We stayed at the Sun Palace from 6/19 to 6/25 and it was the best vacation ever!
From the moment of arrival to departure the staff went out of their way to make assure we were happy, comfortable and welcomed. At check in you are greeted with a carnation and champagne. You are asked to have a seat in the lobby sofas if there is a line (assuring that you do not have to wait on line.) Check in was pleasant and quick. After check in you are greeted by the tours desk where they explain the inclusive tours and allow you to make reservations.


The hotel, rooms, and beach are absolutely spotless and breathtakingly beautiful. It is a smaller resort which makes it even more charming and pleasant. Anywhere you are in the hotel you have a view of either the ocean or the lagoon. We saw the most amazing sunset in the hallway in front of our room. Gorgeous ocean view from the balcony and gorgeous sunset view from the doorway. It just doesn’t get any better then that.

Restaurants/Food

The food was excellent at each restaurant including the room service menu.

The Italian restaurant was more of a fine dining (required dress code) food was excellent.

The Mexican Alamo offered an extensive and delicious breakfast and a good lunch offering anything from chicken, steak, pizza, burgers, hot dogs, Mexican dishes etc.
The Steak has to be my favorite. It is set on the patio by the quite pool area. On the evening that they have the fire show they set up on the beach. It’s an amazing experience to have your steak with your feet tucked in the sand. The service is buffet, table service for your drinks.

Service
Outstanding, did not meet one single individual who did not smile and say hello to you. The staff was by far the best group of people I’ve ever come across while on vacation.

Spa
Professional, tranquil, and excellent full body massage.

Beach/Pools
Pools were pleasant, always were able to find a spot. They have a quiet pool and an activity pool neither get overly loud. The beach is stunning, perfect water, sand and service.

My husband and I stayed at this resort over Christmas and New Year's after being fairly impressed with another Palace Resort a couple years earlier (Aventura Spa Palace in Riviera Maya). This resort, like the other Palace properties nearby that you have access to, is stunning to look at - lots of vast expanses of glass, very clean and contemporary. That said, there is a serious lack of foiliage at this place. I mean, notably so. There are no swaying palms, grassy areas, shrubs, flowers or even potted plants. It causes the place to feel very sterile, all glass and concrete.

Staff - all friendly, helpful, forthcoming with impeccable english (even though we speak some spanish), well-groomed, tidy uniforms

Room - we were up on the top floor facing the ocean. Love being on the top floor, only drawback is that the top two floors have very tiny decks, literally just large enough to fit two chairs, nothing more. Very clean, comfortable, well-serviced. Personally not a fan of the frosted glass toilet and showers adjacent to each other. It may be an adult, couples resort but i find this a bit tacky. Frequently made good use of the 24-hour all-inclusive room service. Many mornings and lunchtimes this was the most convenient way to eat before heading to the golf course. Even ordered our favorite bottle of red wine to the room when we were getting ready to head down for dinner - no problems.

Restaurants - I think that like with any AI property the food starts off great and begins to lose its appeal towards the end of the week, even more so after two weeks (to be expected). That said, quality of the food was, for the most part, excellent. Cold, white milk like what we're used to here in Canada is available. SO important for a proper cup of tea or bowl of cereal! Variety of food items was very good, but the resort was small enough that it did not have many places to eat. For this reason, we would venture out to the other properties to mix it up a bit and check out some different spots. Italian at Beach Palace was the best.

Pools - clean, comfortable temperature, quite busy considering the gorgeous beach is right there. One pool has music and activities, the other is more low-key.

Beach - great sand, beautiful to look at, not too rough. Beach service is included and very easy to get considering that not too many guests seemed to be spending their time here (odd). A couple different types of loungers available depending on which end of the hotel you go to. Never had a problem getting a lounger, and we would head down most days around 9am or 2 pm.

Other facilities - this hotel has more of a salon than a spa, but suitable given the size. Used spas at the other properties - excellent all around. Lobby is lovely, albeit very sparse. Indoor bar is comfortable and has tvs, books, games - a bit blah. One outdoor bar has about 6 or 8 stools, and the other (the pool bar) closes early. So, good for low-key drinks and relaxation after dinner, but essentially void of any other nightlife.

Golf - Moon Palace course is great - 3 nines lend some variety and different challenges, always in very good condition. Nice clubhouse, wicked spa at the clubhouse, restaurant is great and, of course, is included (as are snacks and beverages on the course). However, this course is always busy, and we would frequently get held up at the crossover. The Riviera course is new and is closer than Moon, also much quieter. Also excellent condition and will only improve with age. The clubhouse here has likely one of the best restaurants at all of the Palace properties, service included.

We would likely stay here again but only for one week. Venturing to the other properties helps with the variety.

The Sun Palace, overall, was WONDERFUL. I would stay here again ten times over--the best vacation I've ever had. Here are some positive things and some "needs some work" things, in order to offer both sides. I hope everyone finds this helpful:

POSITIVES:
**Food: The food at the Italian and Sushi eateries was great!! Men do have to wear pants, though, at the Italian place--other than that, dress was casual. We had the lasagna and chicken dishes, as well as the sushi rolls and fried rice, respectively.
**Service: The service was beyond exceptional--they work to meet every need, no question.
**Rooms: The rooms were immaculate, and the housekeeping staff was great at making sure everything was taken care of.
**Entertainment: The fire show and Karaoke night was great--lots of fun.
**Excursions: They do not offer all of the excursions that they post on their website--I believe it was only Chichaniza (sp?); Wet and Wild; Xe-Ha/Tulum; and the Zip Line (at a local Eco Park). The Zip Line was a lot of fun!! There is also a Jungle Tour/Snorkeling Tour that is right across the street, and is also great fun; and very flexible w/ times--it is not included, however, and runs about $66 USD per person. The other tours, save Wet and Wild and the Zip Line, are very early in the morning--which is a downer if you want to sleep in. They, also, do take up a full day, I believe.
**Transportation: The city bus is great, and very cheap ($.60 cents per person). I think it runs late into the night, and it does stop by the hotel. Taxis are expensive, so the bus is a good, economical option. Also, Best Day Travel is a good option to take to and from the airport--I paid $36, round trip. It is a "communal" van with other passengers, but I think a taxi may run up to $50, round trip, it not more. The only thing about Best Day is that they make you retrieve a return trip voucher from them in order to schedule your return to the airport--it only takes a few minutes, as they are in the Sun Palace lobby every other day--but they also take this time to try to sell you tours. Just something to be mindful of when you deal with them.
**Value: You literally do not have to spend another dime, unless you want souveniers. Everything is taken care of, and you really do get your money's worth--in food, drinks, atmosphere, and entertainment.
**Atmosphere: This may be a positive or negative, depending upon what you are looking for--this is not a party hotel--we saw mostly honeymooners; those celebrating an anniversary; and retirees. The atmosphere is very serene and peaceful--truly a great place to go to relax. I was told the Cancun Palace was more "lively" for nightlife, although, I never made it down that way. The pool, during the day, is more happening--they have a lot of games and good, contemporary music. Again, it's just not some place I would say is a good place for groups of girlfriends or guyfriends; unless traveling w/ a group of "significant others". Also, this hotel is not in the center of all of the action--it is in the hotel zone--but at the quiet end. If you want to check out the nighlife in Cancun, it is about a 10-15 minute bus ride away to the opposite end of the strip--which is not too bad.
**Beach: The beach was phenonomial--the water was clear and warm--perfect.
**Promotions: When you arrive, ask if there are any promotions on your room--they won't advertise this to you (at least it was not made clear to us)--but it may mean a golf trip or a spa visit!

NEEDS A LITTLE WORK:
**Food: The pool bar and the evening buffet by the pool are okay, but not great.
**Drinks: Drinks flow freely, but they are hit or miss, at times. Some tasted weak and watery, but when you are making that many at a time, it will not be perfect, I guess. Asking for "extra" liquor sometimes helps, and they will ablige (especially for the Pina Coladas!).
**Excursions: Skip Wet and Wild--the whole place smelled like sewage, so we spent all of about 15 minutes there, and left.
**Hidden Fees: Be careful to turn in your beach towels and retrieve the "towel" card they give you--if not, it is $25 per loss. Also, they will give you a bracelet when you enter the resort--this is to identify you as a guest. Do not throw this away, even if you are checking out. You have to turn it back in. Otherwise, they will charge you a fee.
**Membership: When you come into the resort, you have to meet w/ the welcome desk (not sure of the exact term) in order to book your excursions; learn about the resort; etc. The person assigned to you will try to set you up for a meeting to discuss a membership, which I believe is similar to a time share. If you decline, they do pressure you--the lady we spoke to even told us that this is how she makes her living, and asked us repeatedly to sign up.

This hotel was great. It had all the amenities with constant service. Very peaceful place on one side of the hotel and if you want to party they have the party pool with games etc on the other side. Be sure to eat at the oriental lounge, it was great. Also JC Capitans across the street had excellent food (not part of the hotel).