We stayed at the Royal Islander from Jan 31 - Feb 7 this year. This was our third visit to the "tri-royals" in Cancun" (I have benefited immensly from information on TA and wanted to give a little something back--this is my first review). We had an oceanfront villa-two bedroom. We love the hospitality and excellent service that we consistently get at Royal Resorts. We also enjoy the option of taking the free shuttle down to the Royal Sands and using the facilities and restaurants at the other adjoining resorts next door to The Islander. Basically you're getting the use of four resorts instead of one--actually five if you take the shuttle down to the newest- Royal Haciendas in Playa DelCarmen.

Please bear in mind that these are "timeshare" resorts, but on the surface function as if they were hotels--your room key is your pass to use all the facilities and restaurants at any of the Royal Resorts-and no, there is no pressure to purchase one.

I give The Royal Islander excellent marks for service, good food, cleanliness, value and friendliness. Enjoyed Happy Hour every day, used the gym, loved that the pools are now heated--it was cool the week we were there, high 60's low 70's. Loved the breakfast buffet at the palapa every morning.

The only negative and it's a big one, is the loss of beach due to erosion started by Hurricane Wilma in 2005. This is the first time we could not swim at the beach at all during the entire week and frankly it was a big disappointment. Obviously, you can't blame this on the resort, but it is a big factor. There was some beach restoration done in 2006 and we did use the beach during our 2007 visit, however this year was the worst we have seen it. The waves break hard and close on the shore and the shoreline-water's edge is mostly covered in boulders. Much of the sand has been washed away. This appears to be the case for many other resorts as well along "the strip." The red flags are posted daily meaning "no swimming allowed." If you were to disregard the warning you may be risking your life-seriously. I asked around the resort and was told that for the most part this is the norm here--no (beach) swimming allowed. As some consolation, you can still walk the beach or sit in loungers and order drinks and take in the beautiful view of aquamarine blue waters and white sand.

The "old" beach was probably the most beautiful beach I ever swam on and sadly, for now it's gone. There is some talk about another government restoration project in the works. This is still a beautiful resort--just don't plan on swimming in the ocean here anytime soon. If swimming in the ocean is important to you...go someplace else :(

We traded our timeshare to stay here. I have to say, we were extremely pleased with the Islander. We arrived to the resort around 1 pm. Check in time is not until 4. We filled out their forms upon arrival and were told that the check in time was'nt until 4 however, we could use the resort as we pleased. Within an hour, if not sooner, our personal concierge found us on the property, checked us in and brought our bags to our room. That is service!!! We were put into a 2 bedroom lock off unit that could very easily sleep 8. King size bed and two trundles in the master suite and the lock off had two doubles. Both of course had kitchens. Both had beautiful verandas. Our suite had a perfect view of the ocean and the pool from the backside and a perfect view of the lagoon on the front side. We were in building #4. The grocery store in the hotel has just about everything you could want. Meat, produce, alcohol, clothes etc. Very convinient.

They also have a tour desk and rental car desk located right outside of the lobby. They have thought of everything for their resorts. My only complaint is the restaurants. Not very appealing and I would rather spend my money off property due to the lack of selection or ambiance.

I have a friend who has a timeshare at this resort and was invited to go for the week of Oct. 11-18. I don't have experience staying at other resorts in the area, but Royal Islander was really great. Staff were very friendly and the accommodations were wonderful! The villas are spacious and clean with lots of storage and amenities like a fully equipped kitchen. You can have your villa cleaned every day for a very small gratuity. I've stayed at lots of beachside condos that only offer once a week cleaning - - right before you get there and after you leave. The pool area is fantastic and the waiters are superb. From the comfort of your poolside or beachside chair you can order food and drinks to your heart's content. Every day from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. is happy hour with complimentary chips and salsa to go with your drinks.

Royal Islander is one of five resorts owned by Royal Resorts in Cancun and there is a shuttle that will take you from one resort to another in their chain. You can enjoy the amenities that each resort offers such as the pools, other recreational activities, markets (groceries), spa, boutiques, sports desks, and travel/excursion desks. You can book local activities (snorkeling, fishing, Mayan ruins, diving, fishing, boating, etc.) through the travek/excursion desks or your personal concierge will come to your villa and help you plan your week's activities and book them for you. This kind of service is unparalleled in my travels.

The resort offers scuba demonstrations in the pool and you can book your own lessons leading up to an offshore dive. There are fine restaurants on the premises of the resorts if you don't want to leave the resort area.

All of the resorts have beautiful landscaping and every villa faces the water. The grounds are spotless, the pools are kept clean and the atmosphere was jovial and friendly but not too loud at night even though the pools were open til 10:00 p.m.

There was a meet and greet event to give you an idea of the services offered by the resort, a welcoming party that offered free food and drinks by the pool, and a bye bye party the night before departure.

It's difficult to recall all the great things about the Royal Resorts and Royal Islander in paticular, but I can hardly wait to return.

This timeshare resort is unlike any time shares I have stayed at and I've stayed at a number. Usually time shares provide very little service and interaction between guests and staff. At the Royal Islander we had our own personal concierge who made all our reservations, checked up on us every day and even brought us gifts. The entire staff was there to meet our needs. I was surprised when more than one staff member knew my name after the second day. I have been a Marriott owner for 15 years and have often returned to the same resort but the staff members have never learned my name or provided such personal service.

The units are not as modern or plush as the Marriott units but they are pleasant and clean. The property is well maintained and there is lots to do. Since the "Royals" consist of a number of resorts in Cancun, they provide a convenient shuttle bus to move from one to another. We had dinner at several of the Royal properties and the food was good at all.

My only disappointment was the boulders in the sea and the narrow beach. I was afraid to venture out into the water because I didn't want to hit my legs and feet on the enormous boulders lining the shore.