A couple of days ago we reluctantly leaving Peru and heading North to Cancun.

I’m just going to cut and paste my Trip Advisor review of one of the MANY ordeals (this one is about the hotel we were originally booked in) we have had here.

We are winding up a two month long tour of South and Central America. We came to Cancun to see Chichen Itza and relax on the beach.

We came from Cusco-Lima-Panama-Cancun on COPA air (which was a pretty good airline actually).

We waited for nearly two hours to get our luggage while dogs barked and drug squads did their thing on the tarmac. Then we waited another two hours while every single bag got searched (including ours). The customs lady was absolutely lovely and polite, and even a little apologetic, but we were not impressed.

Then we got picked up for a transfer to the hotel that our travel agent (the same travel agent that put us on the Orient Express and booked us in at Eco Chic resort called the Inkaterra while in Peru) had arranged.

This is when the fun commenced.

We arrived to a frothing mass of scantily clad girls and sunburnt boys – all of whom were obviously three sheets to the wind after drinking heavily in the sun all day. This is not a problem, I was once young and stupid, and I think there should be a place – like University campuses and Miami Beach, and even some resorts in Cancun, for these kids to gather, BUT WE DON’T WANT TO PARTICIPATE.

The check-in staff was rude, and disinterested.

When we looked bemused and confused and asked her: “Is this normal?” She basically laughed at us and said: “Si – very normal”

Then we explained that we simply could not stay there, and she told us that our travel agent should have known and it is not her fault.

We reluctantly checked in and things went form bad to worse.

There was black mold in the corners and in the grout. The bath tub was chipped and gross. The plugs in all the sinks and bath were rusted. 

We always book a King Sized bed when we travel just myself and my husband, and a suite with a King Size when we travel with our children. We are not large people, we are probably considered quite tiny by North American standards, but since becoming grown ups, we have simply always had King Size beds.

We arrived in the room to find crusty “motel six” style linens on two small double beds which bowed in the middle. The sheets were pilled and kind of crunchy if that makes sense? 

After the ordeal at the airport we were weary and hungry. My gallant husband braved the throngs of loud, wasted and smelly teenagers and went downstairs to try and russell us up some food. He arrived to the only thing that was open – some “sports bar” buffet thing and found dried out hot dogs and hamburgers and tinder dry french fries. He is a vegetarian – and we have an aversion to disgusting food, so we went hungry and attempted to sleep in the filthy surroundings. We could not share a bed that night because THEY WERE TOO SMALL! And there was terrible roll-together.

The whole ordeal was surreal to say the least. We’ve met several people who have had similar experiences and were booked into this cesspit and once arrived were shaken down and had to upgrade their rooms and move to the Oasis Grand, at their own expense. 

I REPEAT: THIS IS A SHAKE-DOWN! If you are a grown up or have a family do not stay here. 

Needless to say, we checked out first thing in the morning and booked a lovely Ocean View room on the 6th floor of the Marriott – which was just 500 metres up the road.

We will not be back to Cancun. Ever. And we have plenty of other adventures to impart as to why this is. 

Looking very forward to flying out tomorrow, and we’ll have a virtually unlimited supply of stories to share with our friends and family when we get home. We will not be advising anyone we Love to visit here… there are thousands of wonderful, not corrupt, family and couple friendly places to go all over the world. Stay away from Cancun unless you enjoy being ripped off and swindled and forced to pay La Mordida over and OVER and over again on the Yucatan Peninsula. This is one of the worst places we have every been, and we’ve been traveling the world for decades. 

Go to a Pacific Islands, or Florida – ANYWHERE! Do not come to Cancun.

I do adore the Mexican people and sense of humour very much mind you. A feisty, funny and cheeky kind of humour that I find lovely and warm and refreshing. I wish I had more positive feedback to give on this place, sadly I do not. Seriously, just about anywhere is better than here. If tourists don’t come until they sort out their corruption issues, they will be forced to sort out their corruption issues.

I hope this helps someone – I could have used this advice a few days ago – or months ago before we booked!