Altitude at Krystal Grand Cancun - All Inclusive

I loved the Ocean Front room I chose — the view was absolutely breathtaking. The hotel has one of the best beaches in Cancun, and the Altitude area feels exclusive and peaceful. The room was very comfortable and clean, and waking up to the ocean view made the experience even more special.

Honestly, there wasn’t much to dislike. Everything met my expectations and the overall experience was very enjoyable.

All the things I didn't like didn't fit into the other box so here's the rest of what went wrong (spoiler: it was a lot!). Ordering room service was hit or miss. They would tell us they had certain items (for example, ceasar salad) but then didn't bring it. Housekeeping didn't refill drinks and teas in our room each day. We barely used them and they are all included in price, but still no one refilled the tea and we also had to call down for water. Breakfast is all inclusive but if you don't arrive there right at opening time (around 7 am) you're screwed and have to wait in a huge line. For some reason they have a hostess to seat you, which makes no sense when there are tonns of empty seats and you can just pick one yourself. We asked to be seated outside each day and were denied even though clearly other people were being seated outside. Once you do actually get in the food is sub-par. Not many vegetarian options and definitely no seafood, just old beans and stale tasting hash browns. Pancakes with no syrup, etc. The beach is not non-smoking and most people there have no consideration for others and smoke all around you, which is gross and rude. The staff will tell you 'yes' just to get you off your back. We were constantly told wrong information and had to double check with other staff who told us something completely different. This created anxiety in our stay. They had a Mexican fiesta night with no churros and just the same food as the regular buffet. Makes no sense, again. When you call room service it doesn't show up sometimes. We felt like we were treated as rich white people the whole time there, even though we spent a lot on this vacation and haven't travelled for years. We were really looking forward to our stay and this hotel was disappointing. Oh and don't do a day trip to Isla Mujeres, everyone there tries to scam you and will just harass you every couple of steps. You have to pay $1 to use the loo.

When we arrived after an overnight flight and haven't slept for 2 days the check in process was slow. Even though I notified them that I would be arriving at 9 am (we ended up arriving at 11 am), they still had no room available to check us into, which is understandable but I did request it and they could have told me this ahead of time. When you go to a restaurant or order from the beach bar they have no menu for drinks, you basically have to guess what they can make you, which is annoying. No Corona beer and no coconut water was disappointing. It's Mexico! Please have Mexico staples. The cafe's ice cream hours were all over the place. On some days they served it at 12 pm then other days at 3 pm. No idea why the inconsistency. The restaurant boasts that it has all these restaurants. Don't believe the count! They are there, but on any given day only 1 or 2 of them are open, creating massive lines and wait times. We waited for 2 hours to be seated once for dinner and another 30 minutes to be served. As a pregnant woman this pissed me off and took another whole star off my rating. In an all inclusive you should never be asked that long to wait to eat. Completely unacceptable. It was way past my bedtime once the meal was finished and the server ignored basic requests like 'no ice' in my drink. The room itself was OK, however, there was a nasty sewage smell coming from the pipes in the bathroom. It was on and off but when it happened it was so gross and left the bathroom totally unusable. Completely unacceptable to pay $700 a night for a room and have this occur. On our first day there housekeeping didn't come to our room despite calling twice to request it. They ended up coming by 5 pm after we were already winding down for the day. Robes and towels weren't replaced each time, even though they were clearly on the floor. Calling down for robes was a mess. The guy on the phone didn't know what a bath robe was and brought bath mats.

The view from our room

No bartender at the bar in lobby, even front desk couldn't find him. Always long lines to talk to front desk. The virtual concierge takes forever to respond and even if they do they don't do what they say they will. The Altitude is not adults only like it is advertised, there are kids everywhere in the tower. If we were going to have to walk to the other hotel for everything we could have just stayed there, it was much cheaper. I would never recommend anyone stay here.

The beach was pristine, the water warm and clear, absolutely stunning - which sadly was the only saving grace of this hotel. Also, although understaffed, interacting with most of the staff was a friendly and pleasant experience. 4531 euros (around 5,300 US dollars) for 6 days. The ABSOLUTE worst value for money that I have ever gotten in nearly thirty years of being a frequent traveler. And to think that I traveled from Europe for this.

1. Sun loungers at the beach are so worn down, broken and damaged that they were practically a health hazard. Broken parts with exposed sharp edges, sunken fabric that does not support weight. Tried to sit on one and the lounger practically folded in two, and nearly gave me a concussion. Please note that the number of these defective loungers are not even enough to accommodate the guest capacity that you need to get up before 8 to reserve one for yourself.2. Unpredictable housekeeping. During my 6 night stay at this hotel - only ONCE did the housekeeping provide our room (occupied by two people) with two sets of washcloths, face towels and bath towels. Sometimes we'd get only on set of towels, or four bath towels only. We'd have to call housekeeping nearly every day to ask for something as basic as towels. 3. Difficult system for making restaurant reservations. Two restaurants could be reserved in advance, some do not require reservations, others need to be reserved either through the app on the same day starting at 7am. None of this is laid out clearly in the beginning, so you spend your vacation learning these quirks as you go. It would be easier to go through the concierge, but the concierge is rarely readily available as there's usually a line. 4. Food is mediocre at best. Despite the all-inclusive package, we opted to eat out after two days. At the beach club, when we ordered chicken nuggets - we were given two packets of ketchup and one of those packets was already OPENED AND USED - which indicates a level of hygiene that is unacceptable in a resort hotel. I could no longer order food at the beach as I could not get rid of my suspicions that I was served someone else's LEFTOVERS or at best, food that had been handled with the lowest possible standard of hygiene that guests could be served with LITERAL WASTE. 5. Water leak in room among many other complaints but not enough space here to elaborate.

The hotel resort location was fabulous with the cove offering some protection from the prevailing trade winds. The ocean view was ideal and most everything we needed was provided for either in the room or by request from the attentive concierge. Traveling with an elderly relative with mobility problems was a concern for us before arriving but the friendly staff allayed our fears by assisting us with all these issues. The restaurants on site were excellent and even though they seemed to be short-staffed at times, we enjoyed the well-prepared meals and the hard-working wait staff. The cleaning staff and spa masseuse was commendable as well with top-notch service.

During the busy Christmas season, there were a few times we had to wait longer than we would like but the service and the food was worth the wait.

The location of this resort cannot be beat. The cove is a perfect place to escape any choppy ocean water, and the beach was pristine. They have a great setup outdoors and all of the staff were fantastic. The property is beautiful and we appreciated how well they used a small lot with organizing the restaurants and pools. You don't have to travel far to get anywhere, and the kids area was a cute touch.

The food could definitely be better - we could hardly access one of the restaurants (the largest buffet) because the lines to get in were always so long. Was very surprised how little breakfast options there were without ordering.

The location and water was lovely.

The sheets were scratchy. The AC in our very expensive corner king suite didn’t work the whole time despite their claims that it would “get cooler.” Despite constantly having the curtains closed to hide from the direct sunlight (and subsequently never being able to see the “view”. Food was really terrible. My teenagers cook better food, when in a hurry, and using the microwave to reheat old food. The staff was sullen and unsmiling, hurried and rude. The elevator often was slow or down, causing long waits from the “premium upper floors.”

Beach

Hotel, restaurants, room service

We have been there about 25-27 times.The views, the rooms at the altitude, the room service, the beach! The pool service was great.

They apparently are under new management. And apparently trying to save money. I get that. But the quality of food was much less, the choices much less, pork or chicken was the norm. If you wanted steak, you had to special order it and it was tough or just not worth the price. Room service was the only option then, since restaurants were ‘booked’ but over half empty or less. And the buffet was decent the first njght. But, on the busy weekend with weddings, the place was packed. So buffet it was. And it was laughable. Not good, not even warm, hardly any choices and honestly, made no sense. It became packed since it was the option. We walked downtown to get food.Then they put in a dress code. I understand they dont want swim wear, not a problem . But at a beach resort, and you can’t wear sandles! Gotta be kidding me. I didn’t have on flipflops, but leather sandals.There is more irritating stuff, but thats about it for now.

Nothing. The view from the room.

Krystal Grand Cancun was a disappointment. As a paying guest, I expected to receive the same high standard of hospitality that your brand promotes. Unfortunately, my experience did not reflect that.Throughout my stay, I observed that certain guests, including myself, received noticeably less attention and courtesy compared to other guests. The level of service felt inconsistent and, at times, dismissive—leaving me feeling unwelcome and undervalued. This was especially disappointing because I have stayed at comparable resorts such as RIU and Excellence, where all guests are treated with equal respect, warmth, and attentiveness, regardless of background.Krystal Grand Cancún fell short of those standards. The lack of inclusivity and customer care was both disheartening and unacceptable.Given my experience, I will not recommend this resort to others.

The resort is very beautiful and in a perfect location.

The temperature in the room is hot. I would advise people to bring a small fan also I feel like the resort needs more entertainment for the adults

The property was well maintained and staff kept it spotless.

Tiny adult pool could easily be fixed by having second tier pool as adult while family has big pool on bottom

The resort has nice beach, however very seaweedy (they can’t control that though and the whole area is experiencing this). The property was clean and a very pretty (well maintained). Very comfortable beds and don’t have to fight for chairs which was great! Very attentive staff everywhere from pool to restaurants. Loved Jahir at the Altitude bar

EXTREMELY watered down drinks. Food ok. Not enough shade provided and you had to rent nice palapa on beach. Most resorts are free so that was a surprise. No one did that so there wasn’t a lot of places to get out of the sun. Nice property but not luxury so if that is what you are looking for, this is not your place. Pool bar area was OVERRUN by children so we just stayed at the adult pool and ordered drinks there.

All 5 five restaurantsThe viewThe attention towards the guests

The elegant dress code at the french restaurant Ice cream only between 1pm to 5 pm

The location was great. The main strip was in walking distance. About 25 minutes from the airport. Our view from the room was good. The rooms were clean. Housekeeping made sure to clean the rooms everyday. Jahir, the bartender was also amazing! The drinks were good. Really big shots.

The only reason why I wouldn’t stay here again is because the food was disgusting, including room service. There were a few good items from the pool/grill menu but overall it was terrible. The buffet was so bad I stopped eating there after day two. They also need more cabanas at the adult pool, or have them be first come first serve. They’re free but you have to book them. We got there on a Wednesday and none were available until that Saturday. Mind you, they were empty most of the time. After the second day housekeeping wasn’t giving us washcloths. They only gave us towels and hand rags. Not sure if they ran out but we had to keep asking for them which was really annoying.

The view from the room looking down the coast was beautiful. Janer was extremely welcoming and helpful throughout our stay. We loved the infinity pool.

Great hotel with great service, the beach is just mind-blowingly beautiful. Loved the food, even at the buffet in the main restaurant there was enough choice and always delicious. Online concierge was also a pleasant surprise, a couple of messages and all questions are solved without having to go to the reception. Definitely recommend!

Beach beds should be taken early in the morning. After 8, all will be already occupied.

Beach was superb. The room in Altitude was really good. The pool and connected facilities were very good. The staff were absolutely amazing.

The beach need more Palapas. The food was generally mediocre with nothing really standing out as excellent. We did not appreciate the sales pitch that was concealed as a run through by the concierge. I really don't know why they do that in Mexico, but they clearly do not understand Canadian travellers. Nobody from Canada likes sales pitches. Period.

The VIP treatment we received. The staff remembered us pretty much after the couple of days.The beach was amazing!We received great Customer Service through out our time there.

Restaurant Booking System needs some work.No policing of pool lounges as people were leaving their towels on the sun lounges from 6am & then leaving the area for most of the day so there was no seating at the pool areas.

Nice room with balcony, good food, nice big beach. Resort provided complementary pick up from Airport. Fist day at resort, we booked a beach bed to stay in shade ? with drink and snack service all day.

Had some issues with booking dinner reservations, but in the end, we were able to book at the restaurants that we liked.