Moon Palace Cancun All Inclusive

We love the Nizuc!!! We go to Manglar everyday for breakfast because of the people that work there!!!! Orlando Itza (mi peluche) and Fernanda Mondragon take care of us everyday. They have become our friends. They decorate the table with flowers and petals and make us feel special. They are always happy to see us and hear about our day!! Elsy Poot makes the best omelettes and serves them with a smile! Our new favorite restaurant is Los Corporales. Eduardo is the manager. He was so happy to see us. He used to be at Manglar. He also made us feel special. He gave us a wonderful waiter who made us special dishes. I can't remember his name and i feel bad. He made crepes and chorizo for us. We did try another hotel in Mexico in Nov 2023 but nothing can compare to Moon Palace!

I usually stay at 5 star resorts that are smaller and you get a more personal experience so this was probably a million miles away as a massive American resort where you literally are just a number. We only chose this as it was a number of families meeting from UK and London and suited most in terms of budget and location.

I found it bad form that for a 5 star hotel which is fairly pricey, I have to argue at check in after a long haul flight from london with a child sleeping on me about things which are frankly not important and could have waited for the morning. Usually I would be offered a drink and told to go to my room to rest ( I did ask for a drink and was told to go and queue at the bar). Instead the check in insisted that I needed the card which I had booked with to be presented as ‘this was clearly stated in their rules’ They haven’t stated this anywhere ( I asked them to show me where it was and they couldn’t, just kept saying it was) and I’m not sure what the ‘security’ issue is when the card I paid with (over 3 months ago) is in my name and my registered address which was shown on my passport. So then after being too tired to argue I had to repay on a new card and wait for a refund on the original card. So a bitter start.

Generally the hotel has a lot to do but for me I don’t enjoy the all inclusive batch made drinks with sugar syrups for flavour, I expected more for what I paid and wanted a proper cocktail but theirs just felt too generic and sugary for me.

The staff are hit and miss, some are good and others make you feel like you are committing a crime if you ask for anything or expect any sort of service (e.g asking for cutlery or a drink).

The rooms at Sunrise are old and tired, the whole thing needs a full revamp as it’s had lots of wear and tear. I think they are closing for this soon and they really need it e.g toilet seat was scratched and cracked and overall just felt like a 3 star room. The ‘sea view’ is a partial sea view at a 90 degree angle.

The app is used to book hotels and activities which was easy to use. There is a good gym and other facilities.

At check in we were told we had been given a ‘special bonus’ which turned out to be a 3 hour hard sell to buy their holiday loyalty scheme in exchange for day passes at the Grand (sister hotel which is more expensive). So be prepared to have to resist this ‘bonus’ - I won’t mention the tiers of prices but let’s just say if I had those funds to join a loyalty scheme I wouldn’t need a discount or a loyalty scheme. The Grand was nice to be fair and we would have stayed here if it wasn’t for Sunrise suiting most of the party. The Spa at the Grand was amazing but expensive. You can use part of the resort credit but there are strict limitations on this.

When being sold the loyalty scheme we complained about the Sunrise one and pitched our reasons we wouldn’t come back, we were told the Grand is different (which from what I can see isn’t the case) but then I think it’s hard to feel like any personal service at such a mega resort. The ‘bonus’ is also pitched again as you leave the resort to try to get you to come back but we won’t be returning.

Overall the kids had a good time but I think if you are used to higher end hotels this isn’t for you.

The beach is ok but was too hot during the day and smelly so we mostly stayed at the pool and just wondered in the evening.

One tip on leaving the airport, you will be bombarded by people trying to get you to go in their taxis. They even pretend that they are working with the hotels and have official clip boards and papers so be careful who you go with. We have pre booked transfers and were still pursued heavily.

My golf instructor was excellent, patient, and highly experienced. The service was fantastic for my overall stay. The rooms are spacious and the food is delicious. I'd highly recommend this resort for families.