OK, so it's not on the beach. But it's really close to the airport (without jet noise) and as of now its only $99 a night.
The Cancun Courtyard by Marriott opened in November 2007 and is a first class property modeled after its US namesakes. The owners also manage the Omni Cancun on the beach and guests at the Courtyard can take a shuttle to the beach twice a day.
The property is beautifully landscaped with a pool, hot tub and fountain. The chaise lounges are new and elegant, not cheap or flimsy.
There is free internet and wireless and the rooms all have 27" flat panel TV's with plenty of choices via cable.
The rooms are big,. the bathrooms well appointed. The decor is tasteful and hardly tacky like some resorts. The service staff seems to be learning its way as some of our six days on site our rooms were not made up until 5 pm.
The one restaurant, El Henequen, is very nice, though service is a bit
slow. But the breakfast buffet is only $11 and you can have a big dinner for $20 pp. The food runs from Mexican to American with some earnest attempts at Italian.
There's a full health club and several large meeting rooms and a killer Business Center. The staff is friendly and most, but not all, speak English.
The only downside to this property is its location away from the beach
hotel zone. Neighbors on the main road where the hotel is sited include junk yards and car dealers, though none are visible from the hotel itself. It's really a tranquil oasis.
Aside from the free shuttle to the beach you need to take a taxi to get downtown ($25) or most anywhere else. There is a tour desk which can arrange everything from a cab to a private van tour to Tulum ($275).
The only nearby restaurant, Fonda de Argentina (a fine Argentine steak
house) is 15 min and $25 one way by cab. But, as I said, the on site restaurant is fine.
Expect to see a lot of airline crews overnighting as this is now the best hotel close to the airport, but over Christmas week (peak high season) we also saw many Mexican, Japanese and some European families.
In summary... no beach, a bit isolated but great prices for a Cancun vacation. I'd definitely come back.
