We were staying at the luxurious Mayan Palace in Playa Del Carmen, and our timeshare time expired on a Sunday. To get the lowest airfares, we decided to stay two extra nights in Cancun. We originally chose the Radisson because of its location in Downtown rather than the hotel zone and the wonderful rate we got ($45 USD per night). We arrived before checkin time wich is 1:00pm. The front desk clerk said that they did not have a room ready (totally understandable) and we were invited to look around at the pool or have some lunch. We opted to leave our bags with the bell boys and taste their buffet. Their sunday buffet has a higher price because of the hightened traffic they receive on that day. It was 11.50 USD pp. to participate in the all you can eat buffet. The food was average and consisted of custom quessadillas, pork and chicken dishes, rice, taqitos, a big dessert buffet, and fresh juices. After we ate, we looked at the pool (average sized with a shallow kiddie pool at one point. Swim up bar available). When we passed by the front desk to check on our luggage, the clerk remembered us and said that they had a room available on the 4th floor. For some reason we were put in the "Piso Ejectuivo" wing. It caters to guests who use more rewards points or management. We did not pay extra, just got lucky I guess! The perks you receive are a continental breakfast with cereals, tea, coffee, breads, meats, watermelon juice, milk, cheese, and a variety of other things. The breakfast is served from 7-9 am. The rest of the time, snacks and alcoholic beverages are served. We enjoyed the food and the service provided to us. They told us that there was some good shopping in the area, and so we sojurned on foot. We were able to get alot of gift shopping done with stores within walking distance of the hotel! The shops are very reasonably priced and sell t-shirts, pictureframes, shells . . . you name it! The money benefits the "locals" so we felt no guilt and never bartered to reduce the price. At night we went to the Isla mall -- a great experience! The bus cost 7 pesos pp and took us to the mall in about 20-25 minutes. The mall is brand new and has all sorts of sculptures and water features and shops. It is a little pricier here, but not way out of line. We ate at Carlos O'Kellys and enjoyed the food.
Back at the hotel we slept and then enjoyed the continental breakfast. The RADISSON HAS ACCESS TO A BEACH CLUB! the Avalon Grand. Just flash your white pass, and your in! We again took the bus to the Avalon, though the hotel does provide shuttle transportation. However, you must make reservations, and all the slots filled up before we got there. The beach is literally about 15-20 feet wide at low tide and was a little cramped. There are sales men who walk right along the shore and sell silver, blankets, hair braiding, sunglasses -- anything. The water is clear and very warm with little current. There are no shells, but lots of sand and a fun atmosphere. go to the beach club if youcan and wear spf 30 sunscreen at least! I wore spf 15 and got burned to a crisp! the sun is simply more intensive down there. Later on, we ate at the restaurant for dinner, and got the grouper (fish) and the meat pasta. The pasta was so spicy (with pepper), that we kindly sent it back, and they replaced it with a different pasta dish. They also gave us some ice cream for our trouble with the food. Afterwards, the people who ate grouper had some of "moctezuma's revenge". We don't know whether it was the food or stress or what, but it might be a good idea to stay away from the fish down there.
The next day we left and gave the maid a tip. All the staff was extremely helpful and really bent over backwards to make our stay comfortable.
NOW HERE'S OUR PROBLEMS:
The building is old and really needs a good, thourough cleaning. The pool is a little rusty, and the walls a little musty. Everything just shows a little wear and tear, but can be easily overlooked.
Excellent stay overall and a wonderful value!
