More about Ambiance Villas
Awesome @ Ambiance
by A TripAdvisor Member
We just got back from staying at Ambiance Villas. What an awesome beach, pool and room.We had reserved a studio room but given a one bedroom suite. It was very clean and spacious. We had 2 patio doors that faced the construction site but it didn't bother us cause we were never in our room except to sleep.Breakast buffet was very good. You could order omlelets or scrambled eggs and pancakes. A little overpriced but not out of line for eating in Cancun. We tippped our maid everyday and had no problems with our stay. This place is on the top of our list for places to stay in Cancun.
Reservation System non-existent
by A TripAdvisor Member
We arrived at Ambiance Villas on Feb. 14, 2004 with a prepaid receipt for our reservation and were informed they were booked and didn't have a room for us. They had already made us another reservation at a time share. They told us they had 6 other families in the same predicatment...ie. a prepaid reservation and no room for them. Although the alternate accomdations were fine, we did have to endure a daily pitch to purchase a time share. We spoke to another group during our trip who were staying at Ambiance Villas. The relayed that the hotel thought they were checking out on a day other than the date on their reservation. It appears this hotel needs a new reservation system.
Didn't want to leave
by A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed at the Ambiance from 2/7-2/14 2004 and loved it. Since there were five of us (myself, wife, 3 daughters aged 15,12, and 10) a standard hotel room was not an option. We had a 2 bedroom condo at Ambiance with a spectacular view of the ocean from our patio. The rooms were just like the pictures on the web. Not high end hotel level but the rooms were spacious, clean, and functional. The beach was beautiful. The staff were friendly and helpful. Since we're not a real party crowd we particularly enjoyed the small size and relative quiet of Ambiance Villas. Most of the nearby hotels were enormous compared to this place. Chose to eat breakfast and lunch in the condo and have dinner at nearby restaurants. The small grocery store across the street was inexpensive and convenient. Plaza Caracol and the markets were a short walk. Recommend La Fisheria, Iguana Wanna, and Itialiannis. A find was Mister Crab, a hole in the wall serving Mexican and Seafood.
The five of us ate dinner including 2 sodas each for the girls and 2 Coronas each for me and the wife. Great food and the bill came to $44!
Plus my 10 year old had a blast with the waiter, who was a lot of fun.
I'd stay at Ambiance again in a heartbeat. In fact, I wish I was there right now.
Great beach for young children
by TripAdvisor Member italiancook
We spent the second week of February at Ambiance Villas. The accomodations were "adequate" and very clean. We stayed in their two bedroom villa with our two children, ages 6 and 10. We choose a two bedroom villa (instead of two adjoining rooms at a hotel) because my two girls will not sleep together - one snores and keeps the other up all night. There were not many children there my girls' ages which I realize can be a "hit or miss." Maybe because Ambiance is a time share resort? We saw alot of adults in their 70's around the pool area.
Although Ambiance has a "kids club" it is unstructured - the two adults running the club are married and just love children. They catered themselves to what my kids wanted to do (because there were not many other children who took part in the club - it's free, by the way) and they built sand castles, did arts and crafts and played pool and board games with them throughout the day. The room at Ambiance seemed "cold" because the flooring consisted of only tile - carpeting in the bedrooms would have given it a warmer feel but is that practical being on the ground floor near the beach? The kitchen was unappealing - the sink didn't look that clean and a sponge was left on the counter from other guests. During the night the Air Conditioner was very loud and every time it went on we were awoken. The furniture in the sitting room in our villa was in fair condition. The cushions were weak and soiled.
Pictures on its web site show the true colors but not how used it really was. The pool at Ambiance was simple, kind of small compared to some of the hotels we visited in Cancun. There were no waterfalls or varying layers of the pool. On the positive side, the beach was awesome - just the best, so white, powdery and clean. The ocean was warm and there were hardly any waves - perfect for young children. The staff at Ambiance were always pleasant and helpful - especially Rico in the concierge. The grounds were beautifully maintained; every where you look there were staff sweeping away sand and picking up where needed.
We ate at both restaurants at Ambiance and I'd say they were good. Of course chips and salsa at every meal and the tacos and quesadillas were awesome. My husband at alot of burgers for lunch so they must have been good. Overall, I would go again but with friends who have children my girls' ages (because the price was reasonable and the beach was perfect). If it were just my husband and me or us travelling with another couple I would certainly choose a nicer place - like the Meridian or the Marriott Casa Magna.
Pleasantly Surprised! Very nice, quiet oasis amid highrises
by A TripAdvisor Member
I was a bit worried based on reviews I had read here but we were very very pleasantly surprised and happy with Ambiance. I'm a world traveler and veteran of the eastern Caribbean and was very wary of 'Cancun' in general. On a very late (post-midnight) arrival we were given a not-so-great room with no view but the front desk put us into a fabulous one-BR with a view immediately the next day after I very nicely/pleasantly made the request. Call the 800 number and request an ocean view room a few days before you leave and again on the same day.
Everything is spotlessly clean and spacious (we had a 1 BR suite). No problem with theft. The sleeper sofa was terribly uncomfortable though even for me and I'll sleep anywhere. While my mother took the bedroom I slept outside on the sofa on our large verandah which was lovely but not every suite has one. Request 2209 or similar. Walk down the beach to the right around the point for deeper water (waist deep) swimming at the other hotels. The water by the hotel is very calm and shallow (knee deep) for quite a ways out but still absolutely lovely. Pool is clean.
Food okay but breakfast buffet is 12 bucks (overpriced in my opinion) so just walk to the supermarket and do your own. We had planned on cooking most dinners in at the suite but found that the nearest supermarket does not carry chicken/fish/beef -- need to trek farther for that -- so we wound up eating out every night and having lunch/breakfst in. Lunzillos dinner was very good - worth the wait for a table on the edge near the water. The place next door is same owners and has live dinner music. We (quite stupidly) overpaid our fare a bunch of times on the bus - it's only 6 pesos and we confused that a few times with 60 pesos (six dollars US). To tell the bus to stop by Ambiance or at any bus stop you MUST push the black button at the back of the bus (no pull rope like in the US) or they won't stop. Bus is very easy and if my mother could handle it anyone could. Taxis can be expensive. About Senor Frog's ...if you are over 25 don't bother, and don't get the shots which are watered down and not worth it. Senor Frog's is Cancun's version of Girls Gone Wild. Take the bus to the market in the town center -- ask exactly where to get off - we went too far. Definitely check out the indoor/outdoor bazaar-type market for masks, handmade clothing, souvenirs, glassware/ plates/ bowls. It's on the right as you go into town from Ambiance; again - ask for the address. Overall I was so very pleased and surprised by Ambiance Villas -- would be great for a family, someone travelling with a parent like myself, or for an over-30 crowd. Young spring breakers would be disappointed in this place but that's what we liked -- no loud techno dance music playing all day and no swim-up bar w/hot tub, but still drinks served directly to you on the beautiful beach, a beach bar if you want it for lunch, water sports, kitchens, very clean and surprisingly spacious rooms and great staff, close to the action but an oasis from what is typically thought of as Cancun. Would definitely return.
Good family-friendly hotel
by TripAdvisor Member aussie2111
We had read some bad reviews and so were a little worried...only to find that the rooms were large and well laid out, the beach beautiful and the staff friendly. They do run on 'mexican time' though so needed prompting to get some things resolved. The outside furniture was of the cheapest plastic variety and brittle - so I would recommend taking your lounge chairs outside instead. There is a new hotel or some such going up next to the east side of the hotel and they start work at 7am so a room on this side would be awful.
This is where you want to stay!!!
by A TripAdvisor Member
We stumbled across this charming little place (for 1 night) by accident when our original hotel (NH Krystal) was overbooked...I'm so glad they were! Let me say that this is the most beautiful beach in the area!
Water sports right at your fingertips and good snorkeling. The pool & beach areas were so peaceful & quiet, and you could really enjoy a good book or conversation. The rooms, though not extravagant, were clean & comfortable. The staff was friendly and accommodating. Though we do not have any children, it is definitely a good place to bring them! I would surely stay here again the next time we visit Cancun...you won't be dissappointed!!!
Noisy, but clean
by A TripAdvisor Member
Trip was 2/14 - 2/21/04. We have 2 teenagers and had the 2 bedroom suite with kitchen/living room combo. The rooms were very sparse, but clean. Our friends also have same age kids and had the same room set-up.When we arrived we ended up street side and the the highway noise goes 24/7 including sirens, buses and no-muffler cars. The management could not move us until the fourth night and we had to go back several times as it seemed they kept forgetting about our request! Do not stay on the street side!!Our friends had a quiet room for 2 nights and then MONDAY MORNING and the remaing weekdays at 7:00am sharp WATCH OUT! Their room was directly adjacent to the construction site. JACKHAMMERS, DUMP TRUCKS, CRANES etc. they are building a new hotel next door and it could be 2 years until completion! The construction was LOUD!!!! and the first day didn't stop until 7:00 PM. The next two nights it stopped around 5:30 so it was a little better. Both of our rooms shook all day (if you could stand to go back to the room).Hotel personnel and housekeeping were very polite and accomodating. The grounds are beautiful, the pool very small, but adequate. Since we had rainy and windy weather the whole week we only had one beach day, but the beach is large, clean and very nice.There is no bar to speak of and the restaurant has a very limited menu. There are a lot of older couples and families here. While we are not loud, noisy, party people it would have been nice to have a bar to frequent with some music and a restaurant that stayed open past 8:00 if we didn't want to leave the grounds.Also there is no DVD, video recorder or CD player as it would have been nice for the kids to have movies available on the nights after some of our long trips to ruins etc. It also would have been nice to have some tunes available.This hotel is in a great location as it is within walking distance to great restaurants, La Fisheria, Roma Italian and Argentine steakhouse. We did ride the bus to Walmart and stock up on WATER, breakfast foods, chips and salsa, sandwich stuff etc for hungry teenagers. It was a benefit to have the kitchen as they were eating constantly. The kids ended up riding the bus to the "happening" beaches of the Sheraton etc. as our beach was very quiet which we totally enjoyed.There are nice patios IF you were on the ocean side and not street or construction side. We did request ocean view and quiet rooms (as we have had street noise before in hotels) far in advance, but to no avail.I would not stay here again unless I was absolutely assured of rooms on the ocean side and maybe not at all until the hotel next door it completed.Overall it was OK, but seeing some of the other places and the amenities they had to offer for the same price, I would only stay here if you were assured of your room in advance.
Forum Posts
Places to stay in Cancun
by wenjun
Hi, my friend and I will be visiting Cancun for 3-4 days in the first week of January. We were wondering if it is better to stay in Cancun or in Cozumel? We are not really into the nightlife but would love to relax in a nice and quiet but reasonably priced resort with a nice beach and swimming pool.
As for Cancun, we heard that the beach around the Intercontinental hotel/Ambiance villas is the nicest in Cancun. Is this true? And how does the Intercontinental hotel compare with the Ambiance villas? Which would you recommend? We are also open to other suggestions.
Thanks!
Re: Places to stay in Cancun
by neverstoptravel
The beach around Intercontinental is awesome! The hotel has nice facilities as well. Haven't tried Ambiance, so no comments on it.
Re: Places to stay in Cancun
by brkilbourne
They are supposed to renourish the beach on the 7 this winter so it should be nice. The water is very choppy in Jan. but nice temp., pools are alittle chilly. Check out the Flamingo for great prices and descent all inclusive food, Bed are hard like in most hotels except in the suites and superior room.
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