My family and I traveled to Moon Palace in February. We couldn't wait to arrive seeing as we were coming from frigid New York weather and craved the sun and fun. We never considered Mexico as a destination(we had been looking in the caribbean but the weather in Feb. was much too cold). I'm glad we decided on Cancun after all. When we arrived, the weather was mid 80's and the sun was shining briliantly. There was little confusion at the airport and we caught our shuttle easily. Moon Palace was about 20 minutes away, but we loved the seclusion. You travel down a LONG road to enter the resort, which was reassuring in a foreign country. As soon as we arrived, we knew we had made the right choice. Huge sculptures, waterfalls, and beautiful flowers greeted us on the Nizuc side. We got to the front desk and it kind of seemed they just put us where ever they had space, which was fine since we got the room we wanted(a standard near the water). I can't believe people complained about the service. My family was greeted with glasses of champagne and the lobby was huge. Their were little sweets, soda, etc. on the counter near the stage(bands play in the evening). The bar was well stocked and the drinks were good. There was a bit of a walk to the room but we didn't mind and you can catch a golf cart just as you exit the lobby(it's all housed together with the salon, restaurants, store , and what have you). The room was gorgeous. We wanted two doubles but we got a king, which was no biggie because I slept on the pullout.Yes, I am 13 and this is all from my perspective(and trust me, don't discount my opinion because i'm VERY picky). The balcony was nice and the jacuzzi was an added bonus which I took advantage of. Ok take a breather, I know this is a long review. Our first night there, we went to the Mexican restaurant on Nizuc and oh dear lord. We were treated like royalty!!! The food was to die for but not what we expected. We thought we'd get enchilladas and tacos. But we got beef tips and mexican shrimp. We took advantage of many tours under the advisement of our new Mexican freind, Sandra(she became our connection at the resort, you can get lost in it's size!)Tulum was great, since we're huge history buffs. The Iguanas are everywhere(harmless) and I just saw on DestinationHD that Tulum was rated the best ancient beach! Also that day we went to Xpu Ha(a palace resort) to snorkel in the inlet. It was our first time so we opted for something a little less advanced but it was still soooo fun! Another day we went to Isla Mujeres on a REALLY fun boat tour. First we stopped at the resorts beach club for sea kayaks, lunch, and relaxation. You could have gone snorkeling, swam with dolfins, or taken an islnd tour. We opted to just chill. Isla Mujeres had lots of silver stores. Yet another day, we wnt into Cancun which wsa fun but it was at night and we didn't get a chance to visit the flea markets, which would have been fun. The pool...wow. Huge and wonderful. The all inclusive was perfect for us. All the food was great, the actvities were flexible and abundant, and we only took out money for the gift shop which, by the by, has great stuff you'll find everywhere else, but in some cases, better prices. When we took a tour by golf cart, we saw the golf course and spa and words can't even descibe them. My mom and I are looking forward to a possible mani pedi on one of the outdoor balconies on our next visit. We did get mani's, pedi's, and facials in the salon which were wonderful. One of my favortie things was that we saw weddings evrey day! How romantic. Another comforting thing was they have their own desalinization plant(a big deal). I could say so much more but i'm sure i've bored you to tears but before i go...CONS-------(there are a few) 1-sea weed in the water is kinda gross 2-beds slightly hard(bring your own pillow) 3-get to the resturants early or wait (not too long but we're not ones to wait) 4-if you take a tour or go into town, prepare to be hasseled a little, it comes with the territory(None @ the resort however)

AND ABOVE ALL, THE MOON PALACE WAS SUPER SAFE AND WE NEVER WORRIED ABOUT ANYTHING


happy travling!!!!

My Fiancee and I stayed here for 3 weeks in Sept 2003. From the moment we arrived we were treat like royalty. Champagne and sandwiches on arrival. because the hotel is so big and spread over a large area we jumped on a golf buggy to get to our room.
The rooms are huge with the standard double jacuzzi, large shower, sofa and table, and fridge, you get the picture.
You have to use the phone to speak with ypur loved one in bed they are so wide. it was quite a hike from our room to the main building (nizuc) and we just used to ring reception for the golf buggy to pick us up, no problem. For the first week we didnt mind as the walk back did us good. However my good lady was suffering bad hair days from the humidity so for the last 2 weeks we moved our room to the main building. No problem. The stafff are very friendly and gave us tips on where to buy quality goods in the non touristy areas at half the price. Also because my good lady loves to salsa were advised by staff to go to The Mambo Cafe which was a mexican salsa club in town which was safe. As far as i could see we were the only tourists in there, again no problem.
Food at the hotel i would rate as 8/10 my only gripe being because all the restaraunts are air conditioned the food got cold quite quickly. The oriental at the sunrise was our favourite. we are a bit old for the nightclub but went most nights anyway and had a good laugh especially at Alex who is the craziest dancer. a few nights we sat at the bar (nizuc and sunrise) and just asked the barman to give us a drink whenever our glasses were empty. No problem sir i will make you a selection of my cocktails. we must have tried the lot over the 3 weeks. the drinks are great with a good selection of branded drinks, Johnny Walker Whisky, Bacardi, Jack daniels (nizuc only),Jim Beam, Smirnoff Vodka.
If you get the chance go on the kitchen tour. I know it sounds silly but if you are invited behind the scenes especially the kitchen of a hotel it emphasises the point that they have nothing to hide hygene wise. Also at the end they invite you to an exclusive lunch later that evening.
It is true that the beach is nowhere near as good as downtown Cancun so if you are a beach person dont go, however a couple of times a week we got the shuttle to the Beach Palace and spent the day there. Once you have been to the other Palace resorts you will see the difference and what you have paid for.
Never had a problem getting sun beds the place is so big you are spoilt for choice.
Given that my good lady and i have very stressful jobs at home and our primary goal in a holiday is to just lie back relax and read a few books, the Moon Palace was ideal for us. If you are the more active type you may want to go downtown.
Every night the hotel runs a shuttle to one of the clubs in town, Senor Frogs, Coco Bongos, etc. you pay at the beach towel hut or where the D.J. sits by the pool. When we were there it was only 25 bucks which included a bus there and back as well as your entry (drinks included). Yeah the coach was like something out of the ark but for 25 bucks what do want, a stretch. It was all part of the fun of the holiday. Take a tip when getting taxis allways haggle a price before you get in. Its standard fare for any cab driver in the world to try and make as much money as he can. Just let them know there are plenty cabs to choose from and if they want your business they have to offer the price you want. If your not happy walk away, dont be shy its not being ignorant its just letting him know its a buyers market.
Overall the holiday was great. Met some nice people as you would expect from a 5 star hotel. Only had 1 day of rain in 3 weeks. If anyone has any questions i will be pleased to answer them just leave your question on the forum page and i promise i will check it regularly over the next few months and answer your questions there.

My husband and I took a short (4 day) vacation in mid-April to the Moon Palace, just south of Cancun, MX. The shuttle ride to/from the airport is very decent - maybe 15 minutes. We were in the Nizuc section of the hotel; there is also the Sunrise section, which is bigger and busier. We didn't see the rooms in the Sunrise section, but I believe they are comparable to Nizuc. We could see that the patio/balcony areas differed though - more windows/less patio in Nizuc.

The room was pleasant - King size bed, large 2-person jacuzzi, nice view of ocean, and nice bathroom. The shower is large and fabulous! My biggest issue with the room was the smell - it was sort of a musty, ocean-water smell. I had read this in other reviews, and was hoping to avoid it. When we arrived at our room for the first time, I was ready to ask for a different room. However, after the first few hours, you really don't notice the smell. I would also suggest that they begin upgrading some features - the room is starting to show wear. The bed/pillows are the typical hard hotel style.

Be aware - the water does smell bad! There's plenty of bottle water to drink (the room is well-stocked), but the lawn sprinklers and bathroom water (sink water is purified) do smell strong.

The grounds are very well maintained. Weddings are taking place several times during the day - simply a beautiful oceanside setting for the occasion! Pools are lovely, clean, and very refreshing. Plenty of seating around the pools. Again, Nizuc is a little quieter, but we liked that. If you prefer action, you can walk over to the Sunrise section. (Be prepared, the resort if massive, and you will walk a lot!! There are golf-carts that continually cruise the property, and you can hop on if you need a break from walking.)

A lobby-to-lobby bus is available to travel between Sunrise and Nizuc. This is handy for dinner at night, since there are 5 restaurants in each hotel section.

Restaurants and food were good. I personally prefer table-side service rather than buffet, and there are many buffet-style restaurants. The service at the restaurants is absolutely wonderful! In the States, we consider the Disney resorts to have some of the best service, and I believe the Moon Palace can rival Disney in terms of service! We recommend trying Barracuda's at the Sunrise section - excellent food!

Beach - long, beautiful sand, lovely view. Water is not the great turquoise blue you'd like to see, but it is still very nice. We are not ocean swimmers, so this was not an issue for us. No beach vendors to deal with.

We did take advantage of the Sun Palace resort facilities for an afternoon. If you wish to see gorgeous beach and water, head for the Cancun/Beach/Sun Palaces! The Sun Palace looks very nice and much smaller. Little more "festive" and lively than Moon Palace.

Overall, our trip was wonderful and we would return to Moon Palace - with or without our children!

One final note: make sure you take extra batteries for cameras, games, etc. They are very $$ at the hotel!! Also a little challenging getting change for US money, so take plenty of small bills.

This was the best time that my new husband and I had. Not only did we honeymoon at the resort but we were married there as well. We could have asked for a better stay and more beautiful wedding. I'm not sure why some people would give the negative feedback other than they went during Spring Break or that they always must find something to complain about.

Arrival: We were greeted by a waiter while waiting to check in. We both ordered a beer as it had been a long day traveling. Wow--can't say as though I have evered had that service offered to me before. The check in staff were very nice and explained everything to us. Our room was located on the Nizuc side of the resort--the Bugambilia Building. The room overlooked the beach.

Rooms: Our room was cleaned very well every day. It did not stink. Nothing was broken. Yes, the bed was a bit hard. The stand-up marble shower was beautiful.

Dining: There was always a surplus of food and drink wherever we went. The food was hot and they had a lot to offer. If you can't find something at one of their buffets then you probably won't like anything. Their buffets had everything from pizza to seafood for lunches. We rarely waited in line on the Nizuc side for dinner.

Resort: Yes there was one smelly part at their resort but like everyone says it doesn't last long. The smell reminded us of well-water. The Nizuc side is smaller and much more quite. Never had to fight for a lounge chair at the pool or on the beach. Even at 10:00 in the morning.

Staff: The staff couldn't have been any nicer. They bent over backwards to help you and to make your stay a nice one. Never once did we see staff be rude or short with any of the guests. In fact, when we arrived back in into the US we realized what a fast paced world we live in here and how we really lack the hospitality that we found in Mexico. Even when we went sightseeing we had a great time and always felt welcomed.

Wedding: The most beautiful thing!! No problems whatsoever. Everything was like a dream come true--in paradise.

Beach: If you want the pretty blue waters and the waves then stay downtown but please note that the hotels are practically on top of each other downtown. You can take a shuttle downtown to one of the Palace Resorts for no charge and stay there for four hours and enjoy their beach if you want to see how their water is.

All in all...if we had the opportunity to go again, we would. We definately wouldn't go during Spring Break. I think you are asking for problems if you go at that time.