6 All-Inclusive Resorts Travelers May Want To Avoid In Cancun, Mexico

Cancun is a beautiful place with some wonderful all-inclusive resorts, but online appearances can be deceiving, and a hotel is always going to use its best photos. What you don't see in official photos are dated rooms, uninteresting food, and less-than-pristine facilities. Star ratings can be helpful, but a property may be coasting on reviews from better days, so we've done a deep dive for you and found a handful of Cancun all-inclusives you may want to avoid. After all, disappointing hotels are one reason Cancun was named the worst travel destination in the world for 2025.

We hunted through sites like Reddit, YouTube, and Tripadvisor and studied the low ratings and troubling anecdotes, so you can make an informed decision. We weeded out isolated complaints that don't represent the average experience (every hotel can have a bad day) and reviews by travelers who clearly booked the wrong kind of resort. If a pack of roving party animals booked a stay at the luxurious, laid-back Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun, for example, a negative review isn't really fair and shouldn't count. Instead, we looked for genuine repeat offenders who earned their low reputations via repeated negative feedback. In general, if an all-inclusive resort looks too good to be true at the advertised price, then it's worth taking a closer look before booking.

The Oasis Palm Cancun has a rating of 3.7 stars on Tripadvisor, but when reviewers cite specifics, the rooms get a mere 2.5 stars, and cleanliness only gets a 2.9. "I have about 10 all inclusive [resorts] under my belt across [the] Caribbean [...] this hotel was the worst one," writes one Redditor, who cited room maintenance issues and less-than-sparkling pools. The resort enjoys 4.0 stars on Google, with negative reviews mentioning poor maintenance and bland food, while the positive ones praise the beach and nightlife. If you don't want to take the chance, you could lounge beside the AVA Resort's Caribbean-inspired saltwater lagoon instead.

Check into the Grand Oasis Cancun, and you might just find maintenance issues in your room or encounter indifferent service. One recent Google reviewer — who left a generally positive review citing "wonderful architecture and an attractive layout" — still gave the service just two stars. 71% of Google reviewers who mentioned the service rated it as "unfavorable," and over 3,500 guests left one-star reviews on Tripadvisor. That said, there are nearly 6,000 Tripadvisor guests who rated this place as "excellent," so it is definitely a polarizing option. 

One-star reviews dominate the field when it comes to the Solymar Beach Resort. "The worst hotel in Cancun," wrote one guest on Tripadvisor, where it has a 2.8-star rating overall. Reddit's r/AllInclusive forum maintains a spreadsheet ranking all-inclusive resorts, and this one is listed as the third worst in the western hemisphere. On Google, where it has a 3.7-star rating, recent reviews frequently mention that it is run down and the food options are limited. 65% of Google reviewers that mentioned the dining gave it a thumbs-down rating. It does get positive reviews for its pool and family-friendly vibe, however.

While it does have a fair number of recent 5-star reviews praising its service, the Hotel Krystal Cancun has been criticized in reviews for its lack of modernity. It has an average rating of 4.2 on Google, where reviewers report the property is dated, compared to photos. A 4.0-rating on Tripadvisor can be chalked up to clean but dated rooms, as well as unexpected charges despite the "all inclusive" label.

The Ocean View Cancun Arenas resort looks lovely in pictures, with crisp white buildings and sky blue pools. However, there's a reason this hotel, which was recently listed at a suspiciously low $38 per night on Google, gets its share of negative reviews, with a 3.6-star rating on Google and 4.0 on Tripadvisor. Multiple Google reviewers mentioned bathroom cleanliness being an issue. On Tripadvisor, one visitor wrote, "Stains on the floor and the bedsheet, rust on the shower head [...] We booked this for 8 nights and only stayed the first."

"Location, location, location," the saying goes. By that standard, the Hotel Maya Caribe Faranda ought to be a standout, as it's right on the beautiful Playas Tortugas, near the ferry to the gorgeous island getaway of Isla Mujeres. However, this all-inclusive resort has just 2.9 stars on Tripadvisor. Outdated rooms are frequently cited as a reason for disappointment, and one Google reviewer writes, "The photos don't match reality." However, another Googler rates it as "solid if you're on a budget," recommending it as a base for exploring outside the hotel. It's all about matching your expectations to reality.