ITTN’s Shane Cullen is in Cancún with members of the Irish travel trade and media courtesy of Aer Lingus and Hilton.
The Hilton Cancun is an all-inclusive beachfront property. On one side, the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea and on the other, a Mangrove forest. It is located just south of the main Hotel Zone and of the centre of downtown Cancún. It is about 20 minutes from the centre and 15 minutes from Cancún International Airport.
The group were greeted and treated to a taco-making class. Each of us pressed our own soft tortilla, fried them on a hot pan and filled each with a range of local flavours from shrimp, pork or chicken to salads and sauces.
Luis Figueroa (Leisure Sales Executive, Hilton Cancún) provided a tour of the property during which Shane Cullen interviewed him about the features.
Rooms Including Family Suites for Up to Six
Luis shared that “Here in Hilton Cancun, we have 715 rooms. We are a big property. We are an all-inclusive property, so room service is included 24/7, the mini bar is also included in the rate, and it is filled daily.”
There are many room types with views of either the sea or overlooking the mangroves (called the Sunset View). There are also swim-up rooms, suites and even a presidential bedroom with panoramic views stretching 2,100 sq. ft. Also, on offer are family suites with two separate bedrooms (a King bed in one and two queen beds in the other). They are connected with a spacious living area and a HDTV in each. These sleep up to 6 people and stretch to 860 sq. ft. Ideal for larger families.
I stayed in one of the larger Ocean View rooms, which was furnished impeccably, spacious and fitted with a minibar filled with drinks and snacks (part of the all-inclusive offering).
The Ocean View & Sunset View rooms make up 60% of the offering. The suites total c. 35% and 5% are swim-up rooms with private pools located on the first floor of the property. If you like evening sun, opt for the rooms overlooking the mangroves as the sun sets at the back of the hotel.
Two infinity pools stretch to the edge of the Mayan coastline, one of which is adult-only. Sun-loungers and cabanas overlook the pools and Caribbean Sea with further loungers available on the beach. There is a towel service and poolside drinks with a balmy temperature of 28 degrees Celcius while we were there in January.
Kids’ Fun from Sunrise to Sunset
There is a kid-friendly splash pool and a kids’ club. Luis shared that the kids’ club opens from 8.30 am to 10 pm. The kids club is for children aged 4-12, offering arts, crafts, gaming stations, and toys for every age. There is a pizza factory to make real pizzas and kids’ movie nights. For the older kids, there’s a Teen Zone with gaming consoles and interactive entertainment plus chill-out lounges.
Activities
Daily activities include Latin dance lessons, beach volleyball, fitness and wellness classes, including pilates, cycle classes, aqua-aerobics and more. The hotel also has water activities with paddle board and kayak rentals included in the all-inclusive rate.
Beach Club
Nestled in a lush, Caribbean-inspired setting, the brand-new AMAI is their adults-only beach club offering a vibrant yet laid-back atmosphere, perfect for relaxing afternoons and magical evenings. It has its own kitchen, a DJ and bar, with swings. This costs US$40 per person per day and is open from 11 am to 6 pm. While it doesn’t have a pool, it is on the beach. After 6.30 pm, it is open to all guests.
Dining & Drinks
Luis explained, “We have five speciality restaurants on the property, and they’re included in the all-inclusive. We additionally have 12 gastronomic experiences in the entire property, which are very well distributed. So, in any spot that you are in on the property, you will find something to eat and drink.”
The hotel offers 12 unique dining venues, including five specialty restaurants. There is 24-hour room service and unlimited ice cream, churros, and sweets, plus grab-and-go treats from Azulinda Market & Café. Drinks are premium brands, and they serve proper cocktails. The speciality restaurants can be booked up to a week in advance, shares Luis. Equally, guests can walk in and see if there is a table available.
- La Luce – a convivial trattoria positioned around a central wood-fired pizza oven serving quintessential Mediterranean classics.
- Auma – an experiential open-fire mixed grill serving prime cuts and house specialities.
- Vela – offers a global buffet with hot and cold delicacies from chef stations at each meal. This serves food from breakfast to dinner.
- Taqueria – serves sharing bites with a rotating selection of tacos, featuring rich sauces, exotic flavours and the freshest ingredients.
- Sunan – all-day lounge servicing Asian cuisine for lunch and dinner.
- Maxal – specialises in Mexican cuisine. Here, guests can explore food by region and enjoy traditional dishes, sauces, and flavour combinations from across Mexico.
- Azulinda Lobby Bar – serving regional and imported beer, wine and daily cocktails
- Mezcalería – serving handcrafted mezcal cocktails and local flavours
- Two Poolside bars serving drinks during the day.
The hotel also has food carts with street-food-inspired bites, a La Churrería shop for ice cream and churros.
Authentic Mexican Meal with the Honorary Consul
Our group was treated to an authentic Mexican meal in Maxal, one of the specialty restaurants. Joining us for the evening was Irish-native Anthony Leeman, the Honorary Consul of Ireland in Cancún.
Anthony explained that the Department of Foreign Affairs has embassies in the capital cities around the world, and then, in the provinces, they might have what is known as honorary consuls. These offer support to the embassies in big cities in various ways, such as promoting Irish agriculture or industry etc. Here, in Cancún, Anthony’s role is “one hundred per cent assisting Irish citizens in distress”.
This Honorary Consul is in Cancún and covers the neighbouring Yucatán region, famed for the Mayan culture and historic sights. If you lose your passport, he is able to issue an emergency passport. As it is a paper passport, it is not valid in the USA or Canada, meaning travellers would need to fly via Europe or the UK (or fly direct with Aer Lingus, of course!).
Anthony has been living in Cancún, Mexico, and he highlighted a few travel tips for the area. If travellers are taking public buses, keep valuables on their lap rather than in overhead bins. Be mindful of leaving valuables on the beaches unattended. Take a photo of your travel documents (e.g. passport) before you travel, so if you lose them, you have a copy of the details – this expediates their validation process to ensure Irish citizenship before issuing any emergency documentation. Any lost passports also need to be reported to the local police station.
There are some 40 consuls in the Cancún area from different countries with an office coordinating the consuls and the local authorities, meaning issues are solved here rather than having to liaise with the City of Mexico.
Equally, in the very rare instance of someone having too much fun at the nightclubs and getting drunk & disorderly, the police have temporary cells and contact his office. People are typically given 24-36 hours to sober up or pay a fine (c.€300). His office is emailed directly, and a representative will be at the police station in the morning to make sure travellers are alright.
St. Patrick’s Day & A Special Bond Between Irish & Mexicans
Anthony’s role includes promoting Irish culture here, such as Saint Patrick’s Day events. He shared that the direct service to Ireland made the regional and national news and highlighted the special bond between the Irish and Mexicans.
Interestingly, he explained that during the Mexican War of Independence in the mid-1800s, Irish immigrants fighting for the US Army in Mexico identified more with the Mexicans. They saw the US invasion as similar to the British colonisation of Ireland. Irish soldiers switched sides and formed the Saint Patrick’s Battalion. Though many were branded as deserters and executed by the US for treason, they became folk heroes and are honoured in Mexico with monuments, parades, and annual commemorations on St. Patrick’s Day, recognising their sacrifice for Mexico.
