We had seen the photos and being a Hilton Diamond member it was the logical choice in Cancun. The photos do NOT do justice to this property. It is amazing! We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa a couple of years ago and this surpasses that property! We were upgraded to the villas and the room could not have been nicer. The grounds are impeccable and the service beyond words. The staff met every request with a smile and then followed up to be sure we were completely satisfied. As far as transportation goes the reviews are absolutely correct, the bus service is more than capable. We went with our two reenage daughters and as difficult as teenagers are to please sometimes, they loved the property as much as we did. We used Entertainment Plus for airport transfers and they were in place and on time. As far as activities we used Aqua World which is on site at the Hilton. We used them for a snorkeling trip to Cozumel, a Jungle Trip on wave runners for snorkeling in Cancun and for parasailing. While they do push for tips at the end of the excursions they are great peope with which to work. Their equipment was first rate and was their personnel. I would suggest only diving in Cozemel as the snorkeling was better in Cancun as the reef is much shallower. We ate at a number of establishments and as other reviews have stated, the food was usually excellent and expensive but the service seemed to be good at all the places we visited. A last word about the Hilton itself. The pool is INCREDIBLE! I am stil lamazed by not only its size but also the layout. The infinity pool overlooks the ocean and I cannot imagine a better place to sip a tropical drink while overlooking the beautiful emerald green, light blue, dark blue waters. What a beautiful experience!

We attended a business meeting for three nights at the Hilton Cancun and then extended our stay four additional nights. When the meeting was over, we were moved from the towers to the Villas which was wonderful. I thought the staff was great in both places - we probably received a little more attention in the Villas.

We visited the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza one day, but mainly just lounged on the beach and at the pools. The food at the hotel (I dined there while my husband was attending his meetings) was only OK - not bad, but a bit on the expensive side for the quality. The breakfast/cocktail hour at the Villas was better. The only bad review I can give them would be for the gym - it's very small (lots of cardio machines), cramped and hot. The two days I worked out it was unbearably hot. I used the pool for workouts after my experience with the gym.

Average room , we expected much better from a 4 star hilton(have stayed previously at the JW Marriott which is a class unto itself). We stayed in the tower. Avoid the rooms (very noisy) immediately adjacent to the central elevator area. It is a big open area and the noise travels upwards. The grounds are wonderful as is the beach. Did not eat meals there except for breakfast which is an incredible buffett. The staff was average. We rented a car (from Budget, which was a big mistake they added an extra $50 to our bill for "tire damage" which was non-existent) and had no problems finding a parking space on the hotel grounds (although need to walk up a steep flight of stairs to get to the hotel from the parking lot).

My wife, daughter, and I stayed here from 5/27-5/31. We were satisfied with our stay and thought our experience was average, but nothing exceptional as others may have experienced. I will try not to reiterate what many reviewers have already provided.

Grounds - The hilton grounds, especially their pools and the beach, is what sets this hotel apart from the others. They are exactly as how other reviewers have repeatedly praised them to be. Plenty of pools for all ages (from infant to adult), beautiful infinity pool edge scene, not crowded, largest beach area. Not to mention the only resort in the area with a golf course.

Restaurants - We tried Spices, Mitachi, and the pool bar. Mitachi was very good. It had great quality food and Excellent ambiance with live band and oceanfront view. Both Spices and the Pool Bar were good and not terrible as other reviewers have claimed. All hilton restaurants are expensive, about 1.5x to 2x the price of restaurants outside the hotel.

Staff - This is where I disagree with most reviewers. Most reviewers claim that staff were exceptional and went out of their way to serve you. All staff we encountered were just average. They were friendly and polite to all my requests and questions but no one was exceptional nor went out of their way to serve, greet, converse, meet our needs, etc. with us. Nothing bad but not exceptional as most have claimed. Just average compared to other 4-5 star hotels we've stayed at.

Room cleaning service - Very good. Our room was tidied up, organized, and towels restocked everyday. Our floor was thoroughly mopped after we found two cockroaches in our bathroom one morning and asked for thorough cleaning.

Room - This is where the hotel loses points. Although the view from the villa and location were excellent, the condition of our room was not 5 nor 4 star quality. Visible mold marks present (especially in-between tiles in bathroom), cracks (especially in caulking and grout), broken accessories (e.g. mirror holder), and overall quality is old and just not up to par with other 5 nor 4 star hotels we've stayed at. The two dead cockroaches we found one morning freaked out the wife and daughter and our 'feeling' towards the room was just never the same afterwards. Most 4-5 star hotels have rooms that foster a fresh and new feel to them but our hilton room had an old and 'not-quite-clean' feel to them. The overall experience we had towards our room was comparable to a very good hampton inn or motel and nowhere near 5 nor 4 star quality.


Overall, our experience was average. We enjoyed our vacation and were not completely dissapointed with the hotel. A couple negative experiences was balanced out by the positive experiences we had at the beautiful hotel grounds. Now I understand how hilton's ranking in TI went from #7 last year to #14 this year. If only they updated their rooms up to par with other 5-star hotels, hilton cancun would be hard to beat. We will try JW Marriott next time we go to cancun since their rooms are up to par with 5-star hotels (according to reviews and TI reviewers) and to avoid cockroach incidents.