ann

thats my question and thanks for your answers!!

Nancy

Luxury<BR>Ritz Carlton<BR>Presidente IC<BR><BR>Deluxe<BR>Fiesta Americana<BR>Camino Real (not quite as nice as the others, but reasonably priced.)<BR>

Jean Valjean

The Presidente is NOWHERE near the top of the list. It is an older property on the "ugly" side of the island.<BR><BR>Trying to pinpoint THE ABSOLUTE best may be a bit tricky, but it is generally agreed that the best 2 hotels in Cancun are the Ritz-Carlton and the Fiesta Americana Coral Beach. Both are rated "Categoria Especial" by the Mexican Tourism Board (the highest rating a hotel can get) and both have a 5 diamond AAA award. To put things in perspective, a hotel like the Bellagio in Las Vegas is the kind of hotel that gets a 5 diamond award.<BR><BR>My vote goes to the Ritz.

ann

thanks for your replies, nancy and jean valjean ()!<BR>I am considering either the Fiesta Americana, the Fiesta Grand Coral Beach or the new JW...<BR>I am concerned that rooms at the plain ole Fiesta americana will not be nice enough, but other than that it seems the perfect location and I love the look of the exterior...<BR>I would choose the JW but have read that the beach is not good there... so I'm in a quandry...<BR>ann

Jean Valjean

The Fiesta Americana is not in the same league as the Coral Beach or the JW. I have stayed there several times (travelling on business, cheap boss . The rooms are very standard (as in La Quinta standard), and service is nothing special. I don't like the beaches on that side of the island, as there are absolutely no waves.<BR><BR>The JW has a nicer beach than the Coral Beach, so if the kind of beach you have is important, try going to the JW or the Ritz.<BR><BR>I haven't stayed at the Ritz, but I have stayed at the JW. It is a beautiful hotel, on the small side (maybe 150-170 rooms), very good service, nice pool, excellent restaurants, and a very good breakfast buffet.

ann

many thanks, Mr. Valjean, <BR>you may have just made my decision!<BR>ann

Mellie

WOw now im even confused im leaving soon for Can can the Fiesta Americana Condesa. How is that hotel anyone???

Jean Valjean

The Condesa is Fiesta Americana's second best hotel in Cancun. It is on the Caribbean side of the island, very close to "La Isla", a very nice shopping center. While not as nice as the Coral Beach, the Ritz or the JW, it is a beautiful hotel, with a very nice pool and a good beach. The "palapa" at the entrance looks quite nice!

Nancy

Hi Ann,<BR>Well Jean obviously knows a lot more about Cancun than I do since she is the authority on hotels she has not even stayed in, but I will do my best to help again... <BR>Here are my impressions on the four I've stayed at - two of which are regularly referred to as among the best hotels in Cancun.<BR>1.) The Ritz Carlton - unparalled luxury and service. The food in their restaurants is not the best in town, and very expensive, so you would be better off staying there and eating elsewhere. Drinks are also very high.<BR>2.) The Presidente Intercontinental is on a beach which is almost always mentioned as one of the 1 or 2 best in Cancun (there is NO ugly side to it!)<BR>The hotel is not as plush as the Ritz, but the staff and service make up for it. (Do a search on Presidente to see the great comments others make about the hotel/beach there.)<BR>3.) The Fiesta Americana Condesa is a nice hotel, but my least favorite of the four. They bugged us about timeshares the whole time we were there. Food OK, bar and pool area noisy and too many kids.<BR>4.) You may also want to look into the Camino Real (get Club Tower room). It is resonably priced, on a great protected beach and close by good restaurants and shopping.<BR>We took some relatives there and got a $115 room rate. Very nice quality for the price...<BR>You could also get on some websites and look at pictures of places.<BR><BR>Just a few impressions Ann. Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll have a great time!<BR><BR>

Jean Valjean

Nancy:<BR><BR>Just a couple of things.<BR><BR>I am not a "she", I am a "he".<BR><BR>The only hotel of those that have been mentioned on this thread where I have NOT stayed is the Ritz. I have been in the hotel several times, though.<BR><BR>I don't like the beach at the Presidente (or any other hotel on that side of Cancun) because there are no waves and in some sections there's a lot of seaweeds. That gives the water a greenish color that doesn't compare, IMHO, with the transparent blue of the other side of Cancun.<BR><BR>The Presidente is rated "Gran Turismo" by the Mexican Tourism Board. That puts it in the same league as the Camino Real, the Condesa, both Hyatts, the Casa Magna and the Melia, among others.<BR><BR>The Ritz is rated "Especial", the highest possible rating. Other hotels in this category are the Coral Beach, the JW, the Meridien and the Ikal del Mar.

Sant

Of the ones I've stayed at or visited, I'd say #1 JW Marriot, #2 Le Meridien, and #3 Ritz Carlton. How others rank them just depends on one's taste. I can't imagine not having a wonderful stay at any of the three.

ann

thank you all for your good info. One last request, and that is do you think because of weather, we should plan our Cancun trip for November instead of later this summer, as we had originally planned? <BR>Thanks again!!<BR>ann

megusta

Le Meridian, Ritz Carlton, Fiesta Americana Coral Beach hands down!

Nancy

Hi Ann,<BR>The high point of hurricane season in the Caribbean is usually (almost always, because I've researched it carefully)September. There is an almost perfect bell curve leading up to the first week in Sept. and then back down.<BR>The later in the year you go, the less likely you are to have problems.<BR>November begins high season, so your airfare and hotel prices would be much cheaper in the summer. You can get room upgrades easily in off-season also.<BR>Plus, the temps are not that much different between summer and November - just a few degrees.<BR>I would suggest you find an annual rainfall chart by month and plan around that.<BR>We've been to the Mexican Caribbean during all times of the year, and you can get some fronts in that last for days - don't want to ruin your vacation!

Patty

November/early December is my favorite time of year to go to the Yucatan. I've never had any problems getting reasonable airfare and accomodations during that time of year. After mid-December is when rates really go up.

Sant

I haven't been to Cancun but I have been to Merida (3 hours drive to the west of Cancun) in November and the weather was very pleasant.<BR><BR>One comment about FA Grand Coral Beach. It looks like a very nice hotel but its location doesn't fit my preferences. It's on the downtown Cancun side of the hotel zone. It's great since you can walk to lots of shops and restuarants and bars, but that also attracts a lot of people. Perhaps someone who has stayed there can tell us if loud music or people carousing is a problem or not.

Kim

Hi Ann,<BR>Here's what we discovered:<BR>For plush rooms, great service, wonderful restaurant buffet, fantastic<BR>pools and great beach (lit up at night!)definitely JW Marriott!<BR>We got great rates thru Expedia. Stayed 9 nites at the end of January '02.<BR>Gorgeous weather, no rain. Would definitely do it all again. Have a great trip!