We stayed at the Royal Sands in April and had a great time. We were a little skeptical because of some of the reviews we read regarding the staff pestering you about the time sharing, but decided to go and not let that bother us. Not only was the hotel clean and beautiful we were not bothered by the time sharing staff after the first day there. We made it clear we were not interested and they did not bother us at all. The staff was friendly, courteous and very helpful. The beach was the the most beautiful I have seen. The water was a little rough and some of the days you could not swim out too far, but it was worth it. Although, not good for small children. This hotel has everything you need, between the pools, market and tour office we were very pleased. The market was reasonable priced and offered some specialty items. We took a bus from the airport, but I would recommend taken a taxi. It costs almost the same if you have 3 or more in your group. The public transportation was also very good. We took the bus almost daily and the only problem we had was finding the bus stops. The bus into town runs about every 5 minutes or so. Overall we had a great time and will definitely go back

We just returned from a week long stay May 21, 2005 thru May 28, 2005. This is a condominium (need to know someone to stay there) this is the most beautiful resort I have stayed in. Our room was an oceanfront room on the 7th floor. The room was very nice with a fully equipped kitchen. We stayed in room A5745 if this helps anyone who is looking at this resort. The employees were exceptional from the concierge to the grounds keepers. I've never had better service. We stayed at the Moon Palace this time last year and as I posted in my review, I will never go back there. The time before we stayed at the Ritz Carlton (which is right next door to The Royal Sands), which was very, very nice but the Royal Sands has them beat just with their customer service.

Since it is a Condo, you do have the sales employees trying to sell you a week of paradise. This was done very tactifully and was not overbearing at all like some resorts (i.e. Moon Palace).

Truly a beautiful place. All rooms have a oceanview room. Can't say enough good things about it.

My husband and I just returned from the Royal Sands and it met our expectations in every respect. This was our first trip to Cancun and staying at the Royal Sands made it truly memorable.

We stayed in an "A" villa (includes dining/living room area, kitchen, large bedroom with king bed, bathroom, walk-in closet, and very large balcony). I expected clean and even spacious, but was pleased by the little touches that made it feel like a real "home away from home".

Kitchen: The kitchen is fully equipped kitchen with range, microwave, dishwasher, full size refrigrator, toaster, blender, coffee maker, cooking utensils, and table service for 8. You are expected to leave the kitchen clean, at the end of your stay. The maids are not required to clean the kitchens.
Suggestion: A couple of disposable wipes, a drying towel, and detergent for the dishwasher are provided. If you really plan on cooking, pack a package of Handi-wipes and a package of Clorox wipes for wiping off counters in a Zip-loc bag. (You can also purchase paper towels, etc after you get there.)

Dining Room/Living Room: Beautifully decorated and the most attractive piece of furniture was the large cabinet that houses bookshelves, TV, VCR, CD Player and two murphy beds.
Bedroom: The king size bed was are very firm, I would not describe it as too hard. In addition to the usual nightstands and dresser, there was a heavy wicker rocker with a cup holder built into the arm.

Vanity/Bathroom Area: The vanity sink area is outside the room that that houses the tub/shower/toilet. It is in a well-lit alcove, complete with a bench seat that is the perfect height for putting on makeup and leisurely personal grooming. It also includes a medicine cabinet, so you don't have to keep the counter cluttered with personal items.

We arrived on a Saturday. We were informed that there was no maid service on Sunday; but told to check with the front desk, if we needed more towels on Sunday. We discovered there were plenty of clean, fresh towels (6) and we made it through Sunday just fine.

Suggestion: Take your own beach towel. We used them to cover the loungers and for drying off when we came out of the pool.
Beach towels are provided at two different places (near the pools -- not in the rooms); and we never saw a waiting line. It was still good to have our own.

The Balcony: The sound of the ocean, soft breezes, and privacy (We had a beachfront -- so we weren't facing any neighbors). In addition to a table and four chairs, there were two lower chairs, one with an ottoman.

Other nice things:

An easy to use safe in your closet for valuables.

Not having to carry cash around. Your room key is your on-site credit card, and you pay at the end of your stay.

Gorgeous pools. If you want quiet, stay in Phase 2, if you like more activity and don't mind a little noise stay in Phase 1.

Quiet evenings: Pools don't close until 10pm, but pool bars close around 6:00.

The Lobby bar is open late and has plenty of activity and really great Kareoke.

Powerful ceiling fans in the dining area, living room area and bedroom.

The convenience of an on-site grocery store/coffee/pastry shop.

No bug problems. We occasionally saw a few flies -- outside only.

Loads of ramps and elevators, for those may have difficulty with stairs, or are in wheel chairs.

Laundromat - Didn't use -- but it's available.

Spa - Spa treatments were reasonable and they were running "specials" and "Samplers" that lowered the cost for multiple treatments.

Good food at reasonable prices. Breakfast averaged $10.00 per person. Other meals are about like the U.S. Lunch at the pool bar for less than $10.00 (try the Mexican Hamburger). Dinner prices are similar in range to the U.S. If you go off the resort you'll find the same price ranges (depending on type of restuarant) that you'd find in the U.S.

Alejandro: Piano/keyboard music in the La Veranda Restaurant (evenings).

More good things about Royal Sands:

Kulkancan Plaza Mall a very short walk up the street.

Public Bus stop about a 1/2 block up the street from the hotel.

Excellent staff in every area.

If you stay at one Royal Resort you can use the Royal Shuttle service to visit the other Royal facilities. We had a lovely dinner and enjoyed songstress Cynthia Davis (accompanied by jazz guitar) at the Vacation Club International.

Suggestion: Don't be afraid to take the bus. It's actually a fun way to sight see and you don't really have to worry about getting lost. It's only 6.50 pesos (Buses don't take foreign money, so get change before you leave the hotel).

As relates to timeshare selling. No one tried to "hard-sell" us. We attended a presentation; but did not make a purchase and we were treated royally at all times.

The Royal Sands was wonderful!! We went for 4 nights. (Wed.-Sun.) After reading some of these reviews, I was a little worried, but not to fear, this place was great. This is a time share property, but we were not approached by anyone the entire time. Maybe because we had a 5 year old and 2 year old with us, but at any rate, we were not botthered. The only problem with a time share property is that people that are owners usually come in on Saturday and leave the following Saturday, which messed up our room situation. We had to trade villas on Saturday, but all of the staff was very nice, and actually put us in a villa with a better view with all of the same ammenities. It was not a problem. We had a 2 bedroom with a living area and kitchen. It was very spacious. It also had a large balcony with outdoor furniture. The pools were nice and not crowded. The beach was beautiful with one drawback. The surf was a little rough while we were there, but it was fun to play in the waves. If you are planning to go to the Royal Sands, do NOT be worried. We will definately be going back. It is a great family resort!!!