My gf and I (both in our early 20's) stayed at Park Royal from 6/3/08 - 6/9/08. To sum up Park Royal and our vacation in one word: Wow! Park Royal met or surpassed our expectations in every way and we'll definitely stay there again. Through Orbitz, we got the room dirt cheap and, considering how much food and alcohol we consumed all day, amounted to cheaper than Motel 6 :-) The comments are mostly positive, except for one negative comment at the end.
**Staff: Very courteous and friendly. Everyone speaks English, though I was surprised to find many local tourists (from various parts of Mexico). Tip a couple dollars here and there (especially the bartenders) and they'll make sure you get more alcohol than ice. Timesharks were not a problem ... not approached for the whole trip.
**Location: Best beach we saw in the hotel zone (we walked a little bit and were not impressed with other places). I included a picture of the beach. Across from La Isla Mall, with Starbucks, McDonalds, and other American places with American prices. Swim with the Dolphins across the street (cheap through EntertainmentPlus and easier than wasting half the day at Xcaret for the same experience).
**Grounds: As other people mention, amazingly clean. Spotless! They inform you when they clean your room's exterior windows. There's always somebody trimming or sweeping or cleaning something ... seriously!
**Food: The buffet was great. Easy to eat healthy (fruits, granola, veggies,etc). At breakfast, there is an omelette chef so you can build your own creations. Lunch and dinner were similar ... chicken, beans, nachos, fish, etc. No burgers or pizza at the buffet, but they serve it by the pool in the afternoon. The Italian restaurant was EXCELLENT (must make reservations early in the day, but if you tip 5-10 bux to the hostess, she'll reserve you for the week). We ate there 3 of the 6 nights during sunset and to the sound of live music in the restaurant. This is a 4-5 course meal, so come hungry (appetizers, breads, pastas, meat, calzone, pizza, salad bar, deserts, drinks, etc). Service in both restaurants was great.
**Bars: The swim up bar was amazing and I spent a fair amount of time at it. The other bars were busy and the alcohol was fine. You're not getting Patron, but the alcohol is good and the bartenders are generous for all-inclusive. Margarita and daiquiri are on blend 24/7.
**Room: We stayed standard and are happy since we were out of the room most of the time anyway. Housekeeping was great, theft was not a problem (get the $2/night safe and you'll be fine), no maintenance issues, TV had English channels and movies. AC is great. Very happy!
**Activities: They have games night, karaoke night, dance night, etc. Not fantastic for college, drinking crowd, but fun for families. College kids can take the shuttle at 10:30ish to go drinking at the clubs downtown.
**Water: Drink it ... you'll be fine. I brought Cipro just in case, but don't worry.
**Negatives: The internet machine in the lobby claims to charge $5.00 for 30 minutes of use and only takes CC. When I got my bill from Visa, they charged $10.00 instead of $5.00. I don't know if this is Park Royal's fault since it was an internet kiosk. In any event, I disputed the charge and Chase refunded the difference. I never heard anything back so I think it's kosher.

Overall, I will be staying there again next year and hopefully in the future. Booked through Orbitz and flew Mexicana, which meant free alcohol on the flight down, the whole stay, and the return flight. And it worked out to about $143 a night, which is awesome for what you get. I attached a few pictures below.

This small, older all-inclusive is well worth the money. The grounds, public spaces and rooms are spotless. Reviewers who complain about sewage smells at this and other hotels don't get the reality - it happens in Cancun, no matter where you are. At the Park Royal there is only an occasional waft of the odor from the bathroom vents - but it is rare. The rooms are very basic, so you need to decide what you are vacationing for - the rooms or the beaches, activities, weather, etc.

This is a wonderful location for families. Spring break is not a time to go to Cancun if you are seeking rest and relaxation. I stayed here last year as well, but caught the tail end of Spring Break and it was very tough, rowdy teens were everywhere, no matter where you stayed! But if you avoid this part of the calendar, the Park Royal is great for kids and older people, even those traveling alone. The hotel is small enough you feel safe.

Staff is excellent. Maids, barmen, waiters, front desk - all are examples of the finest customer service. Although tipping is certainly not required - don't be an ugly American, these people certainly appreciate a dollar for their efforts. Plan to take a cache of singles to honor their service - it will come back to you tenfold in special ways.

The buffet restaurant is open for three meals daily. There is always something to please everyone, especially the breakfasts. Room service is now available. The Italian restaurant is reservation only - book the day of between 1200 and 1500. Dress for the Italian restaurant is resort eveningwear - no flip-flops or shorts. Definitely a must - the food is excellent, and live music most nights-harpist, violin, etc.

There are two pools - one adults only. The only complaint is the loudspeaker for the kids activities at the lower pool is annoying to those at the upper adults pool. The beach area is small and the water is rough - but that is fairly consistent at the hotels along the strip.

After reading the reviews posted here, we chose Park Royal for our Cancun vacation. We arrived on 5/30/2008, and promptly checked out on 5/31/2008. We booked the Presidential Suite, and it was a joke. It was spacious, but it smells like bleach, our shower didn't work, there was hair in the toilet, and the "private" hot tub on the balcony, was so dirty from all of the construction that I couldn't even imagine stepping into it. There was no mention of construction when I booked our stay. However, be aware that there is HEAVY construction going on at resorts on each side of the Park Royal. It sounded like someone was going to hammer right through our closet. For the money we paid for the Presidential Suite, it was disappointing to say the least. Thankfully, we were refunded (we had to fight for it) and I called bookit.com, and they hooked us up with another resort for $700.00 less, than what we paid for Park Royal. Park Royal needs to follow suite with the two resorts next to them, and shut down and do a complete remodel, or be more truthful about their resort on their website.

My boyfriend and I stayed between May 26- May 31st, I was more than excited to go after reading some reviews! and the reviews were right! Let me start by saying that the hotel is ALWAYS clean- they are cleaning 24/7 and since a lot of the hotel is glass- they are always on top of their game to make sure you will never see a fingerprint- the floors are always being swept and never slippery. The rooms always clean and smelling fresh.
the food: was very good and a high selection each day- the El Mirador restaurant (you need to make reservations) is awesome! we ate there 3 out of the 5 nights! the steak was their best dish! and if you get Lorenzo as your waitor you will be in great hands- he is so attentitive and never misses a beat! best waiter ever!
The view to the beach is gorgeous you can sit by the pool and face the beach! I was there everyday- and loved it all! the 2 pools are cool- and the entertainment staff trys hard to make it pleasant f/ all. The drinks are a lil watered down- but you can ask for more liquor in your drink and they will fill it up! Now I would not suggest drinking the water bc my boyfriend and I both got sick from it- their bottled water- it's great that they stock up your room w/ water but their water has 20% sodium and maybe their filtering system is not the best- this is not the hotels problem- bc this is the water they serve every where.

If you are night cruisers! then you will enjoy the downtown as we did. the bus service is open 24/7 and goes up and down the strip all day- and you never wait more then 2 minutes f/ a bus! it is .60 each way per person- we did Coco Bongos which f/ $50 you drink all night and have a live show!!! all night! the show is literally broadway style and is well worth the money! Senor Frogs was also lots of fun!

The tours- we were never harrassed by anyone to join a timeshare, etc but we did speak to the hotel guide desk and did the trip to XeL-Ha it was great!!!!!! and well worth the $... it's a natural park and you can swim, snorkel, sea trek, jump off cliffs into beautiful rivers.......

I hope you find this review helpful and trust that in Mexico you will be in great hands they are really friendly and the whole city is very clean. Enjoy!