Planning a summer vacation in 2021 probably wasn’t the usual pleasure: closed borders, last-minute departure and arrival restrictions, financial losses due to cancellations…

In view of the opening of the European Union’s borders to vaccinated American tourists, and in the belief that the transatlantic alliance would return the favor, Olivier and I had planned a trip to New York, but you know the rest of the story.

As I write this, the US travel ban on people from Europe has finally been lifted in autumn 2021, but we obviously didn’t know that in the summer.

Unlike Olivier, I have close family in the United States that I haven’t seen for 2 and a half years, due to restrictions. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and it’s not without some thought that I’ve committed myself to what’s known as the “third country route”in other words spend 14 days in a country not affected by entry restrictions to enter the United States, Mexico being the most common due to the proximity of the country and the abundance of flights.

Planning then begins for 2 weeks in Mexico and I initially book for the major part of the stay (10 nights) Four Points by Sheraton Cancun Centro : because of the length of my stay, I had to keep my budget under control (a very good rate of 700 euros for 9 nights), while at the same time feeling that I wasn’t staying in a youth hostel, since Four Points are generally sure values in terms of comfort. As for Olivier, he’ll be staying at the JW Marriott in the hotel zone for a few days, allowing me to take advantage of his facilities.

Booking

I booked the stay directly on the Marriott Bonvoy app, for 9 nights (July 23 to August 1, 2021).

As luck would have it, my birthday was right in the middle of the trip (July 31). I finally decided to cut my stay at the Four Points by Sheraton a little short and go to a resort in the hotel zone for the night. The request disrupted the front desk a little, but the hotel’s Director of Operations, a French speaker apparently delighted to be able to exercise the language of Molière a little, came to make the change for me.

Breakfast is free because of my Platinum status, as evidenced by the coupons meticulously written out day by day by the receptionist on arrival!

Arrival and discovery of the room

I arrive at the hotel in the middle of the evening at around 8.30pm. I was greeted courteously and informed of my upgrade to a “Deluxe” room on the second floor with balcony.

La chambre est très simple : une salle de bains avec douche à l’italienne, une grande pièce à vivre avec un lit king size format américain, un bureau et un balcon.

When I arrived in the room, a small aperitif tray was laid out, with a few pieces of cheese, charcuterie and olives. No frills, but the attention was commendable.

I wake up the next morning for one last day of remote work before starting my vacation. The sun rises over Cancun and I enjoy it from the balcony, which is in fact a connecting terrace with all the rooms on the second floor of the hotel.

Restaurant

The city of Cancun is laid out in a rather unusual way: basically, a residential area and then a slightly outlying hotel zone that concentrates most of the activities. Staying rather in the residential area and given the sparsity of local locomotion options, the location is not ideal for strolling, dining, …

The breakfast room is mainly made up of two audiences: Americans and, above all, Indians (as a reminder, India is a country affected by the American travel ban in the same way as the Schengen area). I’ll see the same people every day.

So I made the most of the hotel’s only restaurant, where breakfast is served every day.

The buffet is no longer self-service due to COVID measures, which Mexicans take quite seriously, contrary to what you might think.

The service is very good, with Western options (eggs and breads) but above all Mexican options that I’d be happy to discover, like quesadillas here.

Or succulent chilaquiles (red or green)!

But more importantly, I discovered that there was an à la carte menu with a few extra options prepared in the kitchen.

For example, I will have these delicious enmoladas served to me. In fact, I’d have enough days to try the whole menu (which changes every week).

On Sundays there’s even a special “brunch” breakfast with tostadas and birria (meat in sauce).

Other hotel facilities and little extras

On an evening when Olivier was visiting the hotel, we decided to make the most of the terrace by opening a bottle of champagne bought duty free before departure. I then ask the Operations Manager, my French-speaking contact, for two glasses. I was surprised when he brought along a small piece of cake and an aperitif, remembering my upcoming birthday!

The hotel is equipped with a gym, a spa and a swimming pool. I’ll be taking advantage of the latter several times during my stay. The view is unobstructed over Cancun’s southern hotel zone.

Check-out formalities

So I’ll be leaving the hotel a day earlier than planned, but not without having had a good stay. The friendliness of the staff and especially of Daniel Salazar, the property’s operations manager, contributed greatly to my satisfaction.

While the hotel zone, including the JW Marriott is the place to go if you’re looking for a lazy beach holiday, it’s not for every budget or taste, and the Four Points by Sheraton made it easy for me to explore the surrounding area (Isla Mujeres, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Chiche Itzà) thanks to its proximity to the central bus station, while keeping a high level of comfort.

Articles similaires

Renaissance Cancun Resort & Marina: mediocre, zero attention, no service Ritz Carlton Cancun: excellent service Royalton CHIC Cancun, an Autograph Collection all-inclusive Resort : Very good JW Marriott Cancún: A little paradise with polished service The St. Regis, Mexico City : Perfect in every way Express – Four Points by Sheraton Catania: You can’t ignore a Presidential Suite!