I greatly enjoyed Villas Tacul for a two-night stay in Cancun. The city itself was a bit too toursty and by the second morning I was ready to move on to Merida. But Villas was way cool. We over-bought by taking a 2-bedroom villa for our group (two mothers and two daughters, $507 for two nights through The Travel Center). We could have saved $165 by getting a 1-bedroom which would have had plenty of space (the downstairs area also has both a king-size bed AND a pull-out sofa.) Full kitchen, charming Mexican decor, comfortable beds, great bathrooms (3). Iguanas do roam the grounds, which the kids loved. Beach was fine - a little small but all the beaches are connected and there's a Rui right next-door. Nice meandering swimming pool too, kids enjoyed it. Snorkling was a blast, definitely a highlight of the trip for our two 11-year-olds. It's worth an overnight stay in Cancun just to experience the clear turqoise water. Even in 25-feet you can see clear to the bottom. Nautical Tours, who took us out on the trip, is a first-class bunch. They made sure the kids were safe and dove underwater to show them live starfish up-close. Tacul's breakfast buffet excellent, staff very nice. All in all I would much rather stay here than a 400-room hotel. The only downside was, mosquitos do enter the villas. But, having read postings on TA, I came prepared. We doused ourselves in OFF and we were fine. I would stay here again, yes. Another tip I learned from TA: Don't buy water in the hotel. Just a block south of the Villas Tacul I found an OXXO convenience store that sold bottles of water for $7.5 pesos (about (70 cents.) Most OXXO's, including this one, also have ATMs, although you should only use an ATM in daylight hours and be aware of your surroundings.

Stayed there in Jan.Rooms are ok.Grounds are nice.Beach not nearly as good as in the hotel zone.
Stayed all inclusive.Meals were selected from a very limited menu.Mostly chicken and pasta.Only allowed bottom shelf liquor or beer on all inclusive.
But good luck even getting that! No service around the ice cold pool.
The inside bar only had three stools. The outside bar was only open once in 5 days.
Not convenient to anything.
Staff likes to stade around and socialize with each other,rather than be attentive to the guests.Never stay there again.

The Villas were a little shady. Security wont let other people or booze in your Villa unless you bribe them to get stuff in. We also heard stories from other guests that they had money and jewery stolen. When the asked the front desk for the problem to be corrected they were told that it wasnt thier responsibility if things were stolen. We offered the security guards beer and they refused. The pool was really nice and the private beach was never crowded. DONT eat the food there. We had burgers and for 68 pesos its not a bad price but the food is nasty. The guys behind the counter are helpful to a point, only if you tip them. We ended up not tipping anyone and we had nothing stolen. Probually because we had 6 guys and averaged 6'3'' 225lbs. If its a group of girls do not stay there.

I just returned from the Villas Tacul a week ago-- it was fabulous! We received a very spacious and clean villa with a kitchen, three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The staff was incredibly friendly and eager to make our trip to Mexico a pleasant one. Each morning they greeted us by our first name, and even supplied us with free drinks on our first and final nights in Cancun. The beach was clean, sunny and not crowded at all. When you look next door at the crowded, noisy beaches of the all-inclusive RIU, it makes you incredibly grateful for the Villas Tacul. If you are looking for a real taste of Cancun, and not only a glimpse through the windows of a completely Americanized all-inclusive resort, choose the Villas Tacul. It will be an experience you'll never forget.