Sun Palace Cancun
If you’re planning a romantic tropical getaway to Cancun, you should check out Sun Palace Cancun. This is an all-inclusive resort exclusively for couples, featuring excellent cuisine, beautiful pools, intimate spa treatments, and a warm and welcoming staff. Sun Palace Cancun offers a laid-back and relaxing atmosphere, while still providing all of the usual resort conveniences – it’s large enough to provide variety while still maintaining an intimate setting.
If you’re considering a trip to Cancun, Mexico, we’ve written a review of our 3-day stay at Sun Palace. Our goal is to help you determine if this all-inclusive resort is a good fit for your next vacation.
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The Sun Palace Cancun Resort is situated at the south end of the Hotel Zone outside Cancun, which is a 15-minute drive from Cancun International Airport . It’s a quieter and less busy area, which makes it ideal for a peaceful stay. The resort doesn’t offer shuttle service, but you can book a shared or private airport transfer through Cancun Airport Round-Trip Transfer. Palace Resorts sometimes have specials that include transportation if you book directly with them.
You can easily find taxis at Cancun airport, however, they cost $45 USD or more. It’s important to note that Uber is prohibited at the airport and considered illegal, but it does operate in Cancun. Although, you have to use Uber’s service at your own risk and avoid requesting a pickup from the airport.
The Uber service in Cancun was unreliable as there were no cars available at times when we tried to book a ride, and we had to wait for over 20 minutes. It’s advisable to have a backup plan if planning to use Uber for transportation in Cancun. Despite being illegal, we found Uber to be a safer option than taxis, with transparent upfront pricing and GPS tracking. The Uber drivers were friendly, and the service was surprisingly affordable.
If you haven’t arranged for private transportation, renting a car is a good alternative. You can find all major car rental brands at Cancun International Airport, and having a rental car will allow you to explore the surrounding areas on your own. RentalCars.com is an excellent website to compare rental car options and find the best deal.
Both self-parking and valet parking are available and come at no extra cost during your stay at Sun Palace Cancun Resort. Please keep in mind that the resort has limited parking space.
Upon arrival at the Sun Palace Cancun Resort, you will easily spot the large covered entrance and quickly make your way into the impressive lobby. What makes the Sun Palace Cancun so unique is its smaller, boutique-style hotel feel, unlike the large mega resorts typically found in Mexico. The lobby’s design is gorgeous, bright, and airy. Friendly staff members will be available to assist you with check-in, offer a welcome drink, and help you make your way to your room to start your vacation!
During our stay amid COVID-19, the hotel provided safety measures including hand sanitizers. All staff members and most guests wore face masks, except when dining or at the pool.
We had a quick and easy check-in process. We received wrist-bands that can be used as room keys. Although we arrived early and our room was not yet available, we were able to start our vacation and had lunch at a nearby restaurant. As soon as our room was ready, we went upstairs to see it, and our luggage was brought to us promptly.
Sun Palace Cancun offers several luxury suite options based on your preferences. The resort is committed to providing a romantic retreat exclusively for adults, so all suites are designed for couples and feature romantic elements. You will find the lobby at the main building’s center upon arrival.
In this area, you can find restaurants on both sides, with the pools located on the level below facing the ocean. The rooms are located on the upper floor. During our stay at Sun Palace Cancun, we chose to stay in one of the Ocean View Superior Junior Suites.
Upon entering your suite, you will immediately notice that the design was created to optimize natural light and offer unobstructed views of Cancun’s stunning turquoise waters and white sand beaches. Additionally, the suites are meticulously maintained and have a modern, clean atmosphere due to their contemporary design.
The suite comes with a lavish king-size bed, a private bathroom and a double whirlpool tub that offers a scenic view. There are a variety of delightful small touches that make the stay even better. All suites provide bathrobes, slippers, luxury bath amenities, and a bottle of wine to enjoy during the stay.
Furthermore, the minibar is stocked with premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks, and there is also an in-room coffee maker. Sun Palace Cancun is a fully all-inclusive resort, and all of these amenities are included in your stay.
Each suite has a private balcony that seats two. Since all suites face the ocean, this is a perfect spot to enjoy the sunrise in the morning or admire the beautiful turquoise waters throughout the day.
The resort is a huge building in the shape of an ‘M’ that faces the ocean to provide great views. You can find the lobby, a café, and a lobby bar in the center. On the left-hand side, there are the main restaurant named Aurora, shops, and some other services. On the right-hand side, there is The Bar at Sun Palace, some more restaurants, and the Awe Spa. The spa offers many services that are specifically designed for relaxation and couples.
You can find the multiple pools right outside the resort, and the beach access is located in the center. You will probably spend a lot of time around the pool, and Sun Palace has got you fully covered. There are three main pools that face the ocean. The left two are infinity pools designed for relaxing, sun tanning, and enjoying the beautiful Mexican weather.
During your stay, the pool on the right side is where you can find activities like volleyball. However, both pools have an abundant supply of lounge chairs and offer poolside food and drink services.
You can easily reach the beach from Sun Palace Cancun by taking a short walk through the entrance located near the activity pool. At the beach, there are numerous cabanas that you can rent during your stay and extra lounge chairs to relax on. Compared to other Cancun hotels where the waves can be intense, we found the beach in front of Sun Palace Cancun to be quite accessible.
The southern end of the Hotel Zone beach is less crowded compared to the northern end. You can take a peaceful walk in front of the nearby resorts without navigating through the busy sand. Additionally, the beach and water color are stunningly beautiful.
At Sun Palace Cancun, you can enjoy a variety of restaurants that offer different cuisines for each night of the week. Some of the restaurants available are listed below, but if you prefer to dine in your room, 24/7 in-room dining is included in the all-inclusive package.
Aurora is the primary restaurant at Sun Palace Cancun for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Every morning, they provide an incredible buffet breakfast that includes made-to-order omelets and a variety of unique mayan dishes. The lunch buffet is equally extensive, featuring many different types of foods. Additionally, Aurora offers a la carte Mexican cuisine for dinner.
You have two options for refreshing drinks and light snacks during the day. You can visit the outdoor snack bar located by the activity pool, or you can order from your lounge chair through the poolside service. For an even better vacation experience, you can enjoy some afternoon drinks at the swim-up bar.
There are several dining options available for dinner that have different styles and atmospheres throughout the resort. If you’re in the mood for Italian cuisine, La Tratto is located just off the lobby and has a beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking the ocean. The restaurant called Thai serves a variety of Asian cuisines in addition to Thai food, although we found the experience to be less authentic than expected.
Fuego is an outdoor restaurant that serves Latin American fire-roasted dishes. It’s a perfect spot to enjoy tapas and wine before dinner while the sun sets. Additionally, we had drinks and a nice beer at The Bar at Sun Palace’s outdoor terrace after dinner.
In addition, there is a café and deli located between the check-in area and Aurora. Here you can get great lattes, snacks, and sweet treats throughout the day. We really enjoyed grabbing lattes and a pastry early in the morning before having a later breakfast.
The Sun Palace Cancun Resort had good food overall, and we especially enjoyed the breakfast and lunch at Aurora.
If you’re a couple looking for a romantic or adventurous experience in Cancun, the Sun Palace Cancun Resort is an excellent all-inclusive option. Despite having multiple dining options and everything you need for a great vacation, the resort is still intimate in size, which we really appreciated.
If you appreciate luxury, great food, and a laid-back trip to Cancun, Mexico, we suggest staying at Sun Palace Resort. It’s similar to other Palace Resorts we’ve stayed at and has many small luxurious touches.
Other Similar Resorts in Cancun:
I recommend these travel resources for Mexico that I personally use:
🏨 Hotels: I have found that Expedia and Booking.com consistently have the best deals on hotels and resorts in Mexico. If you prefer to stay at a vacation rental, check VRBO that is usually cheaper than AirBnB’s added fees!
✈️ Flights: To find the best flight deals to Mexico, I always use Kayak. Remember to subscribe to their price alerts for the travel dates you want. Another great alternative for flight deals is Expedia.
🚗 Rental Cars: I always use and highly recommend Discover Cars because it allows me to compare several car rental companies and view ratings on various factors such as overall value, pick-up procedure, agent efficiency, car condition, and total time taken.
🚙 Cancun Airport Transportation: For the fastest and easiest way to travel, I suggest arranging a private transfer with Cancun Airport Transportation. Honestly, no better way to travel from the airport to your hotel or resort.
🤿 Tours & Activities: For tours and activities in Mexico, I highly recommend using either Viator or GetYourGuide. These websites offer a full refund if you cancel your booking 24 hours before the start of the tour, and they also provide excellent customer service in case of any issues.
🚨 Travel Insurance: I always suggest purchasing travel insurance as a precaution before traveling, especially after a recent accident in a taxi in Mexico. For short trips, I recommend Travel Insurance Master, whereas for digital nomads, Safety Wing is a better option.
📷 Best Camera for your trip: I always carry with me a GoPro, It’s light, compact, takes great video and pictures, and most importantly, it’s waterproof! You just can’t go wrong with one. If you are interested in higher quality video and photography, I always carry with me on my trips and highly recommend the Sony A7IV which I think is the best travel DSLR Camera out there.
☀️ Biodegradable Sunscreen: Remember to include a good sunscreen to protect yourself from the summer sun. I always use and suggest Sun Bum Sunscreen, which is vegan, reef-friendly, and cruelty-free.
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