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My Review

👉 Jump to: My Video Review | Rooms | Food & Dining | Drinks, Parties, & Activities | Beach & Pools | Elevator Issues | Hotel Facilities | Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status Recognition | Final Thoughts

I had a ton of fun during my 6 night solo stay at the Royalton CHIC over Labor Day weekend 2025. The hotel does a fantastic job at creating a lively party atmosphere. Rooms were huge and comfortable, the food and drink pretty decent, and everything was luxurious without being pretentious. I did experience some issues, especially with the slow elevators, but overall I enjoyed my stay and would return.

I think the Royalton CHIC Cancun is an ideal choice for groups of adults who want to party in a little bit of luxury.

If it’s not the right choice for you, see my guide to where to stay in Cancun for more options. 

Watch My Video Review of My Stay

The first half is a room tour I did upon check in, and the second half is where I gave my thoughts after finishing my stay: 

If you have any questions, leave a comment on this review or on the YouTube video above and I’ll be happy to answer if I can. 

Room

My room was massive and had a gorgeous ocean view with a huge terrace. 

The bed was clean and quite comfortable (supportive, but firm). I loved the desk, especially because I had a lot of work to get done. And there was lots of space to store or hang clothes. 

The bathroom was pretty good. I didn’t have the best shower pressure (the rain shower head was much too large for the pressure, so I ended up just using the hand shower). And the shower area was a little grimey, though otherwise, the room was clean. I did really love the massive double vanities. 

Considering this is a party resort, I was worried about noise in my room. I am a light sleeper and also work during the day. But honestly, it was very quiet in my 9th floor room. At night, all I could hear was the sound of the ocean waves (even when the Taboo Lounge was pumping music on floor 3 at night). And during the day, it was quiet enough to work inside with the doors closed, despite the music at the pool below.  

Overall, I would say it was reasonably luxurious. The Royalton CHIC Cancun advertises itself as a 5-star property. That’s probably a stretch (and would be too good to be true given the price), but I do agree it felt a little better than a standard 4-star. 

Food & Dining

The hotel has several restaurants:

• Elements Gourmet Buffet – an amazing buffet for an all-inclusive. Huge, lots of options for all meals. Indoor and outdoor seating. One of the highlights of the hotel for sure. And since it requires no reservations, it’s always a good option. 
• La Hacienda Mexican Cuisine – I loved this little Mexican spot. I ate several dinners here because the food was just incredible (SO much better than the Mexican restaurant at the higher-priced Marriott Cancun I had just stayed in). This was also where I ate most breakfasts, as my elite status gave me special access to a sit-down experience here; and as a solo traveler, I found that better than navigating the busy buffet area. 
• Chopstick Asian Fusion Cuisine – I ate here one night. The food was fine but not great. I did think the interior was cool, and I think it’s a fun spot for groups to celebrate a special occasion. 
• Vespa Ristorante – A small Italian spot on the ground floor. I never got to eat here. They also have a nifty takeaway pizza window facing the beach area during the day. 
• Hunter Steakhouse – I’m a vegetarian, so I skipped this one. But the cowhide chairs looked cool. 
• Excite Sports Bar and Lounge – I did have a few late night veggie burgers here. It’s a decent sports bar and a chiller place to hang out at night to escape the loud parties at Taboo lounge. 
• Insomnia Cafe – OMG, this little beach cafe was my FAVORITE. I got lattes here every morning, and loved the little fruit cups. And the gelato was amazing. This is the best place to grab a quick bite. 
• Cloud 9 – This is a “multisensory” dining experience that carries an extra cost. I did not try it. 
• Level 18 Rooftop Cabana Lounge – Another extra cost Mexican restaurant on the rooftop. I did not try it, and I didn’t see many others there either. 

Overall, the food was quite solid, especially considering the hotel’s price point.

Do note that most of the restaurants require advance reservations. You can do it through the hotel’s app, but I struggled to get the app to work. Thankfully, the Marriott elite concierge helped me out and just took care of it all for me via WhatsApp. But if you don’t have that status, and haven’t booked one of the “butler” serviced rooms, you might struggle to get your preferred reservations. 

Drinks, Parties, & Activities

From foam parties and live music to nightly DJs, there was always something going on at pretty much all hours. I was staying solo, but everyone was really chatty and I made lots of friends quickly (I even hung out with a wedding party one night). 

During the day, most guests seemed to drink at the pool bars, then shift to the lobby bar to hang out around happy hour, before enjoying the evening activities.

After dinner, there was usually a show at the outdoor theatre. Each night was a different theme (Mexican carnival, Pink night, steampunk, etc). The karaoke night was fun. One of the staff members was really talented, and a few of the guests thought they were really talented lol. 

The Taboo Lounge was the late night spot, where DJs threw down tunes to busy dance parties each night. Even though I’m not a heavy drinker, I had a ton of fun! I even ended up hanging out with a group that had a wedding at the resort one night. They were so friendly and fun. 

If you wanted to go out even later, the hotel is just a short walk from the nightlife of Punta Cancun like the famous Coco Bongo nightclub. 

It was never that hard to get a drink, but I’d suggest bringing some singles to tip the bartenders so you get the quickest service. 

Beach & Pools

The beach in front of the Royalton is really nice and wide. I didn’t spend much time out there because the sargassum bloom was too heavy during my stay in late August and early September. But I can imagine that it will be very nice from November to April, when the saragassum is much lower. 

There were also several pools to choose from, plus a separate one for Diamond Club members. There is also a little poolside grill that serves up food, as well a swim up bar. 

On the rooftop, you’ll find another series of pools, private cabanas, and even private whirlpools. The rooftop is incredible, but the issue was that it was not included and everything other than a couple hightops required an extra charge. As a result, it seemed hardly anyone hung out there during the day. 

That said, I understand the resort does run parties there sometimes (open to guests outside the hotel) and that it can get pretty wild during peak season. I guess that could be a fun way to celebrate if you had a special occasion like a bachelor party. 

Elevator Issues

I experienced one major, glaring issue at this resort: the slooooooow elevators. 

Wait times were absurdly long. During peak dinner hours, it wasn’t uncommon to wait 10-15 minutes for an elevator. At least everyone was in the same boat. Commiserating over the experience weirdly became a way to meet and bond with fellow guests. 

Hotel Facilities

Even though the Royalton CHIC has a small footprint, it still has all the amenities you’d expect from an all-inclusive in Cancun. 

I especially liked the massive gym, which had some epic views and lots of comfortable, modern equipment.

There was a tours and activities desk, a couple of shops, a spa, and of course, the Diamond Club lounge (which honestly looked like an airport lounge – I would not recommend it). 

Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status Recognition

I had seen some older reviews from Marriott Bonvoy elites claiming that this property didn’t give them much recognition. But clearly they have improved, because I actually felt like the Royalton CHIC did a much better job of recognizing my Ambassador status than the actual Marriott Cancun did in my stay there the week prior. 

I got a special elite wristband, a dedicated concierge, an upgrade to ocean view from the sunset view suite I booked, and lots of little gifts and attention. 

The concierge was especially helpful as I hadn’t booked one of the “butler” rooms. She gave me her WhatsApp and was really responsive throughout my stay, making all my dinner reservations and solving basically every minor issue I had. It was great!

Basically, as a Bonvoy elite, it felt like I got a lot of the main benefits that come with the expensive Diamond Club upgrade. I didn’t get the premium liquors or the access to the Diamond lounge (which honestly looked small and lame anyway), but otherwise, it seems like we were treated similarly. 

If you want to accrue Bonvoy points, be sure to book this hotel through Marriott (and, if you want to do me a favor, that’s my referral link!). 

Final Thoughts

Despite the elevator issue, I liked the hotel a lot and would stay again. I especially felt like the hotel was fantastic value for money. The Royalton CHIC frequently runs low-season promotions, and I snagged one at $232/per night including all fees. I thought that was a great deal by Cancun standards, considering it included all my food and drinks. Yes, they push the upsells, but I never felt I needed them. That $232/night was truly my only cost during my stay apart from tips to the staff.

👉 Book the Royalton CHIC Cancun Hotel

Pros & Cons

About the Location

The Royalton CHIC Cancun has a stellar location on the southern edge of Punta Cancun, which is my #1 recommended area to stay in Cancun.

Punta Cancun is basically where all the action happens in Cancun’s Hotel Zone (it’s the elbow of the “7”). This is where you’ll find Coco Bongo, Señor Frogs, and a cluster of nightclubs, bars, and restaurants. There are also pharmacies, a grocery store, ATMs, and pretty much everything you need. 

What was really cool about the resort’s location is that it was about a 10-15 minute walk along a really nice bike path to the center of Punta Cancun. This meant the hotel is away from the wild noise of Coco Bongo, but still close enough to walk. I walked in the afternoons along the path every day to get my steps in and really enjoyed it. 

Overall, you can’t ask for a better location in Cancun.