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My Review

👉 Jump to: Dining | Drinks | Activities | Service | Pools & Beach | Rooms | Amenities

I enjoyed my 5-night stay at the Marriott Cancun all-inclusive in August, 2025. The resort is huge and offers pretty much all the amenities you could need on-site. My partner Clara and I especially liked the wide range of included restaurants, the expansive pools, and the nightly musical performances. The staff and service were also highlights for us. 

That said, there were some areas for improvement. The rooms felt a bit drab in decor, especially for a resort at this price point. And, though comfortable enough, our standard room was pretty small in size. We also had a poor experience at the Italian restaurant (which I talk about in detail below). 

The Marriott Cancun is a good resort to stay if you want to collect Marriott Bonvoy points (especially since the all-inclusive nature means you get points on your whole vacation, not just the accommodation spend). But despite being a Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, my status didn’t seem to get us any special attention at the resort other than a minor room upgrade that we actually declined. 

Overall, I think this is a solid choice for families or groups who are looking for the convenience of a single large resort where you can just “book and go.”

That said, I do think there are other options in Cancun that may be better for different types of guests. See my full guide to where to stay in Cancun for more. 

Now, I’ll break down each part of my stay in detail: 

Dining

Ok, this is an all-inclusive, so I gotta start with the food. Overall, the food was pretty solid, though, not spectacular. I liked that most everything was included and we never received pushy upsells. I also loved that there were lots of quick snack options. 

The best part was the variety. The Marriott Cancun offers a lot of dining options. They advertise 13 dining locations (though one is the lobby bar, so my count is 12).

Let’s start with the main dinner restaurants: 

• Izakaya Cuisine – This Japanese restaurant was our favorite and we ended up just coming back here night after night because, in my opinion, it’s a step above the other dining experiences at the resort. Every dish we ordered was well-prepared, presented, and delicious. 
• Mikado – Teppanyaki – This is really part of the same Japanese restaurant as Izakaya, but in a separate teppanroom-style seating area where you can watch a chef grill your food. We never did sit there, because we preferred the intimacy of Izakaya’s dining room, and the menu was really the same. Teppanyaki is a cool show, though. This was always the most popular spot, so book ahead. 
• Delphina Mediterranean Restaurant – Located right on the beach. We never ate here because the menu was mostly seafood and that ain’t our thing as vegetarians. 
• Hana Polynesian Grill – This restaurant is where the main breakfast buffet is every morning. Indoor and outdoor seating. Breakfast was standard for a resort of this size. I’ve seen better buffet spreads, but it had the essentials. I liked the fresh fruit and the made-to-order eggs station. They also bring coffee to your table. In the evenings, we saw a lot of families choosing to dine here. 
• Mexican Cuisine – Located in front, with open-air style seating. The presentation was good but the food we had was only ok. 
• Italian Restaurant – This place was a disaster and the only one we really did not like. It’s not even really its own restaurant, it’s just the (small) upstairs terrace of the Polynesian restaurant. Apparently the resort previously didn’t have an Italian restaurant but opened this because of guest demand. I guess it’s good they listen to guest feedback, but if you can’t do something right you shouldn’t do it at all. The food was bland, the service slow, and the atmosphere felt like an airport food court. 

Dinner reservations were recommended, but during our August stay, the resort was only at half-capacity, so we just walked up. This was never an issue except for one night at the Italian restaurant when we did have to wait over drinks for a bit. I think during high-season, I’d be sure to make reservations through the app or via the concierge. 

In addition, there were various casual establishments: 

• Mo’s Burgers & Shakes – Our next favorite spot after the Japanese place. An American-style retro diner with fun energy serving up burgers, shakes, and comfort food. My veggie burger was fantastic, and Clara was obsessed with the milkshakes. It’s mostly an afternoon spot but it’s a shame it closes at 6 pm. Honestly, we would’ve loved to have dinner here. 
• Botanika by La Isla – A casual spot outdoors that serves healthier and fresher options. I didn’t see many people dining here, but you could order food to your chair at the pool. 
• Pizzeria by La Isla – A larger outdoor pizza spot by the pool. We never did eat here, but the massive pizza ovens looked legit. 
• Cevichería by la Isla – A casual place overlooking the beach. This is a great spot to stop by for ceviche (including vegan ceviche) and a drink during breaks from the pool. 
• 750 Pizzería – This place was awesome, and much more than a pizza place (though the grab-and-go slices were great). It’s also a cafe serving many coffee drinks, plus a grab-and-go with fruit, wraps, and snacks. Oh, and gelato. It’s right up by the lobby entrance. We passed through here at least twice per day. One of the best parts of this resort for sure! 

In addition, room service was included. I ordered a few desserts or snacks in the evening. It always came relatively quickly. And it was nice to get to eat on our balcony. 

Drinks

Most of the above restaurants served alcohol, but there were several alcohol-first establishments, too: 

• The pool bars – Both the main and adult pool had swim-up pool bars. Waiters also would bring drinks around to the loungers. We only ever ordered from the bars, but never had a problem waiting for drinks. Service was friendly, as were the guests. 
• Champions Sports Bar – Located in front of the resort, this place was the main bar where guests hung out in the evenings. It’s also the only part of the resort that’s open to outside guests. The inside is very much a sports bar. If someone in your group likes to watch sports, they’ll love it here. You can also grab a drink and go to the outdoor space, which is more chill and often has live musical performances. There’s also bar-style food like burgers and wings, but you have to sit inside (something I found annoying, as the inside had music that was too loud for our preferred chill vibe).  
• The Great Room – Lobby Bar – This was our favorite spot to grab a drink. It’s an elegant bar and was one of the more social parts of the resort. The bar blends with the lobby, where there are many comfy couches perfect for groups. In the evenings, there was often live entertainment (we especially loved the saxophonist who played one night). 

While we aren’t heavy drinkers, I know that drinks are an important consideration for many. At least in the low season, it didn’t seem like access to drinks was an issue for anyone. We never waited more than a couple of minutes.  

Activities & Events

There was always some sort of activity or event going on. During the day, DJs played at the pool, there were water aerobics classes, ping pong, and all sorts of activities for the kiddos.

In the evenings, there were themed events like Casino Night or a Mexican fair. There were also live musical performances in the lobby and in front of the Champion’s Sports bar. 

Service

The staff were great. With the exception of the night at the Italian restaurant, we never experienced slow service. Everyone was happy to help. 

Do be aware that Cancun is very much a place with a tipping culture. Bring cash singles or fives to tip to your bartenders, servers, and housekeepers. They never asked, but they definitely earned and appreciated it. 

Pools & Beach

As with any all-inclusive in Cancun, the beach and pools take center stage. The Marriott Cancun has one massive outdoor pool, a small adults-only pool, a kids play area featuring a massive slide, and a whirlpool. 

There is also a stretch of sand out front, but we didn’t see many guests making use of the beach loungers. During our August visit, there was still a lot of sargassum (seaweed) on the beach. This is an issue in all of Cancun (all of the Carribean, really) during the months of March to October, and is especially bad over the summer. It’s not the resort’s fault, but is something to be aware of.

For this reason, most guests spent most of their time at the pools. We loved the adults-only pool. The adults were tipsy and chatty, and it was a fun vibe overall. 

Rooms

Upon check in, I was upgraded to a pool-view room because of my Ambassador elite status. The room was a little bigger than the standard King I booked (notably, it offered the addition of a couch). I think most people would have liked the pool view. But not me. Even though the pool’s music stopped by 4 pm, I was planning to do some work and I immediately knew the sound in the room would be an issue. 

So I asked to change, and was moved to a standard King room on the much-quieter side that faces the JW Marriott next door. Even though this meant a slightly smaller room (and no couch), it was worth it for me. If you prefer peace and quiet, definitely ask for a JW-facing room. The only thing we could hear was the sound of the ocean waves. 

The rooms themselves were comfortable enough, but honestly felt a little basic. In terms of furniture, we had a table, a chair, a dresser, a TV, and basically nothing else. There was enough space for two people, but I would suggest a bigger room category for families. 

In particular, I felt like the decor was a little drab. It kinda gave me hospital vibes. I guess most guests probably don’t spend a lot of time in their room anyway, though. 

The bed was quite comfortable (medium-soft, standard Marriott brand quality). Housekeeping was also very attentive. The resort offers nightly turn-down service while you’re at dinner, which I think is a really helpful thing at a beach resort where guests are coming in and out with water and sand all day.  

The best part of the room was the balcony. It was covered from the sun during the day, and I loved sitting out there and working on my laptop. At night, I would order a snack from the included room service, and just relax and listen to the waves. Pure bliss. 

The mini bar was included and drinks were restocked daily. Drinks were Pepsi products, plus Tecate and Dos Equis beer. Some guests might wish for wine or spirits, but you could always order from the bars (or the included room service). They also gave a single bag of Lay’s chips, bottled water (do NOT drink tap in Cancun), and some coffee for a small machine (pro tip: you can get much better coffee, including espresso drinks, at the pizza grab-and-go). 

Overall, the room was solid, if basic and drab. 

Other Amenities

As a 5-star resort, the Marriott Cancun has all the normal amenities you’d expect.

The gym was the most notable one for me. Though not many other guests used it, I loved my workouts there. It had all the essential equipment, and it was all pretty high quality (though I noticed some pieces were clearly hand-me-downs from the next-door JW Marriott, as they still had the JW’s griffin branding). The gym also had a number of exercise classes every day, though I never participated. 

Beyond the gym, there’s also a kids center for the little ones, a hair salon (obviously additional cost), and a conference area. I think for weddings or events, the Marriott Cancun is more than well-equipped to handle a variety of needs. 

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Pros & Cons

About the Location

The Marriott Cancun All-Inclusive is located in Cancun’s Middle Hotel Zone. It’s just a row of beach resorts, connected by a large boulevard.

Note that this area of the Hotel Zone does not have a lot of restaurants or services within walking distance. Since this is an all-inclusive, that may not matter. The hotel has pretty much everything you could need. 

Uber works in Cancun, except you can’t get it for pickups at the airport. The Marriott is only about 10 minutes by car to the La Isla Shopping Center (which is worth a trip if you are bored of the resort) and to the nightlife in Punta Cancun like the famous Coco Bongo club. 

If you need laundry and don’t want to pay the resort’s ridiculous per-piece prices, we found a good family-run laundry service inside a convenience store that’s walking distance (Google Maps pin here). They washed and folded our clothes and charged by the kilogram.