Erik S.
Yelp
I stayed here in Jan 2024 in the Preferred Club section. This newish all-inclusive is one of the tallest buildings in Cancun, providing excellent views of one of the best stretches of beach in the region.
So at this time, let's talk about...
**The room**
Ours was a 24th floor Preferred Club Junior Suite Ocean View King. It had a decently comfortable but somewhat hard bed, a twin-headed shower that could accommodate 12, dual sinks, a stocked (but not regularly-restocked) fridge, and a long balcony with odd see-through slats separating adjacent balconies.
The TV was a bit small-ish and quite far away from the bed, with limited channels, but that's not why you're in Cancun, friends.
There was way too much furniture for 2 people, including a psychiatrist couch which reminded me of the ones that used to be in the rooms at the Vegas Cosmopolitan. (This hotel was built same time as the Cosmo, must have been a thing in 2011)
The thermostat required 2 visits to repair and was falling out of the wall, revealing previous fixes involving electrical tape.
**The food**
Food was hit-or-miss, particularly considering this all-inclusive's price point and intended clientele.
The Bluewater Grill steakhouse was excellent; we visited twice. The Oleo Mediterranean restaurant was very good, although the ever-present cornhole game on the beach combined that restaurant's name evoked an image of Beavis. The Dragons Asian-fusion restaurant warranted two visits; while the food didn't taste exactly like Thai, Chinese, Japanese, etc it provided generally very good variations.
The Nebbiolo Italian restaurant was disappointing. Food not so great, and not worth the long wait. Want to be seated right away and get a nice view? Commit to buying one of their "premium" wines, which included the various 19 Crimes blends that retail at home for $12, and which they sell for $100. That's gotta be the 20th Crime. Stick with the house Chilean merlot or cabernet by the glass, and you'll be just fine.
The buffet had good food but dining was very warm. No matter where you sit will make for sweaty breakfasts, from the windows, to the walls.
Snack places were pretty good, but had limited hours. Sometimes all that was available was sorta-warm burger patties or an erroneous room-service delivery.
**The facilities**
So many other reviews had a nose for this one: yes, most of the first floor has hints of butt. Once you're in an air-conditioned room (restaurant or bar), it's gone, but it's always there to greet you when you exit. It's not overwhelming, but once you know it's there, you can't supress remembering that.
The pools are large and the Club-level infinity pool has wonderful views.
However, poolside and on the beach there's a serious problem: there aren't enough loungers to accommodate everyone staying at the hotel. This leads to staking of territories and hoarding -- you simply can't find anywhere to hang out in the sun shortly after the sun rises and claims are complete. Situation is only slightly less-worse by the club infinity pool.
Jeez, Vine people, look at the max occupancy of the hotel and go buy exactly that many chairs -- there's plenty of room. Take a walk down the beach -- other adjacent hotels don't have this problem.
That beach is just wonderful -- white soft sand, insanely clear blue water with fishies darting around, no rocks, no seaweed, no dubious foreign objects. You can walk the full 2 miles to the Party Zone and get a bus back -- no shirt, no shoes, and you still get service for 60 cents.
**Your fellow guests**
Nearly all are from US and Canada. Not too much of a party crowd, and the place goes to sleep around midnight. Which leads to:
**Entertainment**
By day, there are some pool games, also a poolside country band that scared away the falconer's pidgeon-scaring hawk. By night, there was a pretty decent magic show, the requisite Mexican Folkloric Show That Allows People To Justify Saying They Had A Cultural Experience In Cancun, a great 80's band that stopped way too early, a "crooner" who didn't stop early enough, and a nightclub that sometimes got up to 8 people on the dance floor.
**Service**
The club-level floors come with a "butler." Ours was helpful in getting that thermostat fixed and getting minibar regularly re-stocked (you'll be without bottled water otherwise). He was less helpful in resolving where Hyatt had booked our reservation twice. Thankfully my cell plan covers calls to US from Mexico.
Every employee we encountered was unfailingly polite and cheerful, many with an excellent sense of humor, and most very very helpful.
**All told**
The Vine is very good, but not perfect, as our stay was marred with some service and facility issues. I'd consider it again for a future stay, especially when Hyatt points are involved.