for the price you're paying, this is a great little hostel. we did not book in advance. the airport shuttle driver took us here when we asked about affordable rooms in downtown.
we asked for a corner room and we got it. the water was hot and the a/c worked, as it should. contintental breakfast of stale frosted flakes and sugar croissants was included. if you want more, the grocery store is right next door.
on sunday night, there was a drunk knocking on our door, but he went away after i shouted at him. hey, you're downtown. deal with it.
i would not bring little kids here, but if luxury resorts aren't your thing, go ahead and stay at the soberanis.

The hostel was clean and close to everything. That made it nice, we used it as a central location for our trips. I will return again.

We stayed one night at Hostel Soberanis in downtown Cancun in June. It was very easy to get a reservation through the internet, it was cheap, about $40usd, clean, comfortable, it had AC, TV and continental breakfast included. The staff was helpful and friendly, they recommended us a good italian restaurant nearby. It's a fair hike from the bus station, and be prepared for lots of solicitation from other hotels, but it's do-able to walk. Besides, taking a taxi is highway robbery. Breakfast was fine, coffee good and hot, danishes fresh. This was our only sighting of cockroaches, albeit small ones, and only two. (Face it, most of the restaurants in the US have them too.) We would recommend it for short stays.

They have a major cockroach problem at this hostal, at least in the room i was in. I won't return to this hostal again.