Well, I must have been one of those whiny Americans in the lobby complaining. All we asked for was what we paid for 2 standard rooms, which of course they managed to screw up. But ah ha, I was prepared, I had read all the reviews of this hotel and knew that I could pretty much count on our reservations getting "mixed up" somehow. Any way, I patiently waited while they made a barrage of phone calls, only to explain that my reservation had somehow been cancelled, which I knew was untrue since I had purchased a package deal, w/ airfare, transfers and hotel included and none of those parts of our package had been cancelled. But I managed to talk our party of 4 into a 2 bedroom villa suite at no extra charge, for that I am grateful. But we still had to sit in the lobby for 3 hours while they scratched their heads trying to figure out this mistake. We managed to escape the "welcome breakfast" also, we just told her no, very firmly, and she back off, never to bother us again. The food in Bella Vista and Kellys was marginal at best, as for MiCasaSuCasa-Forget about it. There are like 12 items on the menu!!!! Customer service at this hotel is pretty non-existant, true every one here is nice and they do smile alot, but when you ask for something, say 2 cokes, the bring you one, ask for 4 towels and they bring you 2. Never quite what you asked for. I don't think I will stay at the Avalon again, which is disappointing, because the man who owns it is a fellow Hoosier, and he should know what good food and excellent customer service is. As for the European guest who thought the Avalon was a 7 star resort, come to America, we'll show you how it done at a real resort, where they spoil you, your every wish it their job, and they do it with a smile.

returned yesterday from the avalon grand and had to comment on the place. I read the reviews before going and they really put me off going, but now im back i have to say this is the best hotel i have ever stayed in.Im sure some of the people commenting on this place must have stayed at the wrong place.If you spend time in the lobby you will hear complaints being made but it must be said they are mainly americans making them, we meet alot of english people out there and they all loved the place.If i compared this place to resorts i have stayed in europe i would not rate it as a 5 star i would say it was a seven star!a few observations :1. Dont get out the wrong side of the pool you will get covered in sand the beach is that close.2. From the busy pool it takes about 20 seconds to walk to get drinks or you can order them poolside every two hours give or take.3. the hotel was spottless, at no one time did i see less than 4 people cleaning or tidying somewhere in the hotel. I also commented that if they cleaned the windows any more they would wear holes in them and they pay alot of attention to detail, we often came back to our room to find the cleaner had presented the room differently for us and we always had plenty of towels etc.4. We ate well every day, the food was great, there was a good range and the service was fast.5. We drank alot so should be experts on the subject ! the drinks at the hotel were not watered down as i have read they were in other reviews.6. The staff at the hotel were brilliant, they were helpful and always had smiles on there faces ! there were also plenty of them at times i thought there were more staff than guests. ( special mention to the staff at kelly bar, there a great bunch of guys )The avalon grand is a great place with great people and i cant wait to go back!!

Many times people complain because they like to do so and can never be pleased. After reading the mixed reviews about the Avalon, I thought a lot of the negative reviews came from these folks. I just returned from Cancun with my family of 8, ranging from age 13 to 54. We had a 2 bedroom villa on the 2nd floor and a studio on the 3rd floor. I must admit, I over estimated the number of people who just like to complain.
While this resort is not as bad as some of the reviews indicate, the cons of staying there certainly outweigh the pros. They did not have our studio reservation when we arrived and the fact that I had the confirmation sheet from our timeshare company mad no difference. It took about 3 hours and two calls to our timeshare office in California to get it straightened out. Some facts: 1. Good location in Cancun (can walk to La Isla and Flamingo Plaza).
2. Good beach.
3. Bus stop across the street.
4. It appears this resort was constructed cheaply. My daughter in law could not believe it was only a couple of years old.
5. There does not seem to be any quality control measures in place.
Maintenance of the facility is poor and it appears run down in many areas.
6. The floors in both our units were wet the entire time we were there.
We had to mop up the moisture with towels. The air conditioner units on on the ceiling and they collect moisture which drip on the floor. My husband and I were in the master bedroom and the unit was above my side of the bed. Water would drip on me during the night. One morning I woke and found water in my shoes beside the bed where I left them the night before (you had to wear shoes in the villa or your feet would stay wet from walkin on the floors).
7. The jacuzzi (or hot tub) was not hot and we could not get pool chairs due to the limited number.
8. The infamous steps to the beach: no big deal--12 concrete steps.
Most hotels have them.
9. Showers were huge (here your feet can be wet and it be normal!) 10. The maid only left coffee one morning after I left a note requesting some. Other mornings-none!
11. Beds were hard, but not a problem for us as we like a firm mattress.
12. Sofa was quite dirty.
13. Furnishings were "cheap" looking.
14. After reading the reviews, I knew to beware of the "welcome" breakfast. So, when we were invited I explained we were not interested as we already owned a timeshare. I was told it was not a presentation since we were owners, it was to explain the changes, tours available, and amenities. Since we had never been here we were interested in this and went to breakfast. Oops! It was a sales presentation. I interrupted the salesman and tried to stop the presentation but we could not get away short of walking out which we should have done in hindsight.
Anyway, he started at $39,000. No way.
15. We arrived on Saturday. On Wednesday, we toured the Mayan Palace down the coast toward Playa del Carmen. We traded our Las Vegas timeshare in for one there. We moved down to the Mayan Palace on Thursday morning. We feel like we wasted the first half of our vacation.
16. My husband and I ate at Bellavista one morning. Breakfast buffet was 190 pesos (about 18 dollars). I love to eat, but was hungry when I left. The food was very disappointing.
17. I could not recommend the Avalon to my friends. If you don't mind the above, then it may be for you. But, believe me, there are better.
It is definitely not a 5 star--not over a 3.

The Avalon Grand in Cancun sure wasn't what we expected or was lead to believe. It is pretty to look at and clean but that's about it. According to Orbitz it is a 5 star rating. Absolutely not. The food at the buffet is marginal at best. By the 3rd day your wishing for something different. The main restuaruant takes reservations only, however I don't see why. The menu is extremely limited and the food is awfull. The best food in the whole place unfortunely is in Kelly's sports bar. The drinks are watered down, there was now service around the pools or on the beach. From the pools it was a long walk to get any refreshments. The staff, what there was of it, was vey nice and considerate but you had to find them for service. Not at all like the wait on you hand and foot you would expect from a supposed 5 star hotel. The daily activities on the grounds were non existant. The activities that were posted on the board daily never started anywhere close to the times posted. The beach was not very well maintained, self service on getting lounge chairs and umbrellas. The nightly entertainment was a nice attempt by some average performers to entertain. The costumes and energy were great but the fact the the shows are performed on the dance floor of a sports bar with many tv's going and football helmets and sports articles all over the place really took away from the performers efforts. We are certainly glad we did not pay full price for this trip. This hotel would be lucky to be considered a 3 star location.