I stayed at the Hilton in Cancun for 5 nights and had a wonderful experience.
I booked using an ongoing promotion for $99 / night, which included free breakfast and 30% off spa treatments.

* Beach - All 5 days we were there, red flags were up meaning you shouldn't go in the water. There was a lifeguard on duty who would blow a whistle if you ventured a little bit from shore. 50 yards down the beach though was an area that was okay for swimming, although I guess the lifeguard wasn't in charge of supervising you. This is where everyone was. There are some large rocks on the beach where the waves break on the shore, so I imagine this is why the red flags were up.
* Breakfast - only 'cold' items, but plenty to choose from.
* Golf - I played two rounds, both at 7:15am, and played two balls each time. Early in the morning, the course was almost entirely clear. I finished by 10am both rounds. The course was well maintained and in very good shape. I passed by Pok Ta Pok and can tell you that the quality there is lacking. Search online for the yardage book for the Hilton course. There are several dog-legs where you can really cut corners if you like, but also some where your drive will be in deep trouble if you just grip and rip. The course was well worth the $129 a round, although I didn't see the other nice courses in the area, so I couldn't comment comparatively.
* Location - The hotel is one of the first stops from the airport, so taking a cab (for two) is equally expensive as taking a shuttle. The good news is that the tours will generally stop at the Hilton last on their way south towards your destination.
* Pool - the Hilton has a great set of pools, including one infinity pool with swim up bar. We ate and drank all day pool-side, and I was surprised that it wasn't more expensive - usually hotels gouge you in this department. The only downside to the pool area was that there were often two or more sources of music, and depending where you were laying, you could be at their confluence which was a bit distracting.
* Restaurants - We dined at all three of the dining facilities on site, and recommend them for their food and prices. The service was also quite good through 90% of the meal, but at each one there was a similar problem - very attentive staff, but for some reason, whether it was before looking at a dessert menu, paying the bill, or upon arrival, we were 'forgotten'. We also dined offsite at Lorenzillos (highly recommended seafood restaurant), and Hacienda El Mortero (mexican food - probably the best dining).
* Rooms - the deal got us an Ocean Front Deluxe room, which was spacious and had a couch area, and a private balcony. The beds were comfortable and the room was very clean.
* Service - everyone was incredibly friendly and accommodating, which really made the stay more enjoyable.
* Transportation - the buses that run up and down the main avenue came frequently and were a great / cheap way to get around. No need to take taxis if you are only traveling around "the strip".
* Tours - we did the Tulum & Xelha day trip which was great. Tulum is nice, but you don't need much time there as there isn't all that much to see. I was hoping to be able to climb the steps of the Mayan buildings, but that is not allowed. Xelha is a water park, but unlike anything I've seen here in the US. Loads of activities, and all inclusive food / drinks.
We also took the "Paradise Snorkeling" tour through Aquaworld. It's a short trip from the marina, and the snorkeling was fun. A boat comes and goes every hour to drop off new people / pickup those ready to return. For $40 per person, it was well worth the two circuits we did of the snorkeling 'course' - you are led by a guide; you can't go off on your own.
* To Avoid: We took the bus to downtown Cancun to check out the "Downtown Tourist Zone" which really doesn't exist. I could see how it might be a fun area during high season - restaurants on both sides with lots of people spilling into the streets, but this was low season and we left quickly.

Traveled to Cancun for four nights, and stayed two at the Hilton (stayed the first two at the Marriott). Compared to the Marriott, the Hilton was pretty crowded, though not overwhelmingly so.

Pools: The Hilton pools are great, and is by far one of the best pool areas I've seen anywhere. Couple of things related to the pool could use some attention. The pool chairs/cushions are pretty worn and dirty. They also get REALLY hot if in the sun all day, so if you go to sit down without a towel, it can be painful. Not the most comfortable chairs either. They also randomly shut off the fountains in the pools a few times, which while not a big deal, was slightly annoying because it provided some fresh water flow in an otherwise very toasty bath water-like pool.

Beach: Beach here is pretty big with plenty of chairs and palapas. You have to go over to the left a little bit to swim (in front of Mitachi) beceause of the rocks, but no big deal there. We had red flags every day but still went in for a dip. You just have to be careful.

Service: Service here was pretty good, though I felt it was more friendly at the Marriott. Pool servers were pretty good and efficient, always hustling to take everyone's orders.

Food: Ate at Mitachi which was great. Also had breakfast in Spices both mornings which was just OK. It was free for us (through HHonors), so can't complain. Food and drinks by the pool were good for poolside fare.

Rooms: We had an oceanview room on the 6th floor with a great balcony. The bathroom area was kind of outdated though, and could use a little refresher. The A/C was also pretty loud at night. But overall very clean and perfectly adequate.

Overall: Good stay at a great property. Would definitely return.

We just returned from a six night stay at the Hilton Cancun. Overall, it was a great experience. Below are details:

Rooms: We booked an Oceanfront Villa, and were assigned the second one on the top floor from the pool. For the villas, the location was terrific and the views were unbelievable. We were traveling with our eight-year old son, and so we requested a king room which includes a sofa bed. The king bed was great, and the sofabed appeared adequate (at least for younger guests). The room itself is a bit spartan, and the bath counters a little dated, but the room was always very clean and everything was in working order.

Concierge Lounge: This is my major complaint with our stay. We booked the Oceanfront Villas with the understanding that we would have continental breakfast and evening drinks/appetizers in the Villas Lounge. I had heard rumors that it was closed, and so at check in, I asked if it was open. Unfortunately, it was not. I was told that it was booked for a private party (for the whole week?). We were given vouchers for the Spices buffet and free drinks in the main hotel bar each day. While some might appreciate the expanded breakfast options, it's not really a big deal for me. I asked if we could instead switch to a Junior Suite as the services would be in the main lounge for convenience, but we could not be accommodated.

Hotel Bar: The servers appeared to be overworked. I'm not sure if they had extra staff considering the villa guests would be there for the 5-7 happy hour, but it seemed that they did not. The service was friendly but inconsistent.

Beach: The beaches directly in front of the villas and the hotel pool have several rocky patches right at the water's edge, but there is plenty of beach space, palapas and chairs for everyone. My husband and son had plenty of room to play frisbee, and they even hosted two beach weddings near the villa. If you walk towards the seafood restaurant, there is a beach area that was usable with very few rocks and yellow flags during our stay, which is about the best you can expect along this stretch of Cancun. The beaches were much wider here than the Marriott/JW Marriott where we stayed in 2007.

Spices: We ate breakfast at the buffet each day as it was included with the villa. They had several regional dishes, bacon, sausage, toast, bagels, yogurt, cereals, etc. You can also get cooked to order items at one station. The food was good, but the service is spotty and we felt a bit put out having to tip, particularly one day when all the server did was bring us the check (zero charge but with a space for a tip).

Kiosko & pool service: The pool servers were generally very responsive, at least early in the week. The bartenders were very friendly, and the food was much better than expected from a pool-side restaurant.

Pizzeria: We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of food having read some negative reviews. It's not my favorite NY-style pie, but it was tasty enough.

Pool: In one word, beautiful. The hotel was probably at about 50-60% occupancy, so that may have had some impact on my review. To my delight, there were very few of those selfish chair-savers -- we never had a problem getting a nice shady spot under a palapa poolside or at the beach.

Overview: The hotel is a great value in the upper-mid range. Do not go there expecting Ritz-Carlton service or amenities, but the property is beautiful and the beach/pool is the best we have experienced in Cancun recently. Everyone was very friendly and met our requests. It is a great family choice.

We stayed for four days and three nights. Service was excellent and the facilities were great. My advice is to check in, head to the pool/beach area and don't leave until the last minute before your flight home! Prices at the pool bar and pool side restaurant are very reasonable. We got great recommendations for restaurants from the concierge. We took a bus (7.50 pesos per person each way). I wish I could remember the name of the seafood restaurant recommended to us, I've even tried to google it and can't locate the name. However, we took a five minute bus ride, were one of 3 couples in the restaurant, and had amazing food and service. The restaurant had windows facing west and a boat dock out back, so the sunset was gorgeous.

Downtown in the tourist/hotel area is not my idea of a good time. It's trashy, mostly bars and chain restaurants (Senior Frogs, Hooters, etc.) and people wanting to bargain with you for t-shirts and cheap jewelry. However, if you do want to go, the bus is safe, quick and cheap.

The Hilton Hotel is in great shape. Drinks are not overly expensive, neither is the food. Check the website for a copy of their menu. It was pretty accurate. The pools are amazing. Towels are available along with information about snorkeling, para sailing, and jungle adventures. One morning we walked 10 minutes down the road to go to the Ruins del Rey. It gave us a great taste of Mayan ruins without spending a whole day on it. The ruins only cost $3.75 pesos per person so it was a good bargain and a small adventure. There are iguanas everywhere in the ruins which was neat, and a great photo opportunity. The beach next to the hotel is beautiful. There are exposed rocks just beyond the waves, so several sections of the beach were red flagged and swimming was not allowed. There was one area with a yellow flag, and we did swim. I never noticed any sea life near the shore, but I wasn't wearing a snorkel and mask either.

Over all, I would highly recommend this hotel. Again, I would say that if you check in and never leave the property, you could have a low stress vacation in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.