Hard Rock Hotel Cancun

The Hard Rock Hotel Cancun actually surprised me. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be dated and a little trashy like those many weekends at the Hard Rock Las Vegas in college (and immediate years after) as the club/pool party scene progressed from Baby’s to Body English and Rehab to now Vanity, a sad version of it’s heyday. Or if it was going to be swanky and a little trashy like the Hard Rock San Diego (particularly during Comic-Con). But I did come into this with higher expectations knowing the industry reputation it has and that the all-inclusive hotels in Mexico just license the Hard Rock name but are owned and managed separately from the EP hotels (short for European Plan, which just means not an all-inclusive). And still, my expectations were exceeded.

Three things that surprised me:

1) How good the service was.

All-inclusives are notorious for bad service since staff isn’t being tipped as much as at an EP so they are slow and indifferent. This was not the case at all. The staff was warm, quick, and professional. There were a number of made-to-order stations around the property (tacos, pizza, smoothies, crepes, etc.) and none of the employees looked like they wanted to murder me when I asked for something like that piercing stank eye I sometimes get at some EP hotel’s breakfast omelet stations. Also, if you’re a frequent Hard Rock Royalty member with status, you get private VIP check-in with light hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.

2) How nice the property and rooms were

The design was less tacky than I expected and I actually liked some of it. That VIP check-in room not the best example because it’s full tack, but here are some:

We had a lagoon view room which looks out past the front side of the hotel entrance to a murky colored bay. It’s still nice and the plus side is you get to see the sunset, but being from Southern California where we have our own murky Pacific Ocean, I regret not paying the extra $40 per night to upgrade to an ocean view where you get the view of the beach and turquoise waters.

The main pool was lively, especially with the swim up bar and pool games. But they could’ve used extra space for lounge chairs as it was tough to find a good seat by mid-day.

The way to do it if you’re not frequenting Hard Rock’s as a Royalty member is to book a room with Royalty access. This will give you access to the Royalty only pools on the third floor above the main pool (as in the header photo) and here:

It’s much quieter at the Rock Royalty pools and you don’t have to scour for a good lounge chair location. The service is also more personalized with less people and you have access to a full smoothie bar and custom grill station.

3) How good the food and drinks were.

Like most all-inclusives, breakfast and lunch are primarily served buffet style at several locations around the property, along with some casual eateries like the made-to-order poolside tacos and pizzas at Pizzeto that were delicious:

Even the breakfast buffet was better than some of the nicer all-inclusives which included a full bar with bloody mary’s and mimosas, and crepes!

Dinner opens up fancier options with either a la carte dining or something interactive like Brazilian steakhouse or Japanese hibachi. And unlike many all-inclusives, you can actually get same day reservations, although still better to do it early if you want prime times or have a larger party.

Even the drink selection was stepped up with top tier liquor –  i.e. Grey Goose as an included option. I thought at best it would be Kettle One.

What wasn’t surprising:

The little bit trashy part that gives the Hard Rock brand, Americans, and all-inclusives in general a bad rap. There were the loud, obnoxious, drunk people (and not the hot kind, either). There were rude ones cutting in line. There were actually quite a few kids whereas I assumed it wouldn’t be much of a family-friendly place. And though it maintains its Hard Rock identity with ambiance and music paraphernalia scattered around, you literally could plop this resort on any pretty beach in the world and it’d be the same because there is about 1% local character. That 1% comes from the bracelets made by local Mayans they give you at arrival; I presume so you remember that you are in Cancun. Even the staff, whose favorite music artist is listed on their name tags, seem to all be Westernized artists. I mean, we’re in Mexico, the staff is primarily Mexican, and I didn’t see one Mexican artist listed? Okay, I think I saw Shakira but she’s technically Colombian which counts since at least she speaks Spanish.

Pricing

Standard low-season rates start in the $400s for the lead-in category room (deluxe lagoon view as pictured above and full view pictured below). Shoulder seasons starting in the low $500s and peak seasons in the high $500s. With specials that run periodically, you can score a room for less than $300 p/night. Prices are all-inclusive per night, not per person. May not be a good value for those who are not drinkers or who will not be spending much time at the resort.

Overall Feedback

If you’re not looking for authentic Mexican culture and just want some unadulterated fun, you’ll have a good time at Hard Rock Cancun. It’s especially appetizing for bachelor/bachelorette parties, families with older children/teens that like to get rowdy, and couples/friends looking for a boozy getaway. I would fall into that latter category but the whole concept is a little kitschy for me, and it’s not that my tastes are more refined, only that I’m getting old and boring and prefer a more chill vibe. I would, however, without hesitation, go with a big party group like for a birthday, bachelorette, or family reunion. For families, I heard the kids and teens clubs are well-received but I’m not sure if it’s the best idea to bring younger toddler/pre-school age children. The resort does offer some unique amenities like a recording studio where you can make a track and DJ, play an instrument, sing, etc. I wouldn’t recommend to honeymooners or anyone looking for peace and relaxation but the drinking crews will appreciate the free-flowing alcohol, the weekly foam party, and the proximity to nightlife in Cancun.