Cancun: Westin vs Le Meridien 2006 on [Master Thread]
Apr 17, 2006, 3:42 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Oak Park, IL
Posts: 999
Cancun: Westin vs Le Meridien 2006 on [Master Thread]
Anyone have an update on the three Cancun resorts? Are they in various stages of repair/rebuild? I'm looking for at a spring 2007 visit.
La Meridien sounds very nice but maybe not what I'm looking for with my daughter and granddaughter. We need casual restaurants, in-room fridge and microwave. I'm thinking the Westin is my best bet.
Deb
La Meridien sounds very nice but maybe not what I'm looking for with my daughter and granddaughter. We need casual restaurants, in-room fridge and microwave. I'm thinking the Westin is my best bet.
Deb
Apr 17, 2006, 3:53 pm
#2
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Originally Posted by DebBrown
Anyone have an update on the three Cancun resorts? Are they in various stages of repair/rebuild? I'm looking for at a spring 2007 visit.
La Meridien sounds very nice but maybe not what I'm looking for with my daughter and granddaughter. We need casual restaurants, in-room fridge and microwave. I'm thinking the Westin is my best bet.
Deb
La Meridien sounds very nice but maybe not what I'm looking for with my daughter and granddaughter. We need casual restaurants, in-room fridge and microwave. I'm thinking the Westin is my best bet.
Deb
The Westin Resort & Spa Cancun - Now accepting reservations for arrival on or after June 1, 2006.
Sheraton Cancun Resort - Now accepting reservations for arrival on or after December 31, 2006.
I'm not sure if you'll find in-room fridge and microwave though. Not listed as amenities at any of the resorts (unless they have suites with these amenities).
[Correction...listed amenities show microwaves and refridgerators but depend on room type.]
[More...]
I've stayed at both the Sheraton and the Westin and will be staying at the Le Meridien this Memorial Day. Sheraton is more centrally located and right across from La Isla shopping center which has a lot of activity. Le Meridien is a little further down. Westin is furthest away from everything and has a more "away from it all" feeling...however, the bus is very easy to use and cheap! Check out this map: Cancun Hotels Map
As for casual dining, I think you'll find it in any of the hotels. However, you'll have more outside-hotel dining choices closer to the shopping centers.
Last edited by tmartazu; Apr 17, 2006 at 4:31 pm
Apr 17, 2006, 4:49 pm
#3
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Location: Oak Park, IL
Posts: 999
We stayed at the Westin a few years ago. I have no problem with the location. As you say, the bus is easy to use.
If the Sheraton is basically being rebuilt, then it might be a very different resort this time around. I believe I read somewhere that it would be primarily timeshare. Maybe there WILL be fridges.
Anyone have a comparison of the three? I can't get any with points right now but it just might be too far in advance.
Deb
If the Sheraton is basically being rebuilt, then it might be a very different resort this time around. I believe I read somewhere that it would be primarily timeshare. Maybe there WILL be fridges.
Anyone have a comparison of the three? I can't get any with points right now but it just might be too far in advance.
Deb
Jun 5, 2006, 12:47 pm
#5
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I spent an hour or more researching the CANCUN starwood properties last week (tripadvisor.com, reading flyertalk threads, etc).
Clearly this property:
a) is a fairly high-end property for Cancun, even compared against the Westin; one or more tripadvisor.com posters rate it equal to or better then the 4Seasons, which apparently got nailed and is just now opening up (or about to).
b) is deemed to be a sleeper in terms of high value for the rate
c) handily beats the sister starwoods Westin & Sheraton in terms of tripadvisor rating (La Meridien rates 11st in Cancun; Westin #36, Sheraton/Cancun #66. While I never give much value to tripadvisor ratings in absolute numbers, I do give weight to the RELATIVE position. Relatively being 11st in Cancun says a lot to me.
Though I don't envision a trip anytime soon, a friend of mine is headed there next month so I'll get some first-hand feedback soon.
Clearly this property:
a) is a fairly high-end property for Cancun, even compared against the Westin; one or more tripadvisor.com posters rate it equal to or better then the 4Seasons, which apparently got nailed and is just now opening up (or about to).
b) is deemed to be a sleeper in terms of high value for the rate
c) handily beats the sister starwoods Westin & Sheraton in terms of tripadvisor rating (La Meridien rates 11st in Cancun; Westin #36, Sheraton/Cancun #66. While I never give much value to tripadvisor ratings in absolute numbers, I do give weight to the RELATIVE position. Relatively being 11st in Cancun says a lot to me.
Though I don't envision a trip anytime soon, a friend of mine is headed there next month so I'll get some first-hand feedback soon.
Last edited by SanDiego1K; Apr 4, 2008 at 10:50 pm Reason: Refers to Le Meridien
Jun 5, 2006, 3:23 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2001
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Originally Posted by ILUVCITIBANK
Clearly this property:
a) is a fairly high-end property for Cancun, even compared against the Westin
a) is a fairly high-end property for Cancun, even compared against the Westin
No question about it. The Westin in CUN is an odd duck in many ways. The architecture is daring in a 1975 Mexican kind of way that I find terribly unattractive --- the resort is a cluster of enormous boxes...one of which is painted bubble gum pink. There are too many dark corners and areas that aren't used for anything. The hotel itself is reasonably well run, however, and I've found the staff to be excellent. For those in the RBC rooms or Plat guests, the lounge offers a remarkably good breakfast and an okay late afternoon reception. It, too, is disappointingly dark and has no music playing which makes for a noisy environ given the marble flooring. In all, I'd give the Westin a B-.
[Please note that my assessment is, obviously, pre-Wilma, and that this hotel has been closed now for many, many months undergoing a significant renovation. What will ultimately be done with the rooms and public areas is anyone's guess.]
The Sheraton was always a bottom choice in CUN as it was full of package vacationers who were there to P A R T Y . The Sheraton has a very central location, if you wish to be steps from malls, theaters, etc. The Sheraton got nailed in the storm and Starwood opted to go accelerate their plans to dismantle most of this old hotel anyway and construct a new timeshare property which is underway as I type this. Again, no one knows right now what the quality of the remaining Sheraton (about 1/3 of the original rooms) will be when it reopens much later this year. It, too, has been closed since Wilma undergoing, one hopes, complete renovations.
Lastly, there can really be no doubt that the Meridien CUN is a stellar property. It has always been a paragon on the hill there and in a very central position as well. Neighbors include the JWMarriott and the Ritz-Carlton. The facilities have always been impeccably maintained and this hotel had traditionally succeeded in attracting top dollar guests. Where the Westin failed, the Le Meridien soared. What I mean by that is the Westin offered everything one would generally expect, but nothing more. The Meridien has interesting public areas and pools with three different temperatures, for instance.
What I'm watching is how this hotel evolves under Starwood ownership. It's my hope that they'll continue in their independent tradition of excellence without overseeing interference. The initial reports above are positive, IMO.
Sep 6, 2006, 6:07 pm
#7
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We just came back from Cancun about 3 weeks ago. Had a reservation at the Westin but due to the ongoing construction decided to move to the Le Meridien. So, I can't comment on the Westin.
The Le Meridien, even though there is no construction going on at the hotel, is right next to a big construction site. The hotel is long and thin and almost all the rooms (except for the suites at the tip of the hotel) don't face the ocean. They sell the rooms as "ocean view" but in fact you can only see the ocean if you go right up to the window and turn your head towards the sea. I think it's a scam. The closer you are to the tip of the hotel facing the beach the better your view will be though.
Apart from that I found their Club floor to be an absolute joke for US$100 per day. The service attitude was shocking to say the very least and we felt ripped off by the hotel in every way: paid for ocean view which we didn't have, the club benefits are nowhere near worth the $100 you pay, internet fee was very expensive (I think around US$25 for a few hours in the business centre), we had half empty bottles of shampoo in the room and even though the hotel belongs to the Leading Hotels of the World they have never seen a Leaders Club card in their life! On top of that they lied to me about availablity of a suite as I was first offered a suite upgrade for $$$ but when they found out that I should have received the upgrade based on my LHW card they simply denied that they had a suite available. If something goes wrong, don't expect any help from anyone at the hotel. They simply couldn't care less.
That being said the rooms were very nice (all marble) and they had a great gym/spa area. Would I stay there again: Not in my life and not even for free!
The Le Meridien, even though there is no construction going on at the hotel, is right next to a big construction site. The hotel is long and thin and almost all the rooms (except for the suites at the tip of the hotel) don't face the ocean. They sell the rooms as "ocean view" but in fact you can only see the ocean if you go right up to the window and turn your head towards the sea. I think it's a scam. The closer you are to the tip of the hotel facing the beach the better your view will be though.
Apart from that I found their Club floor to be an absolute joke for US$100 per day. The service attitude was shocking to say the very least and we felt ripped off by the hotel in every way: paid for ocean view which we didn't have, the club benefits are nowhere near worth the $100 you pay, internet fee was very expensive (I think around US$25 for a few hours in the business centre), we had half empty bottles of shampoo in the room and even though the hotel belongs to the Leading Hotels of the World they have never seen a Leaders Club card in their life! On top of that they lied to me about availablity of a suite as I was first offered a suite upgrade for $$$ but when they found out that I should have received the upgrade based on my LHW card they simply denied that they had a suite available. If something goes wrong, don't expect any help from anyone at the hotel. They simply couldn't care less.
That being said the rooms were very nice (all marble) and they had a great gym/spa area. Would I stay there again: Not in my life and not even for free!
Sep 6, 2006, 6:21 pm
#8
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It's a good thing that you've taken the time to comb through the wealth of info that is already here on FT. There is a tremendous amount about the Westin.....far less so (thus far) about the LM, mostly because it just joined the *wood family recently.
In sum, I think virtually everyone can agree that the LM is the finer property of the two. Its location is exceptionally central to a wide range of entertainment and dining options as well as nightlife. It is well maintained and shares its environs with some big names like Ritz Carlton and the JWMarriott. It is also far far newer than the Westin.
Okay, the Westin is a perfectly fine place. It took quite a beating from the storms last year and is just now getting back on its feet after many months of closure. Initial reports have been spotty, indicating that there's still work to be done. That said, some prefer this location only because it's NOT as in-the-middle-of-things as the LM. It's essentially the farthest south hotel in Cancun, except for the Club Med adjacent. That means it's very quiet!!! For some that's ideal, for others it means boring.
I've not stayed at the LM quite yet, but I have stayed at the Westin. It's very hard for me to assign a rating to the Westin since it often offers rooms at significant low rates, like $129. So, for $129, you're getting a real bargain....but I don't think it's up to Westin's usual standard. I found the rooms to be exceptionally boxy and practically none of the rooms include balconies -- which is unforgiveable for a beachfront resort hote. The bathrooms were surprisingly nice. The pools were the most boring waterscape plan I've ever encountered --- with the possible exception of the miserable Holiday Inn on Aruba (don't ask). Basically three small squares with no exotic landscaping or whimsy whatsoever.
Back to the LM.....one of their signatures is their cascading poolscape of three large freeform pools -- all of which have different water temps! Now, that's cool in my book. One downside of this place is that reports are consistent that most everything here is even MORE expensive than one would normally anticipate (even for a beachfront well run resort). So, take that into consideration.
That's about all I can share. In sum, the Westin is an okay, good place in a somewhat awkward, not especially user-friendly series of building clusters. I'd rate it a B-/C+. From my gathering of opinions and stay reports on the LM, I'm tossing out a general rating of A-/B+ for it.
In sum, I think virtually everyone can agree that the LM is the finer property of the two. Its location is exceptionally central to a wide range of entertainment and dining options as well as nightlife. It is well maintained and shares its environs with some big names like Ritz Carlton and the JWMarriott. It is also far far newer than the Westin.
Okay, the Westin is a perfectly fine place. It took quite a beating from the storms last year and is just now getting back on its feet after many months of closure. Initial reports have been spotty, indicating that there's still work to be done. That said, some prefer this location only because it's NOT as in-the-middle-of-things as the LM. It's essentially the farthest south hotel in Cancun, except for the Club Med adjacent. That means it's very quiet!!! For some that's ideal, for others it means boring.
I've not stayed at the LM quite yet, but I have stayed at the Westin. It's very hard for me to assign a rating to the Westin since it often offers rooms at significant low rates, like $129. So, for $129, you're getting a real bargain....but I don't think it's up to Westin's usual standard. I found the rooms to be exceptionally boxy and practically none of the rooms include balconies -- which is unforgiveable for a beachfront resort hote. The bathrooms were surprisingly nice. The pools were the most boring waterscape plan I've ever encountered --- with the possible exception of the miserable Holiday Inn on Aruba (don't ask). Basically three small squares with no exotic landscaping or whimsy whatsoever.
Back to the LM.....one of their signatures is their cascading poolscape of three large freeform pools -- all of which have different water temps! Now, that's cool in my book. One downside of this place is that reports are consistent that most everything here is even MORE expensive than one would normally anticipate (even for a beachfront well run resort). So, take that into consideration.
That's about all I can share. In sum, the Westin is an okay, good place in a somewhat awkward, not especially user-friendly series of building clusters. I'd rate it a B-/C+. From my gathering of opinions and stay reports on the LM, I'm tossing out a general rating of A-/B+ for it.
Sep 7, 2006, 7:16 pm
#9
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Originally Posted by sbtinme
Okay, the Westin is a perfectly fine place. It took quite a beating from the storms last year and is just now getting back on its feet after many months of closure. Initial reports have been spotty, indicating that there's still work to be done. That said, some prefer this location only because it's NOT as in-the-middle-of-things as the LM. It's essentially the farthest south hotel in Cancun, except for the Club Med adjacent. That means it's very quiet!!! For some that's ideal, for others it means boring.
As sbtinme points out, these two properties are in very different places along the long strip of hotels and may meet different needs. If you reply with what you are looking for in a Cancun vacation, you might get more feedback. I've not been to the LM, but I have spent time at the Westin and at Club Med. I like being away from the main Hotel Zone and all the restaurants and bars. (Those places are still easily accessible by taxi or bus.) I think that the Westin is in adequate shape again, and I would think that the remaining construction there will be complete (or at least fully out of sight) before December.
In my brief Westin review earlier this week, I forgot to mention that the Spa is currently closed at the Westin. Instead, they offer to shuttle guests to the spa at the LM.
Nov 5, 2006, 10:42 am
#10
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2
Cancun: Westin or Le Meridien?
My wife and I are planning a trip to Cancun for late December, using points, and I am trying to pick which resort would work best for us. We'd like a good beach for sunbathing/swimming, nice pools, etc. Any recommendations?
Thanks
Thanks
Nov 5, 2006, 11:30 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: BRE
Posts: 13
I have been to CUN in August, stayed at the Westin. It was just beautiful.
But the hotel was still under construction (but there was no noise of it), so the Royal Beach Club and the Spa were not open. Had a ocean view room on the top floor (6th as I remember). Great look. The beach was very clean and quite wide for CUN, so good for sunbathing and swimming. Don´t like to use pools when I have such great beach and water so I cannot say too much, but the looked nice, big and clean and they have some. The whole stay was quite calm. I think the hotel was like 50% booked. And the neighbor hotels were not open again so the beach was not crowded at all.
Cannot say anything about the Le Meridien but the Westin was just great.
But the hotel was still under construction (but there was no noise of it), so the Royal Beach Club and the Spa were not open. Had a ocean view room on the top floor (6th as I remember). Great look. The beach was very clean and quite wide for CUN, so good for sunbathing and swimming. Don´t like to use pools when I have such great beach and water so I cannot say too much, but the looked nice, big and clean and they have some. The whole stay was quite calm. I think the hotel was like 50% booked. And the neighbor hotels were not open again so the beach was not crowded at all.
Cannot say anything about the Le Meridien but the Westin was just great.
Nov 5, 2006, 3:40 pm
#12
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Westin or Le Meridien Cancun
Hands down Le Meridien. I left the Westin because it was so disgusting and went to The Ritz. Next time I went to Cancun, I stayed at Le Meridien. It is far superior and basically next to the RC.
Nov 6, 2006, 3:09 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SWUSA / AA PLAT, SPG PLAT, AMEX CENTURION, HHONORS Diamond
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Had a friend who stayed at the La Meridien only a couple of months ago (he researched them both and concluded LM was by far superior)...and he had a super time.
After researching this myself for a potential pleasure trip that didn't happen (www.tripadvisor being a key part of that research), I believe the LM/Cancun is a real (upside surprise) sleeper spg property for starwood in Cancun, for now. Even after the so-called make-overs post-hurricane, whereby many properties have/had a chance to get a makeover at insurance expense, the LM appears to be a very nice place pre and post-hurricane.
Not so, apparently, for the Westin/Cancun, which is waaay down the list at tripadvisor.com.
YMMV
After researching this myself for a potential pleasure trip that didn't happen (www.tripadvisor being a key part of that research), I believe the LM/Cancun is a real (upside surprise) sleeper spg property for starwood in Cancun, for now. Even after the so-called make-overs post-hurricane, whereby many properties have/had a chance to get a makeover at insurance expense, the LM appears to be a very nice place pre and post-hurricane.
Not so, apparently, for the Westin/Cancun, which is waaay down the list at tripadvisor.com.
YMMV
Last edited by ILUVCITIBANK; Nov 6, 2006 at 7:24 am
Nov 6, 2006, 6:18 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2005
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I have not stayed at the LM, but I have spent one night at the Westin. As a Plat, we were upgraded to the 6th floor oceanview and received a very good free breakfast in the restaurant. How are the elite benefits at the LM?
Just from the photos, the pools at the LM appear to be much nicer to me. AAA rates the LM 4-diamond and the Westin 3-diamond. My expectations of the LM are also higher since it is a Cat 4 property whereas the Westin is a Cat 3. Most rooms except the standard Superior rooms at the LM have a balcony, but only the 6th floor at the Westin has balconies.
The Westin's spa and gourmet restaurant is scheduled to reopen in December, according to the website. If there are delays, they might not be open during the OP's stay.
The beach at the Westin is wide, but I don't consider the water in Cancun to be the best for swimming. It is known for often having a lot of seaweed debris. I don't know that one hotel is better than another in this regard, though.
Just from the photos, the pools at the LM appear to be much nicer to me. AAA rates the LM 4-diamond and the Westin 3-diamond. My expectations of the LM are also higher since it is a Cat 4 property whereas the Westin is a Cat 3. Most rooms except the standard Superior rooms at the LM have a balcony, but only the 6th floor at the Westin has balconies.
The Westin's spa and gourmet restaurant is scheduled to reopen in December, according to the website. If there are delays, they might not be open during the OP's stay.
The beach at the Westin is wide, but I don't consider the water in Cancun to be the best for swimming. It is known for often having a lot of seaweed debris. I don't know that one hotel is better than another in this regard, though.
Nov 6, 2006, 7:48 am
#15
Join Date: Dec 2000
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The Westin's location is a real downer...too far from any restaurants if you want to leave the hotel. Beach is so-so at best. LM is smack in the middle of the best section of beach and close to everything. A real gem.