My wife and kids stayed here in January 2009 and I'm already looking ahead to book another trip for next winter. We loved this place. We had a two-bedroom suite (really, a one-bedroom suite with an adjoining hotel room) but it was perfect for us. Lots of room for the kids and us.

The units are dated but very clean. The grounds are pleasant and the pool (with kiddie pool) were very clean. The beach is definitely the highlight with wonderful light white sand and lots of loungers and umbrellas (palapas).

We didn't get the all-inclusive, but that was fine since we got our groceries (Wal-Mart Cancun is awesome!) and ate in our room for the most part. The kitchen is adequately well-supplied. We only ate at the hotel once or twice, and then only for breakfast. We also walked along the beach to some of the nearby hotels and had delicious meals there.

For the price and location, this place cannot be beat.

I really can't imagine a greater place to stay. My family and I travel to Cancun every year and this is by far the best place we've found.
The rooms were very nice, the beach was absolutely the best in the hotel zone, the breakfast was awesome and the people were friendly. The price didn't hurt either.
Some other reviews mentioned construction, but this must be finished as we didn't hear or see anything of the sort.
I would recommend this place to anyone who enjoys the peace of an uncrowded beach and a break from the endless sales pitches that are so common at places in this area. I wouldn't consider this a "luxury" hotel in that there aren't really people wandering around jumping to wait on you. It's a laid back place, and everything is accessible from the beach (including the restaurant).
An "all-inclusive" deal is offered at check in for an extra $17 a day which includes the free breakfast and two additional meals. It's not a bad deal, but we opted not to take it.

We booked a week at the Ambiance Villas and looked forward to going there for 5 months. When we arrived we found that it is NOTHING like the pictures on their website. The only pic that was truthful was the one inside the entry. A 2 bedroom "suite" is NOT a REAL 2 bedroom suite, it is 2 little rooms joined together by a connecting door, for the price we were going to pay we could have just booked 2 rooms and it would have been cheaper.
When we were TRYING to check in, the person at the desk told me our total price (after our deposit) was almost $300 more than the price quoted to me by the manager. Thank God I printed out all emails between us and brought them with me. We were then told the computer was down so we could finish checking in the next day. We were taken to our "2 bedroom suite" on the 3rd floor that faced the gym........we were promised a view of the sea. Oh, did I mention that THERE IS NO ELEVATOR?????? The A/C is set by the hotel and it is HOT in the rooms. No way to lower the A/C in the rooms.
The Beach.........looks soooo relaxing in the pics on their website however.....the nice beds that are supposed to be there for you to lay out on ARE NOT THERE.....but a big volleyball area is. From the beach you can see other hotels and we walked over to one of them and got ALL INCLUSIVE for just a little over what we were going to pay at Ambiance Villas. They kept my 2 night deposit, a little over $500 but it was soooo worth it just to get out of there.
Check out Oasis Viva if you really want to have a great hotel with great A/C, great people, and everything you could possibly want included.

This was our second trip to Ambiance Villas (the first in 2005), and it will likely not be our last. We really enjoy the laid back atmosphere, the beach, and the location.

Ambiance Villas is different from the big all inclusives, the chains, and the other high-rise properties. Your room is one of 3-4 buildings, four stories tall (with no elevator). We reserved a standard room, which was spacious, and nicely furnished. On our first trip, we were upgraded to a 1 BR suite, so I was a little bummed that the standard room doesn't include a mini-fridge, but we worked around it. We could not check in until 3 pm, but they held our luggage and we changed into swimsuits and hit the beach.

Most of the rooms include daily breakfast, which is pretty good - fruits, cereals, pastries, a few steam trays of hot food, and a made to order omelet station. It wasn't extravagant, but there was always something good. The main restaurant only appeared to be open for breakfast. Lunch and dinner are available at the beach restaurant. We had one very good lunch and one below average lunch at their restaurant. For our other lunches, we ate in a small strip of shops and a market across the street and to the right (west). There were several good (and cheap) options available. We never ate onsite for dinner (too many good options in the hotel zone). You're about a 10-15 minute walk from the convention center, or there is a bus stop in front of the hotel.

The best feature of the property is the beach. The sand is soft and powdery - about the consistency of sugar. There is a lot of space between the grounds and the water line, and the hotel has a lot of chairs, palyapas, and palm trees to provide shade. The best part: you don't have to get up a 7 am to reserve a spot - there were always good spots available. The water is crystal clear and you'd see more waves stepping into a bath tub. They have a section of water roped off, and at the far rope line the water was no more than chest deep on me (I'm 6'0"). If you've seen or read about the beaches (post-hurricane) on the other side of the"7", you'll know what a gem this beach is. There is also a nice, but smaller swimming pool and a small children's pool, but we spent all of our time on the beach. There is no "activities DJ" playing music and games, which we are very happy about.

Complaints? Few and fairly minor. At check-in, we asked if they offered the ability to upgrade to all inclusive and we told no. On our last day, I noticed their check-in paperwork mentioned that AI was available. It would have been nice to go AI for a day or two, but the drinks were pretty reasonable and there is a supermarket about 5 minutes away. Also, there is a bar near the lobby that was never open (it was on our first trip). It would have been nice to have a nightcap and enjoy the evening. Finally, to get ice, you need to take your ice bucket down to the bar at the beach restaurant. While it was somewhat inconvenient, it wasn't so bad that I bought a bag of ice.

In conclusion, I almost hate to post this review because I'd like to keep this little gem a secret for as long as possible. While it's not for everyone (those who want 5 star accommodations, activities, several dining options, elevators, or a great AI need not apply) it is ideal for people wanting quiet relaxation, a great (and kid friendly) beach experience, and multi-person rooms for extended families.