Our latest luxury resort review from the Riviera Maya region is up now and it’s the latest one to open near Mexico’s most popular vacation area: Waldorf Astoria Cancun.
There are only a few true luxury resorts in Cancun, despite what you see promised on the website of nearly every gigantic hotel, and many of those are all-inclusive. The most prestigious name in the area used to be Ritz-Carlton, but that brand has exited the coastal regions of Mexico, with the new one in the capital being the only Ritz in the whole country. (The former R-C in Cancun is now the generic-sounding Grand Hotel Cancun and it’s managed by European chain Kempinski.)
As I write this, the Waldorf Astoria Cancun has only been open a few months. Apart from the immature palm trees you always find in a brand new beach hotel, however, there was little indication during our visit that this was a brand new hotel. They clearly recruited experienced staffers from the Cancun hospitality industry and put the full Hilton training system in place before opening.
This is a fancier resort than most others in the region, with a grand lobby that you could mistake for a major city hotel were it not for the view out to the ocean from the far end and the light streaming in through the glass walls. The custom furniture does not look anything like your typical lobby catalog furniture and it’s nice to see a Riviera Maya lobby that’s meant for more than just moving people through. There is a wide range of sitting areas and an attractive lobby bar that’s a destination rather than a last resort.
Come take a quick video tour of the main public areas, the pool complex, two restaurants, the Peacock Alley lobby bar, and one of the rooms:
This is a full-service resort with three main restaurants, food service at the pool from roaming waiters, a lunch spot there, and multiple bars. This resort is rather isolated from everything—it’s south of the airport, not in the Cancun hotel zone, but there is also a sister Hilton property next door if you want to dine somewhere different during a long stay.
Families can also take advantage of the Hilton with a day pass that gives them access to more varied activities and a playground pool for the kids, something that would be quite out of place in the Waldorf property. (One pool at the Waldorf one is adults-only, another is available to families.)
There’s also an extensive gym with excellent equipment and a beautiful full spa on site with a menu of massages, facials, wraps, and various relaxation therapy options.
Otherwise, there are a few planned activities such as yoga and beach volleyball, but most guests checking in here seem to be content to lounge, eat well, drink well, and enjoy their spacious room with a furnished balcony. The rooms here are some of the most attractive on the coast, elegant, relaxing, and classy without being too stuffy. Some even have a small whirlpool tub with a view and the shower has a window looking out at the ocean as well.
This resort is priced at a higher level than the existing a la carte hotels in the Cancun area, including at the food and beverage outlets, so most guests are probably high-earning, hard-driving types who are ready to tune out and relax.
Waldorf Astoria is the top Hilton brand, so if you are a part of that loyalty program you can earn or cash in points here and if you have the right elite status, you could stay here and get a nice upgrade.
See our detailed review of the new Waldorf Astoria Cancun Mexico.
Book a stay here at the official website.
Article by Timothy
Timothy Scott is the founder and editor of Luxury Latin America and has been covering the region as a travel journalist since the mid-2000s. He has visited each country we cover multiple times and is based in a UNESCO World Heritage city in central Mexico, where he owns a home. See contact information here.
