Guest reviews for Cancun Hotels: Solymar Cancun

Guest Reviews: 28 comments found for this hotel: 15 :: 13

Please think again! There are many other properties in Cancun you can visit! I vacationed here Xmas / New Year 06 and I was not at all satisfied. We were very disappointed in the property. The hotel does not resemble anything on their site. It is run down, from paint on the walls inside and out, to “amenities”. The damage from Wilma was extensive to say the least. The property was about 50% open. The “hotel” staff is totally indifferent to the guest. The maids showed up intermittently, there was a rash of thefts (3 or 4) attributed to a maid… Out of the claimed 2 restaurants and 3 bars, there was one of each barely functioning, with flies all over the food. The amenities advertised were nowhere to be found. There was hardly any beach at all! The condition of the room was just awful. Dirty walls and furniture, stained mattresses and cushions, bare light bulbs, rusty appliances. The deadbolt on the door did not work and there as no safety chain, it is very unsafe!
Joe, e-mail withheld, 2006-01-25

Unfortunately we experienced Solymar after hurricane Wilma and were given a ground floor room, which was decidedly musty. They had made a great attempt to spruce the room up with fresh paint, and I'm sure if it had been higher up, with more light and less mold we would have enjoyed it. In general, I think the whole Hotel Island in Cancun is not exactly my kind of vacation. We had much more fun on Isla Mujeres, where everything is within walking or biking distance!
Barbara Yelverton, e-mail withheld, 2006-01-24

My boyfriend and I had an awesome time at Solymar!!!! The rooms are clean and nicely decorated, the food is good, the location is great and the staff are amazing (especially Eladio). The beach is nice, although we went to Cozumel to swim because the water is calm and there aren't as many rocks. Bus transportation from the hotel makes it very convenient to go wherever you want for a cheap price. I would definitely go to Solymar again.
Maria-Anne Alston, mariaalston82@yahoo.ca, 2006-01-05

Solymar was spectacular. Great food Great service. Charming not sterile like some of the resorts. Very accomodating.
Bob Ferguson, e-mail withheld, 2005-12-30

When we arrived at Solymar Cancun we were told they knew nothing of us upgrading to a 2 bedroom suite. I spent 3 hours the next day straightening this out. This was the start of the worst resort stay of our vacationing history. The all inclusive part this resort hasn't been explained to the staff. Even though I did typically tip I watched spanish speaking guest getting premium pour liquor at the bars without tipping. The all inclusive buffet was bad,and the staff in dining room expected to be tipped and acted as if they were above waiting on english speaking guest. We also meet 2 different Scottish couples that had there rooms burglarized while we were there. Luckily I had read reviews from this web site and carried everything of value with us when we all left our room. We wish we had read reviews from this site before booking this resort. Every negative comment I've read on this site I witnessed while we stayed there.
L. Redington, e-mail withheld, 2005-09-08

We just had a wonderful vacation time in Cancun at Solymar hotel we (me & my wife) arrived there before check in time and they had a room 4 us ready and from the first moment we step in all people from the staff was very friendly and helpful. Food was ok, the service was very good at the pool bar and restaurant. We don’t agree with negative comments because we stayed at the hotel side and everything was great, maids, bellboy, front desk, guest services, I mean every body. I definitely recommend anyone to try Solymar its value what you pay for a 4 stars place. Rooms are nice and clean pool area its excellent beach by nature its rocky but you can blame the hotel 4 it... Security no problem we left one day while we went out our terrace door open and nothing happened so ...we think this hotel its worth it to enjoy vacations time and if you stay there make sure you meet axel ,erick and ulises at guest service what a nice team.
Jensen Bob & Kat, e-mail withheld, 2005-08-12

Solymar was wesome! The only bad thing was the rocky beach...however a 50 yard walk in either direction the beaches were not. Our room was awesome..the food was outstanding and the staff was very nice and helpful!
Thomas Broatch, tbroatch@aol.com, 2005-08-03

We stayed for 2 weeks at Solymar hotel in June/July. The hotel is complete rubbish - the worst we have ever stayed in. The food is bloody awful, some of the staff are rude and abrupt (are only nice if you tip them). The rooms are rubbish. The police were called whilst we were there as money was being stolen from peoples’ rooms. So be very careful, take travellers cheques. The beach is nice but the sea is really rough at this area. I'd advise anyone to re-think and book somewhere else. No way this hotel is a 4 star, more like 2 stars and that’s pushing it!
N.Porter, e-mail withheld, 2005-07-26

I stayed for 2 weeks at Solymar hotel in June/July. The hotel all round I thought was very poor, the only good thing was the pool and pool bar/area which is nice and clean with friendly staff. The food is not very good, some of the staff are rude and abrupt (are only nice if you tip them). The rooms are OK, if you drop on a good one. Money was being stolen from peoples rooms while we were there so be very careful, take travellers cheques. The beach is nice but the sea is really rough at this area. I'd advise anyone to re-think and book somewhere else. No way this hotel is a 4 star, more like 2 stars and that’s pushing it!
Vanessa, e-mail withheld, 2005-07-14

I went to Cancun in May and LOVED the Solymar. When me and my 3 other friends arrived we were instantly greeted with a smile. The service was great all around. I as well don’t understand the comments about the rude staff or the bad service. I may only be 20 but I have done a lot of traveling in my time to a lot of extremely nice places, so I’m spoiled and I liked the hotel. The EVENT STAFF was the best ever. They made sure my friends and I had a great time. When we got our rooms they were a little out of date for a lack of better words, and two days later they moved us to sweets for like $20 dollars more, not bad cuz we were there at a busy time. I did not have one problem with the hotel or the service and definitely not the staff. They were all friendly and helpful! So yeah I would suggest this hotel, maybe not for families with young kids, but your choice!
Chay, e-mail withheld, 2005-06-29

Bad Experience.....7 days. The hotel Solymar Cancun was shaddy many people including us were robbed: they stole, money, cameras, disposable cameras, cd players, earrings, perfume. The hotel Manager tried to say it was other guests... Other guests even had their safe keys stole and had to pay 100 bucks to get a new safe key. Convenient for the hotel an extra 100 dollars ... Well, some one had a master key and they even locked the door on there way out after stealing from us... The food here was horrible... The best was the pineapple for breakfast -which the buffet was the same everyday. The poolside bar was good except the raw hamburgers. They told me the guacamole was too expensive for avocados so we only got it Sunday and Monday. We woke one morning to find our door propped open - scary huh? Also the upstairs toilet backed up and came down stairs to our musky basement room. The TV was small but with no remote. The water was gorgeous, the beach was beautiful and the pool was adequate ... I still would say go else where you don’t need to worry about your items in your room. You are on vacation!
Amy, e-mail withheld, 2005-04-22

We stayed at the Solymar Cancun from 4-8-05 to 4-12-05 and had a horrible experience. We had about $400 stolen from our safe. Someone broke into our room (probally someone on the staff because they have the key) and rumedged through our luggage, found our safe key, and stole the money from our safe in the room. Then we were forced to pay $100 to have the safe lock drilled open or they were going to call the police on us for not paying. I will never stay at this Hotel again and you should not either. The Hotel staff was extremely shady, no one took responsibility for breaking into our room, they kept on saying the safe key was our responsibility when we had it hidden and whoever was in the room blatently invaded our privacy, while we had the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door the whole trip. BEWARE!!! Stay Elsewhere.
Joe G., e-mail withheld, 2005-04-19

I just returned from the Solymar Cancun. My husband and I went 4-9-05 to 4-14-05, we enjoyed our experience there. We too were given a room facing the parking lot and were also given a jr. suite overlooking the ocean (at no charge.) This was our first vacation without our kids and far from home (Indiana). If you are looking for a fancy resort don't stay here. It is very clean and comfortable. The lobby view and grounds around the pool are beautiful. I did have $40 taken from my wallet the morning we left, but I left my purse on the bed (not locked up like I had all week.) Most of the staff is very friendly. (The people in the restaurant, Juan the bartender at the beach bar, and Julio the bartender at the pool bar were awesome!) The beach is beautiful it is a little rocky though, you just have to watch your step. The food in the restaurant is so so, edible but not the best I've had. The food at the beach bar is good. Watch the nachos (they put habanero peppers in it HOT! but good) If you like to drink go all-inclusive. We ate out a couple of times but it was worth it for the drinks (my husband liked the margarita's and I liked the strawberry daiquiri’s). Anyway this is my opinion but I will definitely stay here again.
Laurie M., e-mail withheld, 2005-04-15

My husband and I have been to this hotel twice. Each time was a very good experience. The staff is always very friendly and helpful. I look at some of the comments that are negative and I am amazed. I wonder if those people remember that they are in a country that doesn't have the advantages of where they call home. You treat people nice, and they will respond in kind. On our second trip to the Solymar Cancun, we were relegated to a room facing the tennis court. On the third day, we requested to be moved to a room facing the ocean. Not only did they move us, they upgraded us to a junior suite - at no extra charge. I recommend this hotel to everyone who is interested in visiting Cancun. The staff is very kind and go out of their way for you (but, perhaps it is because we treat them decent, unlike some who responded to this).
Debbie Damiano, bdbilbo@cox.net, 2005-03-26

Solymar Cancun was an absolutely wonderful experience! I could have not asked for anything better. Everyone that worked there was very cooperative and courteous! The restaurant was ok but I would recommend going out to eat. The poolside bar was awesome if you’re nice to the bartenders, they don’t make you pay. On day we arrived, there was a cute bellboy to help us carry our luggage to the 3rd floor. Nothing could have been better! I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone that goes to Cancun.
Alyssa, e-mail withheld, 2005-03-21

The first night in the hotel Solymar Cancun someone broke into my room and stole 700 us$ and my cell. 2 nights later my roommate had 300 us$ gone. We complained and they threatened to call the cops on us and laughed at my friend. The rooms were dirty, there were dead roaches in every hallway and during the day in the middle of spring break there was absolutely nothing going on at the hotel. The in pool bar was never open, and the service at the other bars were pretty bad. I would never recommend this hotel to anyone.
Nick, ones303@aol.com, 2005-03-20

A horrible hotel - please stay away! I stayed at the Solymar Cancun with my boyfriend Valentine's week '05. On our second night we returned to our room to find the power had been turned off and a note on the door saying to call the front desk. The hotel forced us to pack (in the dark) at midnight and move to another room (this room with no refrigerator, microwave or dishes - so all of our perishables went bad). ----- At check out I spoke with a manager and asked for that night to be credited to me because of the hotel error. I filed a formal written complaint and the manager agreed to the one night free but said he could not give me the credit on the spot (yeah right!!). He assured me he would contact me the next day and arrange for the credit. ----- I have now been calling for 3 weeks and when the rude hotel staff doesn't hang up on me, whichever "manager" I speak with assures me the credit will be the next day as soon as they have Owner approval. I'm sure I will never see my credit for that night and the hotel staff lied to my face and continues to do so on the phone. So please do not give your business to a hotel run by criminals!
Ashley, e-mail withheld, 2005-03-03

We spend a week at the Solymar Cancun in a "Penthouse". Of course it was no 5-star, but it suited us perfectly with two young adult males in the bedroom downstairs and us in the main bedroom upstairs that had a wonderful view of the ocean and the pool. This was a perfect arrangement for them since they tended to party much later than we did. We also had a terrace with a wonderful view of the lagoon. There are things I would have changed, but we didn't do "all inclusive - we wanted to try other restaurants. The kitchen was perfectly outfitted with microwave, coffee maker, refrigerator, dishes, silverware, etc. There were also an iron and ironing board and hair dryer. Staff was friendly and yes, there was a bellboy to take our luggage. If you have to have fancy, go to one of the bigger places. We went to explore Cancun and do some side trips. Our room was comfortable and charming for the time that we were in it. I would definitely go back!
Alexis, e-mail withheld, 2005-01-29

Just returned from four nights at the Solymar Cancun. We did the all-inclusive thing but overpaid at the airport when reserving it. Ahhh, the things one learns... Anyhow, it was rather run down, the lobby was shabby and needed an update. The room was clean and the beds were great with a nice shower. Beach is worthless for swimming but the pool was ok. Food was very good and the staff friendly in the restaurant and poolside bar. Would I go back? Likely not. May try a hotel closer to the action although the bus was easy to catch out front.
Karen, e-mail withheld, 2004-10-20

My wife, 2-year-old boy, mom and I stayed about a week at the Solymar Cancun, for my Mom's 70th Birthday and we had a great time. Very young staff but professional, courteous, and at least bilingual! Taxi service across the best and they serve this place almost since existence! The tours were very detailed and no hidden stuff. One of them to Tulum was the very best and we enjoyed the ride with Jorge aka 'George' fun, fun! The little deli with lots of stuff down the hall was just perfect with supplies and water!!! Mexican cuisine is not the very best or the finest in the World but Cancun offers everything just like in Manhattan. It is easy to go downtown to the 'old' and enjoyed great Restaurants and also family places in the Central Market with 'rancheros' alive and at great prices. The whole area is secure and residents want to keep it that way because Tourism is everything as they import every single item from outside. We'll certainly go back to Cancun and besides the 'steps to climb to the front of Hotel lobby' (I felt was in Chitchen-Itza already...) everything was perfect! Merci, Thank You, Gracias!
Fernando Campana, fernandocampana2003@yahoo.com, 2004-10-11

My husband and I stayed at Solymar Cancun in May of 2004. I don't understand the comments about the staff or waitpersons being rude, we were treated like royalty. The rooms were clean and the view was fabulous. It was very quiet, and while I probably wouldn't stay here during spring break, I would go back to stay any other time. We also own timeshares at the Royal Resort so I do know the difference between 5 star and other, but this is definitely a quality place.
Dianne Johnson, e-mail withheld, 2004-09-28

UGH!! The Solymar Cancun had the WORSE food, the WORSE service and were SO unfriendly. The buffet wasnt a buffet, the waiters were rude, the bartender was rude, the front desk clerks were rude. The room was run down, and we had a SUITE, but the room was a mess. The lights didnt work in our room the last 2 days and NONE came to fix it. They didnt change our sheets, even after we requested fresh sheets. The drinks, when we finally got one, were watered down, I should have been in a coma as much as I drank and didnt feel as though I had even one shot. I am a travel agent and would NOT send my clients here. Spend the extra if you can and get something worth the money.
Karla, VacationByDesign@aol.com, 2004-02-09

I very much enjoyed the Solymar Cancun Hotel ... the service was so great and the people there were wonderful and very helpful. I would go back their again any day. They have tile floors in the rooms but are only like that because of the sand. The rooms are reasonable. The food was ok, they had a lot of stuff I have never seen before. The beach was great, but they always had the black flags up (you cant swim) which wasnt that great we usually had 2 go down a little bit 2 swim. They have so many fun activities for kids 2 do like volleyball. I am 16 and had the best time.
Jessica Smith, Sugrbayb157@aol.com, 2003-12-31

I stayed at the Solymar Cancun at the beginning of December, 2003. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone unless they were dirt poor and just felt happy to get away and didnt care about anything else. The rooms look NOTHING like the photo on this website, rooms were very worn out. The kitchen nook did not even have one spoon, I mean NOTHING. They advertise that they have a bar by the pool and a bar by the beach, well there was never an attendant at the bar by the beach, so you were forced to go upstairs to the pool. It seemed like they hired one person for every two jobs, the same guy at the pool bar went back and forth from the bar to the "rent a towel" booth. Note: if you have anyone who is not registered to stay in your room even come to it for one hour, they will try to charge you an additional $70.00 per night. This did not happen to me, but to many others. It was comparable to a motel six; and that is really giving them a lot of credit! Do not do all inclusive with your meals at this restaurant as it was a very limited menu; although they had a big set up for a buffet, they said that it was off-season and werent doing the buffet. Off-season? In Cancun? The air-conditioning kept tripping in my room and I needed them to come on a daily basis to fix it. When you ask for an iron to iron clothes, there is no ironing board, they just hand you an iron. I must say it was much cheaper than the other hotels about $77.00 per night including food and drinks where most hotels are at least $120 per night. But its not worth it. The hotel is in really bad shape. Very run down!
Lynda Skluzak, lskluzak@comcast.net, 2003-12-08

Well, my family and I stayed at the Solymar Cancun Hotel and I must say I had one of the worst experiences ever through that hotel. They were unfriendly, and there were no conveniences for us to use and enjoy. I wouldnt ever tell anyone else about this hotel. They need to learn how to respect their customers.
Allegra, e-mail withheld, 2003-08-04

Just got back yesterday after 4 day, 3 night package. I would recommend Solymar Cancun for couples, not for families. Rowdy crowd at the pool bar, being encouraged by hotel personnel. Rooms were good, beach was great
Bill, accountant45202@yahoo.com, 2003-07-07

Our stay at the Solymar Cancun (Jan 25-Feb 8, 2003) was wonderful. A third floor room provided a clear view of the pool and restaurant area and the ocean in the background. Facing east, we could watch sun rise each morning. Staff was friendly and helpful, and everyone greeted us each morning with a smile. Room was clean and kitchenette was well stocked with microwave, fridge, coffee maker and toaster as well as dishes, pot and pan and utensils. We brought our own hotplate to cook. Beautiful grounds, well manicured and many iguanas call it home. Clean pool but cool on cloudy days. Laundry service on-site as well as small convenience store. Money exchange at front desk offered same rates as many exchange booths. Recently-renovated bathroom for beach area was air conditioned and always had that "just cleaned" smell! Overall, a wonderful hotel that we plan to stay at again.
V. Rodgers, e-mail withheld, 2003-02-27

When we arrived at the Solymar Cancun, no bellboy available to help us with the luggage up two flights of stairs to the front desk. Checking in, the front desk clerk was very unfriendly - she did not explain anything - the bars, how to get to the pools - nothing, not even a smile. When she finished checking us in, again, there was no bellboy available to help us with our luggage to the room - so she called a janitor to help us. NO COFFEE MAKER, NO TOASTER, NO BLOW DRYER AND NO IRON. The tennis court was in disrepair - WITH POTHOLES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COURT, cracks all around and a poor surface - $10 USD an hour to play on it! They were very standoffish, unhelpful - AND NEVER SMILED! There are other complaints about this hotel already. As we left at the end of our week, the front desk, still, was very unfriendly - they could not smile, and didnot ask how our stay was - NOTHING! And, as usual, there was no bellboy around to help with our luggage. I wrote the Solymar - NO response.
gary abramszyk, gman13@shaw.ca, 2002-06-20

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