenities, not a place for you, go spend money elsewhere - If you want sexy young people, not for you (many people own here and are typically 50 to 80, but that is ok for us) Hope this helps, but overall a solid experience if you are looking for the items in my "good" list read more

Stayed there Sept. 25-28 & had a wonderful time. Staff was great & helped us coordinate trips to Chichen Itza & Tulum. Conquistador restaurant is open as is Captains Cove across the street. Only downside is that the Royal Caribbean next door is closed & currently under construction so there is no access to their pool or amenities. There are a bunch of turtles located in their outdoor pond by the pool. Very cool! Resort was fairly quiet & peaceful. Made for a relaxing few days :) read more

The Royal Islander - Pool area - Hotels Near Me - Cancún, ROO

I've stayed here the last two times I've come to Cancun. The room are nice and clean and all the staff are friendly. I love it here and would come back again. I love how it has a market and little restaurants to eat at. Happy hour is a plus too! read more

The Royal Islander - Hotels Near Me - Cancún, ROO

We had a good experience here. The grounds are clean & pretty. The rooms are spacious...not super fancy but that's the price point. The staff was always nice. No pressure for the timeshare tour like mentioned here before. The onsite market & restaurants took cash & credit. The exchange rate isn't as good as other off site places but convenient. There is no wristband but you have to use you room card for everything on site, at least to verify you as a guest. There was a lot of saving beach chairs very early in the morning even if people were not going to be on the beach for a very long time. That's very frustrating for a family ready to be on the beach but no place to sit. It's silly to be one of the only people out there yet every sit is taken. That's very selfish,but not the hotels fault. This resort is not in the middle of the action close to downtown while we liked. It's quiet & relaxing. The bus to downtown is cheap & only a short walk to the bus stop. The bus typically takes pesos so take cash to exchange. It is 1 cost for however long you ride it. Just pay attention to where your stop is! There is a grocery store in the shopping center right down the road from the Royal Sands, a sister hotel. You can ride for free & just walk over. It's a little cheaper than the hotel market. The beach in front of the beach is rather rough. The lifeguards require you to swim down the beach. There is a scale at the hotel to weigh your suitcase before leaving for your flight. Sounds convenient, right! They charge to use it! Silly. Should be a perk of using their resort but that's one thing to get used to in Cancun, everything has an opportunity to get extra money out of You!! Beware of those downtown. A guy dressed up in a suit & mask approached us & was entertaining. He ended up having us take pictures with him, with OUR camera & then told us we owed him money. He was quite pushy & we ended up paying him $10 to leave us alone. Learn to say no! read more

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Hotel was fairly affordable. I paid $160 plus taxes and fees. Wifi was free! However, it was drifting in and out. So watching a movie can be a challenge. Room was decent size with an ocean view. But it had tiles, which would mean that if your neighbor above or next to you were a heavy walker or liked dragging chairs, you'll hear it! How would you like that to hear the screeching noise while taking an afternoon nap? Guest can use the gym at its sister property next door; however it is not free : $8 a day or $40 a week. Please note that it's closed on Saturdays. The first in-room coffee pac is free, but you'll have to pay for subsequent ones. There's a coffee shop in the adjacent hotel. Lobby and fixtures were dated. The hotel sits in the back of a long driveway that's shared with Seadust. The walk back to hotel, with an elevation of about 40 feet, could be strenuous for senior citizens. Good luck with staying at this place. I will not return even if you pay me! read more

This place is careworn. The furniture is old, the bathrooms have tub showers where the water doesn't go down. The daily maid service is hit or miss. The food at the restaurants is ordinary at best. El Conquistador is overpriced. Kitchen stock was broken. Ran out of toilet paper and paper towels. Room was unclean when we checked in. Concierge followed me to the pool to try to get me to go to a presentation. I told her not to We stayed here 15 years ago and it was lovely. Now, not so. But the view is beautiful but it's far away from the main hotel area. read more

Oh man guys -- it's a good thing I don't have a choice when I travel to Cancun, these reviews would've made me think I was headed for hell. It's not hell, I assure you. In fact, based on my travels to this particular place (4 times over the past 10 years) I can vouch for the standard of service and will tell you a bit about the experience. (And when I say "don't have a choice" -- I mean, my dad and his wife have a timeshare in the Royal Resorts, so this is where we go because we want to hang out with them, share their villa, and do family time. No muss, no fuss, no making plans -- we know our destination is the Royal Resorts, and I am just fine with that. On our most recent stay (April 2015) -- we spent 7 nights at the Islander. I was after a very chill 7 days and this is exactly what I got. I arrived on Saturday and didn't really leave until the following Saturday. I didn't have to think about where I was going, how I would get there, what I would wear (bathing suit, sundress, sandals, fini), who might be there, or anything. I basically downloaded "Girl on the Train," put on a bathing suit every day, swam with my toddler in the pool and sat under a palapa. I couldn't be happier. We had the whole villa (my parents with the Master Suite) and my husband, son and I in the "lockoff" hotel style room. When staying with a group this size it's great to be able to share the common areas (balcony/terrace, kitchen, dining, living room) but still have your own bathrooms, bedrooms, closets, entryways, etc. The lockoff units (which can often be found for quite cheap on booking sites) are totally fine, but very basic. If you can, try to get the villa with the larger social areas (preferably on the ocean, best view!), it's a bit more relaxing. However if you're on a budget the lockoff rooms are totally adequate, comfortable and clean. Just remember to bring toiletries (not provided) or you'll need to purchase some in the market. The resort is "cashless." This means you'll get a card at check-in and you'll charge everything to that card and pay at the end. I really like this, but reading the reviews I get the vibe that some do not. I did not really think about it -- I hate carrying cash, and being able to use the card for everything at the resort (spa, meals, market, laundry, gym, etc) means I don't need to worry or carry my wallet so I just locked it up in the safe and used my card all week. Trust me, it's really fine. You can always check your balance with the front desk if you're worried about going over your budget. It's always less than I think it is going to be after all that eating and drinking (and spa going, yay!). I also prefer this type of resort rather than an "all-inclusive" because they usually use cheap alcohol and cheap food, and I'd rather just pay for the upgrades I want rather than try to "get my money's worth." That would be stressful - I do not want stressful! I want peace. I found the staff to be lovely, always. Protip - if you tip early (you also do this on your card) and WELL, they will really take care of you. If you don't, you'll get fine service too. My guy gave me a hug when I left! My dad said I'm too nice, but honestly -- that guy is running back and forth in the sand providing me with lime daiquiris and bushwhackers, I think he's earned that and more. Be kind, be generous and be respectful. They are staff, not slaves. They are professionals and they should be treated as such. Watching some of the guest behavior it made me think people should have to take an etiquette class before leaving the country. Sheesh. Anyway, I was cool with the staff -- not once was there an issue, and they were quick to help with anything along the way. 3 cheers! You can arrange private or shared transportation through Thomas Moore (from the Cancun airport). It's easy and also done via your room, so you'll just pay all at the end. It's very simple and convenient. The cost for a shared roundtrip ride (shuttle) is just $25/pp. Private transport is more (inquire for details) -- it can all be booked via the Royal Resorts website and they'll send a confirmation. There's a laundry and gym on site. You can take the shuttle to the spa at the Royal Sands (about 20 minutes). The pools are nice and kept clean. The beach is gorgeous, but the water is rough -- so if you really like to swim, the pool is the best bet. Happy Hour starts at 3pm, but I never figured out what the deals were. I just wanted to participate and be festive when everyone started chiming "HAPPY HOUR!." So I did. I suggest you do the same. There are many places to grab drinks. One towel per guest, checked out at the sports desks. As a Royal Resorts guest you can utilize (and charge) any of the amenities at the Royal Islander, Carribbean and Sands. Kind of nice to get a change of pace, head to another pool, go to a restaurant at the Sands (Sisal is good!), etc. So yes overall - it's good. It's vacation. Enjoy. read more

The Royal Islander - Poolside - Hotels Near Me - Cancún, ROO

I have been visiting the Royal Resorts for the past 7 years because my mother in law has a timeshare here so we get pretty good deals. I usually stay at the Royal Sands a few blocks up on the strip but this was my second time at the Islander. This resort is located on top of a steep hill so if you are taking the main bus on the road, there is a lot of walking involved. Many tourists take cabs/shuttles which take you up the hill but you can save a lot of money by taking the buses on the main street (right now, $2 USD gets two people on one way). You basically walk between two jungles and one fences in local mexicans. In the night time, this walk may not seem safe. You must put a deposit on hold but this deposit is technically your spending cash at the resort properties. You don't need physical cash/card with you, your room key will be your debit card during this trip. If you go over your "deposit" limit, you must put another deposit at the front desk. The hotel lobby has a market where you can pretty much buy food to cook in your room (if you have the kitchen side). The souvenir store is in Royal Carribean which is connected to this hotel so you can walk over. The spa is located in the Royal Sands which you can take the Royal Shuttle that runs every hour for free. The room itself is quite outdated. It gives off a 1999 feel. If you aren't staying with your timeshare week, you will get the "B" side which provides two double beds and no kitchen. We tried to update to a king bed but they said no rooms offer that except for the "A" side which is usually occupied by the timeshare holder for that week. Front desk insisted we would fit on the double bed together but me being 5"9 and my boyfriend being 6"2, that didn't quite work out. Getting to the beach is a mission here has there is many levels depending on which side you are staying on. Elevator is outdated so I was always scared to get on them. The beach is beautiful after you figure out how to get there through their many walkways/hallways/stairs and they do have a bar on the beach so you don't have to leave to get a drink. Happy hour by the pool begins at 3pm. The bar by the restaurant has a happy hour from 9pm-10pm for those pregaming before they hit the clubs. We stay here for the convenience, more so the Royal Sands where you can access the hotel from the street and access the beach just by walking from the pool, no complication like this hotel. If we could get this deal staying at a much newer resort, I would totally do so. However, the Royal Resorts do have great hospitality so I really don't mind staying here if I am saving money and use it on other things in Mexico. read more

We stayed here due to a free week with our timeshare. And stayed in the month of December. We had never been to Cancun before so we were excited and ready for an adventure. We were not familiar with the hotels or the hotel zone at all. We loved the pool/ocean view, and the staff was super friendly and helpful. The room we stayed in was a double occupancy room that had a tiny kitchenette meaning mini fridge, microwave and coffee pot. Some of the Con's: it is not near downtown or a bus so you have to walk down the hill to the bus stop and walk up the hill to come back after you've been out. The shuttle only shuttles to the sister resorts. The gym is an additional fee. Coming from SoCal the onsite restaurants are made for Americans, for example they serve bread and butter not chips and salsa (was super disappointed about this) Our soap and shampoo was not replaced once the whole week we were there. its a big senior citizen community Everything shut down at 10pm read more

my 3rd time at this location and im noticing bad signs. 1.- the hotel will be sold around 2022 so dont invest on it. 2.- lots of new hires and not trained well. 3.- the older staff is pleasant and very helpful, newer just seems not to care. 4.- Train your people better. During this stay, we took side B of the villa and it was great. AC worked and TV worked. Bathrooms were clean. We asked for more pillows and towels since we booked for 3 people and they only gave us for two. WE had to call 3 times to have someone come with them and We asked for a baby crib, they delivered it but it was so small that our 1 year old did not fit. well she did but could not move. Getting breakfast: went to get scrambled eggs, the cook was sweating (normal) but then he grabs a paper towel, cleans his sweat, then crumbles it in his hands and after a few seconds cleans the pot that he is going to cook the eggs with it. I was hell the F no. Then he grabs a dirty rag to clean the grill and wipes the pot with it. IM Fk this and walked away. They get 3 starts because the buildings are maintained well and the pools are great. The beach sucks as its always hard and ruff. They keep loosing the beach to erosion.. Well service is great for the older employees but these new ones need better training. PS: happy hour is every day at 3pm and 9pm. drinks are super , extremely watered down and lukewarm. Most drinks contain milk to make them like a shake and pour less alcohol. Buy at duty free and then at their Market. read more

This was a beautiful resort as part of the Royal Resort series located directly next to the Royal Caribbean. The Royal Islander is home to Paco's Tacos which is, you guessed it, a restaurant for tacos. But of course they have so much more than that. In completing it's Royal Resort experience, they have much the same amenities that the other resorts have. I think the best thing about the Royal Islander is that it is less busy than most of the other resorts. It's also one of the newer resorts as well so many of the buildings are brand spanking new and extra clean. They are the primary resorts in charge of the sea turtle conservation. They start by making sure the sea turtle eggs are buried in safe locations and when they hatch they deliver them out during the night avoiding day predators. They usually start this at around 8:30pm to 9pm along the beach. You should take part in this unique opportunity! read more

ATTENTION EVERYONE WHO WANTS TOO HAVE A GOOD TIME!! DO NOT BOOK YOUR STAY HERE!! This place is horrible like it's no joke, I spent $2,000 on a suite here and it turns out you can't have any friends here...unless you pay a $25 fee for them and they can't stay past 11pm which is so lame... and if they "accidentally" spend the night they charge you an additional $40. Also the staff here is very unprofessional like too the point where the manger doesn't even want to get involved and let's the staff handle everything for them. This is a WARNING don't stay here unless you want a stressful and overly priced vacation. read more

Spent a week here as guests of friends at their condo. They've had it for almost 20 years and loved it so much they wanted to share the experience. It's a beautiful resort, well-kept beaches, pool area etc. They have wonderful restaurants, courteous staff and there's a bus stop just down the road to explore cancun. We would definitely stay again. read more

I stayed at the Royal Islander for my birthday. I enjoyed the location it was perfect. the beach and the pool was amazing. The rooms were actually very small I thought and the beds were old and lumpy. They give you a coffee maker and coffee filters, but NO coffee to make in your room. You have to walk all the way down to their lobby for a free coffee in the morning. Not an issue for me a non-coffee drinker. but odd. Yet. we had an amazing view of the beach from our room, just beautiful. Yes, they do make you charge your room card to pay for everything. That is a bit odd, even there is a little market store downstairs, it came in handy, they have all of the little things you might need, its also a grocery store. they will only take your room key to charge anything in the store too. The happy hour drinks were tasty and are really a great deal! I thought the bar was fantastic. The food was very good at this hotel too. There are nearby hotels too with amazing food. Everyone was very nice, all of the staff were friendly. I would probably suggest this hotel for a very decent price to a person visiting Cancun. read more

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There are very many reasons to not stay at this resort. First, when we booked we booked at the hotel NOT the time share, however they baited and switched us, meaning, no hotel amenities. They also double booked our room, so one entire day we wasted switching rooms. When we arrived at our second room, it had not been cleaned yet, so we were in limbo FOR 3 HOURS. The resort is in no way an authentic mexican experience, and the room is more like the crappy first apartment you had out of college. There is also no hot tub here, in case you are looking for one. The gym and spa are closed on Saturdays. I think this is pretty much the lowest end place on the hotel zone. Stay anywhere else. The management doesn't care anything about the quality of your stay. read more

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By far the worst "hotel" in Cancun. They are unhelpful, require you to do timeshare meeting in order to receive discounts though all the other hotels will give you this just for staying on property. Worst customer service! Concierge are nice but have limited abilities due to restrictions hotel puts. Please stay at an all inclusive resort or one that is clear on pricing. They canceled our reservations at the old rate due to an accident and wouldn't honor the price. Please review hotels and call before investing money on a trip that could turn into debt. read more

Nice resort! Staff at the resort are friendly and hard working. They are constantly fixing, painting, cleaning and working to keep up the resort. Anyone that can't appreciate should stay elsewhere. We spent 5 days on the beach, and although we're not the regulars that are there every year, the staff still paid attention to us. The banana monkey is a hit! We ordered tacos on the beach a couple of times, and the tacos was great, however they messed our order up the second time. It's so far away that it's hard to correct it quickly, so that was the only downfall. Played ping pong with beers yesterday and had our fair share of them. The weather was humid, so the beers were flowing. Can't wait to go back and relax! read more

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We loved here and this was our second time back, we have met so many nice guests of the hotel which have been coming back for over 22 years. The staff is always so nice. If you reserved the suit with breakfast included, it would be great too. Kitchen has everything we needed it and it's very family friendly. The main reason we came back here is the beach, it was beautiful and clean, I saw some reviews mentioning about the strong waves, but normally there is one area with shallower sand for kids to play and the waves are sooo fun! The beach is so nice, blue, clean! Definitely 5 stars experience for family who has kids, willing to use the kitchen to cook. read more

The Royal Islander - Hotels Near Me - Cancún, ROO