We just spent a week in penthouse #9. I would suggest that you rent the condo through [--]. You will get the best maintained condos in the Girasol buildings by using this site. The owners, Mike and Janet Weese, own several units in the building and in my opinion have the best units available to rent. They are very hands-on owners and are quick to respond to your inquiries. The units are well stocked and make you feel like you are at home. You won't find apartment white walls or generic furniture in their units. You will also have internet access and direct tv from the east coast. Mike gave us excellent instructions on how to use the bus systems to get to the Walmart or Sam's club for grocery shopping. We ate our breakfast and lunches in the condo and went out for dinner. The location is the best for the night life and good restaurants. The beach and the water are the best in the world. We spent New Years in Hawaii and Kauai and I have to say that the warmth of the water and the soft beaches of Cancun out shine the Hawaii beaches.

We and our 2 teens had a great week of fun & sun at The Girasol. Close to the Cancun action with great beaches and easy to get to sight seeing locations as well. Clean and confortable with friendly service. Have fun!

My wife and I stayed in Unit 612-2 from Jan 25 - Feb 1, 2007, along with our 3 kids aged 9, 5, and 1. We had a great time.

The weather, pool, beach, and location were all great. Aside from pool and beach days, we also found time to make it into Cancun City (on the local bus), Crococun Park, Wet N Wild, the Interactive Aquarium, and a bunch of local restaurants - the kids thought Senor Frog's was insane, and they were right. There is also a nice authentic Mexican restaurant at the La Isla mall which is not too far. They were all a big hit.

Girasol staff were all very friendly and helpful. It was also nice to have the option of eating nearby vs having to take a cab or bus to a restaurant further away. The OXXO a few doors down kept us well-stocked with food and cold cerveza.

All in all, a great vacation. The 9-year-old would have stayed another month, the 5-year-old was played out (had fun but was ready to go home), and the little one just went with the flow and smiled a lot. Don't forget to bring a portable crib if you have really small kids.

We hope to be back, maybe in one of the penthouses as the kids get older.

Where to start?

The unit was freshly painted and had new tile. The condo staff are friendly and try to do their best. Everything else is terrible. The building is being held together by chewing gum. The elevator doors are jury rigged and close randomly. If you are not careful you could get stuck in the door because the sensor mechanism doesn't work properly. (This would be illegal in the US.) The elevator worked for all of three days during a weeklong stay. The rest of the time we had to hike up 7 flights in a dimly lit, narrow stairwell. The water heater broke and was out for several days. The bathrooms in our unit smelled of raw sewage. We had to close the door to the bathroom in order to be able to bear staying in the unit. In addition, the bathroom sink would take a few days to drain.

Essentially, the building has seen better days and the owners of the units do not want to spend money on the building itself. Consequently, the property is dilapitated.

Before you rent one of these units, please read all of the reviews carefully. Many of the positive reviews posted here give an incorrect, glowing assessment of the condition of the property and should be discounted.

Cancun is a wonderful place. The Girasol is not.