Hilton Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort: Full Guide & Honest Review

The Hilton Cancun is an all-inclusive resort located on one of the most popular coastlines of Mexico. Does the all-inclusive concept live up to the hype? Here’s everything you need to know about the food, drinks, and activities at the Hilton Cancun.

As a frequent cruiser, I know there can be great benefits, but also major drawbacks, to having all your food and drink included in your rate. Instead of managing logistics for arriving at a new location each day, you’ll instead find a number of tours available to different attractions in the area. There are a number of activities on-property as well, but there are some definite issues with the beach.

After spending a number of days exploring other all-inclusives in Cancun and having some local adventures in Isla Mujeres (see my 1 week itinerary), I booked the Hilton Cancun to end my Cancun vacation. We thought it would be a relaxing place to end the trip and be close to the airport. Find out more about relaxing at the Cancun airport lounges by checking out my review of the priority pass and plaza premium lounges there.

This stay was booked using two Hilton free night certificates I earned from having the Surpass Card and its welcome offer.

Hilton Cancun Location

Located in Riviera Maya, around 15 minutes from the Cancun International Airport, the Hilton Cancun takes up an isolated stretch of beach next to the Waldorf Astoria. 

Upon arriving, the security gate will check your driver’s credentials and confirm that you are a guest. Then you drive down a long stretch of road through a nature preserve. While the pavers at the entrance are pretty bumpy, you’ll find the rest of the road is paved. It takes another ten minutes to reach the property. 

Be sure that your tours have your name and room number to be able to get through the gate to pick you up, otherwise it’s a very long walk.

Arrival & Check in

What started with a friendly greeting by the the bellstand and prompt service, turned into a confusing and drawn out check in. We were first directed to the desk to the left of the entrance, where it seemed like the next available agent must have been finishing her shift because she directed us to wait elsewhere for help.

After waiting there for some time we were finally picked out of the line to be helped at another desk to the right of the entrance to check in. After checking in the, the bell man helped take us to the room and deliver the luggage.

There is a cart of tamarind drinks that I assume were meant to be the welcome drink, but that cart was not consistently manned or highlighted upon checking in. 

When you check in you will be emailed a link to create an account to make reservations and access the guide to the hotel. Online you can see the schedule of activities, restaurant menus, and order room service. This was a great way to see everything going on in the hotel at a glance.

We did run into an issue later on when we tried to charge something to the room, but the card was not active for room charges. Be sure to mention you’d like the card on file to be available for charges if preferred. I had some Hilton credits on credit cards to use, so it was important to me to have the ability to charge to the room.

Skip the hassle of looking for flights! Use my Award Booking Concierge Service. I’ll find the flights on points and let you know exactly how to book. 

Hilton Status

While we were glad to have been noticed and finally helped, I was confused as to why there wasn’t a dedicated line for this with HiltonHonors Status. The only distinction I was given with my Gold status was being recognized at check in and given a card with an email address to book reservations.

The agent made it seem like this was an exclusive line of access for reservations, but nothing on the card indicated that. Nor did I get a response when I emailed them, hoping they could get us a reservation to dine at Aura, their steakhouse concept. It would be nice if they had some tables reserved for status holders or walk ins.

We were upgraded to an ocean view two queen room, thanks to my Gold Status. I was notified a few days beforehand that I had been upgraded, although it did not specify the room type in the email. So that was a pleasant surprise and we were glad to have a direct view to the ocean after a few other stays had obstructed views.

Two Queen Ocean View Room

There were limited toiletries provided. Only one bar of soap, shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner. There were only three towels in the room, and we were four persons, so we called for additional towels. We also asked for robes.

An important point in the design of the room is that the bathroom is only separated by smoked glass from the rest of the room. It remains completely transparent, making it very inconvenient for a group or family. 

The beds were comfortable and the room was spacious, although a bit sparse. A fruit basket or a sweet treat would have been a nice touch in the room in recognition of Hilton status.

The glass sliding drawers open up to an ocean view terrace with a daybed and two chairs. The seaweed smell and heat was too strong to leave the doors open, but it was nice to have the view and hang out there on occasion, as well as dry wet clothes. 

Mini Bar

There is a nespresso machine, but we only had one coffee mug. We called for and promptly received additional mugs. The mini bar is included and offers sodas, water, beer (two varieties), and snacks. Snacks included chips, Oreos, and peanuts. It is restocked daily.

Treasure those canned waters, because you are unable to get them for free by the pool or elsewhere. There is filtered water available at rehydration stations throughout the resort

On-Site Restaurants

The Hilton Cancun all-inclusive resort had multiple restaurants and bars. We found food to be hit or miss in terms of flavor with good presentation. Breakfast is only available buffet style or from the cafe. Lunch is available at the buffet and some of the outdoor restaurants. There are also some pop ups around the pool for food during the day.

Service was usually great, which made up for some lackluster dishes. The bartenders knew most drinks and were very flexible to adjust to your preferences, but do make very specific drink orders to make the most of their skill and selection.

Premium alcohols and wines are at a significant additional cost. Gladly, they are not pushy with sales beyond the cart sitting in the lobby. There was a wide enough selection to not need to spend on alcohol.

Reservations (A Must)

DO attempt to call or email ahead of time to book reservations at their restaurants. Out of their 5 restaurants for dinner, 3 are by reservation only. The two restaurants that do not require reservations are the buffet and Sunan, the Asian restaurant. Both were pretty awful for dinner.

We were only able to secure reservations at the Italian restaurant, La Luce, for the second night. The Mexican restaurant, Mexal, and the steakhouse, Auma, were both fully booked for the next few nights. 

Sunan (Asian)

Sunan is outdoor seating only and is located on the far side of the main pool. This makes for a nice view of the ocean. However, we generally didn’t like the food and would suggest skipping this restaurant.

For starters we had the shrimp tempura and the chicken togarashi. The shrimp still had the shell on and the chicken was overcooked, so not a great start. For sushi we had the rose roll, spicy fried tuna, and the surimi. The sushi was alright, with the the rose roll and the spicy tuna being our favorite.

The Yakimeshi plate is essentially fried rice with your choice of protein. The Chop Suey is a stir fry with white rice. I recommend doing either with the beef only, since the chicken was overcooked again, but the steak pieces were good.

We ultimately left hungry, and tried to grab something from the buffet with limited success. In the end I wished we had ordered room service that night to just get a burger and move on. By the time we had finished trying to get dinner at the Sunan and buffet, they had concluded the silent disco activity outside. Time management is key to participating in the evening activities. 

La Luce (Italian)

La Luce is located in the far left corner of the lobby. We were happy to have gotten a reservation at one of the nicer restaurants on property to avoid a repeat of the night before.

The food was pretty good overall, with the highlights being our charismatic waiter and a delicious beef carpaccio. We also ordered the prosciutto and burrata (good) and fritto misto (skip) as starters.

The pizza was freshly made to order, but could be made better with better ingredients. They were happy to customize it any way we wanted.

For the main plates we had salmon arostito and the braised short rib. The plates were good, but we were ready to move on to dessert. We ordered all of the desserts, but our favorite was the poached pear.

Mexal

Mexal is an elevated Mexican restaurant, located just to the left of the lobby when you walk in. We didn’t get a chance to try this restaurant as they were fully booked. See below for their menu.

Auma

Auma is the Hilton’s steakhouse concept. They were also fully booked, so we didn’t get a chance to try it. See below for their menu and note the surcharge for more premium dishes.

Azulinda Market & Cafe

Located directly in the lobby, and open from 6 am to 11 pm, this cafe is a go to for food and drinks any time of day. This cafe does a nice job to catering to all tastes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with selections changing based on the time of the day.

They make espresso drinks, sandwiches, and pizzas to order. They also have sweets and salads. There are a couple of beverages available for purchase like energy drinks.

Vela (Buffet)

Vela is the signature buffet and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is located down the hall on the right of the lobby entrance. We were pretty disappointed with dinner here, but quite impressed by breakfast.

Dinner

For dinner there was a large salad bar, a carving station, and live cooking of your choice of protein. The salad bar was very good, but the meat was gettin pretty toasty under the lamp at the carving station. The live cooking was attractive, but the cuts of meat were not very good. This could easily be improved with better cuts, seasoning, or sauces. There was only one pasta available, which could easily be expanded. There were a couple soups, but I’ll say the lobster bisque tasted canned.

The desserts looked beautiful and varied, but their flavor fell flat. A lot of them had a more gelatinous texture that we are not a fan of.

Breakfast

Breakfast was a very different story, with many more options and a fresher selection. There were a variety of sweet, savory, and healthy options for breakfast. In addition to ready made juices, there was also someone making custom juices based on your personal selection of fruit.

There are two omelette stations and a chilaquiles station. A few savory sides like sausage, bacon, and hash browns. Sweets included pastries, waffles, pancakes, and donuts were available with toppings. 

When you are seated, you may order drinks such as espresso drinks or mimosas. In our case, we went with both.

Churreria

For the best sweet treats on property, head to The Churreria. It’s open from 11 am to 10 pm, making it perfect for late-nite bites. The churreria serves churros, or course! They also have soft serve ice cream and a topping bar. It is located down the hall, in front of the kids club.

The churros were pretty good and were kept warm, just wish they had some sauce for them. The ice cream was ok and there was a nice variety of toppings available.

Azulinda Bar (Lobby)

The Azulinda bar is the heartbeat of the Hilton Cancun. Nearly all times of day, you’ll find people flocking here for a cocktails. There is no cocktail menu, but they can make you anything you’d like as long as they have the ingredients.

Poolside Food & Drinks

There is a bar by each of the pools to serve guests directly or via one of the many helpful staff checking on guests lounging by the pool. It works the same as the lobby bar in that there is no menu, just ask for the classic cocktail that you’d like.

During the day they had a pop up ceviche stand and taco stand by the pool. We did try the ceviche, which was pretty good! There is also an area to eat outside near Mexal, called Mexal Taqueria. There they serve tacos, torts, and quesadillas, with your choice of protein.

Room Service

Room service can be ordered via the Hilton Cancun online guide. The menu is available there and offers several dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

My parents ordered breakfast via room service one of the days and found the system a little confusing. It was sometimes unclear how many eggs or breads came with each dish and were unable to make additional specifications as to sides. It did come promptly at the scheduled time.

We found that it was the same items from the buffet, so it’s probably easier to get exactly what you want downstairs. There were different options for lunch and dinner though that were not available elsewhere.

Entertainment

Being isolated, the Hilton Cancun makes an effort to have a variety of activities throughout the day. There are a lot of activities for kids in the kids club and in the pool. There are also activities geared towards teens. 

During the evening there is live entertainment in the lobby and a show or other activity going on. Out first night there was silent disco on the terrace.

On our second night there was a retro show that involved dancing and singing to the hits of yesteryear. This took place in the amphitheater, and there was karaoke there after. Entertainment quality and variety was similar to a cruise line. 

Transportation

Airport transportation is not complimentary. Arrangements for airport transportation be made at least 48 hours in advance. 

We were advised to otherwise use DiDi or inDrive to call a taxi.

These apps work like other rideshare apps, except you set the price and see who will take it the ride. They were confusing to use because one app suggested one price that seemed too low, and would not let you bid too much higher. The other app started at a much higher price and would not let you go much lower. Either way, no one accepted the ride. 

The reality is that the bellman can call you a taxi to the airport at the fixed (rip-off) price of just over $60 USD for the 15 minute ride. That’s why no one was taking the much lower in app pricing. It would have been nice to know that instead of spending 20 minutes waiting on the apps to fetch a driver unsuccessfully. 

There is supposed to be a complimentary shuttle to the Hilton Canopy Cancun, which is in the Cancun Hotel Zone, next to a major mall. We didn’t bother leaving the hotel, but it is noteworthy that this was a not an amenity mentioned at check in. The Hilton Cancun website does mention the times and that luggage is not allowed. I suppose this is to thwart people like me who thought they could save on a taxi by just taxing the shuttle from the Canopy. 

We took a taxi from the ferry port for Xcaret Sailing to the Hilton Cancun for around $45 USD. We had no problems securing a taxi, as there were many waiting at the port. It was about a 45 minute drive. 

Hilton Cancun Pool and Beach

There are two large pools and a splash zone. The pools are fully tiled and have a beautiful view of the ocean. There is a bit of a competition to get lounge chairs, as they are somewhat limited, but we didn’t have a problem getting them around mid morning or late afternoon.

The cabanas are at extra cost, which are nice because they are reserved and have good shade coverage. There are variety of packages based on extras, like bottles of water, alcohol and food. Packages start at 2,000 MXN and go up to 4,700 MXN.

The stretch of beach here at the Hilton Cancun all-inclusive is not the crystal clear water you’d expect, rather it’s the muddier color characteristic of Riviera Maya. In recent years there has been a massive increase in sargassum seaweed in the waters along this coast in Mexico. It was massively present here in the waters, builds up on the coast, and has an awful stench.

We didn’t run into this at all on Isla Mujeres or Xcaret, so we were very surprised to see that it was so bad here that you couldn’t see into the water at all.

The Hilton is doing what they can to combat the seaweed, setting of barriers in the ocean and scooping it off the beach, but it doesn’t change its presence in the water or the smell. If you are looking for a beach vacation, this is not the place for you. I would only suggest swimming in the pool. There are stairs down to access the beach.

Shopping

There is a gift shop and a cute boutique. Both store have a variety of handmade Mexican gifts. From clothing and accessories, to coffee and mugs, there is a great gift and souvenir selection.

Be advised that if you Hilton credits to burn through from credit cards, set up access when checking in, and insist on putting charges on the room. There was some pushback from the clerks over the difficulty of putting the charge through and that supposedly charges cannot be done not the day of checkout. Just explain you are trying to use your credits and they will help you. You can only charge the room at the gift shop, not at the boutique.

Bottom Line

We would not choose to come here again. The food and beach fell short of our expectations. For travelers that like snorkeling, exploring local culture, or culinary delights, this is not the best place due to its sargassum issues, remote location, and cruise ship style dining. For those who love spending days at the pool and making the most of all-you can eat and drink concept, this is a great spot to spend a short stay.

The Hilton Cancun offers great value for families, since 4 persons can stay in a room under the same all-inclusive rate, but the room layout makes it awkward for older children or adults sharing a room. The crowded lobby felt chaotic most of the day, alienating more luxury travelers. The lack of a dance club left adults wanting more but stuck hanging out in the lobby all night (not ideal for a girls or bachelor trip).

This resort has great potential, and a friendly staff that truly tries to cater to guests, unfortunately it’s simply overwhelmed with guests and seaweed.