Review : Aloft Cancun | Marriott Bonvoy

This hotel is right in the middle of the action, in front of the “Playa Caracol” beach (350 meters) on the lagoon side and 350 meters from the “Playa Forum” beach on the Caribbean Sea side. Aloft Cancun which is part of the Marriott International brands.

For $62 USD/night, for a category 4 hotel that requires between 20,000 and 30,000 points, I paid for my nights with my Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express^® Card to earn 5 points per dollar.

I took the opportunity to go to the supermarket two steps away from this hotel to shop with my American Express Cobalt™ Card. I earned 5 points/dollar on my total bill at Flea Market.

On the second floor of the supermarket, there is a Starbucks where I would get my iced coffee every morning, also paying with my American Express Cobalt™ Card, again earning 5 points per dollar!

In front of the bus terminal – from which many buses leave every 5 minutes to go everywhere in the city of Cancun – the location of this hotel is excellent if you want to move around at a low cost. In addition, other buses leave to go to Riviera Maya for the modest sum of 5$!

I also took the ferry and spent a day in Isla Mujeres since the Ultramar ferry terminal to Isla Mujeres is a 2-minute walk from the Aloft Cancun. It also goes to Cozumel every day. What could be better than visiting three places without paying for a taxi?

Also, this hotel is located across the street from the departure area for several excursions, saving me time and money.

As far as public beaches are concerned, in a 5-minute walk, you have the choice to go just in front of the lagoon side (it is the same beach as the Riu hotel) – Playa Caracol.

The common areas of the hotel are colourful and lively. The staff is very social, and the atmosphere is straightforward going. The lobby includes the rest areas, various entertainment, the bar and the computers:

The room is very minimalist. It was sunny throughout my stay so I didn’t mind. On the other hand, the room offers little lighting, and none of the rooms have a balcony.

My room with the view of the lagoon where Playa Caracol is located:

The meals are very good and the breakfast is diverse.

As a Bonvoy member, I used the $5 given to me for opting to “Make a green choice“, i.e. not to have my sheets changed daily. I had the choice between 5 $USD applicable on everything except the alcoholic beverage or 500 Bonvoy points. Thus, my breakfasts cost me approximately 10 CAD$. For Bonvoy members with Platinum status and above, breakfast is free.

The food at the breakfast buffet:

There are games areas in the lobby, computers, a tour desk, and the hotel has a 24-hour gym. Parking is free if you have a car.

My favourite place to spend my days and watch the sunset was on the rooftop, where the pool, terrace and sauna are located.

The atmosphere is friendly the rest areas are very comfortable. In fact, I fell asleep in one of the beds one night!

I admired the view from the rooftop, as much from the lagoon side as from the sea side, and of the hotel area where you can see a city in constant movement due to the proximity of popular places and multiple clubs.

If you want to swim in the sea, then just walk straight towards the famous Coco Bongo disco. You go behind the disco next to the Mandala Beach Club and you will be on the free public beach, “Playa Forum”.

In conclusion, I am very satisfied with this choice, because the value for money is excellent for a city like Cancun, commonly called “The Miami of Mexico”. For the quality of service, the ease and variety of travel options, and the lovely rooftop pool, I find this hotel well worth the price paid. I had Gold status, which I got thanks to my Platinum Card^MD from American Express, and the hotel granted me a room with an ocean view (upgrade).

The Aloft Cancun Hotel is the perfect place to enjoy various activities and discover the best that this province of Mexico offers.

Instead of paying for an expensive hotel, it is a wise choice to spend your money and visit nearby cities, attend beautiful shows and choose among the various activities close to Cancún.