This was my second time to the Royal Solaris, but fourth time to Cancun. In March, I just needed a quick, last minute beach vacation. The Royal Solaris was one of the few hotels that had not sold out (it was spring break season.) It was incredibly inexpensive compared to other resorts so we couldn't pass it up!

Staff: very friendly, always available.

Property: it's an older property but well maintained. The hallways, however echo(!!!) making it quite obnoxious when guests talk (yell) in the hallways in the middle of the night.

Rooms: The rooms were clean but, look like they have not been updated since the 70's. The walls between rooms were thin. We could hear our neighbors tv and conversation (they were speaking in normal tone).

Restaurants: Before I left, I remember reading a review that said people who didn't like the food were snobs (basically something to that effect).... Well I must be a snob.... I prefer the term foodie. ;-) I was incredibly disappointed with the food! The Marco Polo is supposed to be fine dining. It was difficult to order because the selections were... interesting. The buffets left much to be desired. Honestly, the snack bar's burger and fries were the only reliable things! I will note that 2 days before this trip, I went to Las Vegas. Clearly, I was spoiled ;-) My advice is to go with an open mind. Do not expect to find your neighborhood Mexican restaurant food here... It seemed like more of an international cuisine. We ended up heading out to Outback for a good meal (old faithful).

Spa: the massages were amazing!

Side note: they have time shares. If you sit through a 90 minute presentation- you get an incentive - ours were 30 min massages. During the tour, they show you the OTHER rooms. The time share holders get the ocean view rooms. Also, the rooms have contemporary designs! Reminded me of the W, very modern. This made me think that they intentionally keep the regular rooms outdated so that you are more likely to get the timeshare. Although a great price, no way I'd get a timeshare- the property is just too old and the food is not good to me. I did appreciate that the salesperson was not too pushy.

Just got back from a week at Royal Solaris and overall it was a great trip for a good value. We did not stay in the upgraded Caribe area nor did we go there to check it out so this review is about staying at the basic Royal Solaris. We had a lagoon view room and it was just as beautiful out our window as the beach view rooms. Rooms are basic but kept very clean. We did ask for a king with a rollaway for our 7 yr old daughter, but they did not have it available on check-in. They were going to switch us the next day, but we ended up with a double room with a murphy bed and decided to keep it as I hate switching rooms during a trip. Important to note - most people arrive well before the 3 PM check in and they rarely checked anyone in early, so be prepared to go eat, relax at the pool and wait till later to get in your room - pack a swimsuit in your travel bag as they do have changing rooms.
Overall, we had a great time - do not expect the highest 5-star quality as those hotels cost a lot more. Before we left I was questioning if we made the right choice but as soon as we got there, I knew we did. This is a beautiful hotel for the price. Service is outstanding everywhere except the front desk - they seemed to be the only ones who were not super-accommodating. Wi-fi is a complaint - it is pricey and not free anywhere - even in the lobby as was advertised.
Other than that, everything was wonderful. The kids club is very nice with a pool and slides - perfect for all kids, and the staff kept the kids very busy with activities both indoor to cool off as well as outdoor - thank you to Yadelia and Adele for taking such good care of our girl. The staff was wonderful everywhere - special shout outs to Sara in Las Fuentes for taking good care of us each morning, everyone at Rosamarinus buffet in the afternoons, and Aby, Rey and Juan Camarran at Marco Polo each night. Breakfasts have a bit of everything including waffles, omelete station, cereal, fruits as well as Mexican specialites. Tip - ask your waiter if something is not on the buffet -they are happy to accommodate you as best as possible. Dinner is always a buffet and they do try to change it up each night. We ate most of our dinners at Marco Polo, the a la carte restaurant. We preferred that as we ate at the buffets for breakfast and lunch so it was a nice change from the hecticness of buffet-style. Food was very good there and again, different menus each night. Please remember this is not the US and while they do a good job of varying the menus, it is is Mexico and the food does have a Mexican flare to it. Totally what we would expect for the price. The pool snack bar had burgers, nachos and guac, pizza, wings and always a few different options each day. Perfect fare if you dont want to go in to the buffet. The pool is very nice as is the beach area. The entertainment staff does a good job of interacting wit different things to accomodate various styles - kids games, trivia, exercise earlier in the day, with more adult-like fun in the afternoon. It does get a bit rowdy in the center area, but if that's not your style, you can hang at the lower part of the pool for more quiet. The crew at the pool also star in the shows - different one each night and they work very hard to put on nice performances. While my daughter thought they were phenomenal which of course made us happy, both my husband and I enjoyed them as well - very entertaining. Everyone was great but special kudos to Fernanda, Manuel, Nestor and Marco who work non-stop at the pool all day, then dance their butts off in the shows and still have energy to take people into town to clubs at night. As far as previous reviews saying the drinks are watered down, sometimes they are but that was fine for me as I wanted to enjoy myself but not to excess. If top brands and strong drinks are what you desire, just tip the bartenders, make friends with them and you will get what you want. Regarding timeshare stuff, yes they do try to rope you in when they are giving you hotel info upon arrival but we simply said no and were only asked one other time during our stay.
Overall, all 3 of us had a great time and feel we got a good value for what we paid. The hotel is on the front side of the strip, away from the action in town, but that is only a bus ride and 8.5 pesos away. We found it to be a bit quieter and not as grandiose as the super-hotels closer to the center of town, but that was preferable for us.

My family and I just got back from Royal Solaris for our kids (5&3) Spring Break. We chose this resort due to a special they were having on Groupon. The resort is a little older but has been maintained meticulously.

Room-Our room was like a regular hotel room (tried to upgrade but unavailable) and very clean. It was an ocean-view room with no balcony. We are used to suite type rooms but was fine for the price. Besides the late nighters coming in loud and folks letting their room doors slam (due to open windows I assume) it was rather quite. However the door slams were more often that I preferred.

Staff-was great, polite and on their "A" game. This is what I've found to be the norm for Mexico. The event staff by the pool were fun and energetic. Almost made me feel like I was on Spring Break again. Lot of daily activities. The staff at the kids club were awesome too. Very attentive.

Food-I did not bring any pants so this prohibited us from eating at the finer restaurant. So we were regulated to "buffet-style" meals. I'm not a big buffet person but the food was very good considering. Breakfast always had a fresh omelet station as well as a pancake and waffle station. Kids loved that. Dinner seemed to always have prime rib too. Food was always hot. Pool side grill was convenient with their steady menu of hotdogs, pizza, nachos and other misc. items. There was also a pool side restaurant. It was only open during lunch though... wondered why they didn't open for dinner. There was a great view of the beach from many of the tables.

Beach is beautiful. Plenty loungers for everyone... almost piled onto one another (like the pool).

Overall this was a decent place to visit. Especially for the first time for the kids. It's not the kind of resort my wife and I normally visit and can't say we'd return. Just not our crowd. We prefer a more laid back and private environment.